Shade felt as if he had almost, but not quite, followed Arabella's commentary. Not that that was vital. He was sure to learn more about the Frank Fortner character sooner or later. The name wasn't immediately familiar to him, not that that was sayin' all that much. Shade had not been home all that many months when the issue had arisen in Arizona and he had ridden out again. For a brief moment, his mind wandered, thinking about how good it felt to be back on the trail again. Not that he hadn't missed his niece and nephew, Quentin, his friends, and, yes, even Harriet Mercer. After most of his youth lived on the drift, it had been hard to settle in one place and look at being there for the rest of his life. Prior to coming back to Montana the previous year, he had been living in Wyoming. However, much of his work kept him moving about so he had not missed the trail all that much.

Setting all that aside, Shade gave Arabella a nod, "Sounds like someone to be avoided," he said before turning his eyes on Clara. A frown creased his brow and darkened his blue eyes a fraction. Obviously, Quentin was unharmed or Clara would have led with that. "You're right. Quentin can fill me in with the details. Definitely past time for me to get home and see where things stand," Shade added with a barely audible sigh.

"How're things standin' after the battle...the Little Big Horn?" Shade asked the room in general. The battle and Custer's defeat along with bits about the Indian troubles had made it to where he was in Arizona. However, details pertinent to how things were for folks in western Montana was sadly lacking. How safe things were for Warbow would be determined by how the majority of people viewed the Indians these days.

When Arabella explained why she left the saloon, the new ownership sounded awful. Actually Clara was pleased.

"Smart move on your part," she complimented the girl.

But of course then the girl launched into this verbose continuation of the point.

"Thank you, Arabella, for that riveting listing of much of the Confederate command structure but I think Shade is more concerned about current news," Clara pointed out, with a heavy dollop of sarcasm.

"You're right. Quentin can fill me in with the details. Definitely past time for me to get home and see where things stand," Shade added with a barely audible sigh.

"Indeed," Clara agreed.

"How're things standin' after the battle...the Little Big Horn?"

"It was quite the shock to the community but we are fortunate in that we have Fort Somers so close to Kalispell. I do not believe anyone felt any real danger. Especially once the news was that the Indians were breaking up and high tailing it north. Canada perhaps?" Clara, like many locals, followed whatever news the papers and telegraph provided.

"Thank you, Arabella, for that riveting listing of much of the Confederate command structure but I think Shade is more concerned about current news," Clara pointed out, with a heavy dollop of sarcasm.

Heavy or not, the dollop went unnoticed by Arabella, who smiled brightly and said "Oh you're welcome! Say, I even know some of the Yankee Generals: let's see, there's Beast Butler who insulted the ladies of New Orleans - did you know Mr Pettigrew called him out? - and then there was 'Tardy' Sykes, 'Slow Trot' Thomas, 'Old Forty-Eight Hours' Doubleday, 'Old Fuss-n-Feathers' Scott, 'Kill Cavalry' Kilpatrick, and the worstest of all, that whiskey-guzzling tyrant 'Butcher' Grant: mind you, his days are numbered. And don't even get me started on that monster Sherman! No wonder his nickname was..." she looked around to make sure nobody important was in the room listening, for she was about to whisper a very rude word indeed. "... CUMP!"

"Anyhow, maybe Mr Cantrell can tell you all the other news." she suggested.

"You're right. Quentin can fill me in with the details. Definitely past time for me to get home and see where things stand," Shade added with a barely audible sigh.

"Indeed," Clara agreed.

"How're things standin' after the battle...the Little Big Horn?"

Arabella was about to launch into a Custer related monologue, but Clara deftly stepped in first.

"It was quite the shock to the community but we are fortunate in that we have Fort Somers so close to Kalispell. I do not believe anyone felt any real danger. Especially once the news was that the Indians were breaking up and high tailing it north. Canada perhaps?" Clara, like many locals, followed whatever news the papers and telegraph provided.

"Huh! And if you believe that, you'll believe anything! Just the other week my friend Caroline and Addy Chapel got captivated by a bunch of no-good hostiles and they was taken off to their wigwams and tied up and they was just about to be ravaged when they managed to escape and the Cavalry came up and rescued them. And here's the romantical part, the cavalry was led by Lootenant Greene, he's Caroline's fiancé! Well, they don't know it yet, but I saw him propose to her in a dream; and dreams always come true, don't they Mr Warbow?" she turned to the noble looking red man for confirmation.

"Let's just hope he don't get cold feet, eh Mr Thornton?" she added, having been less that overwhelmed by Shade's previous reaction to mention of his intended, Miss Bowen.

Shade and John Warbow exchanged a glance. The Navajo smiled at the girl, true warmth showing in his dark eyes, "Some dreams are prophetic, some less so," Warbow agreed with Arabella. He looked troubled by the revelation that two local Anglo women had been taken captive. Although not an incident caused by his tribe, not all people were able to discern one redskin from another. Still, it sounded as if all had ended well.

For his part, Shade did not take the bait regarding proposals and his response regarding Kate. He preferred to keep his personal affairs as private as possible. Shade looked out of the window, thinking about the long ride to the lodge.

"I suppose we should pay up and get on the road," Shade said, looking at Clara and her husband. It was a pleasure to meet you, Jacob," he turned and tipped his hat to the other girl, "and you, Miss Arabella." Finally, he turned his deep blue eyes on Clara again, "Clara, you have my congratulations. It was good to see you again."

"Yes fortunately Miss Chappel and Miss Mundee were rescued by the cavalry in what the papers say was a rather stirring operation culminating in a sharp battle which caused the Indians heavy losses. Or so it said," Clara was a cynic at heart about most things.

"Sadly a coach driver and another woman and her son were killed by the savages," she had to add with sadness. It reminded her of her own mother's death and her almost demise. Yes. she used the term 'savages' in front of Warbow because that was what they had been. Now John Warbow seemed quite the decent fellow.

Plus she had to remark to Ara, "I highly doubt a lieutenant in the Army would stoop to marrying a saloon girl, not that I have anything against Miss Mundee. When she comes into the diner she is quite nice."

As for Ara mentioning Shade's fiancee, well Clara kept her mouth shut about that, it was no longer affair. Shade could marry who he liked. Granted Clara did not particularly like the school marm.

"I suppose we should pay up and get on the road," Shade said, looking at Clara and her husband. It was a pleasure to meet you, Jacob," he turned and tipped his hat to the other girl, "and you, Miss Arabella." Finally, he turned his deep blue eyes on Clara again, "Clara, you have my congratulations. It was good to see you again."

Clara nodded, "I would make your meal on the the house but the diner is not mine."

She met Shade's gaze and even smiled as much as she ever smiled to anybody other than her close family, "Thank you. It was nice to see you again too and it was a pleasure to meet you also, Mr. Warbow."

"Yes fortunately Miss Chappel and Miss Mundee were rescued by the cavalry in what the papers say was a rather stirring operation culminating in a sharp battle which caused the Indians heavy losses. Or so it said," Clara was a cynic at heart about most things.

"Lootenant Greene shot most of 'em!" Arabella added, who now ranked crack shots in Kalispell in the order of 1. Lt. Green 2. Mr Flandry and with Quentin Cantrell and Granny Miggins vying for third slot.

"Sadly a coach driver and another woman and her son were killed by the savages," she had to add with sadness. It reminded her of her own mother's death and her almost demise. Yes. she used the term 'savages' in front of Warbow because that was what they had been. Now John Warbow seemed quite the decent fellow.

"It was Mrs Honeycutt and Bucky Honeycutt and Mr Hampton and them Injuns ravaged Mrs Honeycutt and slitted her throat and not necessary in that order, neither, and Bucky got disembowelled, that's when they get your insides an' put 'em on yer outsides, and anyhow Mr Hampton, he was riding shotgun an' he got his eyes scooped out which I reckon was kinda ironical of them injuns, like they was sayin' 'you should ha' kept an eye out for us!'" Arabella filled in the details.

She took a quick breath and carried on.

"Anyhow, they didn't kill Caroline and Miss Chappel, cause Caroline's so pretty and Miss Chapel, well, she's strangely attractive too in a funny sorta way. But Caroline's reeeeeeeal purdy, no wonder Lootenant Greene's gonna marry her up."

Plus she had to remark to Ara, "I highly doubt a lieutenant in the Army would stoop to marrying a saloon girl, not that I have anything against Miss Mundee. When she comes into the diner she is quite nice."

Arabella laughed "Well, she looks right nice, but she don't always act nice. One time her dress came unbuttoned on stage and she..." This might have been one anecdote too far, because Mr Thornton got to go then.

"I suppose we should pay up and get on the road," Shade said, looking at Clara and her husband. It was a pleasure to meet you, Jacob," he turned and tipped his hat to the other girl, "and you, Miss Arabella." Finally, he turned his deep blue eyes on Clara again, "Clara, you have my congratulations. It was good to see you again."

Clara nodded, "I would make your meal on the the house but the diner is not mine."

She met Shade's gaze and even smiled as much as she ever smiled to anybody other than her close family, "Thank you. It was nice to see you again too and it was a pleasure to meet you also, Mr. Warbow."

Arabella watched this exchange with some foreboding. To her mind, Mr Thornton was giving her friend Clara, her married, pregnant friend Clara, the sort of looks he should be reserving for the much maligned Miss Bowen. She almost felt sorry for the schoolmarm. She decided to go out with the two men, as she had quite forgotten what she had come in for anyway.

She turned before she left, though, and waved goodbye to Jacob and then looked at his wife and said, with a tone of significance "Bye Clara-Anne... take care" opening her eyes wide and raising her eyebrows.

She exited and could be heard outside, fading into the distance, chattering away to John "Now, them Injuns I was talkin' about was naughty Injuns, not like you Mr Warbow, you're a nice Injun..."