Buck Cannon and Manolito Montoya were in Tucson to pick up a supply for their ranch The High Chaparral. They had offered it volunteer which Big John Cannon (the older brother of Buck and brother-in-law of Manolito) accepted with some distrust. He knew how especially his brother was like. Though John had let them go.
While Buck was at the trading post to pick up the supplies Manolito hung around in the street. Suddenly a poster caught his eye which hung close by the saloon.
In big letters was to be read:
But the Mexican found especially the small print very interesting. There stood:
“I am going to enter Buck for this contest”, Manolito said to himself.
So said, so done.
When Buck had thrown the last sack upon the wagon he saw Manolito looking at him laughing. Of course the rancher didn’t trust it.
“Manolito Montoya, what have you been up to now?”, asked Buck.
“Nothing amigo, nothing at all”, Manolito answered innocent.
Of course Buck didn’t trust it and he grabbed his housemate tight.
“Say what you have done or I hit you through every street of Tucson”, said Buck.
Again Manolito denied that he had done something. Buck was fed up with it and hit Manolito through the street where they stood. Of course Manolito didn’t let himself down and fought back. They rolled fighting and scolding at each other until the brawlers got separated by bystanders.
“That was fun and relaxing”, was the reaction of Buck.
Manolito got up and wiped the dust off his clothes. He knew that Buck still wanted to know what he had been up to. But he hadn’t planned to tell that.
Manolito said, “Buck, I wish you a lot of strength with the shopping. I still have something else to do here in Tucson.”
He walked away. Buck wanted to go after him Ted Lamar stopped him.
“Buck, perhaps you should read this”, said Ted.
When Manolito was out of sight Buck got to see the poster.
“Did he has entered me for this? If I have to join in then he shall have to join in as well”, the rancher said with laughing eyes.
He went to the entering office and went inside.
“Buck, Manolito cannot join in because he is related to you”, Trevor Clark said after Buck had said why he had come.
“Listen well Trevor: he is no relation of me because the sister of Mano, Victoria, is married to my brother. Manolito Montoya lives with us”, was explanation of Buck.
Trevor was not one of the smartest persons on the world so he went along with the explanation of Buck and entered Manolito too for the booze contest. The rancher left satisfied the entering office. To reward himself for this good deed Buck went to the saloon for a whisky. But as usual it didn’t remain with 1 drinking sample.
Just after the 8th sample and when Manolito asked him, “Buck, are you coming home?”, the rancher realized why he and Manolito had come to Tucson in the 1st place.
“I’m coming”, said Buck.
He decided to keep silent about the booze contest for the time being. But his housemate had decided to do that as well.
In the evening Manolito said, “On June 1 Buck Cannon is joining a booze contest in Tucson.”
John and his wife Victoria looked at him amazed.
Blue said at once, “Uncle Buck wins that right away.”
“If Mano wouldn’t enter yes, Blue boy”, reacted his uncle.
Now especially Manolito looked at Buck.
“I don’t enter that contest at all. Only you, Buck Cannon!”, Manolito said fierce.
The answer of Buck was, “You have entered me and I have entered you.”
Her took another big spoonful of potatoes.
Manolito asked, “Do you know that at the contest the only drink is lemonade?”
“I know that because Ted Lamar showed me the poster”, said Buck.
“Then you come home sober for a change”, John reacted amused.
Victoria and Blue found the reaction funny too but Manolito and Buck of course didn’t.
“If any of us wins that 500 dollar you won’t get a cent from it”, said Buck.
“Indeed”, said Manolito.
It was silent at the table for a moment when Buck said, “And you stay at home! That also goes for Sam and his comrades.”
With Sam Buck meant foreman Sam Butler and the comrades were the steady hands at the ranch.
“You don’t wish a pleasant day out, uncle Buck”, Blue said a bit later on.
“I do wish you that for sure, Blue boy. But only if I also can enjoy it”, answered his uncle.
John did a new attempt to support his brother and brother-in-law, “Gentlemen, you can’t do of course without our support.”
“This time yes, John”, said Manolito.
But this too didn’t go down well.
Finally John said, “Victoria, Blue, we just leave Buck and Manolito alone till after the contest. I will also say it to the hands.”
“Thank you John”, said Manolito.
“John, you are the best brother that I ever have had”, said Buck.
“Buck, I am your only brother”, reacted John.
“That’s why I say it too”, was the answer of Buck.
John didn’t react to it because he knew that his brother had the last word most of the time.
Buck and Manolito got left alone indeed. They tried to avoid everyone as much as possible which failed of course. The couple was very pleased when it was almost June. Though they didn’t know what john was up to with them.
On the day before the booze contest John said to his son, “Blue, go and get 2 big empty lemonade bottles in Tucson for Buck and Manolito. ”
“And they get that as a prize from us?”, Blue asked smiling.
“Indeed son”, John said also smiling.
Blue left at once.
Buck saw his nephew leaving with the wagon and asked, “John, why does Blue boy go to Tucson?”
“Well Buck, because Tucson doesn’t come to him”, was the dry answer of his brother.
“I do understand that too. But why now?”, Buck asked curious.
“You will find out one day. May I get to work now?”, John wanted to know.
The answer of Buck was, “Of course John. Go ahead. From now till tomorrow evening you won’t be bothered by me.”
John looked at his brother doubtful for a second and went to work, leaving Buck amazed behind.
In the dead of night Buck and Manolito left the ranch. They looked if nobody was following them which wasn’t to so their big relief. Only Ira was on the roof but he stood there on the lookout because it was the turn for the hand.
At 10 o’clock the booze contest began. Buck and Manolito didn’t know really well what sort of contest it really was.
The barkeeper Mike was the jury and game master and said, “Dear contesters, the 1st booze contest of Tucson is going to start now. The person who can drink the most lemonade is the winner. Cheers gentlemen.”
Mike hadn’t said that the lemonade contained lemon. Buck noticed that as 1st but he didn’t let anything show.
“That is sour stuff”, said another competitor.
To make the lemonade taste even more delicious Manolito had taken a bottle of whisky along and with each glass a little bit of whisky got poured in.
At a certain moment asked Manolito, “Buck, what are you looking sour. Isn’t there something delicious in your glass?”
Buck answered, “I may look sour then but you are obviously drinking something sweet.”
Manolito showed the bottle whereby Buck understood it.
“So you are cheating, Manolito Montoya! You are disqualified”, Mike said who suddenly stood behind the couple.
“This bottle isn’t mine but of Buck”, Manolito tried to talk himself out of it.
But this became worse because now Mike said, “Buck Cannon, you are also out of the contest. Good day gentlemen.”
Manolito began to scold in Spanish but Buck calmed down his housemate by saying, “Mano, save your terms of abuse for that nephew of ours.”
They left the saloon but did take a bottle of lemonade + the bottle of whisky along for on the way home.
When the gentlemen came home first they took care of their horses.
“Buck, I really don’t understand why you didn’t want the others there”, said Manolito.
“Just wait till we are inside they hear the result”, answered Buck.
He only knew his brother and nephew far too well. They went inside with reluctance.
“And who has won?”, John asked when Buck and Manolito came home.
“Not us. Mano got caught with cheating and framed me too”, was the answer of Buck.
For a moment it was silent in the living room of the High Chaparral but then John, Victoria and Blue began to laugh hard.
“Mano, do you understand now why we didn’t want them there?”, asked Buck.
“Indeed Buck. They would only laugh at us”, answered Manolito.
The couple shouldn’t have said that because now John, Victoria and Blue laughed even harder.
“What are we very funny again. We would have expected a bit more support from you”, Buck said when they had finished laughing.
“Indeed”, Manolito said deep insulted.
“Pa, may I given them their prize?”, asked Blue.
“Do it. They do have deserved it”, answered John.
Blue left the living room and returned a moment later with 2 big empty lemonade bottles.
“Uncle Buck, Mano, you get this from us as a consolation prize”, said Blue.
He gave the bottles to the losers.
“Very funny. Thanks Blue boy”, said Buck.
“How did you know that I had that bottle of whisky with me?”, asked Manolito.
John answered, “Sam told me that you had a bottle with you. So we already thought that there was no water in it.”
“I do not speak to you or Sam for the time being!”, Manolito said indignant.
To keep the peace Buck said, “Mano, they mean well and we don’t enter a booze contest for the time being.”
Manolito calmed down and went with Buck outside to drink the bottle of whisky together. With this the peace was made up again between the 2.
BIG BOOZE CONTEST IN TUCSON ON JUNE 1. WINNER GETS $ 500,00.
There will be no alcohol used but lemonade.