Galen sat in the back room with the door open, while the doc changed the bandages on his fists. They both exchanged wry smiles as they listened to Huber berating the sheriff, over letting a crooked lawyer come into town and cheat people.

"I told you before, Huber. I didn't know about any lawyer, and if you were dumb enough to tear down your office building on the word of some stranger, then maybe you should attend a few of Miss Dearling's school classes."

"Who do you think you're talking to? I make this town a lot of money with my company."

"Made. From where I sit, you won't even be able to pay taxes"

Huber gaped, speechless. The sheriff's words clanging in his head with the sudden realization that he was right. He punched his fist in the air in a futile gesture, and slammed out of the doctor's office. Running down the road, he checked his watch, moaning at the time. The train and riverboat were due in a few hours, and all his business was piled into a few sheds on the dock. He picked up speed, stumbling and tripping dangerously as he ran.

Abner stood and went to the doorway of the back room, a fresh cigar clenched comfortably in his teeth. "I'd say Mr. Huber is suddenly goin' to discover he has a lot of new competition in Barrow Falls."

"Already has," Doc grinned. "Silas Ghent has been posting signs all around the riverfront, advertising his freight hauling service. He and his brother Carl have a couple of big wagons ready to haul cargo, and passengers, from the dock to the train station." He slapped Galen on the knee, and told him he was done. "Leave them on for a few days, then give 'em a good wash and let the air get at' em. That'll be six bits, Galen."

"With prices like that, you probably have enough to make an investment of your own in a new hotel for the dock." He kidded.

"Wouldn't that be something." Doc smiled and spread a hand across the air in front of him. "I can see it now, Doc's Holiday Hotel."

Abner and Galen groaned, and left the office laughing. As they crossed the street to where Galen had left Stanley, Abner paused and rubbed his chin, clearing his throat when Galen turned back.

"You figure out at all why you went hog wild at the dock?"

Galen studied the weathered features of the sheriff, words damming up in his throat while he tried to form an answer. He didn't want to tell anyone else about his family, but he couldn't let his behaviour affect how folks would see him, and by extension, Lydia.

"I reckon it was just a lot of angry baggage I bin' carryin' for too long. Won't happen again, Sheriff - on my word."

******

The saloon was busier than usual, and the most popular conversations were about the fight between Reed and Galen Helliwell. Those that didn't see it pressed for all the details, while witnesses were more than eager to relate the event with hugely modified descriptions. A few arguments broke out about accuracy and some tempers flared over the spilling of drinks, but by and large there was agreement that Galen had definitely made his point.

The conversation was different at one table, as a group of Huber's men sat with sullen faces, complaining about the recent forced labour in tearing down their place of employment. None of them had agreed with Darcy's pie in the sky dream about the hotel.

As they sat drinking and sulking, smatterings of conversation drifted about, catching their attention.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?"

"Someone said something about that railroad rumour. Somethin' about it bein' a joke."

"Who said?"

"That next table. The little guy with the beard."

One of the men got up and walked over to the table. The conversation stopped and they looked up at him.

"Help you with somethin'?"

"Someone here said somethin' about a rumour bein' a joke?"

They laughed and pointed at their bearded friend. "Dooley here, said his woman told him they were s'posed to talk it up around town. Said it was a trick to play on Darcy Huber."

The man leaned down very close to Dooley, and with a frighteningly calm voice, asked who told them to say those things.

******

Darcy sat at his temporary desk in his temporary office, in the largest of the storage sheds, his face white and his breathing almost stopped, as he listened to what his men had heard.

"Somebody planned it all, boss."

"Harley Duggan." The name came out in a raspy growl, and Darcy smashed his fist down on the desk top.

"Well, we don't know for--"

"Harley Duggan!" This time it exploded from Darcy's mouth. He glared at the men gathered, and he pointed at each one as he spoke. "Duggan is going to pay for this, and you are all going to see that he does. He just figured he'd stop me from taking his business, well I'll show him what fooling with Darcy Huber means."

"Boss, maybe we should make sure--"

"I'm sure! And if you aren't then you can pick up and leave - now!  He probably got that Helliwell to beat up on Reed too. We'll see if his little daughter is so precious."

With a last look around the room, the man who objected turned and left the shed, leaving the door open behind him. He could hear more debate going on behind him, then the door slammed.

"Arch! Arch, wait up."

"Don't try and talk me out of anything, Lou. I'm not havin' any part of Huber's craziness."

"No, me either. That's why I wanted you to wait. What are you gonna do now?"

"I'm thinkin' of tellin' the sheriff what he's up to. We don't know Duggan had anything to do with that hotel business. Why would he? He's been takin' Darcy's bullyin' for ages."

"Maybe he'd had enough." Lou ventured.

"Well, I know I have. I'm goin' to see the sheriff."

******

"Arch Gainer and Lou Parks." Abner relit his cigar and blew on the end. "Huber's boys - ex boys - seems he got it in his head that Harley was responsible for the whole business about the hotel, and he plans on makin' him pay."

"Well, we expected some reaction," Galen said, "just not this one, or so soon. Have you told Harley?"

"Cain't, he and his daughter went to Arrow Bend to see a relative that stayed behind to work a mine. Been gone a day now, so they would just about be gettin' there."

"Does Huber know this?"

"If he asks around he will. Folks won't be expectin' his reason."

Galen looked out the jail house window, his mind churning. "These two fellas you mentioned, they up to helpin' stop this?"

"Have to ask them, Galen . . . but I don't like the sound of what you're suggestin'."

"I'm the one set this up, Abner. I'm the one who has to stop it from goin' bad."

"I got no say in what happens in Arrow Bend, that's territory marshal business, but if it comes back here, I'll have to get involved."

"Guess I'll just have to see it don't." Galen turned and faced his friend. "You know where I can find those two boys?"

"Saloon most likely. Galen, you don't even have two good hands of your own, you need to think this through."

He held them up, staring at the bandages. "If there was time I would, Abner, but I won't see that man and his daughter pay for somethin' I started."