"Nothin' so wrong with havin' part of town that ain't so respectable," Justus observed, "gives a fella a place ta go where he don't got to worry 'bout bein' too proper...not that I ain't a gentleman, mind ya, but I got no fancy clothes nor airs, an' I don't take kindly ta old wemmen lookin' down their noses at me!"
"Well there's a thought, but this ain't hardly no cowtown, but I reckon they got themselves a house, most towns of any size do." Zane was quick to reply, "But I doubt it'll be on some other side'a town. Doubt she's that big ta have sides, though I have been known to be wrong on occasion." Then he laughed, "Jest the same, don't be takin' all yer money ta town with yas. Maybe open up one'a them bank accounts. whot I plan on doin when we get paid off. Less I strike out on my own."
"Bank account?" Justus shook his head. "No, sir. Not a'tall safe, but I'll take yer warnin' an' not take it all ta town." Now, where he might safely stash the rest was a question, but he had an idea, not that he'd say. "Don't rightly know as I'd head right ta one'a them houses, though. Get me a strong drink first, an' a bath, an' maybe a meal that's not steak or jerky!"
Chuckling, he added, "Not that th' food here's not good, best I had in a long while, but...just lookin' fer somethin' different, somethin'...pie!"
Zane shook his head, "True, most ain't, but this Mister like, now where does he keep his money? There's a question I'd be askin' was I you." He suggested. "I'd say a bank might well be safer'n under yer mattress or a rock someplace."
"A strong drink is it? Now there's a chance this here kallyspell ain't got no house, nor wimmen what got themselves loose morals. I mean that's more'n possible. But then too, I'd have a look, if that's what you've got in mind. You do know the difference between whores an' hurdy-gurdy girls, don't cha?" There was a distinction and the fastest way to get in trouble in a saloon was to proposition a hurdy-gurdy girl! Though in some cases it might just pay off.
"Hurdy-gurdy gals' more like yer sister!" Justus grinned. "Well, 'er maybe yer sweetheart, only not...dancin', talkin' an' all, but no...ya know, upstairs sorta rompin'."
Actually, it didn't sound like such a bad thing to have a girl that would just listen to you, and chat, maybe a dance, even if it was pretend. "Reckon we'll know soon enough. Just so long as no local yay-hoo thinks she's his, only she don't know it!"
Well, it would be soon enough that they'd be at the ranch, be near Kalispell, and everything would change, there would be a real place to call home, steady work, hard but honest, friends who didn't want anything more than friendship...
It was going to be a good life, one he hadn't thought he'd have a chance at, and he planned to make the most of it!
"There's them too, now I can't say about this here burgh, cuz I ain't never been before." Zane told him, "But, I'd say offhand that most towns got 'em place, most saloons got one 'er two floozies, so you'll find 'em if they got 'em, that's fer sure. One thing I've learned, the town law, the hussies, card shapes, hustlers, and the like'll all know we passed by, an that means we'd be comin' ta town. So ya need to watch out fer alla that."
But he was talking about the established cowtowns of Kansas, not backwoods Kalispell, though they would have their fair share of all those he had mentioned. Just on a smaller scale.
