"John, Miller, they will change their posts before the sun goes down. You try your best to get rid of the guards at the mine entrance. In five minutes, someone will patrol here to inspect. Just put on the clothes of a dead man and deal with it calmly. "
"Fantasy, Tarn, you and I will fumble in with explosives. The workers should be off work by now, but there should be people on duty inside. Kill them."
The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the ridge of Roanoke Mountain, and the original charming orange-red color of the banyan tree's whiskers is no longer visible under the bright light. The branches and leaves of a row of golden willows on the banks of the Ranahech River hang down naturally, like a traveler's bent fishing rod extending towards the other side, more like a mother's hand caressing every fisherman who returns late, gently urging them to reunite with their wives.
John patted the dagger tied on his waist, signaling Miller to prepare for action. When the last ray of sunlight submerged on the horizon, a white blade flashed across the necks of the two people standing at the mine entrance to the west of Annesburg, and blood gushed out. John immediately took off the deceased's coat, leaving no trace of red on it.
After disposing of the bodies, John and Miller guarded the entrance of the mine with old carbine repeating rifles. John glanced at Dutch, who was lurking in the grass, and the three of them entered the mine carrying bundles of explosives. After a while, the sound of beatings came from inside.
A few minutes later, as expected, a patrol consisting of seven people came from the south mine.
"Is there anything strange?" the person walking at the front asked.
"No, calm as usual." John said in a low voice.
The man looked around and then left. John thought that maybe the gang had strengthened their guard after the first robbery.
After the patrol walked away, Dutch blew the agreed whistle in the mine - it was time to go in.
After walking along the mark left by Dutch with the miner's lamp for a long time, John saw with his own eyes the gold that Sir Marlin mentioned. The gold exposed outside was as big as a cow's belly, and the light of the lantern seemed dim in front of it. Once down, that lump of metal ruthlessly stimulates everyone's desire for possession. No matter who it is, it can be the economic foundation for his plan for the next ten years. Just standing aside and looking at it can make people's mouths curl up. Dutch, who was standing next to him, had eyes shining, but he sighed: "John, even the Fantasy brothers can't move such a big piece!"
John looked at Fantasy, who was sweating profusely from exhaustion and had obviously made a pointless attempt.
Fantasy shook his head: "I really don't know how the three brothers got in in the first place..."
Dutch hesitated, took out a bundle of explosives, and stuffed it into a hole dug in the wall: "I think we can only blow it up as much as possible, and then take as much as we can. This plan is definitely feasible, but People outside will rush here as soon as they hear the sound, and it seems that a fierce battle is inevitable."
Dutch and Fantasy filled the remaining explosive holes and reminded John and others to stay away. Then they rubbed matches on their leather boots and ignited the explosives at the same time.
"Back off!" Dutch shouted as he stepped back.
Boom!
The explosion echoed in the mine, and waves of echoes hit people's ears. John saw Dutch and his brothers groping for something in the thick gray smoke. When the smoke cleared, they saw that the gold was still intact on the wall. On the ground, there were just some broken coals and stones scattered on the ground, like a large golden wheat field on the scorched earth.
Dutch touched his face covered with soot, and his face was full of dissatisfaction: "Damn it! This huge hard block is ready to explode for the second time!"
Just when they were about to set off explosives again, Miller, who was supposed to be standing guard at the entrance of the mine, ran over in a hurry.
"——Those guards, they're coming!"
After receiving Miller's report, Dutch ordered John, Miller and Tarn to stop the enemy. John found a railway rickshaw not far from the cave entrance, and Miller and Tarn also found their own defenses.
John took off the roller lock rifle from his back and held it in his hand, filled a bullet into the magazine, pressed the hammer, raised the gun and fired. The movements were as smooth as clouds and water. In fact, John rarely used it. The single-shot rifle is just that it is faster to master, and it can combine the man and the gun. Maybe this is the innate talent of the fast shooter.
After a while, the three members of the Van der Linde gang knocked down several people, but John could feel several bullets ricocheting in the rickshaw - death was close at hand.
At this time, Dutch yelled inexplicably, and then the second explosion sounded.
——Boom!
The black smoke drifted towards the entrance of the cave. John believed that the residents of Annesburg could feel the tremor of the earth tonight. That was the roar coming from the depths of the mine, that was the cry for money, that was the power of faith... …
However, gold is still... as solid as a rock, without even a single crack.
"Oh! No! God, why is it still like this? I've run out of explosives!" Dutch shouted hysterically. John felt that the roar could even be heard by the guards on the opposite side, but the louder sound came from deeper in the mine below. From the cave came a very high-pitched sound, not like the roar of a wild beast, but like the sound of the earth being torn apart.
"Dutch, listen, we may have gotten into a big trouble." Fantasy looked around suspiciously.
Everyone realized what happened next. From the Van der Linde gang to the James guards, everyone's feet began to shake violently. The earthquake was so severe that the two sides stopped fighting, but this cessation did not last long.
"Guys, we gotta get out!" Dutch shouted to the gang members.
Thanks to the addition of Dutch and others, the battle became a lot more intense, and the Van der Linde gang also moved forward a lot, but the enemies kept coming. John was worried that he would not be able to resist if he kept dragging like this, so he held the remaining ten pieces in his pocket. A few bullets, and my palms were sweating.
The earthquake continued for a while without stopping, and then it transformed into a more vivid and dangerous way - the mine collapsed. First, the coal seam on the ceiling of the mine began to peel off, and then the rock layer shattered into small pieces under the action of extrusion. Blocks fell down.
"We have to hurry!" John said, looking at the falling stone above his head.
Dutch held the Whitchurch cowboy pistol and rushed to the front. On both sides of him were John and Fantasy. The three of them lined up in a triangular bucket to eliminate the enemies in front of them. John felt that Dutch at this time was the real one. A person who is not afraid of life and death is a true outlaw. Such a person can bring confidence and courage to those who follow him, and guide them to put their lives on the line for what they pursue.
In this way, the Van der Linde gang maintained a high fighting spirit and rushed to the door, watching the guards who were beaten and fled. Then a burst of green smoke rose under their feet - the west mine was completely filled, and soon the gang leader Da Qi You suddenly remembered something, turned around and shouted heartbreakingly at the newly created pile of rocks.
"Tarn! Tarn!"
Tarn, this nineteen-year-old child, was buried forever in a mine in Annesburg, New Hanover, because he was a step too slow.
"Dutch, we have to get out of here!" The feeling of losing gang members was unpleasant in everyone's heart, but John knew that the James family would definitely send pursuers. If he hesitated for too long, those soldiers on fast horses would soon Will catch up with them soon.
Dutch and the others found their horses in the Roanoke woods and rode into the depths of the jungle, leaving a brown Tennessee walking horse crowing alone - his owner might never come looking for it again.
The moon that is about to rise is still lingering on the edge of the dark forest. The river water is shining with silver light from time to time. The treetops are slightly swaying. The trees along the avenue and the ghost-like statues cast long and unpredictable shadows in the evening. The rustle of the wind moved very strangely through the vast silent night. At this time, the moonlight has not yet reached the world, but humans have found a glimmer of light from somewhere - it has been put into a lantern to accompany travelers on the last journey.
"It's just another mining accident." John told himself in his heart...
