Page 27 - Tamale Ridge_113017

25 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

Marines. He was wounded and got out a month or so before I did. He is also the man that saved

my life.

“So, you finaly get home?” He asked. Then he said,

“I came by and stayed a few days waiting for you to get home and finaly gave up and rode

into Newberry for a couple days. Ya know, you need to get some girls up here.”

“Big Jim it’s sure good to see you!” I said.

“Get down and come in the cabin, I’ll make some coffee.”

“Where you been?” He asked.

I told him about going down to Mexico and looking for some mares, with no luck. I didn’t tell

him about meeting Juan Torres and I didn’t tell him about Rosemarie. I wasn’t ready to share a

lot of information just yet.

“I been wanting to come see this place ever since you first told me about it. Although you

had never seen it, you know, you described it just right,” he said.

“I was just doing it from the description in the letters Uncle Trent wrote to my mother and she

read them to me,” I said, “well, Jim, you sure are a sight for sore eyes!”

We sat on the porch and drank coffee and talked about the old days till nearly dark. Finally, I

said,

“Go stow your gear in the cabin and put your caballo in the barn.”

“I better get some supper ready. If you can eat like you used to, I better go kill a calf!” I

joked.

After supper, we sat around and talked about the old times we shared. Then he said,

“Gideon, I got to lookin’ at your horses while I waited for you and I have to have that little

blue two year old. How long do I have to work for you here to buy him?” He asked. I said,

25