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9 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano
If it hadn’t been for the pretty señorita, it may have been the end of Uncle Trent and Seth
Watkins but she sent word that Emilio stationed some of his friends out in the surrounding
hillside brush and made plans to win that race, any way he could. Since Emilio was related to
most everyone in that area and none would stand against him, the two friends made plans to
leave in the middle of the night and escape with their lives.
Uncle Trent wasn’t the kind of man to run from anyone but no use in getting killed over
a horserace he didn’t even want to be involved in and then he had a thought. He decided they
wouldn’t have to run away like cowards after all.
Seth told how Uncle Trent went looking for Emilio and found him in the local cantina,
drinking and bragging to his friends how he was going to get the gringos horses. Uncle Trent
just walked up to him and made him a proposition.
He told Emilio that instead of a horse race they would, instead, ride each other’s horses and if he
could ride the gringo’s horse better than the gringo, the señorita would be so much more
impressed. Emilio, drunk on whiskey and his own sense of self importance, liked the idea that
he could still beat the gringo and get his horse too. Emilio fancied himself a superb horseman.
Tamale was the kind of horse that not just anyone could get along with while his half
brother, Wire, was just the opposite. I heard that Uncle Trent named the horse “Wire” because
he was as tough as wire.
The next morning, Uncle Trent and Seth went to have some breakfast and overheard the
talk all over town.
“Them fellers from over in New Mexico are awful dumb for stickin’ around.”
The pair ate their meal and listened but kept to themselves and kept their mouths shut.
With the street crowded and onlookers everywhere, Emilio made a huge entrance
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