Meanwhile, in the main house, Reb Culverson was visiting with his old friend Fightin' Joe Hooker, who was the ramrod for the fledgling Montana Territory Stockgrowers Association, Northern District. He was there to convince ranchers to join and support the organization, hoping it would take root.

"And just what good is this here association ya got started?" Reb asked.

"It'll give us a voice in the territorial government, Reb, that's what it'll do. Once that happens we'll be able to git us some sortta range police to protect the herds, and the ranchers." Hooker responded. "Rustlin' might not be the threat it was, but you know as well as me, it can come back."

"You get anywhere with Lost Lake, 'er that cow thief on the Evergreen?" Reb asked.

"Can't say as I have, startin' with the smaller spreads an' workin' my way up to them two. I'm well aware of both spreads, and the men that own 'em."

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They swept down out of the trees whooping and hollering and firing off a couple of shots as they closed on both sides of a big group of cattle, just as they had planned. The  lone night hawk knew he had no chance of stopping the raiders, or of saving the cattle while he watched the chunk of the herd moving toward and then into the trees at a run.  He emptied his Colt at the raiders, the whipped out his Winchester  and levered several shots in the area where they had disappeared.

He could not know that one of his shots had found its mark. A man that had just joined took a slug in his back and toppled from his horse. Toole and the men continued to drive the cattle toward the dry riverbed as planned. It was an acceptable loss.

The sound of the shots, mere pops at the distance to the main house and the bunk house alerted everyone, and men boiled out of the bunk house guns in hand, only to watch the night man shooting after the rustlers.

Three men were mounted and riding full tilt toward the night man, but they were too late to do anything but follow in the dark, something that was not especially appealing. Bad things could happen in cover of darkness.

Reb and Joe Hooker could only look on, knowing that the cattle, once driven through the trees could be lost, especially if they made the dry river bed. They could then go in whatever direction they chose at any time they chose leaving no trail until they left the river bed. There would be no telling when they would do that.

"Well that means the rustling's back!" Reb spit. "That was a healthy chunk of my herd they got, can't tell how many, but more'n I like, not that I like any 'em stole!"

"Funny thing that of a sudden the rustlers are operatin' again. Been quiet for quite a spell now." Joe stated, then added, "We need to get the association up and runnin'. I need ta get Sam Houser to support it, this ain't the only place they got rustlers an' claim jumpers an' every other kinda outlaw there is! Somethin's gotta be done!"

"We need ta decorate some tress with rustlers!" Reb declared.

Fightin' Joe Hooker had hanged his share of bad men for rustling cattle, it was not something he liked, but it did send a warning, sometimes heeded sometimes not, but it seemed to be an effective deterrent most times.

"I need to ride into town and see the local law on this, see what can be done." He said.

"Well far as I know, Speed Guyer's a good man, an' come to think of it I believe I heard he's acting County Sheriff. supposed to got himself a couple Territorial Marshals too."

"Well then, they can act!" Hooker stated, and yes, they could.

Once they had assessed the losses as best they could in the moonlight they moved back to the main house. There was nothing that could be done in the dark, and probably very little in broad daylight. The cattle were gone, simple as that.

"Come daylight let's you and I ride into town and have a talk with Guyer see if we can't get some action on this. If they hit you, they'll hit others. That was the reason I came, maybe have us prepared for rustlers." Hooker suggested.

"We'll do that. Sonofabucks! Need ta have their necks stretched!" Reb responded. At least none of my riders got shot 'er kilt!" For that he was grateful. "No need you sleepin' in the bunk house, there's room in here since Arlen went off to school in the east." He had lost his wife a couple of years earlier.

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Toole and the boys had the herd moving at a good pace, and they would be inside the hideout within the hour. This had been the easiest, to sort of let the boys ease back into stealing cattle. Once 'inside' the camouflaged gateway they would move the cattle  through the camp behind the hill that concealed it and on out to the range beyond. It was a sweet set up, what with grass , water, and they had ready buyers in Canada it was all profit.

Case was out to greet his men as they pushed past the buildings and out toward open range. "You told me this was a sweet deal, and you were right!" Former bank robber, Dade Marley exclaimed. "One hell of a deal."

"It is. Found this place when I was running Whitefish before the storm that destroyed it. That was a sweet deal too. We had the run of the place. Was working out real well, but now there ain't much of it left, and we ain't for rebuilding it."

"I don't see where all that work would pay off, not like this." Marley added.

"Exactly. Time to plan the next strike based on what the boys found out." Case said and turned to walk back inside, Marley behind him.

Morning dawned bright as Reb and Joe headed for town, better than an hours ride away. The two were dead set on stopping the rustlers with one raid, though they had no real idea of how to do that. Other than Thornton and Steelgrave, there were five other spreads, and that did not count the acreage owned by Pike that was not as yet stocked. Which meant there were more cattle available to be taken. No one had been shot on this raid, yet there was no guarantee that no one would be hurt or killed on the next raid. they needed to recruit those other five

Fightin' Joe Hooker had a reputation as a no nonsense kind of rancher, and one to string up a rustler the moment he was caught. Yet somewhere along the line he had come to believe that an association of cattlemen, with their own deputized force to prevent or capture rustlers and take them to trial, was the real answer to the problem. but he also knew that he needed not just the ranchers behind him, but the law as well. he wanted everything nice and legal. All the while still willing to lynch range thieves.

They were headed to talk with Speed Guyer about what he thought and what they might be able to do. A Stock Growers Association with Range Police, or some other lawful force to combat thefts had to be the right answer. They would soon find out.