"Proposal?"

Cook nodded: "Yes, we can only propose, and it is the president and lawmakers who make the final decision." ”

Ma whistle snorted: "You are simply insincere! ”

"In that case, you'd better go back and bring enough money, and then come back and buy these thousand pistols!"

Of course, he knew that Cook didn't really have enough money, or that it didn't matter at all, that Cook was actually trying to spend less.

He was almost certain that the so-called "credit account" would not come back afterwards.

So if he couldn't exchange this for some terms, he would never be willing to make $20,000 less for nothing.

Sleeping Bear City now has a lot of assets, garment factories, arsenals, and tax revenues are expanding day by day, but $20,000 is still not a negligible amount.

Cook couldn't help frowning: "It's that these conditions you mentioned are too unrealistic, Albert. Especially with the creation of a new state, how could Fort Leavenworth have the power to agree, we are just a military base. ”

Ma Whistle asked, "Then what can you promise?" ”

Cook: "Otherwise, I'll add another $10,000 in interest." As long as you take Santa Fe, we will pay you forty thousand dollars with interest. ”

His tone seemed to be a very sincere condition, and then he added: "Forty thousand dollars, that's a lot, isn't it?" ”

The horse whistle didn't speak, and thought for a moment.

It seems that this Lieutenant Colonel Cook is unlikely to make any substantive commitments, at most something nominal.

Sometimes, though, a name can be an important thing.

"Lieutenant Colonel Cook, if you, in the name of Fort Leavenworth, promise never to invade the Plains tribes, respect our rights, and recognize our possession of the present territory, I can pay you twenty thousand dollars."

Ma Whistle said.

"I don't need you to pay $20,000 in interest, not even $10,000, just $5,000. As long as you return the $25,000 within six months. ”

Cook: "I can promise never to infringe on you and respect your rights." After all, we Americans have always been peace-loving. ”

"As for land, I need to follow the rules in U.S. law."

He paused.

"As the steward here, Fort Leavenworth can designate the neighborhood as your lawful reservation. Reservations still need to be approved by Congress, but generally speaking, the state will not refuse our designation of a reservation. ”

Kansas already has a lot of Indian reservations, so it doesn't hurt to add one.

Ma Whistle felt that it was about the same, and finally nodded in agreement, and then the two began to draft the agreement.

Like the previous neutrality agreement, this one is quite concise, with a concise set out of the core conditions.

First of all, there is the question of money, and Fort Leavenworth needs to return $20,000 to Sleeping Bear City within half a year, as well as $5,000 in interest.

Secondly, on the issue of peace, Fort Leavenworth promised to respect the rights of Sleeping Bear City, not to actively infringe on Sleeping Bear City, and not to offer any more rewards for the scalp of Sleeping Bear City residents.

Then there's the territory, and Fort Leavenworth has designated an area of about 100 miles around Sleeping Bear City as a reservation for the Plains Tribes, but this requires congressional approval.

Finally, Fort Leavenworth would propose to Washington that the Plains Tribes join the United States as states, but would make no promises about the outcome.

Cook didn't hesitate to sign the deal.

In his opinion, the agreement with the Indians was not very important in the first place, and the content of the agreement was rather vague.

The only thing that made him a little puzzled was: "Why is the font size of the protocol so big?" ”

"To make it easier to take pictures." Ma Whistle smiled.

"Take pictures?" Cook was slightly stunned.

"Yes." Ma Whistle then called a photographer and took a group photo of the two parties and the agreement that had just been signed.

"I didn't expect there to be a photographer living here." Cook was obviously surprised by this, as the daguerreotype camera had only been invented for seven or eight years, and photographers were still relatively rare in this era.

He looked at the photographer who had just taken a picture of them: "What's your name and where are you from?" ”

The photographer was a white man, in his thirties, with a thin build and curly hair.

"My name is Tony Anderson, sir. I used to live in Missouri. Said the white photographer.

Cook nodded, and then asked, "Anderson, what do you think of here?" ”

"Very good." Anderson's answer surprised Cook, "I love it, in fact I think it's probably the best city in the world." ”

"Why?" Cook looked at his expression and felt that he was not lying, and couldn't help but feel extremely confused.

Anderson didn't seem to be able to say clearly, either: "Hmm...... I can't tell, maybe it's an atmosphere. ”

"Are there many white residents in the city?" Cook said again.

Anderson: "It's not much, maybe fifty." ”

Some time passed.

"Okay, let's see how I shot?" Photographer Anderson took the washed photograph and handed it to Ma Whistle and Cook to look at.

There are several people standing in the photo, including Ma Sentry and Cook, as well as several of their subordinates, with a signed agreement in the middle.

"Not bad." Ma Whistle smiled and nodded.

And Cook looked at the photo, but there was an inexplicable uneasiness in his heart......

Could it be that there are any unintended consequences of this agreement?

It shouldn't be.

Cook thought, at most, he could pay back $20,000, what could happen?

The agreement signed by the two parties is called the "Sleeping Bear Agreement", and after it is signed, the transaction is completed.

Cook bought 1,000 Browning revolvers, paid $30,000, and then left with his weapons and returned to General Carney's station.

In the chieftain's hall in Sleeping Bear City, looking at the agreement and photos on a rainy day: "To be honest, Ma Whistle, I don't think this agreement makes much sense. ”

"White people don't care much about the agreement they signed with us, and the content of it is too broad, such as 'will not take the initiative to infringe on Sleeping Bear City', 'respect the rights of the plains tribes'......"

"Even so-called reservations still need to be approved by the U.S. Congress. This reservation is much larger than most reservations, and it is possible that the U.S. Congress will not approve it. ”

Ma Whistle nodded: "It's true, it's almost empty words, but that doesn't mean it's not binding." ”

On a rainy day, I can't help but ask, "What are your plans?" ”

"It's hard to say yet." The horse whistle didn't say much.

"When this war is over or about to end, I may have a way to use it."