The Moonshiners Part Two

'Tommy shrugged, 'I'll see to the mules he said.  They led the mules away and Lotte heard them arguing.  The young dog came nosing around and Lotte stroked it absent-mindedly.  She realised she was totally exhausted.

When Tommy returned he asked 'Do you want some food?'

Lotte shook her head, 'Just coffee, not too hot.'

After the coffee, Tommy spread a bedroll on the porch swing and furnished Lotte with a pillow.  She settled down to sleep.  'Will you stay with me Tommy,' she asked.

'Yeah,' Tommy said.  He settled back in the rocking chair.  Ike appeared.  He said, 'You come inside and leave her be.'

'I'm staying here,' Tommy replied.'

'You will do as I say damn you,' Ike said angrily.  He lurched towards his son.  Tommy involuntarily reached towards the Winchester leant against the cabin wall.  The older man’s face darken with rage.  Almost in disbelief he asked, 'Were you going for the gun.'  In a voice low with fury he went on, 'If you ever draw a bead on me, you'd better kill me or I will surely kill you.'  He looked at Lotte, she was asleep.  The tin mug dropped from her fingers.  Ike turned and went back into the house.  Tommy again settled down in the rocking chair.  The dog was sniffing at Lotte's face.  Tommy prodded her with his outstretched foot, 'Move Pearl.'  It suddenly started to rain and Tommy too fell asleep.

Lotte awoke to the sound of Pearl barking.  She immediately became aware of the pain.  She gradually managed to raise herself into a sitting position.  Tommy was stood on the edge of the porch.  'Here they come,' he said.

Lotte's left eye was closed and as she had slept on her right side her vision was blurred but she made out two motor vehicles coming towards them, one a 1925 Ford Sedan the other an older vehicle.  They were struggling in the rain soaked ground.  There Was no proper road and in winter it was impossible to get motor vehicles in.  The cavalcade came to a stop in front of the house.  From the first car alighted a big paunchy man in his late thirties, obviously a Hamilton and a stocky built woman in her fifties.  Two younger men got out of the second car.  They all stared at Lotte in disbelief.  Ike came out onto the porch.  Jim Hamilton said, 'I don't believe this.'

'Don't look at me,' Ike replied.  'It's all his idea.  They got in a shoot out yesterday, killed three men and now we have a natural born killer on our hands.  He went to throw down on me with the Winchester last night.'

Jim Hamilton turned his attention to the two younger men, 'Abe, Lou, start loading up the whisky.'  He then lent back against the car, folded his arms and said wearily, 'Go on Tommy, tell us what happened.'

'This here's Lotte Barr,' Tommy said.

'You don't say,' Jim responded dryly.'

'Well,' Tommy went on.  'She's a band singer.  Somebody pole-axed her, threw her down a ravine and left her for dead a way’s up the trail.  I pulled her out with a mule and then we got jumped at the creek crossing.  I killed two of em but there was three.  Another one showed up when I put the gun down.  He had the drop on me Uncle Jim.  I was dead meat.  Then Lotte shot him with Luke's forty four.  She saved my life.'

Jim turned to his mother, 'Only in our family Ma.  What the hell are we going to do now?'

Harriet Hamilton walked up to the porch and studied Lotte.  Lotte sat head bowed.  'Tommy did right for once.  You can't go faulting him for that,' Harriet said.  'So, if our family are going to take care of her let's do it right.  You men stay out here on the porch.  I'll take her inside and see what's what.  Come on child.'  Lotte was surprised how strong Harriet was as she helped her into the house.  The main room, Lotte saw was sparsely furnished.  There was a stone fireplace and one window.  The only furniture was two chairs on either side of the fireplace, a rug, and a rough table and four chairs by the window.  The rest of the rough floorboards were bare.  Stuck on the wall was a picture of a quarter horse cut from a magazine.  At the other end of the room were two beds under a staircase that led to loft or sleeping area above.  By the side of the staircase was the door into the kitchen area.  The kitchen had a fire place, a large kettle for hot water, and a sink.  A tin bath hung on the wall.

Harriet lowered Lotte onto a bed.  'Right, lets get your clothes off and take a look,' she said.

Tommy stepped into the doorway, 'Aunt Harriet,'

'What?'

'She's a Christian.'

'I'm right glad to hear it,' Harriet replied.  'Now get out of here.'

Tommy stepped back onto the porch.

Jim grinned wearily at Ike, 'He's really taken with this coon girl ain’t he.'  Ike snorted with disgust.  Jim went on, 'What you aiming to do with her when she's all fixed up Tommy?'

'She can stay here if she wants, I'll look after her.'

'That can't happen,' Jim said testily.

'Well then, I'll get her home to Atlanta,' Tommy said.

'On the train?'

'Sure.'

Jim grinned, 'How are you going to find the money.'

'I'll sell some liquor myself.'

Jim Hamilton's face set, 'I do the liquor selling in this family boy.'

'Well me and Chuck Calderwood have been thinking.  The Calderwoods have all the hardship stuck up in the mountains making the stuff and I take the risk running it down here and you take all the profit.  The percentages ain’t right.'

'What do you know about percentages?'  Jim asked dryly.

'I know a cent is one percent of a dollar.  I can read too, not fast but I can read.  I would have been real slick at it if Luke hadn't got killed.  I can figure things out.'

At that moment they heard Harriet's raised voice, 'Don't take on now it's got to be done.  Look out of the door.'  They heard Lotte scream and Harriet calming her, 'There it's done now.'  Later, Harriet stepped out onto the porch.

Jim asked,'How is it Ma?'

Harriet was clearly angry, 'Them as done this should be skinned alive.'   After a pause she went on, ‘Her leg ain't broken, just sprained. Her arm is broken.  I'll splint it in a minute, and she might have a couple of busted ribs, but what can you say about these black folks.  She yelps every time you touch her but she's had a blow to the head that would have killed a white woman stone dead.'

'How long till she's right?' Jim asked.

'Could take weeks for her to heal up enough to be moved out without attracting attention.

In the meantime she needs a bath.'  Harriet turned to Tommy.  'Tommy light a fire and get some water in the kettle.'  She turned to Ike, 'She needs clean clothes, can I use some of Anne's?'

'No Ike growled.'

'Well I can't let her walk about stark naked.'

'OK Then do what the hell you like.'  Ike snatched up his hat and left.  Tommy went to busy himself with the kitchen fire and hauling water from the spring.  Harriet returned to Lotte and Jim was left alone on the porch with much to think about.  The Hamilton's farms were better than most with more cultivatable land than smaller properties higher up the mountain but they still needed a second income.  Although he would never consider selling the land on which some of his ancestors were buried, He needed more.  Big Jim Hamilton was ruthless bright and ambitious.  When his father, Frank, Ike's brother became ill, he had gone to work as a deputy for the local sheriff, Joe Milner but that job was compromised by the Hamilton's connection by marriage to the notorious moonshining family, the Calderwoods.  Jim left and opened a general store in Turner's Crossing from which he illegally sold Calderwood whisky.  The business had done well.  Jim had prospered and now he was being encouraged by some influential people, to open a private drinking club in a bigger town.  Harriet appeared supporting Lotte and sat her down on the swing  'I've made coffee.' she said.  Lotte felt much better bathed and in clean clothes but she was frightened.  What would these fierce  people do with her.  As far as she could tell the farm was totally isolated.  Tommy and Ike arrived on the porch.  Jim said we need to talk.  Ike sat in the rocking chair.  Harriet sat next to Lotte on the swing.  Jim and Tommy sat on chairs from the table.  Tommy set his chair close to Lotte and asked, 'You alright?'

'Sure Tommy.'  She tried to smile.

They sat sipping coffee.  The dog Pearl plodded onto the porch and flopped down in a patch of sunlight.  Finally Tommy asked, 'Well what are we going to talk about?'

Ike stirred angrily in his chair.  His son's new found confidence looked like insolence to him.  Jim glanced at Ike, 'Take it easy Uncle,' he said then went on, 'Did you have to kill em Tommy?'

Tommy nodded, 'It was them or me but I wanted to kill Gagan myself anyhow, him working for the revenue and all.  He got away with murder, we all know that.  I saw him shoot Luke.'

Jim nodded, 'The two men you shot, did they get any shots away?'

'One did. The third guy was firing plenty till Lotte shot him.'

Jim glanced at Lotte before going on, 'Did you move the bodies?'

'No.'

'Did you take anything off the bodies?'

'Hell no.' Tommy responded indignantly.

'So their guns are still there?'

'Yes.'

Jim turned his attention to Lotte, 'What about you.  How long will it be before your family post you missing?'

'That won't happen,' Lotte said.  'I joined a band as a singer and agreed to tour with them.  My father was opposed to the idea.  He was really angry.  He has no idea where I am.'

'And what about the men who did this to you.  Are you going to report it to the law, bearing in mind you've just killed a government agent.?'

'She ain't going to say nothing,' Tommy said.

'Let her speak for herself.' Jim replied angrily.

Lotte spoke in a low voice, 'I won't say anything Mr. Hamilton.  There's no point.  I'm alive thanks to Tommy and that's all that matters.'

Jim pondered what he had heard.  Tommy said, 'Gagan and his men are outcomers from Missouri or

Kansas.  They ain't got no kin around here.  Sheriff Milner ain't going to look too hard for them.'

'No but the revenue will.' Jim replied.  'Hell boy, do you think you can kill three government employees and there won't be no stink.  We could have real trouble here.'   Jim spread his hands, 'What's done is done.  Things happen, no point in worrying about it now.  Anyhow we got other things to talk about, important things.  We have to make some decisions about how we go forward.  We can't risk Tommy running bootleg liquor through these hills any more.  He'll surely get killed sooner or later.'

Ike nodded, 'You are right I guess but without the extra income from moon shining, I don't see how we can rightly carry on here.'

'We can carry on,' Tommy cut in.  'Ain't nobody taking anything from me while I have a gun in my hand.'

Harriet said, 'Hush up Tommy.  Listen to what's being said.'

Jim leaned forward, 'It's this way Uncle.  The store is a good business.  The Calderwood whisky is the best.  I've made some well connected friends who can make sure I get some protection from the law.  They want me to open a private drinking club in one of the bigger towns.  Prohibition won't be around forever and when it ends I will be dealing with big bona fide breweries.  There's a fortune to be made but it's a rough tough business.  I need people around me I can trust, my own kin.  Abe and Lou are fine at home but they are just good farm boys..Tommy has got what I need.  I can take him to town and make something of him.  Trust me we are going to make a lot of money.  I'll see you get a good share of Tommy's wages.  What do you say?'

Ike shook his head, 'I can't manage the farm work on my own Jim.'

'I'll send Abe and Lou over and Ma comes over every week,' Jim urged.

Ike was flustered, 'The only way to make something of him is to whip the tar outa him first.'

Jim shook his head, 'You know there is one like Tommy in every Hamilton generation.  It wouldn't make no difference if you pistol whipped him.  The best thing is to channel it into something useful.'

Ike scratched his beard, 'Well if he wants to go he can.'

Jim turned to Tommy, 'I ain't hiring you to be no counter clerk.  There's a time and place to use guns and I'll teach you when and how.  I intend to get rich or die trying.  There's a chance any of us might stop a bullet but you are bound to die if you carry on bootlegging here, especially the way you go about things.'  He saw Tommy was undecided.  'I'll tell you what,' he added.  'Come and work for me and I'll pay the girl's rail fare back back to Atlanta.'

'OK I'll do it,' Tommy replied.

Jim nodded, 'It will take about a month to set up.  In the mean time keep the girl hidden.  We don't want people seeing her and asking questions.'

Ike protested, 'The girl can't stay here there's no where for her to sleep.  She should go with you.'

'I have no room for her, Harriet said, 'what with Frank and the boy's.'

'You have the barn,' Ike pointed out.

'She ain't sleeping in no barn,' Tommy spoke angrily.

'You shut your mouth boy.' Ike replied.

She ain't sleeping in no barn.'  There was menace in Tommy's voice.

Harriet said, 'She can sleep on the swing for a while then when she can make it, she can sleep upstairs.  I'll come back and clean the place up.  I'll bring some bedding as well.'

'She can't hardly move.  It ain't right for me and the boy to do the things she'll need done,' Ike protested.

'I'll take care of her,' Tommy said.

'You have chores to do boy,' Ike asserted.

'I can take care of her,' Tommy insisted.

'It ain't ideal,' Harriet agreed,' but it's the best solution.'

So it was agreed.