"Now that's interesting, Hannah, I'd not heard any details, I just know that Leah showed up in my office last winter with the right-of-ways, all signed and sealed. Judge Robertson was here or came in. He took them, looked them over, and that was the last we saw of those papers. Of course, for the moment I never gave it much of a thought, but the way things have turned out, well, I would have to reconsider my appraisal of the whole thing. That would include the Judge and what connections he has." Speed had thought the papers would be safe with Robinsin, but as he recalled, they were never displayed during any of the hearings about the hospital. They were mentioned but never actually displayed.

"Was I the suspicious type, I just might be on the lookout for a good attorney to look into the whereabouts of those right-of-way deeds? Those are probably worth their weight in gold, and in the wrong hands, well, no telling what might be built out there. Once it's out where the railroad plans to lay track, I'm sure you get my meaning. The last thing we need is saloons, gambling halls, prostitution, more than we have already, and opium dens. They seem to be springing up just about everywhere anymore. And with characters like Prince and Fortner about, well, we need to insure as best we can that the wrong element isn't holding those papers." Which got him to thinking about Robinson and the right-of-ways.

"I can certainly appreciate that. The railroad will be both a boon and a problem. A boon for the town, and a problem for the law. But what I see is not so much the man with a gun Hannah, as the man in a suit. Swindlers, card sharps, gunmen, all manner of men out to get rich off of the people of this town. Added to this mix the problems we already have, Bpth named Steelgrave, Elias, and podical son Case.

The threats of a range war are more real than a lot of folks think, rustlers have hit a couple of ranches already. I'm not sure what that means, except trouble." The door opened and in walked Tyrell with a boy in tow.

"Marshal, this here young fella was walkin' in from his home. Seems there was some men who shot down his Pa, then burned the place to the ground with his ma and sister trapped inside." He noticed the lady, "Ma'am." He greeted removing his hat. Then to Speed, "So that's what I know." There was a change in his demeanor as if there was a bad taste in his mouth."This here's Billy Caron, like to be called Rip."

"What in blazes?" Speed exclaimed, "Who would have done this? So young fella, what was it Rip? What can you tell us?" Speed asked. "Get the boy that extra chair over there, if you want there's one next door." He told Ty. "You take your time, you want anything just say so."

This was unheard of in the Valley, burning out farmers. Murdering people and he knew why, but proving 'who' would be a whole different animal. Now there was a boy without a family to deal with, and that alone might be a real challenge after his Pa's place was burned out, and the rest of the family killed. It was an outrage, plain and simple.

"Well sir, I don' know much. I could hear shouting and then some shooting before the house was set a fire. Ma and Abby was screamin', an' cryin', an' carryin' on." He paused, tears welling up in his eyes.

"It's alright son, take your time. Want some water" Speed asked, the boy shook is head in the negative.

"Along about then, as I started for 'em, something hit me an' the next thing I knowed, it was light out. I managed to get the burnt lumber offa me an' scramble free. That's when I saw Ma an' Abby, well, what was left of 'em. I made it outside where Pa had been shot and kilt, so I started walkin' and he stopped and picked me up. 'sall I know."

Speed looked to Ty, "And you went back?"

"It's like the boy said. Place is a loss, stock run off, or killed. No reason I can see for this, a long ways from any ranch lookin' fer more graze." Ty said. "Jest meanness."

"First thing, the boy needs cleanin' up and some new clothes. Maybe a Lickskillet meal." Speedsaid with a smile, which did not reflect how he felt at all.

Tag; Stormy

"Seems fair enough." Speed agreed, looking to Ty as he got to his feet.

"Sure, I got no problem with that, none at all." Tyrell stated.

"I don't mind going with Mister Thornton we talked on the way here, it wouldn't be so bad." Rip affirmed. "Be somethin' differ'nt than farmin', I'd like that." Which caused everyone to smile.

"Well then, we'll see what Miss Mercer has to say on the matter, and then get on with it." Speed agreed, "I'll walk out with you, Hannah. Things to get done, people to see, that sort of thing. " As he started out opening the door for her, and then stepping out just after her. and was half tuned to speak to her when the bullet slammed into him, driving him backwards into the door frame, and then dropping him to the floor before they ever head the report.

Ty drew his pistol and stepped over the prone body of the Marshal looking for the assailant, but seeing no one.

Like any boy, the sound of the gunshot caught Weedy's attention, and he darted out of the stage barn where he was helping to clean tack.  Addy was in one of the paddocks, so she wouldn't have time to intervene and spoil his curiosity, and he wasn't going to pass up this chance!

Running into the street, it wasn't hard to see where the fuss was...there was a small group gathered outside the courthouse, so he headed that way, only to have a number of things assail him at once -- someone was on the ground (had Marshal Guyer shot someone?), and several people were gathered around the figure in the doorway, including Miss Hannah. 

And it was the lady deputy who called to him.  "Weedy!  Fetch Doc Danforth!"  There was no nonsense in her tone, and Weedy spun in the middle of the street, running back for the barn as Hannah elaborated.  "Speed's been shot!"

That only spurred the boy on, and he darted into the big barn, going straight to the stall where he kept Teme, his Indian pony.  He was throwing on the halter when Addy caught up with him.

"Weedy!  What's goin' on?"  Addy had heard the shot, but gunshots weren't unusual, and normally didn't mean anything, although she was going out to look when Weedy had dashed past her.

"Marshal Guyer's been shot!" the boy called as he swung up onto paint horse, "Miss Hannah told me to get the doc!"  And with that, he was urging the horse to a gallop before they even left the barn.

"Weedy!"  Danged kid!  Shouldn't be out doing this alone, and besides, Doc Danforth was going to need a ride, and that Indian pony wasn't it! 

Shaking her head, she grabbed her bridle and tossed it on Arabesque, and was after the lad in a few seconds...

Quentin Cantrell walked out of the General Store, having dropped off their regular supply order. He had started bringing it in once a week to the Store, and it also allowed him to do any ranch business or personal errands on a regular basis. It also allowed for the supplies to be delivered regularly out to Lost Lake so they didn't have to wonder about the supplies the ranch consumed running out unexpectedly. Quentin inhaled the fresh air of the morning and stepped aside to let a woman walk into the General Store, reaching up with his free hand to tip his hat slightly before he walked down the sidewalk a few paces. He glanced over and then sat down in a wooden chair placed against the wall of the Store's front. He leaned back on the rear legs and fished in the paper sack in his hand, coming out with a piece of hard candy that he popped into his mouth. Ostensibly, Quentin always picked up a bag of hard candy for the children each week when he was in town. That was a deal he had made with them when they found out he would start being town regularly. Quentin figured the few he had between buying and arriving back at Lost Lake was just a Candy Tax...perfectly legal for his troubles. Quentin sat in the chair and watched the passerby while making a list of the things he still needed to do and the places he needed to stop by before he headed back...

The booming sound from down the street brought Quentin's head around with a snap. If someone was firing a gun in town without very good cause they would be in a lot of hot water with Marshal Guyer. Speed was an easy going sort as lawmen went, but he had the things he would not tolerate, and gunplay in town was right at the top of the list. Quentin blinked and looked down, not even realizing he had come to his feet, the chair laying sideways on the sidewalk beside him. He could see people on the street reacting as people do...some people headed away from the sound as quickly they could move, and a few drifting in that direction out of curiosity, thrilled something had happened to remedy another boring day in Kalispell. Quentin started walking quickly in the direction of the gunshot.

Quentin's eyes glanced around, not seeing anyone with a weapon in their hand and not hearing any additional shots reassured him, but he was still curious as to what could cause someone to fire a shot at this time of morning. He could hear some faint shouting and saw that young boy from the stable...Weedy, he seemed to recall...running full out back toward the stables from the direction of the municipal building. Quentin's brow furrowed and he hurried his pace, not quite running as he headed in the direction of the courthouse. He began to pick out some comments from the people scattered about. When he heard someone say something about the marshal being shot, Quentin tossed the bag of candy aside and his hand swept down to clear his Smith and Wesson from leather. He held it ready as he broke into a run, he could see someone on the ground in the doorway of the building, and someone...a female, crouching over them. He could see blood on the clothes but could not tell who was shot or where. He came to a stop beside the man on the steps. He had turned toward him reflexively as he approached, obviously seeing the weapon in his hand but holding his fire since Quentin was pointing his weapon at the sky and had one hand up, palm out. Quentin nodded at the man as he looked down at the pair in the ground.

"What happened? Who got...Marshal!" He said as he saw Speed's face. He registered Hannah as the woman trying to help him. He saw blood on both of them and his stomach sank inside. "Are you shot?" He asked as Hannah looked up at him.

Hannah was relieved to see Quentin, "No. Marshal is the only one hit. Shot came from that closed up shop next to the Stardust, I think. At least I saw what looked like a puff of gun smoke." She shifted her position slightly, "Weedy Porter's gone for the doc. I hate to leave him on the street, but I'm afraid to move him."

Quentin turned and looked at the empty store Hannah indicated. He watched closely for several moments then looked around for any other sources of danger. "I think if they were still there they would have kept firing...we should probably leave him where he is until the Doc gets here." Quentin looked at the wounded man. "Marshal! What do you want us to do? Stay or go after them?"

@Stormwolfe

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