Eleanor peered around the edge of her tent. The trees looked more ominous now that evening had fallen. The trees seemed to whisper with movement and shadows. Rocks and twigs poked her knees through the fabric of her split skirt. Time seemed to crawl as they waited to see if the mystery man responded.
Finally, the rough voice cut through the darkness. “A warning for Mr. Grinnell and Mr. Briggs. No one wants your park or the railroad movin’ up to Whitefish. We know you’re in cahoots to make money together. So make sure you tell your friend Mr. Hill that he’ll keep seein’ trouble if he don’t change his mind and keep the main line station in Kalispell.”
Eleanor bit her lip and sat back on her heels. Thank goodness for the coverage of her tent.
“We won’t tolerate no one takin’ our jobs and livelihood.”
Was thatanothervoice, from her right? How many of them were there?
“The railroad stays in Kalispell or there will be consequences.” Another shot rang out, sending everyone to the ground again.
The sound of hooves echoed through the camp, eventually fading to silence.
Shaking, Eleanor couldn’t convince her legs to work.
“Fire!” one of the men shouted. “One of the tents is on fire!”
Mr. Stanton barked out orders. “Ben! Joe! Will! Secure the perimeter of the camp. We’ll guard it in shifts tonight. Mr. Grinnell, Mr. and Miss Briggs, grab the buckets and fill them with water. That tent will be a loss, but we don’t want the fire to spread. Needless to say, no one rides off to explore without a guard from now on.”
When they’d squelched the fire, Eleanor stood on trembling legs as her father walked to her side. She touched his arm, her fingers shaking. “Are you all right?”
The firelight seemed to highlight the shadows on his face. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Are you unharmed?” Father’s gaze roamed her face. “To think you were so close to where the shots rang out. If you hadn’t come back to camp in time ...”
Eleanor slipped her arm around his waist and squeezed him tight. “I am safe, Father. I promise.”
He wrapped his hand around hers. “My dear girl. If anything happened to you ...” His voice trailed off.
Tears stung Eleanor’s eyes as they sat. It was the most care he’d shown her in years. Of course Father loved her, but the distance between them had grown as they grieved Mother’s loss in their own way. This trip had been good for them in so many ways.
Mr. Grinnell sat down next to Eleanor and her father, his hair in disarray. The waxed points of his mustache shifted from side to side. “Well, this is a fine situation to find ourselves in. What on earth are we supposed to do now?”
11
MONDAY, JUNE13, 1904
Carter studied the ledger and read the figures listed. Losing the train service was causing headaches for everyone, but trying to create a viable solution that wouldn’t eat away all the profits was making for a bigger one.
Freight service costs had gone up overnight. And no wonder. Roads would have to be worked on. More wagons were needed. The costs of hauling freight had to figure in the difficulty of the terrain, the speed in which the supplies needed to move, and the type of product being shipped. A freighter might have asked for anywhere between eight and ten dollars per hundred pounds. To move the same freight over land?
Those prices doubled and, in some cases, tripled.
His and Dad’s plan was strong. It was a huge investment, but the right one. Not just for them, but for the community. Everyone would have to rally together to keep Kalispell alive. Brunswick Farms and Mill would do their part. God had blessed them with so much, they could afford the wagonsand teams. Things would be tight for a while, but they’d make it.
They had to.
Carter leaned back in his chair. It was nearly three o’clock. He might as well ride out to the farm and let his father know all the numbers. He grabbed his hat.
“Jack, I’m heading out to the farm.” He passed through the receiving room. “You have everything you need?”
“Everything under control. No problems. And I’ve got Bill here to help.” Jack nodded at the young man standing to his left.
Bill ducked his head, but Carter didn’t miss the way his chest puffed out a bit. It was good to see him growing in confidence around the mill. And to have someone to help Jack when Carter was away. “Well then, I’m definitely not needed.” He chuckled. “And before you remind me, I’ll check and see when Dad thinks he’ll be harvesting, and let you know tomorrow.”
Jack gave a nod, then turned back to instruct one of the men regarding something. Thank the Lord for Jack. The man had never let him down.
The walk to the livery wasn’t far, but the wind was chilly. June had come in with hotter temperatures than anticipated. But now things were cooling off with a little rain. Not enough to make trouble, however, and the spring melt was going slow due to the cooler days and nights. Hopefully the slow thaw wouldn’t result in flooding.
One day recently had gotten up to the seventies, but for the most part the temperatures stayed in the sixties during the day and forties at night. He grinned. How was Ellie Briggs enjoying camping up in the mountains? Her daysand nights were no doubt a whole lot colder. He hoped they had planned accordingly.
