Chapter 1429 Terrace ([-])

"Ask them how the situation in Xibao Township is?" Said Captain Guo Handong, who was riding a group of steeds, looking at the two Gauchos standing in front of him tremblingly.

As the de facto highest military officer in Northern Patagonia, Captain Guo Handong personally participated in the construction of the outpost in Xibao Township and fought there for a period of time.The battles mainly took place at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. Captain Guo Handong led the cavalry, which had been expanded into four companies (more than 440 cavalry), and fought with the Indians six times. More than 100 Indians were killed and wounded. More than 450 llamas, more than 800 three-toed ostriches, and more than 2.5 cattle.

However, the people on the east bank who had won such a brilliant victory did not go further west. Instead, they chose to fight steadily, first to stabilize the rear, and then to pursue an aggressive strategy. Clash of tribes should be said to be a wiser choice.What's more, there are still many Indians around Changlu Township, where the people on the east coast have established settlements, and they can be seen from time to time, so it is still important to stabilize the rear.

"Xibao Township is very safe, but there are still Indians active in the wild. Our manpower is too small to launch a decent attack on the enemy. However, recently, Chief Li has recruited hundreds of warriors. Yes, all of them Gaucho warriors who are skilled in riding like us. Now, we can drive away those Tehuelche people like wild dogs, instead of smoking and chatting idly in the outpost." An older gaucho The man replied that he was wearing a denim overalls that he did not know where he got, he was smelly, his hair was matted, but his eyes were shining.

Guo Handong was also a little surprised when he heard the words. He didn't expect Li Zhixin to be so fierce that he actually recruited hundreds of Gaoqiao people. Now the safety of the outpost in Xibao Township should be guaranteed.No, Xibao Township has a relatively strong outpost, which is relatively safe. It should be said that they can now go out to actively search and attack the remaining Indian tribes, instead of passively guarding at home as warehouse guards like before.Fortunately, they are backed by a rare and navigable river like the Ludang River, so the material transfer is smooth, otherwise, with the extra hundred gauchos, the material transfer would be a big burden.

After finding out the situation in Xibao Township, Guo Handong did not make things difficult for the two Gauchos, but gave them each a bag of shredded tobacco and let them go.For these Gaoqiao people wandering on the grassland, Guo Handong’s main intention is to recruit and win them over. Although there are not many of them, they are superior in their excellent riding skills and familiarity with geography. After recruiting, they will be of great help to the people from the east .Conversely, if these gauchos are pushed to the side of the Tehuelche people and plunder the pioneers on the east coast, it will also be a nightmare for the people on the east coast, so it is still mainly about wooing—of course, with Tehuelche The Welche people worked together as horse bandits on the grasslands. Obviously, it was not as cost-effective as the people from the east coast who had a lot of money, food, and equipment.

After this episode, the troops continued to move forward. The few Arima scouts were sent out to find the Indians, while the large troops continued to carry their rifles and marched towards Changlu Township on foot.Perhaps it was because the Indians we met in the village only occasionally passed by. Guo Handong and his party did not search for any traces of the enemy until the evening when they saw the outline of the Changlu Township settlement in the distance, except for some messy horseshoes. outside of India.

There is a military camp in Changlu Township, stationed with dozens of officers and soldiers from the Sixth Mixed Battalion. In addition, there are hundreds of militiamen that rotate regularly. It is basically enough to guard the town, but it may not be able to effectively protect the villages and fields in the suburbs. , but the Indians seldom come to harass them now, probably because they lack horses, weapons and other supplies-there is no shortage of food, and there are too many animals on the mesa shrubs and grasslands.

The cooks in the barracks brought up the roasted golden beef, along with some water, bread and beer for the officers.There is also a large jug of yerba mate tea in the very center of the table, which can be enjoyed by all, which is generally the benefit of the soldiers.

There was a strong wind blowing outside, and the sand rustled against the windows of the barracks, like a heavy rain.This is the case with the Patagonian plateau, which blows strong winds and dust from time to time, especially in the summer when there is little precipitation.However, the Ludang River area is not bad, at least the vegetation is relatively dense, and the annual precipitation is more than 400 millimeters. If it is along the Chubut River or even further south, the dust will be much heavier.

In a corner of the officers' mess (actually a cubicle), a bearded non-Italian non-national played the double bass to cheer up the dinner, which was part of his job—he also fed the kitchen during the day. Carrying water and doing chores.It is worth mentioning that this double bass was made by this Italian guy from nearby trees. It is said that he knows every secret of the growth of tree trunks, the effect of wind in dry wood, and the last remaining in the veins of plant sap. The possibility of tiny acoustic perceptions, and even knowing the benefits given to trees by certain mushrooms that determine the toughness of wood.Of course, he is self-taught, and has never studied with any famous musical instrument maker or musician, so the villagers in Changlu Township always laugh at him, but he has a good temper and never takes it seriously.

"I don't sing of the moon because she lights up the night; I sing of the moon because she has witnessed my long journey... O lonely moon, we are a little bit alike; I sing along the way, in this way Light up the earth." Amidst the beautiful melody of "Prairie Moon", the officers enjoyed their dinner comfortably, chatting and laughing occasionally, and it seemed that this was another peaceful night.

However, Tianzun always seems to like to make some jokes with the grassland guys.No, before the dinner was finished, there was a burst of shouting in the countryside outside the barracks, and then the huge iron bell on the sentry tower was slammed, and the officers and soldiers who were having dinner stood up suddenly, Stared blankly at the outside.

"What are you doing standing still, take your weapons and line up!" After throwing the braised crested wheat chicken on the table, Guo Zili grabbed his command knife and shouted angrily: "There is an enemy attack, it should be from Thuerqie, damn it!" Soldiers, now is the time for everyone to fight for the motherland. I need each of you to have a sincere heart and use your bravery and fearlessness to chop down all these Indian bastards. Tonight, I need See the enemy's head, the more the better!"

The platoon leaders rushed out of the officer's dining room, and then took their soldiers to the yard to line up, ready to fight.Including the troops brought by Guo Handong in the afternoon, there are 168 officers and soldiers in the eight platoons of the Sixth Mixed Battalion and the Eighth Mixed Battalion in Luxiang, the chairman. With these well-trained veterans who have fought many years, even if there are two thousand A number of Indians rushed forward, and the people on the east coast relying on houses, sentry towers, and fortifications for defense could also effectively repel them. These people crossed the north for a week, escorted a team to hunt cattle, and have not yet returned, so they can only rely on infantry and militia to fight the enemy.

The militiamen on duty at night have already engaged in the first wave of confrontation with the enemy. Arrows and projectiles are flying in all directions, and the sound of fighting and roaring can be heard everywhere.Some sparse wooden fences have been cut down by the Indians. Holding the halberds commonly used by the Spaniards in their hands, these people broke through many obstacles and rushed towards the houses where the pioneers lived. To deter foreign invaders who robbed their land, cattle and sheep.

Naturally, the people on the east bank couldn't let them do what they wanted. After the militiamen knocked out a bullet in the chamber, they immediately took out the bayonet and screwed it under the barrel of the gun, and rushed up with roars.Those who can come to this bitter cold land to pioneer are not good at all: Transylvanian prisoners of war, Ukrainian Cossacks, Qing army prisoners, second-generation nationals with blood surging, and veterans retired from the regular army. People have never seen any scenes, even if the Indians who attacked were extremely brave, it only made them lose their minds, not enough to scare them away. After all, their family members were behind them, and they could not retreat.

"Ah..." An Oroqen man who was as thick as a bear flew forward, and used a dung fork to fork an Indian warrior holding a Spanish rapier to the ground. His movements were so skillful, as if he was hunting in his hometown. As relaxed and freehand as a bear.The pioneer who forked the enemy was still not satisfied, he picked up an Indian with his back facing him by the waist, and threw him viciously on the brazier beside him, causing him to howl like ghosts and howls from being burned.

"In the name of God, go to hell!" After crushing an enemy's head with a heavy hammer, a Cossack prisoner-turned-pioneer ruthlessly hugged an Indian with his arms. The leader's neck, until he was suffocated and his face turned blue and died.

Of course, the Indians are also very fierce, especially these Tehuelche people, who live in a difficult environment all year round. Their tribal vendettas are endless, and they are indifferent to life and death. They also caused a lot of casualties to the pioneers.Especially when their weapons are also surprisingly good, in just a short moment, more than [-] pioneers have been brought down. The old and weak women and children hid in the house with nervous expressions and pale faces. The young boy held a kitchen knife or a cut wooden spear, guarding the door with trembling hands and feet, but he had no intention of retreating. His father and brothers were fighting outside, and they couldn't lose their masculinity.

"Quickly step up and fire the gun, raise the gun, aim, prepare——release!" The officers and soldiers of the regular army also quickly made preparations for battle, and saw the officers give an order, and crackling gunshots rang out in the night. The red gun flames were so conspicuous in the night sky, which greatly boosted the morale of the pioneers and militiamen.They cheered loudly, and greeted the enemy with their axes, hammers, spears, and bayonets even more vigorously, and the momentum of the Indians' forward rush was immediately stagnated.

"Second Lieutenant Pei Dade, I'm the only one here. You immediately take three platoons of soldiers to the cowshed outside. There should be [-] militiamen in urgent need of reinforcements. Of course, if you can stop the Indians from robbing cattle, you should firmly stop them. If it doesn’t work, forget it, the most important thing is to preserve your strength. If the cow is gone, you can catch it again. If you die, you can’t come back to life. Go and execute the order!”

Pei Dade saluted, and immediately took three soldiers from the Eighth Mixed Battalion to go out for reinforcements, while Second Lieutenant Guo Handong, after dodging two stray bullets (I don't know where they got the muskets...), continued to calmly directing the battle.He stands very conspicuously, next to a brazier for lighting, so that everyone can see him, so as to better command and boost morale-this is also the tradition of the proud East Coast Army. A dead ghost is not qualified to be a commander!

More and more pioneers joined the battle. They came from their residences, firewood houses, pastures, warehouses, and water canals. They also had a variety of weapons in their hands, such as sickles, rakes, hatchets, hoes, 2.7-meter spears, and machine-made knives. Guns, muskets, etc., everything is available, and you can use whatever you catch.Moreover, they did not swarm blindly at this meeting, but under the command of the backbone of the militia and officers, they gradually gathered their troops, cooperated with the regular troops of the sixth and eighth mixed battalions, gradually squeezed the space for the Tehuelche people, and then concentrated Destroy the enemy with firepower—messy combat has always been the most hated combat method for people on the east coast, because even if you can win, the casualties must not be too small. A well-organized and organized battle is what militias and regular troops usually do. What you've been training and instilling so hard will obviously start to pay off.

And once the people on the east bank recovered from the slight confusion of being raided at first, the suspense of the next battle would actually be less.All the lighting braziers were lit, and all the men took up arms. The regular army, under the command of experienced officers, used skilled volleyball shots to disrupt the enemy's attack time and time again until they were crushed. Can't get up.

"Victory belongs to the army!" More than a hundred officers and soldiers roared, holding their flintlock rifles flat, stepping on neat steps, and pressing towards the outside at a leisurely speed.And behind them, there are a large number of pioneers holding weapons and extremely angry. They want to take down all the enemies who attacked tonight, and leave none behind, so as to comfort their relatives, friends, and neighbors who died in the battle. It is to deter these Indian tribes. Even if we rob your land, your cattle and sheep, it is definitely not something you can afford to provoke. Do you think you want to beat us by relying on the inferior tactics taught by some Spanish missionaries?Go dreaming!

(End of this chapter)

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