onate contact with M. Chevalier, as greatly to confuse him.

It was quite evident that the Indians did not expect that their wealthy
guests would receive these attentions without making them some return.
They seem to have regarded themselves as abundantly rewarded by a gift
of a hatchet, four knives, and a few beads. They regarded the French as
superior beings, and were amazed and awed by the report of the guns,
and the deadly flight of the bullet. They entreated the strangers to
remain with them, offering them cabins and food and wives.

They had reached a broken, hilly country, with ravines and forests, and
Indian trails leading in many directions. Guides were greatly needed;
and guides were always furnished. On the evening of the 24th of July,
they came to the banks of a river of unusual flood and breadth. To
their surprise and delight they saw, upon the opposite bank, a large
cross, and near by a spacious log-cabin, such as the French were
accustomed to rear at their stations.

"No one," writes M. Joutel, "can imagine the joy with which this sight
inspired our hearts. We threw ourselves upon our knees, and with
tearful eyes thanked God for having so safely led us. We had no doubt
that those on the opposite shore were Frenchmen, and the cross proved
that they were fellow Christians."

The inmates of the log-cabin caught sight of the strangers. Probably
their dress indicated that they were not Indians. They fired two
muskets as a salute. The salute was promptly returned. Immediately
several canoes pushed off, from the opposite bank, paddled by Indians,
and in which the travellers saw two men in European dress. They were
two Frenchmen, M. Charpentier and M. Launay, both from Rouen. Their
station was on the northern bank of the Arkansas River, not far from
its entrance into the Mississippi. Lieutenant Tonti had established the
post, that he might receive news from La Salle's expedition.

In this interview, as in nearly all the scenes of earth, joy and grief
were blended. The travellers felt that now they were safe, and that
return to friends and home was secure. But all wept over the death of
La Salle, for he was revered and loved by all who knew him. There was
quite a large number of Indians at the station. They unloaded the
horses, brought up the baggage, and men and women crowded around with
unfeigned joy.

After a short time the Indians all left the cabin, and the white men
held a conference together, narratin