When Earl and Carl stopped over at Thomas’ place, Thomas practically ran out to meet them! “Howdy Earl, Carl, yore ears must’ve been burnin with me thinkin about you! What we got here in Happy Toe Holler is practically a dry county! You cain’t find nary a bottle anywhere. Why that last batch you brought me I thought we were goin to have a fight over! Tommy Burton and Harry Smith got here the day after you left and they both wanted to buy up the rest and were measurin each other up for size fur a knock down, drag out tussle when I suggested splittin it between them. Well they didn’t cotter to that idea and I was kinda at my wit’s end when my lovely wife came out the door with a tray of delicious blueberry pie and steamin hot coffee. They caught wind of the smell of those pieces of pie and all fightin was forgotten!!!
They set down with their pie and coffee and they both savored every bite and remembered their manners! I asked what they would think about dividin up the last of the moonshine and if they agreed, we would send them each home with a full blueberry pie!! Well, they, bein bachelors and I’m assumin not gettin such treats very often, jumped on that offer. I realized after they took off that I hadn’t set any moonshine aside fur myself. I’m achin fur some shine. Please tell me you brought some.”
“Well, to tell you the truth, Thomas, we are plumb out, too! That’s what I come to see you about. There is another warm spell comin up and I would be mighty glad to make a run of likker, but I’m out of grain. Also, I would like to put in a request fur grain after summer harvest. What do you think?” Earl explained.
“I didn’t have any grain till yesterday. The widow woman, Elsie Long asked me to do her a favor and buy the rest of hers. I figured it might be old and moldy, but I knew she needed to make her tractor payment, so she didn’t lose it, so I figured I would help her out. She is a feisty old lady, runs her farm by herself, drivin the tractor, plowin, workin the garden and the field and handlin the animals too! She ain’t but about 5 foot tall, but she makes a finer farmhand than many men!! Oh, the grain. Come look, Earl. It sure surprised me how fine it was and I think it will make the best whiskey with a fine flavor!” Thomas said.
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Earl looked at the grain, picked it up and ran it through his hand. He let out a low whistle. “I don’t know where she stored this, but this is amazin so long after harvest to be so fresh!! You are right. This will make some rite tasty shine! What do you want fur it?”
“If you are agreein to it, I would like to do some barterin agin,” Thomas said. “I wish I could go back with you so I could get some shine, as soon as possible, but I’ll just have to wait fur yore next trip. When do you figure you will be back, Earl?”
“I like the idea of barterin, Thomas. I should be back in two weeks. I would come sooner, but the mash has to set to be any good.” Earl and Thomas worked out a tradin deal that they were both happy with, loaded up the grain and Earl and Carl took off fur home.
Earl was so eager to get this run of likker goin that he drove the horses as fast as they were able to handle so he could stop by their still site. He wanted to see if everything was still in good condition and undiscovered. He would have to go to town tomorrow to pick up sugar and yeast. It was too risky to go to town now, with the grain in the back of the wagon. That would be like blowin a trumpet to the revenooers, sayin, “Lookie here what we got.”
Earl pulled the wagon over on the side of the road and he and Carl walked through the brush and woods till they got to their still site. All of the copper was in good condition, but his mash barrel looked like a bear had been in it. There were patches of hair all around and claw marks on the outside of the barrel. “Well, if that’s the only problem we have to deal with, I’ll take that any day over a smashed up still!” Earl said.
They headed back home and shared the good news with the family. Bright and early the next mornin, Earl headed to town to get the supplies he needed. Everything went just fine until Earl got ready to turn into his driveway. He spotted across the road, a car halfway hidden in the bushes. “Oh, no. What in the world is Steve doin this time of the year, watchin fur us. Maybe I kin git this barrel unloaded before he comes snoopin around. And I better git the sugar and yeast loaded into the kitchen.
