Things not always what they seem

This from a story on Military.com about some Wisconsin protesters who broke into a nuclear missile site in North Dakota:

Guards responded within minutes. And when they arrived, the protesters "ate a lot of gravel," DefenseTech was told.

"The individuals were taken from the area and brought to the McLean County Jail," the AP notes. "The three are being charged with criminal trespass and criminal mischief, both Class A misdemeanors, and bond was set at $500 each.... The FBI is involved in the case and federal charges are pending."

And this from Jessica McBride:

Actually, there are two scary things here, other than the fact that clowns trying to break into nuclear facilities and allegedly eating gravel when the guards showed up is downright scary by itself.

Methinks, Jessica, that when the military says the suspects "ate a lot of gravel" they mean the protestors were lying face down in the gravel, probably with someone's foot on them. You can't take things too literally. Like if I said you were eating crow on this, I hope you wouldn't go look for a dead crow.