SWDnovel Chapter 115 New Discoveries in Paradise Valley
Chapter 115 New Discoveries in Paradise Valley
Chapter 115 New Discoveries in Paradise Valley
Tom turned his gaze to Thomas, who had remained silent, and asked in a steady voice, "And you, Thomas?"
Thomas frowned slightly, looking at Tom with a hint of inquiry: "Tom, you—it seems you already guessed my answer?"
"Yes!" Tom's answer was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, which only deepened the doubt in Thomas's eyes.
Meeting Thomas's puzzled gaze, Tom spoke slowly, each word clearly striking the silent night: "Captain Shay—he must have left you a message before he left, right?"
Otherwise, given Thomas's personality, why would he so easily turn to Tom?
The only thing that could make Thomas lower his guard and listen attentively was probably the captain's final words.
Under the breathless gaze of everyone, Thomas remained silent for a long time, the firelight flickering on his face.
Finally, in a low, almost sighing voice, he slowly said, "He said—if I have time, please—take a good look at you for him."
At that moment, time seemed to stand still.
The sounds of the wind and the crackling of the campfire faded away, leaving only this weighty entrustment echoing in everyone's hearts. Tom took a deep breath, straightened his back, and gazed into the distance, his eyes piercing the night, as if responding to his deceased captain, or as if making a vow to heaven and earth, his voice unwavering: "I will never let him down!"
It's late at night!
Tom was jolted awake to find a figure standing outside the tent!
His gaze swept quickly across the room, and his tense nerves suddenly relaxed; it wasn't an outsider.
The curtain was lifted, and James's head peeked in.
Seeing that Tom was awake, a hint of surprise flashed across James' eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Come with me!" the voice said in a low voice.
Without a word, Tom followed closely behind.
Back in his parents' tent, little John was fast asleep under the dim light of an oil lamp.
Tom was puzzled when he saw James walk to the corner and yank the blanket off the floor.
Below them was a shocking sight: the $54,100 they had brought back from the bank!
It turned out that a pit had been dug under the tent, and the box and money bag were buried deep inside.
But this is by no means a long-term solution.
"We're all leaving tomorrow, you keep an eye on this tent!" James whispered in Tom's ear, his voice low and weighty.
Tom nodded vigorously.
The following morning, Father James, Mother Margaret, Aunt Claire, along with Thomas and Wade, left in a carriage.
This round trip will take at least three days.
Tom wasn't idle either.
"Mary, you stay home and guard the house. If anything happens, have 'Giant Claw' send me a message!" He entrusted Mary with the task of guarding the house and also made "Giant Claw" his messenger.
He mounted his horse and galloped freely through the valley.
After spending more than a day exploring the entire Paradise Valley, Tom finally discovered the problem.
This Paradise Valley is flanked by towering mountains on the east and west sides, and splits open into a gorge on the north and south sides.
Near the north entrance is Livingston, a train town that flourished because of Yellowstone National Park; the south entrance leads directly to the south gate of Yellowstone National Park.
In other words, Yellowstone National Park is Paradise Valley's neighbor.
Tom has discovered that someone is sneaking into Paradise Valley from the south, or more precisely, from the still undeveloped southern part of Yellowstone National Park, exploring along the way and including Paradise Valley as a target.
And sure enough, Tom ran right into it.
A middle-aged man working as a land surveyor for a railway company.
"Speak! What are you doing sneaking around in my valley?" Tom shoved the man to the ground.
Four wolves, their necks bound with ropes yet brimming with wildness, silently surrounded them.
The man was so frightened that he backed away repeatedly.
"Are you mute?" Tom's voice was cold and hard.
He was furious when someone came to survey the area right after he announced that the valley belonged to his Dutton family.
The middle-aged man forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "This—this is a dog?"
They do have a good eye; they can still tell the difference in this situation.
"Wolf! We haven't fed him yet!" Tom said before he could finish.
"Awooo—!" Wilderness howled first!
The other three wolves responded immediately, their mournful howls tearing through the silence of the valley!
The middle-aged man was terrified and tried to run away as fast as he could!
"Thud!" His legs gave way and he fell face-first into the mud.
Seeing how terrified he was, Tom raised his hand to stop the wolf's howl.
"Speak! Name, identity, why did you come to Paradise Valley?" Tom's interrogation was ruthless and unquestionable.
The middle-aged man spilled the beans.
Actually, it's not a big problem.
The rise of Yellowstone National Park and Livingston Railway Station attracted wealthy people from the East to visit the hot springs and enjoy the spectacular scenery, boosting the surrounding economy and attracting more and more immigrants.
In short: it's a win-win deal for land developers, railway companies, and the government.
But Yellowstone National Park is too big, and its uncharted areas need explorers.
This man named Peter was ostensibly a surveyor for the railroad company, but in reality, he was responsible for exploring the unknown areas of Yellowstone National Park.
Today, some unknown gust of wind blew him into wandering aimlessly south of Paradise Valley, where he happened to run into Tom's gun.
In Tom's eyes, who considers "the whole of Paradise Valley to belong to Dutton," this is a blatant invasion.
"Do you know whose territory this is?" Tom's voice was as soft as a whisper, but his eyes were sharp as knives.
Peter caught a glimpse of the other man's hand on the gun handle and shuddered: "You—your! Absolutely yours!"
"Hmm." Tom's expression softened slightly, allowing him to spill everything he knew.
Peter is quite the "talented one." Once he starts talking, he can't stop. When he gets excited, he forgets that there are four wolves eyeing him menacingly nearby.
"You mean people live in this valley?"
"Yes! This valley used to be so lively! Ranchers from nearby would bring their cattle to graze, people would clear land to grow crops, and tourists would stop by the hot springs—it was full of people!"
Tom seemed to be deep in thought.
"How come I haven't seen a single one?"
"Most of them have left! Last winter was awful, people were freezing to death! This place is simply uninhabitable. Rancher?"
"All the cows have frozen to death, who would come now!"
Peter shook his head repeatedly, looking terrified. "Winter in this godforsaken place is unbearable!"
"Is this valley really that terrible in winter?" Tom pressed.
"It's absolutely deadly!" Peter's voice trembled. "In previous years, some people could tough it out, but last year's devastating cold snap froze people to death! And those who survived all ran away!"
Tom's eyes suddenly darkened.
"What if the weather warms up?" he asked, his voice lowered, carrying a hint of unease. "Would someone come back?"
"Back?" Peter exclaimed as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world. "Of course! This pasture is so good, even a blind man could see it! As long as winter isn't as awful as last year, the livestock will survive, and in no time, the cattle will have grazed the grass bare!"
Tom once again rode deep into the heart of Paradise Valley.
This time, his gaze moved slowly, searching every inch of the land.
Finally, he found the wooden house on a leeward slope near the south entrance!
Although dilapidated and half-covered by weeds, it is indeed a trace of human habitation!
A few scattered graves, like forgotten tombstones, lie dotted in the silent valley.
"Ha—" Tom pulled on the reins, letting out a cold, ambiguous laugh. "There really is someone here!"
At this moment, a bold plan was slowly taking shape in Tom's mind!
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