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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