Cantua Creek, past Coalinga, just off the 5. This is in the vicinity of Estacion Cantua, the final station on La Vereda, where Pedro Gonzales, one of the youngest of Murrieta’s vaqueros, and known by all to be the finest horseman, was station chief. At Cantua, they fattened the herd to as close to three hundred as possible. This was the maximum amount of horse stock that could be profitably driven to Sonora, a conclusion come to by fifty plus years of horse droving (before Murrieta’s time). It was close to here where Captain Harry Love set his ambush and took the hand of Manuel Duarte, aka Tres Dedos – Three Fingered Jack, as he is infamously known, was of no relation to Murrieta, but according to Latta, was born in the same room, along with the Feliz brothers and Murrieta’s wife, Rosa, In all likely hood, the residence of the local midwife in Sonora. The moniker, using three, had significance to Murrieta and his confederates. Three fingers were used as a password, with the thumb tucked in the belt, or grazing across the cheek at the Monte tables, to recognize an ally when the heat was on. The branding iron used by Murrieta, is the three rocks, Tres Piedras, Joaquin’s famous hideout, refereed to numerous times in earlier posts. I will be concluding the tale of my journey to these rocks, soon, for those of you who have been following it. and wondering how it ends. Its distinct shape can be seen just between the two pillars of graffiti, on the horizon.