Ethan sat at his desk looking at the "Wanted" posters on the wall. He saw that the batch that had been brought over included the notorious Duncan gang which made its cash rustling horses and then selling them over the border. Then there had been Sam and Daniel Rochester a pair of con artists from some place far east of here but they mostly ripped off people who had been interested in buying shares of mines.

But the guy Dylan Daggett who with his gang had killed at least five people had ties he'd heard to a larger criminal gang from Chicago. A branch of that poisonous tree had broken off and moved to set up shop in San Francisco. They targeted larger cities for setting up illicit businesses inside bars and saloons not to mention running opium and women who were known in Paradise and other mining towns as bar girls.

Dakota walked in the office.

"Axelrod wants another meeting," he said, "He said some of his customers said that Bella Rogers is making them nervous about shopping there."

Ethan sighed.

"Why…I'd think it's the high prices he charges that got people nervous about spending money."

Dakota shrugged.

"He still wants that meeting."

"I want to find out more about Daggett's gang. It looks like they might be branching out of the bigger cities."

"Where'd you hear that?"

"I didn't. I know what that type is like, what men like him think," he said, "and with towns surrounding these cities attracting a lot of people that means more targets."

Dakota sat down.

"More customers for opium," he said, "You know the miners were using it, the rail workers…not as much as a few years ago but…do you think he might be interested in our town?"

Ethan paused.

"I don't know," he said, "I don't think it'll hurt to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Men like him usually send people to scout a place out to see if it's got what they need and want."

"You think Bella knows anything about them?"

"I don't think she ran with them," Ethan said, "but she might have crossed paths with them."

"You could ride out and ask her."

"Got to be careful how I do that," Ethan said, "Town's about ready to run her out as it is…this will only stir them up more."

Dakota rubbed his forehead.

"Damned if we do and damned if…"

"I don't think there's much to do," Ethan said, "just keep an eye out."

He heard footsteps and looked up to see Darrin standing in the doorway. The older man looked upset.

"Did you read the latest wire?"

Ethan looked at Dakota.

"Which one…?"

Darrin looked as if he were about to erupt.

"The one from San Francisco's paper that says they're sending a reporter to do a story on our very own female outlaw."

Ethan sighed.

"Haven't seen that one," he said, "See I'm the marshal and I focus on the wires talking about outlaws."

Darrin's nostrils flared.

"She is an outlaw through and through whether you recognize it or not Marshal. If you can't handle it, we can always find someone who can…"

"I'm handling it," Ethan said, "I'm not having a lynch mob forming in my town."

"It's our town too," Darrin said, "The businesses on the main street are what keep it going since mining never caught hold."

Not for long, Ethan knew but what did Darrin think trying to order people around in a town he'd lived in less than six months? Just because he threw a wad of money at it didn't give him that right. Yet all the businessmen were acting like he was their leader.

"There will be no vigilante group Mr. Wyatt, you got that."

The man just fumed at him and Ethan thought he might go off but he cleared his throat instead.

"We'll see about that once the crime rate goes up," Darrin said, "and property values start to drop."

Ethan didn't feel too impressed about that. Property values always had been rocky, part and parcel of living in a town whose primary industry had been mining. Somehow the town managed to survive and somehow it managed to thrive in some situations.

"How many deputies you got anyway?"

Ethan leaned back in his chair.

"One…but I can deputize others if necessary."

"Then what's the difference between you doing it and the businessmen doing it to protect their businesses?"

Ethan sighed. This man may have more money than the rest of the town put together but he didn't know the people here as well as he thought. But then Ethan didn't know them as well as he thought either, he'd been ramrod by them enough himself. They often seemed on the verge of trying to exile him for one thing or another. He didn't trust most of them except maybe Tiny.

He took a breath.

"Look I know when it's necessary because I've been a gunfighter most my life…"

Darrin made a derisive sound.

"I know that Mr. Cord," he said, "You're one hair's away from going outlaw yourself. Maybe that's why you're kin to Bella Rogers."

Ethan remained in his chair.

"I think we're done talking Mr. Wyatt."

Darrin shot him a look.

"Perhaps for now, but you haven't heard the last of me."

He left the office and Dakota shook his head.

"I don't get that guy," he said, "He invests a horde of cash here and then he's complaining?"

Ethan didn't understand him either, just that he was another man who thought that throwing enough money around would get him what he wanted. He'd get a rude shock because Ethan had no plans to bend to his will and men like him…they didn't take being challenged let alone thwarted very well.

He'd have his hands filled for sure but he had a job to do.

Bella and Amelia rode into town to hit the saloon and pass around information saying that the ranch would be hiring. Ben and George had agreed to help with the chicken coop and Ethan had given his permission as long as they did their chores on their spread. But they needed people interested in planting a huge garden in back of the main house. Vegetables would be planted there and then hopefully in future seasons, fruit trees behind them. Dorothy the fence splitter had also known a lot about how to plant root vegetables not to mention other above ground vegetables.

Sam watched as both women walked into the saloon and started talking to the bar girls who were setting the tables up.

"We're not open for business yet."

Bella nodded.

"Seems like you just closed shop," she said, "Another busy night?"

Sam just scratched his head.

"Yeah…so…you were having dinner here weren't you?"

Bella pursed her lips.

"Yes we were and now we want to advertise some job openings."

Sam frowned.

"What kind of jobs?"

"You know we've started a working ranch," Bella said, "and we're putting a big garden out back for starters. Need some willing hands to get it going."

He paused.

"I don't think anyone here is looking for a job."

He looked over at a muscular man named Butch who he just hired to be his muscle in case things got out of hand.

"You think anyone's looking Butch?"

The other guy shook his head.

"We keep them very busy….business has been slow but it'll pick up after Founder's Day."

Bella nodded.

"I suppose the world's oldest profession has its boom and bust periods like everything else."

"Suppose so…"

Amelia spoke up.

"Still we would like to talk to the women who are here now," she said, "It won't take much of their time and less of yours."

Sam pulled on his collar.

"I don't know about that," he said, "What you're doing could be called poaching you know."

Bella and Amelia looked at each other.

"Poaching," Amelia said, "It's called doing good business in other places. What are you worried about if you're running such a good establishment that pays its workers well?"

He just grumbled more about poaching. But a couple of the women grew curious and wandered on over to see what was going on.

"Scarlett, Rosie, get back to setting up those tables."

Rosie folded her arms.

"Got a few minutes," she said, "I want to hear what these women have to say."

Amelia brightened.

"We're just looking for some workers to help with the garden and some other chores," she said, "We're settling that spread just outside of town."

Rosie nodded.

"We heard about that…how much you pay?"

"Not as much as you make here but more than you're allowed to keep," Bella said, "Meals and lodging if you'd like once we get the cabins fixed."

Scarlett piped up.

"I can help with that if you pay me," she said, "I used to patch up the last saloon I worked at after it rained and even after a fire burned most of it down."

"That'll work," Bella said, "We don't want to interfere with your job here but the hours are different."

Rosie and Scarlett looked at each other.

"We'll think about it," she said, "and we'll tell the others."

Sam and Butch didn't like that in the least.

"You damn poachers," Sam spat, "Wyatt was right about you, you damn crook. You rustle horses and now you're rustling my workers."

Amelia folded her arms.

"It's called commerce Sam and this country was built on it," she said, "Paradise was founded on it and it's up to the women to decide what they want to do."

Sam threw up his hands.

"Very well…don't want any deadbeats here," he said, "Got a buyer for the place anyway…someone from out of town so it might not matter anyway."

Bella and Amelia looked at each other.

"Maybe it'll be someone with a better overhead," Amelia said, "Someone who can pay these women to do work that's not so demeaning to them."

Sam grunted.

"They don't want to do demeaning work," he said, "Their husbands shouldn't have died or left them cold."

Amelia knew that to be the case. Her own husband ran out on her leaving her alone with the bank that was in his name not hers. Stuck in a town that she couldn't get away from even when she had the money to do so. Only one thing had pushed her on the stagecoach to get out of here and that had been fear.

"Thanks Sam for pointing that out."

Bella laughed.

"You're right; the place I ran the same thing happened," she said, "Men leave their women in big cities just like they do in small towns."

Sam didn't have an answer for that.

"Well you've said your piece," he said, "time for them to get finished setting this place."

But more women gathered around them which pleased Sam and Butch not at all.