New Gods of North America.

Chapter 230: Rookie or Coward
Most gangs show similar characteristics when they are about to start an action.

For example, you might occupy a relatively suitable vantage point near the steam train line, and then from time to time hold up a telescope and begin to observe the nearby terrain and the end of the railway.

After the gang arrived near the steam train line, they first spent the night in a valley.
The next day it looked like we were ready to get started.

This place is actually some distance away from the location the bartender told Wayne before, but because the scale of the map is large enough, it is still within the circle drawn by the bartender, but it has "stepped over the line".

The deviation from the center point is enough for the gangsters to commit the crime and then escape. Maybe even the sound of gunfire can't be heard.

The detective agency has kept its distance and hid in the forest, relying mainly on Doug's bird surveillance, and occasionally peeking through the gaps with a telescope.
The night before, they found a valley and set up a trap in advance, preparing for "justice from heaven" or "an earthquake".

Shooting is not something you can practice right now. The sound of the gun will attract unnecessary attention.

But fortunately, there is no need for precision in the first place. We can just conduct a few more tests on site according to the distance.

Bounty hunter teams usually don't start their operations until the gang succeeds.
The good news is that no one can predict the detective agency's plan in advance.

However, the bad news is that there may be a team of bounty hunters who may appear behind the scenes to grab the spoils, and they may even play the role of a gangster.

Anyway, as long as there is no evidence, no one will check the bullet rifling or trajectory.

After observing that a small group of the gang was moving separately in the other direction of the steam train line, where there happened to be a short wooden railway bridge, Lina took a few members to ambush them in advance.

After a few dozen minutes, Doug's pigeon brought back a small note, telling the main group that the task was completed.
By the way, there was an unexpected surprise. Because the small team was responsible for "staking out" there, they did not need to report information to the main force of the gang. As long as the main force of the gang did not feel anything unusual, they might not send anyone to confirm.

This kind of on-the-spot information is not very reliable, after all, the prisoners may lie.
But Wayne still chose to trust Lina's interrogation and handling capabilities for the time being. Since he had already drawn the bow and accumulated power, even if any unexpected situation occurred, he could only remain vigilant and respond accordingly.

Knowing the location of the main gang and the railway sabotage point, and following the route of the steam train, the approximate location of their planned crime could be preliminarily confirmed.
Ryan took two people to the valley where the ambush was to be carried out to confirm the arrangement and report the news. Chef Parker and Emma were also hiding in a relatively safe high place there. If necessary, they could also act as "grenadiers".
The remaining large troops quietly led their horses to the appropriate position, ready to jump out and harass when the time came.

This gang of bandits was also "picky about food". First, a freight steam train came over, which looked like it was carrying beef cattle and some other things, all agricultural products, so the gang did not take any action.

……

I saw a fellow gangster who was responsible for putting his ear to the railroad track to listen to the noise, and he made a move towards this side.
William Kidd, the leader of the "Gary Adventure", once again took the telescope from the "first mate" beside him and observed the steam train coming from a distance.

This time the steam train was heading in the right direction, and most of the carriages on this steam train had windows, instead of the almost fully enclosed "containers" of the past.
Passengers traveling from the East Coast to the West are more likely to carry large amounts of cash or valuables, which are not as difficult to transport and sell as agricultural products, so they are often a good choice. For example, a steam train like the one just mentioned may be carrying dozens or hundreds of beef cattle. It would be useless to rob it. People can't drive cattle or transport wheat to a small town to sell them.

So William Kidd nodded and gave the order to the "first mate":

"Everyone get on your horses and get ready to go."

"Yes, Captain."

When they were within the distance where the sound of the steam train could be vaguely heard, William Kidd rode on his horse and set off first, escorted by the first mate and several other important members.

When the horse team reached a position where the driver of the steam train could roughly see the situation,

William Kidd took the lever rifle in his hand and began to fire warning shots into the sky. When the "crew" saw that the captain had officially issued the order to plunder, cheers broke out in the team, and then everyone began to fire shots one after another.

Just like ships meeting on the sea, the pirate flag was officially raised.

The repeated gunshots were intended not only to intimidate and warn the crew and passengers on the steam train, but also to notify the fellows responsible for destroying the railway, telling them that they could officially take action.

Then, as expected by everyone, an explosion was heard from the other side, a little further away in the direction of the steam train.

"Bam—"

The steam train immediately started to brake urgently. The sound was as unpleasant as nails scratching a blackboard, and sparks seemed to be flying on the rails.

"Dollar guys! Here we come!"

The cavalry's advance slowed down slightly at this time, and the experienced members were patiently waiting for the last moment.

As long as we wait for the steam train to complete its final slide and freeze on the railway, it will be time for a happy harvest. "Captain, there are people coming over there. They look like more than ten people, all carrying weapons. They should be local law enforcers."

The "first mate" beside him was still alert. William Kidd looked in the direction indicated by the first mate. With so few people, he was overestimating his capabilities.

So William Kidd waved his hand and said, "Be prepared to fight back."

"Yes!"

Under the command of the "first mate", the "third mate" and the other members of the cavalry turned their horses around and headed in the direction where the group of people were coming from.

William Kidd controlled the horse, and the rest of the members also stopped temporarily to prevent the team from being too dispersed. Depending on the situation, they would consider supporting their companions or launching an attack on the steam train.

The leader on the other side was a little strange. He approached with his men on horseback and fired guns into the air from time to time. It was unclear who he was trying to scare.
Something seemed to have fallen to the ground on one side of the cavalry, raising a little dust.
William Kidd turned his head and glanced, but didn't pay much attention.

Anyone who is familiar with firearms can learn how to observe the best "engagement distance".
The group of people coming over at this time were still a little far away, and the distance between them and us should be more than 450 yards. We had to wait until they advanced at least half the distance, and got close to about 200 yards, before we could really open fire and engage in a battle.

But what surprised William Kidd a little was that
The leader of the group actually pulled the reins at this time. Not only did he stop where he was, but his companions around him also stopped approaching and began to disperse their formation, forming a long horizontal row.

What's going on? Warning us not to rob this steam train? Is that helpful?

William Kidd motioned to the first mate to hand over the telescope and looked over there for a while.
The leader looked like a young man, with a badge on his chest, but it was neither a police badge nor a church emblem.
But the chick next to him is pretty.

The "first mate" came closer at this time, "Captain, I think they don't dare to get any closer. The steam train over there has stopped steadily, why don't we continue as planned?"

William Kidd took one last look and saw that the enemy over there had actually started to fire freely at this side, and was slightly adjusting its position, slowly approaching.

Such a long distance...haha, you are either a rookie or a coward.

On flat ground, if the distance is more than 250 yards, it is common to miss the person even if you walk straight towards the opponent after firing the bullet. If your hand is slightly off, the final error may be more than ten or even dozens of yards. Most of them will hit the ground in advance or fly high over your head. The rest can only be regarded as "stray bullets". The possibility of people being hit is not high.

When the "third mate" turned his horse around, he deliberately led his men a little closer to that side.
Even though they were still so far away, they started to retreat.

Maybe it was some local gang? They didn’t dare to get any closer, but they also didn’t want to just sit there and watch, so they had to stay a little further away and helplessly “fired guns to intimidate” them.

As for the gunshots, just treat them as boring music.

William Kidd sneered, “If they come closer, we’ll fight back, otherwise we’ll just ignore them.

"Keep going!"

……

I watched Doug's gray pigeon fly around in a big circle and finally fly into the cab of the steam train with a small note.

After Wayne determined the best angle and distance, he increased the frequency of free shooting to prevent the gang members from approaching the steam train.

As bullets continued to fall near the gang's cavalry, and even one man fell off his horse, the gang soon realized that something was wrong and began to follow suit, firing back or throwing bullets at this side.

So the two sides started shooting at each other from a distance.

The ones who are suffering more at this moment are naturally the gangsters.
Usually after forcing a steam train to stop, the next step is to break the door or find a way to climb in through the window, then enter the carriage, kill anyone who tries to resist, and then search or threaten the passengers to hand over their belongings.

There were about thirty people in the main cavalry of the gang at this time, and they were still a little distance away from the steam train.
If we assign more than a dozen people to drive away Wayne and his men, then the number of people controlling the train and pursuing them will not be very advantageous, and the efficiency will definitely decrease.

But if a large force moves together,
If they only focus on the train, they will be attacked from behind. If they ignore the train, they will have to waste time dealing with the members of the detective agency, which will not bring any benefits.

Moreover, in America these days, while people cherish life, they also generally admire the so-called "tough guy" image.
If no one resists, people will surrender tacitly when they encounter bandits, but as long as someone jumps out and sets an example, it is likely that there will be people who will follow suit and fight back, and there may be more rebels in the steam train.

The steam train trembled for a moment before slowly restarting.
Wayne knew that the staff on the steam train had believed the small note that reminded them that the railway ahead was still safe and that was signed with the name "Wayne National Detective Agency".
So he quickly reminded the agents, "Hurry up and launch the last wave of projectiles. Once the steam train leaves, they will probably come after us."

(End of this chapter)