BRANDED

Fill No Glass for Me - part 2 — episode #26

Corporal Johnny Macon was locked up in the stockade. He had to figure a way out to help Jason. His only way was to trick Charlie, the guard into getting out of his cell. "Hey Charlie!" "What?" Asked Charlie. "I've got something here than nobody else knows about this watch," said Johnny. He stood there holding his pocket watch. "What about that old turnip?" Asked Charlie. "Well.....it's over a hundred years old. I never told anybody about it because it's so valuable." "Is that true?" Asked Charlie. "Why sure!" Said Johnny. "Uh ah.....your spinin' your wheels again.....old things ain't worth nothing." "Ah real old things are Charlie. Folks call them antiques." "Why this watch was made in a country like France, for a king!" "Ya' know.....I've been thinking.....since you've always admired this watch.....well it don't look like I'm going anywhere.....well after I'm gone.....it's yours!" "Well.....ah.....that's mighty thoughtful of you Macon, but I figure you better leave it for your folks." The bait wasn't working. Johnny was trying to get Charlie to come over to the cell hoping to get a chance to get his hands on Charlie with hopes of breaking out. But he had to keep trying. "Just listen to it. It sounds like a kittens purring." "Why this watch even has a bell in it that dings every hour!" Now he got Charlie's attention. "A bell?" Asked Charlie. "Sure!" Said Johnny. "I'll set it on the hour so you can hear it." While Johnny was setting the watch Charlie was getting more & more curious. He put his book down and walked over to the cell. Johnny held the watch up to Charlie's ear. Johnny then put his arm around Charlie's neck and slowly started to squeeze. "I'm not going to hurt you Charlie, just enough to make you pass out." When Charlie passed out, Johnny grabbed the keys from Charlie and unlocked the cell door. He then went over to the table & grabbed the pistol & knife that was lying on the table. He then went over to Charlie and placed the watch in his hand.
 
Johnny rode back to the scene of the battle. There were bodies laying all around. All his men were dead. There was no sign of Jason anywhere. Johnny followed the trail they had left. There he saw Jason gagged & tied to a tree. Jas tried his best to get Johnny to stay away, but there was very little he could do. Johnny rode up to Jas and said....."You're alright now Captain." Jason kept shaking his head. "Boy they sure hung you out to dry." Johnny got off his horse and started towards Jason, he was getting ready to cut his ropes when he was attacked by several Indians. The Indians cut Jas down and dragged them both back to their camp.

Johnny told Jason that he wanted to bring back help, but the Major wouldn't listen. He continued to tell him that he busted out of the guard house, stole a horse and then came looking for him. "And walked right into a trap," said Jason. "Maybe Hawkins was right! Maybe I'm not a solider and never will be," said Johnny. "Don't feel too bad Macon, I fell into one of their traps once. They call it Bitter Creek." "How did they know I'd come looking for you?" "They didn't, but it was worth a try," said Jason. "Why did you come looking for me?" Johnny looked at Jason and said....."You saved my live." "That took a lot of guts Macon, but it wasn't very sound thinking!" Said Jason. Johnny laughed....."Captain McCord.....the Major as good as promised me that he was going to shoot me. Thinking of things like that doesn't leave much time for sound thinking." "And if you hadn't mentioned my name to the Major, you wouldn't be in any trouble." Johnny looked at Jason....."I don't happen to see anything wrong with your name." Jason looked up at Johnny. Although they haven't know each other long, there was a special bond.....friendship between the two of them.

They could hear the drums beating. Wasn't long when Wateekah sent several of his braves to get Johnny and Jason. As they stepped out of the teepee, the one Indian gave Johnny a hard shove. As they walked towards Wateekah Johnny asked....."What comes now?" "I don't know," said Jason. "Boy they sure are looking at me with big hungry eyes," said Johnny. "You're something new to them..... curiosity." "They'll take you apart to see what makes you tick," said Jason.
 
 Wateekah touched Johnny's face and checked to see if his color rubbed off. "The hair comes next I figure," said Johnny. "Probably," said Jason. Wateekah then grabbed a hold of Johnny hair. He was amazed with this dark skinned soldier. "Your hair curly, like the buffalo!" "You are Buffalo soldier!" said Wateekah. Johnny looked at Wateekah and said....."Your hair is long like a woman!" "Are you a woman soldier?" Asked Johnny. Wateekah did not like that. He and the Medicine Man walked away as they talked in their native tongue. "Well.....do you think I won that skirmish?" Johnny asked Jason. "There's an old military saying about winning the battle and loosing the war."

"McCord.....you talk of war," said Wateekah. The he laughed. "Your war will come." Wateekah asked Johnny why he wore the uniform of the white soldiers. "Because I'm proud of it." "This uniform fought for my freedom," said Johnny. "You have not fought well.....you have not earned it," said Wateekah. "Captain McCord taught us that we learn by mistakes, and I'm learning." Wateekah stood looking at Johnny....."We will see what you have learned." Wateekah walked over to his men and said....."But first we will test the eagle against the hawk!" "You.....man who walks with his head in the sky, you will be the eagle and our best warrior will be the hawk." Wateekah then took Jason saber and Johnny knife and crossed them. He then walked up to Jason. "We know you are strongest of the white men.....now you will fight our strongest warrior." "If you live you will fight the dark skinned onto the death." Wateekah then walked over to Johnny and said....."We then will know which one to fear the most!"

Jas was given his saber & the warrior was given Johnny's knife. They were on poles swinging back and forth close to each other. They would take a stab at each other as they passed. As they watch Wateekah told Johnny that it would not be long now because the eagle & the hawk will stretch out their talons of death and that they only strike when they are sure. They took a couple of good hits at each other, but Jason lashed out the final blow to the chest of the warrior. Jason then threw his saber at Wateekah, landing between his feet. "The eagle still lives," said Johnny. Wateekah picked up the saber....."McCord will rest and tomorrow night when the moon rises you will fight him!" "Dark skin.....you will fight for freedom." "Yours or his." Wateekah then gave the order to his warriors to take Jason and Johnny back to the teepee.
 
"We started out helping each other and we end up fighting each other," said Jason to Johnny. "Can't we fake it, make it look real?" Asked Johnny. "How do you fake bleeding to death Johnny?" "They want a dead man, they won't settle for a stand-off," said Jason. "Then it better be me!" Said Johnny. "Why you? Asked Jason. "Because all I have to live for is a firing squad and a court-martial." "Hold it soldier.....you rode back to the fort and got into trouble on my orders, and that's on my back, and my conscience," said Jason. "You shouldn't have to give me that order. We needed help!" "But you didn't get any help Johnny!" "All you got was another Bitter Creek!" "Captain McCord.....you had a brand to live down and I have a couple to live up to." "One of them is my new freedom and the other is this." Johnny then showed Jason his tattoo, it was a rose. "When I was a kid I saw a rose high on a cliff. The reddest rose I ever saw, like blood. I could smell it coming down at me from forty feet up." "So I dug skimpy little hand holes and climbed up the picket." "But before I could get to it I fell and broke both of my arms." "So I had this tattoo put on my arm to remind me that it was worth trying for, worth getting hurt for." "And this is worth getting hurt for." They both had something to prove and now one of them had to die. Johnny wanted to draw straws, short straw dies. Jason agreed. Jason gathered up two sticks and left Johnny pick.
 
The warriors came in for the dark skin and the white man. It was time for battle. Just as they were getting ready to leave Jason said....."Corporal.....I got the short piece, I lost.....agree?" Johnny shook his head....."Agree Captain."
 
They had to fight in a circle of rocks and fire. They took several stabs at each other. Jason then grabbed Johnny and told him to quit stalling, the Indians were getting impatient. "Captain.....pretty soon these Apaches are going to fight our men." "What about it?" Asked Jason. "There gonna want to know who will fight the hardest." "So!" Said Jason. "It's better for the country now if your kind is better." "No deal Macon, fight.....fight!" Macon went for Jas. Both men fell to the ground. "Your afraid to face blood Johnny.....you can't kill a man hand to hand!" Said Jason. He was trying to get Johnny mad. "Wave the flag soldier. Jump to the bugle, but you can't do what you have to do, can you Johnny?" Jason slapped Johnny across the face. Johnny flew off of him. Now both men standing Jason said....."Come on Johnny, fight!" Jason hit Johnny again and again. Making Johnny madder and madder. "Come on Johnny.....be a man!" Both men stood looking at each other, Johnny slowly approaching Jason. They ended up face to face, saber to knife against each other. Suddenly Jason realized what was about to happen. Johnny pushed Jason's sword into his own chest. It was too late for Jason to do anything. Jason pulled his saber out of Johnny and he slowly helped Johnny to the ground. Johnny knew what had to be done and he did it. Who really drew the short straw?

It no longer mattered.

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