the night he lay down in an arroyo although he knew it was better to walk at night and rest during the day.he lay down because he had to. It was cooler and the sky was filled with cold stars. For two days and a night he had seen only ocotillo,dried sticks with claws,and clumps of gray spiders. There was no water anywhere. That night he lay down and knew he was dying. He wanted to cry but had no tears. He tried to sing but his mouth would make no sound, so he prayed inside his head,looking straight up at the stars that seemed to be holes in the dark robe of the mother of god through which the light from her body flowed. Little mother,he prayed, let this night last for me . forever and let the sun not return to torment me. I am a sinner but I have loved you always and I have suffered enough in search of food for my children. Later some told how he had tried to dig with his hands for mater in the sand of the arroyo but those who knew him said it was Not true. He had been digging a grave.