Chapter 40: Are You Ready to Leave?
Arthur couldn’t fully grasp everything Davey was saying.
As he often admitted himself, he wasn’t an educated man—he’d never studied much and didn’t really understand how the United States worked.
He hadn’t even heard of the Anti-Pinkerton Act that had passed six years ago.
But there was one thing he did understand: the Pinkertons couldn’t touch them anymore.
All their old fears had been for nothing.
“So, Davey, you’re saying we don’t have to worry about the Pinkertons coming after us anymore? We’re just... safe now?”
“Even Cornwall can’t do anything about it?”
Arthur found it hard to believe. They were outlaws—men who had robbed $150,000 in Blackwater—and yet somehow, they could now live like ordinary people. It completely upended everything he thought he knew.
Davey nodded. “For now, yes. But who knows? If Cornwall manages to help the Pinkertons get law enforcement authority in New Hanover, everything could change.”
He paused briefly before continuing. “Or if Dutch keeps on with his robberies and stirs up more trouble, the New Hanover officials might have no choice but to ask the Pinkertons for help.”
“So, Arthur, do you really think Dutch is the kind of man who’ll live quietly forever?”
Arthur understood immediately.
He sighed. “It’s not just Dutch. If we stop robbing, we’ll have no money—and we can’t survive without it. So we’ve got to pull off one more big score. Enough to buy our freedom, then move on—find a new place where nobody knows us.”
It was the harsh truth. Arthur needed money, Dutch needed money, and the others needed it even more.
If not for that, who in their right mind would choose this kind of life?
At the end of the day, it all came down to survival.
“Davey, listen. You’re already a big shot in Valentine. Mac told me you’re about to start your own business.”
“You and Mac shouldn’t come to Strawberry Town this time.”
“It could get you caught up in something you don’t need.”
Arthur had always been good to the gang, especially to those he called family.
After learning about Davey’s situation, he’d chosen to go after Micah Bell alone—just to fulfill Dutch’s orders.
Davey took a sip of red wine and shook his head. “You’re my brother, Arthur. I can’t just let you face danger alone.”
“Besides, what happens in West Elizabeth has nothing to do with New Hanover. It won’t affect my business in Valentine.”
Arthur could tell Davey wasn’t going to back down, and that moved him deeply.
...
After dinner, Davey, Arthur, and Mac rode out toward Strawberry Town, while Lenny returned to camp.
On the way, Arthur began to vent his frustrations.
“You know, Davey, ever since I first met that son of a bitch Micah Bell, I’ve had a bad feeling about him.”
“Hosea feels the same way, but for some reason, Dutch trusts that guy completely.”
“If only Susan had just shot him dead back in Colter Village, he wouldn’t have caused us half this trouble.”
“Lately, though, I think Dutch’s mind is coming back to him. He’s starting to seem like his old self again—the leader who once gave us hope for a better life.”
“I just don’t know if saving Micah this time will drag him right back down again.”
“I swear, I don’t want to save that fool, that damn rat—but Davey, you know me. I can’t turn down Dutch.”
“We were supposed to head to California, remember? But somehow Dutch and Hosea brought us to Blackwater instead.”
“If we’d gone west, maybe things would’ve turned out differently. Maybe we’d have bought some land... planted a few trees... mangoes or something.”
Living in darkness but yearning for light—that was Arthur in a nutshell.
He had joined the Van der Linde Gang at just fourteen. Now, at thirty-six, he’d spent twenty-two years living off robbery, murder, and theft.
He longed for a free, peaceful life, though even he wasn’t sure if he’d know how to live it.
Still, every man needed something to hope for.
“Arthur,” Davey said, “don’t overthink it. You don’t have to plant mangoes.”
“I remember your sketches—they’re really good. When things finally settle down, maybe you could open an art class, become an art teacher.”
“Oh, and that John guy—he learned under Dutch same as you, but his drawings are god-awful. Hard to even look at.”
Hearing Davey bring up John, Arthur couldn’t help but smile.
He and John had both been taken in by Dutch as kids, raised and taught under his wing.
They were as close as brothers could be.
“John, huh? That guy’s been completely tamed by Abigail now—not the man he used to be.”
“But Abigail likes the quiet life. Honestly, that might be for the best.”
Arthur looked ahead at the road stretching out before them.
“Davey,” he said quietly, “are you ready to leave?”
Author's Note
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