“How does such a big man move so quietly? You are the first one to ever surprise me.”

Zuniga Maria was pleased. She did not know that she was famous and it tickled her to think that what she had done would make her that way. She found it all a bit of a lark. It was the easiest thing she’d ever done, evading and leading the posse on a wild goose chase, yet it seemed very important to the Jefe. No wonder he was being so good to her.
“Jefe, eh, Uncle?”
“Yes?”
“How does such a big man move so quietly? You are the first one to ever surprise me.”
“Hah! My little one, I was a bandit before your mamma was born! I can sneak, run, shoot, and hide from anyone better than men not nearly so fat as me.” He grabbed up a fistful of his paunch and shook it up and down.
“So, you are not a rancher?” Maria looked around and wondered if he’d slaughtered the real owners of the place.
“Oh, this is all mine. All mine. I built it from nothing, from stealing cattle and horses from the gringos. Ha ha!”
She was pleased with how happy he was to show off to her. He was remarkable as he did not take very much of it seriously.
He stood up abruptly. “Come with me little one.” He held out his arm and she took it. He walked her to his stable. “This might be someone you know.”
The vaquero from her village was there. He was Uncle Alejandro’s chief groom. He nodded to Maria. “Hello, child.” He held out his hand for her and she took it. “Remember me?”
“I do.” She smiled and then looked on at her new uncle. “He told me to go after the bad men. He was the only one to tell me the right thing to do.”
“We have something for you, Maria.” With that he opened a paddock door and brought forth a wonderful surprise, a palomino filly decked out in Chica’s tack. “Her name is Alanza.” Maria's Trail