Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Balancing Act

Dutch rode his white horse ahead, looking back and saying, "I know you haven't been taking my ideas seriously lately, but I know I'm right."

There are people in this world who, despite being in adversity, remain confident and self-reliant, eventually achieving success. Dutch might be one of those people.

"Southwest direction, right, Arthur?"

"Yes, the kid said to follow the main road southwest. They're somewhere by the lake."

Honestly, Arthur was reluctant to scout with Dutch alone because it filled his mind with strange thoughts. For example, imagine if Dutch accidentally died at the hands of the O'Driscolls, and Arthur fought hard to bring Dutch's body back to the camp. Isn't that interesting?

That way, the current situation and future plans would suddenly open up.

***

"Open your mind and let's think about this. We all know that a triangle is the most stable shape, so why do you think manhole covers aren't triangular?" the teacher on the podium posed this question.

"What do you think?"

He scratched his head and answered, "I think it depends on the situation. Most choices involve various factors. As a manhole cover, the shape might not prioritize stability."

"Very good, thank you. The choice of manhole cover is determined by many factors. It's not just about whether it will fall in. Considerations about force distribution, space utilization for tools and equipment, and convenience all influence the final decision."

"Some people choose to balance, while others focus on one aspect. When most decisions tend to be the same, it's not that other methods don't work, but rather a matter of balancing and prioritizing."

***

"Arthur, you might think that living by stepping on deer urine and rabbit droppings every day is nothing, but I'm old and can't live like this anymore." The wind, snow, and Dutch's words pulled Arthur back from his bizarre memory.

"Everyone has their own choices, Dutch... Look over there, there are tracks left in the snow."

Following Arthur's finger, a large series of hoofprints were visible in the snow near the lake. Dutch stopped to observe them carefully and said,

"It looks like he's determined to get what's on that train, and there are quite a few of them."

"Let's go, keep moving. It looks like we still have some distance to cover."

Considering the possible situations ahead, Arthur decided to bring up that matter:

"Dutch, I know about the blood feud between you and Colm. I support you in whatever you decide to do with him, but not now. No matter what happens, remember, we're just here to scout."

Dutch looked back at Arthur in surprise and said,

"There are things I can forget and things I can forgive, but what Colm did to Annabelle, I will neither forget nor forgive. If I get the chance, I can't guarantee I won't shoot him on the spot."

Arthur sighed, "You also killed his brother, Dutch..."

"Yes, I did!" Dutch's tone was firm and angry, "And now I hope those two bastards can reunite soon!"

Dutch didn't want others to seek revenge, but he was relentless in his own quest for vengeance. Full of ideals and principles, but when it came to his own revenge, those went out the window.

Arthur's eyes involuntarily glanced at the gun hanging on his saddle, calculating his own balancing act.

The two reached a slope from which they could see smoke rising in the distance.

Dutch said, "See the smoke? Let's go take a look."

Arthur remembered the camp should be near the lake, so it should be here. He decided to observe from a distance and not get close to the camp.

They stopped on the back slope, tied their horses, and took out their binoculars to slowly approach the edge of the cliff at the top of the slope.

Dutch said, "This is it."

The cliff below looked like an abandoned mining town, even more dilapidated. Only a few intact houses remained, but the overall size was larger than Colter.

Through the binoculars, Arthur could clearly see the O'Driscolls scattered around the camp. Judging by the number of horses tied in the corners, there were about twenty people in the camp.

Arthur suddenly noticed a man on horseback, standing out because of his fine horse, and said to Dutch, "Look, is that Colm, the guy on the horse who seems to be yelling?"

Adjusting the binoculars, Dutch saw the man Arthur mentioned and confirmed, "That's the bastard!"

Realizing Colm was there, Dutch briefly considered whether it was possible to bring people over in time.

The answer was no.

After a while, Colm rode away, and Dutch calmed down. Now, it was just him and Arthur. A surprise attack was out of the question, and recently, Arthur hadn't been as obedient as before.

He tried not to show regret and said, "As you said, revenge is a luxury we can't afford."

Arthur smiled and replied, "Ha, I thought you didn't agree with that."

In any case, Arthur's feelings towards Dutch were deeply conflicted, both about the past and the future.

Dutch spoke with a tone that was sad, slightly incredulous, yet calm, "Arthur, Arthur, do you not trust me at all anymore?"

His eyes showed a mix of sadness and sorrow. Without giving Arthur a chance to respond, Dutch continued, "We need supplies, equipment, and most importantly, a way out. Nothing else matters, including Colm. We've been together for a long time, Arthur. We're like family. You can always trust me."

Dutch believed that was enough. He trusted Arthur would continue to support him, just like when they were younger. Temporary disagreements were not a big issue. In the end, family would always be family.

Arthur nodded, "Okay..."

He always remembered how Dutch and Hosea taught him how to fight and use a gun. In the past, he always thought he wasn't smart enough, so he didn't bother thinking. Anyway, there was Dutch's Plan A and the always unreliable Plan B. He just had to contribute.

Now, thinking back, it was quite strange. He still didn't know how to summarize the changes in himself. Was it a journey? An awakening? A dream or some mental illness?

He couldn't say. But he knew he was still him. What was real and what was fake didn't matter. He had figured out that the present was the most important.

Brushing off the snow, Dutch stood up and said, "Let's go. This is probably just one of their camps. After all, Colm's only strength is in numbers. It's not like him to have so few people."

Arthur nodded, "Let's circle around and check the area."

***

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