In due time, Ezekiel, Coon, Hod and Mrs. Hawkins were convicted on charges of harboring a fugitive from justice. At their trial, evidence also was introduced, showing they had operated a still illegally.
For many days the Riverview Star carried front page stories of the happenings. Penny wrote several of the articles, while others carried Jerry’s byline.
“The best part of all is that with Danny behind bars, you’ll no longer be in danger,” the girl remarked one day to the reporter. “He really was out to get you.”
“I suppose so,” Jerry agreed, “but I never was much worried. Danny’s real motive in coming back to Riverview was to recover the hidden $50,000. Running into me—and particularly you—proved his undoing.”
In days that followed, Penny drove many times to the swamp to see Mrs. Jones and Trapper Joe. Both rejoiced that Danny Deevers and the Hawkins family could cause no more trouble.
One afternoon as the girl paid the widow a long call, they fell to talking over their swamp experiences.
“It was mighty excitin’ out there—you and me in the boat,” Mrs. Jones recalled. “Now that it’s all over, I hain’t ashamed to say I was plenty skeered we’d never git out o’ the swamp alive.”
“So was I,” grinned Penny.
“Revenooers was in yesterday to smash up Ezekiel’s still.”
“They were!”