No driver.
Beside it were four men loading sacks onto smaller sled.
One wore Prescott colors.
Reid dismounted.
Men froze.
No guns drawn.
Margaret Boone, who had followed with deputy, arrived minutes later.
The theft unraveled.
One hired man confessed quickly.
They had been paid by Prescott warehouse foreman to hide shipment until after snow closed roads.
Not Nathaniel directly.
Not Adeline.
Yet.
But enough.
Margaret obtained warrant for mercantile records.
Prescott could no longer refuse.
The books showed everything.
Fraud.
Double charges.
False liens.
Manipulated credit.
And transfers to bank officers.
Nathaniel Prescott was arrested for fraud and conspiracy.
The warehouse foreman for freight theft.
Bank manager resigned before charges.
Adeline was not arrested at first.
No direct proof she ordered theft.
Then handwriting expert compared unsigned threat letter.
Not enough alone.
But a clerk testified Adeline dictated a similar message.
Another said she instructed suppliers:
“Nothing goes to Reid ranch until that woman is gone.”
She was charged with coercive interference and conspiracy related to supply restriction, though not wagon theft.
The valley exploded.
Half people celebrated.
Half feared economic collapse.
Prescott Mercantile closed temporarily.
Lena did something unexpected.
She argued against leaving it closed.
At ranch meeting, Walter shouted:
“Let it rot.”
Lena shook head.
“Then where do widows buy medicine?”
“Cooperative.”
“Not ready.”
“Then they suffer so we prove point?”
Silence.
Lena continued:
“We don't replace monopoly with revenge.”
Territorial receiver reopened store under temporary management.
Edwin Pike agreed to run books.
Ranch cooperative supplied inventory.
Prices posted publicly.
Freight weights checked by two people.
Something remarkable happened.
The store remained profitable.