America 1883: The Western Homeland

Chapter 62: Entering the Oregon Trail, Encountering Obstacles Along the Way

James didn't back down, retorting sharply: "Going to Denver is the same dead end! Let them choose for themselves!"

Shay was furious, his face turning ashen. He glared at James and strode back to his camp.

James looked at the immigrants again: "Now, tell me, what's your choice?"

Joseph looked back at his silent compatriots, his eyes gradually hardening.

He took a deep breath and spoke on behalf of everyone: "We... will go with you!"

"Okay!" James nodded emphatically. "Pack your things, we'll leave tomorrow morning!" With that, he turned and left.

Tom watched James's departing figure, then looked at the immigrants with their families, their eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear, and he vaguely foresaw their fate as they headed north.

"Ennis, what about you?" Elsa eagerly grabbed her lover's arm.

Ennis looked at his teammate Wade with a troubled expression.

They were cowboys hired by Shay, and if Shay took some of them to Denver, they would naturally lose their jobs.

"We...may have to go back to Fort Worth," Ennis said with difficulty.

"What? You're not coming to Oregon with me?" Elsa asked, her face full of astonishment.

"It's too late, Elsa!" Ennis tried to explain. "Crossing the Rocky Mountains in winter? That's suicide! Come back to Fort Worth with me!"

Elsa fell silent, her eyes filled with struggle.

Tom, who was standing nearby, frowned as he listened.

Elsa seemed to have completely forgotten all the hardships she had endured along the way!

Go back to Fort Worth? That's just plain stupid!

He couldn't be bothered to listen to the lovelorn couple's tug-of-war any longer, so he spurred his horse and galloped off in James's direction!

"Are we going to give the horses to the immigrants?" Tom asked as soon as he saw James.

"Of course!" James said decisively.

"Okay! I'll have Zack pick out a few good ones!" Tom agreed, then turned and led Zack and Cooper into the herd of horses.

However, when Tom returned to the camp after choosing his horse, he was stunned by some shocking news.

Shay and Thomas, the two people who were supposed to leave, not only didn't leave, but they also went north to Oregon with them!

"It was their own choice, I didn't try to persuade them!" James spoke first, clearly knowing what Tom was thinking. "It's settled, Shay will lead the way, and I'll lead the team!"

Tom understood.

Captain Shay has run this route countless times and is very experienced, so it's best to have him lead the way.

"Alright," Tom nodded, "their marksmanship is pretty good too."

In order to save time, the migrating convoy sped up, rolling through Kansas and entering Wyoming. Weeks had passed, and the calendar had turned to September.

The weeds have withered and turned yellow, and the leaves on the trees have fallen!

The convoy traveled along the famous Oregon Trail, where skeletons were scattered throughout the wilderness.

There were skeletons of enormous beasts, and also... skeletons with shapes clearly belonging to humans.

"Something's happened up ahead!" Thomas, who was in charge of the outpost, galloped back with ominous news.

James immediately wanted to take Shai to check on him.

Thomas discovered a Native American tribal camp that had just been massacred.

While the men of the tribe were out hunting, the ruthless bandits slaughtered the women and elderly who remained behind.

"Don't go!" Tom suddenly stopped James.

His gaze swept across the camp, where the messy, dense hoofprints on the ground were clearly visible; the other side had no intention of hiding at all!

This was clearly a treacherous scheme, deliberately leaving clues to lure the returning Native American warriors into a trap!

There are two types of hoofprints on this wasteland: those of white immigrants, with magnets embedded in the hooves, making the prints unique; and those of the indigenous tribes, which are purely natural hoofprints.

Their convoy passing by at that moment was practically walking into the line of fire.

"Why?" James asked, puzzled.

Tom tossed him the telescopic binoculars: "Look at those hoofprints! If we go over there, we'll be ready-made scapegoats!"

James hurriedly raised the binoculars, his expression instantly changing, and then handed the binoculars to Shay.

"Tom is right!" Shay said solemnly after reading it.

"But I've already gotten close to the scene!" Thomas said worriedly, fearing that his whereabouts could not be kept secret.

Tom quickly scanned his surroundings but didn't spot any Native Americans.

"This is Lakota territory!" Shea said urgently. "They're incredibly fierce and hate white people to the core! We must leave immediately!"

"Everyone accelerate!" James immediately yelled at the team.

Tom's eyes scanned every inch of the wasteland with vigilance.

Suddenly, his eyes sharpened, and he charged forward into the roadside bushes, throwing his throwing knife with lightning speed!

James and the others hurriedly followed, and saw a rattlesnake that had been nailed to the ground writhing in the grass.

"How did you find that out?" Shay asked in surprise. Along the way, Tom always managed to spot various potential dangers in advance.

Tom shrugged. "Young, good eyesight, huh?"

Shay was amused by him and touched his gray beard.

The convoy sped up desperately, trying to get away from this death trap.

However, fate seemed to be playing a cruel trick on them.

Directly ahead, a group of Native American warriors charged towards us menacingly, like vengeful ghosts emerging from the earth!

Dozens of fierce warriors, their bodies covered with totems symbolizing battle, exuded an intense killing intent that was almost tangible.

"There's an ambush ahead!" Tom growled, shoving the binoculars into James's hand.

As the team's most perceptive "eyes," no one doubted his words.

The group spurred their horses up a small hill, and the group of Native Americans, exuding an aura of bloody revenge, were already close at hand!

"It's a Lakota!" Shay recognized the distinctive attire at a glance, his voice tightening.

James lowered his binoculars and decisively ordered, "Stop the car! All carriages, surround the area! Set up defenses!"

Shay looked at Tom: "We'll wait until they're gone..."

James nodded in agreement.

But Tom's heart sank.

How could the furious Lakota people possibly believe their feeble excuses?

They were the only convoy in the wilderness, and Horseshoe Mark and Thomas had been there... They were perfect targets!

Those warriors were consumed by the flames of revenge and were impossible to communicate with.

"Prepare for battle!" Tom shouted, his voice filled with an undeniable sense of urgency.

Everyone felt a chill and quickly sprang into action.

The caravan quickly made way for a small hill, linking the carriages end to end to form a makeshift defensive line.

Behind the carriage, everyone gripped their guns tightly and held their breath.

Tom quickly distributed the weapons in the car to everyone. Whether it was rifles or revolvers, everyone seemed to have plenty of weapons and ammunition.

Tom was surrounded by several long guns.

"They're here!"

James's voice echoed throughout the entire team, and everyone's hearts tightened!

The figures of the Lakota warriors rapidly magnified in their field of vision.

The convoy members still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that perhaps the other party would ask a few questions first...

"Whoosh—Pfft!"

"Bang!"

Their answer was a sharp whistling sound and deadly gunshots!

Arrows and bullets whistled in almost simultaneously!

"Get down!" Captain Shay's warning had barely left his mouth when a bullet grazed the side of the carriage, sending up a cloud of wood chips!

"Fire!" James roared like thunder, instantly igniting the flames of war!

The guns that had been poised for a long time suddenly spat out angry tongues of fire!

A fierce gunfight suddenly broke out in the Wyoming wilderness!