1840 Indian Rebirth

Chapter 131 [Conditions]

"Philip Cook." The bearded lieutenant colonel introduced himself, and then said, "Well, Chief Albert, right?"

"That's right." Horse Whistle nodded, looking at the two hundred dragoons behind Cook.

Dragoons are also cavalry, but the dragoons behind Cook seem to be a bit special. They don't ride horses, but mainly mules.

"We met in July, and then you went to attack Santa Fe. How was it, how was the result of the battle?" Horse Whistle asked.

Cook looked calm: "We have encountered a little trouble. Chief Albert, I really want to know, why do Mexicans also have Browning 1845 revolvers?"

Ma Shao said bluntly: "Because they paid for it."

Cook was silent for two seconds: "So, it is true that you sold the pistol to the Mexicans?"

"Yes." Ma Shao knew that such a thing could not be hidden.

Cook's face gradually became gloomy: "You didn't tell us in advance. As far as I know, you have promised to be a neutral party in this war and signed a contract."

The horse whistle remained indifferent: "We didn't tell the Mexicans in advance. This does not violate the terms of the neutrality contract. We really did not ally with any party, nor did we attack any party."

"We sell weapons to the Americans and we sell weapons to the Mexicans. That's pretty neutral, isn't it?"

"..." Lieutenant Colonel Cook felt speechless, and it took him a while to say, "Cunning Indian!"

Ma Shao smiled and said nothing.

Cook asked again: "The British gave you the weapons?"

Ma Shao made a momentary expression of hesitation, and then said: "I said that it is a European company that does not want to be named. I have signed a confidentiality contract with them, so I will not tell anyone the real situation."

Cook stared at him: "The British are just using you as pawns. This is the United States."

"Maybe, but we don't have too many choices." Ma Shao sighed slightly, "If there is a choice, who would be willing to be someone else's pawn."

Cook didn't ask any more questions: "It's up to you. Now, I need a thousand revolvers."

"Fifty thousand dollars." The horse whistle extended five fingers and added, "Only accept gold and silver coins, no bank notes."

Cook frowned slightly: "This is an order of [-] pieces, can't you lower the price?"

Ma Shao shook his head: "Unfortunately, it really can't. If there is less money, we have to subsidize Russia...that company out of our own pockets."

He demonstrates a tiny slip of the tongue just right.

Cook's heart moved.

Oregon? It sure is a damn Brit!

Of course, Cook did not express any opinion on this slip of the tongue, after all, he believed that the British were behind it.

"I don't have that much money in my hand," he said.

Ma Shao asked, "How much money do you have?"

"Only thirty thousand dollars."

"Then we can only sell you six hundred."

Cook said: "You can record the account first, and when we capture Santa Fe, we will pay you the rest of the money—plus interest."

Horse Whistle seemed a little moved: "How much interest do you plan to pay?"

"Ten thousand dollars," Cook said. "As long as we take down Santa Fe, we'll pay you another thirty thousand dollars with interest. How about it?"

Ma Shao thought for a moment: "But, what if you fail?"

Cook hesitated: "This is impossible."

"Victory and defeat are commonplace in military affairs. Didn't Napoleon also fail?" Ma Whistle smiled, "Didn't you just encounter a little trouble, who knows whether it will be a victory or a bigger trouble next time."

Then he changed the subject: "However, if you are willing to agree to two conditions. I would like to advance [-] US dollars for you."

Cook asked: "What conditions?"

Horse sentry: "The first condition is that the Americans need to revoke the reward order for the scalp of the aborigines."

Cook thought for a while: "First of all, we only have the power to revoke the Leavenworth reward order, and we are not responsible for other places."

"Then revoke the bounty at Fort Leavenworth," said Horse Whistle.Fort Leavenworth, though only a few thousand people, presides over nearly all of the unincorporated territory in the Midwest.

"That doesn't work either." Cook said again, "I admit that you are a relatively civilized tribe, but most Indian tribes in the Midwest are barbarians who are keen on plundering, and we still have to attack them. Therefore, Leavenworth Fort's reward order cannot be revoked."

He went on to add: "Of course, we can give you a separate exemption, so that the Apaches of the Plains tribe are not included in the bounty."

Fort Leavenworth certainly wasn't rescinding the bounty.

Not because they want to attack Indian tribes, but because they can make money in this way-as long as the bounty order for Indians is kept, they will have another reason to ask Congress for money.

Anyway, the old men in Congress will not come to count their scalps in person, and it is not up to them how to spend the money.

The horse whistle said: "What's the difference between this and non-revocation? Can you tell where the scalp came from?"

Cook: "Maybe it is really troublesome to implement, but we can only do so."

"It's meaningless at all!" Horse Whistle was silent for a moment, then changed the subject, "In that case, let's talk about the second condition."

"The second condition is that the Apache Plains tribe hopes to join the United States as the No. 20 nine states."

"What?" Cook was taken aback, he almost thought he heard it wrong.

The horse whistle said slowly: "We understand the situation. For the Apache people, joining the United States is the only way to civilization... Therefore, I hope that Apache can become the No. 20 nine states in the United States of America."

This condition was completely out of Cook's expectation. He never thought that the Indian tribe would take the initiative to ask to become a state of the United States.

"With all due respect, it's almost impossible," Cook said. "Even if it were possible, it's not something that I or General Carney can decide at all."

"This kind of thing, you have to talk to Washington."

The establishment of new states is undoubtedly a major national event, not to mention a military base, even the president cannot have the final say alone.

Especially in the current political environment.

The quarrel over the abolition of slavery intensified. Every new state faced the choice of whether to abolish slavery or keep slavery. The ruling and opposition parties continued to fight each other. It was no easy task to establish a new state.

Of course, Ma Shao knew this too. In fact, although he did plan to stay dormant as a state for a while, he never thought that it would be possible in the near future.

When he mentioned this condition, he was simply "lifting the roof".

"Then what can you do?" Horse Whistle asked.

Cook thought for a while: "Well...we can help you propose to Washington."

(End of this chapter)