"You bet, Mike. Good to have you signed on. And I know that a direct assault on Lost Lake is nigh to impossible, but there are other ways. The place is really a fortress, or so I've been told by those who've been there. And the idea that Elias would use the town as a battlefield would not be a surprise, though I doubt that would be where he would start this ruckus. Out on the trail somewhere, I can see that, ambushing men out to get supplies and the like. That makes far more sense that some frontal assault." Said Pike.
"The idea of a fight in town is plenty scary, that's for sure. A lot of innocent people would stand to be hurt or killed. And, we really don't have the men to defend the place Not deputized anyway. I'm sure that anyone living in town would take up arms to defend Kalispell." The deputy added.
It would take some time to reach town for the men on the Rockin' P in the event of trouble, and he would surely send for them in the event of trouble, but he also believed that might be the last thing Elias would be willing to do. An assault on the town would bring the Army down on them, and there were a lot more soldiers at the fi\ort than Elias had men!
"And no one can say anything about you being a coward, not with family in town, and the inability to get out of Lost Lake in the event of trouble. Those high mountains are a real threat on either side of Ishmaels. That's for sure!" And that was a fact of having the ranch in a stronghold like it was. They couldn't get in, and those inside would have trouble getting out.
Mike smiled, "Yep those mountains make getting in a problem but it's the getting out that worries me and as I said one of the reasons why I want to leave Lost Lake. Shade and Quentin Cantrell are good bosses and I enjoyed working for them but it's time to for me to move on and think about my own family for a change. When I first got to Lost Lake it was me, Sam and Charlie...now I'm the only one left. My brother Sam, is set to marry Ella Abrecht in the summer and he's gone to live with them on their farm south of Smith Lake."
He neglected to tell Pike that the Albrechts were sheep farmers and he wasn't quite sure if the man knew about them or not. Thankfully, the region was too pre-occupied with the Steelgrave-Thornton feud to worry about some experimental sheep farm miles away.
"Well, I guess I'll be heading off now as I need to get back to Lost Lake and pick up my things. How about I start day after tomorrow?"
@ [Flip
"Day after tomorrow? Fine by me if that works for you. We'll have a bunk ready and waitin' for you, Mike." Pike said as they shook hands, the deal being done and both men happy about it. That Mike Wentworth wanted to be away from Lost Lake made sense in more than one way, being close to family.
That he didn't want to be involved in the coming troubles, well that could be looked at two ways, neither was any of his business, for he had known more than one man that had backed away from trouble he didn't need, even though that fella had sand in his craw enough for two men.