The Story Of Red Dead Redemption

Chapter 20: Stop Deceiving Yourself

As Arthur and the others neared their destination, Hosea pointed to the northwest from the wagon and said to Arthur and Charles, "There's a nearby cattle town called Valentine. It's a place for cowboys, outlaws, and ladies—people like us."

True, there would also be O'Driscolls and Pinkerton detectives. However, this time, the O'Driscolls had robbed Cornwall, which would likely divert much of the Pinkertons' attention, giving the O'Driscolls less reason to bother them for now. Thinking about this, Arthur felt a slight easing of his urgent sense of crisis, but he reminded himself not to let his guard down.

After Hosea's brief introduction to Valentine, Charles asked, "So, what's the name of the place we're heading to?"

"Horseshoe Overlook."

"Will it be a good hiding spot?"

Hosea answered plainly, "I think it will be for now. But do you really think Dutch wants to stay hidden?"

Arthur didn't expect Hosea to say that.

Without looking back at Charles or Arthur, Hosea continued to gaze ahead as if something was drawing him in. He said, "Honestly... I don't know how to explain it. I think you, Arthur, can sense it too. Maybe I've become more cautious over time, but Dutch has never changed. He's still the same Dutch who wants to fight everything, just like when he was young."

When Hosea mentioned 'over time,' he was referring to the time after his wife passed away, which had broken his heart.

Listening to Hosea, Arthur thought for a moment and said, "It's not just you who feels this way, Hosea. Let's stop deceiving ourselves, okay? Our situation is really bad. The heist in Blackwater—Dutch robbed $150,000!"

In 1899, $150,000 was an enormous amount, enough for them to live comfortably in Tahiti. But it was also an amount that would make government agents relentlessly pursue them, ensuring they were hunted down.

"The government agents won't stop chasing us. This isn't something we can hide from."

Arthur had his reasons for saying this. Although his memories were fragmented, he clearly remembered a scene where they camped in a swamp, and countless Pinkerton detectives attacked them, even using machine guns.

Listening to Arthur, Hosea realized that Arthur also understood their crisis. However, Hosea still believed that he and Dutch could handle things. He saw Arthur as an impulsive child who had grown but was still immature, essentially a big kid with a strong punch.

Hosea didn't want Arthur to worry like him, so he said, "I understand your concerns, kid. But let us old folks worry about these things. Forgive me; getting old makes me complain about everything. I still believe everything will be fine, so let's forget my complaints."

Although Hosea said this, Arthur didn't think Hosea's worries were just complaints. He wanted to tell Hosea that his concerns were valid, but he decided it wasn't the right time. For now, Hosea still believed that everything Dutch did was for the group.

After listening to their conversation, Charles, who had been sitting in the back, finally spoke up, "Even though I haven't been with you long, I know that in this line of work, there's always a heist that goes wrong."

Hosea smiled and said, "Exactly. Over the years, we've robbed many banks with Dutch, and only the Blackwater heist went wrong. You all know Dutch isn't someone who acts without thinking, so sometimes things just don't go as planned. These things can be deadly, and there's nothing we can do about it. Reality is like that, always has been."

"Arthur, Dutch, and I have been in this line of work for a long time. Look at us; we're still here, so I think most of the time, we've made the right choices."

As they were still some distance from their destination, Hosea, perhaps reminiscing about the past, told Arthur and Charles about how he and Dutch met.

"It was around 1870. Dutch and I were young and met on the street. We were just small-time crooks back then. I wanted to swindle his money, and he wanted to rob me, haha. After some conversation..."

Following Hosea's lead, Arthur continued, "Then you realized you were kindred spirits and hit it off, leading to the Van der Linde gang. Okay, Hosea, I've heard this story countless times."

Arthur had heard their story many times. He remembered when young Dutch and Hosea called themselves revolutionaries, dreaming of a world without big corporations, a utopia without the pressures of civilization.

Like Dutch's favorite authors, Evelyn Miller and Ralph Waldo Emerson, they advocated for freedom, equality, cultural tolerance, and following natural laws.

They admired the medieval life of Robin Hood, robbing the rich to help the poor and fighting injustice.

In the past, Dutch and Hosea only robbed the wealthy and shared the loot with the poor. Before they took him in, they had been jailed for fraud but later escaped. There were many stories about their past, and Arthur was glad to stop the topic before it became tiresome.

***

"Hey, brothers, you're finally here. Slow down and let me jump on."

Javier was waiting for them in the woods and jumped onto the wagon, guiding them, "Follow the wagon tracks on the ground and don't get lost."

Following Javier's directions, the wagon passed through a small forest, and Arthur and the others finally reached their destination—Horseshoe Overlook.

Still on the wagon, Hosea asked Javier about the situation, "Any trouble, Javier?"

"No, everything went smoothly. It's a good place."

On this open hilltop, those who had arrived earlier had already set up a basic camp. Tents were pitched, and a large table with some chairs was set up in the middle of the camp. Although the camp was taking shape, there was still much to be done.

Seeing their arrival from afar, Dutch walked over and said, "You're right, Hosea. This is a perfect place."

Hosea climbed down from the wagon and said, "Let's hope so."

Arthur felt that although Hosea had told him to trust Dutch, Hosea's attitude showed that he was still skeptical about the path Dutch was leading them on.

Dutch, with a passionate tone, was about to encourage everyone when Hosea pulled out a chair and sat down in front of Dutch, saying, "For now, we're just surviving."

Dutch wasn't discouraged and continued, "Now, it's our time to thrive."

Hosea wasn't going to let Dutch off the hook and firmly said, "Arthur and I could have thrived in Blackwater. We planned something big, but we had to retreat... Micah got you interested in that ferry, and now we're here!"

Wow, Arthur thought, listening to Hosea's accusations. This was almost like Hosea was pointing a finger at Dutch, calling him out for a foolish decision. This kind of confrontation hadn't happened during their snowy mountain escape.

Facing Hosea's continuous accusations, Dutch stood up, looked him in the eyes, and said seriously, "Over the years, we've all made mistakes, Hosea... every one of us. But I've kept us together, kept us alive, and kept us from being caught!"

As he spoke, Dutch turned and walked away, but Hosea followed him, grabbed his arm, and continued, "I don't think I'll live to see that day, Dutch."

Hosea's tone was filled with fear, not because his words might anger Dutch, but because he was thinking about the potentially disastrous future events. He continued, "I just want everyone to live safely until I die."

Arthur followed the two, listening quietly to their conversation, watching and listening but not speaking.

Hearing Hosea's words, Dutch's tone became more agitated. He said, "Listen! I feel the same way!"

"But we're trapped now, Dutch, stuck east of Grizzlies, penniless, and our dream of the untouched western lands and the life we hoped for are still far away..."

Dutch looked at Hosea, as if trying to convey his unwavering belief with his eyes. He said, "I know what you're saying, my brother, but we're safe now. We'll make some money here, and then we'll move on, towards our goal, to the West. In a few months, we'll be able to buy some land."

"Look around you, Hosea, the world has its comforts."

As he spoke, Dutch spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the world.

In the end, it seemed Hosea was convinced. He said just one thing.

"I hope so."

***

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