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80 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

go. I sat for hours and mapped out my path in my head. When it started to get hot, I curled up in

the shade of a bush and slept. I had hobbled my horse so he couldn’t wander off and I made sure

to take the saddle off in case he was spotted. Maybe whoever saw him would just think he was a

loose or wild horse.

I woke up in a few hours and led my horse to a small water hole that Gilberto and I had found

two days ago. Sure enough there were a lot of horse tracks here. Raul and his men had done as I

had expected. They had followed us to make sure we were leaving. It looked like this was as far

as they had tracked us but I wanted to be sure. After my horse and I drank, I picked another spot

to wait till dark. If someone else was out there you could bet that they knew of this water hole

and would come to visit it for a drink. Water was very scarce and precious out here.

It was just getting dark enough to try moving without being spotted. I saddled up and started

back trailing the Guerra men who had left a good trail. I knew that if I stayed in their tracks, I

would not just leave my own. A lone set of tracks out here would arouse suspicion. I don’t

know how far I traveled but the moon was just starting to rise. I knew where I was. I was not

very far from the “Alamocitos” so I continued riding to get there. I rode along in the moonlight

and couldn’t be sure if this was the right place.

I was coming in from a different direction this time. The moonlight started getting brighter

and I wanted to take no unnecessary chances. I stripped the saddle off once again and settled

down for a long wait. I heard a slight sound, not twenty feet from me. I stopped breathing. I

stood up quickly and quietly and pinched my horse’s nostrils so he wouldn’t give us away.

Horses are very gregarious and they will let other horses know where they are, by nickering. I

heard the sound again. It was a metallic sound, like a spoon and a fork clanging together. I

stayed still and my horse remained calm so I relaxed my grip on his mouth and nose. There were

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