John stepped out of the carriage just in time to be met by Mr. Fowler.

"The others have gone to pack up their horses, and I'll stay here waiting for you, what about Berquette Long? Did you ask what you said? ”

"Not for the time being, Berqueque has joined my gang, and there will be time to ask questions later."

John looked at the surprised Mr. Fowler and explained, "I have made an agreement with him, and I will talk about the details - we have made a lot of noise, and the police will be coming in a moment." ”

John found a cavalry Tennessee horse to mount Berqueque, and the rest of the team returned to the train one after another, Miller led the wind and the Black Pearl over, and when John explained it to him, Miller still grimaced at Berqueque.

"From today onwards, Berquerque is your companion, please let go of the doubts and estrangements in your heart. This place should not stay for a long time, let's go back to the coulter village. John said to everyone.

John chose a dry drain as the way back, and the members slowed down due to fatigue, but after a short walk along the river, the village of Coulters still came into view.

From a distance, Thomas ran over with his rifle alertly, and when he found that it was John and the others, he put away his gun and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Hey! Gentlemen, have you gained anything? ”

"There weren't any casualties or horse losses, which was the best result, and ...... Down-and-out Berquette Long. ”

Thomas nodded: "You brought strangers, we also met new friends, not long after you left, a dying fellow came to the camp, I stopped him to ask about his identity, William Brown and his expedition encountered an unprecedented snowstorm in the north, the rest of the team gave up trying to survive, and Mr. Brown struggled out of the predicament, and finally came across the village of Coulter. ”

"What about others?"

"In the lighted house next to Catherine—believe me, Mr. Brown is frozen."

John stopped the others and walked alone.

All the candles in the room were lit, even the fireplace was a spare firewood, and a middle-aged man in disheveled clothes sat tremblingly in front of the fireplace, the coffee in his hand steaming upward.

"Candles don't have to be lit, William Brown." As soon as he entered the house, John blew out the two candles on the candlestick beside him.

Hearing someone enter the house, the man immediately jumped up from the blanket and then looked at John nervously.

"I don't think we know each other." The man's voice trembled slightly.

"You walked into our village, kept warm with our firewood, enjoyed our supplies, and said you didn't know the boss here."

"No...... It was an old man who invited me to be a guest. The man said in trepidation.

"I know it all, you don't have to pretend to be a guest, who taught you to call Daddy Thomas that, he saved your little life, if you don't show me a little respect, I'll let you go back to the snowy mountains to reunite with your friends."

"Don't do that...... Now, sir...... It's time for them to be frozen into ice sculptures. ”

"I'm happy to make ice sculptures of people who don't know how to be grateful, say, how did you get here, and what is your so-called expedition?"

"We're a sports team from Nashville, and we've just been awarded by the state government, and the captain is excited to take us to the snow-capped mountains of northern Ambarino and threaten to challenge the nation's climbers."

"To set a new climbing record, you should really go to Mount Whitney in California." John quipped.

"Sir, I don't think it's funny...... Others have already been killed. ”

"Okay, let's not talk about that...... Is anyone following you? I mean – cops or detectives or whatever. ”

"We've often been harassed by sheriffs everywhere for disturbing the peace, but I dare say even fools don't want to follow us, because no one would be unscrupulous with that broken equipment."

"Your companions are dead, where are you going next?"

"I don't know...... It all happened so suddenly, oh, this warm village I couldn't leave. ”

"Please give me a reason to keep you."

"This ...... I found that your measures against the cold were not in place, and provided me with food and lodging, and I could repair them for you. ”

"I think you've had enough, John Coaster has decided to grant you temporary residency. William Brown, can I call you by your first name? ”

"But it doesn't hurt to say it." The man named William rubbed his hands together with great excitement, handed John the steaming coffee, and then held his hand tightly, "Good cooperation, Mr. Coster." ”

While there was still some time before dinner, John walked to Bibo's room, where the kid was lying on the bed and playing with John's pistol, which Bibo had been carrying with him since he picked it up from the train.

"Give me the gun, lad, it's too dangerous for you!"

"I don't think so, sir, I shot the big man in the back in the head to-day, and my first shot didn't shake to the ceiling as Gremes said." After all, Bibo still gave the gun back to John.

"I told you not to follow, how can you act without permission."

"I wanted to do it alone, and Limes always said I lacked manhood."

"It's so ignorant and fearless." John took the gun and opened the cartridge, there were five bullets in the six magazines, he inserted the gun back into the holster, "Anyway, how did you climb that damn train, I didn't see you jumping with us." ”

"I laid some barricades a few miles before where you started, and the conductor came down to clear the tracks, so I slipped in."

"How long have you delayed them?"

"Maybe ten minutes."

"Damn, it looks like we're late...... You're doing the right thing about that – but as I said, you're forbidden to take part in such a dangerous operation. ”

"I want to prove myself and be a gunner for the Van der Linde gang."

"Son, if I were your age, I would wish I had read two more books."

Bibo didn't speak again, but looked at John's leopardskin holster with admiration.

"If only I had one...... Sir, can I have a pistol? ”

"I hope I heard me right."

"I want to protect everyone, and there are people I want to protect."

John thought about it for a long time and decided to give his pistol to Bibo, the only reason was that when John was about his age, his father also entrusted him with the responsibility because of the same sentence.