Chen Jianqiu's eyes narrowed.

"You came from the mine with us, and you shouldn't know about the relationship between me and Jerónimo."

"Yes, exactly, so I know the Apache owe you so much. It's so much that we can't pay it off. ”

The turtledove lowered its head, and its voice was low.

"There have been rumors in the town that you are actually using us, and if we don't obey one day, we will be cleaned up at any time."

Outside the tent, a gust of wind suddenly blew, making the tent's canvas hunting rattle.

Chen Jianqiu has never been a good man and a woman, but he also has his own standards for life.

Between him and these Indians, the use is really not counted, but more like comrades-in-arms who share the same hatred.

Otherwise, he would not have made the Apache people so comfortable and comfortable, let alone provided them with jobs and cultivation techniques.

When no one domesticates a beast of prey, he will feed it to its fullest.

Only carnivores, in a state of starvation, can maintain the desire to attack and the instinct to kill.

In addition, there are some words that are difficult to listen to and not suitable to say, but they are true.

Apaches, do they still have the right to choose?

"So, you want to go back to your hometown?" Chen Jianqiu asked.

The turtledove was stunned for a moment.

He didn't know why Chen Jianqiu knew about this.

"Not everyone, some people have this idea." He said honestly.

"But you won't forget how you got to the south of the border, right?" Chen Jianqiu looked at the turtledove.

On the way back to his homeland with the Apaches, Jeronimo was chased by Crook and had no way to enter the ground, and then with the help of Chen Jianqiu, he got out of the predicament and ambushed one of Crook's cavalry.

The federal government of the United States keeps these accounts for them.

The turtledove fell silent.

"If you don't believe me, why are you coming to me now?" Chen Jianqiu owed a debt and asked.

"Great Chief, he's awake." Turtledove raised his head again and looked at Chen Jianqiu, "I'll tell him you're here when I go back, and let me come to you." ”

"He told me that even if there is only one trustworthy person left in this world in our tribe, that person is you!" He said.

Chen Jianqiu did not rush to evaluate the words of the Great Chief, but stood up.

He briefly cleaned up the table, then got up and put on a thin coat:

"Let's go, take me to meet my old comrades."

With that, he stepped out of the tent.

When the officer on duty saw Chen Jianqiu walking out of the tent by himself, he thought that the boss was trying to solve the internal urgency or stretch the physical activity.

However, when he saw that there was another person behind Chen Jianqiu who came out of the tent, his face suddenly turned like ashes.

When did such a big living person run into the boss's tent? What do the sentinels eat?

Then, he saw Chen Jianqiu beckoning to him.

The officer on duty stubbornly walked towards the boss.

He knew that Chen Jianqiu had always rewarded and punished clearly, and he made such a big mistake this time, he was afraid that he would not be ruthlessly cleaned up by the boss.

But Chen Jianqiu didn't seem to have any intention of settling accounts with him.

"Go and bring my horse over, and get another one ready." He commanded, "I'll go out, what should you do?" ”

A few minutes later, Chen Jianqiu rode a black radish and followed the turtledove out of the barracks.

The turtledove led the way in front on horseback.

Chen Jianqiu quickly understood why everyone, including Asukia, had been searching for a long time and had not found a target.

The turtledove didn't hide Jeronimo in the valley at all.

After making a large circle around the outside of the valley, they entered a pass, and finally saw a low hole in the shade.

Chen Jianqiu got off his horse and followed the turtledove inside.

The cave is not large, and there are some simple daily furnishings inside.

An Indian woman was turning her back to them, pounding herbs with a grinding pestle in her hand.

This woman must be the wife of the turtledove.

On the innermost flat stone, a simple bed was made out of straw and animal skins.

And Jerónimo was half-lying on that bed.

The old chief was the first to notice the movement at the entrance of the cave.

Keeping the vigilance of a good fighter, he half-sat up and reached for the revolver at the head of the bed.

But after seeing that the people who came in were turtledoves and Chen Jianqiu, the old chief breathed a sigh of relief, and a happy look appeared on his face.

Chen Jianqiu smiled and walked to the edge of the bed and sat down.

He wasn't sure if Geronimo's current state was suitable for a big hug, but the old chief responded to him with his actions.

He had already put his arm around Chen Jianqiu's shoulders:

"Chen! My old friend, you're finally here. ”

After greeting him in a warm way, Chen Jianqiu looked his Indian friend up and down.

The scheming Indian chieftain Klickitat had a saying that was fine:

Jerónimo is indeed old.

The old chief is sixty-six years old today.

The years of fighting and the arduous fighting environment in the field made him look older than his actual age.

The old Apache god of war's hair was all white, and although the lines of his muscles were still clearly visible, his skin was completely loose and lacklustre.

And what made Chen Jianqiu feel the most different was that the eyes of the old chief in front of him were no longer full of fighting spirit before, but like an old lion, full of tiredness.

"How? The injury is not serious, is it? Chen Jianqiu asked.

"I was in a coma for a day or two, and apart from a little leg injury, there were no other problems." The old chief said, "At that time, the upper body was scratched, and the amount of bleeding looked a little scary, but it was not too much of a problem, and I was able to walk on the ground in two days." ”

Chen Jianqiu nodded, sat on the edge of the bed, and chatted with Geronimo.

He told the old chief about the "glorious deeds" of old Marais and Klickitat.

"Well, I really didn't expect it."

The old chief stopped talking.

He was a little lost.

Yes, after decades of fighting, the Indians of Apache are still so torn apart, even if they can find their own home, what can they do?

It was a sad thing whether it was old Marley or Klitart, or anyone else, who had moved his hands and feet on the rope and wanted to kill himself.

There is despair in this sorrow, and there is no future and hope in sight.

"You can take care of your injuries, and leave the rest to me." Chen Jianqiu said, "But I want to borrow something from you." ”

"What's that?"

"The dress you were wearing when you fell."

Hearing Chen Jianqiu say this, Turtledove's wife took out a bloodstained dress from a small basket in the other corner of the cave.

Because of the lack of water on this side of the cave, it has not been washed, and there are holes on it and blood stains.

Chen Jianqiu took the dress, lifted it and looked at it back and forth, very satisfied.

"Yes, that's it!"

He was just about to leave with the dress when Geronimo's voice rang out from behind him:

"Chen, I'm really sorry, I ask you to make a move every time, I really don't know what to say."

Chen Jianqiu turned around and saw that Jeronimo was looking at him, his eyes full of apologies.

He smiled:

"If you really feel sorry, let's have a good meal after the incident, I've been eating potatoes for the past two days and I'm almost throwing up."

With that, he left the cave.

(End of chapter)