White Lightning

Them boys didn't get no spray in that field like I told you.

They'll get to it in the morning.

They better, or there'll be some sweet cans sweating.

A fellow said, "What are you beating on the back of that truck for?"

He says, "I got a two-ton truck, four tons of canaries in this truck

"and I got to keep half of them blind."

How's the whiskey business, Gator?

You make it, Mr. Simms, I'll haul it.

Boy, you ain't been drag racing my sedan again, have you?

Tell you what, Cap'.

Keep me working on that car, you'll blow everybody right out of the tub.

Can I have one of those?

Boy, you better get a shirt on. You got a visitor over at the office.

Visitor?

Your cousin's here. He's kind of got bad news for you.

Hello, Louella.

It ain't your mama or your daddy, Gator.

Donny was killed.

I drove up 'cause I knew you'd want to know.

Your mama didn't want to come.

She sends her love, Gator.

Shoot, there's no way to make it any better.

Donny was killed down in Bogan County.

Who killed him, Louella?

They're not sure.

They found him in the lake.

There was another kid from school with him.

What are you talking about? He didn't run liquor.

I don't know what the hell you're talking about.

Your daddy thinks it was on account of the Sheriff.

- Sheriff? - He thinks it was on account of

the kids he hung out with.

All them protesters.

All them damn hippies.

Gator! How long you gonna sit there, boy?

Five days, and Mr. Simms says you go and get yourself on over to the shop.

Mr. Simms done give you every break there is

and all you Oleander County son of a guns think you got to do

is just make moonshine liquor

and don't give a damn about nothing or nobody.

You gonna be chopping cotton, boy.

Gator, where in the hell do you think you're going?

Looks like you're gonna dig me a ditch all the way to Memphis, Gator.

You did your time pretty good up here, and you only got one more year to go.

Two ways you can do it, hard or easy.

Bill, get them boys started about 50 yards on up the field.

All right, move it out.

Put down that shovel.

Now, you listen to me, boy.

Ain't nothing you can do, I can do, or anybody else can do.

Your brother's dead, and you ain't going home for another year.

You can do your time easy. That's all I'm saying.

I've seen a hell of a lot of old boys come and go.

Captain?

- Federal law got me in here, didn't it? - What'd you say?

I said the federal law got me in here, didn't it?

- You reckon it can get me out? - What are you driving at?

- Sheriff in Bogan County, what's his name? - Who, J.C. Connors?

You know he's taking money from the whiskey business, don't you?

I'll get evidence against him.

J.C.?

Boy, he run Began County.

But I'll nail his ass.

Tell them to let those reports go for now, and wait outside.

Gator, this is Mr. Cantrell.

Mr. Cantrell, your wingding.

Sit down, Mr. McKlusky.

Mr. Simms tells us you want to cooperate with the Federal Department.

Is that correct?

Let's see, 12 months remaining in your sentence.

Second offense, making and transporting untaxed whiskey.

- As you understand... - Third.

- I beg your pardon? - Third offense.

First time, I was 13.

As you understand, if information related to

federal income tax evasion or unpaid liquor tax can be obtained,

it's within the policy of the government to cooperate with state prison officials.

We have a file on the Bogan County sheriff. He's a damn tough cookie.

He's got several unsolved homicides, as well as other circumstances.

But our jurisdiction is only

the manufacture of untaxed illegal whiskey.

Mr. McKlusky, if you haul from an illegal still, that's direct evidence.

If you see who receives money, that's direct evidence.

Testifying in court as to money paid to the Sheriff's Department is direct evidence.

If you can determine the actual location of illegal unreported income,

that is a federal case.

Do you understand?

Gonna miss it, McKlusky?

Gosh, yes, I'm gonna miss all that good cooking.

All right, pay attention.

This is Dude Watson. He's your contact man in Bogan County.

Right now, you can find him driving down at the Benton Speedway.

Here, read this file.

All of it.

Bye, boys. Have a good time.

McKlusky?

Over here.

There it is. Take a look at it.

This is the car you'll do your whiskey running in.

- Who tuned it? - You like it?

Doggone, would you look at that motor?

The guy who did it is one of our boys. He used to do a little running.

Now, Watson operates the garage. We've got him on federal probation, so...

429, dual carburetor...

We've got him on federal probation, therefore, he'll help you.

- Is that it? - Good luck.

See you, fellow.

Keep that thing between the ditches.

Gator McKlusky, Sherry Lynne.

Sherry Lynne, how are you, darling?

- All right. - Hi, there.

- I know you, too. What's your name? - I'm Becky Jo's little sister.

The last time I saw you, you were flat chested.

- This is Kip. - Hi, Kip.

- Gator, that's a funny name. - Kip's a funny name, too.

Here's one for the kipper.

Where've you been?

- I've been saving myself. - For what?

All right!

- Gator, what? - Gator anything you like.

- I'm trying to talk to him. - I just want to know his name.

Get me excited, I'll eat you up.

You going to see your mama and papa now?

Right now?

- Gator! - Hello, Papa.

Hello, Mama.

I would have written more, Mama, but I didn't know what to say.

That's what Donny used to say.

What do you think you might do now, son?

What happened to Donny?

Now, don't you go hauling no more liquor.

Do you think you might get a job at Rexville?

What happened to Donny, Mama?

We don't know.

I don't want nothing to happen to you, Bobby.

- It won't. - I had it.

- I just can't stand it no more. - Tell her it'll be all right.

Whatever you got in your head, I want you to get it out!

- It'll be all right! - Settle yourself down...

- That's what Donny said and he... - Now, hush!

There's no call for that! Now, quit it!

Come on, now, Gator's home.

He had supper with us.

We're sitting out here on the porch like we always did.

I don't rightly know what happened to your brother, son.

I don't understand it. He wasn't mixed up in the law no way.

You know what they say college kids do these days.

It's all right.

You're home now. We'll get in that crop.

When are you leaving?

Morning.

Where're you going, son?

Where you going?

- Bogan County. - Now, you listen to your daddy.

Stay away from there, let the dead lie.

Don't get us mixed up in any more trouble.

You know how I got out of prison?

The law. The law let me out.

What do you mean, son?

That sheriff up in Bogan County.

He owns Began County.

We ain't gonna get him for killing Donny.

The only way we're gonna get that sheriff is taking whiskey money.

Are you going for the federal laws?

Are you taking down names of liquor people and turning them in?

- I'm just gonna get that sheriff. - You're taking down names...

I have to get that sheriff.

It's a bad thing, Bobby.

Howdy!

Say, how are you?

You Dude Watson?

Yes, that's what they call me.

I hear you're a hell of a mechanic.

Shoot. Yeah? I don't know.

You want to tune up my old iron?

What, today?

No way.

- You got a big race today, have you? - You know it.

- Can I have a little tap of that? - What's that?

That's moon, ain't it, pard?

Is that what that is?

Shoot, I was wondering. Some old boy come by about an hour ago.

Just left it there. Hell, it's yours. I don't know what the hell to do with it.

Do you think I'm the fuzz?

I don't know what you are.

That shot'll blind you, boy.

My name's Gator McKlusky.

You know why I'm here, don't you?

I said, you know why I'm here, don't you?

Last year you made $18,000.

Working on cars

and running moonshine whiskey to your neighbors.

Except you neglected to pay Uncle Sam the taxes.

He's pissed off about that. Man, is he pissed off about that.

Warm your cars up and get them ready to go

and get used to the track.

I'm gonna help you make some deliveries, see?

Take down a few names. You got that?

Is that right?

Tell me, what do you want to mess with an old boy