- After trying to rescue Jason, Corporal Macon finds himself facing the biggest trial of his life. The Indians now have both the white and black soldier captured, and the test of the hawk versus the eagle will mean sure death to one of them.
- Corporal Macon was able to talk the guard into coming up to his cell and listening for the bell on his pocket watch. He choked the guard unconscious and came looking for me. He found me with my hands and feet spread out - hanging from two trees. I was being used a bait, and tried to warn him not to come, but he did. The minute he approached me the Indians attacked him and took us both back to the camp.
Corporal Macon and Chief Wateekah had a talk about how foolish and sill a black man looked. This angeredd Wateekah. He cam up with a proposition. I would fight one of his men. If I won, I would fight Corporal Macon. One of us had to die.
I fought the Indian, and I won. I killed him. So the next morning, I would have to fight my friend. We talked in our tent about what we would do. We both thought we should be the one to die, and we finally decided to draw straws. The one with the shortest stick was the loser. I was the loser, which meant Macon would have to kill me.
We were put in a circle of fire with knives. I could tell Macon wasn't fighting me too hard. I reminded him I was the one who had to die, and did my best to make him angry. I told him he wasn't even trying. I yelled at him to fight. I told him to be a man. I never expected him to do what he did. He made sure the sword pointed at his gut, then he forced me to stab him. I cried that day as I hugged him. He slid to the ground on his knees, and told me it had to be this way. I took him in my arms and he died. I was so lost! I cried.
That was some time ago. Today I put a rose on his grave. He had a rose tattooed on his arm, and he told me a story I'd never forget. He told me he tried to reach a beautiful rose, but he fell and broke both of his arms. He had that rose tattooed on his arm to remind himself to reach for the impossible. That's what he did that day. He sacrificed his life for me, and I'd never forget it.
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