“Your grandfather would have been proud.”
“My grandfather would have complained I wasted ammunition.”
“That also sounds like him.”
They rode into Clearwater before dawn.
The bank opened at eight.
Arthur Gable arrived at seven-forty-five.
He stopped when he saw Josiah, Nellie, Amos, Higgins, Bill Tanner from the feed store, and two ranch hands waiting outside.
Arthur’s expression tightened.
“What is this?”
Josiah opened the door.
“Business.”
Inside, Arthur moved behind his counter.
“You cannot bring armed men into my bank.”
“They aren’t armed.”
Amos slowly opened his coat to show empty hands.
Arthur looked at Nellie.
“Mrs. Thornton.”
“Arthur.”
“I understand there’s been some confusion.”
“No.”
Nellie placed the hammer from the ridge on his counter.
“I understand perfectly.”
Arthur’s face changed.
Josiah produced two written statements.
“Cliff Barnes and Eli Mercer signed these.”
Arthur did not touch them.
“Men will sign anything under threat.”
“They signed in front of the night clerk at the hotel.”
Arthur looked toward the door.
Outside, more people were gathering.
Clearwater loved scandal almost as much as Sunday sermons.
Josiah continued.
“They were hired to move the Thornton boundary marker.”
“By whom?”
“They claim your clerk, Willis Grant, paid them.”
Arthur’s eyes hardened.
“That proves nothing.”
Nellie stepped closer.
“Why my land?”
Arthur looked at her.
His voice changed.
Less polite.
More honest.
“Because you cannot hold it.”
The room went still.
Nellie stared.
Arthur continued.
“You think sentiment matters?”
“You think because your grandfather broke this soil fifty years ago, progress should stop?”
Josiah said quietly:
“Careful.”
Arthur ignored him.
“The railroad needs water.”
There it was.
Nellie looked at Josiah.
Arthur continued.
“Even if she refuses to sell, the county can condemn land for public use.”
“Maybe.”
Josiah’s voice remained calm.
“But that isn’t what you were doing.”
Arthur laughed.
“You cannot stop progress, Langden.”
“No?”
“The Northern Line is coming.”
“I know.”
“It will change this valley.”
“Yes.”
“Then you understand.”
“I understand very well.”
Arthur leaned forward.
“Even you cannot fight the railroad.”
Josiah looked at him for several seconds.
Then:
“Arthur.”
“What?”
“Who do you think owns the Northern Line?”
Arthur stopped.
Nellie turned toward Josiah.
He continued.
“The Northern Line Railroad Company is controlled by Langden Freight Holdings.”
Silence.
“The steel contracts are mine.”
Arthur’s face drained.
“The timber contracts are mine.”
Josiah stepped closer.
“The financing is mine.”
Another step.
“The water survey was commissioned by my engineers.”
He looked directly at Arthur.
“You tried to steal Mrs. Thornton’s land so you could sell my own water back to me.”
No one moved.
Josiah’s voice dropped.
“That was stupid.”
Arthur stared.
“You never disclosed—”
“I was not required to.”
“You—”
“The railroad was never going to seize this farm.”
Arthur’s mouth opened.
Josiah continued.
“We planned to lease water rights.”
Nellie looked sharply at him.
“Planned?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Before I met you at the mercantile.”
Her expression hardened.