Chapter 20Unlike the north-western parts of Montana, dominated by the soaring peaks and craggy gorges of the Rocky Mountains, the countryside around the town of Whiskey Creek is mostly rolling hills and wide-open plains. With a moderate climate, cold winters, and some of the finest arable pasture in America, this region is home to millions of acres of prime food production – from beef and lamb to endless tons of corn and vegetables.
Whiskey Creek itself lies some 150 miles west of Billings, Montana’s largest city, and an hour’s drive south from the town of Bozeman. It was once famed for its fine bourbon distilled from the local barley corn, but nowadays the town was no different from thousands of other Midwest communities. It had two churches, two schools, a small penitentiary, six police
