Texas History Stories: Cabeza de Vaca and La Salle. Page: 48 of 57
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48 TEXAS HISTORY STORIES
blood, a tiny whirlpool danced above his watery grave,
and the great river flowed placidly on, giving no hint
of the dark tragedy hidden in its bosom.
On the 17th of October, 1686, the wayworn and sadly
diminished party, after an absence of six months, reentered
the gates of Fort St. Louis. Of the twenty who
went forth only eight returned. The last ray of hope
had departed from the fort, and a sullen despair had
taken possession of the inmates. It was in vain that
La Salle spoke words of encouragement and cheer; in
vain he tried to persuade them that all was not lost,
and that he would yet find a way to save them. His
appeals fell on deaf ears; they would not be comforted.
The question of finding the Mississippi now gave
place in La Salle's mind to the more pressing one of
saving the lives of his people. Aid could be had from
Canada, and he resolved on a journey thither, though
two thousand miles of wilderness lay between.
Two months were spent in strengthening the fort and
laying in a store of provisions for those who were to be
left behind. Then all in the fort fell to work preparing
an outfit for the travellers. There was such a dearth
of clothing that the sails of the Belle were cut up to
make coats for the men.
At last everything was ready. The horses stood in
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Littlejohn, E. G., 1862-. Texas History Stories: Cabeza de Vaca and La Salle., periodical, 1901; Richmond, Virginia. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth14384/m1/48/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.