8. On that road near Redding, history was made,
By 200 young recruits who'd never fought a day,
They stood their ground and held, in ten hours of blazing hell.

9. They broke the Union Army forever will we tell,
Of young Comanche warriors, the bravest of the brave,
who held that road near Redding on that hot July day.

On that hot July day.

Twenty Ponies went up to a podium and gave the same speech he'd been giving at every memorial service. They wanted him to stay for the banquet but he was just too tired. He wanted to start home. So he was escorted to the anti grav and it started back for the airport. Twenty Ponies dozed off. When he awoke someone was shaking his shoulder.
"Come on, sir! Gotta wake up! We'll be landing and you've got to receive honors. We couldn't receive them 'til you got here. We refused to."
Ponies opened his eyes. "Wings?" he remarked, "Turtle? Rabbit?"
He looked to see Mary sitting beside him. He heard the flop flop flop of propellers, looked out the window and saw they were flying over a beautiful landscape, magnificent buildings, the beauty of which he could not conceive. Other helicopters were flying in formation with them. Ponies looked at the others and smiled.
"Well!" he remarked, "You really mean you guys waited 70 years to receive honors?"
"Well, I didn't wait that long," Mary answered. "I receive them almost every night for 53 years."
Everybody roared with laughter.
"And don't tell me you didn't give that little nurse a few nights of comfort after I was gone."
"Only because you left a note," Twenty Ponies answered, "saying you'd kick my butt every day for eternity if I didn't make her happy and give her at least one baby. Of course she wouldn't stop at one. She was almost as bad as you!"
The helicopters began to come in and land. The door slid open and a Union officer stood outside. As Twenty Ponies got down he extended his hand.
"We never got to meet," the officer remarked, "so I wanted to be the first to greet you here. Though you gave me the worst god damned day of my life I am proud to have fought you."
Twenty Ponies took his hand.
"Now!" the officer snapped, "The Commander Of All Divisions is waiting to receive you and praise you and all that fought with you and all that fought against you wish to pass in review."
Twenty Ponies smiled. Mary came up beside him and took his arm. "They said I could stand beside you," she remarked. "Is that all right?"
"If it wasn't," Twenty Ponies answered, "I'd turn and walk away. If you can't be beside me I'd rather go to hell!"
Mary smiled. "Your prisoner!" she teased.
"Never were!" Twenty Ponies answered, "Never were!"
They marched off, side by side.
"Well!" Twenty Ponies sighed, "So this is Heaven! Quite a place!"

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