Chapter 75: The Great Escape
As the early morning sun cast a fiery red glow across the East African grasslands, the tranquility was shattered by the sound of hurried footsteps and gunshots in the distance. Sensing danger, the grazing animals raised their heads in alarm.
A group of natives, about forty or fifty strong, was racing across the grassland, fleeing from an approaching threat. These indigenous people, who had never encountered gunshots before, ran desperately, driven by the fear of the unfamiliar, devilish weapons wielded by the colonial soldiers chasing them.
These black natives, laden with spears and bows and arrows, were disorganized and lacked teamwork. They were simply trying to escape as quickly as possible.
Behind them, A. Thor, the sheriff of Luohe'an Village in the Northern Plateau District, led colonial soldiers and militia in pursuit. Riding on a black steed, A. Thor kept a measured pace to allow his men on foot to keep up.
A. Thor and his men had been chasing these natives throughout the night. They had destroyed the indigenous tribe the previous day, but some natives had fled, and A. Thor had been tasked with capturing them.
As they tracked the fugitives, the colonists had fired warning shots to deter the natives. However, rather than slowing down, the black natives ran even faster. For them, the muskets of the colonists were instruments of the devil, causing a roar that condemned those struck to hell. This survival instinct fueled their desperate flight.
Remarkably, the indigenous people, accustomed to the challenges of life on the grasslands, had opened up a significant lead over A. Thor's party.
"Bastards, what have they been eating to run like this?" A. Thor grumbled in frustration. "Everyone, keep chasing them. We can't let them escape today."
The chase continued across the grasslands until A. Thor noticed a river in the distance. Realizing that the natives would be halted by the river, he ordered his men to slow down and prepare to encircle them.
As the natives approached the river, they hesitated. Many of them were not swimmers and faced a daunting obstacle. However, their determination to escape outweighed their fear, and some cautiously entered the water to attempt the crossing.
Watching their companions wade into the river, the remaining natives on the riverbank were filled with dread. Panic spread as they witnessed those in the water screaming and being dragged underwater.
Several crocodiles had emerged, attacking the natives in the river and staining the water with blood. A. Thor couldn't help but think, "God bless," as the situation unfolded before him.
The natives who had entered the water to escape now faced a deadly dilemma. With no way to cross the river safely, they abandoned their weapons and surrendered to A. Thor's party, hoping to spare their lives.
A. Thor, relieved that he had not encountered a violent confrontation, halted his horse and approached the surrendering natives. He struck them with his horsewhip as a form of punishment.
Realizing that their lives were not immediately at risk, the natives knelt on the ground, begging for mercy in their unfamiliar language. A. Thor ceased his punishment, allowing the natives to surrender peacefully.
He ordered his men to tie up the captives with ropes, forming a line of captives. With guns trained on the natives, A. Thor's party began the journey back to Luohe'an Village.
This scene played out repeatedly across the East African land as the colonial government drove the indigenous populations westward. Some larger tribes resisted and escaped further inland, where they could continue to pose challenges to the colonial authorities. The colonists aimed to create chaos in the western inland regions, impacting the more developed indigenous countries and reducing resistance.
Indirect involvement allowed the colony to manipulate events without committing significant resources. Ultimately, the goal was to expand and secure the colony's holdings.
(End of Chapter 75)