"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Posted January 18, 2020
:: continued from A Rainy Day in Montana ... ::
Speed was in the office early as usual, it was not even daylight yet and wouldn’t be for the better part of an hour. The heavy leaden clouds expelling the rain that fell on the town made a pleasant tapping sound that could easily beckon sleep.
The fire in the stove began to radiate heat against a temperature of thirty-five degrees, not unusual for Montana in September. Before him were the latest circulars for those the law wanted found and bound over for trial. There were no familiar names, and none from Kalispell, which for the town Marshal was a relief. Temporary he thought, people came and went, headed in all directions, though mostly west. Though once in a while a circular would name a person who had stayed in town, and then it became his responsibility to make the arrest.
As the room heated up, the buffalo coat became too warm to wear, allowing him to remove it and hang on the hook by the door, under his hat. He walked to the window and looked out onto the main street, now a deeper shade of brown with pools forming where indents had been before. Wet and muddy, that was the order of the day, and along with that, breakfast. The clock on the wall read five forty-seven, the café would open at six and though his stomach made rumblings about being fed, he felt no rush.
As he stared out at what he could see of what was Kalispell Trail to the edge of the town, then Main Street to the opposite edge, and the trail again. He wondered about the Pinkerton agent, Jack Asher, and his quest to locate the wanted girl, he hadn’t seen him around.
Pronto Pike stood before the window of his room, peering out into the graying dawn and the steadily falling rain. His plans had been to take a ride toward where he’d been shot, but that plan was dashed before it started.
He was now close to one hundred percent, his deftness with his guns had returned and he was anxious to seek some answers, even though the trail was long gone. He shook his head in disappointment, though it was not like the rain would last forever, but the seasons were changing and it might be raining this morning, it could quickly turn to snow.
As was his habit in new country, he study everything about it, soon enough there would be days with only four hours of daylight, moderate to heavy snows all of which would limit his ability to hunt for this unknown shooter. That may not come until spring, and there was nothing he could do about that.
Even though his immediate plans had been thwarted by Mother Nature for the time being, there was always coffee at the café, after his breakfast in the dining room there. No sense aggravating Missus Everson, he would still be laid low if it had not been for her.
He pulled his open face pocket watch noted that it was time to head downstairs for breakfast. Then perhaps a walk to the café and that waitress of theirs.
The view from the suite was depressing.
Leah Steelgrave stood observing the disaster that nature had provided for her. There were things to do, things to get started for this new venture of hers, as well as the one with Jonah, and the as yet unmet Miss Mercer.
Wires needed to be sent, but by her in person. She dared not trust the telegraph operator with the messages delivered by someone other than herself. Both the outgoing and the incoming responses unless she herself spoke to him to assure his silence. So far that had not been a problem so long as she had made sure he was apprised of the consequences of a loose tongue.
Sheets of delay fell from the heavens, holding up progress on her future, but then weather was to be expected, and she wanted the initial correspondence to be completed as quickly as possible in reference to the best possible routes the railroad would use, if not the exact one.
She was well aware there were to be things she would have to do to ensure that not only the land purchases, but those plans for the hospital and the orphanage would succeed as planned. Her realization was, that she would need to ensure the safety of both Jonah and Miss Mercer in all of this. Though, a Jonah had said, she was on a cattle drive and that said a lot to Leah Steelgrave.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Author: Bongo
At the hotel, there was a rapping on Leah's door, a bit louder than might be deemed proper, but it had to be heard over the downpour. "Miss Steelgrave?" came the voice of the day manager, "you have a...caller downstairs."
Leah turned from the window and asked, "Who would be out on a day like this?" A bit mystified by the idea of a caller. She moved to the door and opened it. "Could you be a bit more specific, sir? I was not expecting anyone to call."
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Posted January 19, 2020 / Author: Bongo
"It's a boy, his name is Weedy," the man explained, "runs chores for folks around town, he says he has a message from the doctor." Just about everyone in town knew of the tow-headed ten year old, that his mother was an alcoholic and his dad had run out on them. The lad was more than happy for the attention he got helping out here and there, although he spent most of his time at the livery helping Miss Addy.
"But of course, what could bring Weedy out on a day like this?" She asked as she started out the door with the day manager. "Well lets go o down so that I might see what the young gentleman wants."
Pulling the door closed behind her she stepped out after the man. "I, probably like everyone else in town had plans for the day. Nature I see had other ideas for anyone wanting to be out of doors." She said as they went down to the lobby.
"Master Weedy, what can I do for you?" She half turned. "Thank you, sir. "Now young man, why are you out in this weather?"
"But of course, what could bring Weedy out on a day like this?" She asked as she started out the door with the day manager. "Well lets go o down so that I might see what the young gentleman wants."
Pulling the door closed behind her she stepped out after the man. "I, probably like everyone else in town had plans for the day. Nature I see had other ideas for anyone wanting to be out of doors." She said as they went down to the lobby.
"Master Weedy, what can I do for you?" She half turned. "Thank you, sir. "Now young man, why are you out in this weather?"
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
It was going to be a slow day, not much happened when it rained, at least not anywhere he'd been other than during the war. Then weather was used as cover, sometimes for scouting the Rebs, sometimes for moving troops, and sometimes for quick strikes. Here, none of that applied.
He walked back to the desk, where there was really nothing to do. There were no prisoners, all the circulars were read and waited to be filed, or posted if the fugitives were in Montana, or close enough to warrant his attention.
His guns were cleaned and oiled, so that was another time consumer that didn’t need doing. Just before he sat down again, he straightened up, walked to the peg on the wall where his slicker hung. He had thought ahead, fall and winter were just coming on. A Buffalo coat hung next to it, he retrieved his “fish” and pulled it on, took down his "John B" and set on his head, pulling down with his right hand from the back of the crown. Turning he went to the door, opened it and stepped out.
There was a slight breeze scattering the droplets in all directions, including his. He bowed his head and strode forward in the direction of the cafe.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Posted January 20, 2020
Phinn’s walk to work was from one room to another. Actually it was an added lean-to behind the storefront where the Union office and printing press was. Excitement had dwindled since the Pinkerton news, and the bear before it. Local news was exactly what one would suspect of a small town in north-eastern Montana.
He had been up for a while, had fixed himself a simple breakfast of toast and his last egg with the coffee he brewed. Now it was sitting at his desk, looking out at the rain which rattle on the tin overhang as he dealt himself a hand of solitaire to ward off the boredom.
There just wasn’t a great deal of news to be had, oh there were rumors, of course, but he prided himself on facts. There was nothing of real interest, oh Leah Steelgrave was in town, and yes she had been see at dinner with Doctor Danforth at the Belle-St. Regis Hotel, but that was far from earthshaking. Then there was the rumor of something going on to the north, and the Steelgrave name had been mentioned.
He wanted more on the cattle drive, but that, along with news of the Army moving into the territory, would have to wait. That too seemed to be just rumors. The only real news was the rain, and his inability to play the red four he held. Perhaps a walk to the café, it was only a few steps away, and he had seen the Marshal headed in that direction.