They finally reached camp late where most of the gang were asleep. Grace insisted Arthur rest while she took care of their horses. On his way to his cot, John stopped him.
"Tomorrow, Bacchus Bridge, gotta get that dynamite set up," he said.
"Sure," Arthur nodded. His body ached as he lay down on his cot.
He must have immediately fell asleep because the next thing he knew it was morning. Grace was just setting a mug of tea on his table as he sat up.
"Good morning," she greeted him, "I added some extra ginger and mint to give you a boost of energy. I hear you're heading up to the bridge today."
Arthur nodded as he took the hot mug from her. "You think it's a bad idea?"
"Yes," she looked around to see if anyone was listening and lowered her voice. "It is a bad idea because by taking out the bridge, you're severely delaying supplies to those who desperately need it. However, you are also delaying supplies to the army and they may blame someone else for it and take it out on them."
"Oh."
"But I understand that you still need to do this," she sat next to him, "And I won't stop you."
"I suppose we could rig it so the dynamite doesn't blow up, like what happened with that time we robbed Cornwall's train."
"And then Dutch will send someone else to do it right," Grace sighed, "So you may as well do it."
"Will you be coming along?"
"No, I'm going to Annesburg to see if the bank has sent word about the money. You could meet me there when you're finished."
Arthur agreed and finished his tea while Grace sat with Abigail and Jack at their tent. He tacked up his horse and rode out to Bacchus Bridge.
Blew up a bridge with Marston, either to stop the army killing us quite so easily when we attempt to rob this last train, or because we want to encourage Uncle Sam to send another train, full of payroll, for us to rob.
Whole thing seems even more ludicrous and moth eaten when I write it down, Dutch is now acting crazy and I'm acting crazy back.
I'm facing death, and acting foolish. I hope Marston uses his brain. The time for heroics and loyalty to people is over. The time is for acting right and saving the innocent, not the guilty.
As he rode to Annesburg to meet with Grace, his mind raced with everything that was going on. Of course he had to stay, see things out to the end. But there was a tiny part of him that wanted to just leave altogether and be done with it all. The thought made him feel sick with shame. After everything he's done for the gang, and after everything they've done in return for him, he couldn't do that.
He reached the mining town and found Grace sitting on a bench outside the train station.
"I have good news and bad news," she said as he dismounted.
"Okay, what's the bad news?"
"The bad news is that I heard Bacchus Bridge has been blown up."
"I bet it's them injuns," an older man interrupted them, "They's always causing trouble."
"Well I heard it's someone in the army," Grace said confidently, "I hear some of the soldiers are thinking up new ways to be sent back home."
"Buncha cowards," the man spat on the ground, "Nothin' but yella-bellied cowards. Wouldn'ta lasted five minutes back in the war, no sir." The man continued up the road, mumbling.
"Do you think they'll blame the Indians?" Arthur asked her quietly.
"I'm afraid they might," she said. "But the good news is the bank in Saint Denis has my money and I am to go collect it at my earliest convenience."
"Good, we should go right now and-"
"Mr. Morgan!"
They turned to see Archie Downes rushing up.
"What are you still doing here?" Arthur asked.
"Momma can't leave, or won't leave," Archie exasperated, "I don't know, I said I had the money but she said your money weren't moral and she said it'd be better to die than to take it."
"Where is she now?" Grace asked.
"Still heading out, working, you know," Archie said quietly, "She ain't been back for a few hours. Left with some feller down the railway tracks."
"Which way?" Arthur mounted his horse.
"Uh, that way," Archie pointed up the road, "Around the woods, under the railway bridge."
"I'll see what I can do," he waited for Grace to mount up and they rode to where Archie had pointed. They stopped near the railroad bridge and listened, but heard nothing out of the ordinary. They continued up the road where Grace spotted a horse hitched in among the trees.
The horse was alone, but Arthur spotted movement further in and instructed Grace to stay where she was. He dismounted and headed in, soon hearing a man talking. He spotted Mrs. Downes with her back against a tree and the man leaning in close to her.
"I ain't a bad man, well, I been in jail, but it weren't my fault."
"I'm sure," Mrs. Downes said apathetically, flinching as the man ran the back of his hand down her face.
"That's enough now, partner," Arthur emerged, "You're starting to scare me, let alone the poor woman."
"Who are you?" the man backed away from Mrs. Downes and approached Arthur.
"Someone who don't want to hear any more of your nasty mouth, now clear off!"
The man spat and started to take another step towards Arthur until he noticed Arthur had his hand on his pistol. Instead he turned back to Mrs. Downes.
"I'll see you again, deary," he said before turning back towards Arthur and walked off.
"I presume Archie sent you," Mrs. Downes said, crossing her arms. Arthur was about to reply when he started coughing. "You sound just like my husband."
"I know. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what happened, and I was a fool and now I'm suffering for my foolishness. But don't go and get yourself killed because of your pride."
Mrs. Downes turned away from him. "I'm just... so ashamed."
"Of what? You have a son waiting. You did everything for him. Come on, let's get you home."
Mrs. Downes nodded and followed Arthur back to their horses. Grace greeted her kindly, but Mrs. Downes looked away. Arthur helped her onto his horse, then mounted up and they headed back to town. Along the way, Arthur apologised again but Mrs. Downes wanted nothing of it.
"Just forget about me and the guilt you're carrying, because no good can come of that for either of us," she said, "Help someone who can still be helped, or help yourself. Or hang yourself, for all I care."
"You're right to dislike me, I ain't looking for that to change."
They arrived in Annesburg to see Archie waiting. Mrs. Downes quickly dismounted and ran to hug her son.
"Now you need to get out of here," Arthur said as he and Grace dismounted their horses, "Live someplace else, start over. Here," he reached into his satchel and took out what little money he had left.
"I don't want your money," Mrs. Downes pushed his hand away.
"I know you don't, but you as sure as shit need it," he kept his hand out, "I ain't looking for forgiveness, but don't get yourself killed for pride. Just take the money, don't thank me, take it, and get out of here."
Mrs. Downes looked up at her son, then reluctantly took the money.
"Thank you, Mr. Morgan," Archie spoke.
"I said, don't thank me," Arthur insisted and was about to walk away when Grace moved closer.
"Mrs. Downes, may I take a look at you?" she asked, "I think I can give you a treatment for this." She gestured to the sores on Mrs. Downes's face.
"No, just leave us alone," Mrs. Downes turned away.
"Momma, if she can help," Archie said.
Mrs. Downes thought for a moment, then nodded. Grace followed her into their rented rooms while Arthur waited by the horses. After some time, Grace emerged and joined him.
"Well?" he asked.
"Well, I did what I can," she said as she mounted Tuula. "With luck, it won't permanently scar, but only if she doesn't fall back into... this." She gestured towards a group of miners loitering across the road.
"I didn't give them much money," Arthur said as they rode out of Annesburg.
"I gave Archie more money, told him he could either tell his mother the truth, or tell her he happened to find it."
"Speaking of money, we should go get yours from Saint Denis."
"No, we need to go back to camp," she said. "There's something you need to know there."
"What is it?"
"You'll see."
They rode back to camp and Arthur's mind reeled over what could possibly be more important than the money in Saint Denis. After they dismounted and untacked their horses, he followed Grace towards the edge of camp where Jack was drawing something in the dirt.
"Jack, will you come over here, please," Grace said.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes, we already talked about this," she said sternly but kindly. Arthur looked at her curiously as Jack slowly walked towards them.
"Um, I'm sorry, Uncle Arthur," Jack said quietly.
"For what?" Arthur asked.
"I took your money," he said, looking down at his shoes, "I read a story about pirates and buried treasure and I took your money and buried it and made a map but forgot about it."
Arthur was confused until it dawned on him. "You mean the money from my trunk at Shady Belle?" Jack nodded. "Well, do you remember where it is?"
"I made a map but it got lost when we had to leave."
"Do you remember where at Shady Belle you buried it?" Grace knelt beside him.
"It's by a tree but I don't remember which one," Jack sounded like he was about to cry, "I'm sorry."
Arthur was about to tell him it wasn't nice to steal things, but thought it ridiculous given how often he'd done it himself, but Grace spoke up instead.
"It was a mistake and now you've learned, right? You don't take something from someone without asking first."
"Right."
"Good boy, now you can go play. You're not in trouble."
Jack looked up at Arthur who nodded at him to confirm he wasn't in trouble, then rushed back to his tent.
"I can't believe it," Arthur said to Grace, "Of all the people who I thought had taken that money."
"I suppose it's partially my fault, I did give him that book about pirates," she giggled slightly. "Well, we can stop by Shady Belle when we go to Saint Denis, see if we can find it."
Before he could agree, they were interrupted by Dutch and Sadie marching up.
"Colm O'Driscoll is hanging tomorrow," Dutch announced, "And we are going to be there to make sure it happens."
"We're wanted men, we gonna follow him onto the scaffold?"
"We are going to disguise ourselves as Saint Denis's finest," Dutch said dramatically as Sadie scoffed in annoyance. "So tomorrow, Doyle's Tavern, meet us there." Dutch looked at Arthur and Grace pointedly and walked away.
"Colm has been on the gallows more than any," Arthur coughed.
"Either they hang him or I shoot him," she spat on the ground.
"In that case, while you're doing that, I'll go to the bank and Shady Belle," said Grace.
"What's at Shady Belle?" Sadie asked.
"I think I left something there so I'm going to check to make sure," Grace said but didn't specify further so Sadie left it at that.
Dutch and Sadie had already left the following morning by the time Arthur and Grace headed out of camp. Arthur wanted to accompany her to Shady Belle, but she insisted he go to Colm O'Driscoll's hanging.
"I'll have a quick look around before going to the bank," she said, "And I won't stick around Shady Belle if anyone else has moved in."
They rode to the outskirts of Saint Denis in silence. Grace stopped at a crossroads, kissed him, then trotted down the road towards Shady Belle while Arthur rode into the city, keeping his head down.
So we saw Colm O'Driscoll swing. Indeed we did the law's job for them, as his boys were lined up to spring him, but we dealt with them. Dutch back to being himself. At least for a moment. Sadie's still full of anger as she caused a ruckus by shooting a few O'Driscoll boys herself. I don't imagine she's done with them yet.
Arthur waited at the same crossroads he parted ways with Grace, hoping she would be along soon. He rubbed his jaw which was sore from when he got into a fight with one of Colm's boys on the roof of a building opposite of the gallows. A few moments later, Grace rode up.
"What the hell happened?" she asked, "I was in the bank when someone ran in saying there were people shooting at the hanging."
"Yeah, we watched Colm swing, but it weren't enough for Sadie."
"For God's sake, she couldn't have waited? They put the bank on lockdown, thinking it was going to get robbed again."
"So you don't have the money?"
She sighed. "No, and those Lemoyne Raiders have moved back into Shady Belle, so I couldn't look. And no, we are not going to try to clear them out ourselves."
"I guess we're out of luck then," he shook his head.
"Only for about a day or two," she said, "The bank will reopen later once they're sure there will be no robbery attempts. So what would you prefer to do, stay here or head back to camp and see what the next thing is?"
Arthur thought for a moment. "I suppose we should head back. I did promise an army captain I'd help out back at the Indian reservation."
"Oh, Captain Monroe? They mentioned him while I was there, said he was probably the only good army man. Okay, let's head back."
It was evening when they returned to camp. Arthur hoped that maybe Dutch would be back to his old self after seeing Colm swing, and thought maybe he was correct when he saw Dutch sitting outside of his tent reading a book.
They untacked their horses and Grace went to retrieve some stew for them. He was heading to his cot when Tilly walked up.
"A letter came for you," she said, handing him a large envelope, "I know it's from that Mary."
"Mary?" he eagerly took it and looked over his shoulder to see Grace talking with Pearson.
"I think you've already made your decision," Tilly smiled at him and left him to open the envelope.
He could feel something small and round and he tilted the envelope to see a ring fall into his hand. The engagement ring he had bought for Mary all those years ago. He removed a letter and a photograph, one that they had taken together just after they were engaged. He walked over to his cot so he could read it privately.
Mary said goodbye, and had returned the things that reminded her too much of Arthur so she could be free. While he was glad she could move on, he felt a pang of guilt that he had caused this. Maybe in a different lifetime they could have been together, but not in this one.
He quickly put the ring, photo, and letter back in the envelope as Grace walked up with two dishes of stew.
"Are you okay?" she asked, handing him one of the dishes.
"Yeah, thanks," he took the dish and stirred the stew but didn't take a bite.
"Who's the letter from?"
"Mary."
"Oh. Does she need help again?"
"No."
"Do you need a few minutes?"
"No," he lied.
"Okay." She sat next to him and they ate in silence. When they had finished, she took their dishes back to wash them.
Arthur watched as Grace sat with Mary-Beth, Tilly, and Karen to chat. He had brought Mary back to their camp many times, but she had never truly felt comfortable. He understood, of course, their way of life wasn't for everybody. Mary was never one for the wilderness, much preferring to spend time in towns, and she certainly didn't want any part in the gang's activities.
But while Grace did not agree with most of their felonies, she did accept that this was their life. He thought of how easily she could integrate herself within different situations, when she convinced Angelo Bronte to let her look after Jack, when she was able to get into the mayor's party without an invite, and then also be able to hunt and fish and get her hands dirty.
She could probably rob folks blind before they realised it. Arthur smirked to himself at the thought. She was good at getting herself out of difficult situations but he hoped she wouldn't need to do so much more.
He took out Mary's letter, read it over again, then placed it back in the envelope and then in his trunk.
In the morning, he suggested to Grace they return to the reservation as he had promised Captain Monroe he would help.
"Of course," she said, "I'd like to check up on those women."
They rode out to Wapiti where Arthur met Captain Monroe while Grace tended to the injured women. Captain Monroe was ladling out a thin soup to give to the clearly unwell Indians.
"What's going on?" Arthur asked.
"The chief's gone out trying to find medications," Captain Monroe said, "Colonel Favors seems to think the natives have broken some promise they never made, and apparently he's punishing them by withholding vaccines sent down by the federal government." He ladled out some more soup and knelt down to help feed a young child. "I was supposed to oversee the administration of vaccines, but now I hear the wagon's been diverted."
"Why ain't you diverting it back?"
"Look, I want to, but," Captain Monroe stood, gestured around and sighed, "These people need as much help as they can get. If I so much as put a toe out of line, Colonel Favors will descend upon me and have me replaced with someone who doesn't care."
"Well, where is this wagon? Where can we find it?"
"It's supposed to be heading here after passing through Valentine, but it'll be diverted south."
Arthur thought for a few moments. "Okay, I think Grace could help us."
"Are you sure?" Captain Monroe was sceptical, "I don't want to be rude, Mr. Morgan, but she is a –"
"Oh, I am aware she is just a woman, but she can handle herself."
"If you're sure, then I will take all the help I can get."
Arthur found Grace consoling an elderly woman and asked her to go with him. "We're going to get them vaccines."
"Why can't you two get them?" she asked.
"I'll explain on the way," he said. Grace followed him to their horses and they rode out. Captain Monroe explained about Colonel Favors ordering the army to withhold and divert the wagon carrying the vaccines. Arthur watched Grace's face harden.
"Now, do what you must, but please no violence," Captain Monroe said as he led them up a hill to watch for the wagon, "I don't want any more blame out on these poor people, especially after someone blew up that bridge."
They waited until the wagon came into view and as expected, turned south instead of north.
"Right, I'll go ahead and stop the wagon and you," she tapped Arthur on the shoulder, "will quietly steal the medicine out of the back."
"I didn't hear any of that," Captain Monroe said and headed back to the reservation.
Arthur watched Grace gallop ahead through the trees and he cantered onto the road until he found the wagon. He slowed to a trot and followed the wagon until he saw a figure dash out of the trees. The wagon stopped and so did he. He dismounted and quietly made his way closer.
"Ma'am, I'm afraid we cannot help you," one of the soldiers said firmly as Arthur neared the back of the wagon.
"Please, sir, I beg of you," Grace's voice wavered, "I'm scared and alone."
"Look, Miss, we'd love to help, but-"
Grace suddenly let out a wail of despair that startled the horses at just the right moment so the soldiers couldn't feel the wagon move when Arthur hopped up in the back. He found the small box of vaccines and carefully carried it off.
"Miss, please, you're scaring the horses," the other soldier said.
"What kind of men are you, leaving a poor, helpless woman out here to the elements?" Grace cried again. Arthur looked to see that she was now holding onto the wagon horse's reins, "Please!"
"Jenkins, maybe we should-"
"No, we have our orders and that does not include wayfarers such as yourself, now if you excuse us," the soldier slapped the reins and urged the wagon forward.
"You cowards! I hope you die of the pox!" Grace screamed after them. She waited until they were gone before whistling for her horse. She mounted and rejoined Arthur. "Did you get them?"
He nodded at the box under his arm. "I applaud your acting skills."
"Thank you, it was fun," she said as they rode back to Wapiti, "Though I must say it was terribly impolite of them to not offer me a ride."
"What if they did?"
"Then I'd go with them until the next crossroads and say I need to go the opposite direction."
They rode quickly back to the reservation and presented Captain Monroe with the vaccines. He took them gratefully.
"You know, we could swing for this," he said.
"I'm a little past caring about hanging," Arthur said, trying to suppress a cough.
"Oh. I'm- is there anything I can do?"
"Nah, it's fine."
"If you say so. Thank you, Mr. Morgan, and you as well, Miss...?"
"Bellerose, and you're welcome," she said, "Do you need assistance with the vaccines?"
"If you are willing, I will gladly accept."
Arthur sat near one of the campfires as Grace and Captain Monroe went around administering the vaccines to the Indians. He wondered what would happen if it was found out the missing vaccines had made it to the reservation after all? Would this Colonel Favors unleash a fury on these poor people, or take it out on Monroe?
He must've fallen asleep because he was startled awake by Grace gently shaking him.
"Here," she handed him some dried meat, "I've given Captain Monroe some money to buy more substantial food."
"Would you be able to give some of that money to them?" Arthur gestured around, "Maybe it'll get Favors off their backs."
Grace sighed. "No, I don't think it will help much unless they move which they don't want to. And even if they do move, they will still be at the whim of the government."
"Sounds familiar."
"Except you bring it on yourselves," she looked at him pointedly, "These people, their only crime is existing."
"So what can we do?"
"I don't know," she said quietly, "I've seen this before, many times before, and often it ends up badly."
Arthur put his arm around her and she leaned into him. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but knew he couldn't.
They stayed at the reservation for a short bit longer before heading back to camp. When they arrived, they noticed Sadie was aggressively throwing knives at a tree.
"What did that tree do to you?" Arthur joked.
"Very funny," Sadie scoffed, "I need someone to ride with me."
"Where?" asked Grace.
"Finish off them O'Driscolls," Sadie yanked the knives out of the tree, "I hear the last of 'em is holed up at Hanging Dog Ranch."
Arthur sighed."I don't have it in me no more. I- I just don't care."
"You know what they did to me, and to my husband," Sadie raised her voice, "You're the only ones of these fools I can trust."
"I'll go, but you do know this won't bring back your husband, right?" Grace said gently.
"I know, but I gotta do this." Sadie insisted.
"Fine, I'll go too," Arthur reluctantly agreed, "Can't have both of you running in there on your own."
"Thank you," Sadie took a deep breath and headed for her horse, "Okay, come on."
They rode towards Hanging Dog Ranch, stopping to camp the night in the Heartlands. Sadie was understandably quiet and Grace, Arthur noticed, had an increasing look of anger and determination in her eyes. He recalled the same look when she had found him that night he escaped the O'Driscolls.
Just before they reached the ranch, Sadie stopped and turned to them. "One of them, he's a fat feller with a beard. He's mine."
Arthur and Grace agreed and they rode on to finish them off.
It was a massacre. Sadie angrily shot anything that moved, while Grace provided some cover with her smoke bombs. By the time they had reached the house, Sadie had found the 'fat feller with a beard' and stabbed him in the throat. She stabbed him again, then stood to watch him choke on his own blood before he finally lay still. Arthur and Grace said nothing as Sadie turned to them.
"My Jakey was a good man," she said, her voice wavering, "We was always sweet on one another. And they took that away, turned me into a monster."
"I know," Grace said, "But you still have your memories of him."
"I do," Sadie smiled slightly, "I just wish I had more than just memories." She looked back down at the dead O'Driscoll. "I think I need to get away from here, be alone for a bit."
"Of course," said Arthur as they headed outside, "Might want to get yourself cleaned up a bit." He gestured to Sadie's bloodsoaked clothes.
"Heh, yeah," she whistled for her horse, "Thank you, both of you." She mounted up and rode away.
Arthur sighed and sat on a crate to catch his breath. "I don't see why she had to go do all this," he said, gesturing to the bodies around them.
"That's because you've never had the love of your life taken from you," Grace said quietly, "And no, I don't think Eliza and Isaac count. You may have loved them in your own way, but they weren't the loves of your life, and Mary is still very much alive."
"But– wait, is this about William? You said he was killed in a robbery and you didn't go after the robbers then, did you?"
Grace bit her bottom lip and looked down at the ground. "I told you he was killed in a robbery, yes. But what I didn't tell you was that our families had him killed in a robbery."
"What do you mean?"
"When I went back to New York and I found out about his death, his friends, the ones who believed I had not been with another man, they gave me a letter he had written, in case I came back before he did. He was coming to find me, but he barely made it out of the city. They said his death didn't sit right, but everyone believed it to be a standard robbery.
"I asked my family about it and they only said it was unfortunate. But when I went down to talk to the servants, they told me the truth. They told me they heard them plan everything. Paid a vagrant to do the job." Grace sniffled and wiped her eyes. "When they told me, I was so angry. I don't even remember everything that happened after. But I grabbed an axe from beside the fireplace and I killed my family. Every last one of them. Then I torched that damn house to the ground."
"Jesus," Arthur's eyes widened.
"Then I went to William's family's house and I killed them all too."
"Well, it sounds like they deserved it," he tried to comfort her.
"You don't understand, Arthur, I killed everyone. It wasn't just my parents and his parents, but I also killed my sister who probably had nothing to do with it, but even worse, I–" she choked back a sob, "I even killed her children. They were so young and I murdered them because I was so angry."
Arthur hugged her tightly as she cried loudly into his shoulder. He had no idea what to say. What could he even possibly say to help her feel better?
She pulled away after a few minutes and wiped her face on her sleeve. "I think that's why I'm being punished."
"Punished?"
"Maybe the reason I can't die is because I'm being forced to live the lives I took," she sniffled.
"Maybe, but you said you first died and came back after you gave birth, and you didn't do anything bad then, did you?"
"No." She took out a handkerchief and blew her nose. "But then why am I still here?"
"I don't know," he hugged her again and kissed her forehead, "But we should get out of here."
She nodded and they rode away from the ranch now littered with bodies. He just couldn't fathom the amount of anger it would take to kill one's own family, including children. But he pitied her for carrying the guilt for so long.
