North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 83 You Can't Even Get There While It's Still Hot (5000 words, please subscribe)

Starting the night before last, Major Daniel Cameron has been experiencing two nights of nightmares!
The night before last, almost all the horses in the entire Ranger battalion were killed or wounded by the Native Americans.

Yesterday morning, Major Daniel led more than twenty riders, preparing to be the first to arrive in San Francisco to clean up the mess.

However, his messenger was shot dead by the Indians, their path was cut off by those damned Indians, and their twenty-odd riders were intercepted by the Indians.

The twenty-odd Rangers were no match for the hundreds of Indian cavalrymen, especially since the Indians' equipment was in no way inferior to that of the Rangers.

Even worse, those damned Native Americans possessed those incredibly powerful hand grenades!

After rejoining the Rangers who had lost their horses, Major Daniel attempted to break through the Indian blockade.

It was in small-scale combat that Major Daniel truly witnessed the immense power of this grenade!
He had never seen a single-soldier weapon with such destructive power!
He was not unfamiliar with hand grenades.

Grenadiers are a very old branch of the military, and they are the elite of the line infantry who possess extraordinary courage and dare to brave enemy fire and get close to the enemy to throw grenades!
However, black powder grenades have very limited power and cannot become a primary weapon.

As the power of firearms continued to increase, the grenadier unit was gradually phased out and became a symbolic honorary title.

However, the grenades in the hands of these Native Americans were at least a hundred times more powerful than black powder grenades!
A grenade exploded among the soldiers, and within a five-meter radius, almost no one was still standing!

Is this a hand grenade? Small to medium caliber artillery shells can only have this much power, right?

Moreover, the firearms these Native Americans carried, whether rifles or revolvers, were no less effective than those carried by the Rangers!
After two attempts and dozens of casualties, Major Daniel Cameron finally realized in despair that his elite Rangers, without their horses, were no match for these Native Americans!
This is absolutely unheard of and unprecedented!
They were unable to advance an inch during the entire day due to the interception of the Indian cavalry!

Fortunately, these Native Americans who had gained the upper hand showed no intention of fighting to the death.

After nightfall, these Native Americans quietly withdrew!

The roads to San Francisco are finally open again!

Major Daniel mounted his horse again and led more than twenty riders, rushing towards San Francisco at top speed overnight.

We rushed along the road, covered in dust and exhaustion, and several horses died from exhaustion!

Unfortunately, they were still a step too late!
At this moment, Major Daniel was standing on the battlefield of the ambush that occurred in the early hours of this morning.

Everywhere there were the corpses of bandits, countless horse carcasses, and blood flowing freely!

Major Daniel stood frozen in place amidst a pile of corpses!
He was no longer the same person he was two days ago, with his crisp military uniform, shiny leather boots, high spirits, and complete control of everything!

They were covered in dust and dirt, their military bearing disheveled, and their faces still bore the black and gray hues of gunpowder.

"How could this happen? How could this happen?"

Major Daniel stood amidst the corpses, stunned and muttering to himself, "They're all dead. Who did it? Who did it?"

To his left and right, more than twenty cavalrymen dismounted and examined the corpses scattered on the ground.

A moment later, a ranger lieutenant finally came up to report.

"Major, most of these bandits were killed or wounded by the bombs, and the injuries were almost exactly the same as those caused by the hand grenades the Indians used!"

"You mean...!" Major Daniel suddenly realized, "These gangsters were also killed by the Native Americans?"

The Ranger lieutenant nodded: "I think it's very likely! Judging from the situation on the battlefield, these bandits were probably ambushed by the Indians when they were completely unprepared, which is why they suffered such heavy casualties."

"We also found many horse traps along the main road. It's clear that these Indians, like those who attacked us, came prepared!"

Upon hearing the lieutenant's report, Major Daniel was somewhat incredulous: "Indians? Ambushing a gang so close to San Francisco?"

"Find...find them! See if there are any survivors!" Daniel, regaining his senses, immediately ordered, "Find all our own brothers! And find Quentin the Ripper's body too!"

"Judging from the direction they fell, they were ambushed during their retreat after looting San Francisco. What about their valuables? What about the looted dollars, gold, jewelry, and precious stones?"

More than twenty cavalrymen quickly searched the ground for corpses and also for valuables.

With hundreds of mangled corpses on the ground, finding Quentin the Ripper and his own men planted among the bandits was no easy task.

After searching for a long time, they finally found a few bodies of their own people.

Just then, on Market Avenue, a mixed force of naval sailors and militiamen, led by Klein and Azu, was rushing towards them from north to south.

Before long, the mixed team arrived.

“Who is that…?”

"Who are you people...!"

"Click, click...!"

In a tense atmosphere, both sides almost simultaneously cocked their guns, the dark muzzles aimed at each other.

"Put down your guns, we are the Northern California Rangers!"

"Put down your guns. We are the garrison of the San Francisco Strait Naval Fortress!"

"Put down your guns, we are the 10th Company of the San Francisco Militia!"

Lieutenant Klein, who was in the lead, saw Daniel Cameron's disheveled face from afar.

"Heh!" Klein suddenly laughed. "You really are Daniel? Major Daniel Cameron?"

Daniel stepped forward: "I'm Daniel, and you are... Lieutenant Klein?"

Some time ago, the two sides met at some banquets in San Francisco and got to know each other.

They recognized each other, but neither of them showed any intention of putting down their guns; instead, they became even more vigilant!
Klein shouted, "So that's why Major Daniel is late! He was ambushing the bandits here!"

"What did you say? What do you mean...?" Daniel was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously said, "We didn't do this!"

"Hahaha, Major Daniel, what kind of joke are you telling?"

Lieutenant Klein's smile vanished: "It wasn't you Rangers who did it. In all of California, who else has that kind of fighting capability?"

"Who else but your Northern California Rangers could have wiped out hundreds of gangsters so easily?"

"I...I...Fuck...!" Major Daniel was caught red-handed and had no way to defend himself.

"It was the Indians!" The cavalry lieutenant walked up to Daniel and shouted, "It was definitely the Indians!"

"Hahaha……!"

Now, not only Klein was laughing out loud, but the sailors and militiamen were also laughing so hard they were doubled over.

"You...you...you mean...the Indians...used spears and bows and arrows to kill hundreds...fierce...bandits so close to San Francisco?"

"Hahaha...!" Lieutenant Klein laughed so hard he could hardly breathe. "This is the funniest joke I've heard all year! If you're going to make an excuse, at least make one decent one... Hahaha!"

"You...you...Fuck!"

Major Daniel and the twenty-odd Rangers were all speechless!

If they hadn't experienced it themselves, they would never have believed their own words!
Just then, Azu shouted, "Major Daniel, it doesn't really matter who killed these gangsters."

"The important thing is... Major Daniel, where did you hide all the countless valuables these gangs looted?"

Ah Zu's question was so cruel, it was like killing someone's heart!

Upon hearing this, Daniel Cameron felt as if his scalp would instantly explode.

"What valuables? What valuables are you talking about?"

"We just got here, less than twenty minutes ago. What valuables could we possibly have?"

"Forget about countless valuables, we didn't even find a single dollar or a piece of gold!"

Yellow mud fell into my crotch!

The more Major Daniel tried to defend himself, the less clear his explanation became. "Heh!" Azu chuckled coldly. "Major Daniel, why do you only have so few men with you? Where are the other Rangers?"

Guided by Azu, Klein instantly realized: "Right, what about the other rangers? You must have sent them out to transport a large amount of valuables. Yes, that must be it!"

"The other Rangers... I... I... Fuck!"

Major Daniel Cameron felt that even if he had a mouth full of words, he would not be able to explain himself at all!
He couldn't very well tell the truth: most of the Rangers' horses had been blown up by the Native Americans, could he? And the rest of the Rangers were reduced to infantry and had to travel on foot?
Not only would the other side not believe it, but the entire Ranger battalion would also lose face completely!

So, our Major Daniel Cameron was speechless, trying hard to open his mouth but unable to utter a single word!
Azu continued, "Major Daniel, the citizens of San Francisco are very grateful to you for taking down these gangsters! But please hand over all the valuables!"

"These assets are the hard-earned money of the citizens of San Francisco; they belong to the entire city of San Francisco! You cannot take them for yourself!"

That's absolutely devastating!
Daniel Cameron was absolutely furious! He felt like he'd never felt so frustrated in his life!

Lieutenant Klein chimed in, "Yes! That's an enormous fortune, Major Daniel, you have no right to keep it! Hand it over, or I will take you to a military court!"

Daniel Cameron, who was extremely angry, frustrated, and depressed, forced himself to calm down.

Given the current situation, it seems I'm destined to take the blame!
Daniel Cameron ignored Klein, knowing he couldn't afford to mess with him!
He was merely the son-in-law of a brigadier general, while the man opposite him was the brigadier general's own son!

Although his rank was higher than the other side's, the army had no jurisdiction over the navy, so Klein was not afraid of him at all, and would not give him any face!
Therefore, Daniel Cameron turned his attention to Azu.

"You, a yellow-skinned Chinese, who are you?"

Daniel Cameron spoke to Azu in a tone as cold as a knife.

Azu calmly replied, "My name is Azu, a common soldier in the 10th Company of the San Francisco Militia!"

"Militia? Chinese? Azu? Okay, I'll remember you!"

"Let's go!" Daniel Cameron waved his hand, mounted his horse, and led a dozen or so Rangers toward San Francisco.

"stop!"

Klein placed his hand on the pistol at his waist again, his expression tense, and said, "Major Daniel, I think San Francisco doesn't welcome you!"

"Click, click...!"

The sailors and militiamen, who had just put down their guns, immediately raised them again and cocked them.

"Hmph!" Daniel Cameron stared coldly at the dark muzzle of the white gun. "Lieutenant Klein, do you have the authority to prevent me from entering San Francisco?"

“Of course I don’t have that authority!” Klein shrugged. “However, after last night’s chaos, the situation in San Francisco is very unstable.”

"As we all know, Major Daniel has many enemies in San Francisco. If you ignore our warnings and rush in, I think you and your soldiers will not be able to guarantee your personal safety."

Daniel Cameron wants to enter San Francisco, not only to see the bodies of his main enemies, but also to completely eliminate the remaining villains.

Moreover, this desire is exceptionally strong!
But the dark muzzle of a gun opposite him forced him to maintain a basic level of composure.

If they force their way through, these twenty-odd cavalrymen will likely be riddled with bullets in no time!
“Very good!” A murderous glint flashed in Daniel Cameron’s eyes: “Lieutenant Klein, Azu… you will pay the price for everything you have done today!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Daniel Cameron turned his horse around and led his cavalry away, looking disheveled and dejected!

"Are we just going to let them go like that?" Azu asked Klein, watching their retreating figures.

Lieutenant Klein shrugged helplessly and said, "He's an Army major, and I'm just a Navy lieutenant. I have no right to stop him, much less arrest him! It's the best outcome that they left on their own! But I will put all of this in my report."

Ah Zu ignored his last sentence: "Even if there were evidence, let alone no real evidence, what could we do to Daniel who has powerful backers?"

He really wanted to take this opportunity to shoot Daniel Cameron dead to prevent future trouble.

But on second thought, keeping this scapegoat seems like a better option!

At least, as long as Daniel Cameron is alive, the shadow hanging over San Francisco will not dissipate, and the panic will continue to spread.

This sense of panic makes it easier to do many things.

Under Lieutenant Klein's command, sailors and militiamen began digging pits to bury the corpses scattered everywhere.

At the same time, Azu did not forget to have Edgar Allan Poe invite a large number of citizens to watch over the bodies of these bandits and to publicize Major Daniel Cameron's achievements.

The very next morning, the front page of The Standard published Major Daniel Cameron's achievements in full, and within a few days the news spread throughout California.

The front page headline even featured a picture of Major Daniel Cameron looking dashing, with the background littered with the corpses of bandits!
Of course, the newspaper also subtly hinted that the whereabouts of the enormous wealth looted by the gangs were unknown.

Not long after, Quentin, the "Ripper," hiding in his secret lair and licking his wounds, was staring intently at Daniel Cameron's large portrait in the Standard.

"boom……!"

The enraged leader of the Skinner gang quickly drew his gun and shot Daniel Cameron in the head off the newspaper!
“Daniel Cameron, Fuck You! Fuck You…!”

"No matter where you are, I will definitely kill you...!"
-
Ah Zu, who had just bought a large area around Clarke Wharf from the church, was leading a group of people to inspect his territory.

Because Azpahari protected this area, it suffered the least damage.

The many Chinese laborers who temporarily resided here also avoided injuries and property losses to the greatest extent possible.

Three days after the catastrophe, this large area had completely recovered and had become the most densely populated and prosperous area in San Francisco.

Many of the Chinese laborers who were temporarily residing here saw their entourage of Azu passing by, and they all took off their felt hats and respectfully bowed to Azu.

Ah Zu nodded and smiled at each of them, with a hint of the Godfather's air about him.

"Boom...!"

Just then, a "corpse" wearing a Mexican wide-brimmed felt hat, black clothes, and blue jeans was suddenly thrown out of the roadside clinic!
"Gurgle...!"

As luck would have it, the "corpse" rolled right up to Azu's feet.

Ah Zu looked down and frowned: "Go ask what happened?"

Ah Yan hurried to the clinic and soon brought out a manager.

"Sir, I am here to greet you!"

The clinic owner, upon seeing Ah Zu's demeanor and his entourage, knew that Ah Zu was no ordinary person. He quickly took off his felt hat and kept nodding and bowing.

"Shopkeeper, who is this? Why were you thrown out like this?" Azu asked, pointing to the "corpse" at his feet.

"Sir, we don't know who this woman is either. She was shot the night before last and came to our clinic for treatment."

"As you can see, her gunshot wound has become festering and incurable. She's not only penniless, but she's also dying. I had no choice but to throw her out. I didn't want to disturb our distinguished guest, so I apologize to you!"

The shopkeeper kept bowing to Azu.

Azu ignored him, squatted down, and turned the unconscious "corpse" over!
The wide-brimmed Mexican felt hat on the "corpse's" head slipped silently off, revealing a cascade of thick, curly, dark gold hair.

“It really is a woman!” Azu felt her pulse at the neck; she was still breathing.

"Shopkeeper, how much does she owe you for her medicine?"

"Not much, not much, just a full eighteen dollars!"

"Ah Yan, give it to him!"

Ah Yan took out eighteen US dollars and handed them to the clinic owner.

"Oh dear, how could I dare to accept money from such an important guest? This... this is unacceptable, this is unacceptable!"

"Stop talking nonsense! My boss told you to take it!" Ayan glared at him, which startled the shopkeeper, who quickly took the money and thanked him profusely.

Ah Zu lost interest in shopping, gently kicked the round buttocks of the unconscious woman at his feet, and said.

"Take him back; there might still be hope!"

(End of this chapter)