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132 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

The girl jumped to her feet and fetched the gourd used as a dipper. The entire tribe spoke

Spanish and she knew he had asked for water. The longer it took for Ramon to get well, the

more the two young people became attached.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Big Jim rode from Isletta, through Santa Fe and then Taos toward Red River, where he would

cross over the pass, and ride to Tamale Ridge. Had he gone through Raton, he would have run

into his old Marine buddy, Gid Thacker. Big Jim liked spending time with Gid and he liked the

Thacker place known as Tamale Ridge. Jim liked to work and Gid always had something going

on. According to Gid’s last letter, he was building a new cabin for Gilberto and his new bride.

What was her name? Claudia? Maybe that was it.

Gid talked like the new couple was expecting a baby sometime this spring. Babies were not a

favorite thing for big Jim to deal with. They were too fragile and slippery. He didn’t know how

to properly hold one and if they were to get any kind of body fluid on him, why, he wouldn’t be

able to handle that at all! He had delivered a ton of baby calves and it never bothered him. He

had helped a few foals come into this world and that was alright too but he didn’t want any part

of a human baby!

It would be great to see Gilberto and Juan Torres again. He knew that the three men, together

had brought Tamale home and he was looking forward to seeing him for the first time. He felt

an immense pride in the fact that he had got the trail cleared some for Gid to find Tamale. He

still couldn’t get over the price, $900.00! For one horse! That would buy an awful lot of cattle

and horses. He could understand why it meant so much to Gid to own Tamale though. He was

still a legend. A lot of people wanted a foal out of Tamale. Gid’s last letter stated a plan he and

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