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160 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

“Yes I killed the old bastard! All he ever talked about was his nephew Gid! Gid this and Gid

that! So, I poisoned him and would have got you too. …. if you hadn’t…..” Billy Watkins was

dead before he could finish his sentence.

Gilberto picked up Billy’s rifle and went in search of Billy’s horse. Big Jim helped Juan

down to the main house where Claudia could tend to his wound.

The Big man loaded Billy’s body on his horse and took him to Mrs. Watkins house. A

wisp of smoke came from the chimney and from all the clothes on the line, Big Jim knew the

woman was doing laundry for someone.

The woman looked older that she actually was. She stood in the doorway wiping her hands on a

tea towel and the tears were already streaming down her face.

“I knew someday Billy would come home like this,” she said.

“I knew since he was just a little kid, that he would kill someone or get himself killed,” she

continued.

“His paw knew it too, he told me one time, after him and Billy had a big squabble, that he was

bound for an unhappy ending.”

Big Jim just sat there holding the reins to Billy’s horse with Billy’s lifeless body draped over the

saddle.

“You the one that killed him?” The woman asked.

“Yes Ma’am,” Big Jim said. He felt awful about it but didn’t know what to say.

“Well, I guess you had a good reason,” she went on.

“I guess he made you do it.”

“Yes Ma’am,” was all he could say.

“I guess you better help me dig the grave,” she said.

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