"I'd think you'd be at the Lost Lake." Speed said, somewhat surprised, "Or am I jumping to conclusions here?

"Fraid not Marshal, don't appear to be needed up there, so, I figured I'd come an' see what you had, or knew of." Ty responded with a matter of fact tone.

"Now aren't you the one up from New Mexico Territory? That's a long ride?" Guyer asked.

"Yes sir, I am, an' yes sir it was. I" ain't vagrant, I've still got cash money to pay my way, but it's gettin' slim, and I can't count on no promised job that ain't materialized." Was the man's answer. "I thought to ride on out there, but I waited on some riders for the place, they come alright and we spoke, they left an' I'm here."

"Ever do law work?" Guyer wanted to know.

"Can't say as I have, sir, but they ain't lookin' for me neither. Was foreman on a spread outside'a Lordsburg most 'o my grow'd life."

Speed looked the guns, "A man packin' a pair bespeaks law or-"

"No sir, we had Apache trouble, some with Mex banditos. Paid to carry two." Ty informed him.

"Then you've had no experience with mining at all?" Guyer asked.

"Can't say as I have."

"You know, what I could use is a man to keep watch out to our mine. Be room and board, forty a month until we get some men up there as security, then if you were a mind to, you could stay on." Speed watched the man for his reaction and was happy with what he saw.

"Yes sir, I believe you got yourself a man." Ty exclaimed.

"Good, we'll make up a list and get you outfitted and pack animal." Both men exchanged a hand shake across the desk. Alice smiling.

"Just startin' 'er up then, I take it." Ty observed. "I could do that easy enough. And I like the offer, Marshall."

"Speed. Yes, in fact we have a man out getting ore assayed, her father, This is Alice Fletcher a partner in the Copper Queen, and my fiance."

Ty swept off his hat, "Whar's my manners? Ma'am. Pleased ta meet you."

"And I you, Mister Thornton. Welcome to Kalispell and to the company I think you fit right in." Alice greeted. She looked to speed, raised her eyebrows as if to say 'well', He smiled.

"You need to know this, we sit above the Steelgrave's Evergreen Ranch, I don't know how Elias, the owner, and a real problem, is going to take his new neighbors. He thinks he's the big dog, but not everyone agrees with that. I'd bet that's why you were sent for, but the length of time it must have taken you to get here, well, whatever the reason, it may have taken care of itself." Speed explained at length.

"Then you think there might be trouble from this Evergreen Ranch, well that'd be nothin' new. But good to know. I ain't hardly afraid to be up there lookin' at that possibility." Ty admitted.

"And really that's all it is, a possibility. Hopefully we'll have no trouble with the Evergreen, but again, that remains to be seen." Speed offered.

"Well then, when do I start?" Ty asked.

Ty looked from Speed to Alice, and back to the Marshal. "I'd say you've got yerself a guard fer that mine 'a yers."

"Good. That takes a real load off. I'm thinkin' when Cook and McNue get back I'll ask 'em to swear you in a s their Deputy." Speed stated with a smile. "Give you some authority. I can furnish a shotgun if you like."

"Sure, nothin' like a street howitzer to even the odds." Ty said. 

"I'll see to some food you didn't cook yourself gets up there time to time." Alice offered.

"Obliged, Ma'am, now this Steelgrave bunch, and I fgger there's a passel of 'em, you figger there to be trouble right off?"

"Now that's the question, and I've no answer for it. Could be, or maybe not, it all depends. Knowing what Elias Steelgrave will do next is anybodies guess."

"And Speed, you need to tell him about the hospital." Alice piped up.

"Hospital? Heard somethin' 'bout it." Ty said.

"Elias' Daughter, Leah bank rolled the right of ways and traded them for land to build a hospital and an orphanage. Elias don't like that, but there's not a lot he can do about it. Supplies and carpenters are on their way here right now." Speed informed him.

"Looks ta me like we got us a bucket fulla rat'lers. He may wait on the mine til he settles with this, however that's gonna be." Ty replied, not liking the possibilities at all.

"You'll need to meet her, the woman has iron for a backbone." Alice stated. She admired Leah for what she was doing. "Now I might be a bit cautious about Elias, once my Pa gets back with the assay report and word gets out, providing it's a rich as we believe it to be, well, things will certainly change, and change in a hurry!"

"She's probably right about that, Ty, we can expect an influx of prospectors once word gets out, and no matter how hard we try, word will get out, and spread like wild fire. Of course it's not silver, or gold, but copper is in high demand back east and it won't be long til that get's figured out." Speed explained, "And by the wrong people."

"Well, that's to be expected. Don't matter much what it is, if there's money to be had, then there's those out to steal it. Not work at it mind you, just steal the profits of another man's labors." Ty stated. "Seen it before with cattle, don't suppose minerals 'er any diff'ernt. Yer offer's right generous, an' I'll look after things for ya. Appreciate the scatter gun, they speak right loud, they do."

While all of this was going on in Kalispell, Amos Conroy was headed back to the assay office where he expected to pick up the report, which had been promised, and head on back home with it, no matter what it said. Of course, his hopes were high, and why wouldn't they be? He had seen the samples they had pulled, and they looked rich to him. Yet what did he know of ore samples and what was rich and what only looked rich? There might have been a good reason the former owner sold out.

He stepped through the door of the assay office which was not busy and walked to the counter. A different fellow looked up from what he was doing and asked; "What can I do for you, mister?"

"Lookin' ta pick up a report, Copper Queen?" Amos asked in reply.

"Right here. Yes sir, here it is." The man took up several sheets of paper and handed them to Amos, without a word. "Anything else, sir?

"Reckon not, lest you know of a man what'd be lookin' fer a change a scenery," Amos responded.

"Well, not right off hand. Kalispell you say? I'll check around." Was his answer. "Name's Pearce, Ambrose Pearce. If I find anyone I'll shoot a wire up that way."

"Thank ya kindly, Mister Pearce. Appreciate it. I ain't rightly sure, but I gotta hunch my partner, Speed Guyer'd be interested in havin' one up there." Amos explained.

"I'll surely check around for you, that I will," Pearce confirmed.

"Well, adios, hope ta hear from ya on this," Amos said and turned and walked out, report in hand.

He retrieved his horse from the livery and headed for home. What the report said was unknown to him, Amos did not read well, to begin with, but Mister Pearce was smiling and that could be a good sign.

Now Ty Thornton was a careful man, one gets that way in Apache country or winds up dead, or worse if he was to be taken alive by them. So he missed very little in his surroundings. He had a map that showed where the mine was, it would not be hard to spot, but it was off the trail a bit in the timber, as were most things in Flathead County where ranchers or framers had not cleared the ground for graze or crops. He had a job, not much in the way of actual work, but since he understood that it had been vacant a while, he would have a look at it and see where it needed mending.

Books on mining were there, he was told, and he could read, so that would occupy time aside from fixing what needed it. He would learn about mining, and he could look at what they had to make sense of what he had read. The best of both worlds. But mending what needed it, clearing out the waterhole he had been told about would occupy his days with the reading done at night.

He had a mule in tow with plenty of food, he would have to range a ways from the mine to hunt for meat, which was no problem at all. He just needed to get his bearings once he reached the Copper Queen, get the lay of the land, and make sure not to forage onto the Evergreen ranch. Though from what he was led to understand, and the looks of the map, it should be easy to steer clear of the Evergreen

Pack mule in tow, Ty started out of town at an easy gait. There was no rush to get up to the mine, and he was in no particular hurry to get there. He gathered it would be some time before things started at the mine. There were the results from the assayer, then they needed men and machinery, although he was aware that he would be expecting likely a couple of wagon loads to be moved up there in short order, whatever that meant.

The weather was nice, the rail was easy and Tyrell Thornton had not a care in the world, that he was aware of. Life seemed simple enough, get to the mine, look the place over to see what needed to be done, and start repairs as necessary. Any property left vacant for any period of time generally needed repair, and this one had sat through one winter unattended. And from what he had heard, that winter was a doozie! He planned to see what books were there so he could start educating himself about mines and mining. Learning to read had been a smart move. Of course, it had not actually been his choice.

He had considered what he had experienced with the Lost Lake ranch hands and the fact he never made it u there, but he was far from the type that would simply barge in, and he had learned about this feud and threatened range war between Lost Lake and this Evergreen spread. Well, he figured if they needed him, they could find him easily enough. If not, that was fine too. Guyer seemed glad to have him, and he was glad of the work.

It was maybe three or four miles out of town when he spotted what appeared to be a child walking toward him.

He picked up the pace to a trot to close the distance and then reined in, and stepped dow, "Son? what's the problem? You look lost." He said as he knelt. The boy was covered in ash and soot, some bruising and a couple of light cuts. His nightshirt barely hanging on , and he was barefoot.

"They killed my pa an' my Ma and sister. Burned everything." The boy said haltingly.

"Where?" Ty asked, "Where'd this happen?"

The boy's response was to point back the way he had come. Ty scooped him up and set him on the saddle, then climbed on behind him and started the way the boy had pointed. "Don't you worr\ry none, I'll jest have me a look,  then we'll ride back for the Marshal. You jest rest easy now." With that he picked up the pace, one hand on the boy to steady him, the other holding the reigns. And it didn't take long to spot thin tendrils of smoke rising through the trees . The boy had covered a good distance. Ty wove through the trees to the open ground that had been the boy's home, now smoldering ruins. The body of his father was clearly visible.

He rode up close to the ruins of what had been the house, in the rubble, he saw an arm raised and burned blackened from the fire. None of this was anything for a boy to have to see. There was nothing to be done, so he wheeled his horse and headed for town, the only thing he could do. He would be back to bury the dead.