by: Essy Jane

As the wedding began that cold afternoon, I wondered about my future. Where I was going to end up—if I would ever be married like Judd and Essy. I decided to shrug it off. There was no point thinking about the future when I was still stuck in the present. Judd, the old love of my life, was now getting married. I was in the maid of honor section and all I could think about was myself.

I tried to get my mind off of things by watching everyone else. Bo stood there, looking handsome. I knew he wasn’t comfortable in that monkey suit. I just knew he wanted to undo the top button. Bo has always been a country boy—I don’t think he’ll ever change in that department.

Daisy looked so happy. I knew she was going to cry. Daisy always cries at weddings, which wasn’t a bad thing. You know, Daisy looked the best in the dress that Essy had picked out. I felt out of place

I listened to the words of Boss Hogg, “Dearly beloved guests, we are gathered here in the presence of the man upstairs to marry these two folks. Essy-Jane Tizdale, do you take Judd Duke as your husband…to honor and to hold until death rips you away from him?”

“I do,” Essy-Jane answered.

“And do you Judd Duke take Essy as your wife…to honor and hold and all that jazz?”

“I do,” Judd replied.

“As justice of the peace I pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” As they kissed, a car smashed through the side they were on. Two men walked in.

“I want all of your money now!” One of the masked men said. Luke tried to stop all the fighting but was hit in the head with the butt of the gun. Bo pretended to be knocked down by Luke. Everyone began emptying their purses and wallets including Boss Hogg. As they were hustling people, I snuck out to the General Lee. Thank goodness all the panic shielded me. Bo ran to the car and hood slid. As he went to get in, he saw me.

“Get out of my car!” Bo exclaimed. I started it up.

“Bo, get in and shut up,” I commanded. Bo backed up, hood slid like he did the first time and went on the other side. “We have got baddies to catch and I am no good with a bow and arrow.” I followed the get away car closely. “Is Luke alright?”

“Nah, still out cold but the rest of the family will take care of him.” Bo got his bow out from the back seat. “Besides, if I let Roscoe and Enos catch them, our crooks will get away.”

“You don’t have to tell me that one twice.” They started shooting at us. “Then again, we can use them can’t we?” I picked up the CB. I am more than sure Bo was wondering what I was doing. “Roscoe, this is Nancy come back.”

“This is Roscoe P Coltrane here coming at you Nancy Khee, what do you need?” Roscoe replied over the CB.

“Can you make a couple of road blocks…you know the place you stopped Bo yesterday when we were supposedly speeding into town?”

“Yes ma’am I can do that.”

“This is Enos Nancy, where do you want me?” Enos said over the CB.

“Just cover an exit. This is Nancy, over and out.”

“What are we planning here?” Bo asked as I put down the receiver.

“Trap the mouse in his cave and he will come…”

“Right to you!” I stopped the car and backed it up into some bushes. Sure enough as I said they came back. Bo shot the tire out. He swerved a little bit and finally stopped.

“Nice shooting, rex.”

“Nice plan, Nancy-Lou.” I thought my plan was smooth. That is until I saw Daddy’s truck come out.

“Oh no.”

“Cooter don’t…”

“Please don’t Daddy.” Well, how could he listen to us? Daddy stopped when he saw the man standing by his car—that is after he pulled the arrow out. When Bo and I were about to get out of the car, the man stuck the gun in the passenger’s side and got in with his buddy.

“Now what?”

“We go cross Country, that’s what!” I put the General in reverse and backed up until I got on firm land. I was lucky that I had been here so many times with Bo and Luke. “Can you set up a big charge fast—if I get you far enough ahead of them?”

“Probably not.”

“Where do you think they would go? We got to get the stuff back.”

“Well, if they’re not leaving Hazzard—hey, I saw some smoke over at one of our stills the other day. You know, I just bet you they’re hid up over there. It’s one of the ones we used to use when the feds were after us. Has a two story cabin over there.”

“Then we better switch—you can drive.”

“We can’t just run in there and work without thinking Nancy.”

“What do you suggest? I want my father back. I am thinking that he didn’t see their faces yet which means he’s still alive.”

“Well whatever we’re going to do we have to do it fast. They’ll end up leaving sooner or later.”

“I know, I know. Can we handle two men with guns?”

“In this place we can. They don’t know about all the trap doors we have built up in this cabin of ours.” Bo played with the CB channels.

“What are you doing?”

“First I want to see if everyone’s okay on the home front.” Bo picked up the CB. “This is lost sheep one to Shepard—are you in come on?”

“This is Shepard here, is Nancy with you—come back?” Uncle Jesse said over the CB.

“Yes sir, how is everything there?”

“Well Bo, we’re just driving Luke to the hospital. He says he’s okay but you know how he is.”

“Yeah I know how he is.”

“I am just fine Bo. Where are you?” Luke said over the CB.

“I am about to head to the emergency still…where some baddies may be, the ones that ruined Essy’s wedding and destroyed the Boar’s Nest.”

“Bo, now they have guns.”

“Uh huh.”

“You have to go through the back hatch…the one in the root cellar.”

“That’s what I was planning cousin. Don’t worry, Nancy and I can handle this.”

“Good luck, 10-4.”

“That’s a big 10-4 cousin.” Bo put the CB down.

“Now what?” Nancy asked. He took out Luke’s Bow set and handed it to Nancy.

“We’re goanna have to teach you.”

“I told you, I can’t handle a bow and arrow—I took an archery class and failed with flying colors.”

“Do you love your Dad?”

“Yeah I do but…”

“Look, I know this cabin inside and out. I know every door Luke and me put in for easy escape. I need you to create a diversion. The best way I know of is with dynamite arrows.”

“And I told you, I can’t shoot worth beans. I have never been able to.” Bo shook his head and sighed.

“Then Miss Nancy, your father’s a dead man.” No, I wouldn’t let that happen, I couldn’t. I loved my father with all my heart. There was no way I would let him be pulled into this trap.

“Bo?”

“Yeah?”

“Start your teaching.” As Bo instructed me, I understood how to fire an arrow better than I ever had in all my life. I was ready, even to shoot off dynamite arrows. My heart was pounding. I wondered if Bo’s plan would work.

“It’s just as well as you learn this now…that is if you’re goanna be living here.”

“What do you mean?”

“You see Nancy, Essy and you will be the only two to take care of Hazzard while Luke and I find ourselves.”

“Oh Bo…”

“It won’t be an easy job. For a small County, many things go on over here. There is so much exciting activity, so much to do. Luke and I…”

“You have been doing it for this long—it can’t be too hard.” Bo shook his head no.

“Did you notice how many jokes you have made? Besides, you have been in Hazzard longer than that.”

“Yeah, I guess I have.”

“When Luke and I are gone, there will be a lot of changes. I know that you’ll be able to take care of Hazzard. After all, you’re Cooter’s daughter. When Luke and I leave, it will be up to you and Essy.”

“And Uncle Jesse.”

“Well of course Uncle Jesse.”

“We’ll be working harder than we have ever worked before to find ourselves.” I shook my head. “Nancy, even Uncle Jesse knew this day was going to come. We had to leave one day did we not? It doesn’t mean we can’t come back.” I sighed softly.

“Yeah I guess you guys are ready to leave Hazzard County.”

“We sure are.” I couldn’t seem to hold onto that statement. Hazzard County without Bo and Luke didn’t seem like much of a Hazzard at all. Bo and Luke off to find themselves—what exactly were they trying to find? They both had a lot. They were richer than most men when it came to lifestyle. I mean how many men have jumped in a car? How many people can say they have gotten out of not just one life and death situation but many? Everything they needed was right here.

Their Uncle Jesse was their guide, their light. He always led them in the right direction or helped them get out of trouble. Daisy was a wonderful influence on them. She helped them with women and what to say. How could Bo just go and leave them? I mean, how could Bo AND Luke leave them?

Then again, Daisy was leaving too. I guess I was hanging onto the past a little too tight. Not letting my fingers press forward to release it. Now I wondered if I could possibly let go or would I continue to hold on even until my fingers hurt. I didn’t know how to answer that question.

I suppose I wanted things to be like they usually were. One surprise after another—like right now as we were on the way to a cabin I had never heard of. The Duke family had kept this one a secret to everyone, including my Dad who they had been best friends with for years. I really wondered if such a place really existed.

Anyway, we parked pretty far back so they wouldn’t see us. Bo and I were covering the General Lee so no one would see us. I couldn’t believe how many branches I saw just sitting there. We weaved them together so that if we needed to follow once again that we could just take the branches off. “Nancy, do you know how to climb trees?” Bo asked me.

“Yeah, I used to do it all the time when I was a kid, why?” I replied. Bo took the bow and arrow set and put it onto my back as I put the last of the branches on the General. I shifted my eyes back and forth wondering just what Bo was thinking. I hadn’t climbed a tree in ages and it would be hard enough doing it with nothing on my back.

“You’re goanna be shooting for sure up there. Just pull back strong when you’re shooting. You will do just fine.”

“Yeah, sure I will,” I said, uneasily. I didn’t know what I was doing and now, I was going into battle. A war that would get my father back and that would test all the gumption within me. I was petrified, plain and simple. I was going to be doing this on my own. No one working with me, not a person to hold my trembling hand…it would be just me—just me shooting these arrows to cause enough of a distraction that would lead to these men coming out. Bo would be going in by himself and untying Dad. I wondered if Bo’s plan needed more thought.

“Nancy, you have got to trust yourself.” How does he do that? It was like he was reading my thoughts. Bo smiled at me. “The look on your face is clear that’s how I know.” Now it was my turn to let out a full-sized smile.

“Thanks Bo.”

“Yeah, no problem Miss Nancy-Lou.”

“I guess it is time for battle.”

“Uh huh, but no guns.”

“I know.

“Oh, and even if you want to, don’t shoot them. Uncle Jesse would…”

“Tan your hide until it was purple?”

“Yeah, something like that…now get up there!” I shimmied up the tree. I began grabbing each branch moving in slowly. I took a deep breath and let it out slow. I looked at the dynamite attached to the arrows. I waited about twenty seconds before letting the first one fly. As the explosion rang through the air, sure enough, the men left their post.

I shot off another one. Now for sure they were wondering where this was coming from. I wondered how Bo was doing. I didn’t want them to suddenly look back and go back in to find their little hostage was nowhere to be seen. I shot off another one, I wasn’t really aiming for anything. One of the men began looking for me, the sharp shooting cow gal. I ducked down as he approached. Thank goodness he missed me.

I saw Dad and Bo running towards the General. Now I wondered what I was going to do next. I let out another dynamite arrow just as Bo and Dad pulled up in the General. I jumped on the hood and got in. We drove off, Bo hit the horn and it chimed through the air. It was like their ultimate trade mark.

“How are you doing Nancy?” Dad asked me. I shook my head.

“You know you have a lot of nerve saying that to me,” I grumbled back.

“Nice shooting, you really helped save the day.”

“Dad, don’t ever do that to me again. I was scared.”

“Well honey, you’re goanna have a lot more of those experiences so you better get used to them.” Bo laughed.

“Mission accomplished,” He announced. We drove off back to the Duke farm.