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48 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

“How ya doin’?

Those local boys took off in a different direction, once they believed that Gilberto understood

what they’d been saying. Those two brothers enjoyed a good visit and Antonio couldn’t get over

how grown up Gilberto was. They hadn’t seen each other for five years. Gilberto had done a lot

of growing on the outside as well as the inside. He stood in front of Antonio, quite a young man.

One look told that Antonio was sure proud of his little brother.

The next morning the weather cleared off and after breakfast, the two brothers said good-bye.

We got back on the train and started for Raton and then a half day’s ride to the ranch.

I had heard that the snow was much lighter north of Springer so we should be able to pick our

route from Raton to the ranch by keeping out of any deep snow.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Rosemarie dismounted her brown gelding and went to the place where she kept her trunk.

She kept it inside a small overhang behind some brush and so far no one knew of it but her. She

lifted the trunk lid and got out the men’s pants and shirt. She hadn’t seen the signs that she was

not alone. If she had taken the time, she may have noticed the brush marks where someone had

made an attempt to wipe out the signs of the man waiting to get his hands on this beautiful

daughter of the Haciendado, the one he hated more than anyone. Senor Francisco Guerra.

She started to take off her riding dress to fold it carefully and put it inside the trunk. She

always put on her man clothes when she came here to break her colts. She just reached for the

pants to have them closer to her when from behind her, she heard a sound. She started to turn

and someone grabbed her from behind. She couldn’t yell, because she felt a strong hand over

her mouth and it wouldn’t have done her any good. She was a long way from any help. Thrown

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