"Thank you, Elias, well we're all ears if there's some idea of what you want going forward. Damn towns a mess, I'll tell you that. Why Wentworth's done nothing so far, no council meetings, nothing. And actually, that's good in a way. He's not interfering so far." Latham said as they all sat down for the coming breakfast.

"I've had a number of ideas while recuperating from this bout of pneumonia, light as it was. Ideas that may or may not benefit me." Ekias began, "Now, as far as the Town Council is concerned, Well, we'd have to kill too many people to take it over, and, if Wentworth is busy doing nothing then we're alright. I have considered this situation with the Lost Lake Ranch and really, there's not a lot of possibilities for taking it from Thornton, well, not at the moment anyway.

However, I am considering building a saloon with a brothel upstairs. I know we have the Stardust and there is the brothel in operation already, but I'm thinking some competition might be good and so far that one is the idea I favor the most."

"That seems like it would start a 'range war' of a different ilk," Ashworth observed. "This Fortner fellow that has it now will be no pushover, he, and this 'Judge' Hiram Priest won't take your intrusion lying down."

"That, I'm afraid would be their short-sightedness," Elias said as the food arrived, steaks, bacon, eggs, and potatoes as well as, more coffee. "In fact, I might propose that you deliver a letter of my intentions to this Fortner, and this Priest character be damned. It would be the neighborly thing to do."

"I can certainly do that, and a copy to the madam, or whoever owns the whore house announcing your intentions. That will most certainly grasp their limited attention. Now I will say that announcing your plans in such a manner will cause some trouble. How much is hard to say. I mean I don't know that either has henchmen available, certainly not in the number you have."

It grew silent as they filled their plates and cups and began eating. This was quite unusual to say the very least, breakfast at the Evergreen with an almost jolly Elias Steelgrave? Unheard of.

As they feasted on bacon, steaks, eggs, potatoes, and toast they were quiet until Elias, while buttering his toast, looked up and said, "Thinking of building and opening a saloon and brothel, one that would rival the 'Windbag' in Helena, it's got a brothel as well, but I want to put it to shame. There's mining around here, fact is, we seem to be attracting prospectors at a fairly regular rate."

"Well then, you should know that Guyer has brought up a couple of copper mines here." Latham reported. "One's right above your property to the north. The other's out past the Lost Lake Ranch, hasn't started hiring or even working either claim, as yet."

"Well, you see, this could be a really good move. Now I know there would be a great deal of expense to start up this idea of mine, but gentlemen, I believe there's a profit to be made." Elias stated with a smile. This was rare indeed for the two guests. "Look, if my upstart daughter can build a hospital, why the hell can't I build a saloon? Seems more than reasonable to me. And think of it, we'll bring in girls from Kansas City, I've connections there. The youngest and the best whores we can get!"

Both Ashworth and Latham were flabbergasted, Elias Steelgrave had included them in this scheme he had concocted, but truth be told, it was not some hair-brained scheme, it was actually doable. The competition was no longer what it might have been had Matilda Deverau not sold out. In fact, she may well have given this idea is Steelgraves a run for its money!

"Now this business with the current owner and this what was his name? Priest? Well, he can, of course, stay in business or he can sift through the ashes. What I mean to say gentlemen is that I'm taking a live and let live approach to this. I don't intend to get off on the wrong foot here. But then again, if it's a fight Fortnoy wants, why, it's a fight I can most certainly deliver. Food's good, no?"

"That's FortNER, Elias, Franklin Fortner, and as I said, I have no idea of any henchmen he might have in his employ, but then too, he could hire." Latham corrected, and then surmised what Fortner might do.

"Now you see, that would be a fatal mistake on his part. I mean seriously gentlemen, why between myself and Case, my son, we could likely rout the soldiers at the fort with our numbers, let alone a handful of hired men." Eliias laughed at the thought. "But I don't want any trouble with the Stardust, not at all. I always thought that there was room for any number of drinking establishments in town. I miss the White Rose, that was a classy establishment."

"You do have a point, Elias, and what is it you have in mind for us? Latham here can certainly handle any paperwork that would be necessary, maybe a corporation?" Nolan Ashworth suggested.

"Easily done, Elias. A corporation might just be the thing, not really a popular item out here, but flourishing in the East. I can certainly handle the legalities, make a formal presentation to the Town Council whenever you are ready, as I'm sure it will be required. Not sure how they would react, but it's a business and that's tax revenue, and, there are no laws restricting the number of saloons or brothels that I am aware of either here or in the county. I mean, the capitol has several of each and a red light district as well."

Elias sat back, wiping his mouth with the linen napkin. He smiled. "Yes, I think this just might be the venture we should embark upon. The Evergreen Corporation, gentlemen. Yes indeed."

"Now Elias, creating the corporation is simply a matter of some paperwork, much of which I can accomplish for you, all that would then be required would be your signature." Latham informed him, "It is as I said, a simple enough matter, however, the fly firmly embedded in the ointment, as it were, is the Town Council." He paused.

"Exactly my thought, Elias, exactly." Ashworth jumped in, "However, Cole here may well have glossed over the main obstacle here, your lack of popularity with most of the town, and especially with Mister Matthew Wentworth, our new Mayor, and of note, our new judge, replacing Judge Robertson, who left us high and dry, as you will recall."

"Yes Elias, he is what is called a civil court Judge, quite different from one who hears criminal matters, and he is far from Robertson, as far as being 'persuaded' to see things our way. Getting around him, and the Town council, that sir, will be a real trick." Latham explained.

Elias had said nothing so far, though his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed. "You both are telling me that they may quash any plans I might have to build a saloon in Kalispell? Seriously? He demanded. "Somehow I don't find that all that hard to believe. And neither of you was kind enough not to mention my dear, sweet, hospital building daughter, yes, I see."

"Now there may be a way of getting around all of the unpleasantries that might befall this plan of yours. Some have chosen to have a spokesperson, or proxy to represent them in public, keeping their identity private." Cole told Elias, "That could be easily arranged, for a price, no doubt. You won't want anyone you know to serve as that frontman, or who knows, or had ever done business with you."

"I would suggest that you write Carson Tyndall. A wire carries too much risk and that Hector Wigfall? Not the most reliable to keep his mouth shut about anything." Ashworth stated flatly.

Elias drew a deep breath and let it out, thinking.

Grothe stood waiting outside the back door, hat in hand, awaiting a moment with his boss. This killer of men, women, and children alike stood humbly waiting on the moment he would tell his boss that Nate Vernon was dead and that he was the man responsible for the raid on the Redmon farm that left him dead, and his son, Cases man Knox wounded, and possibly dead.

It had been a drunken lark, and no one thought the sodbusters would fight back, but they had. Unlike most farms that Cases men had attacked, there had been no casualties of his men. So this was not about to sit well with either of the Steelgraves. Not at all. He knew that well enough, and there was Elias Steelgrave's instability, though he was not drinking, that in and of itself was no guarantee that Grothe would walk out of that house alive. This would not be an easy task.

There were men in the bunkhouse who wanted to ride back and burn them out, leave no one alive, and they had the men to reduce the farm to ashes and slaughter everyone there all that they needed was the word from Elais to ride out and do it, that is if his son's men didn't get it done first.

He waited.

"Well then," Elias began, "What we have is a conundrum. Can't trust the telegraph, in fact using the wire out of Columbia Falls would possibly be intercepted by young Master Wigfall, and you are correct, the beans, as it were, would be spilled and our plans known to the world, or at least Wentworth, and we can't have that just yet."

"Hardly," Cole said. "And, actually a letter, well a letter will take time to reach Helena and Tyndall."

"Possibly, up to ten days depending on any number of things that might interrupt or delay service. Indians for one." Ashworth chimed in with his expertise in the matter. "Weather and a dozen other unforeseen difficulties that might delay delivery, up to and including the post office in Helena." He shook his head in disgust.

"A rider could make the trip in several days if he were to have mount changes along the way." Cole Latham suggested.

"And that, my friends, would be as reliable as the mail or Mister Wigfall, so here is what I suggest doing." Both men looked at him wondering what this plan would be.

I will ride into town and see young Wigfall myself, and after the visit, I believe there will not be a problem with a wagging tongue." Elias smiled, "Or, an accident might befall the Wigfall boarding house, or perhaps his dear mother. These things happen you know."

Both men laughed, as did Elias. It was the perfect plan, the simplest plan, and one Elias was convinced would work.

The two Steelgraave lackeys, attorney and postmaster, having heard and agreed to the entirety of Elias' plans, as there were now more than one, bid their boss farewell and left the house. Granted both men would have their thoughts on the matter of a new saloon and brothel, knowing that they would likely play a large part in the running of the place, which meant prostitutes at their beck and call. The best whiskey that the house had, and it would have the best available, that was how Elias did business, top drawer all the way!

Steelgrave watched them ride away knowing that the two were sold on all of it, even if there was an accident to happen to the Wigfalls and their boarding house, it wasn't like it was Linda Everson. wherever she ended up after selling out. 'Oh well, water under the creek.' He said to himself. "Now this other mess." He said aloud and started for the back door.

"Get in here, Grothe. What's wrong with you? If I wanted anything to happen to that nester Aurelian Redmond I would have ordered it!" He shouted, "Nothing will bring back the Territorial Marshalls faster than anything that I might have done, whether I did or not! Damn you! Damn you ta hell!" And the forty-one caliber revolver was in his hand aimed at Grothe's forehead before either man could blink.

"Sir, Mister Steelgrave wait a minute. It was a mistake, all a big horrible mistake. It was a couple of your son Cases men were drinkin' with us in town and it was, it was just a lark gone wrong." Grothe pleaded.

"Gone wrong? Gone wrong? You gawddamned right it went wrong! We got a man dead, and, and Case has one wounded, so what's yer plan to deal with the repercussions on this, this mess you've created? Huh? What?"

"Gotta either wipe 'em out, 'er let it die down." The last part was said softer. No one wanted to look like they backed down.

"Yes Grothe, we're letting it die down unless they, or the Lost Lake move on us. Then we'll wipe them both off the face of Montana! You and the boys do yer drinking here on the ranch. I want no more mistakes, not more larks. Redmonds time will come, but not til I say so, that clear?"

"Yes sir, crystal clear. No Larks, no mistakes, no trouble." Grothe knew he had just cheated a bullet. Was he angry? Of course, he had just looked down the barrel of a pistol that would have killed him. Everyone knew he had shot his foreman in the very room he stood in. "You have my word, Boss."

"Good. I'll hold you to that," and Ellias lowered the pistol. The fire in the older man's eyes was evident, and the chance he would have fired was without doubt. "Now get out. Get out and tell all the boys what I said. Next one that screws this up, I'll kill him myself!"

Continued in 'A Trip To Town.'