Christie frowned again.
Today is Monday, and there are six days until the weekend.
Baron Lep noticed his hesitation and gestured across the river again: "Look, there are thousands of fierce Indians there. They can erge from the bushes at any ti and shoot your soldiers with poisoned arrows.
"But if I can persuade them to accept the debt sche, you can occupy that place without losing a single man."
He leaned forward a little more and lowered his voice: "The saved ammunition alone is worth thousands of US Dollars."
Christie couldn’t help but squint his eyes. Indeed, as the French people said, reporting an ammunition consumption of three to four thousand US Dollars for defeating a large tribe like the Cherokee was quite normal. If the Indians actually withdrew on their own, the money would be all his.
He looked at Lep, nodded, and said: "Alright, I will cross the river at 8 o’clock sharp on Sunday morning. Also, if the Indian army shows any movent, I will launch an attack imdiately."
"I believe that won’t happen." Baron Lep slightly bent over and then signaled his attendant to bring over a small wooden box, "This is red tea I brought from Puducherry, I hope you will like it."
On the Cherokee Tribe’s side, Chieftain Hase followed Long Horn’s motions and drew a third cross, then looked up towards the opposite side of the Ortamaho River.
Under the thin mist, the ranks of the Arican Militia were still slowly gathering towards the pontoon bridge.
Hase sighed and shook his head self-mockingly: "I have beco cowardly to the extent of praying to Jesus..."
He had just spoken halfway when he suddenly widened his eyes as he saw that the Aricans had unexpectedly remounted the cannon they had just aligned and the infantry began to turn around.
A praying Cherokee warrior pointed at the Aricans and excitedly shouted: "Praying worked! Look, Jesus has manifested Himself!"
The other Indians obviously noticed this as well and began cheering, "Jesus is truly watching over us!"
"The Aricans are retreating!"
"The prophecy is true, we have been saved!"
"Thank Jesus..."
Imdiately, those who previously scoffed at Long Horn also joined in prayer with utmost devotion.
Long Horn raised the "Indian Gospel" high and addressed the Cherokee tribe mbers with a trembling voice: "Everything was in the prophecy! When our tribe was on the brink of disaster, Jesus perford a miracle and drove away the Devil!
"Thank Jesus. In the na of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, An."
The other Indians, having heard of the prophecies in the Gospel many tis during his preaching, now witnessed them fulfilled, becoming firmly convinced of "Jesus Savior" and followed in chorus, "An!"
Of course, these so-called prophecies were all written in the "Indian Gospel" by Father Vigne according to the instructions of the Crown Prince.
And the basis of Joseph was the intelligence obtained from the Security Bureau that the United States was gathering troops to continue expanding to the West.
The expansion of the Aricans would inevitably encroach on Indian lands, and with the current Indian capabilities, they couldn’t possibly withstand it.
Therefore, the "Gospel" was made to "prophesy" that next year or the year after, the Cherokee Tribe would face an overwhelming catastrophe, with devils from the East destroying everything and massacring their people—of course, the prophecy would also ntion disasters for the Creek, Chokto, and other tribes.
Joseph then sent diplomats to build relations in places like Alabama and Georgia in the United States, preparing to lend a hand to the Indians at a critical mont.
The second half of the prophecy was, "Jesus perford a miracle, drove away the Devil, and saved the Indians. Then a ’Guide’ would appear, leading the tribes to a happy and stable life."
Indeed, Joseph did not plan to have the Indians hold onto Alabama and Georgia.
These areas were too close to the core of the United States and lacked natural barriers, making defense significantly difficult.
The Indian tribes were fragnted, with the largest Creek Tribe Alliance numbering less than 50,000, and the Cherokee Tribe with 8,000 already being a top power, while many small tribes had only a few hundred.
With their primitive tribal armies, they were like a flock of lambs to be slaughtered in front of the Aricans.
For Joseph, the most precious resource at present was manpower.
Saint Louis Louisiana possessed valuable plains in central Arica, ample for cultivation, but its population was extrely sparse—France’s immigrants, along with forr Spaniards and their slaves, only amounted to a bit over 30,000.
Even if the French Governnt spared no expense on immigration and investnts here, it would still be hard to surpass 60,000 in the short term.
This population was certainly insufficient to hold back Arica’s westward ambition.
Thus, nurous Indians must be gathered and directed to build nurous towns on the west bank of the Mississippi River, to give Saint Louis Louisiana the strength to contend with the United States.
As for the concern that the Indians’ number might grow too large in the future, causing France to lose control, Joseph was completely unconcerned.
With an area of over 2 million square kiloters, it would be difficult for any amount of French immigrants to effectively control it.
It would be better to guide the Indians into working with France from the start, making them France’s ’junior partners’, leading them to establish a nation on this vast land.
Yes, Joseph also planned to support the Indians in the western and northern parts of North Arica, xicans, and the mixed-race groups in California to establish their own nations.
This way, even in the worst-case scenario, should the Aricans really cross the Mississippi River, there would still be a string of tough nuts waiting for them.
In supporting local forces, France could more easily acquire mining rights and various trade and financial privileges, which was much more profitable than direct colonial control.
Moreover, it was necessary to concentrate the limited number of French immigrants in North Arica and hold important ports in hand. For instance, the mouth of the Mississippi River—the New Orleans Region.
This area has about 100,000 square kiloters and 200,000 immigrants would be sufficient to let no one covet it.
The foreign trade of the entire central North Arica depended on New Orleans Port.
This ans that at that ti, whether the newly established Indian nation or the Arican states on the east bank of the Mississippi, they would have to look to France.
France would reap port trade profits without having to bear the enormous cost of managing vast colonies.
Then there’s Los Angeles on the West Coast.
When xico was in upheaval for independence, France could seize the opportunity to take this place under its wing.
Thus gaining substantial profits from the most fertile California in North Arica.
Until the Arican army was entirely out of sight, the mbers of the Cherokee Tribe finally let out a long breath of relief, then erupted in even more fervent cheers.
An officer of the tribe ca to the chieftain and asked, looking at the empty opposite side of the river: "Hase, what should we do now?"
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