Chapter 10
Clop clop—clop clop.
"Yawn..."
Joe, tired from driving the wagon all day from yesterday afternoon until night, and then again from dawn until this morning, yawned.
Damn. Grandma said today would be my lucky day, but it was all lies.
Hispanic Joe's grandfather was a white Spaniard, and his grandmother was of Native American descent.
His Native American grandmother would read his fortune every morning before he went to work.
And...
Joe, today will be a very lucky day for you.
Grandma had clearly said that today would be a very lucky day for Joe.
But lucky, my foot.
Joe felt like things had been going terribly wrong since yesterday.
And that was because...
"Snore!"
"Zzz..."
…of that rascal sleeping peacefully in the wagon bed behind the driver's seat, oblivious to the world.
Joe's job was to deliver supplies from Lincoln County to stores in Justice Town.
— Thanks, Joe. Thanks to you, I was able to move the bodies comfortably.
— Ah, Joe! On your way, please call the sheriff for me! I'm asking you!
Joe's schedule had already been messed up yesterday because of Noah's errands, so he couldn't leave for Lincoln County, the meeting place, on time.
So he was trying to leave as soon as possible, even if late, but...
— You... let's do a job together.
He was caught by Noah again.
— Mr. Noah? I really don't have time this time...! I need to go to Lincoln County right now...!
— Lincoln County? That's perfect! I need to go to Lincoln County too! Let's go quickly! Depart!
He did give Noah a ride since their destination was also Lincoln County, but...
"Snore... zzz..."
Joe was so annoyed by how comfortable Noah looked that he wanted to hit him.
He always uses me like this and probably won't even give me a single coin.
Noah was Justice Town's famous rascal and miser.
He earned enormous amounts of money catching many outlaws, but he hated spending even a penny.
That's why his nickname is Kid the Brat.
He probably wouldn't give Joe a single penny for this ride to Lincoln County either.
Thinking about it again makes me angry... I've been driving the wagon with barely any sleep...
So Joe grumbled and woke Noah up a bit roughly.
"Kid, I mean... Mr. Noah! Wake up quickly! We've arrived at Lincoln County!"
"Huh? Mmm... we're here already?"
Noah yawned widely as soon as he woke up, then woke up Verdi sleeping next to him.
"Hey, little brother. Wake up. We've arrived at Lincoln County."
"Mmm..."
"From here on, you need to guide us."
"Ah..."
As both of them woke up, Joe pointed outside the wagon and said, "Well, we've arrived, so both of you get off now. I need to go do my work now..."
Joe had already given up on getting money from Noah based on past experiences.
He just wanted to get rid of those luggage-like people quickly and go receive his deliveries.
But...
"Huh? What are you saying, Joe? You need to come with us."
"...Pardon? Me?"
Noah didn't seem to have any intention of letting him go.
"I told you yesterday that we'd do a job together. You agreed, didn't you?"
"A-agreed? What...! I just gave you a ride because we had the same destination...!"
Joe raised his voice, upset at Noah's nonchalant attitude.
Does this guy think I'm a pushover because I've been quiet all this time...!
Joe, exploding with everything that had built up towards Noah, shouted while pointing his finger, unlike his usual self, "Didn't I tell you the whole way here! That I have deliveries to receive in Lincoln County! I need to fill the wagon with barrels of alcohol today and return to Justice Town! I don't have time, so please get off quickly! Hurry!"
"Joe..."
Noah blinked as if surprised to see Joe, famous for his kindness even in Justice Town, explode in anger.
Joe watched Noah and his companion get off the wagon, regretting that he should have been this assertive earlier.
After the two got off and Noah's horse No Name was untied, just as Joe was about to get on the wagon...
"You didn't leave anything behind, right? Then I'll be on my way now."
"...That's a shame. I was planning to make a big score."
"...!"
Noah's insidious voice brushed Joe's ear.
Joe turned around, pretending to be nonchalant, and asked him, "A big... score?"
"Yeah, I'm going to catch a bank robber gang right now."
"B-bank robber gang...."
Even regular outlaws are dangerous, let alone a bank robber gang...!
You were trying to take me to such a place?
Just thinking about it made his whole body tremble.
But...
The bigger the risk, the bigger the return.
Above all, Joe vaguely knew how excellent a bounty hunter Noah was.
"Didn't you say you were going to fill the wagon with barrels of alcohol? I was planning to fill it with outlaw corpses and bundles of cash..."
"..."
As Joe stopped and didn't leave immediately, Noah patted his shoulder with a grin.
"How about it, Joe? Interested?"
"..."
Joe knew that this was the devil's temptation.
If it were the usual him, he would have gone to receive his deliveries rather than getting involved in such dangerous business.
But then...
— Joe, today will be a very lucky day for you.
The content of the fortune his grandmother had told him yesterday morning came to mind again.
Moreover...
As he imagined himself righteously capturing evil outlaws...
Thump.
The heart of the boy, which had been growing cold from the struggles of life, started beating again.
"...I guess I'll go with you for now."
"Great! You made a good choice!"
In the end, Joe reached out to the devil's temptation.
***
Clop clop—clop clop.
Joe's wagon headed towards a canyon as guided by Verdi.
According to Verdi, who was the youngest of the Red Beard Gang, they had set up a temporary camp in an abandoned mine in the canyon.
"Yawn~ I wonder how much longer it'll take."
"Verdi, was it? According to him, it should take about 30 more minutes… But Mr. Noah."
"Hmm?"
As I was yawning, Joe asked me with a somewhat anxious face, "A b-bank robber gang must be really dangerous guys, right? Is it okay for us to go alone... M-maybe we should go with the sheriff's posse..."
"What are you talking about, sheriff's posse."
Going with the sheriff's posse to eliminate outlaws was absolutely not an option.
Because...
"If we go with the sheriff's posse, we'd have to split the bounty!"
"Ah..."
"Why would we call the sheriff's posse when we can eat it all by ourselves?"
It was because our share would be significantly reduced if we went with the sheriff's posse.
Those lazy sheriff's posse guys.
They barely do anything even if they come, but they take a huge cut of the money.
Especially the Lincoln County sheriff's posse didn't know me, so they'd probably take almost all the money.
As I explained this, Joe nodded and asked an absurd question, "Um... Mr. Noah. There's one more thing I'd like to ask..."
"What now?"
"Then, if we catch this bank robber gang, do we split the profits 50-50 between you and me?"
"..."
"...I-I'm sorry!"
I answered with silence and a serious face.
We're not bringing the sheriff's posse because it's a waste to give them money, and now Joe of all people...
"...Well, people can make verbal mistakes sometimes."
Still, I had no intention of mistreating Joe this time.
"I'll give you a fair share, so don't worry."
"R-really? T-thank you...!"
"Yeah, so just drive properly."
"Yes...!"
Joe nodded with an excited face when I promised him fair treatment.
But as I yawned and looked to the side, I noticed a face that was quite the opposite of Joe's.
"Hmm? Hey."
"...Yes? Ah yes..."
"Why do you look so gloomy? Are you still hurting somewhere?"
As Verdi's expression soured the closer we got to the Red Beard Gang camp, I tilted my head and asked.
Then...
"Um... B-Brother."
"Oh, yeah. Little brother. What is it?"
"It's not too late...! Let's run away together...!"
"...What?"
The guy grabbed my pant leg as if pleading and shouted, "Our Red Beard Gang brothers are very scary people...! If we go to the camp like this, not only will I, who betrayed them, die, but everyone will...!"
As Verdi was trying to persuade me with a pitiful voice, that was when it happened.
"...Wait."
"...Yes?"
"Be quiet for a moment."
"..."
I closed Verdi's noisy mouth and listened for a moment...
Rustle.
"...!"
Noticing something, I urgently shouted to Joe, who was driving the wagon in front, "Joe! Stop the wagon!"
"...Huh? What's suddenly..."
"Don't argue, just stop when I tell you to stop!"
"Ah, yes sir...!"
Joe, who was quite a skilled coachman, smoothly stopped the wagon as soon as he heard my words and asked me.
"Um... But why are you..."
"..."
Instead of answering Joe's question, I shoved Verdi into the wagon bed and came out alone to look around.
On the surface, it looked like an ordinary canyon.
But as I stood there and kept looking around...
"Who are you people!"
Click.
Along with a cold metallic sound, people revealed themselves from above the canyon.
Especially among them...
"This is private property, outsiders cannot approach!" the middle-aged man shouting loudly at us from the front… had red hair.
He looks exactly like the mugshot.
The leader of the Red Beard Gang and an outlaw with a considerable bounty of $1,500.
Edward Wild, commonly known as Red Beard.