The Governor and the Senator had the look of disbelief.

"I'd believe he'd be looking for me." Speed said flatly. "I put him in jail, he was tried because of that. Made a spectacle of in public, because of me. No, I don't think taking the town is is plan, not at all. But killing me and Pike, oh yeah. Wish he was here, but glad he's not in the same breath. Then there are your men, Leah. He's surely got a bone to pick with them."

"Wait." House interjected, "Leah's men?" He looked to her.

"Yes, there are three men who broke away from my brother's gang of scum to protect me from them, and of course, my father. They stood with the Marshal when the hands from the Evergreen came to get Case out of jail."

"I see. There is considerably more to all of this than I believed." Senator Ellsworth said, a bit discouraged by the enormity of this potential problem.

"I don't want your town to become an armed camp over this turn of events." House stated, clearly riled at the situation, and the fact not knowing what to expect from either the brother or the father in this case. Let alone Case's gang, or Elias' hands.

"An armed camp? Really Sam? This place is already an armed camp from time to time, when need be." Leah chortled. "It's just the way things are out here, and we need to deal with those that want to take what others have, generally by force. You know all this, I'm preaching to the choir."

"We've had our problems, that's true. There's been gun play in town on more than one occasion, but, we have a citizenry that won't stand for law breakers of any kind. They've proven that more than once. So, any fears that this town will succumb to the violence seen in the Kansas cow towns, or the Texas border towns, are just not true." Speed stated. "Whatever we have to face going forward, we'll face and we will survive it."

Leah looked at him as he spoke, then added; "The Marshals right. The people in this town will stand against anything the Steelgraves can throw at us. Doctor Danforth, Jonah and I will get this thing done no matter what happens. My friend is not a fighter, he's a healer and I know he is not quite prepared to assume the role of Medical Director, but it will be a very few of us in the beginning to operate the hospital."

She looked at Jonah and smiled, knowing what she had said was true, and he no longer had Doc Boone to lean on for advice or direction. But she also knew that there was more to the man than he knew.

"Miss Steelgrave is correct," Jonah commented, "I have little interest in running or operation of any sort, but I'll do what I need to until someone with more experience can be found." He shrugged. "There's no need to set back the project waiting for that." He gave Leah a quick flash of a smile. "Besides, I'm so far invested in this that I want to see it through to the end, and I've already stared making notes."

Funny, he was objecting to being involved, yet he wanted to be involved...certainly, it had nothing to do with the young lady holding her own at a table full of dignitaries, and that had nothing to do with her being a Steelgrave.

"As for the town, if trouble arrives, I say unleash the Triple Threat on them, and they will run with their tails between their legs!"

Leah smiled, yes, the reluctant physician would step up until a man of more experience came forward. She had counted on that, and he did not let her down. "Gentlemen, there are always inherent risks with any project or undertaking of this size. Yet we have everything in place to begin a quickly as we have the land." she looked to Jonah for just a moment, "As far as the Triple Threat are concerned, yes they are prepared for almost any possibility. I'm not sure that my father will act in a manner that this town expects, but I have been wrong about the man far too often to be confident."

"It is my hope that Elias Steelgrave pose no threat to this project, but should that happen, we'll handle it." Guyer stated.

"Then I will leave these men, under your direction, Marshal Guyer, until such time as they are no longer needed." Houser announced. "Goes against the grain to have lawlessness of that type on the frontier, threatening the building of any civic improvement."

"Hell Sam, that's life on the frontier and you know it." Dutton chimed in, garnering a chuckle from the Marshals from Helena. "There's always men trying to take what other men build, or stop it." Only Peabody could get away with such statements.

Speed smiled, looking to Leah. "My main concern at this point is brother Case and his renegades. That's the threat I believe we may face. Yet, Elias is not to be under estimated." The table fell silent.

Jonah chuckled when the group misinterpreted his reference, then decided to be more clear, after all, a joke wasn't a joke if it wasn't understood.

"I know your men are skilled and loyal," he addressed Leah, but I was referring to Granny Miggs, Miss Jemima Wigfall and Miss Arabella Mudd. Turn those three loose on anyone, and they will think Beelzebub himself is after them and they will turn-tail never to return!"

It was a pity there wasn't a way to accomplish that, for he truly believed those three ladies could put the fear of God into the Pope!

"At any rate, we'll just have to be vigilant and prepared, and we are forewarned, so that is in our favor."

Leah actually laughed, and laughed out loud. The very idea of those three women running off either her father and his men, or brother Case and his men was a mental picture that was hilarious. And it seemed it spread to Guyer as well. However Houser, Ellsworth, and the two Marshals sort of looked at them strangely, not quite getting Doctor Danforth's joke. But laughter has a way of worming it's way into a group of people, and within moments, all were at least chuckling, including Ellisworth, the most staid of the group.

As the laughter subsided Leah looked about the room and then said almost quietly; "I cannot guarantee what either my father or brother might or might not do, and to be frank, gentlemen, that scares me. Both have the will do do great harm. Both can be merciless. As to their men, I believe that they are cut from the same cloth, so yes, we need to to be vigilant, and we need to be prepared for most anything as both men can be unpredictable."

"I suspect nothing will happen until that first nail is driven. Until the property part of this is settled with the Town Council, which may be a struggle in it's own right, I doubt there's any cause for worry." Speed stated. "If, as you say, Case is headed back this way, well I would believe that they will resume the rustling we had suspected them of. Of course we had no proof, no county Sheriff to chase down rumors, or to follow up on tips. But with your order allowing me jurisdiction in the County, lending men these two men, I can, and will, follow up and do what needs to be done." Of course he was aware that the order was only good until the upcoming elections.

"Splendid!" House said emphatically, "Now, it has been a long trip and I would very much like to get some rest before we head back to the capitol. So if you'll excuse us, and thank you not only for your time, but your efforts in this matter. Leah, gentlemen." He said as he rose from the chair.

"Gentlemen." Jonah rose and extended a hand to the departing dignitaries, "it was a pleasure meeting you, and it gives me even more confidence that this project is going to succeed and be a benefit to the territory."

Never had he thought he'd be rubbing elbows with men such as these, and he wasn't really sure how he felt about it. But it was undoubtedly going to help Leah, and that was a very good thing!

Once the townsmen were alone, Jonah settled back in his chair, smiling at Leah. "Well, it certainly can't hurt your cause to have those men in your corner," he observed. "hopefully, their involvement will help speed the process. If the construction doesn't start in the next month or so, won't it be running up against the weather?" After all, Winter started early in the high mountains, and once the snow started, building would slow down considerably, if not stop altogether.

Once the townsmen were alone, Jonah settled back in his chair, smiling at Leah.  "Well, it certainly can't hurt your cause to have those men in your corner," he observed.  "hopefully, their involvement will help speed the process.  If the construction doesn't start in the next month or so, won't it be running up against the weather?"  After all, Winter started early in the high mountains, and once the snow started, building would slow down considerably, if not stop altogether.

"Oh yes, I suppose so, I need to speak with Matt Wentworth and see if the land sway could be rushed and that way well have the up and sturdy before the snow flies and it gets too cold to work on the project." She pointed out. "I believe that I have most of the Council on my side, save for Richard T. Orr. There's something about the man that says, all is not well with the project so long as he has a say about it."  She looked at Jonah a long moment, then said, "Thank you Jonah, your support for this project matters a great deal to me. I just wish Doc Boone was here."

"You're welcome, Leah." Jonah smiled as he looked at her, wondering just what could be accomplished if the men on the council had just half her moxie and brains. She was by far one of the stronger individuals he'd ever met, and praise God for the people of Kalispell that she had not chosen to follow the path that her father had set.

"I agree about Doc Boone," he chuckled, "I wish he was here, too, so he could take some of the responsibility...or at least tell me what needs doing!" While he was joking, he really would have appreciated still having the more experienced doctor here.

"As much as I'd like to think differently, the project has a long ways to go to see the light of day, I'm afraid. True, Dick Orr is just one man, yet somehow he carries a large sway in the manner of things around here. The coming election scares me."

Then she smiled, altering the mood and subject she said, "How nice to see the Governor here in out little town, concerned with the project he was able to help with over the winter. And Dutton Peabody, the little instigator. He put Sam and Lincoln up to it. He has a way about him, that Dutton. Wish he were back here, but Governors Aide, well we surely couldn't compete with that."