"Well Judge Townsend, it is good to have you here, and what's more, sir, I believe the town is grateful as well," Phin stated, extending his hand. "Yes, I do realize the amount od rumors that float around, some I do believe have some truth to them, others, well those are unbelievable from the start."

"As to the railroad and its arrival, that will reveal itself in due time. I am sure that the information brought back here by Miss Steelgrave, along with the right of ways she gifted to the town, was on the level." He continued, "And with our fine newly elected mayor to lead the way, I am certain that Kalispell will grow and prosper in spite of the opposition. It has been a real pleasure, sir.

JulieS

That conversation with Judge Townsend had been a couple of ago, it seemed they finally had a full-time, forthright magistrate, and that was certainly what the town of Kalispell needed to move forward.

Forward, with the coming of the railroad and all that might mean for the town, both the positive and the negative aspects. As it passed the town it's 'Hell On Wheels would be all the local law could handle, if they had more deputies. He had seen it before, and knew what to expect from it, and those who were building it. Not the best of humanity that was for certain, but the men and women involved would pass by fairly quickly, it would be somewhat similar to locusts. But if the town stood strong, things would be alright.

At that moment as he stepped to the window and watched as a wagon and riders rolled past, Pronto and Missus Pike had returned and had men with them. Well, this was cause to celebrate!

Was that call for a special edition or just a mention in the regular weekly paper? He would give that some thought. And maybe a simple mention would be the most appropriate. He was sure that the couple had things to do in that big new house. And with were certainly Pike's plan to raise cattle, there would be a herd to gather, hands to hire, all those things that a ranch would require, and then, there was the matter of Marshal 'Speed' Guyer.

Pronto Pike was a gunman, pure and simple, but he was also now a man of the law, a married man with perhaps his first child on the way, and this ranch of his to build. That was a lot on his plate, and then too the question remained, where did all of this money come from? Oh, there were rumors of mining interests in Nevada that were paying dividends and it was true that he had lived frugally up until the marriage, so dividends could have piled up as they have a habit of doing.

Then the thought came to him looking over the street that he was able to see, what was going to happen in so far as the law in Kalispell was concerned? Were the two of them going to remain in office, or were either or both going to step away from the duties of Marshal and Deputy? Leaving young Charlie Wentworth as the sole practitioner of law in the town, there was Hannah Cory, but she had not been seen.

There were certainly more questions than answers, that was a fact of life in Kalispell these days. And the threatened range war between Lost Lake and the Evergreen, would that ever come to fruition?