Chapter 10: To Catch A Duke

Uncle Jesse and Daisy were fixing up a small Sunday dinner back at the farmhouse, solemn and quiet. Friends and neighbors had pitched in to come up with nearly a thousand dollars for the Duke family, but it wasn't nearly enough by far. This would probably be their last dinner together before Jesse was sent to prison.

Rinsing potatoes in the sink, Daisy looked up and glanced out the window, and saw a sight that made her smile despite herself. Enos was out there, trying very hard not to be seen as he peered around the oak tree at the occupants of the house. She knew they'd been 'under surveillance' since Friday, though for what exactly she couldn't imagine. Finally, Daisy left off the potatoes and dried her hands, stepping out to the porch.

"Enos, why don't you come on in here, an' stop hiding behind that tree!" she called.

Red-faced, the deputy stepped out from the oak. "I cain't, Daisy - I'm supposed to have you under surveillance."

"Well, you can watch us a whole lot easier from the kitchen table, sugah!"

Enos considered for a moment, and then smiled and walked up to the porch. "Mmm, smells good, Daisy," he said as he stepped inside.

"That's cause I just took a cherry pie out of the oven. Don't you touch, now, it ain't cool yet." Daisy went back to the potatoes, peeling them to cut and boil for mashed potatoes.

"Say, Enos," Jesse asked, just putting in a chicken to roast, "Would you like to stay for dinner and dessert?"

"Oh boy, would I, Uncle Jesse! Thank you! I'm sorry I have to have you under surveillance and all - Rosco's orders."

"Just what are you supposed to be surveilling us for, Enos? We ain't breakin' the law or nothin'," Daisy asked.

"To be honest, Daisy, I don't rightly know. Ol' Rosco just said to report anything special going on, but the only thing I've seen special around here is you," he added shyly.

"Oh, Enos, you're so sweet!"

The phone rang just then, and Daisy wiped her hands again to answer it. "Duke farm, Daisy speaking…well hi, Bo!" Jesse looked up expectantly.

"Daisy, you're not gonna believe this…"

Daisy gasped when Bo told her the news. "Bo Duke, if you're leadin' me on, I swear you'll be sleeping in the barn for the rest of your days!"

"No, Daisy, it's the truth! Now, you tell Uncle Jesse, quick, and tell him not to worry a minute more! We'll be there, I promise!"

"Alright, Bo, I'll tell him. Drive safe, now!" She hung up and turned to her uncle, still shocked.

"Well, what it is?.!" Jesse asked, worried.

"Luke…Luke's friend…left him thirty-eight thousand dollars! They're, they're picking it up in the morning, and they'll be here by five o'clock tomorrow!"

Slow realization dawned on Jesse's face and turned into a delighted smile. With a whoop he swept Daisy up into a hug and spun her around, while Enos watched with a bright smile. Boy, he loved good news!

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At exactly 8:18am, Bo and Luke left the bank and parted ways with Mr. Rainey, heading straight for the General in the parking lot. After calling Uncle Jesse with the news, they had spent the evening - between watching the Nascar race on TV - studying the road atlas and choosing the fastest route home. Then it was early to bed and early to rise, checking out of the hotel at seven-thirty to meet the lawyer at the bank at seven-fifty. Now Bo carried a briefcase stacked with bearer bonds in thousand-dollar denominations and all the paperwork, while Luke tucked two certified bank checks in his pocket for the exact amounts owed in back taxes to the county and state. Then they were off, Luke driving, Bo navigating. Luke still refused to let Bo drive - that headache had come back late Sunday, and he wasn't taking any chances.

The roaring horsepower of the General was no match for the gridlock of Monday morning D.C. traffic, however, and it was after nine before the boys broke into the clearer highways heading away from the city. Luke blazed along as fast as he dared in the distinctive car, which was still well over the speed limit. They had done the math and knew they had to go at least eighty all the way, more when they could get away with it, to reach Hazzard in time, and that was if they only stopped very quickly for gas.

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Deputy Enos Strate reported for duty Monday morning with a bounce in his step. He was very glad Uncle Jesse wouldn't have to go to jail. He'd tailed Jesse and Daisy all weekend, and couldn't stand to see either of them so unhappy – especially Daisy. Enos made some coffee and sat down at the desk to read the morning paper and wait for Rosco to get there. He didn't have to wait very long. Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane arrived a little after nine, early to work and looking rather cheerful.

"Morning, Sheriff!" Enos greeted him brightly.

"Enos! What are you doing here, you dipstick? I told you to go watch the Duke farm!" Rosco nagged.

"Well, I...I did, I watched Daisy an' Uncle Jesse all weekend, but they wasn't doing anything against the law!"

"It's not what they didn't do, it's what they're going to do, you meadow muffin!"

"What's that, Sheriff?"

"They're going to escape, to hide so we can't arrest Jesse Duke!"

Enos smiled broadly. "Why, they've got no reason to do that, Rosco! Bo an' Luke are on their way home right now, with the money to pay off those taxes!"

"They are, huh? Ha! Where would the Duke boys get money like that?"

"Well, Daisy said an old friend of Luke's passed away, and left Luke all kinds of money! They're going to collect it this morning and drive straight here from Washington D.C."

Just then Boss opened the door to the back office, where he'd been enjoying his post-breakfast snack of country-fried steak and buttered corn. "Rosco! What's all this yammering going on out here? Can't a man eat in peace?"

"Sorry, Boss," Rosco apologized, "Enos here was just spouting some hogwash about the Duke boys coming back with money to pay those taxes!"

"What!" Fortunately Boss didn't have anything in his mouth at the moment, because if he had, he would have choked on it. "Enos, where did you hear that?.!"

Enos related the news he'd overheard from Daisy.

"$38,000!" Boss's eyes lit up at the figure, but he scowled at the thought of the Dukes having it to pay their back taxes. "Rosco! I want you and Enos out on the roads! You're gonna arrest the Duke boys as soon as they set foot back inside the county!"

Rosco looked confused. "Uh, what for, exactly, Boss?"

"What for? For robbery, you turnip-for-brains! You don't think they actually inherited that money, do you? Who in their right mind would give that much money to a Duke? Now get going! And in the meantime, I've got a few phone calls to make…"

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It was early afternoon, and the General Lee was running strong. The boys had stopped for gas and road food not long ago, and weren't far from the South Carolina border. Happily, they'd made excellent time and encountered no trouble from patrolmen on the highway, thanks to a few more impatient drivers who'd sprung the speed traps before Bo and Luke could get caught. But, that was about to change. At the crest of a sweeping hill, Bo caught a glimpse of the view far ahead.

"Ah, Luke, did you see that?"

"See what?"

"I sure hope I'm wrong, but it looked to me like either an accident or a road block – a whole line of red and blue flashing lights, about two miles off."

"I sure hope you're wrong too, 'cause we don't have time to stop. Let's have a look at the top o' this next hill."

This time Luke craned his neck to look too. Sure enough, right about at the state line, there was a line of state police cruisers across the road, with a thin stream of southbound traffic trickling through a narrow lane one at a time.

"Looks like they're lookin' for somebody," Luke commented as they coursed down the hill and up the last short rise between them and the barricade.

"Well, it ain't us! We didn't do anything, this time!" Bo said worriedly. He was too used to being blamed when something went wrong.

They came over the last crest. Suddenly, the troopers who'd been idly standing by stood up straight andbrought theirrifles to bear at the sight of the orange car.

"Don't be so sure of that, cuz. Hang on!" Luke warned, pressing the pedal to the floor. 80…85…90…95…there was no slamming through that solid barricade of cruisers, so Luke sighted on the angled ramp of a flatbed tow truck that was getting ready to load an overheated Oldsmobile. The truck driver dove out of the way as the orange Charger roared up the ramp and was airborne, sailing up and over the barricade like any ol' creekbed back home with a Bo Duke Yeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaawww! The troopers ducked for cover as the General landed with a WHUMP, and Luke was flooring the gas again and racing off before they recovered.

"Why are they after us?.!" Bo asked, turning around to see a few quicker troopers scrambling into their cars. Before long sirens were wailing and a half-dozen South Carolina troopers were in hot pursuit.

"I don't know, but you can bet your boots Boss Hogg has something to do with it – maybe he heard we've got the money and he's trying to stop us from getting home with it. Here," Luke reached down and grabbed the road atlas, throwing it in Bo's lap, "Find us a detour, quick!"

"Uh…uh…" Bo flipped open the map and scanned the page, "Here, here, take this exit!" he instructed, none too soon – rubber burned as Luke swerved into the exit lane and hit the brakes coming down the ramp. "Left, left! Take 29 South!"

Not stopping for the traffic light at the bottom of the ramp, Luke wove through the light traffic to the tune of many angry horns honking and the sirens close behind. He found the state highway and turned onto it, urging the General back to interstate speeds. Two state troopers followed doggedly, the others lost at the exit and amidst the ramp traffic.

"We don't want to stay on this long, it'll take us out of our way," Luke said, weaving around the slower traffic on the two-lane road. An oncoming eighteen-wheeler blasted it horn as he narrowly moved out of the way – one South Carolina trooper wasn't so skilled. His tail was clipped by the edge of the truck as he tried to follow Luke, sending the cruiser spinning into a ditch on the side of the road. Bo looked back to see if he was alright, and grinned to see the indignant trooper climb out of his scuffed vehicle shaking one fist.

"Don't worry," Bo told Luke, "This road runs in the same direction as the highway for a ways, we can cut back across as soon as you lose this guy," he pointed back at the one cruiser still following.

Luke glanced in the rearview at the trooper closing at fifty yards behind. "What d'you say we find out if this fella was raised in the city, or in the country?" There was a dirt road up ahead, and Luke made for it, turning off in a cloud of dust.

The trooper followed gamely, but Bo could tell by the way he skid around the curves that he was no country boy. Luke increased his speed while the trooper was forced to slow down, and pretty soon they'd lost him. Luke kept up the pace until they found their way back to the state highway, and then back to the interstate, but they had lost precious time.

"Keep a sharp eye out – they're sure to be watching for us," he directed his younger cousin.

As they roared down the highway, Bo kept a sharp watch out front and back for lights and sirens, cruisers hidden along the side, or unmarked police cars among the light traffic. After a half-hour of vigilance, they both relaxed some, confident the pursuit was lost. They continued on as before, pushing the delicate balance between speed and safety. Fifty miles from the Georgia state line, Luke pulled over at a gas station, and Bo filled up the tank while Luke ran some numbers on pencil and paper.

"How we doing?" Bo asked. It was three o'clock.

Luke scratched his hair, frowning. "We're gonna be pushing it. At least another hour and forty minutes. You better check the radiator, too – we don't need it overheating on us."

Bo did as he was told, popping the hood and unscrewing the hot cap while Luke went inside to pay and to get both bottled water and water for the radiator. They refilled it and drank thirstily themselves before closing everything up and climbing back inside. Off they went again. Luke carefully tried stretching his legs a bit in the driver's seat, cramped and sore from sitting in the same position for nearly seven hours.

"I can drive if you want, Luke," Bo offered again, but his cousin's expression answered for him. Bo went back to looking at the road map. Suddenly his brow furrowed, and he looked up at the highway. "Luke, turn off here."

"What?"

"Here!"

Horns blared angrily at the General again as Luke swerved across two lanes and exited. Bo directed him right, onto a state highway, and blew a sigh of relief.

"What was that for?" Luke asked.

"The interstate crosses the state line at the river," Bo explained, "If they're waiting for us like earlier…"

"…There's no way to escape them on the bridge! Good thinkin', Bo!" Luke grinned. "No wonder they haven't been chasin' after us, they were probably planning to trap us there! Now, where does this take us?"

"Up 76, across 123, and straight on home. They can't cover every road into the state," Bo reasoned.

No, Bo, but they sure can try! I'm almost afraid to look – y'all tell me when it's all over, y'hear?