General Lee's Revenge

Chapter Thirteen: Rough Roads

Bo's recovery was going slow. It hurt to walk or do pretty much anything at all, but he didn't let the pain get to him. He knew he had more important things to do. Since the day he'd gotten out of the hospital, Bo disappeared into Hazzard's swamplands every day to search for Luke, Daisy, and Rosco. With a borrowed horse from the Davenport farm, and Brutus following close behind, he was determined to make every second count.

He was doing the same thing today while Brutus led them through the trees and water.

The horse Bo had borrowed was Cooter's first, and only horse. Named Blackjack after Jefferson Davis's horse, it was a black Appaloosa with a white and black speckled patch on its haunches.

Brutus weaved around, sniffing intently. He recognized the smell of blackpowder from the sheriff's gun. It had slowly spilled out of the barrel, a trail only a dog could follow. The sheriff had known exactly what he was doing. The smell of rotten eggs was causing the dog to sneeze but he continued. This was it, today was the big break, he would finally find them.

The smell grew stronger, the gunpowder had spilled out faster here. They were getting close. Rosco knew they were getting close, he had had to empty the barrel more efficiently. They were so close, just a little farther. Wait, yes, this was it, the end of the trail.

Brutus lifted his head quickly, ears alert, and probing for any sound. His nose twitched, smelling for any signs of human activity. There, he could smell smoke just below the ridge. It was coming from a small, rundown house nestled in the dry riverbed.

Bo dismounted.

He reminded himself to be on the lookout for moonshiner traps.

He poked around for a while. This was definitely the place.

Now there wasn't anything left to do, but tell the others.

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Bo relayed the location of the house to the rest of Hazzard's finest. Not entirely meaning the police department, but it did include Enos and Cletus. They all agreed it had been long enough, and so prepared themselves to liberate their friends and family. Bo in the General Lee, Jesse in his white pick-up, Cooter in his tow truck, Enos and Cletus in a patrol car, and Boss Hogg in his white Cadillac.

They set back out into the wilderness at dusk, the larger, tougher vehicles blazing a path for the smaller, more delicate ones. It was soon that all the vehicles were stationed above the ridge were Blackjack had been standing earlier that day. The six of them stayed low, stalking in the trees, keeping a close watch on the house.

Luke stepped outside. He had only come out to get wood for the furnace but found an interesting surprise. Above the ridge that sheltered the small house was a flash of bright orange paint in the trees, the unmistakable orange tone of the General Lee.

Bo appeared a ways in front of the treeline, he began to make his way down into the old riverbed. Luke didn't dare make a sound but knew he had to warn his cousin. He picked up a cut branch from the woodpile and flung it at Bo's feet. It landed inches away from his right foot, and a steel bear trap sprung up, chomping down on the piece of wood. Bo glanced down at it fearfully before looking back up at Luke. The older Duke shook his head slowly. He turned and picked up an ax that had been leaning against the house.

Bo quickly scooted back up the ridge to where everyone else had gathered near Jesse's truck.

"What happened down there?" Cooter asked.

"The riverbed's littered with bear traps. It'd be like walkin' through a minefield down there. I think we might have to circle around and take 'em from the front," Bo explained.