Tombstone.
This morning I was sitting in front of the hotel and miss Ashton came over. I told her I couldn’t sleep well because my arm hurt too much and I wanted to get my cast off. I told her that I fell in the hills and hurt. I told her about living with miss Trin and how I worked in the library. I met a woman named Baylinda, who everyone called Bay for short. We went inside for cookies and I handed them to each lady. I nibbled on the cookie while and then I saw a man on a horse. “That’s a nice horse mister! What’s your horse’s name?”
“Thanks, you look mighty nice yourself,” the man said and I blushed. “Are you from these parts?”
“Good morning, Mr Kai. Nice to see you again!” Miss Ashton said.
“Hi Mr. Kai!” I said to the man.
“Hello there, what’s your name?”
“I’m Nat.”
He asked where he should stay in town and I pointed out the hotel. The women talked about where they lived and Miss Ashton told me, “If you need more Sherlock novels, I can lend you some.”
“There’s a bunch in the libary," I grinned.
“Oh, I already forgot you work there!” Miss Ashton laughed and looked to Miss Bay. “She must be a really smart girl. She ready Sherlock Holmes already and is only nine years old.”
We talked with miss Dancing Cloud and then I headed down the street. I waved at miss Paisley and she asked, “How is your arm today?"
“I wanna get the cast off,” I told her.
“I bet you do!”
“Oh? No story to read?”
“Tired of reading for now. I wanna do stuff.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Hmmm fish? Ride? Explore?” Miss Paisley asked.
I nodded and said, “Maybe I’ll do that.” I waved and wandered off. I found Jimmy who was wearing a new hat and he asked how my arm was. I said it hurt only cause of the cast and how I wanted to get it off. He said he was really scared yesterday and we went to pet Daisy in the stables. We fed her and brushed her clean. We gave the boy horse a name and then Jimmy showed a gash on his hind end. He said it looked like it got in the bob wires and that it could get infected.
We went to find miss Pet but she was praying so we decided to go find the hills and mines again.
Pearce.
I showed him my house and we walked in and showed him around inside the house and told him that he could visit us anytime. We talked about how nice Mr. Alex and Miss Aly were and I looked over at him as we stood on the balcony looking out at the water. “I really didn’t wanna go to school yesterday. But it’s good you made me go.”
“I am glad you wen too, do I don member all that Spanish stuff."
“Hope there’s not a test.”
“Hey, ain dat mine near here?”
“Uh huh!” I exclaimed
We ran off and then I saw Jimmy run back to the orphanage and I went to try and open the mine doors but it didn’t work so I headed home.
Tombstone.
I headed back to town and found Poppy and miss Aeryne. When she asked what happened to my arm, I told her that I fell and hurt it and Poppy said she took her bandage off. Poppy asked if I had met the oldest man in the world and she said he was really nice. I asked Poppy if she’d seen Jeff and she hadn’t. I told Poppy I tried to get in the mines again but that I couldn’t do it.
I went back to the bank to see if she could help me take my cast off and she brought me to the clinic. She helped get my cast off and it felt so much better having my arm free again. She washed my arm again and I hugged her before running out.
***
Half an hour later I found Mr. Ansar and Mrs. Aly and waved to them. They talked about taking naps in the bank and then waved to me when they saw me.
“Hi there! How are you today?” Aly asked me.
“I’m good. You?”
“I’m good! It’s been a quiet morning: I got some hot chocolate, had some chit chat, and now just kind of watching the town ,” she smiled.
“I tried to get in the mine but I can’t get in,” I grinned. “I got my cast off!”
“That’s great news! And don’t go near that mine Nat, that’s dangerous.”
I put a hand over my mouth and realized what I’d done. “I meant the hills Miss Aly.”
She raised an eyebrow and looked at me skeptically. “You bein’ honest?”
“Well it’s right by our house Miss Aly. I can’t help it if I see ’em.”
“Well Nat it’s ok to see things, just not a good idea to touch them all”
“But why they so dangerous Miss Aly?”
“Some things just are. Sometimes there are explosives in places, especially over there in Pearce. You’ve gotta be careful.”
“I will, Miss Aly,” I nodded.
“Not the best thing to wanter off alone and I don’t want you going near that mine.”
“I don’t go many places alone. Jimmy’s usually with me!”
“That’s good!”
Sabi came over and joined us and when we asked her how she was she said, “A lil bit worried but not as much as last week!!! Miss Aeryne told me that Mr Corgan fella has hired a law person from back east ta force me to go wif him!”
“Uh oh,” I cringed.
“But said not ta worry that he will be wearin cement cowboy boots before that ever happens... can’t imagine why he would wanna do that. Them sounds heavy!”
“Sabrina...I don’t want you to worry about that man right now,” Mrs. Aly said.
“She right. It’s like the ravens. The less scared of em you are, the less dangerous they’ll be,” I told her. “Right Miss Aly?”
“I am not too worried Aunty Aly," Sabi shrugged. “I have Mr Garth AND you on my side!”
“Uhm… Mr. Garth might have been good once… but don’t trust him all the way, he’s done bad things.”
“He pertected me,” I looked at her.
“Me too,” Sabi nodded.
“Well he probably has a soft spot for kids. But he’s done bad things before.”
“Mr. Ben too,” I agreed.
“Yeaaaah!” Sabi nodded.
“He was real nice to me but then I saw him shooted someone. Or heard him.”
“I could see Mr Ben turnin on us before Mr Garth.”
“We just gotta be careful no matter what man we around. Though Mr Alex doesn’t wear guns so he okay.”
“Yeaaaaah. Uncle Alex is a good uncle fer sure.”
“Mr Alex would rather heal and help you than hurt you,” Miss Aly said. “Nat,” Aly looked at me then. “Is that man still over in the bank?”
“Um…” I looked over towards the bank. “The door’s closed Miss Aly.”
“Oh…” she looked over there too. “I was gonna say we should get him some hashbrowns. Think he likes onions in em?”
“I dunno.”
“Hey girls, since you both like to explore, wanna do me a favor?”
“Huh?” I blinked.
“Sure!” Sabi nodded.
“I’m looking for some really good hiding spots in town here… Think you can hide and I’ll see if I can find you?”
“Ok! I go hide!” I exclaimed and ran off to hide.
I ran into the stables and called out that I was ready and Sabi ran out to hide somewhere too. I waited forever as I heard miss Aly come closer but I stayed hidden behind the horse. She found me and asked if I could help her find Sabi so we started to look around for Sabi. I looked around the hotel and then saw a pebble fall down at Aly’s feet. Sabi had run upstairs to the top of the news office and Aly ran up with me to see how she got up there. She said it was a really good spot and I ran around to try and find more sopts like it.
I ran into a cemetery and blinked, my eyes growing wide. I called for miss Aly and showed her and Sabi what I’d found. Miss Aly went off to do some work and then I took Sabi out near Ghenna. We climbed the hills outside the town, near the ranger’s fort, and pointed out the Native village. Sabi said that we would get in huge trouble if we went there and then I saw a Native person coming towards us.
Pearce.
I ran off and wandered back towards Pearce. I went in and tried the lift and got it to work, but as I looked around the bottom and didn’t want to be there alone, so I headed home.
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