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131 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

girl. Ya-nee-jua, waited patiently for the time when the young man would open his eyes and

remain aware of her.

Rosemarie watched as the men rode into the ranch yard of Rancho Seco. There was no sign

of her brother. The food remained as the men had left it and no tracks of man could be detected.

South of the last camp, the men found a trail of perhaps fifteen or twenty ponies and a travois but

that was not so unusual in the desert. That way of travel hadn’t changed in more than a hundred

years.

Rosemarie reported to the men that her fathers’ condition was only a little better than it had

been when they rode out two days earlier. Raul told the worried girl that they would continue

the search in the morning. They needed to wash up, get fresh horses and of course they needed a

good night’s sleep.

That night, her father took a turn for the worse and by morning he was dead. Rosemarie was

awakened by Contesa and told of the news. Rosemarie went to his bedside and wept for nearly

an hour. She stayed with her fathers’ body until Contesa convinced her to leave. She went

outside and told the men that her father had died. She asked them to go to the graveyard and dig

a grave for him.

Ramon opened his eyes and got the fuzz out of his consciousness. He could see the shape of

someone sitting by his side. The girl had fallen asleep and she looked beautiful to Ramon. His

mouth felt like the desert and desperately needed some liquid. Ya-nee-Jua woke immediately

when the young man spoke.

“Agua, por favor.”

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