pappabearbooks Before the reunion in Chapter 43, they acquired a herd of bison and three followers.
Before the reunion in Chapter 43, they acquired a herd of bison and three followers.
boom!
The moment the gunshot rang out, the woman's pupils contracted sharply as she watched helplessly as her horse crashed to the ground, throwing her violently away.
Tom walked slowly toward the man.
The other man's hand was already on the holster at his waist, his eyes sinister, staring at him like a venomous snake.
"Where are your accomplices?" Tom asked in a cold voice.
The woman trembled all over and stammered, "I...I really don't know..."
Tom sneered and suddenly ripped open the man's shirt.
The blood-soaked abdomen was exposed to the sunlight, but strangely, no wounds could be found.
The woman knew she couldn't hide it any longer, so she turned to run away, but a magnificent black horse blocked her way.
"Lead the way." Tom pulled a bundle of rope from the car, his tone chilling. "The wolves and vultures in the desert love to eat people tied to trees."
The woman was ashen-faced and could only lead Tom to their camp.
"It's Simone!"
A shout came from afar, and then a fat man swaggered over, his greedy eyes sweeping over the wagons loaded with goods, completely ignoring Tom's presence.
"Hey Simone, you've had a good day!" the fat man grinned. "Where are Dennis and the others? What happened to your horse?"
The woman frantically tried to signal him with her eyes, but the fat man was completely oblivious. Instead, his eyes gleamed as he stared at the black horse: "My God, that horse is truly magnificent!"
His loud voice immediately attracted two cowboys herding cattle not far away.
Tom's gaze was cold as he quickly scanned the camp.
Dozens of bison were scattered beside a lake, clearly spoils of war.
"Where did these bison come from?" Tom asked Simone, staring at the herd.
The woman suddenly jumped out of the car, screaming, "He killed Dennis!"
boom!
A gunshot rang out, and the cowboy closest to Tom's head exploded in a spray of blood, falling straight to the ground.
The remaining two cowboys, one fat and one thin, were about to draw their guns when they froze instantly.
Tom's gun was still smoking, and his eyes were colder than the desert night wind.
"Didn't you hear me?" he spoke slowly, his voice low and menacing like the whisper of death. "Where did you get the bison herd?"
The woman swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she said, "Some...some were caught..."
Tom squinted. "Dozens of them, all captured?"
"They also...they also robbed some immigrants..."
Hearing this, Tom's doubts finally dissipated.
"Surrender, or die?" he asked coldly.
The fat man and the thin man exchanged a glance and hurriedly threw the revolver at Tom's feet.
"Have you killed any immigrants?" Tom's gaze swept between the three men.
silence.
"I didn't kill anyone!" the fat man suddenly raised his hand, his voice trembling.
The skinny man stared at him wide-eyed, as if he were a madman.
"Tell the truth." Tom twirled the revolver in his hand, his tone chilling. "If you're wrong, I'll send you all on your way."
The fat man stared intently at the thin man, cold sweat beading on his forehead, afraid he might utter a single wrong word.
"He...killed!" the skinny man gritted his teeth and shouted with his eyes closed.
"You beast! I'm your own cousin!" the fat man roared, lunging at the thin man.
boom!
After the gunshot, the scene fell silent instantly.
Tom looked at the woman: "Is what he said true?"
The woman nodded: "Cooper did kill people, but Zach... was only responsible for herding cattle."
Tom slowly turned his head, his gaze piercing Cooper like a blade: "They all killed immigrants?"
Cooper grinned. "Killed them all! Not a single one was clean!"
"You're lying!" Simone screamed, her voice trembling with hysteria.
Tom ignored her shouting and instead stared at skinny Zack: "Has Simone killed anyone?"
Zack lowered his head, his voice hoarse: "I...I only herded cattle, I really don't know..."
"Zack!" Simone's eyes widened in disbelief. "We grew up together!"
Cooper gave a wry smile: "I'm still Zach's cousin..."
Tom raised an eyebrow: "You're all from the same hometown?"
The three nodded in unison, and an eerie silence filled the air.
"Alright, this den of thieves is finished for today." Tom put away his revolver, pointed to the herd of cattle in the distance, and said, "These bison are mine. Anyone who wants to come with me, fifty dollars a month, room and board included."
"Me!" Zach was the first to raise his hand, his movements so quick it was as if he was afraid he would regret it.
Simone and Cooper both showed expressions of shock.
Cooper went even further, yelling, "Are you fucking crazy? He already let us go!"
Zack ignored his cousin's roar and looked Tom straight in the eye: "Following you... are we going to kill someone?"
"If you encounter robbers and don't shoot, are you just waiting to die?" Tom sneered.
"What about ordinary people?" Zack's voice trembled slightly.
Tom waved his hand impatiently: "Come if you want, don't come if you don't. Why all this nonsense?"
Zack shrank back and silently stood behind Tom.
"You two?" Tom glanced at the remaining two.
"I...I don't know how to herd cattle..." Simone twisted the hem of her clothes.
"Can you cook?"
"meeting!"
"Then you'll be in charge of cooking."
Seeing this, Cooper quickly said, "Me too..."
"That's enough people," Tom interrupted curtly.
"I don't want my wages! Please don't abandon me!" Cooper's voice trembled with despair.
Tom didn't even turn his head, his gaze fixed on the restless bison herd. "Zack, can you drive these cattle away?"
"Yes!" Zack answered decisively.
Cooper suddenly collapsed onto the sand, yelling, "Zack! Herding cattle requires at least two people! You can't do it alone—"
Zack looked at Tom hesitantly.
Tom said calmly, "He can be kept, but if he dares to cause trouble, you will be punished the same as him."
After saying that, he added meaningfully, "After all... he's your cousin."
Zack's Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally nodded emphatically: "I'll be keeping an eye on him."
"Pack your things." Tom got into the car.
Cooper suddenly seemed like a different person, leaping towards his horse in one fluid motion.
While camping that night, Tom suddenly said to Cooper, "Want to kill me? You'd better wait until I'm asleep."
Cooper was so scared he almost wet his pants, and he waved his hands repeatedly, swearing oaths.
But as the campfire died down, the fat man with a lot of muscle still gripped the dagger and crept toward Tom's tent.
The moment he lifted the tent flap, a heavy punch slammed into his stomach!
"Ugh!" Before Cooper could even cry out, he was grabbed by the throat by a pair of iron clamps and forced to the ground.
In the moonlight, Zach's eyes shone with an alarming brightness.
"You forced me to take up a gun back then..." Zack's voice sounded like it was squeezed out of hell. "You said you'd take me to pan for gold, but you made me a bandit... Your own cousin?" He said, and then punched him again.
Cooper was horrified to discover that his usually timid cousin's hand, which was gripping his neck, was harder than a bull's hoof.
When Simone arrived at the scene, she saw Zach dragging Cooper back into the tent like a dead dog.
Inside Tom's tent, the sound of even snoring could be heard.
A few days later at noon, the European immigrant caravan was resting.
Five-year-old John suddenly leaped off the carriage, his blond hair gleaming in the sunlight.
"John, what's wrong?" Mother Margaret asked, noticing John's strange behavior.
On the horizon, a familiar figure broke through the rolling heatwave and came!