Gypsy

"Lou, is Kid back yet?" Rachel called from the top step.

"Nope" Louise leaned on the rake "Why Rachel?"

"He offered to help me mend the arm on that chair and I'm getting tired of waiting".

"I'll remind him when he gets back" Lou grinned then noticed the dust rising in the distance. "Rider comin'. Might be him now Rachel"

Kid swung down from his horse as Lou grabbed the reins. He quickly scanned the yard for other riders, not desiring to hear their teasing right now, then convinced that they were alone he grabbed Louise around the waist and embraced her. Teasingly she pushed him away.

"You need to get cleaned up first!" she playfully scolded, "then you need to help Rachel fix that chair".

"Can't that wait a bit? I've been away two days and I've missed you".

"Uh huh" Lou nodded mockingly "Life can be tough Kid".

"And you can be mean!" he removed his gear from Katie and headed for the bunkhouse hanging his head and scuffing his feet theatrically.

Lou spotted another fast moving cloud of dust approaching.

"Hey Lou, there's these covered wagons heading into town" Cody yelled from his horse.

"So? There are often covered wagons around here Cody, they're probably heading for Oregon or California!" she stated unenthusiastically.

"But these are painted" replied Cody somewhat hurt by her response then spotting Kid in the Bunkhouse he raced towards him in an attempt to get a more favorable response.

Undeterred by Kid and Lou's lack of interest Cody again raised the subject of the painted wagons at supper.

Noah sniggered "And did these painted wagons have painted ladies in them Cody?"

"They weren't like that."

"Sounds like a circus" Jimmy decided.

"There weren't no animals!" Cody stated.

"Not all circus have animals" Teaspoon said "I remember one I saw in Texas that just had people".

"Just people?" Jimmy said in disbelief, "Who did the tricks?"

"Cody would do tricks for food, wouldn't you Cody?" teased Kid.

"I'm telling you it weren't no circus" he looked at Noah "or painted ladies either".

"Perhaps they are a theatre troupe" suggested Lou.

"Maybe" said Cody, who was becoming a little despondent.

Rachel patted him on the shoulder "Well if they were heading for Sweetwater I expect we will know by tomorrow".

"Natalia! Natalia! Oh where does that girl go to?"

"She went to the river, Mama" Katrine replied.

"We must go Katrine. Hurry your sister"

"Mama?" Natalia approached the wagon while braiding her wet hair.

"You always slow child, Katrine always fast child. Why?" the plump woman threw out her arms in question.

Natalia shrugged in reply and climbed aboard. Katrine burrowed into some blankets and pulled out a cotton doll with one eye and an unraveling mouth. Natalia removed the doll from her younger sister "Tzigane needs a wash real bad Katy!" she rubbed at the black smudges on the doll's face. "Can I wash her when we get to Sweetwater?" Katy nodded, her large blue eyes shining underneath the raven hair that covered her face. Natalia pulled her over and began combing Katy's hair with her fingers and tied the completed braid off with a strip of material.

"Oh, we in Sweetwater" came their mother's cry from the front "This beautiful town!"

"Yah! Beautiful" agreed their father. Katrine climbed out front with her parents, Natalia pulled the flap at the back a little to reveal the town and groaned inwardly in anticipation of what was to come. She could see the Stanilovs behind them, Nicholai's black head appeared above his younger brother's head, he waved entusiastically when he saw Natalia looking at him. She groaned again and dropped the flap wondering how long she could hide in here. Already people were beginning to gather around the array of brightly colored wagons and the rising voices indicated that some were already recognizing that they weren't a group of performers or a circus. She sighed wishing they were, people liked performers, but their opinions of gypsies was usually something else!

"Whoa" her Father's voice caressed the horses to a stop.

"You can't stop here, ride on someplace else" a gruff voice came from alongside the wagon.

"You have store, yah, we have money. We travel long way, much is needed," her father attempted to explain.

Natalia threw herself down on the blankets and pulled one over her head.

"Your money is no good here, we don't want no dirty gypsy's money"

Natalia opened the flap and jumped down from the wagon, she looked disdainfully at the man's dirty boots then at his unshaven face. She could hear several women in the crowd comment on her beauty and rolled her eyes in disgust. With all the dignity and poise she could muster she stood face to face with the obnoxious stranger "Pardon me sir, but it would seem that a man who is unable to polish his boots occasionally and care enough to shave before entering town and the presence of ladies should probably keep quiet about matters of cleanliness. Would you not agree?"

A few people in the crowd sniggered, "Natalia, get inside" hissed her mother. Natalia curtsied politely and climbed up front with her parents.

"Oh, you always make my face red," whispered her mother covering her cheeks. Natalia could feel her own cheeks burning too, from anger rather than humiliation.

Noah's movement towards the wagons jolted Cody back from his trance and anticipating Noah's actions Cody jumped in front of him and addressed the girl's father.

"Excuse me sir, my name is William F Cody and this here is my friend Noah Dixon, we ride for the Pony Express, our stationmaster, Teaspoon Hunter is also the Marshal in Sweetwater so if any folks give you trouble, you go to him and he'll take care of it." Cody bowed graciously to the travelers while managing to secure eye contact with an unimpressed Natalia.

Katrine saw him looking at her sister and giggled earning her a sharp jab in the ribs for her effort. Not easily put off Katrine said "Pony express deliver mail yah?"

Natalia glared at her sister "Does the Pony Express deliver mail," she corrected her sister's gypsy talk.

"Does the..."

"Yes we do" interrupted Noah "We also have plenty of land out by the way station so if you folks are looking for somewhere to camp I'm sure Teaspoon and Rachel wouldn't mind."

"Is Rachel Teaspoon's wife?"

"Katrine!" chorused Natalia and her mother together.

"I will talk to this Mr. Hunter, he over there, yah?" their father pointed to the Marshals office.

"No he rode out to look at some horses but he should be back before dark" explained Cody, then to Katrine "No Rachel isn't Teaspoon's wife, she cooks our meals and makes sure we wash behind our ears and pick our clothes up off the floor", he winked at the giggling child, her sister looked the other way.

"We're going back to the way station now, why don't you follow us?" offered Noah.

"No we wait for Mr. Hunter here".

"I'll tell him you're here as soon as he returns" Cody turned to his three female companions and bowed again "Good afternoon ladies"

Katrine stood up giggling and curtsied "Good afternoon sirs" she imitated before being unceremoniously pulled down by Natalia who just wished they'd hurry up and leave. The blonde one made her uncomfortable and Nicholai looked as though he was about to get out of his wagon and thump him. That'd be all they needed, Natalia thought, for Nicholai to flatten one of the Marshal's charges!

After the riders had left, the travelers moved their caravans to the far end of town to await the Marshal's return. Natalia found a horse trough and washed Tzigane in it and tied her to the wagon flaps to dry.

Katrine spotted her beloved doll hanging by her neck and ran to save her by retying her under her arms. Natalia sighed, most folk would think that hanging by the neck was a good thing for gypsies or tzigane to do. Bored she decided to wander into the town. She could see the men who were struck by her dark hair and blue eyes and their womenfolk who disapprovingly pointed out that she was a gypsy-girl, she hated them all, almost as much as she hated the gypsy clothing she wore. Without the brightly colored skirt she would be just another immigrant to the west but with it she was the worst kind of immigrant.

She entered the General Store, several bolts of material were near the door. She stopped to examine them, to admire their muted colors and delicate patterns and dream of the day when she would wear a dress of light blue with little floral sprigs on it. Nearby a hat trimmed with lace and feathers caught her eye, she picked it up and stroked the soft feathers approvingly, suddenly a hand clasped her arm and snatched the hat from her grip.

"You little thief, Tompkins, this gypsy-brat was trying to take a hat?"

"What the..." the store owner began.

"Don't you worry, the Marshal can deal with her, then lets see how fast they leave town" Natalia recognized the man from the crowd earlier, she squirmed in his clutches but his grip on her arm only tightened as he dragged her across the street and into the Marshal's Office.

"Do you need anything?" asked the Deputy Marshal, the gypsy girl had been in the cell for over an hour and he still hadn't heard her speak, not even her name. She had just sat there with a straight back and firmly set chin, add to that her long black braid and piercing blue eyes and she was quite a sight.

"And who exactly is this young lady and what is she doing here?" Teaspoon strode through the door and tipped his hat at the young lady who made no movement other than a disgusted blink and a slight tilt of the chin. Teaspoon raised his eyebrows at his deputy waiting for an explanation.

"Don't know Teaspoon, she won't say anything. She's a gypsy".

"I can see that Barnett, but unless I've missed something there's nothing in the law that says it's illegal to be a gypsy and fools as they are in Washington, I doubt they are likely to make a law against it. So what in Gods name is she doing here?"

"Richardson brought her in, he caught her stealing a hat from Tompkins's store" Barnett explained.

"But you don't know her name?"

"Nope, told you Teaspoon, she won't talk".

"Well what about her family, did they tell you her name?"

"I haven't been able to find her family Teaspoon, I don't know who she is remember!"

Teaspoon sighed in exasperation "Barnett, have you seen those brightly colored wagons at the edge of town?"

"Yep, they drove through town earlier today."

"Do you have any idea who they belong to?" asked Teaspoon rolling his eyes in Natalia's direction.

"Gypsies I expect."

"Well fancy that!" remarked Teaspoon "Barnett, you don't suppose that this young lady here may be with them do you?"

"Oh...D'ya think I should go and tell them?"

"Yes Barnett I do!"

Barnett began to leave the office then stopped "But Teaspoon I don't know what her name is so who do I tell them we have?"

"Barnett!"

Barnett turned and hurried off down the road in the direction on the wagons. Natalia bowed her head and grinned.

"Now Miss are you going to give me your name or do I need to wait for your folks?" asked Teaspoon.

"Her name's Natalia Rodnina" Cody strode through the door and smiled at a surprised Teaspoon and prisoner.

"And how exactly do you know this?" queried Teaspoon.

"I met her and her family earlier today" then seeing Natalia's puzzled glance he continued "I saw her sister as I was coming here and she told me her name".

Natalia glared at the grinning Cody.

Cody ignored her look, "What's she in here for Teaspoon?"

"Aargh, Richardson caught her stealing a hat at the store apparently."

"Richardson!" Cody spat out in disgust "he's probably still sore about the serving Natalia gave his mate Daniels earlier today." Cody shook his head and smiled "I tell you Teaspoon, it was a pretty sight!"

"Cody, why do I feel as though I have missed something?" sighed Teaspoon struggling to understand.

"Daniels and some others wanted Natalia's family and their friends to leave town and Natalia explained a few things about personal hygiene to him"

Teaspoon shook his head in resignation "Thank you Cody!"

"She didn't steal the hat Teaspoon, I know she wouldn't" insisted Cody "Are you going to let her go?"

"Yes, just as soon as I have her side of the story" Teaspoon walked over to the cell "Miss, you need to tell me what happened".

Natalia looked away with her lips firmly sealed.

"Please Natalia I can't sort out what happened until you tell me your version." Upon getting no response, Teaspoon turned to Cody "Does she speak English?"

Cody laughed "She did when she sorted out Daniels! Natalia, tell Teaspoon what happened in the store. He's a good man Natalia, you can trust him".

"I'm just a filthy gypsy-brat and everyone knows that gypsies lie and steal don't they? So if the man said I stole the hat then I must have!" Natalia spoke calmly.

"Dammit Natalia, not everyone is this town believes that about gypsies" cried Cody "Richardson is scum!"

"Cody!" warned Teaspoon.

Natalia set her jaw again and looked out the door.

Teaspoon unlocked the cell door "Natalia, I believe that Richardson didn't tell us the whole story so you can go back to your family, I know you didn't steal the hat".

"Why?" asked Natalia skeptically.

"Because I've seen the length of the feathers on those hats Tompkins sells and Richardson would have to be daft if he believes that anyone would be stupid enough to think that they could get out of Tompkins store with one of those hats and not be seen! You can see those feathers all the way to St Jo and no lady has a skirt big enough to hide them under!"

Cody laughed "He's got a point Natalia!"

Natalia smiled and looked at the two of them "Thank you Mr Hunter, Mr Cody was right, you are a good man". She stood up to leave as her father walked through the door.

"Marshal, this big mistake! My Natalia not bad girl".

Teaspoon smiled "Mr Rodnina, you have a wonderful daughter and I'm sorry for the mistake, she's free to go".

"Teaspoon, these folks need a place to stay. I thought they might be able to stay out by the way station" suggested Cody.

"Mr Rodnina, you are more than welcome if you want to set up camp out there."

"I thank you again Marshal. I go tell others. You are good man" Mr Rodnina and his daughter left the office.

"A good man! So everyone keeps telling me today" nodded Teaspoon while puffing himself up, obviously pleased with the compliments "These gypsies can stay for as long as they like!" he grinned.

Cody rolled his eyes at the vanity of the older man.

To Be Continued...Chapter 2