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86 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

After, we were ready to start back to El Paso. Gilberto said adios to his three brothers and they

rode off toward their home. Gilberto and I led the mares back across the river into Texas and we

went to El Paso. It was the next morning after we got all our four saddle horses, the eighteen

mares and foals together. We loaded up on the northbound train and finally settled down to

relax. I must have slept like a baby that first day. Gilberto had mostly kept busy taking care of

all the horses. I dug around in my sack and found the papers that were buried with Marcelo. I

setteled back and opened them for the first time.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“The ride to Barela was a long one and I was not very happy the whole ride. I was losing a

friend and there was no way out of it. Tamale and I had become friends and I felt like I was

letting him down. Johnson agreed to pay the price and see that Tamale always had a good home

with plenty of mares for company. After I rode into Raton, I went east. Rode toward Yankee,

turned north at the “Y” and followed the road through Sugarite and over the gap. You could see

most of the whole world from here it looked like. There is a small spring there and the water is

cold and sweet. I stayed on the trail and rode down into Frisco Canyon. I met some nice Italian

family that had a bunch of goats. They wouldn’t let me leave without having a meal and some

homemade wine. I rode out of there a little woozy but I rode east and a little north following the

little creek. I finally got to Johnson’s place that next evening and he paid me the one hundred

dollars and I rode back toward Trinidad. When I handed the lead rope to Jake Johnson, I never

even looked at Tamale again. He nickered at me when I rode away but I never turned to look

back. He was only eight years old but he had a bad front leg and I hadn’t ridden him for two

years. I was riding Jack and he was sure a good horse but there will never be another Tamale. I

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