Chapter Nine

The Buttermans’ land on Calder Creek, Iowa Territory, December 20, 1833

November and December stayed warm. Nate and Mr. Butterman quickly built a two-room log cabin with trees they cut down. Every day Mrs. Butterman and Penny spent an hour collecting large rocks from the Buttermans’ land. They made a large pile near the log cabin. Mrs. Butterman wanted an extra room for the house built out of stone. “Maybe in March or April,” said Mr. Butterman. “I want to get something built for the horses first. I think the weather might turn cold soon.” He and Nate found a spot on the Buttermans’ land that was perfect. It was a rocky area against the bottom of a short bluff. They made a rough building for their four workhorses and for Harv. During the winter, the horses would stay warm.

On some days, Mr. or Mrs. Calder would visit. Sometimes Mr. Butterman would give them a turkey or part of a deer he shot. And sometimes Mr. Calder helped collect rocks for the extra room Mrs. Butterman wanted. Once, Mrs. Calder brought fresh eggs. In return, Aunt Sunday made a cake from the eggs and some cornmeal and sugar she had. “This is good Virginia cooking. Cornbread,” she told Mrs. Calder. Mrs. Calder, a lady with blonde hair, spoke only a little English. So Aunt Sunday said again, “Cornbread.” Mrs. Calder nodded and smiled.

There was another farm ten minutes away from the Buttermans’. Penny could smell the smoke from their fire. But she never saw anyone.

Today, Mr. and Mrs. Butterman said it was a rest day. They gave Penny and Nate a free afternoon. So Penny and Nate went to see the other farm. They followed Calder Creek for twenty minutes. Finally, they found two small log cabins under the trees. To Penny’s surprise they saw a woman and two children. All three were dark-skinned, just like her and Nate. Penny and Nate came forward to say “hello.” The women looked around and then said “hello” back. The two children, a boy and a girl, looked to be eight or nine years old. They came close and said “hello.” Penny found out the woman’s name was Alice. The little boy and girl were hers. They were Charles and Teeny. They were twins.

Alice kept looking around into the trees. Penny asked her, “Are you alone here? Are you alright?”

Alice answered, “This is Mr. Sweeney’s place. There’s him, and then there’s Bowe and Tommy.”

At that moment, Penny heard a rough man’s voice. “Alice! Where are you?” A hard-looking man with white hair and blue eyes came out of the forest. He was followed by two dark-skinned men, one of them very tall. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” said the old man. His blue eyes flashed. “Get off my land!” he said. His white face grew red. Alice, Charles, and Teeny melted away without a sound. They went into one of the log cabins.

Nate moved closer to Penny. “Sir,” he said, “We’re Nate and Penny. We live at the Buttermans’.” He pointed back to the Buttermans’ land.

“Then you should get back there!” said Mr. Sweeney. “Does your master know you’re gone?”

“I’m sorry, sir,” said Penny. She stood very straight. What was wrong with this man? She didn’t want trouble. “We’re leaving now,” she said. Nate and Penny turned and walked away. As they left, Nate smiled and waved at the two black men. One of them waved back.