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Dear Uncle Arthur,
I feel a little silly writing this as I have nowhere to mail it, but I hope that you will see it, wherever you are. There are some things I feel I ought to say.
First: thank you. Thank for all you done for us, during the last days of the gang. It seems so long ago now, but I remember it clear -- and what I don't remember, I've heard Ma and Pa talk about when they think I can't hear. Ma doesn't like to look back on them days, but she still thinks kindly of you.
Pa goes quiet sometimes. He'll sit there, turning that hat around in his hands. He still has it. He don't wear it all the time, but when he does, he has this look in his eye. I don't know how to describe it, but it reminds me of you.
Charles, Uncle, and Miss Sadie all made it okay. We have a ranch now, and they stayed with us a while. Charles has headed up North to maybe settle down like we have. Sadie is a bounty hunter mostly, though she talked about looking for other kinds of work. Uncle is still here, and doesn't do much -- though from what I remember, he never did. So I think he ain't changed much from when you knew him.
Speaking of them: Charles, Sadie, and my Pa went chasing that Micah. I think he is no more. All Pa said when he got home was, "it's over," but I ain't stupid. They think they can keep me in the dark about death, long as they don't say the word, but I'm not a kid no more. Miss Sadie was pretty hurt when they came back. So I think it came down to a terrible fight, and they killed him. I ain't sorry to learn it. If anything, I think folk are a little safer with him gone. I thought you would like to know.
I got a dog now. His name is Rufus, and he's mighty fine. He does not always do as I say, but I don't mind really.
All in all, we are happy. I wasn't sure at first -- about the ranching, and the riding, and all that -- but I think I really do like it here. It's quiet, and I guess it's beautiful. That's what Pa says. He sits out with your old journal, sometimes, and draws, like you did. I don't remember him ever doing it before. But he seems to like it. And Ma smiles so much more now. She hums while she's sweeping, or making dinner. I ain't never seen her so happy.
So I think we will be all right. I know you cared a lot for us, and did a lot for us, in the end, so I wanted you to know that we came through just fine.
We made it.
Thank you, Uncle Arthur. For everything.
Jack
[A simple, but identifiable drawing of a circlet of flowers]