Dark days of Texas- Wild buck Jalan-part four

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                                     Dark side of Texas-Wild buck Jalan- part four

Wild buck Jalan left old man John drinking alone.  He took Selena, the dance-hall girl up-stair with him. He had bought a bottle of moonshine. He was a old-school drinker. He use to make his own moonshine once when he was young and strong in mind and in heart. He liked Selena. He loved the woman, wild and not tamed. He preferred the moonshine over the whiskey.  The whiskey made him damn mean and ugly. The moonshine calmed him down and allowed to know some peace. He was able to find sleep.

Selena was a mix of Mexican and Apache. She was a dark eyes beauty with hair as dark as black coffee. She had no limit on drinking, dancing and sex. He loved her honesty and her ability to be silence about his nightly bad dreams. When the dreams were bad. She held him tightly and she caressed his forehead and face till the nightmares faded away. He fought the old battles nightly. Old man John told him. Better to have a bad memory than to relive the old wars and battles. He was glad Old man John came out retirement. He was needed to keep him sane. This would be his last battle. He have been fighting for 40 years. He was so tire of killing and fighting. He dreamed of some land and Selena with him. He knew Dirty Deed Eric had recruited Moonshine Eddie. Dirty Deed Eric and Moonshine Eddie was in Western Texas.

Moonshine Eddie was as dangerous as Dirty Deed Eric.  He was a killer for hire for 30 years. He was born in Alabama where his parent were slaves.  They worked the cotton field till they got sick. The owner quit feeding the parent. no work, no food.  He watched his parent die and he promised himself. He would kill this owner and the complete family.When he turn sixteen. He stole a long blade. He practiced alone in the forest for months. He became skill with the long blade knowing the speed and the movement of the knife. Late September of 1852 with the midnight moon watching. He killed the owner family one by one. He made the owner watch as he killed them slowly and badly. He smiled, thinking how the owner cries watching him kill his complete family. The owner die very slowly. He remembered whispering. I see you in hell. He left Birmingham and he headed to the free country of Texas. At the border of Arkansas and Texas.  A city called Little Rock. An old white man called him a dirty no-good slave. The old man slapped him and he spitted  at his boots. He carved the old man into 50 pieces and left him to bleed-out on the tavern floor. It took 20 men to hold him down. He was six foot three and two hundred and thirty pound. Lifting the cotton bales made him hard and strong. He received a quick court date and was support to be hung on the coming Sunday. He didn't fear death. He never held freedom and on Sunday. He would die a free man.  He was ready to die when he saw Dirty Deed Eric. He smiled seeing an large black man killing ten men and wounding ten more. He came to him and untied the ropes and offered his hand. He took his hand and Dirty Deed Eric told him. You are okay now my new friend. Your days of being looked down at are over. Today you are Dirty Deed Eric friend and soldier. We take no s**t and no-one will disrespect you again. Eddie took his hand and he told him. I owe you my life. I will ensure you won't die with me near.

Jalan met Moonshine Eddie once. They drank the moonshine in Austin once. They drank to freedom, pretty women and the moonshine. He didn't know Eddie was a paid killer with a blood soaked heart and no soul left. He did understand Eddie journey.  He escaped slavery and he joined the black division in the United State Army. They received half the pay and were in harm ways in every battle. He remember the battle of Fort Pillow. More than half of the black division was killed. He remember the names of his friends still.  At Fort Fisher, his division were in the front of the battle and few black soldiers survived. Only Old man John soldiers would bury the black soldiers. Old John was a major in the hit and run divisions. He was pissed-off because the General knew. The lead soldier would all die. He remembered Old Man John touching his face. He called for a medic. He yelled. Another live one. Jalan knew Old man John saved his life this day. Old Man John soldiers saved 20 black soldiers. He lost many during this bloody victory at Fort Fisher. Jalan still remembered the sand. Soaked with the blood of 20,000 Union soldiers. General Sherman asked the Major. What do I do with these men? Old Man John told the General. I will take them all. They are bad-a*s soldiers and are deadly and dangerous. They fight for two things. Freedom and hatred. A powerful mix. General Sherman smiled and he told him. These men need opportunity and chance. These men need you Major. He brought the surviving 20 black soldiers together and he asked them.  I would be honored to have you served with me. I need your black-asses to serve with me.  If you want?  All twenty men agreed to join him. Old Man John soldiers stopped the supply lines and ensured  the South would be beaten. Few Southern Soldiers survived the Major's skilled soldiers. He ensured every soldier knew his rifle and he had a long blade.  He told the soldiers. Blood is repaid with blood. The Southern soldiers called them the ghost riders. They would hit and run. Never stayed  in one place too long.

After the war ended he asked Jalan to join him. A old friend in Texas was re-enforcing  the Texas rangers. He told him. You saved my life 10 times and I saved your life 5 times. This mean we are brother and friends forever. Us soldiers have few friends and many enemies. We must stand together as one my friend.  He served 20 years with Old Man John in the Texas Rangers. More bad days than good days. The bad dreams started five years ago. Selena told him. You soldiers are sick with murder. You killed, you killed and you killed some more for a uncaring government. You should feel the misery of every person you killed. He loved Selena and asked her.  Any peace for me who killed for the government? Not asking no questions and just doing their duty?  She looked very sad and she told him. You Texas Rangers killed my parent and my village. You Texas Rangers followed orders and butchered families. You have killed over 200 men. Do you believe you shall know peace? He told her. No.

He loved Texas. Few men saw his black face. They saw his long blade and the Colt  six shooters. They saw his ugly face and they knew of his reputation.  Wild Buck Jalan would carve-up your face and an boot in the face for any kind of disrespect.  Selena took off his boots, released the gun belt and took-off the long blade. She took off his shirt and pulled off his pant.  She cleaned him up with a wet cloth of warm water and soap. Sitting in his underwear only, she shaved his three month old beard. He loved watching her. She was the only kindness he had known. She would sing for him.

--
In Texas,  the angels don't visit.
In old Texas, only blood and sand.
In Texas, salvation is rare and few.
The blood soaked land of Texas.
Just graves upon new graves.
The angels don't come to Texas.
The melody of Texas is the Devil song.
-----
Jalan loved her. He wondered if one day like Attila the Hun, his hero. Be killed by a loved one? Her heritage Mexican and Apache left her in a bad place. After she finished. She smiled and she told him. I won't kill you. You have been very kind to me.  You look at me with love and kindness. Life isn't fair or right. If we live for revenge. We shall be barren and alone.
                               John Castellenas/Coyote

Author's Note

Just words.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

I like the way you start out this chapter with Selena -- great description in 2nd paragraph -- I love the way she soothes his bad dreams with a quiet touch. Then you dive into the source of his bad dreams, describing various encounters & showing some trouble & violence. Then the story wraps back around to end with Selena soothing him again. Good storytelling! (((HUGS)))

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you dear friend. I appreciate the comment.

[Island Hippy]

Aloha John, I enjoyed this chapter very much. Wild Buck Jalan and Selena are great individual characters but together they're beautiful. The storytelling in this chapter is so vivid with images of war. It seems the war waged longer in their minds than the battle field.
What beautiful closing words to this chapter John, such truth and wisdom. Izzy

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Izzy. I appreciate the comment.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

The saga continues as you paint us a graphic picture of life post the American Civil War.You evoke such sympathy for your characters, even for the villans!

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you John. I do appreciate the comment.