"Looks like you're as efficient as ever."

  Sheriff Malloy, looking exhausted, glanced at the woman on the ground, then at Stephen's smiling face, and said with a hint of helplessness.

  "I hope you can tell me you had nothing to do with the clinic murder a few days ago." Stephen spread his hands, looking innocent. "Clinic? What about the clinic?"

  "Heh, don't play dumb, I know you did it, kid." Sheriff Malloy gritted his teeth. "Throat slit with one cut, I only know one person who can do that."

  "Don't be like that, Sheriff." Stephen plopped down in the chair opposite the sheriff. "You don't have any evidence, do you?"

  "I don't, but I can arrest you directly. I think whips and sticks will loosen your tongue."

  Seeing the sheriff's dark expression as he looked at Stephen, as if he were about to pounce, Stephen burst out laughing.

  "Mr. Sheriff, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now." Stephen turned to leave.

  He took two steps, then turned back, extending his hand towards the sheriff. "Oh, my bounty. I almost forgot to collect it."

  The sheriff gritted his teeth as he looked at Stephen, but there was nothing he could do. He reluctantly pulled a few bills from the drawer and tossed them on the table.

  "Take it and go, and remember, don't let me catch you."

  "Instead of focusing on me, you should focus on the O'Driscoll gang. They're not a good bunch to deal with."

  Stephen offered the sheriff a heartfelt warning, then left.

  The sheriff was left alone, his expression shifting, lost in thought.

  Stephen walked out of the Sheriff's office and looked up at the clear sky, suddenly feeling directionless.

  He wanted to continue tracking the O'Driscoll gang, but didn't know where to start.

  Those guys, like the Van der Linde gang now, were hiding in the wilderness. The west was so big, who knew where to find them?

  The only possible lead was the Deputy Sheriff on assignment at the oil refinery.

  But that guy had taken half the police force with him.

  That's a problem. If he tried to assassinate the gang members, he'd have to wipe out all the cops first.

  Otherwise, if word got out, he'd be in serious trouble.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  He was just a bounty hunter, not a notorious wanted man. Best not to be too reckless.

  Stephen thought and thought, but couldn't come up with a foolproof plan. Finally, he gave up.

  He stood on the street, looking at the bustling scene, feeling disconnected, not really wanting to go back to Horseshoe Overlook.

  Then he remembered he wanted to buy a camera. Why not find a place to buy one now that he had some free time?

  Livestock town Valentine certainly didn't have anything that fancy. Blackwater and Saint Denis were the only big towns nearby.

  Having made his decision, Stephen led his horse straight to the Livestock town Valentine train station and bought a ticket to Blackwater.

  He was in luck. Just as Stephen finished buying his ticket, a slow-moving train chugged into the station.

  Stephen led his horse to the livestock car. These days, trains had special cars for transporting animals.

  After settling his horse in, he relaxed in the luxurious passenger car.

  Trains in this era weren't exactly comfortable.

  The slow speed, the deafening noise, and the billowing smoke spewing out as the train moved forward made the massive machine seem like a terrifying beast.

  Everywhere the train went, all non-human creatures were frightened into fleeing.

  Anything that stood in its path would be mercilessly crushed or sent flying.

  Where the train went, human civilization followed.

  Stephen bought two newspapers to pass the time, and the first headline gave him a little Western shock.

  "Dutch Van der Linde and his Van der Linde gang Robbed a Train."

  Stephen knew about this, but he was shocked by the next sentence.

  "Combined with the $150,000 they stole in Blackwater, this criminal gang has become a cancer on American society."

  Stephen knew Arthur and the boys had gotten into trouble in Blackwater. But whenever he asked about it, they were always vague.

  So he hadn't paid much attention, assuming they'd just killed someone or robbed a few stores.

  Only now did he realize how capable these guys were...

  $150,000! What did that even mean?

  Stephen had wanted to buy a ranch for a couple thousand bucks. $150,000 was enough to buy a small town.

  So what were these guys even doing? They already had so much money, why not retire and live it up?

  Stephen couldn't understand it. Surely, they hadn't left the money behind?

  Stephen immediately shook his head. Impossible. Nobody could be that stupid.

  Anyone with that much money would never let it go, no matter what.

  Unless they didn't like money, or even despised it.

  That was too rare. He didn't think those guys in the Van der Linde gang were like that.

  The train chugged along. Stephen started feeling sleepy from the noise.

  He put the newspaper over his head and drifted off to sleep.

  Since becoming this damn bounty hunter, he'd gotten used to sleeping in any situation.

  That night, as the train slowly crossed Bards Crossing bridge, about to stop at Riggs Station on the other side, a group of men silently climbed aboard.

  They crept along the roof and into the driver's cab.

  "Damn it, who are you people?!"

  The driver looked at the dark figures rushing in and grabbed his rifle.

  But it was too late. The first man shot the driver point blank, then pulled the emergency brake.

  The train screeched to a halt, sending sparks flying from the rails. Passengers were thrown forward and onto the floor of the cars by the sudden inertia.

  Stephen was no exception.

  He got up, rubbing his back, and turned to look out the window.

  A group of men in black clothes, with green scarves around their necks, charged towards the train on horseback.

  These guys were yelling strange cries, shooting their guns into the air, seemingly trying to scare the passengers.

  "Talk about getting what you wanted. I did't think you'd make it so easy for me to catch up with you." Stephen suddenly felt excited.

  He turned around, kicking aside the fallen passengers, and ran quickly toward the livestock car.

  Weapons weren't allowed on the train, so all his gear was on his horse.

  He had to get to his weapons.