How did Granpa and Little Tree escape the lawmen? Chapter 9

One evening, as they are putting the whiskey jars into the tow sack, one of the hounds, Blue Boy, appears. It is a warning sign. Granpa instructs Little Tree to head down one side of the mountain while he cleans up and heads down the other side. They'll meet at the cabin. He warns Little Tree to step off the path and hide if he sees anyone. Little Tree heads off, knowing that if the still gets destroyed, it will be devastating to his family. Halfway down the Narrows, big men with badges appear from around the bend. Little Tree doesn't know what to do. If he jumps in the spring they will catch him, and if he runs back up the trail they'll find the still. So he leaps up off the trail and runs Cherokee style up the mountain, passing just over their heads. They try to grab him as he dashes by, but Blue Boy intervenes and fights with the men. The men try to give chase; but the other hounds, which Granma's loosened, join in the fight.