Chapter 14 Summary and Analysis

The tension around Bass Lake rapidly mounted on the first afternoon of the run, after the news of an incident involving a Hell's Angel was reported. Barger and Baxter rushed off together to investigate. Eventually Barger returned to the campground and related the story. Dirty Ed and some other Hell's Angels had been riding around town when several local teenagers had shouted vituperative words. Dirty Ed spun around and headed back to the kids only to be ambushed by one wielding a huge length of pipe. After suffering a beating, Dirty Ed was taken to the hospital where he received stitches in his scalp. The sheriff arrested the local teenagers—an action which mollified the Hell's Angels. Thus, another tense moment was diffused.