Arthur's Redemption [Red Dead Redemption 2]

Chapter 14: The Fight

Dear Hamish,

Thank you again for taking Hosea and me fishing. I certainly am going to take you up on your offer of hunting some time.

I'm writing you from Strawberry with a request. In my travels, I came across an outlaw that had quite a price on his head. We got into a fight and I killed him, and I got to collect the bounty. Unfortunately, the sheriff didn't have enough money to cover the bounty. I have to be moving on from Strawberry, so I told the sheriff that I trust you to take care of until I can make it up to your cabin.

The money will be for Arthur Callahan. Feel free to take some money if you should need it. And don't be too concerned if no one shows up. I have my own troubles with the law in certain areas, and they might not be too keen to pay a bounty to someone who owes one, if you get my meaning.

Thank you,

Arthur Morgan

He addressed the first letter to O'Creagh's Run, then started writing the second.

Dear Mary-Beth,

I know Sadie, Hosea, and I left in a rush, but I wanted you to pass on to Abigail that we have found John and he is fine. We plan to head back to camp soon, but hopefully this letter will reach you first and put your minds at ease.

Arthur

He scribbled the name Tacitus Kilgore and Rhodes on the second envelope before handing them to the clerk. It would probably take a while for his letter to reach Hamish, but if the mail picked up in time to meet a train, Abigail would receive news about John before they returned.

Marston was recovering well, well enough to ask Arthur about the now inaccurate future of Colm O'Driscoll being hanged. Arthur tried to brush it off as talking for time, but he could tell that John did not believe a word of it.

The doctor seemed reluctant about letting Sadie leave so soon, but the glare the woman sent in his direction held his tongue. Arthur supported her with an arm around her waist, but she still walked her way to the horses, John moving stiffly behind her. Hosea frowned. Arthur knew he was uncomfortable with moving so soon, too. But it was only a matter of time before Pinkertons showed in Strawberry to confirm the death of Colm O'Driscoll, and both Hosea and Arthur knew they had to be long gone by then.

Sadie tried to move to Bob, but Arthur steered her to Dakota. "Are you kidding me?" she complained.

"You're not riding by yourself."

"Marston gets to ride by himself!"

"Marston has a bump on the head. You were stabbed. End of discussion."

She grumbled but relented. It was a long ride back to Rhodes. Arthur turned to Hosea.

"I'm glad to be getting out of this town."

"Really? I think Big Valley is beautiful. Great land, I wouldn't mind living there."

"No, Big Valley is good. But Strawberry? This tourist town for rich folk back East? It just makes me worried, Hosea."

At that moment, one of the rich tourists in an impractical suit wandered past. "Worried about what? Him?" Hosea chuckled.

"No, people like that make our job easier. No, it's just," Arthur paused, trying to get the words right in his head. "It's just the idea that the West is going to be one big tourist land one day. All that nice, virgin land we always dream about? That it will just become this thing for rich folk to stare at, to run around and pretend to be a cowboy, and then go back to their nice, cushy lives. And people like us? There won't be any room in the world for us no more."