The revenooer woke up, said,”you’re under arrest, Earl Higgins,” yelped in pain and passed out again!
Earl chuckled under his breath and continued helping carry Steve into the house.”He’s not goin to be takin me in any time soon!”
Lucy came out to see what all of the commotion was about, took a look at the revenooer, coming in on a mattress and rushed over to feel his brow. “He’s burnin up! Laws a mercy, Earl! What next! What happened to him?”
“Well, he got in the way of a bear, feedin on a deer and we happened to be close enough to get there in time and we shot the old bear. So we patched the revenooer up to bring him to you and then took that bear apart, since he wouldn’t be needin his body no more and brought him to you fur eatin!
She managed to put the revenooer in a quiet place and while the car was being unloaded and Clement’s wagon, as well, Lucy examined her patient. “ Who’s been tendin to him, Earl?”
Earl answered, “Carl.”
“Carl, come in here,” Lucy called. She asked him what had been done and commended him fur his quick thinkin with the white willow bark and plantains. “How’s his pain been?”
Carl explained everything to her and Lucy set to work, helpin the revenooer. “Those wounds need to quit bleedin and oozin out puss. We need to get on top of that so his fever will break.” Carl had collected a bag full of plantain and another of white willow bark, since they was in abundance up by the cabin, knowin his ma would need them. “ Carl, I’m mighty grateful for the herbs and mighty proud of you. I didn’t know you paid so much attention to how to doctor a wound, but you did fine!”
Lucy saw the swipe marks from the bear on Steve’s chest and some of them were starting to scab over, but were turning red around the edges and swelling. She put a wet bandage over them so she could get the scabs loose and then disinfected the wounds. Steve moaned and turned his head and said, “Water.” Lucy gave him some and he settled back down.
Clement found Earl and said he needed to talk with him. “ Mr. Earl, my ma sent me over to bring corn in appreciation fur you folks helpin us. I have a situation, tho. My pa made shine and has regular customers. I ain’t plannin on carryin on with the business and understand you might have some shine you will need to move. Would you be interested in takin over my Pa’s customers?”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Well, ol Earl about fell over. He had been a stewin on the drive home, thinkin about how he was goin to get customers and realizin the shine he had made was quality, but not near enough quantity to provide enough income fur his family. This was an unexpected answer to his problems. He and Clement came to an agreement.
Now Clement and his ma were pretty partial to bear meat and so Clement ended up with a large portion of that and some of the venison. He was promised 5 jars of sorghum molasses and Earl had corn enough to make two more runs of liquor and enough customers to make it worthwhile! Clement said, “Several of my pa’s customers are a pinin fur somethin to drink right now. You wouldn’t have any shine I could take with me fur them? I wouldn’t want them to go lookin somewhere else.” They agreed on a price and Clement took all of the first run except fur the jar Lucy was doctorin with!!
Clement went back home, happy as a lark and Earl went in to talk with Lucy. “Earl, I don’t feel so good about having yore liquor here with the revenooer here. He’s pretty bad off, but he’s goin to be gettin better soon. What’ll we do?”
Earl said, “All the shine is gone, except yore portion in that one jar, Lucy. I got customers, thanks to Clement and his ma. Nobody should know except you and me. Then we don’t have to worry about someone accidentally lettin the cat out of the bag. I got to turn around and go back and fire up the still again. Shine season is about over and I gotta make hay while the sun shines, so to speak. I will leave Carl with you. I saw you got the cane loaded. He can take the cane to the press and help with other chores around here. It wouldn’t be fittin to have the revenooer here with all of you girls, alone, neither. Timmy and John and I will head back out tonight. I need to take all of the sugar you have on hand. Do you have anything you want to send to Donna?”
Lucy’s head was a whirl with everything that was goin on all at once. She agreed with Earl and said good-bye to him and the boys. Steve was weak from travellin and all of the blood loss and his fever was ragin. Lucy managed to get the last of the bleedin stopped that evenin and Steve woke up and had a few bites of solid food, but mostly broth and fell back into a deep sleep. Before he fell asleep, while Lucy was feedin him, Steve said, “I thank-you ma’am and yore boys fur helpin me. However, I’m a law man and I know what I seen and yore man is goin to prison fur breakin the law.”
“Ok Lucy, one day at a time. Worryin never solved nothin. Let’s just do what we got to do and believe the good Lord will watch over us and somehow or another things will work out the way they are supposed to,” Lucy gave herself a pep talk.
