After a good night's rest, Davey woke up feeling refreshed.
He left his gentleman's suit at the inn and changed into the freshly washed cowboy outfit that the staff had prepared.
Arthur and the others had spent $8 earlier, plus another $3 for last night's stay, leaving only $9 from their original $20.
This time, Davey deposited $30 with the innkeeper, instructing them to hold his room for him.
Mounting his horse, he prepared to head back to camp.
"Hello, sir! Please, stop for a moment."
A voice called out. Davey turned on horseback and saw Mr. Downes—the man who had fallen ill with tuberculosis after Arthur went to collect debts from him.
Tuberculosis spread mainly through droplets. Though not highly contagious, Davey had no intention of getting close to him.
This was the real world—if he caught it, that would be the end of him.
He tossed a $10 bill his way and turned to leave.
Horseshoe Overlook.
"Hey, Davey."
"Hey, Lenny."
It was Lenny greeting him—he usually handled lookout duty.
When Davey rode into camp, Arthur and Hosea were packing their things, preparing to head out.
"Davey, Hosea found a legendary animal—a giant bear. You interested in coming along for the hunt?" Arthur asked with a grin.
Davey's expression darkened. "Sorry, I'm not in the mood for hunting right now."
Seeing his mood, Hosea frowned slightly. "Davey, did you find something out?"
Everyone knew that Davey had left earlier under the pretense of gathering intelligence.
"Yes, Hosea. And it's very bad news."
Davey's tone drew everyone's attention. Mac, Bill, Javier, and Dutch all walked over.
Micah edged closer cautiously, lingering on the outskirts of the group.
"Davey, what did you find?" Dutch asked directly, noting the grim look on his face.
Davey fixed Dutch with a hard stare, his tone sharp and accusatory. "Dutch, Dutch... I told you we shouldn't have robbed that train. Now look what's happened."
"Cornwall has paid twenty thousand dollars to the Pinkerton Detective Agency. They've figured it out—it wasn't the O'Driscolls who robbed the train. It was us."
"Dutch, there's now a private bounty of five thousand dollars on your head. Arthur, you've got two thousand. Micah and I each have three thousand."
He gave a bitter chuckle. "Didn't think we'd become so valuable. I'm half tempted to turn myself in."
No one laughed. The situation was far too serious. The Pinkertons' involvement had put the gang in a dangerous position.
Davey went on, "Dutch, who knows how many Pinkertons are already in New Hanover? It's only a matter of time before they find us."
"Oh, Hosea, have you managed to sell those bonds yet?"
Hosea hesitated. "Davey, it's too risky right now. Those bonds are worth a lot. We have to be careful about who we approach."
Davey's voice turned cold. "So, for now, those bonds might as well be worthless paper, right?"
Arthur stepped in quickly. "Davey, take it easy. It's not that bad yet. We just need to lay low for a while. Sooner or later, we'll find a way to sell those bonds."
Davey ignored him and turned his eyes back to Dutch.
Dutch exhaled slowly. He knew it was his turn to speak.
"Listen, Davey, don't get worked up. The Pinkertons won't find us that fast."
"Like Arthur said, we'll stay quiet for a while. Hosea will find buyers soon enough."
"I have a plan. Once we sell those bonds, we'll leave this place and head south—to Tahiti. We can buy land there, grow mangoes, start fresh."
"For now, we just need to stay calm and keep a low profile."
Dutch still spoke with his usual confidence and charm, but ever since the argument back in Colter Village, his authority in the gang had begun to wane.
And now, the news Davey brought only confirmed what some had already feared—that the train robbery had been a mistake.
With the Pinkertons having traced the crime directly back to the Van der Linde Gang, the weight of their situation finally sank in.
Everyone looked uneasy.
Abigail clutched little Jack tightly, her mind filled with visions of gallows and nooses.
And those bonds—if they couldn't be sold, they were nothing more than useless scraps of paper.
Aside from a few so-called luxury goods taken from Cornwall's train, the robbery had brought the gang no real gain.
The reality was staring them in the face. No matter how eloquently Dutch spoke, he couldn't dispel the heavy cloud hanging over the camp.
Davey didn't say any more. He'd said enough for now.
Pushing it further would only spark a full-blown confrontation.
"Girls! What are you doing? Get to work!" Susan's voice cut through the tension.
The group slowly began to disperse.
Arthur followed Hosea out to hunt the legendary beast.