Outlaws For Life - Dutch Van Der Linde

Chapter 3 - Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring

March 1899, Horseshoe Overlook:

About 2 months had passed and the death of Shaun had finally sunk in, the whole gang had stuck by both mine and Sadie's side, she had come to terms with the passing of Jake. After the snow storm died down and the snow melted, spring kicked in and brightened up the landscape a little. Dutch found us all a new place to camp and that place was called "Horseshoe Overlook" , it was a beautiful piece of land about 100ft in the air with a gorgeous view of the Horseshoe-shaped river meander. Sadie and I had been given our blankets and tree trunks for our tents, fellow gang members, John Marston and Hosea Matthews helped us as we knew nothing about tent-making. We all got used to our new home within 2 weeks.

"Kaylee! Come here!!" Karen shouted, she was over by the horses with Mary-Beth and Tilly. When I walked over I noticed they were getting into a horse cart that could fit about 4 people inside, I knew what they were all getting me into, "We're heading to Valentine with Uncle and Arthur, fancy hopping on? It's a few hours break from the boring wilderness and into civilisation!" Mary-Beth started to cheer, followed by the other two girls. "Okay fine, I'll come and see what this "Valentine" is all about." I hopped on with the help of the girls

"Oh great, another woman." Uncle sighed a little and sat on the front of the cart, "Shut it Uncle, we girls bring light into this camp." Karen giggled, the rest of us laughed along. Arthur got on and smiled at us all. "I was only kidding girls." Uncle chuckled, Arthur did too. "Right, to Valentine!" Arthur hit the Horse slightly with the reins, the Horse and cart moved slowly.

We were all talking and having a good time, when Uncle interrupted and asked us, "C'mon ladies, sing us a song." We all looked at eachother and thought the same thing. The girls had taught me the Valentine song since we joined the gang and I knew all the lyrics. Tilly started by banging the wooden cart and Karen began singing. "I got a girl in Berryville, can't be screwed cause she's too damn ill, so I don't go down there no more, there's a blue horse lays outside her door." We belted out the lyrics and made passerby's laugh or smile slightly, but the song wasn't over yet, "I got a girl in Valentine, likes to drink that fancy wine, Plumes in her hat was 2 feet tall, the crack in her pants paid for it all." We all laughed, another verse came our way, "I got a girl in Berryville, can't get it in her cause she won't stay still, she kicks and squeals and farts and hollers, won't take less than 7 Dollars."

Just as we thought the last verse would go well, Karen sang the wrong lyrics and we all burst into laughter, "Messed the damn lyrics up!!" Karen shouted, while laughing like crazy. We carried on. "I got a girl across the lane, hair down there like a horses mane, I got a girl and she's got a thing, fits my peter like a diamond ring" We had arrived in Valentine and cheered. It was nice to see some proper brick structures instead of tents and wooden houses. Valentine had everything folk could ask for: A Saloon, General Store, Butchers, Stables, Hotel, Barbers, Doctors and Sheriffs Office.

We got off by the Stables and then walked with Arthur and Uncle to the store, "Here we are, the cultural centre of civilisation!" Uncle opened his arms and smiled widely. The girls went over to the Hotel to try and find some information about the gangs next robbery, I wanted to stay with the men as they made me feel a little safer. Arthur began speaking to me, "I'm so glad we got off the mountain and rode East to this pretty enough area, our gang ain't been this far East in many a year." "It is 100x better than the snow covered mountains, especially during the storm." I looked at Arthur and gave him a reassuring smile, "Quite right, even Dutch seems a little better in himself, his eyes are sparkling once more and I can see he's thinking a little clearer, I think we all feel a little happier." Uncle and I nodded in response and we walked into the store to get some food. Uncle needed some whiskey for his Alcohol abuse like always, but we had gotten used to it quickly.

Shaun was in my mind this whole time, I didn't really know how he would've reacted to me being in a gang if he were still here, but hopefully happy I was alive and doing well for myself, it's what he would've wanted. Uncle piped up, "Arthur, Kaylee, y'all look tired, get yourselves some coffee, it helps y'know." I picked up 2 Ground Coffee tins and passed 1 to Arthur, we payed and walked out.

We chilled outside the store and Uncle had already got into the Whiskey, he took a sip and passed it to Arthur, saying, "Here's to good health my sir." Arthur drank a little and handed me it, I had a bit too and finally gave it back to Uncle, who proceeded to down half of the bottle. Mary-Beth approached, looking really happy, "Guys, I think I got some good info. I snuck into the fancy Hotel house thing, acting like a servant girl like always and it worked, someone was saying her sister was taking a trip from New York or some place. Train full of rich tourists heading to Saint Denis and then cruising off to Brazil." Arthur nodded and Uncle seemed interested. I didn't really ever want to be a part of it, so I hardly listened. "A train liden with baggage and passing through a bit of deserted country at night as to get to the docks in time for the tide, some place called Scarlett Meadows." Mary-Beth looked thrilled, "Yeah I know the place, right out near new hanover. It's real quiet round there." Uncle smirked, followed by Arthur, "Sounds good. Where's Tilly and Karen?"

That woke me up from zoning out a little. "I think at the hotel.. I dunno. They were picking up some drunk fellers that they were gonna rob.. T-They have been gone a while.." Mary-Beth shrugged her shoulders and Arthur stood, "I guess I'll go and see if they are stirring up any trouble" He paced over and noticed down the little side street, Tilly was being harassed by a man. "You thought I wouldn't find you Tilly?" He seemed really angry and somehow knew her name, they were pushing and shoving, "You can go kiss a snake for all I care, get off me!" She shouted, Arthur ran over and confronted the man, "Get your hands off her." He clenched his fist, "Who are you?" "He's a friend of mine.." Tilly triled to run off but was grabbed by the wrists by the man. Arthur held his gun right to the guys head, "Get.. Off... Her... Now..." "Or what mister?" He scrunched his face up in anger, "Ohhh, do you wanna find out?" Arthur slowly pressed the trigger down and made the guy worried, he let Tilly go, but as he left, complained, "You've made a big mistake Tilly Jackson."

"Go and sit with Uncle and Mary-Beth, just while I go and find Karen." "Okay, thanks Arthur." Tilly walked over to Uncle while Arthur went into the hotel. He came out with Karen by his side 5 minutes later, "I tried playing this guy but it went horrible, so Arthur had to come in, be my knight in shining armour and knock the guy out..." Karen shook her head, "But thanks Arthur, don't know what I'd do without you." She smiled.

Final thing to do in Valentine was to go to the stables and pick a horse for both me and Arthur. We got a small Morgan horse, his was black and white while mine was beige and white. He named his "Beau" while I named mine "Chester."

Arthur had already ridden a horse in the past so he knew what he was doing, however, I did not. He told Uncle to take the rest of the girls home while he taught me the simple knowledge of horse riding, he took me into the field, away from the people and began my training. It was difficult to get on but with enough tries, it eventually became easy. Staying on the horse while he was moving was ok, it was just the turning and speeding up that made me worried. After a few hours, Arthur believed in me that he could ride by my side all the way back to camp, I nearly fell a couple of times but never actually hit the ground...