Chapter 71: I Think I Saw Myself
Davey didn’t turn down Arthur’s request. He knew well that Dutch didn’t care much about whether the bonds could be sold or not.
Dutch was a pure idealist, devoted to a wild, lawless life free from the United States and its government.
In truth, if he’d ever wanted a stable life, he could have had one long before Blackwater.
He wasn’t exactly rich, but compared to most people, he was far from poor.
Dutch was a wealthy man—it might sound absurd, but it was true.
Susan Grimshaw, Dutch’s former lover, chose to stay with the gang even after he turned his attention to Molly O’Shea. Was it out of love?
No. It was for money.
In the United States, it’s hard to survive without money—especially for a woman, and an older one at that.
Staying with the gang was the best option she had.
Even Molly O’Shea received plenty of money from Dutch.
At camp, she had a wardrobe full of fine clothes. Every morning she’d wake, put on her makeup, read a bit, and wait for her meals.
If not for the rough camp setting, her life would’ve looked little different from that of a lady of high society.
Before Blackwater, during the eight years the Callander brothers had been with the gang, they’d committed countless robberies.
Arthur had saved over a thousand dollars, the Callanders several thousand more, and the rest weren’t far behind.
According to the Van der Linde Gang’s rules, half of all loot went to Dutch.
That meant long ago, he must have already had at least twenty to thirty thousand dollars to his name.
Molly O’Shea only started struggling after the Blackwater incident and the ensuing manhunt. Before that, she’d lived in comfort and luxury.
Susan Grimshaw was the same. Life in the gang was far easier than trying to make it alone; she never had to worry about money.
Dutch himself didn’t care much about wealth. He was generous with his lovers and even gave away stolen money to the poor in the slums.
Take Uncle, for example—he did nothing all day and still drank every night.
And Karen practically lived with a bottle in her hands.
Liquor wasn’t cheap; even the low-proof stuff wasn’t something everyone could afford to drink daily. All of it came out of Dutch’s pocket.
That was why the Van der Linde Gang was so united—and so loyal to Dutch.
Beyond that, men like Arthur, John, Bill, Javier, and the Callander brothers truly believed in Dutch’s ideals.
Within the Van der Linde Gang, they didn’t see themselves as mere bandits, but as outlaws with dreams and principles.
The Callander brothers had been inspired by that same vision, which was why they joined the gang—and they’d stayed for eight years.
Eight years living and fighting side by side.
Time reveals true character; even strangers can become brothers after that long.
“Don’t worry, Arthur. I’ll help. Maybe we’ll get a good chance tonight,” Davey said with a smile.
Just then, Hosea, who’d been wandering outside, stepped into the saloon.
“Hey, Davey. You really do know how to surprise a man.”
Seeing Davey and Arthur chatting and laughing, Hosea realized Davey hadn’t changed at all.
Unlike Dutch, Hosea saw many of the gang members as kids. He felt happy for Davey’s success—not jealous.
“Hosea, I’ve just been lucky,” Davey said, signaling the bartender for a glass of moonshine.
That was Davey for you—most folks had to fetch their own drinks here.
Hosea didn’t stand on ceremony. He raised his glass and took a sip.
“Davey, back in Colter, when you supported my idea, I knew you were different.”
“Looking back now, you must’ve had your own plans even then.”
Thinking back on it, Hosea couldn’t help but feel sentimental.
Davey had opposed the train robbery just as he had, and in the end, it was the two of them trying to find a way to sell the stolen bonds.
Life had a funny way of turning things around.
“I wouldn’t say I had a plan back then, Hosea. I just felt like Dutch had lost his mind. He wasn’t sticking to the plan anymore—he’d gone a bit mad.”
“Of course, that had a lot to do with my brush with death in Blackwater.”
“Under that Maxim gun, my proud marksmanship suddenly felt laughable. I nearly lost all my courage—too afraid to even face it.”
“Since then, I’ve realized how small individual strength really is. Before civilization, barbarism is a joke.”
“Remember when you, Arthur, and I left Colter and met those Indian tribes along the way?”
“They once tried to resist civilization too. But in the end—driven out, fleeing, driven out again. How different is that from us?”
“At the time, Hosea, you pitied them. But me? I felt like I was looking at myself.”
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.