Chapter 1514: We Will Protect Great Chieftain Louis

Inside the wooden walls of New Rome, the Marquis de Marignan, who had come from afar, and a chieftain who had traveled from a Plains Apache tribe with several attendants, were now seated as host and guest, beginning to size each other up with curious gazes.

The Apache people mainly lived in the southern Rocky Mountains and the desert and plains regions northeast of the Kingdom of New Spain — that is, the areas of later America's Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado — with only a few living in the Great Plains region. Though the Apache of the Great Plains were not numerous, they were a dominant power in the southern Great Plains, and the French absolutely did not dare provoke them!

Because these Apache, like the Great Sioux, were not an agricultural people but a hunting-gathering people similar to nomads — at present North American bison were so numerous that the Apache and Great Sioux populations could not possibly eat them all, so there was no need for herding.

Therefore the Apache and Great Sioux way of life was to hunt and roam in tribal units — not following water and grass, but following behind the bison herds.

And after the arrival of the European colonizers, the Apache and Great Sioux quickly obtained horses from the West, and also quickly learned to ride and raise horses, becoming a horse-riding people just like the Mongols.

In addition, they also acquired some iron weapons from the European colonizers, and even gunpowder weapons, and learned to make bows and arrows.

And horses, iron weapons, and bows and arrows greatly expanded the range of the Apache and Great Sioux, allowing them to hunt more bison and thereby support large populations and build vast tribal confederations.

Moreover, with large numbers of horses, the Apache and Great Sioux could rapidly concentrate large numbers of warriors!

By the second half of the 17th century, apart from not herding cattle and sheep (they did herd horses, and had in fact mastered the skill of herding), the Apache and Great Sioux way of life was much the same as that of the Mongols and Jurchen, the good friends of the Han people.

Were the Mongols, the Jurchen, and the others living in the deserts, grasslands, and forests north of the Divine Land ever easy to deal with?

The chieftain named "Crazy Horse" now sitting opposite the Marquis de Marignan and his several attendants looked extremely formidable — every one of them a fierce warrior. The great chieftain "Crazy Horse" in particular was short, stocky, and solidly built, with a fleshy face, a reddish-brown complexion, a hooked nose, and a pair of triangular eyes that shot out menacing gleams.

"Crazy Horse's" attendants were all warriors of the Plains Apache tribe as well, each with flintlock pistols and sabers tucked at their waists, and the wooden grips of the pistols and the hilts of the sabers all bore very obvious signs of wear — clearly frequently used.

The battle-hardened Marquis de Marignan had even made a point of inspecting the horses ridden by Chieftain "Crazy Horse" and his attendants before entering the wooden house where the two sides were to meet, and found that all the horses were fitted with saddles and stirrups, though none were shod.

Furthermore, quivers and javelins hung from the saddles of the Indians' horses!

Clearly, the Plains Apache were all excellent light cavalry — if their numbers were sufficient, the Sun King would not need to worry about the Chinese on the West Coast.

Because the entire Great Plains would be occupied by these Indian nomadic peoples!

A French fur trader named Pierre served as the liaison and interpreter between Great Chieftain Crazy Horse and the Marquis de Marignan.

Great Chieftain Crazy Horse spoke first, saying to Pierre in Apache: "Tell this curly-haired old white man that with our Apache warriors here, he and Great Chieftain Louis need not fear the demons from the west 【meaning the people coming from the west coast of North America】. Just give us enough muskets, gunpowder, and bullets, and we will kill them all!"

"Honored Marquis," the fur trader nodded, then turned and, all smiles, began to translate — in French, which Great Chieftain Crazy Horse could not understand at all — "My friend, the chieftain of the Plains Apache, Crazy Horse, has come to New Rome for the purpose of seeking help from you and the great Sun King. The demons from the west have already penetrated deep into the northern and central Rocky Mountains, and they are facing the danger of extermination! If they cannot promptly receive the great Sun King's help, the Apache will have no way to survive. Please have mercy and save the Apache!"

The Apache were so pitiful! On the verge of extinction — the Marquis de Marignan frowned and quickly asked: "May I ask, how many warriors can the Plains Apache field? Will the other Apache tribes fight together with the Plains Apache?"

The fur trader relayed the Marquis's words to Great Chieftain Crazy Horse: "Great Chieftain, the old curly-haired one asks how many Apache warriors you can provide. Can the Apache warriors in the Rocky Mountains join your Plains Apache in protecting Great Chieftain Louis?"

If Great Chieftain Louis were to hear these words (provided he could understand them, of course), would he have this profiteer shot?

Great Chieftain Crazy Horse also frowned. He was somewhat lopsided in his studies — his mathematics was not very good. He did not know what number was bigger than 100.

"We have many warriors, more than 100!" the great chieftain said. "The western Apache will also fight together with us, as long as Great Chieftain Louis can provide muskets!"

The fur-trading profiteer turned to the Marquis de Marignan and said: "Marquis, the great chieftain says his tribe can field 5,000 warriors (5,000 is more than 100!), but they have only a few hundred muskets, and not enough gunpowder or bullets."

"What about horses? Does every man have a horse?" the Marquis de Marignan pressed.

"Every man has a horse!" the fur-trading profiteer said with great certainty. "In addition, the western Apache tribes also need the Sun King's protection, and of course are willing to fight alongside the Sun King's army. But they too need French weapons."

The Marquis de Marignan glanced back at the Comte de Frontenac. "Count, how many Chinese are advancing east? Can 5,000 Apache warriors defeat them?"

"The Chinese advancing east are not many," the Comte de Frontenac said with a smile. "The Rocky Mountains are not easy to cross in force. According to reliable intelligence, they have merely established a line of fortifications in the mountains made up of one farming settlement after another, very laboriously maintaining their eastward momentum.

In fact, the main threat we face on the Great Plains is not the Chinese, but the Apache and the Great Sioux!"

"Why do you say that?" the Marquis de Marignan asked.

"Because the Chinese are farmers, while the Apache and the Great Sioux are both hunters and nomads!"

This was obvious!

It is not easy for a farming people to cross the Rocky Mountains — they must establish military farms station by station. And establishing military farms is not something accomplished merely by opening one's mouth; it requires enormous investment. Moreover, before a farming settlement reaches a certain level of development, it still needs supplies from agriculturally developed regions, or must rely on hunting for food.

Therefore the United States of New China could not possibly send enough settlers to the Great Plains all at once — and if they really did, it would not be a threat but rather an opportunity to annihilate them.

Because large numbers of settled immigrants, before becoming self-sufficient, require massive shipments of supplies from the rear. As long as the supply lines are interrupted for any reason, those immigrants are doomed.

But nomadic hunting peoples are different!

Just imagine the scene of tens of thousands or even over a hundred thousand armed Apache besieging New Rome!

"Since the Plains Apache can field 5,000 men, then we do not need the other Apache," the Marquis de Marignan said. "If the Apache are willing to fight for us, then we can provide 1,000 matchlock muskets and sufficient ammunition, and also give them a batch of crossbows and swords.

In addition, we will send about 1,000 army troops, and will also invite the Sioux to fight alongside them. By then there will be more than 12,000 fully armed warriors — enough to defeat the demons from the west!"

The fur-trading profiteer turned and translated the Marquis de Marignan's words into Apache: "Great Chieftain, the old curly-haired one has agreed to provide many muskets, and is also willing to provide a batch of very formidable bows and swords. In addition, he has invited the Great Sioux to join in protecting Great Chieftain Louis."

Great Chieftain Crazy Horse nodded: "Very well, then we shall all protect Great Chieftain Louis together."

(End of Chapter)