Chapter 6: Confrontations

Author's note: Okay. This chapter was a work in progress, so it turned out differently than I'd originally planned, but I think it's okay. I'll try to get the last chapter(s) up ASAP. Enjoy!

Jesse's pickup skidded to halt in front of the General Lee. He stepped out, and walked slowly over to where the boys stood. His face softened and his eyes grew filled with concern as he looked at each boys' face. Luke's was flushed and anxious, smeared with dirt and had a dark bruise forming along his jawline. Bo, on the other hand, was very pale, with smeared blood on his face from the gash on his head, and tired, somewhat distant eyes. Both boys' clothing was torn and dirty, and it looked to Uncle Jesse like they'd been through a war…and lost.

"What on earth happened to you two." Uncle Jesse spoke in a low, controlled voice. It wasn't put as a question. It was an order.

"We had a run in with some men looking for Gimble's gold," Luke began, leaning against the General Lee as he talked. Then he told Uncle Jesse about all that had transpired earlier that day. Bo, who also had been leaning against the General Lee, began feeling more and more dizzy as time went on, standing in the late afternoon sun. Soon his vision began to blur, then his hearing. Suddenly, his knees buckled, and he would've fallen over, had Luke not been there to catch him. "Bo!" he cried as he held his younger cousin up. He explained to Uncle Jesse about the ledge and how he thought Bo had a concussion. "We need to get him to the hospital," he said.

"I'm fine, Luke," Bo protested, trying to stand on his own. "It's just the sun, is all." It was a lame excuse, and it didn't fly.

"You are not fine, Bo! I saw that fall—you're lucky you ain't killed," Luke shouted angrily.

"All right, all right, let's just keep our cool here, okay?" Uncle Jesse said calmly. "Now Bo, you're cousin's right. You don't look too good."

"Look every minute we waste here is another minute those Milton boys have to escape. An' they could go after Boss and Roscoe," Bo said.

"Now wait a minute, what does J.D. have to do with this?" Uncle Jesse asked Luke. Luke sighed.

"We think Boss was tryin' to scam cityfolk into believin' that legend about Gimble's gold. He makes 'em pay a huge amount of money for a permit to excavate the mine, then when the permit expires, it's nonrefundable."

"Only this time, Boss scammed the wrong people," Bo added.

"Yeah, an' once they find out there's no gold, they're gonna go after the men who swindled 'em."

"An' they got guns," Bo added again.

"What're you gonna do?" asked Jesse.

"Well we're gonna go after 'em, of course. Com'on, Luke," Bo said, cautiously making his way over to the passenger side of the General and sliding in. Luke sighed, exasperated.

"Dang, he's stubborn," he said. "But he's got a point. We can't just let 'em get away." Uncle Jesse nodded.

"I know it. You boys do what ya gotta do. Just keep in touch an' keep an eye him, ya hear?" he said, nodding toward where Bo sat waiting in the General. Luke nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"I'm gonna get back to the farm an' tell Daisy what's goin' on," Jesse called as Luke slid through the driver side window. A few minutes later, the boys were parked in front of Boss Hogg's bank.

"Maybe you should stay here," Luke suggested before getting out.

"Will you just stop that!"

"Stop what?" Luke asked, surprised at his cousin's sudden outburst of anger. 'Though I shouldn't be surprised', he thought, 'Bo always did have a short temper. The head injury probably makes it worse.'

"Stop treatin' me like a little kid!"

"Look, I'm just tryin' to make sure you're alright; it's my job," said Luke as he exited the vehicle, followed by a dizzy but determined Bo. They burst into Boss Hogg's office, only to find him doing his favorite thing in the world, counting money.

"Roscoe! Where are you when I need you!" Boss yelled, quickly stuffing the stacks of bills into a nearby drawer. Roscoe came in behind the Dukes, Flash in his arms.

"Sorry Boss, Flash had to tinkle."

"Well, get in here! Arrest these Dukes for breakin' and enterin'!"

"Hey we didn't break nothin'," Bo said defensively.

"Well, then arrest 'em for enterin'!" Boss shouted.

"Hold on a minute, Boss. We got a serious matter that needs lookin' into and it involves you," Luke said.

"Me? How?"

"We came across some men at Gimble's mine today. They said you gave 'em permission to excavate it for gold."

"Yeah? So what if I did?" Boss snubbed.

"Look, they're dangerous men. They got guns. And they almost got Bo an' me killed in that mine," Luke explained. "They told us that they never planned on givin' ya that fifty percent of whatever they found, they were just gonna take the money an' run."

"Well they ain't gonna get too far," said Boss. "Cuz' there ain't no gold."

"What! You said…you made me… you mean you…oh! Shame, shame, everybody knows your name!" Roscoe stammered, not believing that Boss would lie to him.

"I know what I said, dipstick! That was all part of my plan! Those Milton brothers had to sign a contract to excavate that mine, and had to each pay the county, er—me, five hundred dollars. And in that fine print on that contract it said that the money is nonrefundable."

"What's that mean?" asked Roscoe.

"It means that Boss knew all along that there was no gold in that mine. But he made it seem like there was—makin' you pose as Gimble's great, great, grandson. Those men are gonna find out there's no gold an' they're gonna realize they were swindled. Then they're gonna come after you, Boss," Luke said gravely.

"Oh, nonsense! They step one foot in here an' I'll cuff 'em and stuff 'em!" Roscoe exclaimed. Boss gave Roscoe a withering look.

Balladeer: It's times like this I bet 'ole Boss wonders why he ever hired such a dimwitted sheriff.

"On the other hand," he said mischievously. "If you Duke boys think ya can catch 'em, I'd be willin' to drop all charges against ya."

Balladeer: That was all Bo an' Luke needed to hear. Despite the fact that the charges against 'em were all false, they knew that only way them Milton boys were gonna get put behind bars where they belonged is if they caught 'em themselves. So they rounded up Enos, and told him to follow behind 'ole Roscoe in his police car. The five of 'em headed out toward Gimble's mine to bring the Milton boys in. Folks, I'd stay tuned, 'cuz this is sure to get interestin'.

You heard him, keep readin'! And please review, too!