whiskey first.”
“You can’t outrun them with a boatload of them kegs,” Tereau said.
“They ain’t going to chase us. They’re going to be piled up on the sandbar. Take the wagon up to the boat and we’ll get loaded.”
Tereau slapped the reins against the mules’ backs.The kegs lumbered from side to side as the wagon creaked forward. LeBlanc sat beside the Negro with his hand on the butt of his revolver.
“You ain’t going to need the gun,” Tereau said.
“I’m the judge of that.”
“We never had no shooting. We don’t shoot and they don’t shoot.”
LeBlanc looked grimly ahead. Gerard and Avery took the mules by their harness and turned them around so the tailgate would face the boat. Tereau tied the reins to the brake, and climbed down and went to the rear of the wagon. He pulled the metal pins from their fastenings and eased the gate down.
“It ain’t too late,” he said. “I’ll give you your money back and take the whiskey to the still.”
“We’ll make it,” Gerard said.
“It’s your three years,” Tereau said, and took the first keg off the bed onto his shoulder.
Avery got up on the bed and handed the kegs down. In a quarter hour the boat was loaded.
“Now what?” Tereau said.
“You better get ready to move,” Gerard said.
“It ain’t smart what you’re doing.”
“I never had to ditch a load yet.”
LeBlanc got into the long flat outboard and climbed over the kegs to the bow. Gerard got in and sat on the board plank in front of the motor.He took a flashlight from under the seat and placed it beside him. He wrapped the rope around the starter, put the motor in neutral and opened the throttle; he yanked hard on the rope. It caught the first time, and he increased the gas feed and raced the motor wide open in neutral. They heard the two Evinrude seventy-five-horsepower engines of the police boat kick over across the river.
Gerard took up the flashlight and shone it through the willows so it would be visible from the river. The throbbing of the police boat’s engines became nearer, then they saw it come around the river bend full speed towards the mouth of the cove, the water breaking white in front of the bow, the flat churning wake behind and the spray flying back over the uptilted cabin. Someone on board must have seen the sandbar, because the boat swerved to port just before it struck the crest. The bow lurched in the air, and the engines, still driving, spun the boat around on its keel until it came to rest with part of the stern out of the water and the starboard propeller churning in the sand.
LeBlanc stood up in the outboard and shouted at the police boat.
“Sit down!” Gerard said. “I got to get us out of here.” He threw the motor into gear and shot forward through the willows. The police boat’s searchlightwent on, and the trees were flooded with a hard electric brilliance. “Bastards,” LeBlanc shouted. He stood up again and took aim with the pistol. The glass broke with the first shot, but the lamp still burned. He fired twice more, and the searchlight went out.
Avery and Tereau ran for the wagon. They climbed into the seat, and Tereau slashed the reins down on the mules. The mules jumped against their harness, and the wagon banged over the ruts, pitching back and forth, so that Avery had to hold on to the brake to keep from being thrown from the seat. He looked behind him and saw LeBlanc’s pistol flash three times in the dark. Tereau whipped the mules to a faster pace until the boat was out of sight. They could still hear LeBlanc cursing.
“He’s done it,” Tereau said. “We never had no shooting, but we’re going to have it now.”
“Where we going?”
“To the still. I’m going to move out everything I can. The swamp will be full of police before morning.”
The wagon swayed against a tree and careened back on the road. “My God,” Avery said.
“Got no time to waste.” Tereau whipped the mules harder.
“You think he
“You can’t outrun them with a boatload of them kegs,” Tereau said.
“They ain’t going to chase us. They’re going to be piled up on the sandbar. Take the wagon up to the boat and we’ll get loaded.”
Tereau slapped the reins against the mules’ backs.The kegs lumbered from side to side as the wagon creaked forward. LeBlanc sat beside the Negro with his hand on the butt of his revolver.
“You ain’t going to need the gun,” Tereau said.
“I’m the judge of that.”
“We never had no shooting. We don’t shoot and they don’t shoot.”
LeBlanc looked grimly ahead. Gerard and Avery took the mules by their harness and turned them around so the tailgate would face the boat. Tereau tied the reins to the brake, and climbed down and went to the rear of the wagon. He pulled the metal pins from their fastenings and eased the gate down.
“It ain’t too late,” he said. “I’ll give you your money back and take the whiskey to the still.”
“We’ll make it,” Gerard said.
“It’s your three years,” Tereau said, and took the first keg off the bed onto his shoulder.
Avery got up on the bed and handed the kegs down. In a quarter hour the boat was loaded.
“Now what?” Tereau said.
“You better get ready to move,” Gerard said.
“It ain’t smart what you’re doing.”
“I never had to ditch a load yet.”
LeBlanc got into the long flat outboard and climbed over the kegs to the bow. Gerard got in and sat on the board plank in front of the motor.He took a flashlight from under the seat and placed it beside him. He wrapped the rope around the starter, put the motor in neutral and opened the throttle; he yanked hard on the rope. It caught the first time, and he increased the gas feed and raced the motor wide open in neutral. They heard the two Evinrude seventy-five-horsepower engines of the police boat kick over across the river.
Gerard took up the flashlight and shone it through the willows so it would be visible from the river. The throbbing of the police boat’s engines became nearer, then they saw it come around the river bend full speed towards the mouth of the cove, the water breaking white in front of the bow, the flat churning wake behind and the spray flying back over the uptilted cabin. Someone on board must have seen the sandbar, because the boat swerved to port just before it struck the crest. The bow lurched in the air, and the engines, still driving, spun the boat around on its keel until it came to rest with part of the stern out of the water and the starboard propeller churning in the sand.
LeBlanc stood up in the outboard and shouted at the police boat.
“Sit down!” Gerard said. “I got to get us out of here.” He threw the motor into gear and shot forward through the willows. The police boat’s searchlightwent on, and the trees were flooded with a hard electric brilliance. “Bastards,” LeBlanc shouted. He stood up again and took aim with the pistol. The glass broke with the first shot, but the lamp still burned. He fired twice more, and the searchlight went out.
Avery and Tereau ran for the wagon. They climbed into the seat, and Tereau slashed the reins down on the mules. The mules jumped against their harness, and the wagon banged over the ruts, pitching back and forth, so that Avery had to hold on to the brake to keep from being thrown from the seat. He looked behind him and saw LeBlanc’s pistol flash three times in the dark. Tereau whipped the mules to a faster pace until the boat was out of sight. They could still hear LeBlanc cursing.
“He’s done it,” Tereau said. “We never had no shooting, but we’re going to have it now.”
“Where we going?”
“To the still. I’m going to move out everything I can. The swamp will be full of police before morning.”
The wagon swayed against a tree and careened back on the road. “My God,” Avery said.
“Got no time to waste.” Tereau whipped the mules harder.
“You think he
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