"Well, you're back early." Uncle Jesse commented.

Bo closed the kitchen door and turned to find Jesse, Daisy, and Luke sitting around the table with slices of chocolate cake and glasses of milk in front of them.

"Guess I could say the same for ya'll. I thought you'd still be over at the FFA building trying to sweet talk your way into that autograph line."

"What for? You had the guy in the car with you, we figured you'd get us all an autograph." Luke replied as Bo took his seat at the table. "Besides, Jesse here's not feelin' so good."

"What's the matter, Uncle Jesse?" Bo asked, looking at his Uncle's plate and glass for the first time, noticing that neither one had been touched.

"Feels like a stomach virus comin' on. Hope I don't pass it on to you kids." Jesse replied, rubbing his stomach a bit. "So tell me, Bo. What was it like showin' off in the General for one of the greatest Nascar racers ever?"

Bo smiled as he recalled the ride with Billy. "It was fantastic, Uncle Jesse. Billy was really impressed, not only by my driving, but by the General too. As a matter of fact….you won't believe this……he offered to arrange for me to be a starter in the next Daytona 500!"

"You're kidding!" Luke exclaimed, a big grin on his face.

"You mean he can actually do that?" Daisy asked in amazement.

"I don't like it." Uncle Jesse gruffly replied.

"Huh?" Bo asked.

"Nascar's dangerous, Bo. Oh sure it's fun to look at on the T.V., or ….or to listen to on the radio, but those guys, they go awfully fast around those tracks, much faster that you guys go on these back roads around here, and the faster you go, the better the chance of getting killed if something goes wrong."

"Well Uncle Jesse, I don't mean you no disrespect, but you've known for a long time that me an' Luke here have dreamed of going into Nascar."

"Well I know you've always dreamed it, but to tell you the truth I was kinda countin' on the slim to none chance you had of ever making it to be, well, none." Jesse admitted. "'Course, you're a grown man, in the sight of the Lord and the law, and in the end, it's your decision, but only after we've had a long talk about it."

"Well, I might be able to shorten that talk up considerably, seeing how it's up to Luke here whether or not I even get to race."

"Wait, how'd all this get put on me?" Luke asked, holding his hands up.

"Well, you see, Billy wants to buy General Lee, and that's sort of part of the deal. He'll make the arrangement for me to race if we'll sell the car to him."

Luke looked at him in disbelief. "Bo, I know you've always wanted to race. Heck I've always wanted to race. But give up General just for the chance? I don't think so."

"Well, there's a little more to it than that." Bo replied. "He also offered $25000.00 for it."

"How many zero's was that again?" Daisy asked.

"Twenty five thousand dollars." Bo repeated.

Luke let out a low whistle. "That ain't pocket change, cousin."

"I know." Bo grinned, then immediately stopped. "But what do you think, Luke? We could probably build another Charger and all, but, well it wouldn't be General."

"That's true." Luke nodded, rubbing his chin. "Still, we could use that money. That old tractor is falling apart out there, and the house could really use a new roof. Even after that, they'd be enough money to build a new car."

With that, Uncle Jesse threw his napkin down and stood up from the table, turning toward his bedroom with a look of disgust..

"Uncle Jesse, you alright?" Daisy asked.

"I'm goin' to bed." Jesse replied. "I don't know if it's this stomach virus that's got me, or the fact that my own nephews would be so blinded by money and fame that they forget what's important to them."

"Jesse…" Luke began, but his Uncle continued to walk to his bedroom, followed by the sound of his door closing.

"Jesse's right, ya'll." Daisy began as she got up to clear the cake plates and milk glasses. "Billy Kay did make a good offer, but ya gotta admit that the General is one of the few things left in this world that we can count on."

Bo heaved a deep sigh and looked at Luke. "Aw, I knew it was right to keep the General all along. I just needed some reassurance. Want to ride back to the museum with me tomorrow? Help break the bad news to Billy Kay?"

"You got it, cousin."

The boys helped Daisy with the cleanup. By the time the work was finished, it had grown dark outside. They all said their goodnights to one another and headed for bed.

XXXXXXXXXX

(As the balladeer speaks, we once again see Rosco and Boss in the FFA classroom, where Boss laughs greedily before pulling Rosco out of the room once again and slamming the door).

"Now I hope ya'll didn't forget that private little conversation Boss was having with Rosco concerning the General Lee. Well, you see, turns out it wasn't so private after all."

(As soon as they are out the door, we see a man with a dark leather jacket sitting up from a cot he was laying on in the back of the room.)

"The General Lee." He says, grinning madly.

Folks, I don't know who that feller is, but I got me a hunch that we're gonna be seeing more of him.

(The next shot shows Bo and Luke in the General Lee during another bright, sunlit morning.)

Bright and early before church the next morning, Bo and Luke were on their way to break the news to Billy. There wasn't a chance they'd cross uncle Jesse by using church time to conduct their business.

"Cheer up, Bo. If Billy was really that impressed with your driving, maybe he'd still be willing to pull some strings in the Nascar circuit for you."

"I hope you're right, Luke, but I don't know, I almost feel like I'm letting him down somehow."

"Bo, he must have over 50 cars in his collection, this one's the only one you got. I think he will get over it."

As Bo pondered over this, they got a call on the CB

"Bo Peep to Lost Sheep. You boys out there somewhere I need to talk to ya real bad."

Luke picked up the CB. "Go ahead Daisy."

"Luke, please find Doc Applebee and get him to the house right away. I went in to wake up Uncle Jesse this morning and he's really sick. I don't know what's wrong and I'm scared!"

"Will do, Daisy." Luke replied.

Luke didn't have to say anything else. Bo slammed on the brakes, making a 180 degree turn in the road, and headed straight for Doc Applebee's house.

In what seemed like hours later, but in reality was only moments, the boys slid to a stop at the Duke farm. They jumped out then reached in to give Doc Applebee a hand. Bo grabbed the medical bag and thrust it to him before they all ran into the house.

Daisy met them in the kitchen on the verge of hysterics. "It's bad! Whatever it is, it's bad!" She wailed.

They all ran into the bedroom and saw Jesse still laying on the bed, his hand clasping his stomach. He rolled around a bit, offering some dry heaves before returning to a blood curdling moan.

"Jesse!" Bo exclaimed in panic. He began to rush forward but was stopped by Doc Applebee's hand. "Give him some air, Bo. You all wait outside."

The three did as they were told ad Doc Applebee examined Jesse behind closed doors. After a few moments the moans stopped and the doctor emerged.

"What's going on, Doc?" Luke asked anxiously as the three of them crowded around him. "What did you do?"

"Wasn't nothing I could do, 'cept give him a little something for the pain. His problem will need to be handled at the Tri-County Hospital-and he needs to get there fast!"

Now I don't know 'bout ya'll, but I just can't stand it when something happens to good ole' Jesse.