July 3, 1902: It appears that my words had a deterrent effect, and Ochi Callaghan did not send any of his men to cause nuisance to Coulter Village for the next few weeks.
At the beginning of July, as food and resources were gradually depleting, Mr. Fowler suggested that Miller and I go to a nearby town to purchase some necessities. But the distance is long and there are many people. Mr. Fowler asked us to pretend to be businessmen, drive a repaired carriage, and set off from Coulter Village to Strawberry Town at the foot of the mountain.
"Be careful of the O'Drisco gang, and keep an eye out on the road." Mr. Fowler said to John, who was about to whip his horse away.
"It's really rare for the two of us to travel alone like this."
As the carriage went further and further along the road, Coulter Village slowly disappeared into the morning snow and mist. Miller said to John beside him: "I think Mr. Fowler is worrying too much. After last month's events, After the negotiation, the Austrian gang dared to rob us halfway because they were ignorant of current affairs."
John tightened his grip on the reins. Mr. Fowler's words were not unreasonable. The snow-capped mountains belong to the wilderness, and the wilderness is always a place where bandits are rampant. "Anyway, it's better to be cautious. Except for the O'Drisco gang, I dare not say that there are no other people around here." bad guy."
Miller took off the long gun from his back. He took this one with him before leaving. "Brother, don't worry. With our two sharpshooters, anyone who dares to take a step closer will be beaten."
The carriage staggered through Spider Gap, stepped onto the frozen surface of Lake Isabella, and then followed Beartooth Creek to the mines of Mount Hagen. Some Indians migrated there and established a small reservation. land.
John found this abandoned carriage from the bushes on the roadside. Miller was responsible for the maintenance of the carriage. It was obvious that the connection between the bearing and the wheel hub was not stable. John was worried about whether it could return with a full load of goods, but the carriage was still intact. It’s considered sturdy and durable, mostly thanks to Miller’s Sharma Blast.
"The wind is really a good material for carrying heavy loads. I have always wanted to ask you why you found a pack horse as a mount." John asked.
Miller, who was originally looking around, lowered his head when he heard this. After a long time, he looked lovingly at a group of wild horses in the distant wilderness.
"Would you abandon your son? Obviously not. Hayate is my child. The first time I saw him was among a group of wild horses. He was so inconspicuous at that time, standing alone and leaning against each other. Among my companions, I saw my own shadow on it. I didn't realize that a cheetah was behind me, but the wind noticed it. It rushed over and pushed me down, and then kicked the cheetah away. The other Shire horses were frightened. He had to scatter in all directions, leaving only me and it standing there - two brothers who met each other on a different road. At that time, I decided to spend the next days with it."
John nodded. Although his acquaintance with Black Pearl was not so sensational, their relationship was very strong. "I have never heard you tell this story."
"There are many things you don't know." Miller wiped his lips, "But don't you think we have been in the snowy mountains for too long?"
"What do you mean, aren't we just going down the mountain to buy some things and do some activities on the way?"
"That's not what I meant, John. You have a family, and we are here for a purpose."
"I don't know. It's just that Detective Pinkerton is chasing him too closely, and we can't completely follow our own ideas."
"Because Van der Linde is such a burden, you have more things to consider, and naturally you cannot move freely."
John smiled helplessly, "You are right, but these people were desperate and I had no choice at the time."
"But you do have a way to make your own decisions now. If you ask me, let's walk away from now on, eliminate Owen Smith and then return to Plough Village."
"Absolutely not! Abandon other people...Don't you care about Mr. Fowler?"
"Mr. Fowler...he's not like before, haven't you noticed? He just doesn't want to move at all lately."
"Miller, you..." In John's view, Miller said this because he either hadn't realized the reality of Mr. Fowler's old age, or he disliked that Mr. Fowler could no longer contribute to the gang and classified him as a "liability." ” category, John didn’t want to suffer anymore in his heart, he hoped it was the former...
As the carriage drove all the way south, the temperature changed drastically from cold to hot, and John took off his deerskin gloves. The weather was clear, the sun was shining brightly, and the thick coat on my body seemed unnecessary.
Just as they were about to cross a not-so-extensive plain and enter the mountainous town of Strawberry, John pulled the rope beside a train track.
"I think I've made a friend around here and I have to go on some errands," said John, jumping out of the carriage.
"Go ahead, you know I have no reason to stop you." Miller said.
What friends does John have here? There are only a few people here, and there is only one bungalow located next to the railway, which is Wallace Station.
"Hi, sir, long time no see." As soon as John entered the door, the young clerk at the station greeted him quickly. This man was Angel. The last time they met was when the Van der Linde gang had just withdrawn from Strawberry Town. You could tell that his The movements are much smoother than before.
"Angel, right? I really admire my memory. I can remember your name for so long. Where are the other brothers?"
"They only come over to play a few games of cards when they get off work."
"After work? I think they must be workers at the coal tar factory. It's not that close from there."
"Yes, but train fares have dropped significantly recently, and people are willing to pay to come from the east."
"So there are more people taking the train. This is a good sign. I want you to help me check someone." Using the same trick as last time, John took out a coin from his pocket and started spinning it in his hand.
Angel stared at the gold coin intently, as if what he said was uncontrollable: "That's for sure, sir. I have all the records of everyone who took the train, from the special class to the economy class, up to and including everyone." I can dig it out for you, from a wandering noble lady to a slovenly beggar."
"Haha, what I am looking for is not these ordinary people. He is an official, the leader of a private detective in several nearby states. There is only so much I can reveal. Do you see if there is this person?"
“An official – I thought I’d check out the VIP seats, there’s been a whole train of distinguished people chartering out recently… Here’s a schedule: Sara Oleksey, Female Magician , went from New Hanover to Blackwater, July 11th; Steiberg Burley, bond master, went from Rhodestown to Blackwater, July 15th; Burkey Long, Pinkerton clerk, July 17th Heading from Blackwater to Saint-Denis..."
"Wait a minute, what's the name of Officer Pinkerton?" After hearing the word Pinkerton, John stopped Angel who was about to continue reading.
"Burke Long, is he the man you're looking for?"
"I think so. Please give me a more specific itinerary for this person."
"No, the itinerary and the like would be considered a leak of passengers' privacy. This would make me lose my job, but..."
John understood the implication, so he took out another ten-dollar silver coin and placed it in front of Angel. "To be honest, bribing you is my biggest expense recently. This money can make it more convenient for you." ?"
"That's enough, sir. Burke Long will get on the train from Riggs Station near Blackwater and take the Ambarino Central Railway around Annesburg in the northeast to St. Denis. It's not far from Wallace Station. There is a short tunnel in the distance, and there is a water tower at the bend where the train comes to provide identification, and there is a long distance in the wilderness, where it is not easy for the police to detect it."
"Angel, what you said not only made things difficult for the police, but also made me a little embarrassed. How could you be so sure that I was going to attack Burkey Long?"
"I have seen many people like you who come to the station to inquire about information, but most of them are ambushing stagecoaches. There are really not many people who dare to plan trains, but they are all for the purpose of robbery. You want Burkey Long by name. According to the information, sir, he must be interested in Detective Pinkerton’s high income and use it to blackmail him.”
"That's not necessarily true. Maybe I'm not doing it for money." John said with a crooked mouth. He felt that he was right.
"No matter what, I won't report you. After all, I don't know your name yet, sir."
