With the men out as he ordered, Case decided it was time to pay dear old Dad a visit. Time to set the boundaries of who was doing what when, and, where. Not a threat to the old man, just letting him know what his boys would be doing now that they were back.
He knew that his father had been drinking a lot after his mother left him and may well be a drunk with his foreman running the ranch for him while he laid about in a drunken stupor. Perhaps he could just waltz in and take over the place, but then he would be tied down to running the place whether on the up and up, or as a front for his illegal operation. That thought appealed to him, yet, the Evergreen had enemies, he had enemies so the idea quickly lost any luster it might have had.
Moving rustled cattle from the meadows hideout would be far easier than from the Evergreen. That was the first thing that came to mind as he considered his options, then, there could always be a fight, and both he and the evergreen would lose men in the ensuing gun battle. Not a good outcome. Considering that he could lose not just the fight, but men as well. So as he rode closer to the Evergreen, he dismissed the idea of taking, rather trying to take the ranch.
The ride over to the main house gave Case time to think and reconsider any plans concerning the place or it's livestock. The risk would be greater than most other ranches because of the men on his fathers payroll. They were fighting men, and they would pose a real problem and that kind of attrition he did not need.
On his way he not accosted by any of the hands which told him Elias was confident that no one would attempt to raid the ranch. Had something happened that perhaps reinforced the feeling of invulnerability his father prided the ranch as being? Good question, but riding in unmolested said something.
At the house he stepped down, looking the place over before marching to the door. He was aware that his father killed Layton Harris for not busting him out, so Arlen Granger was now foreman. Senseless killing of a good man, but not one he would have done. He liked both men.
He simply walked in without knocking. It was, after all, the house he was raised in, "Father? It's Case." He called out just as his father came into the foyer where Case stood waiting.
"Welcome home, son. I had heard you were back in the territory." Elias greeted, extending a hand, which Case gripped firmly, and pulled his father in for a hug, much to Elias' surprise. Seemingly to Cases as well. "Are you here for a while?"
"I am. A lot has changed since I was here last. Whitefish is just rubble, a couple places still standing, and, there are squatters there. Might have to do something about that." Case explained. "I thought maybe someone would have started to rebuild the place. Like my sister. She still holdin' out for that hospital I heard about?"
"She is. Thought I had that under control, but apparently not like I thought." Elias replied as the two walked into the front room.
"You should have paid more attention to her, Pa, she's a canny one." Case said. "Guyer still the law?"
"He is, I understand he as a couple of Territorial Marshals to help out And young Charley Wentworth as his deputy while Pike is out of town, maybe permanent."
"Really?" Case asked, not liking the fact he could not have the two of them together to take them both, and the idea of territorial law rankled him, but he added, "Good to know. I take it Pike will be back then?"
"He will, but no one knows when. Seems he's well to do, silver holdings in Nevada."Elias informed him."
"Uh," Case grunted.
"And my brothers? What do you hear from them? Anything?" Case asked, it had been some time since there was any word from them that he had heard.
"Nothing, son, not a peep. Guess they're off raising their own broods. Making their own way. Why do you ask?" Elias quizzed.
"No reason, just wondered since I've been away, I thought maybe they had come around. That's all. I mean, they're family and all." Case responded.
"Well they ain't showed their faces around here in quite a while, but I wish they would, Case. I wish they would. They'd make a difference in how this country shapes up." Elias said, meaning with his sons he believed his could change the course of things, ride rough shod over Flathead County and have things his way. Yet he had what amounted to a small army already, just no plans to use them, yet.
"Hell, Pa, you could do whatever you want, whenever you want. You've got the men to pull off whatever you're a mind to." Case smiled the smile of a viper, "Me and the boys I've got could throw in with you, if you wanted. I mean, hell, who'd stop us? Guyer?" The idea of hitting the Evergreen seemed to have disappeared and his idea of joining forces with his father seemed to be taking hold. He also thought that perhaps locating his brothers and bringing them home, well that alone could change everything.
Elias, wary of his son, for good reason, liked the way he was talking. Like the way he was thinking. Yes, it was true that he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, which was part of his plan to attack the herds on the Lost Lake, but Case's arrival, that threw a different light on the subject. His offer to throw in with his father surprised him.
"That could work well getting at the Thorntons." He observed.
"Sure as shootin' it would. Why we could thin out their hands, take their cows, whatever we're a mind too, and who's to stop us? Not Guyer, his deputies, an' no two Territorial Marshals are gonna have much say about anything we do. To top that off, I've got three of the best bank robbers out this way. If Guyer and them are occupied with a bank job in the county, well, while the cats away, the mice will play, and maybe lay an ambush for them!"
"Now where'd you find them?" Elias asked, always ready to make more money by any means possible.
"Back south of here, they found me. They hit the banks, keep some and divvy the rest with me and the boys who do absolutely nothing. They take all the risk, and pay us for the pleasure." Case added with a grin.
"Now that sounds to be a sweet deal if ever I heard one. There's gotta be a catch though." Elias countered.
"If there is, I haven't heard it yet." Case replied.
So , have you been to town, or not? I mean, who's seen Shade anyway. Maybe, like you, he just sends his men into town for his needs. And Quintin Cantrell, what about him" he was sided up with Guyer there when I was jailed, son of a bitch."
"Well no, I haven't had word on either. Some speculation that Shade has left the country along with that lawyer woman, Harriet Mercer, and God knows who else. Odd, but, well folks got a right to move about as they choose. Even old Scott Cory and his daughter Hannah haven't been seen. Guess he's retired." Elias presumed.
"Don't seem right, that many pillars of he community not around. You know, I thought sure I would have seen them at my trial, now that I think about it." Case reflected, "Say, you don't think that maybe they're not up at Lost Lake? That they skedaddled and left the place with their hands, now do ya?"
"It doesn't seem like Shade to do that, but I suspect it's possible, given a pretty powerful reason." Elias agreed. "I'm not sure what that might be, but I have a couple men , you know Latham and Ashworth, right? If anybody might know it would be them. Hell, I never thought to ask after them, really had no reason to."
"Well Pa, time we found out who's up there." Case stated.
"I got a man laid up who was just up there and would know where the herds are, maybe a head count on the hands, and if we're real lucky he saw Thornton or Cantrell, if the rumor isn't true of him being out of the country." Elias added.
"Well now, that's interesting, Shade Thornton away from the Lost Lake? That would leave Quentin in charge and I have a score to settle there too. These nimrods are gonna keep me busy the rest of the summer." Case remarked. "That is, if I was all that interested in dealing with them. Ain't no money in it. so I doubt it's worth the risk, now, was they to come huntin' it, well that would be different."
"Yes, the risk might not be worth the cost, whatever that might be, little or nothing. Or, perhaps you get laid up or worse. Not saying you can't beat either one, cuz you're lightening fast, but there is that chance when it's face to face, one on one." Elias offered.
"Face to face? One on one? Have you lost your mind? they don't get a fair chance, just a chunk of lead or two for their trouble. I got no reason to try either one, just kill 'em." Case stated flatly. "Sonsabitches don't deserve no better. But, they aren't my prioity, making money is, and that's about cattle and anything else I can lay my hands on."
"Then I think we understand one another, there is money to be made, but driving them east is another matter all together." Elias suggested. "I believe we can do some business, if you're a mind too"
"Yes sir, I believe we can, I did notice there are a lot of new spreads since I was here last, and my boys are out checking on things." Cased informed his father. "Any chance we could bring my brothers back?"
"Ah your brothers. Well, I highly doubt it, they've moved about and settled down. Haven't heard from them in sometime, like I don't even exist." He bemoaned the situation, "Them and that brat daughter, you're the only one that even comes around. So, I'm particularly glad you're back." Elias admitted. There was a part of him that missed his other children, and another part of him that relished that Case was back, if not home, at least close by.
"Dang, we could use 'em, but, we don't really need 'em." Case said confidently. "I mean between us we have the men to pert near do as we damn well please!" Perhaps an understatement, what they could muster was a small army. Then too, should the ranchers get organized, well, that could turn ugly in a hurry, but counting on the ranchers was highly unlikely .
"The way I look at it, were we to move on Lost Lake, and take it, we'd be sitting pretty, fact of the matter is we would control a huge chunk of Flathead County. We could then write our own ticket, do as we damn well please!" Elias stated. "There's a plan I had moving east to Columbia Falls, and Coram, and north to the Canadian border, but there's only one thing holding that back, the Army!"
"Yeah, I'd think they'd have something to say about that, Pa. Don't believe they'd want anyone taking over that much territory. Of course once it was took it'd have to be held."
"Well son, when you have that much land, finding the men to hold it will be easy.
"Hell Pa, you can't even get your own sons together to take Thornton's ranch, how in hell are you going to raise an Army, and that'll be more than thirty or forty men?" Case wanted to know.
"Money son, it speaks when nothing else will." Elias stated flatly, as if everyone knew that. Let's say that we join forces. I figure that's a good forty to fifty men right now. But, we'd have no one to handle the ranch while we were out. But, putting the word out, we could raise a hundred men, fighting men!" Elias smiled, and ugly, mean spirited smile. "Your brothers will com around to our way of thinking soon enough."
"And Leah? What of Leah Pa?" Case asked.
"Leah? What the hell's she got to do with anything? Maybe we put her out of business." Came the reply.
"I'll tolerate no abuse of my sister Pa, none. No by you or any man you hire." Case declared. "I know you're angry with her, but no one touches her, or they answer to me!"
"Don't push boy. She stepped away from this family, went against me and I will not have that!" Elias shot back. "We don't need her to come between us. Together you and I can run Flathead County and everything inside it's borders!"
Case looked him in the eye, unsure of what the old man would do, but firm in his resolve. "You do what you want with her project, I don't give a hang about no hospital, but she is not to be threatened or harmed, or there's no deal."
"I said what I meant to say about my sister. Now we either ride together, or we don't, Pa." Case said sternly. "A man don't lay a hand to any woman, daughter or not. She's well past spanking. She's a full grown woman and she makes her own decision, just the same a me and my brothers!"
Elias was no fool, he could use Case and his riders well beyond this hospital business. It was possible to attack the project and not the woman, that was plain as the nose on his face. He could beat her without touching a hair on her head and have Case and his men in the bargain.
"Alright, son, you have yourself my word on this. I will not set my men on her, nor will I attempt anything myself against her, but, anyone that is involved with her and the project are fair game, along with the project itself." He offered his hand.
Case grasped his father's hand and smiled, "Your word ain't shit out there, but under this roof it has always been good, so I'll trust that this time is no different, because it better be. No threat Pa, a promise." There was no anger in his voice, it was firm.
"I best be gettin' back, make sure the boys have set up the place properly so we an start building a herd to sell up Canada way. And, while we're at it, see what's available to take from the sod busters. And that one south of the spread? What about him?" Case asked.
Like I said, all i good time, but not just yet. Too close to town. We don't want the law jumping the gun on us now, do we? Elias replied. "Like I said, all in good time. Redmond's time is coming, but no need to rush, we've bigger fish to fry, and you've got your own business to attend to. Though I do like the idea of the bank robbers, and how they work."
"Yep, it's a pretty sweet deal with them. I suppose they'll find us when they've looked over the country some. I did warn them off of the bank in Kalispell. No need to have a repeat of the last bank job attempt, though they say that's not how they work." Case responded.
"Well, you can come back anytime, we'll need to plan and coordinate efforts to maximize our efforts." Elias assured him.
I'll do that Pa, I surely will, 'cuz yer right about that. We'll need to plot this out to perfection." Case agreed. "Be seein' you." With that the son parted from the father, plans made, but yet to be detailed.