Cornwall had no idea that the plan for Dutch to rob his train had originally come from Colm.
After Dutch carried out the robbery, Colm clearly had no intention of letting a wealthy target like Cornwall go, and his men continued launching attacks on Cornwall's trains.
From Cornwall's perspective, it was precisely because Dutch had started it—and was still roaming free—that other gangs in the West felt emboldened to take advantage of him.
However, after the Blackwater incident and the previous confrontation in Valentine, Cornwall knew the Van der Linde Gang was no easy opponent. They were few in number, kept a low profile, and were extremely troublesome to track down and capture.
At the same time, progress on restoring Pinkerton's law enforcement authority was going nowhere. The moment legislators heard the name Pinkerton, they wanted nothing to do with it. Even a temporary authorization risked costing them massive union votes and losing the next election.
Because of this, Cornwall decided to make an example out of Colm instead. The O'Driscoll Gang had plenty of members and a large profile—an ideal target.
"Of course, Mr. Cornwall. We already have sufficient intelligence on the O'Driscoll Gang," Milton said.
"Their leader, Colm, has connections with the Gray family in Rhodes. Perhaps we can use the Grays to capture him. That shouldn't be too difficult."
"Compared to Dutch van der Linde, he should be much easier to deal with."
Milton agreed without hesitation; he already had detailed information on Colm.
Cornwall nodded. "I don't want to wait too long, Mr. Milton."
"Rest assured, Mr. Cornwall," Milton replied. "Within about a week, you should receive news of Colm's capture and imprisonment. I'll have him locked up in the Saint Denis prison."
"With the crimes he's committed, he won't be sent to Sisika Penitentiary. He belongs on the gallows in Saint Denis."
...
Land Farm.
Davey had also read the Saint Denis Times.
"Looks like you really pulled it off, Davey. Shouldn't we throw a banquet to celebrate?"
"To be honest, I never imagined you could reach this point—in just a few months, right under everyone's noses."
"You know, this kind of achievement is the dream of countless cowboys. Most wouldn't even dare to imagine it… including Dutch."
Uncle leaned against Davey's desk, a flask in hand, his tone filled with amazement.
Although Davey had already given him plenty of shocking and unbelievable moments, seeing his identity completely washed clean still left him stunned.
Davey smiled. "I didn't expect Bronte to actually help me pull this off either. But in my view, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Even without Bronte, someone else would've stepped in. After all, when money's involved, dealing with the government isn't that difficult."
"You're right, Uncle. I should throw a banquet. And I'll call Mac back too—but not yet. Not until the Callander brothers are truly judged and hanged on the gallows in Saint Denis."
"After that day, our business can officially move into Saint Denis. If you're interested, Uncle, I'll be setting up plenty of properties there. You could come along."
A civilized city like Saint Denis was something many people longed for, but Uncle shook his head.
"No, Davey. I'm old now. I can't keep up with the times. City life probably wouldn't suit me."
"And that Italian, Bronte—he may have helped you, but he's not a good man. You should be more wary of him instead of trusting him."
"The scheming in the city is far worse than anything out here in the West. Their bullets often make no sound at all. By the time you realize it, you've already been hit—and you might not even know it."
As he spoke, a trace of memory flickered in Uncle's eyes. It was clear he had once lived in a civilized city like Saint Denis, though the experiences he remembered were far from pleasant.
Davey nodded. "Thanks for the warning, Uncle. As for Bronte, I think he probably wants me dead more than anyone else."
"He can't touch me in the West—Italians don't have much influence out here. That's why he wants to drag me into the city, where he thinks I'll be easier to deal with."
"But I think he may have miscalculated. Maybe I'll show him that I'm even harder to handle in the city than I ever was in the West."
Uncle laughed. "That's right, Davey. I almost forgot—your methods aren't something ordinary cowboys could ever come up with."
"These are the tools of civilized men. Some might call them despicable, but there's no denying how effective they are."
"I'm really looking forward to seeing just how much of an impact you'll have when you arrive in Saint Denis."
"I have a feeling it'll be very interesting."