 Hathcock was wearing a hastily assembled ghillie suit from the local vegetation to blend in with the surrounding terrain, and he was almost stepped on by patrols as he lay camouflaged with grass and vegetation in a meadow shortly after sunset. During this process, he came face to face with a deadly bamboo viper and managed to outlast the reptile until it crawled away. He then managed to complete the stalk and get into a concealed position, and not long afterward, the general came into view.