Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 4: Not Simple “Indigenous People”

The next morning, the weather was clear.

After a hearty breakfast, the "St. Louis" launched another lifeboat. More than 20 sailors, carrying muskets and daggers, began to climb over the side of the ship, climb down carefully, and then board the small boat.

The two small boats were packed with people, and with several oarsmen rowing with all their might, they were moving quickly towards the shore.

It was obvious that the sailors were very excited and kept shouting, not worried at all about the possible attacks from the natives on the other side of the shore.

In everyone's eyes, the primitive and backward weapons of the natives were no match for the civilized people like them. At most, they could throw a few wooden spears or stones before they got close, and the damage was extremely limited.

They believed that if they fired a few shots at the natives with their muskets, they would scare them so much that they would run into the woods like frightened rabbits.

The only threat they might have was the native camp in the forest. My companions who had gone ashore yesterday to investigate mentioned that the natives had built a wooden fortress with a wooden fence around it and a tall watchtower inside.

At that time, when they attacked the wooden village and climbed over the fence, they would definitely encounter fierce resistance from the natives. The other side would most likely use the cover of the village wall to launch an attack on them.

However, before the arrival, the captain found three sets of half-body plate armor from the cabin, which the vanguards could wear to brave arrows and stones, thus opening up an attack channel for everyone.

As long as the village wall is breached, it will be a game of chase for the brave, and the natives will surely flee in all directions to avoid being hunted down.

I don’t know how much food and furs are stored in the native camp. It would be great if there were some gold or gems!

Even if there aren't any, it doesn't matter. At least we should be able to catch some native women in the camp and let everyone relax for a while.

"Wow, the natives didn't attack us on the coast!"

"Haha, they're scared. They're hiding in their camp like cowards, trembling and waiting for us to kick their asses!"

"..."

As soon as the boat docked, the sailors jumped onto the shore one after another. They subconsciously lowered their bodies, raised their muskets, and quickly looked around.

The dense forest was silent, with only the sea breeze blowing through the branches, making a slight rustling sound.

The expected attack by the natives did not happen, and more than 20 companions also landed one after another, gathered in a flat open space, and roughly formed two firing lines with muskets in hand.

After observing for a while, the sailors breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that there was no movement around them.

The natives were so frightened that they gave up the best opportunity to attack.

The boatswain Harvey, who led the team, decided not to wait for follow-up support to arrive, but to go to the native camp to see the situation first.

Perhaps the natives had fled overnight for fear of being attacked by them.

In this way, these advance personnel can enter the native camp and search and check in advance to see if they can find anything valuable to put in their pockets.

"Everyone, be careful! The natives might attack us in the jungle!" Harvey warned loudly, "Anyone who sees the natives can shoot without permission!"

"Raul, Klein, you two scout the way ahead!"

"Guys, the native camp is not far ahead. Let's rush through this woods quickly, kick their asses and steal all their stuff!"

More than 20 sailors divided into two columns and entered the forest one after another, holding their muskets and advancing cautiously.

There is a thin layer of mist in the forest, like a veil, slowly floating among the treetops. The sunlight shines through the gaps, casting mottled light and shadows.

Dewdrops dripped from the tips of the leaves, sparkling with crystal light. The early birds began their singing, and the crisp chirping echoed in the woods, as if telling about last night's dreams.

A squirrel stealthily leaped onto a branch, its bright eyes curiously examining the sudden intruder, then swiftly dove back into a tree hole. Beavers, startled by the sound of footsteps, darted into the grass, sending ripples across the stream.

The breeze rustles the leaves, like the whisper of nature. In this quiet place untouched by humans, every life seems so pure and so real.

"what!……"

"boom!"

Suddenly, a scream was heard from the front, followed by a gunshot. The sailors were so frightened that they immediately stopped moving forward and pointed their muskets vigilantly at the location where the sound came from.

"Oh, God!... Come and help, Raul's foot was pierced by a trap!" Klein, who was exploring the way ahead, called out loudly.

When the boatswain Harvey heard the call, his heart tightened and he led his men to run forward quickly.

"Oh, God!"

In a moment, everyone rushed to their companion's location and saw Raul covered in dirt and grass debris, holding his right foot with both hands, screaming and wailing. A sharp wooden thorn had pierced his foot and penetrated the instep, making people shudder at the sight.

"Oh, God, I don't know what happened!... Raul was exploring the way ahead when he suddenly fell into a trap. I immediately pulled him out, and then I saw him..." Klein spoke incoherently, "This is terrible! This trap must have been set by those natives. ... They might... they might be watching us somewhere in the forest. ... Oh, damn natives!"

Harvey, the boatswain, squatted down and carefully examined Raul's foot injury. A sharp wooden splinter had penetrated his left foot, and blood was dripping continuously. He reached over and tried to pull out the splinter, but after thinking about it, he gave up, fearing that it would cause further damage.

He waved his hand and ordered two sailors to help Raul back to the shore and wait for the boat to bring support companions again. Then they could take the boat back to the "St. Louis" to let the captain see if he could provide proper medical treatment.

Yes, the captain sometimes also acts as a doctor due to his wide knowledge. As for whether he can cure the patient, we can only pray for God's blessing.
"Okay, guys, let's cheer up again!" Harvey saw that the sailors were very nervous, so he encouraged loudly: "The natives are like rats in a burrow, they can only hide in the dark and peek at us. Now, let's go and pull them all out and chop off their heads. ... Guys, we don't have to be afraid. They are the ones who are fearful and timid. Next, we need to be vigilant and search carefully. ... God will bless us!"

As he spoke, he picked up his musket and walked forward first.

"Damn natives! If I catch them, I will chop off their hands first, then their feet, and then watch them die in agony!"

"Kill all the natives!"

"Oh, no! We're going to keep the native women, let them serve us well, and then kill them!"

"..."

The sailors cursed and shouted as they followed Harvey, carefully groping their way towards the native camp.

"Well!……"

However, before the sailors had gone far, another person triggered the mechanism set by the natives and was hit by the wood hanging on the tree. His head was bleeding, and he fell to the ground with a muffled groan, unconscious.

The boatswain Harvey had no choice but to order the two men to carry the injured to the shore again.

Less than twenty minutes after landing, and before they had even met the natives, two people were injured, causing many sailors to immediately put aside their contemptuous attitude and become serious.

These indigenous people are not simple!

They actually set traps and mechanisms, calculating and hunting us like wild beasts.

Then the next battle may not be as easy as originally expected.

Out of caution, the boatswain Harvey led his men out of the jungle and returned to the landing point, waiting to gather more companions before attacking the native camp in one go.

Those natives must have made some defensive preparations during the night, waiting for their arrival.

(End of this chapter)