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Young Ms. Grimshaw, holding down the fort.
In 1899, the era of gunslingers and outlaws had come to an end, followed by the stench of capitalism and the First World War.
As the very end of the 'Gilded Age', even an outlaw like Arthur felt the final currents of the era.
Ambaryno State, on the snowy mountains.
"Oh, Dutch, poor Dutch! He was shot three times just to rescue us! He could have left on his own!" Jenny walked down from the carriage, tears streaming down her face. Amidst the swirling snow, she took a wooden bucket to scoop up some accumulated snow, then brought it into the carriage to melt, using it as warm water to wipe Dutch's body.
The poor young girl's face, covered in tears, froze instantly into ice shards as the fierce wind and snow blew across it.
Yet, despite this, she remained unconcerned, her entire heart focused on Dutch, who had been shot three times and was still unconscious.
Mac was at the back of the carriage, his face grim, his heart filled with immense sorrow.
Inside the oil tanker, Dutch had stood at the doorway, holding their only escape route open for half a minute, buying them time to flee. This man, whom he had always considered his life's mentor, a father figure, had not abandoned any of them in his final moments. Instead, like a true father, he shielded his children from all the storms.
"Oh, poor old Dutch!" Uncle, wearing a tattered cotton coat, looked utterly gloomy, and the visible worry showed on this parasite of a camp.
He had to be worried, because as the leader of the Van der Linde Gang, if Dutch truly died, the Van der Linde Gang, which had coalesced around him, would undoubtedly fall apart.
Even marcus, who had now transmigrated into Dutch, could not deny this.
Dutch's charisma was indeed great, at least in the eyes of these mentally immature lost lambs.
However, transmigrating into Dutch was unexpected for him.
At this moment, inside the carriage, marcus—or rather, Dutch—who had been shot three times, was still feigning unconsciousness with his eyes closed, but his heart was filled with immense emotion.
In his previous life, he played Red Dead Redemption, had his account stolen, then died of anger in a fit of rage, only to transmigrate into this game in the blink of an eye, becoming Dutch, who had just gotten his hands on the money inside the Blackwater Town steamboat.
The Blackwater Town robbery was so severe that Blackwater Town would struggle to recover even after twenty years, as the people of Blackwater Town themselves stated. One can imagine the ferocity of the battle in Blackwater Town.
This also resulted in the gang losing two top combat strengths: David Callander and Mac Callander.
And when he transmigrated, it just so happened to be when the trap set by the Pinkerton Detectives and the local government was closing in.
To save the Van der Linde Gang, he endured three pistol bullets to take down the Pinkerton Detective on the Maxim machine gun. He bought time for the gang members, successfully rescued David and Mac, and even brought back the one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, thus escaping into the snowy mountains.
Dutch was sleeping soundly in the warm carriage, while the rest of the gang members, under Hosea's command, had gone in various directions in the snowy mountains to find a temporary hiding place.
"Poor Dutch, I wonder if my old friend can survive this ordeal," Hosea said to Arthur, sitting in the driver's seat of the front carriage, full of worry.
Arthur was sad, but he didn't show it on his face.
"Perhaps he can, Dutch… you know, Dutch always makes the impossible possible, just like before!
I believe him!"
Arthur was extremely sad.
Dutch was like a father to him and John. For Arthur, who had never experienced fatherly love since childhood, if Dutch truly passed away, it would be a huge blow to him.
Just then, in the swirling snow ahead, a silhouette slowly appeared.
"Hey, who's there?" Arthur immediately became alert, his hand reaching for his gun.
Although the heavy snow had numbed his fingers, his vigilance as a top gunslinger habitually kept him in peak condition.
"It's me, Javier!"
Javier, wearing a cotton coat and with his hair tied in a small braid, rode out of the snow.
"Hmph!" He exhaled a thick breath, shaking his hands, trying to regain some feeling in his fingers.
"Arthur, I found an abandoned village ahead. Perhaps we can go there to rest for a while.
You know, Dutch… Dutch… he might not be able to hold on much longer without a rest!"
"Let's go! You're right, Dutch needs a good rest!"
The convoy slowly moved forward through the snow, eventually reaching the long-abandoned Ploughshare Village.
At this point, Hosea, as the only remaining strategist and leader of the entire group, took over Dutch's leadership and made arrangements for the gang members.
"Ms. Grimshaw (Susan), can you and the ladies tidy up the house? I think Dutch would recover better inside here!
Javier, tie the horses in the stable. I don't think they'll last much longer in this heavy snow!
Arthur, Mac, you two go find John, David, and Micah. I'm afraid they might be in danger in this snow.
Oh, and Arthur, pay extra attention to Micah." Hosea instructed everyone's actions, finally emphasizing the last point to Arthur.
Like Arthur, he and Arthur had never liked Micah; in fact, no one in the gang liked him.
It was only in the game that Jenny died, and Micah dared to spread the lie that he had already been with Jenny. If Jenny hadn't died, he wouldn't have dared to make a sound even if she slapped him.
Arthur nodded, then rode out with Mac.