Gunther hitched a bay gelding to the buggy for the two gentlemen from Helena. One introduced himself as Carson Tyndall Elias Steelgrave's attorney, and the other, Mister Fairchild, his associate. Neither was very impressive to the blacksmith who could care less. That they were able to pay for the rental was all that mattered as he had work that needed doing.

In a matter of minutes, they were headed out of Kalispell, Tyndall driving. "I hate this, another bumpy trail ahead of us, but it is much the same at home, though we don't travel near this far, nor," he laughed, "to deliver this kind of information. I almost hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but the man should know what was happening to his empire."

"I'd say it was crumbling, slowly grant you, but crumbling all the same," Fairchild stated. "His net worth is down considerably, a loss of fifty thousand dollars is nothing to sneeze at. And I find at least one of his investments is teetering on failure so that one has been in decline for some time. Things just don't look that good for Mister Steelgrave, I'm afraid."

"Well, all we can do is tell him what we know, maybe suggest some alternatives he might take to rectify the losses. I know this, he is not the easiest of men to deal with," Tyndall informed him. "I'm glad I brought you along, not only for your expertise in what you have gathered but as a traveling companion, it makes these dreary rides more tolerable."

"Thank you, sir," Fairchild said with a smile. He liked the company as well, and he liked working for Carson Tyndall. He had a certain freedom about what he did for the man, and he appreciated that."Much further?"

"A few more tedious miles and we'll be there. It is a beautiful place as is most all the country here. Montana has the most beautiful country I've ever experienced." Tyndall stated.

"It is certainly better, far better, than the streets of New Orleans, or most other cities for that matter," Fairchild assured him.

It was a good mile to the house once they turned off on the trail into the Evergreen Ranch. Tall trees

and lush vegetation surrounded them and the trail in, but they could see cattle grazing, men working, and others moving about on horseback, cowboys did not like any work that could not be done from the saddle, though there were always some tasks that required them to be dismounted.

"This is as you said, beautiful! The ride here was equally as spectacular as this place. My, this is something." Fairchild remarked, in awe of what he was seeing.

"It is, granted. But none of the conveniences of Helena or any other city for that matter. And I do like my conveniences, though I suppose I could get used to living on a place like this." Tyndall mused, not that he would even consider actually doing that. The house matches the grounds, believe me. No expense was spared in building it, but Elias didn't build it, it was here when he bought the place. The story of his acquiring land around the house is something of dime novels, let me tell you. There's blood by the bucket full attached to this ranch!"

They rounded the curve and there stood the Steelgrave ranch house still a way off, but the land as far as the eye could see was cleared, and dotted here and there with cattle.

Eliias, not a patient man saw them coming, and though he had what he considered, more important things to handle, he was glad to see Carson Tyndall, the other man was not familiar to him, so he thought that whoever he was, he was connected to Tyndall. This could be interesting. News of his estranged wife, Elinor. News that he may not care to hear, but then again, there could be news he would want to hear, perhaps she had reconsidered and wanted to come back to Evergreen.

How would he react to that, he wondered? Indeed, she had been estranged for a good while now. He could have employed someone to find her but had not. Things on the Evergreen had changed a great deal since she left, he had changed a great deal, not exactly for the better. In fact, it could be said he was bitter, bitter about a number of things, such as his wife abandoning him, and his daughter defying him. And where were his boys? The ones slated to run the Evergreen?

Elias Steelgrave was alone.

It began cordially, introductions were made and they relaxed with a brandy. Carson Tyndall and Bradley Fairchild began with the accounting of Eliases holdings, the gains, and the losses. For the time being, the gains that once outpaced the losses were now running almost even. The news that Fairchild had to offer was not what Elias wanted to hear, except that Zeke was not involved in the misappropriation of any of the funds. He enjoys a healthy salary for his work. Still, the losses were mounting and that was evident, fifty thousand dollars? That was a lot of money to have lost in just one year.

But, the news of Elinor Steelgrave was not nearly so well received. Elias went into a rage, which Bradley had been warned of. It did not fail to impress and frighten the detective. A man not easily frightened by much of anything. This was different on several levels. It was clear that Elias Steelgrave could kill them both where they sat and have them buried out on the range.

"And I want it stopped and stopped now! I don't care what you have to do including killing the bitch! That's my money!" He screamed at them. "You do it, hire it done, I don't care how, but you get it done Fairchild and I'll pay you ten thousand dollars to put an end to her conniving ways. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir Mister Steelgrave. Crystal clear, and I will see to it upon my return to New Orleans." Fairchild replied. "I will mail you the obituary as soon as it's printed. "

"Good! See that you do, or you'll regret it. Now get the hell out of my house and get this done. And Tyndall, you see my son and have him cut his mother off. You tell him that is my order and he is to do it or pay the price! Now get out! Get out!"

Tyndall whipped up the horses and the buggy moved forward at a run. Actually, a fast trot to get the two men away from the ranch house and off the property.

"For Godsakes! You said he was unpredictable, I didn't expect that sort of response to the news. I mean it's not like he's broke, or even close to it!" Fairchild exclaimed as he held on for dear life, unused to a buggy ride of this type. and at that speed, there was not much room on the seat for the two of them at a fast trot.

"So now you've met Elias Steelgrave. Had he been drinking as he once was, he might have shot the both of us!" Tyndall said as he handled the reins, trying to stead the buggy as he negotiated the rutted ribbon o trail they were on. And when he was out of rifle range, he hoped, he slowed the horse to a canter. "Damn! Almost lost it!"

"So, what now?" Fairchild asked.

"I'd advise you to either see to her demise or change your name and disappear! Elias has a long reach." Tyndall stated.

"I want no part of murdering anyone! I'll not have anything to do with it!" Came the retort.

"Then south might be your best bet, Cuba is nice this time of year, or, perhaps Mexico, that's closer."

"Well, a man can disappear in this country without a problem, I've learned that well enough in my field. In fact, I could disappear in Helena and would be difficult, not impossible to find. But I have connections in New Orleans as well as St. Louis, and other points. I'll wire you and sign it under an alias you can use when you need me."

"Whatever you do Bradley steer clear of Elinor Steelgrave, or whatever name she's using these days. If he sends someone to ensure she's dead, well, killing two would likely mean a bonus." Tyndall warned. "Then again, he may do nothing about anything. Make a couple of changes to his banking accounts, and that sort of thing, and then, simply move on. Hard to tell, Bradley, hard to tell."

And the buggy was turned onto the Kalispell Trail.

Elias was pacing, he was a step beyond enraged by the news that his attorney and Tyndall's investigator had given him. Elinor had stolen him blind, and he was not going to simply sit by and let her get away with it. Perhaps having her murdered was not the brightest move he could make, but in the rush of anger, it was what he knew to do. it was what he had always done. Kill whoever stood in the way or injured him in any way.

The truth did not substantiate 'blind.' Yes, fifty-some thousand dollars was a great deal of money, but somewhere akin to a drop in the proverbial bucket so far as his wealth was concerned. And probably not enough at any one time for his son to take note of. She was shrewd, he had always known that, and that was what made them such a dangerous couple to deal with on any level.

She needed to be punished, somehow, but how. Yes, he had the reach to touch her in New Orleans, or St. Louis, or anywhere on the continent, and in some instances, beyond. Yet how to go about inflicting pain on her without actually terminating her, was what he struggled with. And Tyndall's man, what was his name? There was no reason to have this chump living in fear of discovery should he actually follow through with killing her. And Tyndall, he had just made him an accomplice in this crime before it could ever happen.

"Granger! My horse!" He shouted. By then, they were already in town, there was still time to correct this mistake because in the end, they would come for him.

Elias Steelgrave, in Kalispell? The last time he had been in town was perhaps three years ago, but this was an exception, an error of judgment that he desperately needed to correct, and the only way he saw to get it done right, was to do it himself!

Granger had his horse waiting when he came out, along with three of the boys and himself. Jansen, Jones, and Logan, none of them known in Kalispell, and that was just as well. "Uh, okay, but I want no trouble while we're there, no rough stuff, and damn sure no gunplay." He stepped into leather and wheeled his horse laying the spurs to him. They were off in a rush with only a cloud of dust behind the. Several of the older hand stood looking after the group. This was something serious for Elias to ride out, they guessed, for town.

Once they had slowed to a trot, Elias began to think. Oh, how he wanted her dead! But, was anything to happen to her, he would be suspect number one, even as far away as St. Louis, or New Orleans, or the southern tip of Florida. They would come for him.  He knew her all too well and there was a note someplace that named him if anything were to occur. She would have done that first thing. He could not take the risk, not now, not ever.

They had been an effective team over the years because she was who she was, and was just possibly as cunning and ruthless as he was. That was the scary part of trying to deal with her, she was like two or three steps ahead of him, and most likely she may have hired a man to come for him, but that would be the least of his worries.

Those who had been residents of Kalispell and Flathead Valley recognized the man leading the four riders into Kalispell. Elias Steelgrave, himself. This caused quite the stir as it was rare that he came to town. It had the people on the boardwalk stopping and staring, some asking who that was, others just looking on as if expecting trouble at any moment. Word spread like wildfire.

Doc Gilcrest heard it first and relayed it to the others. Bannister was down at the Doc's watching Miss Leah, so Santee took the men to the main street to see what was happening, if the old man meant to make a fight of it, he planned to kill him or die in the attempt. But then that was the thought of each of them. Cut the head off of the snake and the body dies.

The five riders stopped at the hotel and dismounted, four men stood guard as Elias went inside, there, in the dining room sat Tyndall and the other one, so he strode in as if he owned the place.

"Tyndall, never mind the order I gave this one, leave it be!" He ordered, not caring who overheard. "That was a mistake, and I do not want it carried out under any circumstance, am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," Tyndall answered, quickly. Stunned that Elias was in town, surprised, and pleased that he had come to reverse his order to have Elinor eliminated. A huge relief because had Fairchild gone through with it, how ever he was going to get it accomplished, eventually it would have come back on the both of them, and that would have been most unpleasant.

"Yes, sir." Fairchild echoed. Relieved that not only did he not have to kill the woman, or hire it done, if he had not, he would have been looking over his shoulder the rest of his days.

"Good, I see we understand one another then," Elias stated. "Good day gentlemen, and a pleasant trip back to Helena." And with that, Elias Steelgrave turned on his heel and marched back out of the hotel, pausing on the porch, surveying the town and the changes that had taken place over time since he had last been there.

Tag, Any

Roland was taking a break from polishing the barrel on his latest creation.   The Gray Lady made such jobs much easier, with the ability to power brushes, sanding wheels, drills, and other implements that might benefit from belt-driven rotary motion.  The engine in his shop was defined as a 'miniature' despite weighing 600 pounds.  It only generated two horsepower of mechanical energy, but that was more than enough to reduce the work of an entire day to the span of a single hour, depending on the job.  

But despite all of this mechanical assistance, Roland still put a lot of work into his trade.  And not everything could be handled by machine tools.  Sometimes, only human hands and human muscle would do.

Sitting on the porch of his shop/home and sipping on a cup of tea, the gunsmith watched with interest as a small troop of riders came into town.   They passed right by his shop, proceeding up the street for some distance.  Their destination appeared to be the hotel, as they dismounted and went inside.  None of the figures were immediately familiar to Roland, but he hadn't really gotten a good look at them.

Eventually, one of the gentlemen came back out of the hotel and began glancing around.   Although it was unlikely he'd be seen- the fellow was only an inch tall at this remove- he still lifted his cup in a gesture of acknowledgement.  Politeness was never wasted.  This fellow might prove to be a customer, someday, after all.

Flip

As was common for the men with Elias, they followed his gaze, not so much to see what he might want, but just in case. In case of what? A good question, but they were on high alert. It was what they were paid to do, keep Elias safe, not that he was not armed, because he was. A shiny nickel-plated, ivory-handled Colt rested in a shoulder holster just under his frock coat. Has this been unrushed, he would have worn a town coat instead. But this to him was an emergency that had to be handled before the stage whisked them away.

His, and their scan of the street stopped at the gun shop. A new gun shop, but then most everything was new to him in town. "I thought some other gent had the gunshop." He said,

"Yes sir, but he left sometime back, went south I believe. Fact is this one's so new I doubt anyone has seen it from the ranch." Granger stated.

"Well, I believe I'll have words with the proprietor, perhaps he can supply us with our needs, rather than having it shipped in from the east." With that, Elias Steelgrave stepped off the porch and crossed the street to the gun shop, and the man sitting on its porch.

tag Cuban Writer