"Yes, water. You are buying my land so you can control the water when the railroad shows up. I know you think I'm stupid...think what you will, I am not," he replied then.   Crabbe held up his hands.   “Hey, I never said you were stupid, friend!” he said quickly, like he thought Robert was going to thump him. “I never said friend Bob here was stupid, did I Charlie?”   Charlie shook his head. “No, you just say he illiterate and ignorant, that all.” Said the Chinaman, unhelpfully.   "So how much you offering me?" actually Robert thought the man a bit foolish to reveal this because it seemed he could now ask for a much higher price than he would have just a minute earlier.   “I’m offering the man who owns this land…” because that was the rub, wasn’t it? Who legally owned this muddy patch of Montana. “… $300 down for a 25% share, Charlie there and our lawyer friend the same, so that’s $900 clear for you, with an option to join in any mining and/or water supply developments on consideration of payment of a directly correlating percentage of any development costs. Costs of reclaiming the claim in your name to be undertaken solely by the three new partners. Now… you must admit, that’s a pretty good deal considering, at the moment, you technically own jack shit of a non-paying claim.”   Charle Fa shook his head: Crabbe was making this sound too complicated for the young Irishman, and the boy was starting to look irritated.   “He mean, we get you land back, we give nine hundred dollar, we all invest in mining or water supply, make lot of money, all happy!” he explained to Robert.   @Wayfarer

"Well, now Dutton Peabody ain't no judge. Damn fine lawyer, 'scuse me, fergot myself there. But there's ol' Ben Robinson, he's a judge, but I' m thinkin' the pastor'll do, er priest, 'er whatever he likes ta be called. We'll be good." Barnabas commented with confidence, "An' the buggy, not even anythin' ta be worryin' about. Ever'thing's gonna be perfect."   "Best we start thinkin' about headin' back. Not that Speed cain't hold his own, but I like to check in time ta time, jest in case." The he laughed, thouuh he was serious. There was never any telling of what might happen at any given time. Mostly nothing. "Before you start ta thinkin' we could move in taday." @Bongo

"Guess if we don't go in they'll get suspicious, and we don't want anyone coming out to see what we're doing."  It was pretty obvious Weedy was not willing to share, Wyatt noted. In all fairness, his sister and that boy of hers found the chest. At times Wyatt could be pretty defensive about his sister, they were family after all.   The boys raced into the farm cabin but Clara never even let them get to the kitchen table.   "Ahhh, ahh ahh! You two wash your hands first. Wyatt you know better," she chided.   As the pair turned back then to go to the well to the side of the building, she loudly added.   "And Wyatt!  Will you kindly put your shirt back on, you are not some Indian savage!"   Wyatt rolled his eyes and glanced at Weedy, "Girls."

Suddenly the Reverend was speaking. he had been locked into the eyes of his bride to be, feeling the love that was between them. Their fingers intertwined, their eyes shining, and even he had a mist in his eyes. It was happening right then, at that moment, the words were being said, what they were for a moment, he did not know, but then, he understood.   "... in the presence of God and these people, to declare your intention to enter into matrimony, through the grace of Jesus Christ, who calls you into union with himself as acknowledged in your baptism. Will you give yourselves to each other, to live together in holy marriage? Will you love, honor, comfort, and keep each other, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful, as long as you both shall live?"   He heard her say "I will," and he smiled. There were a thousand other agreements pushing through his brain when he heard himself say, "I will." Like there had been a better one? Not hardly. Both had tightened their grip on one another slightly as they made their intentions know. A thought passed through his mind, 'might not be long enough.' @boshmi@Bongo@Wayfarer@Javia  

Now that the man explained it that way, Robert could get past in his mind this was not about any gold but water. Water rights. He slowly nodded but the man wanted him to say it aloud it seemed.   "Yes, water. You are buying my land so you can control the water when the railroad shows up. I know you think I'm stupid...think what you will, I am not," he replied then.   "So how much you offering me?" actually Robert thought the man a bit foolish to reveal this because it seemed he could now ask for a much higher price than he would have just a minute earlier.