The weather is like this. As long as you grit your teeth and survive those dangerous weather conditions, the warm sunshine will eventually arrive. It may be late, but it will never be absent.
It was a rare day of good weather for this snow-capped mountain area, but Mr. Pearson, the chef and deputy logistics director of the Van der Linde gang, couldn't be happier looking at the gang's supplies that had bottomed out.
The failed operation in Blackwater Town caused the Van der Linde Gang to abandon almost all the baggage and light equipment. Although he tried every means to save some, after this period of time, there was not much left.
These days, he also asked the idle strong men in the gang to go out hunting to supplement their supplies, but this gang of incompetent and accomplished things didn't even bring him back a single rabbit. It's understandable when you think about it. When it comes to asking these guys to rob, kill, and buy goods, no one is more professional than them, but when it comes to asking them to hunt, they really aren't the best candidates.
There are currently three people in the gang who are most suitable for hunting. One is Arthur. He is the number one person in the gang who does practical things. No matter what, it is right to go to him to do it, but he has been so busy recently that he can’t do anything at all. I don't have time to care about him, so I don't think about it; one is Charles. If there is anyone in the gang who can be more reliable than this black-marked mixed-race strong man, it is probably only Arthur, but it is a pity that his hand is there. He was injured in Blackwater Town, and Pearson naturally couldn't bear to trouble him; there was also Lenny. As a young man, he had almost endless youthful vitality. Pearson had used him once before, and he took Bill with him in the snowfield. After wandering around the forest all day, he didn't even bring back a single fur, so Pearson didn't want to use him anymore for the time being. Don't ask, it just makes him annoyed when he sees it.
As for the other strong and capable men in the gang, Pearson was not incapable of handling them, but when he thought of Javier's artistic youthful temperament, Micah's unruly attitude, and John's desperate attitude, He could only sigh, unable to do anything.
At this time, a young man with light blond hair and bright green eyes came back from the camp on a horse. On the horse's back was a pile of iron clumps that were unrecognizable from Pearson's point of view.
"By the way, there's him," Pearson thought, "What's his name? It seems to be Brandy. Isn't this kid a hunter in this area? Maybe he can catch something. I'm really old too. I’m confused, why didn’t I think of him earlier?”
You can't blame Pearson, after all, Brandi joined the gang for only a week, so it was normal for Pearson not to think of him immediately.
"Hey! Brandi! Hey!" Thinking of this, Pearson called Brandi.
Brandy had just unloaded the iron clumps on the horse's back. When she heard Pearson's shout, she immediately responded: "Wait until I move it to the house, Mr. Pearson!"
So Pearson waited for the energetic young man to finish his business, and when he came rushing over, Pearson looked bitter and resentful - this was not exactly acting - —said with a sigh: "If you all just focus on your own business, or have nothing to do at all, you will not be able to live this life."
"We're going to be fine, Mr. Pearson." Brandy was ever optimistic.
"We're starving here," Pearson said. "Do you know how much food we have left? A few cans and a rabbit. How many people are you counting on feeding these? Ten? Twelve? When I joined the Navy..."
"Oh, oh, oh, I don't think this kid will be happy to hear your trivial things, Mr. Pearson." Just as Pearson was about to start talking about his adventures in his youth, Arthur took a root from Oder in his mouth. Risco handed one of the cigars seized in the camp to Brandy, and the two of them started smoking together, mercilessly letting Pearson inhale second-hand smoke.
Pearson ignored Arthur's verbal interruption and continued: "We were trapped at sea for fifty days..."
"And you unfortunately survived." Arthur interrupted again, obviously fed up with Pearson's naval past.
Pearson had no choice but to change the topic: "When we escaped from Blackwater Town, I couldn't get supplies."
"When we're being pursued by government agents, sometimes we have to cut the procurement short," Arthur reassured. "We'll get through it. We always have."
Of course, after saying this, he did not forget to say a Pearson quote - Arthur would not be Arthur if he did not do this: "And if necessary, we can eat you, because you are the fattest one." This sentence made Brandy, who was watching the excitement, laugh.
Facing Arthur's vicious tongue, it would be unwise for you to really pick a fight, so Pearson chose to ignore it and said, "I asked Lenny and Bill to go hunting before, but they found nothing."
At this time, Charles also came to the kitchen to warm himself by the fire.
Arthur joked with interest: "Oh, Lenny still prefers reading and writing to hunting, and Bill is a fool, unless the mountains and fields are full of prey waiting to be caught. Isn't it surprising that they can't find it..."
"That's enough," Charles interrupted Arthur at the right moment, "We'll find something to eat. Let's go, Arthur, and Brandi."
Arthur and Brandy followed Charles to his horse, a gray and snow-dappled Appaloosa named Taima. Charles took off his usual bow and arrow from the saddle and handed it to Arthur: "Here, take it. I can't use it, but you can use it."
Arthur looked at this simple bow and arrow, which was more than an era behind guns, and said, "Are you kidding..."
"Shoot, and we'll scare away all the animals for miles around." Charles untied the reins from the hitching post and got on the horse. "Live and learn, that's what I think."
Arthur looked at the bow and arrow, and finally handed it to Brandy: "I'd better give the opportunity to learn to young people."
"Then you're welcome," Brandi said, putting the bow on his back, "This is a good thing. If I didn't know how to do it, I wouldn't keep hunting with a repeating rifle."
The three of them packed up, got on their horses and left the camp, heading along the river towards nearby Lake Isabella.
"How are you, Charles?" Arthur asked with concern.
"I'm okay, it's just this hand," Charles looked at his injured arm with a bit of annoyance in his tone, "Stupid mistake."
"Not recovered yet?" Arthur wondered.
"It will be fine in a day or two, but I can't draw the bow now," replied Charles.
Arthur laughed at himself: "I wish I could draw a bow, but I just don't have that talent."
"You can do it, trust me." Charles seemed certain about this.
"So, besides O'Drisco's people, is there anyone else to kill around here?" Arthur looked around, but couldn't see anything noteworthy.
"This area is actually surprisingly rich in species. Of course, it cannot be compared with those warm places with abundant water and grass," Brandy said. "The most common species here are black-tailed rabbits and white-tailed deer. Argali sheep are also found here. Occasionally, You can also see elk, and if you’re really lucky, you’ll even encounter a moose.”
Charles smiled and said: "Although I don't understand this, I am sure that we can get the meat back this time. Pearson is just talking nonsense. Now that the weather is getting better, it's time for the animals to come out to look for food."
"I remember that a long time ago, I saw a very special bison near this lake," Brandy began to share her knowledge with them. "Bisons are not supposed to appear in this area. But it just appeared. To be honest, if I just say it with my mouth, you won’t believe that it actually exists, but its white fur really impressed me. It is simply a work of art among works of art.”
"I heard that there are very special animals in the world. They are either larger than similar animals, or have extremely special coat colors, or both. The most important thing is that they are unique." Charles explain.
"Like the legendary mountain lion Jaguaro you told me before?" Arthur interjected.
"That's right," Charles affirmed. "It seems you are lucky. This creature itself is a special product raised by nature. It is rare to find."
"Hey, do you think there is a possibility that we might encounter it today?" Brandi said thoughtfully.
Charles smiled: "Rather than thinking about whether these are available or not, we'd better find a high ground as soon as possible and see if we can hunt deer."
The three horses crossed the creek, turned left off the main road, and headed for higher ground.
"It's been so difficult these days," Arthur said, "riding north from Blackwater Town, being trapped in a snowstorm, and bringing John back..."
Charles said: "You are under too much pressure. I really wish I could help you share it more before."
"That's not what I meant, it's just..." Arthur felt very complicated inside, "There are a lot of things that need to be thought about."
"I still don't know what happened on that ship." On the one hand, Charles expressed his doubts, and on the other hand, he wanted to see if Arthur knew anything.
"Me too," Arthur said. "Anyway, Javier told me some things, but... things are bad."
The three of them crossed the hillside and returned to the main road again. It may be that the latitude here is relatively low, or it may be that the altitude here is lower, and some tenacious plants can already be seen emerging through the snow. They should be the first creatures to welcome spring in this area.
"You can already see grass, which is a good sign," Brandy said.
"Let's go this way and have a look." Charles controlled the horse's direction and led the team along the river.
The weather at this time was a rare sunny day for this area. The sunshine reflected the white snow with a silvery glow, giving the barren snowfield a thriving atmosphere.
"The wind has stopped." Charles, who is good at using bows and arrows, is more sensitive to the wind than Arthur and Brandy.
"Is this a good thing?" Arthur asked.
"It doesn't matter if there's no wind at all," Brandy explained at this time, "but if the wind is too strong, the animals won't come out."
"Shh," Charles suddenly pulled the horse's reins slightly, and Taima's pace immediately became slower and quieter. "Don't make any noise, I saw something."
Charles jumped off his horse and walked to the snow not far ahead, where there were several fresh footsteps.
Charles knelt down to examine it for a while and said with certainty: "A deer passed by here, not long ago."
Brandy also jumped off the horse, took a closer look, and affirmed: "No more than fifteen minutes at most."
"How did you two figure it out?" Arthur was a little surprised and even more curious.
"How could you not see it," Charles said, "Next, we will track them on foot. Brandy, take that bow with you, you will need it. As for you, Arthur, don't shoot randomly..."
"That will scare away the animals for miles around, I know." Arthur said slightly impatiently.
The three of them followed the footprints, half-crouched, and walked lightly. After a while, Brandi, who was walking in front because he was holding a bow and arrow, suddenly stopped and signaled the two people behind him to stop.
On the edge of the stream in front, several white-tailed deer were munching on the tender grass emerging from the snow. They looked up from time to time and looked around, very leisurely and contented.
Brandi found a suitable angle, drew his bow and arrow, and aimed at the white-tailed deer closest to him.
Charles gently patted his tense shoulders to help him relax, and asked: "First time using a bow and arrow?"
Brandi didn't care to speak and just nodded.
"I will teach you the secrets of using a bow when I have free time in the future. You are actually doing quite well now, but you must remember two points: first, relax your muscles and don't be too nervous; second, cherish every moment. Arrow, treat every arrow as the last one. Be prepared, you can do it." Charles encouraged after some guidance.
Brandy remembered these words in her mind, but they did not immediately reflect them in her actions. He knew that if he didn't do something necessary, the arrow would definitely fail. So he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the whole world was once again stained with scarlet.
The bow string trembled, the arrows shot, and the white-tailed deer that was screaming for a second screamed and fell to the ground. The arrow accurately penetrated two inches below its ear, piercing its head.
"Perfect." Charles couldn't help but praise, and Arthur also cast an approving look.
"Try again and see if you can kill another one," Charles encouraged.
Brandy took the brandy out of her pocket and took a sip. She took a few steps forward and saw another white-tailed deer that was a suitable target. The sound of the bowstring sounded again, and the arrow shot through its neck, and gurgling blood spurted out from the wound. It only ran away for a few steps before losing all its strength and lying on the ground, screaming and struggling.
The three of them came to the poor deer. Brandi hesitated for a long time after shooting the arrow. Finally, looking at the deer's watery and sad eyes, she still couldn't bring herself to give it a good shot, so Arthur volunteered to do it for him. He took out his hunting knife, squatted next to the deer, and quickly inserted the knife into its neck. The deer's hooves suddenly straightened, and then it lost the strength to struggle forever.
"At this time, no matter how pitiful it is, you have to help it end," Arthur took out his hunting knife, stood up and said to Brandi, "This is the last kindness we can give them."
"Brandy has already hunted two heads. Arthur, you really don't want to try?" Charles asked.
Arthur looked at the other white-tailed deer who were scared away by the two dead companions, smiled, and suddenly blew an extremely sharp whistle and said: "How can we not hunt now that we are here? But I want to do it in a cowboy way. hunt."
Hearing the whistle, Arthur's chestnut Morgan horse neighed and ran towards him. Arthur jumped on the horse, and the shackle was already in his hand. He suddenly let out a war cry that could only belong to a cowboy, slapped his horse and charged forward. The rope spun and spun in mid-air, and was finally thrown out by Arthur with great force. The noose hit the neck of a white-tailed deer without missing a beat.
Arthur immediately dismounted, holding on to the rope with both hands, and while wrestling with the deer, he shortened the distance between him and it. Arthur is extremely strong and powerful, and he can easily gain the upper hand in this kind of wrestling. After the two closed the distance, Arthur put one hand around the deer's neck, and with the other hand, he took out the hunting knife from the scabbard at his waist and slammed the knife into its carotid artery. The deer only struggled slightly and then became motionless.
Arthur put the white-tailed deer on his horse and rode back to Charles and Brandy like a victor.
Arthur's performance is not bad. Brandy was stunned. He didn't expect that this hunting method could actually be done in reality. He couldn't help but praise: "Awesome Arthur, how did you come up with this trick?"
"I learned it when I was tricking cows and sheep in the ranch," Arthur pretended to be immodest, but the next second he noticed Charles' suspicious expression and said angrily, "What's wrong? ? Don’t forget that I started doing this business when I was a teenager, I used to be a serious shepherd.”
Charles had an "I believe you are a ghost" expression on his face and didn't say much. He just said: "Let's go, we should go back."
The three of them put three deer on their horses and rode away from the hunting place.
"Well done, Brandy, Arthur," said Charles. "That's enough meat for all of us to eat for days."
"You found them first," Arthur said.
"I knew you could use that bow well, Brandy." Charles praised.
Brandi smiled: "Fortunately, they won't fight back."
Charles also laughed: "We have seen this kind of thing a lot."
"Judging from what's happened over the past few days," Arthur said, "maybe we've finally turned a corner."
"What we should consider now is how to get out of this mountain." Charles said.
Arthur said with certainty: "It won't be long, but everyone is very weak. As you can see, the carriage is full of snow. Unless the snow has almost melted, we can't go anywhere."
"Well, you're right," Charles agreed, "and even if we leave here, what will happen next? There will still be people chasing us for the huge bounty."
Arthur didn't care much about this problem: "This is a big country. There is always a place for us. Dutch and Hosea will find a way."
Charles nodded doubtfully. Now, except for women, children, young and old, and Brandy, who had just joined, almost everyone in the Vanderlinde Gang has a bounty on their backs. The total bounty for everyone is thirty to forty thousand dollars, regardless of life or death. Such a huge sum of money is enough to make any bounty hunter or bounty hunter group flock to it, and this is what worries Charles. But as Arthur said, this country is very big, and there are legal barriers between states. In some places, even federal laws cannot control it. In addition, there are various reasons such as the inconvenience of information transmission, insufficient police force in various places, etc. , desperadoes like them actually get away with it easily.
The hunting was fruitful, and Arthur felt better, and began to tease the gang's chef, Pearson: "You may have noticed that Pearson always holds a bottle of wine in his hand, ever since we escaped from Blackwater Town. So. We gave the camp cook five minutes to get the necessities and then left, and he didn't take any food with him."
"Fortunately we hunted more than one, after all there are so many mouths to feed." Charles said.
"And that woman who was just rescued from the ranch," Arthur said. "You know her, right, Brandi?"
"Yes," Brandi nodded, "Mrs. Adler is a miserable person."
"Her eyes were full of murder," Charles said.
"It would be the same for you," Arthur said. "After all, she lost her husband, her home, and everything she once owned."
Charles took on the role for a moment, nodded in agreement, and then asked, "What should we do with her?"
"Let's wait until we leave here and everything is on track," Arthur felt that now is not the time to consider this, "but I think that since Brandy has joined us, she will not be left behind by Dutch."
"Did you meet the O'Drisco gang?" Charles asked.
"Yeah," Arthur laughed, "It's really unexpected."
"What's going on with them?" Charles asked, seemingly unaware of the feud between the Van der Linde gang and the O'Drisco gang.
"Have you never dealt with the O'Drisco Gang?" This time it was Brandy's turn to be surprised.
"Charles only joined us a few months ago, and we haven't seen them in half a year," Arthur explained. "I guess they came because they have been here before."
"I've heard a lot about them," said Charles.
"Anyway," Arthur said, "We've been fighting them for many years. A big gang, all a bunch of dirty bastards. Their leader, Colm, had a bad fight with Dutch a long time ago, and it should be a feud. .”
"I've heard of this too." Charles nodded.
The three of them walked slowly along the road, chatting, and arrived at Lake Isabella. Brandi suddenly seemed to notice something. She jumped off the horse and ran to a big tree by the lake to take a closer look. After reading it, she shouted excitedly: "Arthur, Charles, come and take a look."
Arthur and Charles dismounted with some doubts and came to Brandy's side. Following where he pointed, the two saw a large piece of bark falling off the trunk of the big tree, as if it had been rubbed by some large animal.
"It came out too," Brandy said excitedly, "probably just over an hour ago."
Arthur and Charles knew at once that Brandi was referring to the white buffalo he had spoken of.
Arthur had some doubts about Brandi's judgment: "This could also be left by a large animal such as an elk, moose, or bear. How can you tell that it was left by it?"
"Look at this," Charles said, finding a very special piece of white animal hair not far away. "This is obviously the hair of a bison, and I have never seen this kind of albino hair. It seems like what Brandi said The legendary white bison does exist and generally roams in this area."
Charles stood up and said, "But this time we have already brought a lot of prey, and it is unrealistic to look for it again. I think our actions should not have alerted it. It should have been active here in the recent period. Why don’t we look for it later, what do you think, Brandi?”
Brandy thought for a moment, nodded and said, "You're right, Charles, this matter should be considered in the long term."
Arthur didn't care about this matter: "You two make up your mind, just ask me when you need me."
The three of them made up their minds, mounted their horses again, and headed towards the camp.
"Come to think of it, we haven't even talked much," Arthur said to Charles. "You must not have thought of it when you joined, right?"
"What comes to mind?"
"All this," said Arthur, "the chaos of Blackwater, and being here."
"Sooner or later something will happen," Charles said with a clear face. "This is life."
"I just thought you would choose to leave." Arthur said.
"You want me to leave?"
"No, no, I don't want to at all. I just think there's no problem at all for you to wander alone."
"I've been doing that long enough," Charles said. "I'm sick of worrying about someone killing you in your sleep..."
"Ha, I worry most nights too," Arthur laughed.
Charles smiled too: "I think you're safe. This life is just right for me. Of course, I could have joined other gangs, but Dutch... you know, Dutch is different."
"Yes," said Arthur, "Dutch is different."
"He didn't discriminate against me, and neither did most of you, and that's not a common thing for a guy with a black father and an Indian mother."
"Well, we need you now, more than ever."
"Very good..." Charles nodded and turned to ask Arthur, "How long have you been following these people? Why didn't you choose to leave?"
"Me?" Arthur looked like he was lost in memories, "Twenty years, probably, since I was a child."
"Twenty years?" Charles was surprised.
"Yes," said Arthur, "Dutch taught me how to read, and John, and they taught us other things, Dutch and Hosea."
"Definitely." Charles probably guessed this.
"Dutch saved me, saved most of us," Arthur said. "That's why we stay with him through thick and thin. He always takes care of us."
The three horses crossed a hill. Brandy's horse snorted slightly to express its fatigue to the owner on its back. Brandi gently stroked its neck, took out a piece of oatmeal cake from her pocket and brought it to the horse's mouth.
The horse feasted happily. Charles heard the movement behind him and asked with a smile: "How is your new horse?"
Brandi gently touched the horse's mane and said: "She is a very strong child, but to be honest, there are some things I hope she can do better."
"Any horse that can survive in this kind of climate is a good one," Arthur said. "However, the horse I'm riding right now is still a cart horse. After I leave this hellish place, I have to find a horse." Place to buy another horse.
Arthur's tone suddenly became melancholy: "Oh, I miss my Boadicea."
"Look at it, we don't want that to happen," Charles comforted. "I think we are all the same, right? We regard horses as our companions and family members. If something happens to the earl, I don't know if Dutch What will happen?”
"Same with Bill and Brown Jack," Arthur agreed. "He's a poor bastard who hugs the bottle all the time, but he really loves that horse."
"I hope they all make it through as well as we did," Charles said.
"I once tried to ride an earl," Arthur began to share his past experience of making a fool of himself. "Good guy, he was stronger than an ox when he threw me off. He wouldn't let anyone else ride him except Dutch."
As the three of them talked and laughed, it seemed that the distance under their feet had become much shorter. After a while, the snow-stained eaves of Plow Village were clearly visible.
"We're back with food, guys." Arthur shouted as soon as they entered the camp.
Brandy tied the horse, took the deer off the horse and put it on her shoulders, and thanked Charles: "Charles, thank you for teaching me how to use a bow and arrow."
"I just demonstrated it. To master it, you have to practice it," Charles said.
The three of them came to Pearson's kitchen, and Pearson had been waiting for a long time.
"Hey, look at it." If Pearson's beard was shaved, you would definitely see his big mouth grinning from ear to ear. "Just put it on the ground here."
When Arthur put the deer down and stretched his body, he noticed the uncle who was drinking wine and warming himself by the fire with the stew pot set up. He began to speak mercilessly with a sharp mouth: "It's really surprising, the rats in the camp." Actually wandering around in the kitchen.”
"Is this how you greet an old friend?" The drunk uncle has always had a good personality and didn't hear Arthur's sarcasm at all. "I feel like we haven't spoken for several days."
"I'm trying to avoid you," Arthur said.
The uncle smiled and explained to newcomer Brandi: "He actually likes me, but the way he expresses love is quite sad."
"No, I don't like you," Arthur denied, "Get out now."
"I think what the uncle said is more credible." Brandi said with a smile.
"Haha, I like you, kid," the uncle smiled generously, "Okay, see you later, gentlemen."
After the uncle left, Pearson looked at the three deer lying neatly on the ground and said, "It looks like you have a good harvest."
"Charles is very powerful and Brandi is very smart." Arthur gave all the credit to his teammates.
"Here, take a sip," Pearson handed over a bottle. "You deserve this."
Brandi didn't know how powerful it was, so she took a big gulp, and was immediately so spicy that she couldn't speak, and she could only keep coughing.
Arthur, Charles, and Pearson were all amused by Brandy's baby bird appearance.
"You still lack experience, boy," Arthur smiled and took the bottle, but when he took a sip, the strong and spicy taste made him stop laughing immediately, "Oh my God, what is this?"
"Navy rum," said Pearson proudly, "it's the best thing, the best thing! It keeps you awake."
"Yeah, it seems you rely on this thing to stay awake." Arthur complained angrily.
"Charles, Arthur," Brandy finally regained her ability to speak, but her voice was slightly hoarse, "I am very concerned about the traces left by the white bison. You may have to work hard these days. I want to catch it. .”
Arthur said it didn't matter: "I don't have any objection, but Charles' hand injury hasn't healed yet, so I may not be able to help you."
Charles nodded: "Arthur is right, you can look for other people in the camp to see if they are willing to join you."
"Then I'll find Lenny, he will definitely be interested." Brandi smiled.
"I believe that if we can really catch that bison, we will get a lot of meat," Pearson said, "but I still care more about the meat that I have already got. Would you like to help me skin the deer?"
"Can I skin you?" Arthur said angrily.
"Shy, you just like to joke, right?" Pearson laughed.
This kind of work was not suitable for someone with a broken hand, so Charles went back inside to warm up. Brandi and Arthur helped Pearson skin the deer. The smell of blood in the air gradually became stronger.
"Well done, gentlemen," said Pearson, "The skin of this animal can be sold for a good price in town, or you can give it to me, and I can help you make some interesting and useful gadgets. Of course, if If necessary, I can also ask the girls to use these to make you some personal items, which will ensure your satisfaction."
"Now I just want to get out of this mountain alive." Arthur said.
Brandy also smiled and waved her hands: "Forget it, to be honest, the white bison attracts me more now."
"Anyway, if you hunt other prey, bring it to me." Pearson began to work on the deer carcass.
"Give us some good stew today," Brandy said. "Honestly, Mr. Pearson, I've had enough boiled beans."
"Haha, okay," Pearson said with a smile, "Today I will let you see my craftsmanship. I remember when I was in the Navy..."
"Definitely, I'm scared of you," Arthur's head buzzed as soon as he heard Pearson say the word "Navy". He quickly pulled Brandi away and said, "Anyway, if you need anything, come to us. It’s very difficult now, don’t be afraid of trouble.”
"Don't worry, I've never been polite to you in this regard." Pearson responded, his hand cutting out a cheerful rhythm.
