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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Long</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Storied</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jose</strong> <strong>Montoya</strong> 53It would be years <strong>and</strong> a world war away before Camp Furlong returned to the few hundred menthat had been stationed there before the Villista attack, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Jose</strong> himself would be thous<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> milesaway by that point. In the meantime, he was busier than ever with his activities on the rifle range. Allday long the men marched on <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong>f the range, unit after unit practicing what it would be like to bekillers. <strong>The</strong> bullets sang their song, the bees swarmed past over his head, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Jose</strong> raised <strong>and</strong> loweredhis targets with fervor <strong>and</strong> dedication. <strong>The</strong>se were happy days for <strong>Jose</strong>; he was always busy, <strong>and</strong> NedSkelly was a constant companion in his trench to keep him from getting lonely.<strong>Jose</strong>'s nights, however, were not nearly so happy as his days. Despite the medal thatencouraged him to be patient, despite the diamond that served as his reminder that La Catrina knew <strong>of</strong>his suffering, <strong>Jose</strong> could nowhere feel her presence. He tried walking out into the desert alone underboth full moons <strong>and</strong> new moons, hoping the pain in his limping leg would serve as a beacon for her t<strong>of</strong>ind him. Sometimes Skelly <strong>and</strong> Grayley would come with him, surprised <strong>and</strong> laughing at everyrattling snake <strong>and</strong> startled hare they came across, but neither alone nor in their company did La Catrinacome to <strong>Jose</strong>.Despondent, <strong>Jose</strong> tried other measures to pass the nights. A church put on a dance for thesoldiers in camp to meet some <strong>of</strong> the young women in town under proper supervision. <strong>Jose</strong> decided togo, but once there he was so self-conscious about his limp that he spent the whole night st<strong>and</strong>ing by thesnacks <strong>and</strong> ate so many cookies that he ended up sick to his stomach. Mortified at the thought that hewould be known as the soldier who couldn't h<strong>and</strong>le his cookies, <strong>and</strong> embarrassed by a scolding hedidn't deserve about the possibility that perhaps he had snuck too much <strong>of</strong> something into his ownpunch, <strong>Jose</strong> passed on subsequent social events put on by the finer folks in Columbus.His next intended refuge was a much seamier part <strong>of</strong> town, similar in nature to the stockade inthe camp in Mexico. It was to this neighborhood – one block <strong>of</strong> one small side street – that the civicauthorities <strong>of</strong> Columbus had decided to consign the American prostitutes who might otherwise overrun