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157 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

He sat there for over two hours and no one showed their face until the men rode in together.

There was Gilberto, Juan and Big Jim. If he played it just right, he could get all three of them,

and then maybe the woman. He thought about the woman. She was a looker, even if she was a

“Mex.” Well if he killed her, the baby would die too, so he might as well get rid of the whole

she-bang. He could threaten the baby’s life to get the woman to do as he wished and after he got

what he wanted, he could kill them both.

While he was thinking about all the possibilities, the other men drifted out of sight and Juan

was the only one he could see. He decided he would shoot the old man first and when the other

two came out to see what was going on, he would shoot the big man and if he got the chance, he

would then kill the Mexican, then carry out his plans with the woman.

He had a clear shot at the old man now so he put the Winchester to his shoulder, aimed at the

man’s belly and pulled the trigger.

Juan had told the other two men as they rode up to the barn, that he had an uneasy feeling. He

suggested for Gilberto to slip behind the barn and get up to his cabin to check on his family. He

told Big Jim to climb up into the barn loft and peek out through the air vent. The air vent was

like a small open window, with a tin hood over it to keep out the rain and snow and still let the

air into the barn loft. Juan piddled around in front of the barn and acted busy but he had already

spotted the shine of metal back in the brush. He knew he could die any moment but if he could

save the younger men, he would gladly die to save their lives. Juan was no fool and he always

knew more that anyone suspected. He stood close to a tree and the cover of a small adobe wall.

He felt his leg go out from under him and was behind the wall in a flash.

Billy cussed himself for wounding and not killing that old man. He stood up to see if he

could get another shot into the old Mexican and be ready to shoot the other men. That old rifle

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