Thursday afternoon found itself under grey skies, a light wind, and a constant drizzle. A poor time to ride into town for a dinner meeting with Speed Guyer, but then neither Ty nor Rip was complaining all that much. It spoke to them as something important. Temperatures had dipped to the fifties, a sure sign that the late fall was upon them.

At that same time, Barnabas and Em were leaving the Rockin' G in their buggy with the top on, though it would do little to protect them. Still, the slickers they wore would help a great deal in keeping them as dryas could be expected. Both were glad it was not raining.

Pike and Em knew what this meeting was about, a few things that had to be finished would be. There were the papers from the clerk that registered both claims, the Queen and the Falcon. Also, the corporate papers  Alice had named the other mine east of Kalispell on the day Speed had been shot. And it stuck. This would be a momentous occasion for all of them, so Speed and Alice pulled out all the stops, steaks and champaign were the order of the day.

They had chosen the hotel dining room for the space, and because of the food. The idea of meeting at the Lickskillet would have been just as nice, but the place would likely have been far too crowded with seating for seven and the need to be discussing business. Generally the dining room was none too busy on Fridays, compared to Saturdays when getting a table could be difficult.

Speed and Alice were already in town going over everything they believed would be necessary for the business meeting, and Amos was on hand to offer his thoughts on the whole thing. Not that he objected to his place in the fledgling corporation of theirs, which was also known as the Copper Queen Corporation.

With all of them present and their dinner orders in, Speed smiled, looking at what amounted to his favorite people gathering for this occasion. Granted it was business, but then, business took on a couple of forms, with Pike there was the law enforcement business they were partnered in, with their wives it was the matrimonial business, though Speed and Alice had yet to tie the knot, that would come soon enough, everyone in town knew that.

With Ty and Rip it was a business arrangement at the Queen, and one that was a real necessity for the corporation, something not everyone in town was aware of. Corporations were not commonplace in the everyday lives of most folks. With Speed, he was well versed in dealing with corporations as well as being a part of one himself with the Wood and Guyer Mining Corporation of New York. Something that seemed a lifetime away.

"I've ordered us a round of drinks, with sasparilla for young Rip here who I understand does a man's work up at the Queen. We've an announcement to make and a toast to make as well." Speed said just as the drinks arrived and were set before everyone.

"So first, as you know Alice, Amos, and I have formed the Copper Queen, and at this time we would like to announce formally that Barnabas and Emeline are full partners in this endeavor. Not real news I know, but what will be real news, we have decided to include, as full partners, Ty and Rip." He let that sink in.

Both Ty and Rip looked at one another unsure of the whys and wherefores of such a decision. Neither was aware this decision was going to going to be announced at this meeting, they had assumed this would be more about updating their responsibilities.

"Ah, dinner has arrived." Speed announced as one by one they were served. He stood, "To us and the Copper Queen!"

Barnabas looked over at Em with a grin, "It's all comin' together Em, it shorely is!" He was back to being relaxed and more himself than he had been on that long, wonderful trip they had taken, so his language began to vary between proper and the more everyday English of his ranch hands.

It was true that this partnership would be a change in things, they had a business that all of them had a stake in, and that was good, he believed. With the partnership in place, there were many things they could accomplish together, and that too was good.

"We can invest in needed machinery to get that ore out of the ground and off to the mills." He added, "And there's a second mine, the Falcon it has to be examined yet. Lots of possibilities out there, Em, lots of 'em!"

"Well," Speed began, "We don't have a proper mine per say. Yes, there is both a vertical and a horizonal shaft, both in the early stages and not all that far down, yet." He explained.

"Work on the mine was halted due to lack of funds to continue, that won't be our problem. And it will be different because we'll be using a hammer and chisel to extract the ore. There will be no dynamite explosions, the term would be stoping, which actually is the opening of large underground rooms, or stopes, by excavation or the ore. Stoping is practiced in underground mineral mining when the surrounding rock is strong enough to permit the drilling, blasting, and removal of ore without caving. Though  we'll not be blasting unless absolutely necessary."

"Ah yes, quite the same as the mines in Virginia City, Nevada. The shaft and stopes there are shored up usin' ol' Philip Deidesheimer's square set timbering, somethin' I think we oughtta look into for safety sake. Gives the stopes, an' the shafts more security against cave-ins." Pike added. "Now I ain't no miner, just a man with a bit of luck, but I've been in mines, several of 'em, and square set's the answer."

"Pay, yes, alright Pike, you know qhat the men in Nevada are getting, right?" Speed asked.

"Do. Four dollars a day. But not with food and lodging. Way I see it, five plus food and lodging, an' not some slop either, good hearty meals that a man can fill up on and give a good days work for us." Pike explained.

"Won't that cost us extra?" Alice asked unsure about such an arrangement.

"Well, yes, it will." Speed admitted. "We have a bunkhouse up there already, guess the former owner had the same idea. As far as wages, that would be more than fair to get the best men up here, and food? That really wouldn't be that big of an expense considering what we'll be putting in. I mean once we are bringing in a profit, that will simply be another expense divided between the seven of us, hardly a whole lot of money each."

"So now, whot we need is ta find us some men whot can handle the minin' operation. An'a cook on hand, not needin' ta bring grub in from, say,  the Lickskillet, no offense Missus Pike. But that's whot, twenty mile one way? Be a healthy tip ta someone ride that far. An' the grub'd be cold by then anyways." Amos pointed out.

Everyone looked toward Emeline, although they knew that a twenty-mile trek would hardly be cost-effective, or prudent by any standard.

"Might need to build a cookshack." Rip inserted into the conversation.

"Yes, a cook shack would be a necessity, to go along with the cook." Speed agreed as Barnabas looked at Emeline and whispered, "Maybe cookie would bring his chuck wagon up, but then you'd have another fifteen mouths to feed, bad idea."

"What was that Pronto?" Speed asked.

"Oh I was just thinkin' our cook that came up with the herd, but he has the hands to feed, but what if there was a man with some experience around here that could fill the bill. Somebody in need of a job." Pike responded.

"Sure, that would work out real swell." Rip stated and everyone laughed.