The Story Of Red Dead Redemption

Chapter 58: Harville Presley

"Well, where should I start? Let me think," Mr. Presley said, sitting cross-legged on the floor without getting up.

"Have you heard of the 'Curse of Valentine'? You might have heard people talk about 'curses.' Of course, you might not have heard of it. If you have, most townsfolk would just tell you that the town has been unlucky, and the superstitious among them think it's not a coincidence."

The Curse of Valentine?

Arthur vaguely remembered Karen and Tilly discussing this topic at the camp. From Karen, he remembered hearing about a silly woman who told her that there had been a massacre in Valentine, and the last surviving Native American cursed the town.

Arthur had mocked the idea of curses at the time, saying he only believed in bullets and nothing else. Now, hearing Mr. Presley bring up the 'Curse of Valentine' again, he wondered if it was the same story.

"I might have heard something about it?" Arthur said with a skeptical attitude.

Mr. Presley took out a clipping from his pocket and handed it to Arthur.

Arthur took it and saw the headline.

"The Curse of Valentine."

"An Unforgettable Spectacle."

"Over the years, Valentine has experienced many strange phenomena and eerie sounds. Local residents claim the area is cursed. At night, you can see ghostly canoes on the water and hear the sobbing of Native American mothers. Sometimes, on windy nights under the starry sky, you can hear sharp screams from afar."

Tsk, Arthur thought these were just baseless rumors, mere hearsay. But at Mr. Presley's urging, he continued to read patiently.

"Local residents claim that all this is due to a Native American family who found treasure and was massacred years ago..."

Arthur didn't read further. He realized that the most valuable part of this news was the mention of 'treasure.' Seeing Arthur look up, Mr. Presley knew he had read the important part.

"The treasure is real. My family was involved in the massacre of the Native Americans in Valentine. However, we only obtained a small part of the treasure, and the rest was hidden by the Native Americans, which is the 'treasure' mentioned here. We also got two animal hide treasure maps."

"Over the years, I found one of the remaining maps. To avoid suspicion from my uncle, I fabricated this strange illness. Of course, it might have been a bit over the top, and I'm quite troubled by it."

"But I can't let my uncle know I'm looking for the treasure. Fabricating this illness gave me a reasonable excuse to ask for funds. My uncle took away my inheritance and family business, and I need to find this treasure to reclaim what is rightfully mine."

Ah, a classic story. Arthur couldn't help but laugh, though only he knew why.

"So, you're telling me all this, aren't you afraid I'll turn around and report you to your uncle? I believe I could get a reward that wouldn't be less than the 'large sum of money' you mentioned."

"You would receive it, and then you would also receive a bullet from my uncle. If you know the truth about the treasure, he won't let you live. He's been searching for this treasure too."

"So, this so-called treasure needs four treasure maps, and you've only found three. How can you be sure you'll find the fourth one? Without it, all this talk is meaningless." Arthur wasn't swayed by Mr. Presley's threat and pointed out the most critical issue.

Whether the treasure was real or not, without a complete map, it was pointless. The west was vast.

"I can't tell you that yet, in case you get greedy and harm me." Mr. Presley wasn't foolish; telling Arthur everything would be like asking for trouble.

"So, after all this, our fundamental problem remains. I need you to leave my hotel. My guests can't stand the noise you keep making." Arthur returned to the original issue.

Mr. Presley frowned.

"After telling you so much, even revealing the secret of the treasure, you're still concerned about your insignificant little business? Don't you understand that if you help me find the treasure, you'll get a huge reward? That treasure built my family's wealth!"

Alright, for the sake of the treasure, Arthur decided to compromise.

"Fine, you can stay here, but you have to stop your endless moaning. Seriously, doesn't it get tiring to keep calling like that?"

Mr. Presley rolled his eyes.

"Try doing that for nine years. It's exhausting. I had to make my uncle believe I had a strange illness and had to stay in Valentine. Even in this state, that old man still doesn't fully trust me and has sent people to check on me over the years."

Arthur didn't care about that and asked again, "So, can we reach an agreement? Will you stop the ghostly sounds?"

"Fine, fine. After all these years, my uncle should believe it by now. I'll stop making those sounds. So, about the treasure? Will you help me?"

Arthur decided to humor Mr. Presley. He said, "Tell me what I can do to help."

Mr. Presley took out another piece of paper and handed it to Arthur.

The paper depicted two Native American-style tools, one with an eagle feather and the other a smaller stone axe.

"You can help me find them. They might have been taken by the remaining Native Americans. You can check the Indian reservation. They are engraved with words, and you'll recognize them when you see them," Mr. Presley said confidently.

Honestly, Arthur was quite skeptical. They looked like ordinary Native American tools, and he doubted he could identify them among a pile of tools. But if Mr. Presley said so, Arthur didn't see the need to argue.

With his goal achieved, Arthur was ready to leave. He checked his pocket watch and realized he had wasted a lot of time.

What was Arthur in such a hurry for today?

Well, he had received news about the whereabouts of the cult's base. So, Arthur was eager to bring Mary's brother, Jamie, back to her.

***

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