Chapter 26: Chapter 26: American Businessman
Morning of May 10th.
The Apaches in the camp received news that American traders from the east had arrived nearby and would stay for a day to purchase or exchange their buffalo skins.
So, under the leadership of Chiricahua Chief Oak and Plains High Priest Rainy Day, a team of Apaches, carrying buffalo hides, headed for the designated trading location.
The Indians would not trust the white men, and the white men would not trust the Indians.
Therefore, the transaction location between the two parties was carefully selected. It was some distance away from the Apache camp, but at the same time the terrain was flat and the view was wide, making it impossible to set up an ambush here.
There is also a limit on the number of people on both sides, which cannot exceed fifty.
There were more than forty Apaches on the way, and when they were about to reach their destination, Ma Shao estimated from a distance that the number of white merchant caravan ahead should be around thirty, most of whom were cavalry guards with guns, who were also looking at them vigilantly.
Oak was the leader of the Apache team, and Horse Whistle followed closely behind him, riding parallel to Rainy Day.
"This stirrup is really useful." He stepped on the wooden stirrup on a rainy day and said, "Riding a horse is much easier than before. You can imagine its power on the battlefield... Ma Shao, you are indeed suitable to be a war chief."
Oak, who was walking in front, also said, "We should have used it a long time ago. But it's a little fragile. I've already stepped on one and broke it."
Ma Shao said: "After all, it is made of wood. If it is replaced with metal, the durability will be much better... We need metal."
With the help of rainy days, the promotion of stirrups and strong bows was very successful, and thousands of Apaches in the camp had already changed into these two pieces of equipment.
For this reason, Ma Shao also got a resounding nickname: Great Craftsman.
This is undoubtedly a good name. If it were someone else, it would most likely replace the original name and become the new official name.
But Ma Shao is different, his whistle is more likely to be memorable.
In the past month, Ma Shao has held countless "camp-wide concert tours". His whistling skills are almost indispensable in every gathering and ceremony, and everyone remembers his extraordinary whistle.
Therefore, the name Ma Shao became more popular, and even the title of Great Craftsman could not replace it.
Soon, everyone arrived at the trading location. Rainy Day rode his horse a few steps forward, and two people from the opposite white caravan also came over.
One of them was obviously the leader, a man in his thirties, slightly plump, with some stubble on his chin. He greeted with a smile, "We meet again, High Priest. I believe you still remember me."
"Hello, Mr. Smith." I greeted him in English even on a rainy day.
This was not the first time the two sides had traded, so there was no nonsense. Merchant Smith said directly: "I brought your favorite liquor, 620 gallons, enough for you to fill 1,200 bags."
"The price of the wine is the same as last time. The best quality bison hide can be exchanged for three gallons, the average quality bison hide can be exchanged for one and a half gallons, and the poor quality bison hide can be exchanged for half a gallon... I wonder how much you need this time? Five hundred gallons?"
The cow hides were exchanged for liquor, and the other goods were traded in small amounts. This was the way the business had always been done, and Smith thought it would be the same this time.
However, Rainy Day's words were completely unexpected: "No, we don't want wine this time."
"?" Smith thought he had heard it wrong and showed a puzzled expression.
Rainy Day immediately repeated it in Apache, pronouncing each word clearly: "We are not buying alcohol this time."
The translator in the white team translated this sentence to Smith, and Smith finally confirmed that he had heard it correctly.
Indians don't buy alcohol anymore!
He was confused and annoyed at once. He said, "What? Why? Don't you always buy liquor? Delicious whiskey. Don't you like it?"
"Yes." Rainy Day said calmly, "We have decided to stay away from strong alcohol, which will corrode our bodies. We should have done so a long time ago."
"No, who told you this? It's nonsense!" Smith waved his hand, his tone excited.
He swore that if he knew who had persuaded the Apaches to stop drinking, he would tear that person's head off!
"In the name of God, whiskey will never harm our body. Not only that, it will make us more energetic." Smith continued hurriedly, while instructing the translator to ensure that his meaning could be conveyed more accurately.
"... Of course, some people drink too much and some bad things happen. But that's the same with anything. Even water, if you drink a gallon of it, your stomach will burst, right? That doesn't mean alcohol is a bad thing, not at all."
Rainy Day replied: "The problem with strong liquor is never that it makes your belly burst. No one can drink to that extent... In fact, one of our shamans has pointed out that liquor is actually a medicine and is not suitable for food at all."
"medicine?"
Smith paused, not knowing what to say.
But he quickly regained his composure, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice: "Well, although the benefits of drinking are obvious, I have to admit that it is everyone's freedom to decide whether to drink or not."
Then he changed the subject: "You have the right not to drink, but you should keep your word!"
"This is not the first time we have done this. Every time we prepare at least 300 gallons of wine and deliver it to you personally. You shouldn't break the agreement. If you don't want to buy wine, you should tell us in advance."
"We didn't sign the agreement," Rainy Day said. Because the Indians didn't have their own writing system, they rarely signed written agreements.
Smith argued: "Last year you told me you needed more liquor!"
"Perhaps, but that's just verbal at best. According to your nominal principle of good faith, only written contracts must be followed." Rainy Day said with a hint of sarcasm. In the eyes of most Indians, white people and good faith have nothing to do with each other.
Smith was speechless. For a moment he could only purse his lips and hold the reins tightly, as if trying to suppress his anger.
The other white people in the caravan were also getting agitated and talking about it.
"Damn it, the Indians actually say they want to stop drinking!" No one could have imagined that the Apaches would suddenly stop drinking.
"Are we going to make this trip in vain?"
"This is a huge loss!"
Some white people even became more aggressive and began to discuss the possibility of conflict in a low voice with the people around them.
"I think we might need a fight..."
"That's right, but we can't do it here. You have to know that the Apache base camp is not far away. And even if we have to fight, it's best not for us to do it. We are businessmen..."
Looking at the commotion of the white people, Rainy Day remained unmoved. In fact, this was completely within his expectations.
The Apaches never considered not buying alcohol. It was simply impossible. Not to mention that some alcoholics in the tribe could not quit drinking alcohol in a short time, the Apaches could not give up the medical use of strong liquor.
He just wanted to buy less, and what he just said was just a way of negotiating.
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