Leading a gang – this is not an easy task, at least for John, there is still a lot to learn. First of all, you have to think about everyone's eating, drinking, and Lazar, and for this, you have to let go of your arrogance as a lone wolf and compromise with reality. Fortunately, John has Miller's help to reduce the burden, and Stridge will occasionally intervene and give him appropriate advice, which makes it much easier for John, a newcomer, to manage the gang.

After coming out of St. Denis, the Van der Linde gang hid in the marshy area between the town of Lodz and St. Denis, relying on wild fruit and hunting to survive. Several times he saw heavily armed men walking along the riverbank, John immediately told people to bend down, so much so that the helpers were so scared these days.

Although the enthusiasm of the members is unprecedentedly high, but with the high-intensity work day by day, John can feel that the overall fighting spirit is rapidly depleting, and it is not a way to hide like this all the time, coupled with the fact that Grimes's calf was bitten by a swamp crocodile and was not treated in time, John must make a change......

A cloud of black clouds gathered rapidly in the sky, thunder sounded in the distance, and the summer heat had not completely dissipated, and the torrential rain could pour down at any time.

"We've got to hurry!" John looked at the reeds in front of him, and a bolt of lightning split the sky in half, and then raindrops fell into John's hair.

"John! We have to walk up the hillside, it's empty!" Strich's voice mingled with the sound of the rain, making John's heart tighten.

The hillside did block most of the rain for John's party, but they had to keep exploring to find a camp to rest.

At this moment, two horsemen came along the road, they were wearing cowboy hats, but it was obvious that they were also looking for shelter from the rain.

"Mohr, the rain is getting heavier, how far is the place you are talking about?" A horseman said.

"It's around here, Darryl. You should trust my perception of the wilderness. The other replied.

John thought for a moment, then walked up the hill to the road and greeted the two horsemen.

"Hey! Brothers, my companions are hungry now, and if the place you just spoke of can escape this damn rain, can you take us there? ”

The horseman named Moore nodded: "It's a big place, you're lucky to meet us, take your men with me, this gentleman." ”

The downpour finally started, and luckily John and the others found the ideal shelter from the rain, a cave the size of a half-bedroom, and when the crowd had settled down, Moore walked up to John.

"Sir, you're in charge, and I think I have to confirm your identity, because you know...... Recently, the world has not been peaceful. ”

John had expected the two men to suspect that he was carrying such a tired man, so he thought in his mind what to say, and said calmly: "We were going to move from the banks of the Kamasa River to the heart of the earth, but we lost our luggage and injured people in the past two days of heavy rains. ”

"The Heart of the Earth is a great place to eat, and the oil fields there are easy for the settlers to eat and drink, and believe me, all the hard work you've put in now is worth it." Daryl said.

"I'll be grateful to you, gentlemen, where did you come from and where are you going?"

"We ......" Daryl looked at Mohr, hesitated and didn't speak.

"Tell them, they don't look like enemies." Moore said.

"We're from St. Denis, and we've done some unclean things before, and we escaped for fear of being found out after the police and gangsters tore our faces."

"So you're guarding against someone?" John said.

Moore smiled innocently and looked at John with flirtatious eyes: "We are indeed completely black-handed, but what you just said is not the truth." ”

"No one in this world can live by being honest." John said. After going through so much, he can be considered to have summed up this truth.

"Hey, Brother John, you have to come and see."

Miller spread John's map out on a stone pier in the middle of the cave and called out to John, "We need supplies like food and ammunition urgently, and ...... Grimes' injuries worsened. ”

John looked anxiously at the dense list of place names on the map, and he had set a principle for the gang - no stealing, no robbery. They have no money on them, and they have to rely on the kindness of others to get food and shelter.

"Oh, friends, are there any big towns around here?"

More was sitting and admiring the rain outside, when he heard someone asking, and he came over.

"I've already said that you can get a job in the Heart of the Earth, but if you really want to listen to my recommendations, then the Emerald Ranch is the way to go."

"How so? Is there anything special about a ranch? John asked.

"It's really nothing, it's just that there's a hospitable old couple there who specialize in providing temporary shelter for people passing by."

"This is important information, friend." John said.

At this time, Daryl, who was originally sharpening his knife, came over: "They will not refuse to come, but don't take it for granted, if you stay too long, the old man will drive you away with a shotgun." ”

After an hour, the clouds gradually dispersed, the sky cleared again, and the sunlight that had just arrived on the earth was particularly dazzling under the refraction of the new leaves of the wild daisies, and the group set out on the journey again. The two horsemen laughed and laughed, and galloped in the mud in the direction of Lumay Bay.