Arthur was clearly unaware of Dutch's intention to work with Bronte.
Dutch had no desire to tell Arthur either. He knew perfectly well that such a decision would only make Arthur unhappy.
When Arthur and Charles arrived at Trelawny's wagon, they found that he was already gone. Following the traces left behind, the two quickly picked up the trail of the bounty hunters.
Using Trelawny's cane as a lead, they managed to capture two of them.
After a round of interrogation, they learned that Trelawny had been taken to the Braithwaite family's cornfields.
He was being held in a small shack near the edge of the fields.
The bounty hunters were clearly no match for Arthur and Charles.
However, while searching the cornfield, Arthur was suddenly caught by a noose thrown around his neck by a bounty hunter lying in wait.
At that critical moment, Charles displayed his superb throwing knife skills, killing the attacker with a single strike and saving Arthur's life.
"Oh, Mr. Trelawny," Arthur said as he returned to the shack after dealing with the bounty hunters, "are you alright?"
Trelawny was bruised and swollen, but he still replied stubbornly, "Perfectly fine. Never felt better."
Arthur stepped forward and helped him up. "So, who were those men?"
Trelawny winced as he spoke, the pain making every word difficult.
"Bounty hunters. Sent by Cole Stoudemire. They weren't after me… at least, not at first."
Cole Stoudemire was the bounty hunter leader who had captured Sean during the Blackwater robbery.
"What did you tell them, Mr. Trelawny?" Arthur asked.
He didn't trust Trelawny much. Arthur didn't believe that someone who was always on the move could have much loyalty to the gang.
"Nothing important," Trelawny said. "I told them I was a scholar from Oregon, on my way to teach at a university."
"Naturally, they didn't believe a word of it."
"You seem to have caused quite a mess back in Blackwater."
"It would really be best if I stayed with you for a while."
"I can't go back to the wagon now."
Trelawny was a clever man. He knew that after Arthur and Charles had killed Cole Stoudemire's men, Cole wouldn't let it end there. He would keep sending people to hunt them down.
Of course, Trelawny could have gone to Davey's place and been just as safe, but the journey from Lemoyne to Valentine was far from easy—especially with his injuries.
Going back to the gang's camp to recover for a while was the best option.
"Fine. Then you're coming back to camp with us," Arthur said, sounding satisfied.
Even if Trelawny wanted to leave on his own, Arthur wouldn't allow it. This still had to go through Dutch. After all, Arthur didn't believe a single word Trelawny had said.
...
During this same period, a major event shook Saint Denis.
The newspapers reported that two vicious criminals responsible for the Blackwater robbery had been arrested and imprisoned—the infamous Callander brothers.
Not only had they taken part in the Blackwater robbery, they were also guilty of many other crimes.
After their trial, the Callander brothers were sentenced to death by hanging.
The citizens of Saint Denis erupted in cheers. Even though most of them didn't know the Callander brothers personally, seeing criminals punished strengthened their trust in the government.
It made them feel safer, especially in a land where crime seemed to be everywhere.
"At least, that's how it looks on the surface, isn't it, Mr. Mayor?"
From the window of a third-floor restaurant overlooking the gallows, Bronte glanced toward the execution site and smiled at Mayor Lemieux.
Lemieux nodded. "The people believe only what they see and hear. They have no idea that some things are not what they appear to be."
"Now, your request has been fulfilled. I imagine Mr. Land will be entering Saint Denis very soon."
"I've heard certain things… about the moonshine," Lemieux continued. "We're friends, aren't we, Mr. Bronte? You shouldn't keep something like that from me. It would hurt my feelings."
"It's a big business. I tasted that moonshine just last night—its flavor, its price. It's bound to take Saint Denis by storm."
"This city never lacks drunkards, nor does it lack poor people. Cheap moonshine that can rival branded spirits… ah, I can already see it being snatched up across Saint Denis."
When Bronte had asked for Lemieux's help, the mayor had naturally conducted a thorough investigation into Davey.
He was curious why Bronte would be willing to pay such a high price to help an enemy—at least, a former one.
What he uncovered shocked him. After obtaining a bottle of Davey's moonshine through his own channels, everything became clear.
It was obvious that Mayor Lemieux wanted a piece of this deal as well. After all, who would ever say no to more dollars?
To take things further, Lemieux needed more than just influence and connections. Political contributions were an essential part of the process—and they accounted for a very large share.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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