If Heath had just shouted, "The rebels are over there," that would have been fine. But he had to go and say, "They're behind us." Generally, on the battlefield, having enemies appear behind you is the most dangerous situation. So when he shouted that, everyone panicked and turned around, but the ground beneath them was all muddy. Even though their swamp boots reduced the pressure on the mud and prevented them from sinking in easily, those boots weren't very good at providing traction. So when they turned around quickly, it was easy to slip and fall, and that's precisely what happened.
If this had been a normal situation, a bunch of people falling down might have been met with some laughter. But this was a battlefield, and suddenly, so many people went down. Some of those remaining among them naturally lost their composure and thought, "My God, so many just dropped dead! We're surrounded!"
Someone shouted, "We're surrounded, run!" It didn't take long for others to start waddling like ducks, their big feet splashing in the water and mud as they rushed backward. Soon, a group of "ducks" were running for their lives.
The swamp was incredibly slippery, and during this process, more people fell. These fallen individuals were mistaken for casualties by the terrified "ducks," who then fled even more desperately.
Understanding that these people had only fallen, not been killed, wasn't difficult. There were no gunshots when they went down, and in those times, suppressed firearms didn't exist yet. However, when mass hysteria takes over, reason often takes a back seat. For example, in some places and times, people panicked and bought up all the toilet paper in a supermarket due to rumors. A media host might even debunk the rumors on their show but rush to grab some for themselves because they know that not following the trend could leave them without any toilet paper at home.
The current situation was somewhat similar. Once everyone started running, even those who understood what was happening, like Heath and O'Kelly, found that nobody was paying attention to them. They had no choice but to join the fleeing crowd, and they had to run faster, or else they'd be left behind as the rebels wouldn't be able to eliminate so many "security forces."
So, everyone made an about-face and ran, like a herd of animals fleeing from an approaching threat. In the story, the stampeding herd only stopped when they encountered a lion. Similarly, the "security forces" only stopped when they ran into the redcoated British soldiers.
"Halt!" shouted a British officer as he drew his sword. Several lines of Lobsterbacks had already shouldered their muskets.
Some of the "ducks" who sensed something amiss began to slow down. However, due to the slippery ground, this reduction in speed led to more slips and falls. Those in the rear either didn't hear or didn't clearly understand the British officer's warning, so they continued to run forward.
"Fire!" The British officer wasted no time in slashing his sword downward.
Bang! Gunshots rang out, and the black dogs, now running back, were truly brought down in a mass.
"Go back! Go back! We can't run; they will kill us, sir!" Captain O'Kelly shouted.
"Prepare!" Edward's voice crackled in the air.
The "security forces" soldiers who hadn't died scrambled to their feet and turned back toward the marsh. Along the way, a few were shot by the guerilla fighters, more were shot by the British, and a few, although wearing swamp boots, still unluckily got stuck in the quagmire but hadn't died yet.
Watching the "security forces" fall to the ground and crawl into the marsh, Edward wore a smug smile.
"Now, apart from the cavalry and artillery, all other units, put on your swamp boots and follow me into the marsh to eliminate the rebels," Edward sheathed his sword and issued the command.
The Lobsterbacks also put on swamp boots and began to enter the marsh, following the path the "security forces" had taken.
After running for a while, Captain O'Kelly turned around and couldn't see the redcoated British soldiers anymore. They stopped to catch their breath.
"Captain... Captain... we can't go any further in here. We're unfamiliar with this place, and if we go deeper, we'll be ambushed for sure," one "security forces" soldier said.
"Captain, just think, will we be spared by General Stafford? He didn't even bat an eyelid after so many of our comrades were killed. We have to go forward. There shouldn't be many rebels up ahead," another "security forces" soldier reasoned.
"What if there's more than one or two rebels up ahead? Captain, we might as well fire a few shots randomly. It'll be worth the money the British paid us. Then we can find a place to hide for a while. When we go out again, we can say we fought the rebels for a while, and they ran away. Wouldn't that work?" Yet another soldier suggested.
"That's right, Captain. We can't go any further. Look at how many times we've slipped on this road. Our muskets are all soaked, and they're full of muddy water. We can't even fire them," a comrade added.
Captain O'Kelly pondered for a moment and then said, "Fine, go and find some usable muskets. Fire a couple of shots and then head to the reeds over there to hide for a while. We'll figure out the rest later. But remember, we've left footprints on this path, and if General Stafford and his men follow our tracks, we'll have to..."
Though Black Dog had already passed through this area, the Lobsterbacks were still cautious as they traversed the marsh. They had no choice; from time to time, they encountered a Black Dog who had sunk into the muck and called out for help.
As a result, the Lobsterbacks moved slowly, and after a while, they heard the crackling sound of gunshots up ahead.
"It's the security forces and the rebels fighting!" Edward Stafford exclaimed, drawing his sword. "Full speed ahead, catch up, and eliminate the rebels!"
The soldiers quickened their pace.
After a while, it seemed they had reached the location where the gunshots had rung out. But now there was no one in sight, neither rebels nor black dogs.
"Damn it, where have they all gone?" Edward Stafford was visibly frustrated.
"It seems the rebels have retreated, and the security forces went after them. Sir, you see, there are tracks leading this way," another sub-lieutenant pointed to a place for Edward Stafford to see.
The place did indeed have a mishmash of footprints that extended to a shallow body of water. The water looked shallow but wide and had a misty appearance. They couldn't see where those chaps had landed on the other side.
"They must have waded through," the sub-lieutenant suggested.
"They had the courage to chase after them like this?"
"Maybe they saw the rebels and just followed them. So they chased them."
Several junior officers discussed it among themselves. Eventually, they all turned their gaze towards their commanding officer, Captain Edward Stafford.
But Captain Edward Stafford hesitated a bit because the footprints were submerged beneath the water's surface, which wasn't clear, and the area was filled with various aquatic plants. The water wasn't deep, but they couldn't see what lay beneath, so entering it was quite dangerous.
At the same time, on the other side of the water, in the reeds, a few pairs of eyes were fixed on the red-coated British soldiers.
Several guerrilla members had just witnessed a farcical scene: a group of black dogs had arrived, changed the direction of their swamp boots, and then fired a few shots into the air. Afterward, they ran back along the same path and disappeared. Soon after, a large group of Lobsterbacks arrived.
The guerrilla members knew that the mud below the water's surface was treacherous. Even with swamp boots, they couldn't traverse this section of water. Now, seeing the British soldiers hesitating, the guerrilla members looked at each other, and Higgins lowered his voice, "Wade, let's retreat a bit, fire a few shots, and I bet those British lads will fall for it."
A few guerrilla members moved back a bit and then fired shots into the air.
"There! Right over there! The security forces and the rebels are fighting again!"
Now that the whereabouts of the security forces were clear, and both the security forces and the rebels had managed to cross, could the mighty British army be left behind?
So, Captain Edward Stafford promptly made a decision and ordered, "Everyone, get in the water, cross the surface, and pursue the rebels."
The valiant Lobsterbacks began to wade into the water. The water was not initially deep, reaching just above their knees. The mud beneath became softer, but not enough to engulf anyone. So, they continued moving forward. To avoid getting their firearms wet, the soldiers had to raise their muskets high above their heads, resembling a display of surrender. The mud underfoot was also becoming increasingly malleable.
"Keep going, we'll be through in no time!" Captain Edward Stafford encouraged the soldiers beside him, though he had a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right.