"How's it going, have you negotiated with Mr. Turnberg?"

Steve Zucker sat cross-legged on a wing chair, like a nobleman savoring a leisurely afternoon. After receiving a positive answer, Steve gave John a shallow smile and stood up with his delicate teapot down.

"Well, then, you're one of us."

Steve unequivocally stretched out his right hand, wanting to shake hands with John to symbolize the alliance, John hesitated for a moment but responded, only to see Steve lick his lips, "Mr. Tenberg has a little understanding of your current situation, he will not delegate the task for the time being, but I also hope that you will deal with the troubles around you as soon as possible and join Mr. Tenberg as soon as possible." ”

There is no definite deadline...... After leaving the house, John was so preoccupied with what Steve said that he didn't pay any attention to the oncoming newsboy, and the two of them bumped into each other.

"Hey! Sir, look at the dots! The newsboy grumbled as his rucksack flew off his left shoulder, scattering a wad of newspapers on the floor.

Seeing this, John hurried forward to help clean up, and when he had sorted out all the newspapers, he noticed the West Elizabeth State Gazette at the top.

The fact that the state would sell newspapers issued in another state only when something worthy of the attention of the whole West was happening attracted his attention. Unfortunately, the newspaper had been polluted by muddy water, and the newsboy stood by with a distressed expression.

John felt in his pocket, just in time for some change.

"I don't think you can sell it, I want it."

John picked up the newspaper, shook it off, and then scanned the "Crime Bulletin" section as usual, and in a few moments a few lines caught his eye.

The kidnapping of the seventh largest car in New Hanover has not yet been closed.

The kidnapped Pinkerton official, Berqueki Long, remains missing, and the only identified robbers remain the Odrisko gang, previously identified by the body. According to the research and analysis of foreign aid detectives, there is also a gang involved in the kidnapping, but its identity cannot be clarified because it has not left any considerable clues. Police have cordoned off nearby rivers and ravines to further investigate the whereabouts of Mr. Berquette Long and the mysterious gang.

The state government has once again issued an initiative to contact the police in the state and town for any news of Berququeque's whereabouts, and those who have meritorious service will be rewarded.

John put away the newspaper and walked down the main street, and at a glance he saw Miller in front of the dressing shop, who was pouring colorful bubbles on Blast's body, dipping his brush in a little water, and finally carefully brushing it from Wind's strong legs to his neck, and then repeating the same motion on Black Pearl.

"Thank you, brother."

"How's it going?"

"It's not advisable to stay here for a long time, and I'll talk about it on the road." John put on his saddle and got on his horse, "I've read the newspapers, and we're in an awkward position - the detectives know about the existence of a third party, but they don't know that the Vanderlinde gang is involved, and if they continue to investigate, sooner or later they will suspect us." ”

"Train robbery is a felony, and finding out the facts is not good for us, is there any way to stop them from continuing their investigation?"

"I've thought about this a million times, and it seems that there is only one way to do it — let Berquette Long go and let him explain it all."

"Let the tiger return to the mountain...... Aren't you afraid that he will go back and tell the truth? ”

"Keeping him under house arrest is not the way out, we have no choice about whether to let Berquke go, and I have reason to believe that he can keep his mouth shut."

"How?"

"This Brie Turnberg's Yankee employer is a rival of Owen Smith like Berkkee Long, and these days Bred's employer is complacent about Berkeke's disappearance and intends to use me against Owen, and Berqueque's refusal to report me is for the same purpose. If Berquette were to return to St. Denis, who would be the happiest? ”

"Brie Tenberg and his employer."

"That's right! If Berkeke denounces me without knowing what to do, I will be able to bite the nail on Brise Turnberg - his long-eyed opponent is the one behind his kidnapping, and Bre Thunberg will definitely be furious, I don't know what Brik Turnberg will do when he is angry, but it must be bad for Berqueke, who wants to maintain peace and stability. ”

"What about Bree's insistence that you framed him?"

"You forgot there's such a person as Anluber. Even if I hadn't suppressed him, no one could have been assured that the Indians didn't have something to fear him, or that the public would think of a diplomat who was complicit with the Indians. If he still wants to keep his career, it's best not to act rashly. ”

"It makes sense, you're employed by Berquette Lang and you're a spy for Brittle Turnberg, and both of them will help you get close to that bastard Owen."

"Miller, you summed it up perfectly. But what bothers me is that Berqueque can't be seen in the public eye out of thin air, and you have to make up a suitable narrative, such as escaping from the custody of a certain gang or something. ”

"I don't think any gang would admit to kidnapping dignitaries and be so negligent."

"That's the problem, we need someone to take the blame."

I don't know if Miller pondered or hesitated on horseback, but finally slowly spoke: "I'll be this man." ”

"Miller, this is a capital offense, and I don't want and will never let my brother risk it for me."

"John, I can pay for you ......"

"Anyone can, but you, it's not negotiable!"

As a brother born to die, Miller will always stand up, and John understands that. But in his heart he both hoped and feared to hear this answer from Miller's mouth. This ambivalence made him speechless for a moment, and the two fell into a terrible silence.

John didn't know what to say to break the silence, and suddenly remembered the woman in the beaver cave, "You go back first, I have some trouble to deal with here." ”

"Are you hiding something from me?" Miller said with a smirk, his questioning tone surprised John a little.

"No, I have some personal matters to attend to." John replied hurriedly.

"Okay, okay, just kidding, how could I not even believe my own brother."

At a fork in the road, John pulled the reins and headed right to the Beaver Cave, while Miller returned to camp on the left.

Not far from the mouth of the beaver cave, a strange and familiar figure walked and stopped with a rifle, as if he was chasing something. She landed lightly down the dirt slope from a half-foot-high platform, and finally bent over a leg-deep fern, with John following behind, recognizing Maria Milley from the gun in her hand and the color of her turmeric hair.

Completely different from the first outfit of the first time, Maria wore a blue and white plaid undershirt, two triangular plackets knotted at the chest, the waist was exposed, and she wore an old denim wide-brimmed hat that she had found out of nowhere.

John lowered his voice and shouted, "Hey! Mrs. Milley, why are you here? ”

"Shh

Maria pressed her index finger to her lips to signal John not to make a sound, then turned and took an unusual stance to aim at a creature under the old yellow tree.

In the direction of the muzzle, a lost impala lay alone in a clump of weeds, looking east and west with dark brown eyes, and the sadness in both eyes, knowing that it must run desperately to save its life, but by this time it had been exhausted by the relentless hunters.

As the gunshots rang out, the sturdy impala collapsed to the ground with a whimper, and Maria walked over to the corpse with a sigh of relief, intending to cut off a small piece of leg flesh or internal organs with a knife, but unfortunately she didn't have such sharp things, so she decided to put the body of the impala on her back, like most hunters harvest their prey, but the weight of the impala was beyond her expectations.

"John?" Maria Milley looked up, her eyes meeting John's.

Seeing this, John carried the impala's corpse on his back.

"Hi Mr. Coster...... Sorry I didn't say hello to you, I've been tracking this impala all morning, and this is my first hunt - I don't want to end up failing. ”

"You've taken this step, ma'am."

"Yes." Maria nodded, "Let's go back to the Beaver Cave first." ”