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chapter four, one lucky day
ARTHUR MORGAN ENDURED sleepless nights for the past few days, the feeling of guilt relentlessly plaguing his mind. How could I have let those thieves slip away so easily? The man would ask himself repeatedly. He believed that if only he had been quicker that night, then the money would be safely back in the camp where it belonged. But no, the money was gone and the outlaw only had himself to blame for this mess.
A cigarette dangled lazily from his lips as he took a drag the next morning. Violet bags hung below his bloodshot eyes, evidently exhausted. But that didn't seem to bother him. The only thing that burdened his mind right now was the fact that he had let the gang down.
"Don't go beating yourself up about it now, Arthur." His ally attempted to comfort a miserable-looking outlaw as he sat adjacent to him at the table.
"About what?" Arthur challenged. He leaned his elbow on the table, chin resting on the palm of his hand.
The man wasn't blind; he knew where the glum look on Arthur's face was coming from. "You know what."
"Charles is right, Arthur." A younger man chirped in, sitting on the other end of the table as he polished his rifle. "We'll find them eventually and we'll make them pay."
"Here's hoping." Arthur said. "You guys talk to Kieran about this? He knows the girl, so I reckon he might have an idea on where they could be camped out."
Charles shook his head. "Not yet."
The two men had been ordered by Dutch to ride out and look for the culprits but so far, there was no luck. And that was enough to leave Dutch utterly frustrated and upset.
"Take him with you. He could be useful." Arthur suggested.
"Will do." Said Charles, walking away. He quickly glanced over at the younger man. "You coming, Lenny?"
"Coming!" Lenny tossed the cloth aside, flinging the rifle over his shoulder as he ran to catch up with Charles.
Before long, the two men would approach Kieran who happened to be busy cleaning the horses' saddles. Charles did most of the talking and insisted that he came along with him and Lenny to hunt down the Thornhills. It became clear that after days of searching, they could do with an extra pair of hands. Especially from someone who had known the Thornhills pretty well.
Of course, Kieran was initially hesitant at the idea. He had done enough harm to Anna and couldn't afford to exacerbate things between them once more. And god knows what Elijah would do to him if he saw him once again.
