"Hello Ralph, Whiskey. I hear you people had a bit of scare today. Well, that sort of thing won't happen when I'm County Sheriff." Case stated, as if it were a foregone conclusion. "Not to demean Guyer or his Deputy Pike, but let's face it, the man hasn't the experience for the job and I have."

"Who was it got killed, and who shot the bank robbers? Guyer? Pike?" Came the next question. "Reckon as those two had their hands full with the mayhem." As he could be, Case Steelgrave was full of himself.

"One whiskey comin' up," Ralph reached for a bottle and poured a shotglass to the brim.

Case now blaggered the current lawmen, unfairly in Ralph's opinion and Ralph was not shy about sharing his opinions when he was a mind to.

"I disagree. Both Guyer and Pike did their jobs and with bravery. Seems to me you shouldn't be talkin' much considering you lost a whole town whilst you were at Whitefish," he commented dryly. If the man took offense he didn't care.

"Who was it  got killed, and who shot the bank robbers? Guyer? Pike?" Came the next question. "Reckon as those two had their hands full with the mayhem."

"Only casualty amongst the townfolk was Mr. Olsen, shot dead in the middle of the street when he called out a warning there was a robbery. As for the robbers, it seems one got away but he is being pursued by Guyer. It weren't my job to either count or identify the dead robbers, you'd have ta ask Pike or Guyer when he gets back. No clue when that might be," Ralph commented.

"Now as to who shot the devils, all I know is both lawmen and local citizens all did their part. That includes me. But what difference who shot 'em. Important thing is they got shot. "

"Well, then, I figured Guyer'd back water and Pike, well, no tellin' about hm." Case said laying a dollar on the bar top.

"Have me another. Now you mentioned that citizens did their part, don't sound to me like Guyer or Pike responded to the call. Sounds to me like the you townies had to defend Kalispell, shame. More of you might of been hurt. What you needed was a County Sheriff with gumption." He laughed at his own remark. It was time to let the town know that he would be running for County Sheriff.

Ralph dutifully poured him another shot glass, straight up to the brim, he did not stint on drinks, even to customers he didn't much like.

"I was involved, I know what I saw. You weren't there so you can say 'sounds like' all you want but the townsfolk know what happened. We got us a couple of fine lawmen already," Ralph countered.

"As for runnin' for County Sheriff, it's a free country, you do what you want," he shrugged. Matilda and him stayed out of local politics. Unless it would affect the business.

Just then two cowpokes came thru the swinging doors and went straight for the bar. Ralph knew 'em alright, two Evergreen hands, a rather odd couple they made. The young one always smiling and laughing and the bigger older man surly and sour faced most of the time. He also well recalled the older one, Greer, had been arrested back during the fall festival when he hit a local teenage girl. Not much to be proud of there.

"Well, the Lost Lake boys took their cattle, they're gone," Billy announced.

"Without so much as a thank ya, " complained Greer.

Billy leaned against the bar right next to Case, "Gimme a shot too, barkeep."

Then Greer chimed in, "Me too."

"You got it," Ralph set up two more shot glasses, he was trying to figure out what was going on with these jaspers. Was Case into cattle ranching now? Or just helping out old man Steelgrave with the Evergreen affairs.

He dropped another dollar on the bar, "These boys an' me drove some LL stock in to town here, and a couple Lost Lake boys headed them home" He bragged. "There's rustlers about." He tossed off his drink. "Just keep 'em comin', Ralph. You know, after the election I'll be able to put a stop to all that. Guyer can't do anything, got no jurisdiction."

"So, they take the cows alright?" he asked Billy and Greer.

"These boys an' me drove some LL stock in to town here, and a couple Lost Lake boys headed them home" He bragged. "There's rustlers about."

"Yeah, we found the cows," Greer was quick to explain to Ralph under the false assumption the veteran barkeep even cared.

"Just keep 'em comin', Ralph. You know, after the election I'll be able to put a stop to all that. Guyer can't do anything, got no jurisdiction."

Ralph nodded, leaving the bottle then right on the bartop, he had a feeling at the speed Case was downing his drinks, plus two new thirsty jaspers, that bottle might just end up empty.  The two Evergreen cowpokes took up their shot glasses. Greer downed his in one big gulp but seemed more prepared to take his time. Ralph doubted that the youngster was much more than seventeen, eighteen at the most.  Again not that Ralph cared, hell he had been drinking already when he had been thirteen.

"Well, if you're runnin' for his office, why will you suddenly have this here jurisdiction yer talking about? Or you planning on holding more than one office at a time?" Ralph asked.

Case was momentarily distracted asking the Evergreen hands, "So, they take the cows alright?"

"Yeah, it makes a body feel good ta know we went and done the right thing, givin' em back to their rightful owners n' all, "  Billy grinned.

"Yeah, yer saints, you are," Ralph drolled sarcastically.

"County Sheriff, I have jurisdiction in the county, even here in town, it's part of Flathead County an' that means I'll be able to deal with whatever problems crop up, whether Guyer an' Pike like it or not." Case stated flatly, he saw himself as already elected, having the believe no one would be running against him.

"Of curse I'll need deputies as there's a lot of ground to be covered, but it'll be worked out and they'll be deputies in every town within the county. We'll tighten it up good and proper."