Elias was informed of the wound and hurried to the bunk house where Carson was laid out on a bunk. Doc Gilcrest, a former hospital-man in the Union Army was tending to the wounded man. Elias took Granger aside, "What happened?"
"Says he was on his way back when one of the Lost Lake riders stopped him. Said the man saw the brand and went for his gun. Carson killed him, but he had no choice. Took lead himself but Gilcrest said he'll make it, bullet went clean through, just lost a sight of blood."
"Damn it. I had hoped this wouldn't have happened. Things might just heat up if they trail him here." Elias said.
"I sent men out lookin' for a blood trail, and they'll take care of it. Goin' to follow the way he came in, all the way past the sodbusters place onto Lost Lake land, unless they see their riders, then they'll make like they're ridin' the fence line." Granger reported.
"I damn sure don't want trouble, not just yet. Soon, that's for sure, but not just yet." Elias stressed. "You make sure Carson gets whatever he needs, including plenty of rest and food. We'll need him when the time comes."
"Yessir boss, I'll see too it!" Granger replied firmly.
Gilcrest just finished sewing up the entrance and exit wounds, and wrapping the wounds with sheeting, then turned to his boss, "Carsons tough as nails, Boss. He'll need rest fer a couple days 'er more. Soups an' sech fer a while. He'll mend, might take a bit, but he'll be good as new afore long."
"Thanks Doc, We need him, but we'll give him all the time he needs to get right." Elias stated. "Like I said, whatever he needs, and, when he comes around, see if he's up to talking about what he learned."
"Yes sir." Granger said. "You never mind anything else, you keep an eye on Carson here.
"Shore thing, Granger. I'll see to it." Gilcrest promised. He had seen his share of wounded men and tended to any number of them during and after the war. Carson was, as he described, one tough customer!
Elias took Granger aside, "When Carson is up to questioning, find out what he knows. I want to have an idea about where the herds are and if we can get to them. That place is just one big problem, and I do know they tend to have cattle all over their range. Damned house is deep in the mountains and foothills, so it won't be easy no matter how you cut it."
"Sure, maybe a day, maybe less. He lost a good deal of blood getting back here, so he's got him a tale to tell about them cows of theirs. But he's weak, plenty weak. I'll see to it he gets lots of beef broth till he's up to chewin', he'll be talkative by then."
"Good, good. Need him back on his feet, good man Carson is. Like to have me a dozen just like him." Elias said.
"Hell boss, you already do. Maybe not as good, but damned close. The way they handled them would be rustlers oughtta be proof enough of that." Granger pointed out.
Elias smiled, "Yes, I suppose you're right about that. I don't get out with them like I used to, maybe I ought to."
"Couldn't hurt, and the boys'd enjoy seein' you out there with 'em." Granger agreed.
Without another word Elias Steelgrave walked back to the main house, it had not been loose talk about getting back out with the men and lending a hand they way he used to. He knew that it would do him good to get back to working his own spread, after all he and his sons had built the place.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Carson would be down a while, but, he had Gilcrest to look after him as he regained his strength. That may be a slow process, but after a good long sleep, he' would be talkative, and hungry so that would allow the cowboy to gather strength. A good diet of beef broth and then steak would get him strong again, not that his was weak, except from loss of blood.
Gilcrest was a good man to have, not every outfit had a man that could do the medical things that he could. Not many had the medical knowledge that he did. And the fact was, not a lot of the men out west could read. Gilcrest could, and had medical books which he continued to study. the men made light of his reading the books, but not so much after he saved a mans leg from amputation.
No one knew that Doc Gilcrest had his eye on a spot in that shiny new hospital, if it ever got built, and, no one knew that Gilcrest had not killed anyone since the war, when he had been forced to. They liked keeping him out of the action, it would not do to have hims killed or badly wounded. No, he was far too valuable. And he would be a real asset to the hospital staff, if it ever got built.
Of course, they might kill him anyway, if he went there to work. Meanwhile, it was caring for Carson that mattered.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Another problem reared it's head, just where was Brendan Connolly? They had one man down and another missing.
Arlen Granger stood in the bunk house noting that the bunk assigned to Connolly had not been used, or at least the disarray of the bunk was the same as it had been. So, one by one he questioned the hands at the morning meal, what he learned was the last anyone saw of him, he'd gone to town. It damn sure wasn't Saturday night either!
Gilcrest came into the room where the men were eating and said, "Carson's awake an' talkative." He was smiling, "A mite stonger'n I figgered him ta be. Talkin' about gettin' up and comin' ta breakfast, he is!"
"I'll be go ta hell." Granger exclaimed. "I need you to ride inta town an' drag Connolly back here. He ain't willin' he'll darw more'n his time!!"
"Yes'sir, I'm on my way." Gilcrest stated and headed out the door. Carson would be alright until he got back, 'Damn Connolly anyway!' He thought, this was the last thing he wanted to do.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Now, chasing down riders was not his favorite thing to do, and Connolly, who had been missing for a spell was not one of the men Rusty Gilcrest was fond of. He was a drunk and a womanizer, at least that was Rusty's opinion, whether true or not, mattered not. He did not like the man, period. He would do what he was told to do, that was his work ethic.
On the plus side of this mess he was now into, he had some jingle in his pocket, and that meant the Stardust, and a beer while he asked about Connolly. But there was this gnawing thought that Connolly had be fired, although it was dealing with Elias Steelgrave and what the boss said went. Simple as that.
If Brendan didn't like it, he could take it up with Granger or Elias himself who shot and killed the last foreman they had. Rusty was no gun hand, so standing up to Connolly was not an idea that was palatable. Not in the least.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Gilcrest walked into the Stardust Saloon, a place he'd not seen in months, but then going to town didn't hold the excitement it used to. He looked around, letting old eyes adjust to the dimness. But it was a bit cooler than outside. There was Ralph Flandry behind the bar where he'd been a fixture for quite a while, well ever since Gilcrest had come to Kalispell two or three years before. It was time for a beer!
"Hello Ralph, like beer, and if you know the whereabouts of young Brendan Connolly. He's wanted out to the Evergreen." Gilcrest quizzed while asking for the beer he been thinking about the last four or five miles. His hope was to get Brendan headed back without a lot of trouble, which didn't seem any too likely.
With Carson, down, Gilcrest and that useless Connolly both in town, Granger was taking stock of the men on hand, in the event that Lost Lake decided to try an raid on the Evergreen. Wouldn't be unheard of, though that sort of thing hadn't happened in some time where the hand were deployed against the other ranch.
He knew that he had more than enough men to defend the place if need be, and to mount a counter attack if one was called for. Elias had yet to unleash his men on the other spread, but Granger believed that that was close at hand. No matter that Carson was on Steelgrave orders when he went over to spy, shooting an Evergreen hand just didn't sit well, like killing a Lost Lake hand. There would be payment due on both sides, which actually made no sense either.
"Hello Ralph, like beer, and if you know the whereabouts of young Brendan Connolly. He's wanted out to the Evergreen."
Ralph looked up from counting out some coins in the money box below the bar, it was that Gilchrist jasper, one of the Evergreen bunch. The man had never specifically caused any trouble in the saloon but still, he was an Evergreen man. Ever since that day Ralph stood with the Marshal in that street confrontation, the bartender didn't much care for that ranch and those who rode for it.
"Hello...one beer it is then," he began to pour a glassful from the barrel spigot.
"As for Connolly, I ain't seen him around. And he don't keep me informed of his comings and goings. Fraid yer outta luck."
He set the glass down in front of Gilchrist, "It's a nickel."
Ralph damn well knew Brendan slept up in Caroline's bedroom on the nights but that was none of Gilchrist's business.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
"Dang. They'd be callin' for him back to the Evergreen, an sent me to fetch him." Gilcrest said. Then, in two swallows, the beer was gone. "Have me one more afore I go huntin' him." He laid a pair of nickles on the bar. "I thank ya, Ralph, knowin' it ain't none of your concern where that young fella is. He can shore get himself in a bind, though."
The second beer he took his time with. Kalispell wasn't so big that he'd have trouble locating Connolly. Whether or not he wanted to return he could only guess. What he would do was deliver the message, what Connolly did with it was his business, and Gilcrest would either ride back with him, or not, as the case may be. At that he smiled and took another sip of the brew.