Johnny Eagle, An American Indian - My Best Friend

Book excerpt: Johnny Eagle, an Apache Indian and Charley a white boy, become best of friends at the age of eight. They survive the” Great Depression,” extreme prejudice because Johnny is an Indian, intimidation by an infl uential lawyer and his crooked sheriff, because they witness a murder that involved the lawyer. The boys and their families are threatened with harm if they mention to anyone what they have seen. Charley moves to California at the age of thirteen. Years later they meet again when Charley now in the military recruits Johnny for the military intelligence. Johnny becomes famous with other agents because of his skills. Disappointed in the people our government put in charge to replace the corrupt people we overthrew, both men leave the military in 1955. Charley marries and raises a fine family. Johnny returns to the mountains he loves and becomes almost a legend to the mountain people he helps.