DixieDavenport

It was shortly after noon when Mary Lou was dropped off at the Davenport farm. Cooter and Luther had already went to the garage and figured Dixie would sleep in. To the contrary, she hadn't been to bed yet. Mary Lou who was a bit older than Dixie hurried on to the porch. As Dixie met her at the door, Mary Lou looked around for Dixie's Dad and brother before asking, "SO????" Dixie answered the unspoken question first, "We're alone and for the rest come on in and I'll tell you." Once in the kitchen Dixie started her story and again realized that she was going to have to come up with something to fill in places where she couldn't mention the moonshining. "Well, we were all at the garage, Dad got a wrecker call, Cooter was running late for a date, Luke offered to take me home......" "This was when?" Mary Beth interupted to ask. "A little after nine, I think." Dixie answered and continued. "Luke asked me if I was in a hurry to get home? I said no, so he took the long way home up by the lake to see if anyone was out racing or such..." "Oh, man, YOU went to the lake WITH LUKE????" Mary Lou asked in disbelief. Luke was the older guy that every girl in her class had heard rumors about and secretly wanted to go out with though most were too afraid to admit that because Luke had the reputation of 'using girls' to get what he wanted and most figured Luke had bigger 'fish' to fry, besides no self respecting girl wanted to 'damage' her own reputation being in the wrong place with someone who had that sort of reputation. "We drove up by the lake and no one was out. We stopped and talked a bit." Dixie said, again being interupted. "Did he 'try' anything?" Dixie replied honestly, "No. We just talked awhile and then headed back toward the house. We had just left town when my dad called on the CB for the big wrecker. Luke answered and said he'd take it. So we turned around to go get it and who should get behind us and pull Luke over but Sheriff Coultrane." Dixie said. "WHAT??" Mary Beth exclaimed. "Oh man! What did Luke do to get pulled over?" This is where Dixie had to shuck and jive a bit, "Nothing. But you know he was in jail a few days ago over a fight and seems the Sheriff wanted to make sure he was minding his P's and Q's. So that took some time to convience the Sheriff of and he finally let us go. We got the wrecker....." "Wait!" Mary Beth said. Even in Hazzard at this time it was 'big deal' to hear that someone in your age group got pulled over by the law. NARRATOR: See folks back then, ol' Rosco was playing above board, well mostly and was a fair to midland lawman. Mary Beth asked, "Was you scared when you seen ya'll was getting pulled over?" "No not really. Luke was doing under the speed limit so he had no idea why the Sheriff pulled him over. Seems it was like I said earlier to make sure he was minding his P's and Q's and to basically give him a hard way to go. We finally got to the wrecker and left for Chickasaw County where a big rig had went in the ditch near the cemetary. Well, it took him and Dad a bit to get it out of the ditch," Again, Dixie could fudge here because Mary Lou knew nothing about the wrecker calls. "So, Dad told Luke where the truck needed to go which was just up the road and Dad came on home." "You mean your Dad let you stay with Luke after he came home? DIXIE, I know you are pretty new here and all but, you have got to have heard about Luke's, .........." she paused and whispered even though they were alone, "Reputation and I KNOW your Dad knows." Dixie replied, "Well, I don't get to go out in the big wrecker often and he knows that, besides we should have basically been right behind him." "Should have been? Why do I get the feeling you all weren't?" Mary Lou asked. Dixie gave her a bit of a grin, "Because we weren't. After Dad left, Luke got in the wrecker and we went to pull out. At the other end on the wreck scene he seen a familiar car. You know the primer black car that Jeb has been fixin' up?" Mary Lou shook her head 'yes'. "Well, it was on the side of the road with Jeb and Bo. Seems Sheriff Little stopped them, .........." Dixie was stopped dead in the middle of the sentence. Mary Lou had a couple older brothers, "Dixie! Little can be bad news." She looked around again to make sure they were alone, "I don't know or nothing but my brothers talk and I hear things. I hear there are guys our ages running moonshine. You don't reckon that's how the Duke boys make the money to keep that car goin' and always have enough money to go out on the weekends do ya?" Dixie asked honestly, "If Luke was making that kind of money, would he be working for Dad? Besides, when would he have the time?" "I guess you are right." Mary Lou replied, waiting on the rest of the story. "So Luke had to stop, even had to call Jesse to come over which took time, finally Bo and Jeb were turned loose. We still had to take the truck to it's drop off point, then Luke brought me home." Dixie said. Mary Lou said with suprise, "So you basically spent all night alone with Luke DUKE? And, he didn't try a THING?" Dixie looked at her friend rather depressed, "Yeah, and I think that's what bothers me." She held up her hand to stop her friend's comment, "It's not just Luke." She told the full truth there, but it was Luke's attention she would prefer, "Ever since I been here, I'm known as Cooter's 'little sister'. I hate it. Just once I might like to have to put a roaming hand in it's place, butttttt, ..........." Mary Lou replied, "Sugar your Daddy and that brother of yours both have a reputation of their own and not many guys want to cross them." Dixie looked at her friend and asked, "So how do I make them want to re-think that?" Mary Lou replied, "That my friend may take some help from Diasy. Lord knows she has about every guy I know trippin' over their heels and some nearly ready to face Bo, Luke, Jeb and even Jesse! We need to call her!" Dixie replied, "Ok." and picked up the phone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bo was waiting, when Luke exited the bathroom, "You sure didn't 'sleep' long." Luke mumbled something about not sleeping at all. Bo raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you forget you took a shower BEFORE your nap?" "What nap? and NO, I didn't forget anything." Luke grumbled. "So, what has you 'bright eye'd and bushy tailed so soon?" Bo grinned evilly. Luke flat out said, "Go jump in the lake Bo." "Would that be a cold lake? And a cold shower you just took?" Bo took advantage of the fact they were alone in the house, "God, I'm glad I don't have to take cold showers anymore!" Bo was on a roll an added, "Seems you would have gotten enough cold showers in jail. I would have though that you would have 'fixed' that sort of problems last night, being your first night home and all....." Both guys would later be glad Jesse, Beth nor Daisy were close enough to hear the sounds that followed. First, Bo's head hit the wall as Luke lifted him up by his neck; second, Bo gulped air as Luke held him against the wall for a split second; third, Luke said, "I was too busy trying to get you out of Little's cuffs!!!!"; fourth, Bo sliding down the hallway wall as Luke let him go and he ended up sliding down the way to the floor as Luke stormed off! Then the front door slammed as Luke went out. Bo shook it off, got up and said to himself, "I think I pushed that a bit toooooo far! Wonder exactly who is under Luke's skin?" Bo had seen him like this before and it usually meant there was a girl just out of his reach that he wanted. Luke would be like this awhile. Either until he 'got' what he wanted or until someone else took his mind off 'her'. "I may want to tread a bit lighter for a day or so." Bo laughed as he went out on the porch to find, .........

you may also like to know that Bo and Jeb weren't the only ones who got stopped empty last night." Jesse emphasized 'empty' to her, then continued, "Luke and Dixie also got stopped last night in the General Lee,...... then were empty too." He pasued for several minutes before saying, "I had the load. I'll not put my 'kids' in any danger that I won't do myself. Think of this thing as sort of a shell game. They may know we're running, but the where, when, who and how, IS the thing. In two hundred years we've had some close calls, mighty close calls but not one of us has gone to prison for it and I don't plan on letting it happen now. I'd do anything in my power to keep those boys out of trouble, ........ even if it meant loosing all this." he waved his hand out in front of him to show the farm his family had worked so hard to get and keep, "This may not be much but it's years of hard work to get and keep it. I'm not like JD and some of the others who wan to live beyond their means and get rich, I'm just trying to keep our heads a float and make enough for when you get too much rain or not enough rain or the tractor breaks down again." He sighed. Beth nodded, "I know that, Uncle Jesse. Prison? You do mean jail?" "No, Sugar. I mean prison." Jesse looked her dead in the eye and said, "What you may not know is you can do Bo and the rest of us all more harm than good when you make him worry that you are worried or mad." Beth dropped her head. Jesse added, "I allowed you to be told even before you were family, because I knew what could happen if Bo was gone and you didn't know where he was. He was afraid you'd think he was lying to you and that he was out with another girl. I have not given permission for many of the boys' girls to be told about what we do. Course some of them already know because their paws or brothers know, but I haven't permission for them to tell but you and,.............." he thought, "Two more girls." Beth thought about this. Two more girls. She knew Luke had be serious about Robin. She hadn't known Bo, Jeb or Luke to be serious enough about any other girl, ever. She had to wonder who the other girl was. "Two? I can see me and maybe Robin, when Luke was serious about her, but???" Jesse smiled and just said, "Trust Bo. Trust Luke, Jeb and me to get the job done like we all know how. None of us need Bo behind the wheel of a car wound so tight that he can't breath. That boy drives like nothing I've ever seen and though Luke and me taught him, I'd put him up against the best ridge runner or agent that I've ever seen. He can drive." Beth............ ~~~~~~~~~~~ Luke drank his coffee, helped with the chores, took a shower and headed for his room. With his jeans over then end of the bed and his shirt draped over it. He stretched out over his sheets and pulled the sheet and blanket up to his neck and sighed. His bed felt so good............ He layed there waiting for sleep to over take him and ............. nothing. He turned over and fluffed his pillow, settled down and, ..... .. nothing. Seeing the light from outside coming in, he got back up pulled the shade which closed out most of the bright sun light, layed back down, covered up closed his eyes ............ several minutes later his eyes opened wide. He signed, turned back over, re-fluffed the pillow, closed his eyes, took a deep breath to try to clear his mind of all the activity of the past day. Luke felt sleep taking him away only to begin to dream about none other than Cooter's 'little' sister. They were driving along in the wrecker which wasn't uncommon. The next thing he knew they were in a wooded area. Alone. Then his words from the night before hit him like a ton of bricks as he heard Dixie's voice ask, "Am I such a little girl now?" He saw her begin to unbutton the top button of her shirt..............Luke knew even in his dream this was TROUBLE, but he deep down he wanted to see what was under the shirt! Luke suddenly set upright in the bed! That wasn't right. He knew that. He took a few deep breaths and decided he may as well get up. He knew he wasn't going to sleep now anyway. As he dressed it felt as if his jeans had shrunk at least a couple of sizes. He swore as he zipped the now too tight jeans, heading for the bathroom hoping a cold shower would make him feel better as well as make his jeans fit better. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back at the Davenports, Dixie was thinking of all the ways for Luke to see her NOT as a 'Little Girl'. First she called her friend Mary Lou Pringle and once she was on the line Dixie said as a sleepy Mary Lou answered the phone, "Mary Lou? This is Dixie. Do you think maybe you can come over tonight?" "Dixie I haven't even got out of bed yet, but maybe after I get up I try to arrange it. Why?" Mary Lou's curiosity was up at why Dixie was calling her so early. Dixie started to talk then suddenly realized she COULD NOT tell everything that happened. "I went on a wrecker run with Luke Duke and .................." she paused to cut out a bunch of the story, "It was just a minute ago before Luke brought me home..............." "Wait! Stop!!! Luke DUKE just brought you home??? I have got to hear this!!" Mary Lou was up and getting dressed.

"Just a 'little girl'! I'll SHOW him a 'little girl'!" Dixie vowed. ~~~~~~~~~ Once in the wrecker, Cooter looked at Luke and said, "So, what did take you two so long? You were leaving the garage right behind me and you hadn't gotten Dixie back home until now." Luke began, "Cooter it has been a day, but I'll start with leaving here behind you. We were on the way to ya'll farm when Luther radioed for you to bring the big wrecker to him." He conviently forgot to add the part about him and Dixie going to the lake. "I knew you likely didn't want to be disturbed so I to Luther I'd bring the truck. Dixie of course wanted to go, so I turned around and was heading back to the garage when Rosco pulled me. He wasn't happy when he searched the General Lee and found nothing so we had to wait for him to get a couple agents out here. They took him apart, so I insisted they put him back together again, which both took some time and really peeved them off. We finally got the wrecker to your father and hooked to the wrecked truck which I was to take only about a mile up the road so your dad left for home. As I was pulling out guess who Agent Roach had pulled over at the other end of the wreck scene?" Cooter looked at him blankly. "Bo and Jeb! So I had to stop. Come to find out that Little had orginally pulled them over and put his own set of 'high security' handcuffs on them, sure that he was going to fine shine in the car. When the car was clean, Little took off leaving them cuffed and a couple of doors to the patrol car in the ditch. I had to get Jesse back there." Luke knew Cooter knew that Jesse had been running with the boys. "About the time Jesse got there Agent Roach had gotten another agent to bring a key they hoped would work and it did. I finally got the truck dropped off and then headed to your house without even going after the General Lee." Cooter said, "So you and Dixie were with cops, Dad, or Jesse all evening?" Luke nodded, "Pretty much." "If you'd told Dad that he probably wouldn't have been so upset. I don't see why he was so upset anyway, I mean, not only is Dixie a kid, but you wanting to 'date' her would be about like me wanting to date Daisy. Now, don't get me wrong, Daisy is a beauty, but she is yours and Bo's cousin. She is like a sister to me and I'd never cross that line with you two, let alone risk the friendship I have with ya'll or her. Cause even if we would go out surely nothing more would ever come of it and there could be hard feelings on one or both sides. Ya'll mean to much to me to risk that." Cooter said in one of his more profound moments. Luke was glad to hear Cooter express things his head had been trying to tell him for a few weeks now, but merely said, "Yeah." Then he added with a tired sigh, "He was upset because of what people would think about Dixie basically being with me all night. With things that have happened with the other girls, I can see his reasons. It's different her going with me during 'reasonable' hours." Cooter agreed, "Yeah, I guess I can see that." Luke was glad to see the farm come into view. "I sure hope that nothing gets in between me and my bed. Thanks for the ride. We'll be by later the get the General Lee." Cooter replied, "Not a problem and I'll even try to smoth things over with Dad after he's had some sleep." Luke nodded, "Thanks. See ya in a week or so when I wake up, if I get to go to bed at all." Luke knew Jesse's rules about sleeping in the day time. Unless you were sick, really sick, it wasn't normally tolerated. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jesse and Beth were on the porch with coffee as Luke and Cooter pulled up. Jesse asked Luke as he got on the proch, "Didn't Cooter want breakfast?" "He and Luther had eaten before we got there." Luke said tiredly. "I dropped off that truck and headed straight to their place. I figure we can get the General later. I was close to falling asleep," he hinted, "and I knew Luther would be concerned when we weren't there when he expected us." Jesse had nearly forgotten that Luke had been on the go all day the day before and into this morning. "Help the others with the morning chores and grab a couple hours." Luke gave his uncle a greatful smile, but had planned to hide out in the hayloft if he hadn't been given the chance at least at a good nap. "I'll grab a cup of coffee and get started." Jesse nodded his appreciation for Luke's willingness, then he turned and looked at Beth as Luke went into the house, "Ok, Dear, we need to talk about last night. All of last night......."

For a split second you could have heard a pin drop in the Dukes front yard. NARRATOR: Folks I think the chickens even stopped clucking!!! Bo just dropped his head. Jeb seen that he had stuck his foot in his mout up past teh knees and wisely moved rather quickly toward the house to be sure that he was out of Bo's reach. As he went through the door he added, "Shower is mine first!" Jesse Duke was wise beyond his years and didn't get into the kids relationships, but Bo was still his boy. Though he knew that it was just the hormones of pregnancy effecting Beth's moods and he knew she wasn't hurting Bo, Jesse felt now was the time to speak up before the still newly married couple got into a habit of hitting on the other. He said with a commanding voice, "Kids!" He had their attention. "Let's go into the house and get some breakfast on and I'll explain to Beth what happened last night." Bo knew his tone and said, "Yes, Sir." Bo wasn't sure he wanted Jesse to talk to Beth for him, but at the moment he felt just a bit safer, but wasn't sure he wanted to let go of Beth's wrists. Beth had been around Jesse Duke for years and couldn't remember ever hearing that tone of voice. 010101010101 As Luther picked up the CB mic, he heard the sound of the Peterbuilt's engine as it started up the driveway. Luke looked at the fully lightened morning sky as he started down the Davenport driveway. He knew Luther figured him to be no more that about a half hour behind him and that was if Luke had went to the garage first to get the General Lee. Due to having been up nearly 24 hours and not sleeping well at all the past few days in jail, Luke decided to head straight for the Davenport farm in hopes that Cooter may run him home. He figured they could pick the General Lee up at the garage later. He looked over at his right shoulder where Dixie had dozed off just after passing the County line. Luke couldn't help but smile at how comfortable she looked sleeping on his shoulder. He hated to wake her but figured her father would not be really happy with him for being so far behind him to begin with, so Luke gently nudged Dixie and said, "Dix, we're here. Wake up." Dixie was like most folks in Hazzard and used to turning in early, except for rare occassions. Also she was used to being made to go to bed at her Mother's early too. So staying up until dawn had taken it toll as well as the movement of the wrecker as it bounced down the dirt roads of Chickasaw and Hazzard Counties. She heard Luke's voice but was too soundly sleeping for his words to register in her brain. All she knew right now was she was warm, comfy and safe. She snuggled closer to the warmth, stretched her arm out across the bed..... no that wasn't a bed, that was a person..... it took awhile but Dixie then realized that was LUKE under her arm. Luke felt Dixie snuggle closer to him, then move her arm across his chest. He was suprised to fine that he discovered he like that feeling and it took him almost a full minute, as he slowed the wrecker down coming down the long driveway, to come to his senses and with a bit more firm voice say, "Dixie. Your father is on the porch. You need to set up." Luke's second statement had hit Dixie's brain just as she realized her arm was on Luke's chest. She set up quickly still a bit disoriented. As she opened her eyes she was surprised to see it fully daylight, she was in the wrecker with Luke and both her father and Cooter were on the porch and not looking happy. Luke said, "You dozed off just past the county line. But, it doesn't look like the welcoming committee is too happy about us not being here sooner." Dixie looked back grimly, "Looks like you are right about that. Sorry." "What are you sorry about?" Luke asked. "If I wasn't with you, they wouldn't be on the porch." She said. Luke nodded in agreement and said lightly. "Your probably right about that, but your father is as attached to this truck as you are." "I just hope he's not too mad at you." Dixie said as Luke stopped the wrecker. As he set the brakes of the big wrecker he gave her a sideways grin and said, "I'm not real proud of it, Honey, but you're not the first girl I ever brought home at dawn........ And there in lies the problem. I'll take care of things, you just go get some rest." Dixie couldn't help see that Luke was just a bit embarrassed at his statement as he seen she understood exactly what he meant by his statement. Yet, she couldn't help admire how sure of himself Luke was about being able to handle the situation, as well as her father and brother as he got out of the truck. Luther said sternly, "I was just getting ready to radio you." Luke said, "I guess I should have radioed you, but about the only thing I could do on the way back was concentrate on driving, which is why I headed here instead of the garage." Without waiting on to hear her father's reply, Dixie took Luke's advice and hoped it worked and headed past Cooter and her father, hoping to make it to her bed without being stopped. Luther watched his daughter. His only daughter head into the house. Her hair was a bit messed but over all her appearance was intact. Then he looked at Luke. He knew the boys family, knew him well enough to trust him with his trucks and tools, but the part that bothered him, .... really bothered him was that he knew the boys reputation. It was well known all over three counties the boy had a score card and there had been plenty of players. Luther ......................

It was just then that another car pulled up and all the Dukes knew it to be a government issue car. Agent Roach looked up to see the car, then looked at Jesse, then his watch. He thought, 'Just my luck, if Jesse pushed it, he did have just enough time to get to him from Hazzard. Though no one else could have made it in that time frame'. Roach was sure a Duke could. He said, "That should be the keys right there, Jesse." Jesse Duke frowned, "Well, it better BE!!!" Agent Roach added, "If it's not I'll let them cut the cuffs." Jesse nodded with satisfaction. Agent Roach walked over to the much younger agent, took the keys and walked over to Jeb first. The first set of keys fit into the lock but did not open them. Agent Roach swore nearly as loudly as Jeb, who was only out voiced by Bo. Dixie who had been standing by Luke while they waited for Jesse to arrive seen Luke tense, even though Agent Roach had told Jesse that he'd give the go ahead to cut the cuffs if the keys didn't work. Jesse didn't even bother scolding them for cursing, as Roach inserted the second set of keys into the lock and turned it. Jeb felt the cuff loosen on his left wrist. Once Jeb was uncuffed Agent Roach took the same key and stepped over to Bo. He inserted the key into the lock and nothing!!!! Bo felt his knees almost buckle as his heart hit his shoes. Though Luke felt sorry for his cousins situation, it was hard to not laugh at the sick look Bo had on his face. Agent Roach swore as he got out the set of keys that had not worked on the cuffs that Jeb had on and said, "I intend to have a real long talk with Sheriff Little about this!" He put the key in the lock, turned it and felt the lock give. Bo felt the cuff finally loosen on his wrist and breathed a sugh of relief as Agent Roach finished removing the high security hand cuffs. Bo couldn't contain himself any longer and let out a "YEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAW!!!!" Jesse nodded his appreciation to Andy Roach and said, "Ok, boys lets get to the house. It'll be dawn 'for we get there now." 010101010101 The first pot of coffee had been drank, a second one made, as well as breakfast made and eaten by Luther and Cooter. Cooter was getting ready to start his morning chores before going to the garage. He saw his father look out the window for the hundreth time then look at the CB base station on top of the refrigerator.

"She'll probably kill you just for the principle of killing you, but does she have a real reason to do so?" Luke paused, there was far too many ears around for them to finish this conversation, "Nevermind, don't answer that." He was given a very sarcastic look from both his cousins. ~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Hazzard, it was really late as Cooter turned into the driveway. He was prepared to cut the motor half way down the driveway, but he seen that the wrecker wasn't there and the house was dark, too dark even for Dixie to be there. Cooter frowned wondering where his father and sister were. It wasn't unsusal for Luther to be gone late at night but it also wasn't usual for Dixie to go out late at night with either Luther or Cooter on wrecker calls. Cooter thought, 'Maybe she stayed with Dasiy, but the last I remember Luke was taking Dixie home.' Cooter wasn't even out of the truck when Luther pulled in behind him in the wrecker. Luther looked at his son, who was expected to be at the garage first thing in the morning, and said, "Out kind of late aren't you?" Cooter hadn't had a time to be home for several years but knew his father didn't approve of him being out late unless he was on a wrecker call any more than Uncle Jesse approved of Bo and Luke being out late, especially when the next day was a work day. With the fainest light of dawn beginning to show there was no denying that it wasn't late or that he didn't realize it was so late. Cooter nodded, "Yes, Sir, it is, but where is Dixie?" he hoped by changing the subject it would keep his father off his back. Luther frowned, "She should be here soon. Luke had to bring the Pete over to me in Chickasaw County for a job. She was still with him when he picked up the truck. You know your sister. Wild horses could not have gotten her into the little wrecker with the Pete there." Cooter agreed, "You have that right." "Let's get coffee on they shouldn't be but about a half hour behind me. Luke said he may need coffee to be able to get home." Luther said seriously. With a bit of an evil grin, Cooter said, "Ya know he has had a rather busy first day home." Luther started the coffee and said, "I can't say it's been an easy one for me either." Cooter was glad Luther didn't see the smug look on his face. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sometime later, Jesse Duke pulled up on the cleared wreck scene to find, ............

Luke turned to one of the agents there and asked, "So they aren't under arrest?" Agent Miller shook his head no, "They've been,..... ah,..... 'free' to go. Well so to speak for over an hour now. It's just that Sheriff Little left in a rather bad mood." He indicated the two doors of the Chickasaw County partol car laying a short distance away. He continued, "We've all tried to get the cuffs off them but no one has a key." Luke frowned, "It can't be that difficult. All cuff keys are the same." Luke was met by 4 sets of eyes telling him no. "Let me see." NARRATOR: Got to give those Dukes credit. Seeing is belivin' to them and ol' Luke is about to start believin'. He looked at the cuffs and asked, "What are those?" Agent Miller handed him the book he had been looking at. "Peerless Model 710 High Security they only come with two key combination and can't be copied." "Great. Are you in charge here?" Luke was pretty sure the young man was not, but he was trying to gain points that he hoped would help get his cousins back home before Beth and Daisy got up. Miller replied, "No, that would be Agent Roach." Luke nodded and walked over to Agent Roach's car. Andy Roach saw Luke Duke, Jesse's oldest coming toward his car. He knew that he had two sets of keys that were made for those cuffs on the way from Atlanta but he had something else on his mind. Luke said, "Agent Roach I'm in the wrecker up there. I'm sure I can get those cuffs off if you'll give me the go ahead to do so." Agent Roach replied, knowing what the eldest Duke would do. "I can't do that. I may have the authority to do so but I don't really want to buck Sheriff Little either." Luke said, "I'm sure that Jesse won't appreciate you holding them without cause." That is what Agent Roach was counting on him saying, "Well, I don't want to cross Jesse either, but me not my guys cuffed them and we don't have the means right now to uncuff them. Little's wife has been notified and when he cools down she'll tell him about this. Do you watn me to have Atlanta call teh farm?" Luke felt like he had no other choice but to radio Jesse to come back to them, but if they called by phone Jesse would not be home yet. Luke replied more calmly than Bo had earlier. "No that will wake up the whole house. We'll wait a bit and see if Little shows back up." Luke walked back to the wrecker. He said to Dixie, "We've got a little problem." He then got on the CB and radioed Jesse, "Shepard this is Lost Sheep One. I've came up on Lost Sheep Two and Three just past the County line. I'm not sure why Little stopped them but we got a little problem here as soon as you can get here from the farm." Jesse wasn't sure what the problem was but he realized that he needed to turn around and get to the boys but none to quickly. "I'll be there as soon as I can get dressed." Jesse replied. Dixie asked, "So now what?" Luke replied, "We wait. I got to go tell them Jesse's on his way." He got back out of the truck and walked toward Bo and Jeb who were looking at him hopefully. Luke said, "Guys it's gonna be awhile> Agent Roach won't let me cut the cuffs. Jesse is on his way over from the farm." Luke emphasized the last word.

Luke sized up the rig in the ditch and positioned the large wrecker to best be able to tow the truck out of the ditch. Dixie asked, "Do you need me to do anything?" Luke gave her slight grin as he got out of the truck, "I thought you didn't want Luther to know you knew about the trucks." "He'll know sometime won't he?" Dixie replied. Luke looked back up at her, "If its all the same to you, I'd rather it not be tonight. I'll get your dad to give me a hand if I need anything." Luther seen how Luke had set the Pete to pull the rig out of the ditch. Even though this wasn't a complicated job he could see that Luke handled the wrecker as well as himself or Cooter. He had been glad when Luke had wanted to earn some extra cash a few years ago and began learning the trucks. Luke had the wrecker set up and was moving the large rig even before Luther had gotten to him. Luther advised, "Luke the driver has a friend just past here on the right. That's where he wants it taken to." Luke replied, "Ok, I'll take it up there and then bring the wrecker back to Hazzard." Then he thought about Dixie being with him and it being 3 am. Luke was torn between telling Luther she was with him which would also make him have to explain why it had taken him so long to get here. But, he also knew if Luther Davenport got home and Dixie wasn't home he'd be worried, then he'd be mad. He figured that he may as well get it over with, "Luther I was on my way to take Dixie home when you called for me to bring the wrecker. She is with me." Luther looked at his watch. It was late, really late. Luke answered the questions before they could be asked, "Yeah, it's really late. After I talked to you we turned to go back to the garage for the wrecker and I was stopped by none other than Rosco. He wasn't satisfied with him searching the car, but called for two ATF agents to re-search it." Luke grinned, "Then I had to wait for them to put the car back together." Luther now understood why it had taken Luke that long to get to him. "Them? Put the car back togeter?" Luke gave an evil grin, "Yes, it was 'priceless'. Luther knew his daughter had loved the big wrecker since he'd bought it and had bugged him for the last few years to learn how to not only drive it but to learn to operate it. "Normally I'd tell her to ride with me, ....." Luke gave him a look that said Dixie wouldn't like having to get out of the Pete and into the smaller truck, but he didn't say anything. Luther continued, "But, since I know you'll be right behind me I'll let her ride back with you. I'll have coffee ready when you get to the house." Luke replied, "This is one of those never ending days from he--. I'll take you up on that coffee. It may just get me to the farm in one piece." He hadn't slept well while in jail and had really looked forward to sleeping in his own bed tonight and here he was in the middle of the road in Chickasaw County. Luke finished getting the rig hooked up and told Luther, "Well, we'll be behind you as soon as I drop off this rig." Luke climbed up in the big Peterbuilt wrecker and said to Dixie, "Ok, Dix, here is when I need you. Watch over there for me it's gonna be real tight getting out of here. Then, I'll need you to keep me awake on the way back home, which is largely why I think your Dad let you ride back with me." Luke started the big wrecker with the rig in tow out of the wreck scene past several fire units. Dixie said, "As soon as you are past this fire truck you are clear." she paused then added, "Luuukkeeeee, isn't that Blackie parked up there?" Luke turned his attention to where Dixie was looking. It was Blackie, trouble was that he also knew the other two cars parked there. Both cars were ATF cars and Luke would know Agent Roach's car anywhere. Luke pulled the wrecker to the side of the road and told Dixie as he was getting out, "Stay here. I'm not sure what going on." As Luke walked up to where Blackie was parked, he scanned the area and finally found Bo and Jeb leaning against Blackie. It was obvious they were still cuffed but the car wasn't being searched.

Jeb glared at Bo. Bo had answered far to quickly than to just be concerned about waking up Jesse. Lord knew he and Luke had woke him up many a time for less and was sure that Agent Roach knew this. He tried to smooth it over, "Yes that's right with his wife being pregnant and all she needs her rest." Suddenly the 'light' came on in Chickasaw! Andy Roach now knew how his agents could shake down two cars of Duke boys and fine nothing. He also knew exactly who was running the load that he had been warned about coming out of Hazzard. He looked at Miller who still hadn't put two and two to gether yet, "How about you take these guys over to their car and get 'comfy' while I try to find a solution to this situation." Miller wasn't sure why Roach wanted them away from the car but he picked up on that much. So he said, "Come on fellas. I'm sure Agent Roach will figure something out." As soon as the other agents and the Dukes were out of hearing distance Agent Roach shut his car door and said into the radio, "Atlanta, this is Agent Roach. I had two agent that searched a car near Hazzard tonight. Can you ask them what kind of car it was?" Several minutes later Atlanta replied, "They searched a Dodge Charger." Agent Roach almost knew that before he asked. He then ordered, "Have all agents BOLO (be on the look out) for a 1970 For Torino painted primer black. It will be driven by Jesse Duke and could be anywhere from Hazzard to the next three states. It will most certainly be hauling moonshine." Jesse was a friend of his and he hated to do this to him, but it was his job. Atlanta advised, "I'll take care of it Sir." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The other two agents and Rosco had finally gotten the General Lee back together. Luke and Dixie had picked up the big wrecker and were now approaching the area where Luther should be with the truck in the ditch. Luke let up on the fuel peddle jsut a bit as he knew he was getting close. Dixie looked at him with questioning look. "After everything earlier I sure don't need to run up on this wreck 'hot'. I'm sure that Sheriff Little will be on scene. Not to mention, I really don't want to make your father think I abuse his trucks." Luke explained. Dixie laughed, "Yeah he is quite fond of his trucks." As Luke pulled in on scene of the wreck he could not see around the slight bend in the road that his cousins nor their car parked on the other end of the wreck scene. He was just about to get out of the truck when he heard over the police radio Atlanta advising the BOLO on Jesse. Luke stopped dead in his tracks. He wasn't sure how or where they got their information but it was too accurate for his liking. He reached for the CB hoping the agents and police could not hear him. "Lost Sheep to Shepard where are you?" Jesse replied, "On the main road almost to the County line." Luke knew he would be on his way back and empty but for Jesse Duke to be out at three am was sure to raise a lot of questions if he was stopped. "I'll explain later, hit the woods home. Get off the main road. You can not be seen coming back into the County." Jesse wasn't sure what was up but he took the next side road that headed to Hazzard. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, still unseen by Luther Davenport were two very impatient and unhappy still cuffed Duke boys.

The younger agent gave him a very puzzled look, "What do you mean took the keys to those cuffs. They are all alike!" The older agent stepped back and said, "Fine so you unlock them." The younger one stepped over closer to Bo where the lighting from the headlights of the car was better. He had his cuff key in his hand ready to unlock the handcuffs when he looked closer seeing the handcuffs with a very different sort of lock. "What the he--?" The older agent gave him a look as he turned to go back to the car. The younger agent followed him to the car hoping that his parner had a key that fit these cuffs. Jeb had also moved to look at the handcuffs. Bo was beginning to feel like the Christmas turkey on Christmas evening. "What??? would you just tell me what is going on that two ATF agents can't unlock one set of handcuffs." "Two."Jeb replied glumly. "Bo those cuffs ain't like anything I've ever seen before." Bo moved to see Jeb's cuffs, "Let me see." As Jeb turned around so that his hands were in the light, all Bo could say was, "Oh Lord." Back at the car, the older agent radioed Agent Roach, "Agent Miller to Agent Roach." Andy Roach checked his watch. It was getting late. He wished his four agents would get here soon and hoped that's what Miller was telling him, "Go ahead." "Agent Roach, we have a situation here. The car was clean. But we have the two suspects still handcuffed ." Miller reported. "Well, if you don't have any other charges get on back over here." Roach said a bit impatiently. He had a tip that moonshine was being hauled out of Hazzard tonight and he wanted it. Miller signed, "Sheriff Little has already left the scene and we don't have a cuff key to fit these cuffs." Agent Roach swore. They spent a lot of money to train young agents and these two 'college boys' couldn't even unlock a set of handcuffs. He said outloud before keying the mic, "I've carried the same cuff key for twenty years and never couldnt' get a set of cuffs unlocked." Then he said as he keyed the mic, "I'm bringing my hair pin and coming right over." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Menawhile, Sheriff Big Ed Little had driven to his house in record time. He got out of the now two doored patrol car, hit the hood with both hands causing the front two fenders and grill to fall off. He stomped up the front stairs, removed the front door from it's hinges, when to his gun cabinet, got his twelve gauge pump and three boxes of shells. As he hit the back door with his foot the back door fell to the porch. Ed walked right over it and kept going toward the woods behind the house. His wife hand been setting in the living room and seen the whole thing. She now heard shots being fired into the woods she hoped! ~~~~~~~~~~ Agent Roach pulled up fuming but tried to remain professional since the suspects were standing there still cuffed. 'So these are two of Jesse's boys' he thought to himself. "Ok, boys let me get you unlocked here. He took out his ever faithful hand cuff key and went to enter it into the lock on the cuffs only to see a very differnent kind of lock. He frowned and looked at Agent Miller who had a book a magazine in his hand. Before Roach could say anything Miller said, "Peerless Model 710 High Security pick resistant locking system." Bo had only thought it was going to be a long night before, but now he knew it was going to be. Roach said, "Who's cuffs are these?" Miller replied, "Sheriff Little's" "Figures." Roach said, "So why didn't you just have him called to come back out and unlock them?" Miller replied to his superior officer, "Sir, with all due respect they just don't pay me enough." He pointed in the direction of the two car doors that were obviously from the Chickasaw Sheriff's patrol car. "Good griff." He said as he reached for the radio, "Atlanta, this is Roach. Can you get a number for Ed Little Sheriff of Chickasaw County and do a phone patch between me and him?" Atlanta base replied, "Standby." After a short time they said, "Agent Roach I'm patching you through to the residence." Little's wife answered the ringing phone sure that it was a neighbor complaining again, about the gun fire in the wee hours of morning. "Hello" "This is Agent Roach with the ATF. Is Sherifff Little there?" He asked. She looked to the back door laying on the porch and replied, "He's out back." "It seems he left two suspects handcuffed at his last stop. Could you get him for me?" Agent Roach asked. Little's wife walked to the back door. She was sure that the agent could hear the rapid gun fire as Ed was continuing shoot the twelve gauge. "I'm sorry, but you hear that gun fire? That's what he's been doing since he got home and I'm not about to go after him." Agent Roach looked up at the two agents and the two Duke boys standing near by sure that they heard her reply. He ..................

sighed and immediately stopped fighting the steel of the hand cuffs. Jeb was right and he knew it. Unfortunately, with his hands cuffed behind him there was slim to no chance of getting out of the cuffs that Sheriff Little had put on rather tightly. He could feel the steel cuff biting into his wrists as he sat back against the seat of the car to wait for either Little to either give up or find something he knew wasn't there. NARRATOR: The problem with Sheriff Big Ed Little is that he never gives up. Sheriff Little had watched the two agents do a very complete good search of the black car that he knew was a runner. The senior agent looked back at Sheriff Little and could almost swear that the man's mouth was watering in anticipation, much like a starving man would do a T-bone steak. He hated to be the one to burst the Sheriff's bubble, but he hadn't even been able to find a kernel of corn or a spoon full of sugar, let alone any moonshine. He tapped his partner on the shoulder, nodded for him to stop looking, and he walked toward the Sheriff, "Sheriff we have looked this car over from top to bottom. It's clean." "It can't be. I know this car is a runner." Little said. The agent nodded and said, "Well, I might agree with you there, but it's not running nothing tonight." Sheriff Little straightened his shoulders, turned toward his patrol car and marched off toward it to do the only thing he could do. Bo seen him coming and was relieved that this was about to be over, until Little got closer and he saw his determined face. All he could say before Little got to the car was, "Ut-oh." Jeb turned to see what Bo was suddenly concerned about just as Little reached the car. Sheriff Little grabbed the car door handle and jerked the door open, ..... and off the hinges in his hands!! "Get out!" Bo swallowed the knot in his throat as he saw Little turn and throw the car door over to the side of the road. He decided not to keep the man waiting as he got out of the car. Jeb didn't bother waiting on his door to be 'opened' for him. Even with his hands cuffed behind him he managed to scramble out of the back of the car behind Bo. Little took off his front door of the patrol car much like he had the back door and tossed it to the side of the road with the back door. He then got in his car and drove off. Bo and Jeb were glad to see him gone but suddenly realized they were still cuffed. Suprisingly enough, the two agents were just as relieved to see the Sheriff in his car and heading away from them as the Duke boys were! 0101010101 Rosco also had went back to watch the agents search the General Lee. He was impressed with how good a search they were doing, however, they were not having any more luck than he had been having before they arrived. They had taken the back seat out, door panels off, and anything else that could be taken out to look in, under, or behind. The oldest of the two agents, looked over at Rosco, "Sheriff is there any other place you'd like us to check before you turn them loose?" Rosco studdered, "Tur-nnnnn 'em looooossseeee?" The agent replied, "If there is no place else you want looked at, we are statisfied that there is nothing here to find." He paused then added, "So you have to let them go." Rosco nodded, fussing as he walked over to his patrol car to Dixie, "Let them go! I get them dead to rights and got to let them go." Figuring there was still enough time to get back to Agent Roach and actually find some moonshine tonight if they hurried the agent who had insisted Luke be cuffed and placed in his car went over to the car and said, "You can get out now." Luke was more than ready to do so but had a couple remarks that he was just dying to say, but thought he'd at least wait until the cuffs were removed. The agent promtly removed the handcuffs and said, "Ok you can go now." Dixie had walked over to Luke and was more than willing to just leave, now, but Luke was now in a rather annoyed mood. He looked at the agent and asked, "So, does that mean you'll not be filing any charges?" The older of the two agents wasn't much older than Luke, himself, but must have been around a bit more than the one that was so eager to rub Luke the wrong way. He said, "The car is clean. So no there will be no charges filed. You can go." Dixie couldn't believe what she saw and heard Luke do next. Luke looked from the agent to the General Lee and said, "I will be glad to, ......... just as soon as you all put my car back together, ......... just the way you found him." Then, he said with a bit of a grin as he looked at the eager agent, "Or I'll be filing charges of my own." Before the younger man could say anything the older one pointed in the direction of the car. As they walked off the older agent said, "I told you not to be taking all that stuff out of there. To just look behind it. That's the first thing the teach you about searches in the academy!" Luke didn't here the younger agent's reply. But saw Rosco standing and enjoying the show even though no moonshine had been found. Luke said, "Rosco, you had a hand or two in emptying my trunk." Rosco grumbled and stomped off to join the two agents in putting the General Lee back together again. Dixie looked at Luke, "Have you lost you mind?" Luke grinned widely for the first time since he'd seen the blue lights behind him. "Probably, but they did that search totally wrong and I wasn't letting them get by with it." "How long will it take them?" Dixie asked, remembering they were supposed to be going after the wrecker and should have been back to her father by now. Luke looked unconcerned, "Not half as long as it took them to get it all out or for us to have put it back. The nights still young and they want to go back to the 'hunt'." 010101010101 Meanwhile, Jesse Duke had done as he had since he was the boys age. He had completed his deliveries and was back on the road home. Though he was several hours outside Chichsaw County it should be smooth sailing back home. He just wondered where the boys had gotten off to. He hoped they have just gotten delayed to long to have tried to catch up to him.

As Luke sat with his hands cuffed behind his back in the back of the ATF's car he watched as best he could the search of the General Lee. The agents were having as much luck in finding moonshine as he expected then too, none. But, they were looking in places that it would be impossible to find any moonshine, let alone a gallon jug or for that matter a pint jar! Dixie, too, was watching from the front seat of Rosco's patrol car. She knew Luke would never lie to her, but hoped no one had set him up. 0101010101 Unlike Luke, Bo and Jeb had been cuffed by Little and placed in his cruiser to wait for the agents to arrive. Bo looked at Jeb and said as he struggled against the handcuffs, "Beth doesn't need this." Jeb replied, "No she doesn't need to know about this. You know they ain't gonna find anything." Bo ...................

Luke was not happy but was trying to keep the situation calm more for Dixie's sake than because of the terms of the probation. He said as he tried to appear 'relaxed' leaning against the General's windshield, "Rosco, I'm telling you there is nothing illegal in this car." Rosco replied smuggly as the ATF agents arrived, "Well, we'll see about that shortly. Now won't we?" Luke could have bite nails when he saw the two agents not much older than himself, both eager and ready to make arrest and a name for themselves. He waited none too patiently. Neither agent knew Rosco and thought that if a Sheriff had called for them and Agent Roach had sent them, then surely the car was packed with moonshine. The first agent would have nothing of Rosco's laxidaisy policing and began to rub Luke the wrong way by saying very firmly as he got close to the General Lee, "Both of you, off the hood. Put your hands behind your backs." Luke looked at Rosco, who was at the moment enjoying the agents' show. Luke had been about as co-operative as he was going to be, "And why would I do that? Are we being arrested? And exactly for what?" The over confident agent replied, "You are both going to be restrained and detained until your vehicle is searched, then when we are finished charges will be filed accordingly." "The only charges I see being filed will be for false arrest." Luke said. Rosco said smuggly, "You may want to know that this par--tic--u--lar Duke just so happens to be on probation." Luke swore under his breath. The agents immediately concluded that Luke must have been on probation for running moonshine and the first said, "Well, I guess ya didn't learn the first time you were arresting for running moonshine so now you are trying to obstruct an officer, violate your probation, as well as be arrested for delivery of untaxed alcohol." Luke heard the charges ticking off just a bit too official to not be a promise, whether he was running shine or not. "No, I'm not obstructing you, nor am I violating probation or running moonshine." Luke moved Dixie further away from the agents and toward Rosco as he stood up, "I'll do what you say, but she hasn't done anything but be in the car with me." Rosco nodded, "He's right about that. She can set in my car." He saw the look Luke gave him and concluded, "In the front." Luke nodded and complied with the agents as Dixie walked over to Rosco's car with him, "Rosco you're gonna feel really funny when you find out that Luke isn't lying." Rosco for the first time began to wonder if he was right about Luke, as he watched the agents looking in every nook and cranny of the General Lee.

Dixie knew that if Luke told her he didn't have anything in the car then there wasn't anything in the car, but there was something about Rosco's certainity that worried Dixie as she watched him looking into the trunk. Rosco stopped looking and stomped back to his patrol car. Dixie said in a soft voice, "Now what?" Luke was watching the Sheriff. He shook his head. He knew what the Sheriff was up to. He'd seen it before, so he replied, "Just stay calm. We're about to have a lot of company real soon." Rosco reached for the CB mic and said, "This is Sheriff Rosco P. Coultrane and I need an ATF agent at my location. I have a runner here." Andy Roach was over the group of agents that had meet to try to locate moonrunners in Chickasaw County that night. "Sheriff, this had better be good." Rosco stated sincerely, "I have a Duke boy stopped at my location." For Andy Roach that was good enough for him. Though one half of him knew that Jesse Duke would be devastated if the Sheriff was indeed right. "I'm sending you a couple men Sheriff." Rosco giggled uncontrolably, "We're a half mile from town on Rt 7." Seeing the smug look on Rosco's face as he was returning to the General Lee, Luke sighed deeply and went to the front of the car and took a seat on the front fender. He said, "Might as well get comfy, we're gonna be here awhile." Dixie did as Luke said. She went over and leaned against the General's fender beside Luke trying to look bored rather than worried. She whispered for only Luke to hear, "What about Dad?" Luke figured he'd try to get Rosco to listen to reason even though he was certain he wouldn't, "Rosco can I at least radio Luther to tell him I'm gonna be late." "You think I was born yesterday don't ya? YOU ain't radioing anybody, anything. I know all the tricks. You are just trying to get a message to Bo." Rosco said with confidence. Luke rolled his eyes, "Well, you can get on the CB and radio him yourself." Rosco refused, "I'm not delivering your message either." He was convienced that Luke was trying to let Bo or Jesse know that he had been stopped with a load. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sheriff Little had no idea who was driving the car in front of him, but he knew a runner when he saw one even in the dark. Little knew the car was blocked on all sides at the moment so he left traffic keep it that way while he approached the car. When he got to the window he saw the young man he'd seen driving that race car on the main roads awhile back. He had soon found out that this kid was one of the Duke boys. That information along with the way the car looked they just had have a load of shine in it. Little said with authority, "Shut the car off and get out." Sure Bo had been shook down by Rosco before, much like Luke was being now, but Sheriff Little was a different story and even though Bo knew he thankfully wasn't loaded he was still worried by Little. He glanced at Jeb and shrugged his shoulders as he turned off the ignition and opened his door. As Bo got out of the car, Little reached in, took the car keys and said to Jeb, "You too. On the hood." Now being the youngest of the three, Jeb hadn't been on near as many runs as Bo or Luke and had never been with them any time they had ever gotten stopped. Sure they had been chased but he'd never been with them when they actually stopped for the law. Well, it wasn't like they had just stopped they hadn't been given a choice. Jeb opened the door and got out of the car looking at Bo for direction. Bo was looking for a way out of this but the trouble was, he wasn't seeing anything. He motioned for Jeb to come to the front of the car with him. Jeb followed Bo's lead hoping that he had a plan to get out of this situation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Andy Roach had sent two of his best men to go help Rosco as another man walked up and said, "Sheriff Little wants you on the radio." Andy Roach grumbled, "Now what." Then went to his car and picked up the radio which was on a different channel that Rosco, "This is Roach." Little said while watching the boys on the hood of the car, "I got a couple of Duke boys stopped up here at this accident scene. Can you send me somebody up here so when I get this shine out of this runner it will be all nice and legal?" Agent Roach had to stop for just a second and wonder just how could two Sheriffs in two counties get lucky enough to catch not just a Duke on a whiskey run but to catch all three of them in two separate stops. Roach knew that Little had to have been pretty certain or he would not have called for an agent so he directed two more agents to go to assist Sheriff Little. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, down the road, Jesse figured to keep on moving toward his drop off point sure that the boys would catch up to him soon.

And at that very moment, who should spot the primer black LTD that Sheriff Big Ed Little. When Bo looked back at the road he saw Sheriff Little looking right at him. The look made Bo feel like the first time he'd every been caught passing a note in school. He saw it in Little's eyes. It was a satisfied look that said, 'I just caught you!' Bo's reaction had been the same as in school, he felt the blood rush to his head, could feel himself turning beet red, and broke out in a sweat from head to toe. Bo was barely able to say past the lump in his thoat, "He's gonna pull us." Jeb's skin was crawling but he tried to get Bo to calm down, "Just be easy and slide on by there is no reason to pull us out of a line of traffic." Bo said with certainty, "But his is." At that very second Sheriff Little stepped out between Bo and the car in front of him. In the one lane of traffic that was barely getting by, Bo had no choice other than to stop or hit the Sheriff. Jeb heard Bo swear as he hit the brake. "Told ya." Bo said. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile Luke had his own problems, as Rosco gloated, "Well, ya seeeeeeee, ...... I have reason to believe that you are making a trip for Jesse tonight and this here car is ridin' awfully low." Luke frowned, "Rosco if it were any higher up we'd need a step stool to get in it. The only trip I'm making is for Luther. He's in Chickasaw County and needs his big wrecker, furthermore I've basically been working for Luther all day since Bo picked me up." Dixie wasn't happy and was about to put her two cents into this conversation but figured it may be better to let Luke handle the Sheriff. Rosco replied, "Is that right? Well suppose we just make sure a little bird didn't load your trunk when you weren't looking?" Luke was ready to chew nails but knew Luther was waiting on him and the more time he spent with Rosco the longer it would take him to get there. "Alright." He got the keys from the ignition and walked to the trunk. He opened the trunk. Inside was a tool box, a spare tire, jack, lug bar and a sleeping bag. "Satisfied?" Rosco ....................

Normal people may have thought that Bo was being parnoid, but he would swear that Blackie was getting skidish. He looked at Jeb only to see Jeb looking at him. "Did you feel that?" Jeb knew that Bo was on edge but the look on Bo's face was different from any he'd ever seen on bo's face. "What is it?" "Blackie don't like this anymore than we do." Bo said. As they crossed the County line and rounded a sharp curve, "Bo, Uncle Jesse has done this same run more times than we three have combined. You need to just re......la......" Jebs word trailed off as he spotted red lights up ahead. Lots of red lights. "Ah,...... Bo......" "Relax!!! You was going to say relax wasn't you?" he said reaching for the CB mic, "Shepard we had a lot of red lights up here." Jesse looked at where he was at and replied, "You just be easy, I'm just coming up on an old short cut I know. Let me know what's up. I'll be sliding my way around what ever ya got." Before Bo could reply a fireman came up to the car and told them, "We got a really big truck up here just around the next bend in the ditch and blocking the road. I'll get ya'll through as soon as I can." Jeb decided to try to cover Bo's nervouness, "Ok, thanks, we're kinda late for a little date we got." The fireman nodded and continued his way back to the other cars. Jeb said, "See no problem. It's the fire department." Bo replied, "Where there is fire departments and wrecks there is law....." ~~~~~~~~~~~ There was a long very awkward silence between Dixie and Luke as each was trying to figure out just exactly why it was happening. Before either could say anything the CB, on a different channel, came to life, "This is Davenport wrecker to Hazzard Garage." Luke frowned. He knew that where ever Cooter was and whatever he was doing, he did not want to be bothered by garage business so Luke reached for the General's CB mic, "Davenport wrecker this is Lost Sheep One, I just left the garage and Cooter won't be there either." Luther Davenport wasn't a greedy man but if there was business to be had he wanted it. He had been coming home in the small wrecker when he came upon a big truck in the ditch. He had the only truck in three counties that would touch that truck, but even if Cooter had been at the garage it would take him and hour to get there. "I got a situation over here Chichasaw County. I've only got the small wrecker and I got a big truck in the ditch. Is there any way you can go get the Pete and meet me over here?" Luke looked at Dixie. "I'm game." Dixie said. Luke keyed the mic, "I've got to get to it. I'll be there as soon as I can....." ~~~~~~~~~~~~ At that moment Luther knew why he had put up with that blamed Duke boy hanging around for so long, .......... He did come in danged handy at times, "10-4 I'll be just out of the 'S' curves just above the graveyard seeing what I can do until you get here." Luke keyed the mic, "You know, no matter how many gears I grid it will take me at least an hour and a half?" Luther swore but replied, "It's better than THREE if I come get it." Luke replied, "10-4." He then spun the General Lee and headed back to the garage. The silence between him and Dixie remained but the awkwardness was replaced by need to move down the road, right up til Luke caught a glimpse of something as he flew by it. He swore, looked at the speedometer, and loudly, let out a relieved sigh when he saw he was only going 53 MPH, then he saw the blue lights and swore loudly. He was as the old timers said, 'betwix and between' a rock and a hard place. Dixie glanced in the side mirror, "Luke that's Rosco." "I know. ....... I'm only going 53MPM so I have no idea what he wants." Luke explained as he geared down and pulled over for the Sheriff. To have done anything else would have been looked at as 'fleeing an officer'. Dixie braced herself for whatever was coming their way. She knew she could not let anything Luke had told her register on her face when the Sheriff approached. Sheriff Rosco P. Coultrane pulled his car in behind the General Lee. He was totally surprised when he seen Luke pull the car over for him, but didn't show it as he approached the car with total confidence, "Turn the car off and get out of it now, Luke Duke." Luke swore to himself and began doing as he had been told. As Luke was climbing throught the window, Dixie asked, “Is this what you were talking about earlier?†“It’s likely. But, we’re empty. Just relax.†Luke said lowly for only her to hear. Rosco directed, still surprised that Luke had stopped, “Up against the car and spread them.†Dixie saw Luke’s jaw set and the muscles in his neck set as Luke did as he was told. She seen Rosco search him then Rosco directed his attention to her, “I need you to get out of the car to Ms.†Dixie was in a mood and asked, “Should I also get against the car and spread them, too?†she asked as she climbed throught the window. Rosco turned beet red and replied, “That won’t be necessary.â€

Normal people may have thought that Bo was being parnoid, but he would swear that Blackie was getting skidish. He looked at Jeb only to see Jeb looking at him. "Did you feel that?" Jeb knew that Bo was on edge but the look on Bo's face was different from any he'd ever seen on bo's face. "What is it?" "Blackie don't like this anymore than we do." Bo said. As they crossed the County line and rounded a sharp curve, "Bo, Uncle Jesse has done this same run more times than we three have combined. You need to just re......la......" Jebs word trailed off as he spotted red lights up ahead. Lots of red lights. "Ah,...... Bo......" "Relax!!! You was going to say relax wasn't you?" he said reaching for the CB mic, "Shepard we had a lot of red lights up here." Jesse looked at where he was at and replied, "You just be easy, I'm just coming up on an old short cut I know. Let me know what's up. I'll be sliding my way around what ever ya got." Before Bo could reply a fireman came up to the car and told them, "We got a really big truck up here just around the next bend in the ditch and blocking the road. I'll get ya'll through as soon as I can." Jeb decided to try to cover Bo's nervouness, "Ok, thanks, we're kinda late for a little date we got." The fireman nodded and continued his way back to the other cars. Jeb said, "See no problem. It's the fire department." Bo replied, "Where there is fire departments and wrecks there is law....." ~~~~~~~~~~~ There was a long very awkward silence between Dixie and Luke as each was trying to figure out just exactly why it was happening. Before either could say anything the CB, on a different channel, came to life, "This is Davenport wrecker to Hazzard Garage." Luke frowned. He knew that whereever Cooter was and whatever he was doing, he did not want to be bothered by garage business so Luke reached for the General's CB mic, "Davenport wrecker this is Lost Sheep One, I just left the garage and Cooter won't be there either." Luther Davenport wasn't a greedy man but if there was business to be had he wanted it. He had been coming home in the small wrecker when he came upon a big truck in the ditch. He had the only truck in three counties that would touch that truck, but even if Cooter had been at the garage it would take him and hour to get there. "I got a situation over here Chichasaw County. I've only got the small wrecker and I got a big truck in the ditch. Is there any way you can go get the Pete and meet me over here?" Luke looked at Dixie. "I'm game." Dixie said. Luke keyed the mic, "I've got to get to it. I'll be there as soon as I can....."

"Sugar, Uncle Jesse knows what he's doing. The boys will be fine." Daisy said hoping to make Beth feel better. "I know that, deep down, but sometimes I just can't 'feel' rational when I know I should." Beth replied as she unconsciously put here hand on her stomach. ~**~**~**~ "Luke?" Dixie replied with concern. She heard and saw the anger in him. It was just a bit frightening to see him that angry. "Surely it can't be that bad." Luke frowned, "Well, do you think I can really be 'peaceful, lawabidding and sober at all times' to Rosco's 'standards' for SIX MONTHS?" "Oh, jeese!" Dixie replied. She knew how hard it was for anyone to stay out of trouble in Hazzard County. "So, you really didn't answer me before, why are you out here with me tonight?" Luke thought about his answer a long while before he replied. He knew he didn't go on the shone run because Jesse basically didn't let him and he knew he'd came up here to warn Dixie about the possibility of getting pulled over while with him, but why was he out here parked at the lake with Cooter's 'little' sister, whom he reminded himself, was not by any means three anymore. "You mean instead of being on the run tonight?" Dixie hadn't realized that there was a run tonight anymore than she was sure that was what she was asking him but replied, "Yeah." "Well, basically when Jesse found out about the Judge's order, he didn't want me to go, so he went." Luke realized he'd said a lot more than what he had intended to when he left the garage. Dixie saw the strange look that came over Luke's face, "What's the matter?" Luke shook his head and thougth long before answering, "Sometimes it's so easy to talk to you that I say more than I intended to." Luke's thoughts of all the girls he'd been thinking about while in jail. Most of them he'd never felt really comfortable talking to about to much of anything which is why he usually moved more to action than talk, but Dixie was different. What was he thinking, this was Cooter's sister for Pete's sake, "Come on I'd better get ya home before you turn into a pumkin." "Well, I've got two feet that just might fit if you happen to have a glass slipper with you somewhere." Dixie replied. Luke frowned, "Fresh out, broke the last one." He said as he started toward the General Lee to help her through the window.

With the work at the garage done just in time for Cooter to be late picking up Beverly for their date. Luther still hadn't returned from the tow job in Chickasaw County. Cooter looked at the clock, "I'm a dead duck and I still have to take Dixie home." He said to Luke. It was just after 9 o'clock and Luke knew it would be hours before the others returned home. He had pretty much ruled out going to the Boar's Nest because he knew Rosco as well as the other deputies by now knew he was suppose to remain sober which likely meant if he smelled a watered down beer that Rosco would say he wasn't sober. He looked at Cooter, "You go on, I'll run Dixie home. You are already late." Cooter said, "Yeah, I am, but ain't you going out on the town tonight?" He moved closer so that Dixie couldn't hear him, "I mean first night home and all, ...... I figured that, ..... surely you'd have a sure thing lined up for tonight." Seeing the guys talking guy talk Dixie decided to go freshen up and hope that Cooter was in too big a hurry to wait on her. Luke smiled at Cooter and said, "Well, no I don't have anything planned for tonight so if it'll keep Beverly from being on your case I'll drop Dixie off at the house on my way home." "I appreciate that Luke. I'll see ya tomorrow. How about locking up?" Cooter asked moving toawrds the truck. "You got it." Luke shut and locked the garage doors as Cooter backed out. Dixie heard Cooter back out and waited another minute or two before opening the bathroom door. When she went back into the main garage bay she saw Luke thlumbing threw one of the many car magazines on the counter, "Where did Cooter go?" Luke replied without even looking up, "He was late picking up Beverly so I said I'd run ya home." Dixie replied, "Good. There is no school tomorrow so we don't even have to hurry and Cooter would have gone straight home at the speed of light." Luke opened the side door to go outside and truned off the inside lights. They both headed to the General Lee. Luke started the car and put it in gear and said, "So if you don't want to go straight home where do you want to go?" Dixie said a bit shily, "I don't know. I figured that maybe Jeb and the band would be playing at the Boar's Nest tonight since there is no school tomorrow." Luke answered a bit too quickly, "No, Jeb ain't at the Boar's Nest." "So where is everyone?" Dixie asked as normal conversation. Luke knew he'd been far too certain that Jeb wasn't at the Boar's Nest to not know where he was really at. He was glad that he'd talked to Jesse about Dixie, because it looked like he had some explaining to do. He changed the subject and hoped to avoid the rest of the conversation until he got where he was going. "How about we circle up to the lake and see if anyone is racing tonight?" Dixie's eyes went wide, "After getting into it with Ralph Green up there?" Luke said, "Don't worry about that with it being a week day it's likely only Brodie and Dobro will be up there." Luke knew it was even more possible that no one would be at the lake at all but he needed to talk to Dixie about the moonrunning as well as just needing someone to talk to. Dixie replied, "You're the driver." Luke drove to the lake and as he had expected there was no one else around. He pulled in the the wide clearing that looked over the lake and cut off the General Lee. Luke took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he turned to Dixie and began his explaination, "Dix do you remember when you were telling me about Andy Roach getting run off the road by a white pick up truck and him being in a hurry for his car?" Dixie said, "Yeah, Agent Roach it seems is one of Dad's best customers." "Well, I said something about him always being in a hurry to get back in the game which was a statement I thought nothing of until I saw look on your face. Before I go any further I need to ask you if you can keep a secret?" Dixie frowned, "Yeah." Luke went on, "I mean can you keep a secret even if you were mad at me, or Jeb or even Daisy?" "Luke what are you talking about? I can keep a secret as good as anybody." Dixie said a bit defensively. "Look, what I plan to tell you has been mainly a family secret for hundreds of years. Only us Dukes and a few very special friends know what I'm about to tell you and I have to ask you that even should you be mad at one of us or grow to hate one of us that you keep this secret to yourself." Luke asked. "I can do that but what does Agent Roach have to do with a secret about you?" Dixie asked innocently. Luke smiled. He couldn't help but love her innocence. "One of the reasons I want to tell you this secret is because like today and tonight you ride with me and I figure it only far to let you make a decision to either continue to do so or decide not to." "Luke I like riding with you." Dixie said. Luke nodded and continued, "Other than Dukes, Cooter and your father know what I'm about to tell you because Jesse needed your father's help before us boys and Cooter got old enough to help out much. Then, there was one other girl I've had this conversation with and believe me if there was ever a girl who likely would have liked to have ratted me out I'd say she would have liked to but, ....." "she didn't?" Dixie asked, then added, "It was Robin wasn't it?" "No, she didn't and 'yes' it was Robin." Luke said. "I thought it was only fair for her to know and you to know this so you can decide whether or not you want to continue to ride with me, because I could get pulled over at anytime and I figure it would be a real suprise if you were as clueless about what was going on as I've seen you be the past few days." "Clueless? About what?" Dixie asked. Luke said, "Remember, I'm asking you to keep this a secret." "You have my word as a Davenport." Dixie said. "Being as neither your father or brother has told you anything about it then that's good enough for me. You mentioned that the pickup that ran Andy Roach off the road was white and you could only think of Jesse's truck being white, and the fact that Bo, Jeb and Jesse are no where to be seen tonight. Does any of that seem strange to you?" Luke was trying to put the pieces together for Dixie. Dixie replied, "No, not really. Should it?" Luke answered, "No, not unless you know the rest of the story I guess. See it was likely the pickup that ran Andy Roach off the road was Jesse's......." He let that sink in before stopping the question he saw forming in her mind, "It seems Andy got just a bit to close to a hiding place of Jesse's and he had to loose him. As for the others, they aren't anywhere in Hazzard right now, ..... they are on a trip." Luke seen that even with this much information Dixie was still confussed, "Dix, we make and deliver moonshine in order to make ends meet a little better. Our family has done so for far over two hundred years. Rosco, his deputies, ATF, the revenurers, state police all prettymuch know we have a family business and know that lately Jesse ain't making the runs. It's been Bo, Jeb and me." Dixie asked, "So why are you here tonight?" "Largely because of the terms of my probabtion that Judge Hardacstle set, ....... I feel like I might have just as well stayed in that jail cell." Luke said with a note of anger in his voice.

Anyone out there got the song John sang at Dukes Fest a couple years ago about this experience? DixieDavenport

said as he walked out the bedroom door, "Don't wait up. This is a long run." Once outside he was relieved to be on his way and not have to see anymore of Beth's tears of worry, yet he still had a large weight on his shoulders to make sure that he did indeed come home. As he walked into the living room the phone rang. Bo answered, "Duke farm." On the other end was Luther Davenport who asked, "Bo is Luke around?" Boreplied, "Yes, Sir, hang on a minute." then went to where Jesse and Luke were obviously having a very serious talk, "Sorry to interupt, but Luther is on the phone for Luke." Luke shrugged his shoulders indicating he had no idea why Luther was calling for him as he went to the phone, "This is Luke." "Luke, I know you've been cooped up for a few days and have already went on that parts run for me, but I've got a couple of jobs that me and Cooter are behind on and I just got a wrecker call. Seems the ATF is in Chickasaw County tonight and even not being chased one has managed to get stuck up. I got to go pull him out and Cooter sure could use a hand while I'm gone." Luther explained. Luke shook his head, "I see. Let me talk to Jesse a minute. Hang on." Luke put the phone down and went back to the porch, "That's Luther." Jesse gave him a look that said, 'I've already heard that part.' "It seems the ATF is in Chickasaw County tonight and stuck up. He asked if I could go help Cooter." Luke said and finished explaining the rest of the conversation. He just knew Jesse would tell him to tell Luther he couldn't go that night because he was needed at home. Jesse thought for a long minute. It seemed to him that for some reason Luke wasn't supposed to go on this run tonight, between this turn of events and the terms of the probation. Had this all came together a few months ago Jesse may have scrubbed the entire run for the night, but with the baby and the extra bills he couldn't afford to not deliver when the buyers wanted. So he said, "Luke, you go tell Luther you'll be there. Take the General Lee. I'll drive Tilley." he turned to Bo and Jeb, and added, "Ya'll go slap a set of tags on 'Blackie'." He saw the arguements about to flow from all three boys, "It's not up for discussion, we've got to go. Luke if you turn Luther down he'll know we have a run tonight." Luke said, "But, ...." Jesse replied, "No ' but's ' go tell him you'll be there to help Cooter." "Yes, Sir." Luke said. NARRARTOR: See Jesse was always obeyed by the boys. Mostly out of love, but always obeyed, even if they didn't agree with him and right now ol' Luke ain't agreeing too much. Luke had told Luther he'd be there shortly and as he watched Jesse, Bo and Jeb pull out to make this run he couldn't have felt more helpless. ------------- Luke arrived at the garage feeling pretty low. Cooter seen something was wrong and asked, "Luke is there something wrong?" Luke seen Dixie not too far away and said with a sigh, "Nah, nothing that can be helped." Cooter shrugged off the remark and said, "Grab ya a beer and lets get this fender off here so we can get the other one on." Luke nodded, went to the refrigerator, looked at the beer for nearly a full minute before reaching for a Pepsi as he thought 'I might just as well be back in jail as to try to not break the terms of the probation'. When Luke turned around he saw a strange look on Cooter's face when Cooter saw the Pepsi in his hand. It looked like he was either gonna have to tell some tall tales, explain the truth about the probation, or convience everyone that he'd suddenly changed and learned a whole lot from that ten days in jail...............

as he sat on the edge of hers and Bo's twin bed, "Beth, I hope you know that I've always done what I could to keep Bo out of trouble, any trouble...... This isn't just playing hide and go seek with the Sheriff, ....... we know that. Jeb, Bo and even me and Jesse may not act like it, but each time we walk out of here to do business it is just that. Oh, sure, after the work is done, the chase is chased and all is well we laugh and joke about it and have a good time. It may seem that we are making light of a real serious situation, but sometimes if you don't laugh, joke, cut up, blow off some steam and have a good time then you find you take matters far too serious. Jesse has always told us, you never get over confident or you are sure to get caught. But, there is the fip side of that, you never get too worried or you are too scared to roll with the situation and the chances of getting caught are much greater." He paused to let her think about what he'd said before continuing, "I know you are new to this, and with the baby and all you worry more than you would normally, but you could be the cause of Bo getting not just him, but Jeb, me and even Jesse caught." Luke heard Bo coming out of the bathroom and figured to let them talk a minute. He still had something to talk to Jesse about. Luke stepped back out on the porch and saw Jesse's raised eyebrows when Luke returned without Bo. He said, "He'll be here in a few minutes." Before Jesse could start a conversation about Beth, Luke let out a deep breath, then handed the paperwork with the terms of his probation on them to Jesse, and said, "We have other problems too." Jesse turned to let the light from inside the house light up the paperwork then read, "You are to remain peaceful, lawabidding and sober at all times during the probationary period. You will will notify myself, Judge Hardcastle before you leave the Tri County area. ..... Just how do you plan to run this load and not break probation?" Luke said matterof factly, "I figure on not getting caught." "Figure again." Jesse said, "If the law all know this and are looking for you to make sure you are minding your p's and q's and see you where you ain't supposed to be, they will see them!" Luke's eye got wide he hoped Jesse wasn't saying what it sounded like, "You don't mean to let those two go by theirselves do you?" "Luke it could cost you, what sixty days for breaking probation or cost us all a couple years getting caught with a load of shine." Jesse stated. He knew he should have just made the run and not told Jesse the terms of the probation! He asked, "So if I don't go, who's gonna run the shine? I'm telling you Beth has gotten Bo real worried. Jeb's never ran the load. Uncle Jesse I can't just set here and not even go with them. We're a team." Jesse ................

It is a good story so far --- hope to see more soon. I can understand Bo's problem being worried about Luke and all. Keep up the good work!!

Great jump! Thanks for posting so soon! This is the first Dukefest in 5 years I've missed due to high gas prices, a death last week in the family, and several other technical money problems. Looking to be there for sure next year though. My 'branch' of the clan may not have made it this year BUT we did get to have as our guest a special Davenport cousin. I only hope she enjoyed her stay as much as we enjoyed having her here in our part of Hazzard! DixieDavenport

"That's not a problem Uncle Jesse. And, for what's it's worth, I'm sorry for going back out the other night without you knowing. I'm worried about Bo too." Luke said still considering going looking for his younger cousin.