July 26, 1900

Tombstone. 

This morning I went to the hotel and miss Pet taught me and Poppy how to make breakfast. We had to make sure there was enough firewood first, then we could get started. 

“Now, we get the skillet ready... I’ll put you in charge of making the biscuit dough Nat. and Poppy you can scramble eggs. How many do you think we’ll need? One, two, three, fifteen?” 

“Well, I can eat a bunch!” Poppy giggled. 

“Maybe um… two eggs,” I suggested. 

“Each,” Poppy added. 

Pet got out some flour, a large bowl and a cup of water. “Ooooh that’s good calculatin’. That would have been my guess too.” She set out the butter and eggs and a bowl and said handed me a big spoon and a measuring cup. “Ya need about one cup of flour,” she pointed to the mark on the cup as I took the spoon and measured the flour to the right line. “Ok Poppy,” she said then. “I’ll crack the eggs unless you think you can lean good enough on that crutch?” 

Poppy looked up and saw Jimmy coming in and said, “Better add two more eggs. You better crack ‘em today, miss Pet.” 

I looked around and grinned, “Jimmy! Come on in Jimmy! We making eggs!” I said and hugged my best friend. 

“The girls are learnin’ to cook this mornin’,” Pet told Jimmy. “You’re welcome to come in and sit here,” she said and pointed to the grey cabinet. 

“Miss Pet? I got a question,” Jimmy said then. “What’s a lone?” 

“A lone?” I looked at Jimmy. 

Miss Pet checked on my progress and said, “Now add a quarter cup of water,” and pointed to the mark. I nodded and did as I was told. “Well a lone can be several different things,” Miss Pet told Jimmy. “Well a lone can be several things. It can be like one who is by themselves. Or it can be ‘a loan’ as in money. It’’s like when grown ups go to the bank to borrow money. Ok girls, stir your bowls.” 

I stirred my bowl furiously and made it all mixed as Poppy continued to work on her bowl too. Jimmy continued to talk and said, “All I no, he hollerin free donuts the other day, I wen to get one, he say either take a lone or buy for 200 pennies.” 

“Well that don’t sound like free,” I commented. 

“Well done,” miss Pet grinned as we continued to stir. “Ok, now is the hard part and I don’t want you to get hurt, so I’ll have to do this next part, but you can watch.” 

“Jimmy you should tell that man not to lie,” I went to stand beside him and watched. “Miss Pet said we can’t lie. But I gotta show you somethin later!” I told him and winked at miss Pet. 

“I’m not sure what that was all about Jimmy. Cause you know you can get pastries here for free,” Miss Pet told Jimmy. 

“Mis Pet, you are lookin mighty perty this mornin, as my pa would always say,” Jimmy told her. 

Miss Pet formed the dough into small balls and put them on a cookie sheet. She poured the egg mixture into the skillet with butter melting and added the cookie sheet to the oven. She moved the eggs back and forth as portions became done and peeked in on the biscuits. She asked us whether we wanted juice or milk and we all told her our preferences.

“How she know how to do that?” I poked Jimmy. 

He chuckled and said, “Cause she best cook aroun!” 

“Miss Trin don’t cook much,” I said. “We usually eat here or at a cafe. Or Mr Alex brings us eggs.” 

“Ma usta cook, but pa he could burn water,” he giggled. 

“Mama cooks good but she’s been away this week,” Poppy added.

“Where’s your momma Poppy?” I asked as we sat down around the table in the dining room and started eating our breakfast. 

“She had to go out of town to help some family,” Poppy said. “Daddy trys to cook but…” 

“When do you get to stop usin that thing Poppy?” I asked about her crutch. 

“Mmmhmmm, Miss Pet you outdo yoreself,” Jimmy smiled. 

“Nonono… the girls did all this. All I did was put fire to it,” Miss Pet corrected. 

“Aunt Kate said a few days,” Poppy said. 

“Does it hurt?” I ate my food while I looked at Poppy with concern. 

“Poppy how come you on crutch?” Jimmy asked. 

"Not to bad unless I forget and put weight on it,” she said. 

“Ooh. Well then don’t put weight on it,” I said matter-of-factly.” 

“I was running to get out of the line of fire last night and tripped,” Poppy said. 

“Ouch! You ok?” Jimmy asked. 

“Just mad at myself for tripping,” she nodded. 

“I think I know what I gonna be when I grow up,” I said then. 

“Whas that Natalie?” Jimmy looked at me and we watched a strange man enter the hotel. 

“I gonna write books Jimmy. Or write for the newspaper. I gonna start writing now. Maybe I get a job with the paper.” 

Poppy bowed her head then and prayed, “Dear Lord, thank you for this mighty good smelling breakfast and for Miss Pet and Natalie for cooken it and for Jimmy who helps eat it.” 

“Mornin’ Kinney. Can I get you breakfast?” Miss Pet asked him. 

I cringed and then asked, “Think God would be mad if I pray now? Even though I ated a bit?” I folded my hands and prayed, “Dear God thank you for Miss Pet for helpin’ us learn how to make food. Thanks for Poppy and Jimmy and Mister Kinney. Keep us pertected from all the bad guys and help school not to be confusin’ like last week. Amen.” 

I went back to eating and said, “Last week she kept talkin bout how much we should believe. Miss Pet and I had some real good talks didn’t we Miss Pet?” 

“What lesson was confusing for ya last week Natalie?” Poppy asked. 

“Well she was sayin about the papers. And how we could only believe half of em.” 

Jimmy stopped eating then and bowed his own head. “Bless us all O Lord, for our brefas, an Miss Pet, Poppy, Natalie and Mr Man. And Bless this perty day. Amen.” 

“And if it were fantsy or faith,” I went on. 

“Oh yeah now I remember,” Poppy nodded. 

“And with Mr Poe. How that’s just a poem about the ravens. Cause the raven went away when I stopped bein sceered. So I just gotta stop bein sceered and things’ll go away. Right Miss Pet?” I asked. 

“Oh I love that one!” Poppy said. 

“I still tryin figur it all out...I coudn even read wha she writtin,” Jimmy said. 

“Huh? What?” Miss Pet asked, not paying attention. 

“Miss Pet… If I stop bein sceered of things then they’ll go away right?" I asked her. 

“I think with poems that things like the raven aint really a raven but somthing the writer uses the raven to mean’,” Poppy nodded. 

“Yes’sum,” Miss Pet said. 

“Ooh.. So like… they mean something else? So maybe um…” 

“Yeah,” Poppy nodded. 

“Because the raven made me afraid of dyin or people gettin killed the raven means death? Or sceery?” 

“Yes. That’s what I think anyways.” 

“That makes sense and cos… The raven made the man die. Or somethin’. And um... that’s why he kept sayin nevermore?” 

“He wanted to die, I think,” she nodded. 

“Ooooh. That makes sense. So he let the raven um.... um.... what’s the word… be in charge of him?” 

“That’s what I think it means,” Poppy nodded again. “I go to the lyberry and read bunches.” 

“But like the man had a choice. He could have wanted to die or not wanted to.” 

“But he wanted to die cause his wife died.” 

“Right. Cos he were alone. So he looked on death... um.... the raven…” I beamed. 

“Right,” Poppy nodded. 

“It all makes sense!” I exclaimed. 

“Sometimes you really got to think on things.” 

“Uh huh. So then maybe… Miss Ashley didn’t die cos she looked at the raven. The raven came cos she died,” I looked at Pet. 

“Then they’re not scary at all,” Poppy said.

“Right? So it weren’t miss Ashley’s fault she died it were them bad men,” I said. 

“Are you sure they were ravens or were they vultures?” Miss Pet asked. 

“Maybe I could be a sheriff or somethin and stop bad people from killin good people like Miss Ashley!” I wondered then. 

“I been reading a lot and what confuses me is the Pinkertons,” Poppy said. 

“Was it a really big bird with an ugly head and face?” Miss Pet asked. 

“That’s what Miss Trin does!” I looked at Poppy. “She helps the deperty people. But she don’t do the shooting part. She’s like Mr Holmes.” 

“Oh you talking bout lie detectives, Miss Trin one of dose,” Jimmy said. 

“And that’s ome of what confuses me cause Miss Trin is real nice and she wants to do the right thing,” Poppy nodded. 

“Uh huh,” I said. “So she helps the good guys figure out who did the bad thing.” 

“Mister Holmes? He live around here?” Miss Pet asked. 

“And then they can put them in jail. That’s how she explained it to me,” I said and shook my head at Miss Pet. “No... Sherlock holmes!” 

“Oooooh!” Miss Pet grinned. 

“But I been reading about them Pinkertons and they done some bad things," Poppy said. 

“But they weren’t all bad. Miss Trin wants to be good She don’t like guns,” I pointed out. 

“No, and I guess it's like most law,” Poppy said. “There’s good and bad.” 

“She says that people should learn to fight with words,” I said. “Like Mr Ger said at court.” 

“But Mr Mike don’t like me usesing all the good fighten words,” Poppy giggled. 

“What you readin bout Poppy? What they do?” I asked her. 

“Well there was this place in Pennsylvania. Pittsburg. And they make Steel there.” 

“Like stealing things?” 

“Well the men making the steel like the metal.” 

“Oooh. What happened?”

“The men maken the steel wanted there boss to payem more money cause it seem like real hard work.” 

“Uh huh…” 

“But he didn’t want to pay them more. So they said the wasn’t going to work and they did this thing called Strike.” 

“But they was workin hard!” 

"That not worken and not letting other people in to work eather I think. So this man that owned the place called the Pinkertons in.” 

“Uh huh,” I said and Miss Pet gave us seconds of food if we wanted it as Poppy continued to tell her story. 

“And they came in and beat up and shot a bunch of them men to make em go back to work,” she went on.

“Wow,” I shook my head. “That don’t sound like Miss Trin." 

“I know that’s what I’m trying to work out about them,” she nodded. 

“But maybe Poppy… There’s somethin else going on. Like with the raven.” 

“I can’t see Miss Trin just shooten someone cause some man said to.” 

“Maybe um… Yeah me neither. She would try to work it out a different way.” 

“I think what was going on there was called Greed." 

I looked over at Jimmy and asked, “What you think?” 

“It soun to me they crook...like Billy Kid,” he put in finally. 

“Billy Kid?” I asked. 

“He a gun fighter, shootem up lotsa folk, he bad or wuz, sombody got em.” 

“Hey kids, I’m going for a walk,” Miss Pet said then. “Will you be okay till school starts?” 

“Yes ma’am, I see em to school,” Jimmy promised. 

I looked over and asked miss Kinney what he did for work and he said he was still looking for something to do. We talked about how we would be learning Spanish today and I said I’d barely got English figured out. Jimmy said he couldn’t even read or write.

We cleaned up the dishes and I went deep in thought, forgetting to turn off the tap as Jimmy said, “I don much like school either Natalie." 

“Miss Angi was mean to me,” I told him. I have a better place we can go.” 

“Where?” 

“Wanna come see?" I asked, finally turning off the tap. 

“Sure!” he said and we ran down the street. 

We ran into the library and I showed him all the books. He said it had a funny smell and I whispered to him, “Don’t tell no one bout this okay?” 

“Ok,” He nodded. 

“Promise?” 

“I promise.” 

I looked at him seriously and pushed the bookshelf open. “See??"

"OH WOW!!!" he exclaimed. 

“Shh! Not so loud! Don’t want anyone to know bout this place. Though I told Miss Pet in case I’m in trouble.” 

“Wha she say?" 

“She thought it was cool. She didn’t want to lie though. So I said…” I started but he tickled me when I wasn’t looking and I tickled him back. “Hey!" 

He jumped away and giggled, “Stooooop it!" 

“You started it!” I chuckled. 

“Ok, I did, I wud do it agin tho if time wer right..” he giggled. 

“I kinda sorta wanna learn spanish words but Miss Angi don’t like me. Maybe miss Trin will teach us.” 

"But won we git in truble?” 

“I dunno. I guess we should go," I sighed. “Can I sit with you?” 

“Maybe we learn Spanish for Taco,” he chuckled. “Sure, you sit wit me.” 

“Guess we gotta go,” I said and we headed over to the school. 

I suggested that we sit in the back, but miss Angi said hi to us first. I got my notebook out and she suggested that we sit closer so we can read what the picture says. I shook my head and reached for Jimmy’s hand. 

Jimmy suggested we go closer and I sighed, whispering, “You promised we’d sit in the back.” 

“But she may git mad it we don,” he said. 

I moved up one row with him and sighed. “There.” 

Miss Angi started class and asked Jimmy to ring the bell and he did so. I stayed quiet for most of the class as they talked about presents for Christmas and I never remembered getting gifts for Christmas. We learned how to ask people’s birthdays and how to answer it in Spanish. We all had to say when our birthdays were in Spanish and she helped us learn the words and the numbers too. It actually was a lot of fun, even though she had been so mean to me. 

“That wasn't so bad,” I whispered to Jimmy as class was dismissed. 

"My tongue hurts now,” he chuckled and nodded. 

“Maybe we can find some cookies at the hotel,” I chuckled. 

They started talking about a field trip and then when Jeff said he had to write a story about a mine I asked where the mine was. Jeff said he knew where it was and that he could show us but we had to promise not to take anything from it. 

“Okay we can go but don’t pat the skunk okay Nat?” Jeff told me. 

“Ok Jeff.” 

“Well it’s as far away in Pearce. Can you walk that far Nat?" he asked. 

“That’s where me and Miss Trin live!” I grinned. 

“Have ya been to the caves near Benson?” Poppy asked. 

“Yes I have!" Jeff said. "Poppy if you go you gotta stay close cause your little. You can get lost in the mine, okay?” 

“I can’t go with my foot,” she said. “But I’ll go next time.” 

“Aww, okay Poppy.” 

We ran off to Pearce and I pointed out our house and our tree and our boat. They barely noticed as they were more excited to getting to the mines and Jeff told me, Payton and Jimmy to close our eyes so we didn’t see where the key was. He pushed the big door open and we walked into the mines. We wandered around and Jeff pointed out the skunk to us. We used the lift to bring us down to the ground but as I did, I fell down off it and hurt my arm, seeing blood. 

“Natalie get away from the lift I’ll come get ya!” Jeff called down to me. He took it down and I looked around, scared, but tried to look brave in front of the boys. 

“You okay?" Jimmy asked. 

"What happen Natalie?” Jeff asked with concern as Payton leaned over the rail to look down. 

“It don’t hurt that much I just... I fell. I leaned over too much,” I looked around. 

“Can you move it?” Jimmy asked. 

“You wanna go up Natalie?” Jeff asked. 

I tried to move my arm and it hurt a bit but I nodded. “But Jimmy, hold my hand,” I reached for his hand. “I be okay.” 

“Maybe you should go see a doctor Natalie,” Jeff suggested. 

“It okay,” I insisted and held Jimmy’s hand as I wouldn’t let myself cry in front of the boys. 

Jeff helped me up onto the lift and we got back to the top level again of the mine. “Natalie you wanna go back and see a doctor?” 

“Nu uh,” I shook my head. 

“Maybe you broked it,” Jeff said. 

“I think you should Nat...I go wit you,” Jimmy told me. 

“Yeah cause what if you broked it.” 

I rubbed it and lied, “I scraped it. It fine,” I looked at Jimmy. 

We walked out of the mines and I continued to try and hide the fact that I was hurting. They started to go down the tracks but Jeff asked if I was really sure I wanted to go. “Maybe Jimmy and I should…” I shook my head. 

“Okay but we can come back again anytime,” Jeff said. 

“You guys go. Don’t wanna spoil your fun,” I insisted. 

“I wanna take her back,” Jimmy said. 

“Yeah.. not like these ol mines are gonna go away,” Payton said. 

"Do you know the way? Let’s all go back with Natalie,” Jeff decided. “But be careful of the walk down. Come on, let's go. We can come back later.” 

I felt worse now that I’d made them go away from the mines and headed back to town. I frowned and looked over at Jimmy, saying, “Jimmy it really hurts.” 

“I know Natalie, we gotta git you doctor,” he nodded. 

We went to the clinic but there was no one around. “We gotta say we was playing on the hills or something cause. Uhm guys listen we cant say we was in no mine okay? We get in trouble if we say we was in a mine.” 

“Nat, Jeffrey will stay with you, I gotta get you help,” Jimmy said. 

“Yes, I’ll stay here,” Jeff said. 

“I sorry Jeff. We was having fun and I fell,” I looked at him. 

“It is okay but your arm looks really swelled up,” Jeff said as Jimmy ran out to get help. 

“It hurts,” I nodded. 

“Maybe if ya sit down it wont hurt so much.” 

I nodded and sat down on the chair and Jeff sat beside me. “That mine was pretty cool.” 

“Well I sure hope Jimmy finds a doctor… Yeah it is neat to go there.” 

“What if he don’t?” 

“Well he gotta find a doctor. Does your arm still hurt bad?” Jeff asked. 

“Yeah. Worse then when I was falling off the log when I fished with Mr Alex.” 

Jeff asked if Miss Pet were around and I told him about learning how to cook that morning. “I sowwy I ruined our fun. I won’t tell no one about the mine. I’ll say we were in the hills cos we were… It not really a lie.” 

“Naw we was on a hill right?” he nodded. “Don’t worry Natalie. Someone just gotta come.” 

I sniffed and then looked up, seeing miss Pet. She asked what happened and I told her that I fell off the hills and that it hurt and it was swollen. I raised to show her and winced, but I refused to cry in front of everyone. She told me that miss Nim went to find miss Bree. Tiffany walked into the clinic with Jimmy and he suggested he could make a sling for me. 

Finally, miss Bree came in and looked at my left arm that was swollen. Poppy wandered over and looked in the window as Natalie got me up on a table and looked at my arm. We told her that we were playing in the hills. 

Bree washed my arm and said that it wasn’t broken bones. She gave me some yucky tasting stuff and promised it would help me feel better. Bree told me to hold out my arm and wiggle my fingers. I did so and winced a bit and Jeff did it too. “I believe the best thing to do is wrap the arm well and cover it with bandage and let the swelling go down.” 

“Did she break it miss Bree?” 

“When you fell you have deep bruising,” Miss Bree said. 

“It's purple,” I nodded. 

“Miss Bree if we were out from nowhere, would a sling have helped?” Jimmy asked. 

“Yes, this will speed healing,” Bree rubbed salve into my arm. 

“Miss Bree, what’s in the big red box? Is it gots stuff for Natalie’s arm?” Jeff asked. 

Miss Bree gave me asprin and said, “That is all for some pain. I do not wish to inject a drug into a small child when arm not broken.” 

I nodded and took the asprin. “How much do I take?” 

“Don’t touch it Jeffrey,” Miss Bree warned him. 

“Jeff you gonna be a doctor?” I asked him. 

“Half an aspirin now with this water I give you,” Miss Bree told me. “And in two hours, take the rest of pill.” 

“Naw, I’m gonna be a bounty hunter and go get bad guys,” Jeff said proudly. 

“Okay. I’ll tell Miss Trin,” I said and Jimmy smiled at me and I sighed with relief as miss Bree found a cast for my arm. 

“I have to run Miss Bree, and Natalie. I am late takin care of the horses. Miss Pet be mad if I not care for Daisey,” Jimmy said then. 

“Thanks Jimmy,” I nodded to him and he ran out. 

Miss Bree gave me a cast and said, “Do not throw a ball nor life anything or pull a wagon with yer arm till swelling goes away and we check you again.” She rolled my sleeved own carefully. 

“Thanks for bein’ here, Miss Bree,” I told her. 

“Now you be careful, sweet child,” Miss Bree wiped my face and gave me a peppermint stick and one for Jeffrey. She helped me off the table and I took the stick, sucking on it. “And I wish you look after these sweet girls. Will you do this?” she looked at Jeff. Jeff nodded and we worked on our peppermint stick and she said, “Yum candy, even smells good. And guess what? In Diamond I have big lollipops waiting for you three. Go get one!” 

I got Jeff and Poppy to sign my cast and then we signed on Poppy’s cast too. I went home to rest and Jeff said, “We go to the um... hills later. We go when your feeling better.” 

I waved and headed home. 

*** 

This afternoon I walked back into town and talked with Miss Sugar about my arm being in a cast. I told her about how we learned how to say our birthday this morning and then I spoke Spanish with miss Paisley. 

When Paisley and I were alone, I told her about how I broke my arm on the hills. “You know what helps things like that feel better? Hugs. Would you like one?” I nodded and she hugged me tightly. “Were you playing with the boys?” 

“And Payton,” I nodded. 

“Did you have fun?” 

“Till I fell. I tried to be brave though. But Jimmy and Jeff wanted to find a doctor.” 

“They did the right thing. Friends take care of each other.” 

“They good friends,” I nodded. 

“Yes, they are. Don’t be mad at them for looking after you.” 

“I not. I mad at me for falling. I looked over the edge too much.” 

“Don’t be hard on yourself either. Things happen.” 

“At least it weren’t broken,” I nodded. 

“How long did Miss Bree say you would need to wear that?” 

“Um…” 

“She didn’t say?” 

“She said to um.. not to do much with it till the swelling went away. And she said they’d check it again.” 

“Ok. That should not be long.” 

“Didn’t really say how long I gotta wear it.” 

“I have twisted my ankle while dancing. It does not take long at all... A few day usually.” 

“Think I go home and rest.” 

“That is wonderful medicine. Have a good nap sweetie!” 

“Bye miss Paisley,” I waved and headed home.