Cole sighed heavily as his head dropped a bit, "For Godsakes Elias, his boys are left without leadership? I mean such as any outlaw might lead."

"Now those boys know that when he gets back, whenever that is, there'll be hell to pay for anything any of them might have done, and that, my friends, will be terminal. His discipline comes out of the business end of a gun!"

"Elias, anything they do between now and when he returns will be laid at your feet, no matter what he might do to those he finds guilty," Nolan said. "I'm afraid that Kalispell is becoming somewhat unforgiving these days with killings. It's not like it was common practice here."

Elias simply shook his head. "Gentlemen, I have no desire to ride roughshod over this community, that would not be in our best interests, now would it? No, and with the railroad coming, whenever that might be, we need to be as clean as we can be, no legal entanglements, no range wars that cannot be helped, and for Christsake, no open gunfights, no raiding farms, none of that. There's money to be made, and I want a cut." Elias seemed firm about it all.

"And that would mean letting Thornton off the hook?" Latham asked, somewhat shocked.

Elias laughed, "Well, not so's he'd notice. But whatever happens, I'd prefer it looked as if the Thornton crowd had a hand in starting whatever it was. I mean, I can't stop everything that might happen between Evergreen and Lost Lake." Elias commented, knowing that what he had said was the truth, the men he hired were not children he could lord it over. They were apt to do whatever, whenever, to whoever on the spur of the moment. He could ensure that there be no action taken against the Lost Lake Ranch itself.

"I have sent the wire to Helena, just waiting for a reply before doing anything more on the saloon idea." He was smiling about that.

The telegraph response from Helena arrived and was in the hands of Elias Steelgrave, he was none too pleased with the legal advice he had received.

"Well, it seems that my attorney in Helena, Carson Tyndall has gotten wind of the shooting, and for that matter, I have no idea who would have wired him about it, but he is saying that I need to lay low until this matter with Miss Wigfall is settled." He informed them, "Wigfall may have sent word, and perhaps the lad has finally done something right!"

"I know that Tyndall's no slouch when it comes to this sort of thing, and actually, I agree with him on this." Latham said, "You being out of the limelight while all of this transpires might just be the best thing going forward. I know you'd like some measure of revenge, but perhaps that isn't the wisest course of action, and honestly, Elias, building a saloon and brothel can be done any time."

Ashworth smiled a wicked smile, and that gives you all the more time to plan how your place will look and how it will be run as well as by whom. Yes, this might be a God-send rather than a setback."

Elias shook his head slowly from side to side, "Not often I get a really good piece of advice, but boys, this one makes perfect sense. Let the law handle Miss Wigfall, let them do what they will, there are much bigger fish for us to fry!"

And all three laughed as Latham refreshed their drinks.