Chapter 99: Dutch’s Pride
Valentine.
“Dutch, maybe we should reach out to Davey first. He’s bound to know more about what’s happening here.”
“That way we can get information faster,” Strauss suggested.
Lenny agreed, but just as he was about to speak, he noticed Dutch’s expression darken.
“Strauss, your idea isn’t bad, but we can’t put all our hopes on someone else.”
“Micah’s words were unpleasant, but there’s some truth to them.”
“Davey sent Mac to the camp to warn us about Cornwall, sure—but if he really still considers himself part of the gang, why hasn’t he done anything to deal with Cornwall himself?”
“We can’t just rely on what others say. We need to see for ourselves what’s really going on.”
Dutch’s tone wasn’t angry, but inwardly, he wasn’t at ease.
To him, the more successful Davey became, the more it reminded him of his own mistake—insisting on that train robbery against everyone’s advice.
“Alright, Dutch, you’re right,” Strauss finally said.
...
Land Farm.
Davey soon heard from Abbas that Dutch had arrived in Valentine.
The night before, Davey had assigned Abbas to gather intelligence, giving him $100 for expenses and setting his monthly pay at $80.
It might seem like a small amount, but to Abbas, it was a fortune.
He didn’t even know how to spend it—it already felt like more than he’d ever need.
Davey could easily have given him more, but he knew Abbas needed to grow on his own. He had to learn that every dollar should be spent wisely, not wasted carelessly.
“Davey, why hasn’t Dutch come to us? Does he think the information we gave him was wrong?” Mac asked after Abbas left.
Davey shook his head. “Dutch just doesn’t want to depend on me, that’s all. Let him be. If he wants to keep his distance, so be it.”
“Donal sent word—something’s come up in Strawberry. I need to go there; it might take a day or two.”
“You stay here at the farm for now. Dutch shouldn’t run into any trouble. If he shows up looking for answers, just tell him what he wants to know.”
Davey knew that Cornwall’s dozen or so men were no match for Dutch.
Even without Arthur and the others, Dutch alone could easily take care of them.
Of course, if Dutch took down Cornwall himself, that would be even better.
Still, Davey knew Dutch wasn’t quite reckless—or desperate—enough for that yet.
Donal’s message said he’d already dealt with Sheriff Hanley in Strawberry.
A town sheriff was important to a place like that, so an election for a new one would be held within a day or two.
That meant Davey needed to get to Strawberry right away to follow through on his plan.
“Don’t worry, Davey. I’ll handle things here,” Mac said with a careless grin.
Davey nodded. He trusted Mac to keep the place safe.
When he stepped outside, Kieran was already waiting with his horse.
Since coming to Land Farm, Kieran had been working diligently in the stables.
Not only had he kept the whole place spotless, but he’d also cleaned and brushed every horse himself.
Davey’s current horse was a black Arabian—a top-tier breed in the West.
His old Tennessee Walker, which he’d grown attached to, was also being kept in the stable.
“Kieran, you don’t need to work yourself so hard. There are plenty of hands on the farm—you can delegate the chores. Just supervise them.”
“I even heard some folks complaining that you’re doing all the stable work yourself. They’re worried you might get them fired.”
Davey swung onto his horse as he spoke.
That black Arabian had cost him quite a bit, but with its flawless coat and proud bearing, it was worth every dollar.
Still, Kieran’s overzealous dedication left him a little speechless.
“Sorry, Mr. Callander, I just… wanted to do a good job. I never meant to make anyone think they’d be fired,” Kieran said quickly.
He clearly hadn’t realized his hard work might cause trouble.
“Kieran, you’re the stable manager. You don’t have to do everything yourself.”
“In the future, I’ll be buying more horses—dozens, maybe even hundreds. You can’t possibly clean and feed them all alone.”
“You need to start thinking differently,” Davey said encouragingly. He couldn’t bring himself to dislike the hardworking young man.
“Yes, Mr. Callander. I understand,” Kieran replied earnestly.
Davey nodded, satisfied. He was only trying to give Kieran some perspective.
At least for now, under his care, Kieran wouldn’t end up slaughtered by the O’Driscoll Gang.
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.