Secrets 2: Looking Through Different Eyes

As soon as the alarm on my phone went off, Devin and I got dressed, grabbed our duffle bags, and headed downstairs to meet up with Gramps.    After we all said goodbye to Faith, we went outside, got into Gramp’s SUV, and he drove over to pick up Pops so we could be on our way. 

Pops greeted us warmly when he got in the SUV.  “It’s nice to see you boys again and I hope you had a good time with Mac’s parents.”

“Yeah, we did,” I confirmed.

“You might say it was a very interesting vacation,” Devin added. 

“It sounds like there’s more of a story there, so you can fill me in about it later, but now we have another issue to attend to.  How much did Jacob tell you about the call I got from the shaman?”

“He just said that an evil skinwalker has been seen on the reservation and they want our help to get rid of it.”

“It’s a little more complicated than that.  The shaman said an evil skinwalker has been killing sheep from the flocks being raised on the area of the reservation where his son lives.  He also informed me that the evil skinwalker has been seen lurking around the elementary and middle schools as well.  For that reason, all school activities have been cancelled, both before classes begin each morning and after they end for the day.”  

“You mean they think the evil skinwalker might be planning to kill some of the children as well?”

“They don’t know for certain, but they don’t want to take any chances.  Unless we can do away with the evil skinwalker for them or chase it off the reservation permanently, they’re talking about cancelling some of the summer activities for the children as well.  They’ve also advised all of the parents to keep a close eye on their children and not to let them go anywhere without an adult, either during the day or at night.”

“Did they tell them why?”

“They felt it would be best to omit mentioning the evil skinwalker, since the Navajos don’t feel comfortable talking about them.  The warning merely stated that there was a credible threat in the area and the children might become the target of attacks.  The parents would probably interpret that to mean there was a dangerous wild animal in the area, which isn’t far off.”

“I can’t believe they still wouldn’t specify the threat, since the lives of their children might be at risk.”  

“I know it seem strange to us, because we didn’t grow up on the reservation, but the Navajos refuse to even mention the Navajo word associated with evil skinwalkers.  They believe that just saying that word will bring a curse upon them or the evil skinwalker would be able to control them, either mentally or physically.”

“Yes, the Utes belief that looking at an evil skinwalker, especially if they make eye contact with it, or if they mention the Ute word for an evil skinwalker, that it will allow the skinwalker to control their mind.”

“The Navajos believe much the same thing, but they don’t just believe it will control their mind.  They feel the evil skinwalker will be able to control their actions as well, so it might cause them to leave their hogan and wander away from the group they are with and then the evil skinwalker will be able to attack and kill them.”

“I can see why the Navajo and Utes are so fearful of it then.”

“And it’s why those that have seen an evil skinwalker won’t mention its name or tell others what they’ve seen.  The brave souls with some artistic ability have occasionally drawn pictures of it, but then they have to overcome other obstacles.  The first of those obstacles is that the artists are unable to even get others to look at the drawing, and in some cases the people have also attempted to destroy the drawing, once they discovered what it depicts.”

“Does it mean that law enforcement won’t look at a drawing of it either?”

“A few brave souls might, but then they are often shunned by their peers for having done so, for fear that the evil skinwalker may be able to control them now.”

“They’re that superstitious, huh?”

“They would merely say they are just being cautious.” 

“How much area does the Navajo reservation cover, since I only saw a small portion of it while I was there?”

“When we were there before, we stayed on the southern portion of the reservation that is in northwestern New Mexico.  The reservation also covers an even larger area in northeastern Arizona, as well as a smaller area in southern Utah.  Overall, it is the largest Native American reservation in the United States.”

“Does the Navajo reservation go into Colorado as well?”

“I’m not sure, but there may be two very small areas that extend into Colorado, but except for those locations, the Navajo reservation pretty much stays within the other three states that form the four-corners area.”

“It still wouldn’t be that far away from the Southern Ute Reservation or the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, and those are the places where we saw an evil skinwalker while we were on vacation.”

“No, it’s not very far if you’re in a vehicle, especially when compared to the overall size of the Navajo reservation, so tell me about the evil skinwalker that you saw.” 

“We saw it multiple times, and the last time we encountered it we were afraid that was going to attack, so Devin and I went out to challenge it first.”

We then told Pops about the various run-ins we had with the evil skinwalker when we were on vacation.  After we explained about the first sighting of the evil skinwalker as we were entering the Southern Ute Reservation, we described how it seemed to be running parallel with the SUV for a while.  After that, we advised him how we saw it again as we were leaving the Southern Ute Museum and spotted it staring at us from a distance, and then we told him about seeing it again at Mesa Verdi.  Finally, we informed him about seeing it again while we were exploring the cliff dwellings on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation and how it seemed to be getting closer to us every time we encountered it. 

“Devin and I had talked about what we would do if we ever thought it was a threat, and we agreed that we’d transition and try to scare it off.  If that didn’t work, then we’d also be ready to fight it, especially if we thought it was getting ready to attack, because I was worried about what might happen to my parents.  Since that’s what occurred, we ran out on either side of it and transitioned, and then it ran away.”

“That means you not only demonstrated your ability to the evil skinwalker, but your parents are aware of it now as well.”

“Yeah, that was kind of unavoidable, since they saw us transition.”

“And how did they react to that?”

“Not well at first, but we’ve talked about it since then, and now they’re ok with it.”

“And since they saw me transition too, I told them about our family’s story as well,” Devin explained.  “I thought it was important that they know about us, since Mac and I are going to get married and hope to start our own family one day.  We felt it was best that his family know the entire story, because our sons will also be good skinwalkers.”

“Yes, I can see why you felt it would be wise to tell them about all of us as well.”

“Actually, I was glad that I told them about my dad and Gramps and you as well, because that knowledge seemed to make it easier for them to accept that Mac and I can transition into other forms.  Since they’d known my dad for a long time and always liked and trusted him, it made them more comfortable knowing that he’d been able to do those things during the entire time they’d known him and was never a threat.”

“Then I hope you’re positive that they’ll also be able to keep our secret.”

“We weren’t at first, but we are now,” Devin assured him.  “Do you think the skinwalker on the Navajo reservation might be the same one that we saw when we were on vacation?”

“No, because the shaman claimed the one that he and his son were dealing with had been seen on the reservation both before and during the time that you were on vacation.  Besides, I don’t think that skinwalker would have kept traveling that distance back and forth, because we’re talking about 100 miles (160 km) or more between the various locations.  Besides, the shaman said his son mentioned that the sightings were on the Arizona side of the reservation, between Mexican Water and Round Rock, so the distances would have been even greater.”

“I thought the shaman told us that his son took care of an area north of where we were on the New Mexico side of the reservation.”

“I believe he did, but it’s my understanding that the area his son oversees includes some of the eastern part Arizona as well.”  

“Ok, I didn’t know that.” 

“Did you set up a location for us to meet up with the shaman and his son?” Devin followed.  

“No, because I wasn’t sure when you’d return.  Aaron said he thought you boys were coming back on Sunday, but he wasn’t sure if you’d come to the cabin right away or sometime during the week.”

“Yeah, I guess we never explained that to him and Ma, since we were just thinking about leaving with you and Gramps after that.”

“Yes, and if I’m not mistaken, your parents believe that you and Devin are learning the things we do in our business, rather than that you’re going with us to look for treasure.”

 

“Yes, they think that you’re giving Devin’s dad the business to operate and you’re teaching us so we can help him from time to time until Pa is too old to do it any longer.   They now know we’ll be transitioning into animals to do it, but we didn’t tell them that we’ll also be able to help him run the business when we’re living at the cabin and training our son or sons how to be good skinwalkers.”

“It would make sense that they think you’re learning about our business, as long as they don’t have trouble dealing with the fact that you’re able to transition.  If they’re able to deal with that, then I doubt they’ll have a problem with you helping to run the business while you’re training your sons.”

“Yeah, by unintentionally showing them how we transition, it has actually worked out pretty well, although I was afraid they might disown me at first.”

“Yeah, even though Mac and I were sweating bullets about how they were going to react, his parents have been really good about it, once we gave them time alone to think about it and talk it over.  They’ve also agreed to only talk to my parents about the different things we can do, if they have any questions.”

“I’m certainly glad to hear that,” Pops agreed.  “Now, if you boys want to get a little more shuteye, then go ahead.  I’ll keep Jacob company until we stop for breakfast.” 

“Ok, that sounds good,” Devin agreed, and then we leaned against each other and closed our eyes.   

*           *           *           *           *           *

“Ok, you two,” Pops said as he was shaking our knees gently to wake us up.  “We’re about to stop for breakfast, so you’ll have to decide which is more important to you – sleeping or eating.”

Devin and I both sat up and began to stretch our arms and legs as much as possible to help us come back to life.  We hadn’t finished yet when we heard a phone ring, but we knew from the ringtone that it wasn’t either of ours.  Turns out it was Pops’ phone and he answered it. 

“Ah, Hataalii, my old friend.  I’m glad you called.  Let me put you on speaker so the others can hear as well.”

“You mean you’re all together?”  Even if I hadn’t recognized that the word ‘Hataalii’ was Navajo for medicine man or shaman, I recognized his voice immediately. 

“Yes, we’re on our way to join you.  Where are you now, Hataalii, since you must have left the reservation to make this call.” 

“Yes, we’re in Farmington, because the cell tower in Aztec reaches here as well.  Do you remember where Farmington is?”  

“I certainly do and it’s on the route we’re taking to join you.  Jacob decided to use the old route this time and traveled over the county roads and state highways, rather than traveling over the Interstate to Alburquerque.” 

“How long before you’ll get here?”

“We’re just stopping to have breakfast at the moment, so we should get there between 11:00 and noon, depending on how long it takes this place to feed us.  Do you want us to meet you there or would you rather meet somewhere on the reservation?”

“I believe our time would be best used in getting ready for you to arrive, instead of waiting around here, so do you think you can find your way to Round Rock?  That’s Round Rock, not Rough Rock.”

“Yes, the boys have their laptop with them and they just brought up a map of the reservation for me to look at.  It shows all the roadways, so I’ll be able to direct Jacob on how to get there.”

“Don’t forget, you’ll lose reception along the way.”

“Yes, so I’ll have the boys download the map on their laptop so we can look at it all the way there.” 

“Ok, then here’s something else you should know.  My son drives a blue 2000 Ford F-150 pickup truck that he uses when he travels off the reservation.  The paint is a bit faded from the harsh sun in the southwest, but it still runs well, so look for that.  Is Jacob driving the same SUV as when we trained Michael?”

“Yes, he is.  He’s planning on buying a new one in the fall, after we made a couple of other trips this summer.”

“Then look for us and we’ll watch for you.  Round Rock isn’t very large, so we should be able to find each other rather easily.”

“Ok, we’ll see you in about 3 hours then.”

By that time, I’d saved the map on my laptop, so I told Pops I’d hang onto my laptop until we reached Farmington and then I’d give it to him, so he could direct Gramps to Round Rock.  Now that this had been taken care of, we got out of the SUV and entered the diner.  Since we’d taken a different route to get to the reservation this time, it wasn’t the same diner that we’d stopped at before, but the menu was pretty straight forward. 

It didn’t take us long to decide what we wanted and ordered, and then our meals were delivered about twenty minutes later.  Breakfast was more than adequate and there was quite a bit to eat with each order, so the locals must be very hearty types.  I know we were all stuffed by the time Pops paid the bill. 

We then drove the rest of the way to Farmington and looked around briefly, to see what was there, and then we continued the drive to Round Rock.  It was a very rural, small community, with a population between 600 and 700, and it was surrounded by wide-open territory on all sides.  We could immediately see why they chose this site. 

We hadn’t driven around for very long before we spotted the F-150, so Gramps pulled over and parked near it.  As soon as we’d exited the SUV, we looked for the shaman and his son, but they spotted us first and came over to greet us. 

“Yá'át'ééh,” the shaman said in the Diné (Navajo) language.  It’s the typical Navajo greeting that means, “it is good”.

“Yá'át'ééh,” Pops replied.  “It’s nice to see you again, my old friend, although I wish this was a social visit, not a business call.”

“Yes, and it’s better that we don’t discuss this here, so follow us and we’ll lead you to the place where we have a few things set up to show you.”

Pops merely nodded, so we all got in our vehicles and Gramps followed the shaman over some dirt trails until we arrived at a very remote location.  We all got out to see what they wanted to show us. 

“This is a target range where those using rifles or shotguns can come to practice prior to going out hunting.  It’s also where fathers teach their sons how to use those weapons.  The large mound of dirt you see is called a berm, and its purpose is to absorb the bullets and prevent them from crossing Route 49 and reaching Black Mesa.”

“That’s interesting, but I hope you don’t think we’re going to take down a skinwalker with rifles and shotguns.”

“No, we plan on killing the yee naaldlooshii with something more powerful than that, and it’s why you need to practice with them.” 

“Yee naaldlooshii?” Devin repeated.

“Ah, I’m sorry.  That is the Diné word for skinwalker, and it means “with it (referring to the transitioned skin), he goes on all fours”.

“I see, so what type of weapon are you talking about?  Small canons?”

“No, nothing that crude and inaccurate.  We’re talking about high-powered rifles using very special ammunition.”

“Do you have enough bullets so we’ll be able to get sufficient practice before we confront this thing?”

“Yes, my son ordered enough cartridges for two of the weapons and I did the same for the other two.  Between us, I believe that we’ve stockpiled enough ammunition for each type of weapon.” 

“We have the weapons and ammunition with us and they’re on the rear seat of the truck, since it’s a 4-door SuperCab.”

“Ok, then let’s get started.” 

“We’ve got a bunch of targets that I’ll attach to wooden stakes,” the shaman began, “and I’ll take them down to an area in front of the berm and drive the stakes into the ground.  Once the stakes are in place, I’ll hang the targets on them for you to shoot at.  I’ll go do that now, while my son shows you the weapons and gives you a brief introduction to them.”

As the shaman was taking the stakes and targets out of the back of the truck, I failed to notice that he also retrieved a heavy-duty staple gun and a short-handled sledge hammer.  After he pounded the poles into the ground, he stapled a target to it, while his son was showing us the weapons and describing what we needed to know about them. 

“This is one of the two .458 Nemo Omen Winchester Magnum rifles that we purchased.  They are bolt action rifles with piston-driven reliability, reduced gas-operated recoil, and they’re designed for hunting large, thick-skinned dangerous animals in Africa.  For that reason, they should work exceptionally well against skinwalkers.  These weapons are also fairly easy to use for an experienced hunter, so as soon as my father returns, I’ll teach you how to load the weapons and let you take a few practice shots with them in pairs.”

As soon as the shaman returned, he had Gramps and Pops each load one of the weapons and get comfortable with handling it.  He then had them take a few practice shots at the 18x24 inch (46x61 cm) posterboard targets that they’d made previously.  The shaman or his son must have made a stencil of the silhouette of a skinwalker and then spray painted it onto the targets we’ll be shooting at.  Gramps and Pops both did very well, so now it was Devin’s and my turn to go next. 

“it will probably be easier for you to shoot from the prone position (lying on the ground),” Hania suggested. 

That made sense, since the rifle weighed 12.5 pounds (5.7 kg) and was much heavier than any weapon either of us had ever used before.  We didn’t even hit the targets with our first couple of shots, but eventually we started to nick the edges of the target.  After a few more shots, the shaman’s son made a suggestion. 

“Why don’t you try these other rifles to see how you do with them.  They’re Omen Watchman rifles, which are models of the .300 Nemo Omen Winchester Magnum.  These rifles are a little lighter and weigh approximately 10 pounds (4.5 kg) each, so they should be easier for you to handle.  They have a low recoil design and are very accurate, so let’s see how you do with them.”

To our surprise, Devin and I were doing much better with these rifles.  In fact, we were doing as well with them as Gramps and Pops had done with the other rifles, so we were feeling a lot better now, but then Pops threw a monkey wrench into the plans. 

“Having these rifles are all well and good, but you don’t actually expect the skinwalker to just walk out into the middle of our trap, do you?”

“No, we intend to draw it into the trap,” the shaman replied. 

“And how do you intend to do that?”

“I feel that if we all transition into mule deer and come here at dusk and dawn to graze, then we’re hoping that will be enough to entice the skinwalker to come here looking for a meal.”

“Ok, but how do the rifles come into play?”

“As soon as the yee naaldlooshii appears, we will each have a role to play.  The boys will be button bucks, while you and Jacob are more mature deer.  Shiyáázh and I…” 

“Who’s shiyáázh?” Devin asked. 

“I’m sorry.  That means “my son” in Diné,” the shaman replied. 

“And you may hear me call him shizhe'é,” his son added.  “That means “father” in Diné.”    

“And while we’re at it, we might as well tell you our names so you won’t have to call me shaman or Hataalii, and you won’t have to keep calling him my son.  These aren’t the names we go by now, because those keep changing when we have to move on to the next phase of our lives, but these are the names we were given at birth.  My name is Tokala, which is Diné for fox?”

 “Is that because you can be very sneaky?” I challenged.

“No, it isn’t,” his son chimed in.  “Although he is capable of being as sly as a fox, he was given that name because he could convince others to do whatever he wanted, even as a child.  And my Diné name is Hania, which means “spirit warrior”.”

“Wow that’s a really cool name.  How did you happen to give that name to him?” I asked the shaman. 

“Almost as soon as he was able to sit up, I could see that he wasn’t about to let anyone push him around.  This became more evident when he began walking, because whenever another child hit him or took something from him, he would either hit the child back or retrieve what they’d taken from him.  That told me he was going to be a warrior, and since I was fairly certain that he’d also become a Hataalii, I combined those two traits together for his name.  I thought it was fairly obvious that he’d become a true spirit warrior.”

“Neat.  That’s a really cool name,” Devin concurred, and now that we had a better way of addressing both of them, Tokala went back to telling us about his plan. 

“I’ve already explained what the four of you should look like when you transition into mule deer, and Hania and I will be mule deer that are slightly older than the deer Michael and Devin transition into.  We intend to be just old enough to offer more meat than what would be on Michael and Devin, but it will still be quite tender.  We’re hoping to get the yee naaldlooshii to concentrate on us, and as soon as that happens, Michael and Devin will run off like they’ve been frightened away.  In reality, though, they’ll be running toward the area where Hania and I have hidden the Omen Watchman rifles they’ll be using.”

“Don’t you think the skinwalker will notice the rifles as it approaches?”

“No, because we have camouflage canvas coverings to place over each of the rifles.  Shiyáázh and I have also been transitioning into mule deer and sleeping with those camouflage coverings long before you arrived here, so they’ll have our scent as a mule deer, rather than as a Diné.”

“It seems as if you’ve thought of everything.”

“We certainly hope we have.  Anyway, after the boys are in position, you and Jacob will race off in the direction of your weapons, which will be in different locations than the boys’ rifles.  Shiyáázh and I are hoping that we’ll look like the best choice for a meal so the yee naaldlooshii will stay focused on us and not follow any of you.” 

“Then what will you do?”

“Hopefully, we will be able to keep the yee naaldlooshii’s attention and fend it off long enough for the four of you to get some shots off, and with any luck, you should be able to mortally wound or kill it.”

“Ok, I agree the plan has potential, but I’d like to suggest one minor change.  I want you and Hania to switch places with Jacob and me.  I’m sure you two are more proficient with the rifles we’ll be using, and Jacob and I have faced off with a skinwalker before, so we know what to expect from one.”

“I’d forgotten that you had killed that yee naaldlooshii when I was training Michael.”

“Yes, so I feel Jacob and I will be better suited as the bait, because we have a fairly good idea about what to do when the skinwalker attacks.”

“Alright, we’re ok with that change, as long as you don’t feel that you were being pressured into taking the role of being the bait.”

“No, I’m volunteering us and I think this will work out much better.”

“Do you agree with this plan, Jacob?”  Hania asked. 

“Yes, my father is correct.  We’ve already dealt with and killed one skinwalker, so I think this will work out better all the way around.”

“Ok, in that case, let me show you where we’ll be eating our supper and breakfast as mule deer.  I’ll also show you where each of the weapons will be located and where we’ll be firing from while you two are holding off the yee naaldlooshii, so try to keep low and out of the line of fire.”

“We certainly will do our best,” Gramps and Pops concurred.

As soon as he walked around the perimeter of where we’d be grazing, he showed us where our weapons would be hidden.  We would have been unaware of them, because they were so well camouflaged, and then the shaman explained what would happen next. 

“Michael and Devin, when you run away from the group, you will head directly to where your rifles are hidden.  Once you are nearly there, Hania and I will run to where our rifles have been hidden.  As soon as we are out of the line of fire, I want you boys to start taking shots at the yee naaldlooshii’s head and neck.  Aim carefully, but don’t take too long before you start shooting.”

“We’ll do our best,” Devin and I agreed.

“Just remember that you won’t kill the yee naaldlooshii unless you’re able to destroy its brain or sever its cervical vertebrae in its neck.  Those are the first seven bones at the top of the spine, and if you can sever the spinal cord, it would leave the yee naaldlooshii paralyzed and disrupt its breathing.  A shot to the neck could also damage the carotid and vertebral arteries, which would cause severe bleeding and possible stroke.  It would also make it possible for us to get closer to the yee naaldlooshii, so we could administer the fatal headshot.”

“And you feel the ammo you’ll be using will be capable of doing that?” Gramps asked. 

“They’re not only powerful enough, but we have another trick up our sleeves as well.  Every bullet we’ll be using for this purpose will be coated in white ash.  The Diné believe that a yee naaldlosshii can only be killed by dipping a knife blade, an arrowhead, or a bullet in white ash and using the weapon to penetrate the skull or impaling it into the vertebrae in the neck.”

“When you say white ash, do you mean like what’s left over from a fire?” Devin asked. 

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

“And they think that will kill the skinwalker?” I followed. 

“It will, as long as you hit it in the brain or sever the vertebrae in the neck.” 

“And is the mound back there tall enough to prevent our shots from going over the top of it and killing someone else?” I continued. 

“When that berm was made, we used bulldozers to push the dirt up from both sides until the mound was at least eight feet (2.5 m) high and 115 feet (35 m) long.  That should be sufficient to stop any errant shots and give you a clear conscience.  You can also shoot from the prone position, just like you practiced, while Hania and I will probably fire from one knee.”

“Ok, as long as you think this will work.” 

“I do, and hopefully we’ll be able to attract the yee naaldlooshii on the first or second night.  I don’t think any of us want to have to do this for several days.”

“No, because we have other plans just as soon as we’re successful.”

“Ok, then we’ll arrange our weapons and cover them with the camouflage this afternoon, and since the camouflage is made of canvas, it will protect the weapons from the weather as well.  We’ll come out here to graze at dusk and then again at dawn to give us a better chance of attracting the yee naaldlooshii.  In between those two times, we’ll go to a safe place where we can get some rest.”

We all nodded in agreement with his plan, and then the shaman invited us to follow them back to Hania’s hogan, which turned out to be a double-wide, and both of their wives were there waiting for us. 

“Let us introduce you to our wives,” Tokala began.  “This is my wife, Tayen, which in Diné means “new moon”, and that’s because she was born on a night with a new moon.” 

After we each greeted her by saying “yá'át'ééh”, then Tokala introduced Hania’s wife.  “And this is Chenoa, whose name means ‘white dove’ in Diné and is indicative of her inner peace and tranquility.”

After we’d each greeted her by saying “yá'át'ééh” as well, then Tayen asked a question.  “Is it true that the four of you are like our husbands?”

“We are not Hataalii,” Pops responded, “but if you are referring to their other ability, it is true that we have that trait in common.  We won’t mention it by name, however, since we know you are probably uncomfortable using the term for it.”

“Thank you for confirming that information while also honoring our reluctance to use that word, unlike our husbands.”

“But we don’t use that term in front of either of you,” Tokala pointed out. 

“That is true, but you use it with each other, and sometimes we can hear what you’re saying.”

“We apologize for that,” Hania quickly stated, “and we promise to be careful about doing it in the future.”

“Yes, we will,” Tokala confirmed. 

“Are you going out hunting with them in the morning?” Chenoa followed. 

“Actually, we’re going to hunt at both dusk and dawn,” Hania explained, “so we can get this over more quickly.”

“Then we wish all of you good hunting,” Tayen added.  “By the way, would the four of you care for something to eat?  The four of us have gotten used to eating two meals a day, so we don’t eat a noon meal.”

“No, we had a large breakfast so we could last until later,” Gramps replied, “and we’d like to take all of you out to a restaurant for an early supper tonight, if that’s agreeable.”

“That is very generous of you,” Hania stated, “and we’d be happy to join you.”

“Is there a restaurant nearby that you’d suggest?”

“Yes, I’d recommend the Amigo Café in Kayenta,” Hania stated.  “It serves Mexican food, but it offers quite a varied selection so I’m sure you’ll all find something you like.  The prices there are reasonable as well, but the only drawback is that it’s an hour drive to get there.”

“That’s ok, and the Amigo Café it is,” Gramps agreed.  “We’ll leave here at 3:00 to head over there, and that should allow us enough time to drive there and back, so we can drop you women off here after we eat.  It should also leave us enough time to be out at the target range no later than 6:30 to go hunting.”

“And we’ll have breakfast waiting for you when you return in the morning,” Chenoa confirmed. 

They were right about the Amigo Café, because it had a good selection of reasonably priced meals, so we all found something to order. 

“I’m torn between the Chimichanga and the Navajo Burger,” I stated. 

“Me too,” Devin concurred. 

“Then get the chimichangas,” Pops advised us, “and you can have the Navajo burgers another time.”  

“What’s the difference between a Navajo burger and a regular burger?” Devin asked. 

“They’re both made with beef patties,” Hania responded, “but a Navajo burger is served on fry bread, not a bun.”

“Ok, then I’ll have t he chimichanga.”

“Yeah, me too,” I agreed. 

The food was both good and filling, so we’ll only have to fake eating grass tonight, and hopefully tomorrow as well.  After we dropped the women off at Hania’s doublewide, we headed back to the area where we needed to get set up for tonight’s hunt.