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3 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

just a kid. We didn’t get along at first. Then we began to understand each other and

finally became friends. She and I were together every day since I first bought her until I left to

serve my country. I told my Mother, my Uncle Robert and Molly goodbye, leaving my mare

with mother and Uncle Robert while I went off to the war.

Uncle Robert is my mother’s oldest brother. It was a kind gesture on his part to take us in

and let us stay there. Kind gestures were not easy for Uncle Robert.

When the Marines released me and I went back to the place where I grew up, Uncle Robert was

nowhere to be found. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to thank him for letting my mother and

me stay there. After receiving the letter from that lawyer in Raton, my plans suddenly

changed. The note I left for him didn’t do justice for my gratitude. I needed to be here in the

mountains of northern New Mexico taking care of this place.

I left that note, went to the corral, knocked the dust off my old saddle and put it on Molly.

I stopped off at the cemetery and told my ma not to worry about me. I asked her to tell my

dad, hi for me and left.

Molly is what I was riding when I came into this country. The day I rode in, I got in a little

set-to with a young man. After we settled it, I swept the cabin out and stowed my gear.

That first morning I went to work gathering the abandoned horses that were scattered all across

the county. My mother used to talk about this place but I never had a chance to visit it before. I

could describe it and did a few times to friends. I had a picture in my mind of what it must look

like just from the letters my ma used to read to me.

I knew the brand I looked for and a good thing it was that all the horses carried the “Open A

Cross.” I identified many that way. That last year’s crop of foals all went unbranded and there

was no other way to legally claim them once their mothers weaned them. While riding the

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