by Danny Jewell
Bass Reeves grinned a knowing grin out from under the thickest moustache Billy had ever seen and said “You are correct except that the Angels held a meeting this day and have determined that you two have done all you can to thwart the opportunity to do something that is given to very few and have said I can do whatever I need to do to set things straight. Your journey is over whether or not it concludes through the barrel of this gun or after the small task you are about to undertake is left up to me. You both wanted to leave this place. Well; it is done”!
Zeke exclaimed “Bout time” and Billy said “Good, let’s go”!
Deputy U.S. Marshal Reeves motioned the two men towards the door with his gun. As the two men went out the doors were told they were going to a holding cell before they were sent on their way. They were taken to the jail and put into adjoining cells.
The Marshal left and after a few minutes came back and announced “You boys have been granted one last meal of any choice before you go as some kind of reward; so what will it be”?
Billy shouted “Steak” and Zeke went nostalgic and said “My momma’s Chopped Steak, Gravy and Biscuits. Oh; while you are at it throw in two large and cold mugs of beer and give one to him”.
Billy shouted “Yeah; what he said”!
Minutes later they heard all kinds of noise outside their cells and Zeke looked to see scaffolding going up and the streets coming to life. He asked Billy “Hey; what do you think that is for”? Billy answered “Don’t know and don’t care, we are going home”!
Zeke was just getting an uneasy feeling when the door to the cell opened and The Marshal came in carrying the two meals on a couple of trays and was followed by a man. He was dressed well for the times and carried an air of importance about him.
He spoke to Marshal Reeves while Billy and Zeke took the trays of food and sat down then began to shovel the food in as fast as they could. “So these are the two that helped Cochise kidnap The Felix Ward Kid, killed Cochise’s father over Sonora way and held up a stagecoach” He looked over at the two of them and laughed “ I can see beer with a steak but to have with biscuits and gravy is beyond me; no matter” He looked at them and said “I know you two don’t understand me but; (he cleared his throat) “It has been decreed by this court and a duly appointed jury that at nine o’clock tomorrow morning the two of you shall be hanged by the neck until dead for transgressions against the territory of The Western District of Arkansas; May God have mercy on your souls”.
Billy and Zeke stopped eating and listened to what was said next. “Bass; I ain’t never seen so many people come to a hanging in all my life. They have come by train and anything that can attach to a horse or mule. Good job bringing them in”.
The Marshal replied “Thanks Judge”.
As the Judge walked off Marshal Reeves turned to see two faces staring at him through the bars.
Zeke said “I thought you said we were being sent back to the beginning of all this”.
Billy followed up by saying “Yeah; I was willing to take my punishment for what I done”.
A wide smile beneath the thick moustache Bass Reeves carried as he said “Oh I may have forgot to mention one small detail. The beginning may not be the place you two were picked up from”.
Billy gasped “The Canyon of Lost Souls”.
“Exactly” replied Bass Reeves “If any two souls were ever lost it would be the two of yours”.
You could see the life drain out of the two men’s faces.
“So this is a last meal and we are to be hung like common criminals” replied Zeke. He paused and asked “Why”?
Bass Reeves leaned against the door jamb, tilted back his wide=brimmed hat and said “You boys just don’t get it. You have been given the chance to live your lives through someone else and in return make your lives better”. He pointed at Zeke “Have you forgotten “Owl Song” or the promise you made to a little girl”? And then he pointed at Billy. “You have gotten opportunity to live out the stories you tell and all we have gotten in return is complaints and whining. The two of you were brought here to help someone fix a “wrong” and all you think about is yourselves. “Free Will” has not been a good thing for either of you”.
He drew a heavy sigh and said “The Angels have decided that the two of you are as lost as any souls can get and the world you know would be better off without you”.
Billy asked “What I saw in the Saloon; did things really turn out that way?”
Well; let’s just say you got a glimpse into tomorrow and leave it at that. Your families will be taken care of”.
Zeke moaned “But; My Daddy”.
They could hear the woefulness in the Marshal’s voice when he said “ “Our actions, or as it were, inactions always come with consequences”.
Zeke was almost drawn to tears when he asked “Can we talk to the Angels and plead our case?”
As he was walking away the marshal said “What would be the sense in making you feel any worse than you do now?”
They both walked over to their Cots and sat down.
Neither of them had an appetite and even Billy pushed aside the mug of beer that was half gone.
Billy’s voice was stressed “Guess we blew it; huh”!
Zeke had his head down “I guess so; wonder who it was we were supposed to help?”
Billy was no longer a proud warrior, he was just a man in a cell wondering how things got to be this way. Don’t know but I sure wish he or she was here to tell whoever it was that I am sorry for letting him/her down”.
Tears streamed down Zeke’s face as he said “At least your decisions didn’t kill your daddy. I wish things could have been different”.
Billy: “Me too”.
Zeke: “Billy”
Billy: “yeah”.
“For what it is worth, I am sorry about all the things I said about your people” then reached behind his neck and pulled the amulet over his head. “I guess I never got see the magic in this thing”.
He reached through the bars and said “Take it; it is yours and it belongs to you and you should be the one to wear it”.
The gesture surprised Billy and when he accepted the offer said “I am sorry about kicking you where no man should be kicked”.
Zeke smiled and extended his hand. Billy shook it in return.
“Look me up when we get to the Canyon; we can plan our escape together”.
Billy told him he had a deal and then they talked about what happened in the Saloon and got caught up on things they had not told one another since the journey began and before the night was over became good friends.
The night was long and when the sun peeked through the bars of the cell windows Marshall Reeves came through the doors.
Zeke asked him “Why do they put a hood over your face when you get executed?”
The Marshal replied “Mostly so you don’t get to see the hangman who everybody knows is Deputy George Maledon. That and the sight of the look of someone who has been hung can be hard on the onlookers”.
Zeke said “Well; if that is it then I don’t want a hood. If they see me as an Apache Warrior, then let me die proud. I have nothing to hide from anyone”.
Billy could not be more proud of the man he once hated and said “Same here”.
Bass Reeves was an honorable man and stayed with the two men and told them of stories from his time as a slave and Deputy Sheriff.
Zeke said “As a black man how come I have never heard of you?’
The Deputy only replied that history is what it is and until someone brings it to light there will truly be no peace among the generations to come. Hel told them of so many other men of color in the old west and as the morning drew on it relieved the tensions in the air and for a time Zeke and Billy forgot about what was about to happen.
&n
bsp; Finally, the Marshal stood up and said “It’s time to go”.
They were brought out of their cells and Billy spoke first. “Mr. Reeves, could you at least tell us who it was we were supposed to help?”
The Marshal replied “Yep; but I have been told to let you figure it out before you drop. I am sorry it ended up this way boys; but you two keep your eyes open just before the signal is given”
“Do you mind telling us what it will be like in the Canyon?” asked Zeke.
“Don’t rightly know; but from what I understand you do an awful lot of waiting to see what God has in plan for you and that you have very little memory of who and what you were in the past”.
As the two men were taken through the front door they couldn’t help but see the massive amount of people staring at them. One shouted “Kill the Savages” and another yelled “Kidnappers”.
Billy stepped off into the sunlight first and was met by a tomato someone threw.
Zeke blinked at what he saw. He was seeing Billy as an Indian Maiden and yelled for him to turn around and look at him.
Billy did and shouted back “Welcome to the club”.
The two could feel the hate from the crowd and as they marched up the steps could see the whole town was crowded with people and Billy wondered if this is how it felt like in the old west.
They were marched forward and nooses placed around their necks.
Zeke asked Billy “Do you see who it is we are supposed to help”?
Just as Billy yelled back “Nope”. The crowd started to disappear.
Soon, all that was left was The Marshal, The Judge, The Hangman and to their surprise Cochise!”
First, the Marshal faded away with a salute of sorts then as the Judge began to fade away he gave the signal. Billy said “It’s him!” as the trap door opened, sending both men to their fate.
20
OUT WITH A BANG
Some have said it is a natural reaction that on the gallows, when the signal is given a man will instinctively pull up their shoulders and close their eyes in anticipation of what is about to happen perhaps fear itself showing one last great act of defiance. And so it was with Zeke and Billy.
The sudden stop found them going in a motion forward.
With his eyes closed Zeke shouted “Hey; Injun, you still there” and Billy responded “Yep; but I ain’t opening my eyes”.
Zeke retorted “Why not! You are the scout, tell me what we have gotten ourselves into cause to tell you the truth I am scared as hell to look”.
Before Billy could respond there was a loud “BANG” followed by two more bangs and Zeke cried “Oh Lord; they have guns in Purgatory”!
They heard the sound of a fast approaching horse and someone yelled “If you two wanna see tomorrow’s sunrise then you had better follow me”.
They opened their eyes to see, A Blue Sky, Trees, Rocks, Hills, Sacagawea and Mangas underneath them.
They found themselves back on their mounts.
Billy hugged his and Zeke patted his on the neck just before they bolted forward in a dead run in pursuit of the man that had hollered at them.
Although they did not get a chance to get reacquainted they were glad to be back and any celebrations would have to wait till later.
The man was riding like the Devil was on his tail and did not slow down until at least three miles had gone by.
Billy and Zeke pulled up beside the man who was riding a magnificent Black Roan.
The man was dressed in typical cowboy dress of the era and Zeke could not help but notice the crossed brace of pistols in the man’s belt.
Zeke said “You’re Black”!
The man replied “So are you but I won’t hold it against you”.
He smiled a broad smile and said “I am Isom Dart and am here to explain the reason as to why you are here and not where you were meant to be. You are two lucky hombres. We will talk more at my ranch”.
They rode on and after a short time came to a lush valley covered in poplar trees and their benefactor said “Ahhh; nothing like home”
They dismounted in front of a small cabin and went inside.
Zeke said to himself “So this is what a Cowboys Bachelor Pad looks like”.
Isom Dart told them to sit down as he went over to put on some coffee.
He came back to them and slapped his chaps and told them “As I have said, I am Isom Dart and was born Ned Huddleston. At the age of twelve I accompanied my owner to Texas during the Civil War. At the end of the war I was freed and decided to go to South Texas along the border and there I became a good stunt rider and master horseman. I later joined a notorious band of rustlers called The Tip Gault Gang. I have trained horses for The Wild Bunch, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid’s gang and am a very good cattle rustler. I tried to go straight for a short time but it was already too deep in my blood’.
When he was finished Zeke was suddenly aware that Billy was staring at him.
Billy said “I have my heroes in Indian Culture and History and now it looks like you have gotten a few of your own. You looked like a kid listening to a fairy tale”.
Isom Dart laughed and said “Not quite a fairy tale but it is a good thing for future generations to come to look at history and learn from the bad and build on the good”.
Isom was as likeable as anyone they had met and the words he spoke next would stay with Zeke for the rest of his life.
“I came from Africa and was sold into slavery. I broke those bonds and became a free man. In order to be free I had to leave the past where it was and future generations of blacks need to understand that slavery does not always mean a man has to be in bondage or owned by another man. Slavery could be one who does not let go of their past and build upon a future. I am a free man, that is, all but the rustling part. It is in my blood. I will meet my end unjustly and maybe things could have been different if I would have had a trial but you see, history is a lady of mystery and my life has been no different. One more thing; all this whoop-t-do about The Confederate Flag in the future. In your time of 1990 your city of Manhattan will uncover a slave’s graveyard under a high rise building and the bones there will be found to have the worst atrocities ever inflicted upon a slave. Just know this; there is good and bad in all men and the Civil War started in having to do with taxes as much as it did anything else. The North wanted a Twenty-Percent tax and the South Wanted a Ten-Percent tax on imports. A shot was fired and blood was spilled, needlessly I might add”.
Zeke said “Wow” and asked “What happened and how come we did not go to “The Canyon of Lost Souls”?
Before Isom could answer Billy said “Yeah; and is it true? Are we here to help Cochise?”
Isom said “It seems Ole Owl Song has a gift that is limited to but a few. I know there is magic in the Talisman that you wear Billy Two Trees but the stuff of lore is locked away with the souls of the many from The Trail of Tears and may in time be released. For now, though; the magic is much simpler. Seems Zeke gave into forgiveness and understanding when he gave it to you. You two are given a second chance and as to where Cochise is concerned, even here, he is respected and revered. Billy; you speak so much of what you hold near and dear. Now it is for you both to figure out what the one thing that is missing in Cochise’s life and help make it right”.
Zeke seized the moment. “You spoke of a later time so then you know what is to happen with us and how this might end, right, like my daddy will be okay”.
Zeke was excited and turned to Billy and said “You are the Indian Historian here. Do you have any idea what is missing in Cochise’s life?”
“Not a clue” Billy said.
Isom Dart was a carefree soul that spoke his mind “I am able to help you through this by telling you what you should do and what you can or cannot expect. It is up to you to take
it to heart and abide by it”. He leaned back in his seat and waited.
Zeke asked “Isom; what if we make a mistake? I mean; we are afraid to make any move that will keep us in Limbo forever”.
Isom Dart laughed “I am a prime example of your answer; “Free Will” is a great thing but so is “Faith”. Things you see are already past history. Learn from them. No matter how bad it gets; have faith that things will turn out for the better”.
All three men stopped talking and Isom Dart said “I heard it too; someone or something is outside. No matter what happens you two stay here for the night and in the morning head to Cochise country southwest of here for answers”.
He opened the door; stepped outside and there was a loud “BANG” and the two men looked out the door to see Isom Dart down from a gunshot wound. He was looking up at the shooter “Tom Horn; heard you was in town. Figured the cattlemen would hire you for the task”.
They watched as Tom Horn put Isom’s lifeless body on a horse and ride away.
APACHE KID BORN 1860 DIED (UNKNOWN)
21
REALITY AND DREAMS
The following morning brought Billy and Zeke into a new day with high hopes of completing their quest and going home.
They figured that they could take what supplies Isom Dart had in his cabin and head southwest as he had told them to do.
Zeke gave Billy a funny look and told him “Ya know, the way I have it figured, everybody and his brother having anything at all to do with this quest we are on is watching every move we make”.
Billy was just about to put out the fire in the fireplace when he answered “Figured that”.
Zeke raised his voice and said “Don’t put out that fire just yet” and went outside. He came back in a few moments later with his writings in hand and threw them onto the flames then said “Just as we got a new lease on life so have my writings”.
So Billy stared into the flames and asked “So what was in those papers”?
