The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940 Page: 51

Liotot and Jalot, Two French Surgeons of Early Texas 51
toward the Indian village."23 When St. Denis had arranged his
articles of marriage, Jalot was dispatched to Coahuila to make the
necessary purchases.
Penicault, at times in a vein similar to that of Gayarre, makes
it difficult to separate fact from fiction. On the much discussed
and most improbable journey of St. Denis to Louisiana and his
dramatic return to the Rio Grande, Penicault assigns to Jalot a
major role. It was Jalot who led St. Denis, by routes well known
to himself, speedily to the door of Dofia Maria; it was Jalot who
helped to shield and serve his master during the ten months spent
at the home of his wife's father. Into Jalot's mouth were put
some of Penicault's most romantic words: "The most surprising
thing about it was that Saint Denis spent nearly a year in this
manner, never going out of his wife's bedroom, except late in the
evening when he used to go out for a walk under the trees in the
garden of the house. Dofia Maria, his wife, during this time became
pregnant with his second child. I believe that it was this that
kept Saint Denis from becoming bored, for they loved each other
more tenderly than ever before."24
Now, Jalot may have been humble, certainly he was human and
he knew the meaning of tedium. So he continues: "As for me, I
have never spent days that seemed so long, especially during the
winter, when one could not walk in the garden because of the cold
weather. Often in the afternoon, when the street door was closed, I
would warm myself by the fire in the kitchen, together with a large
and homely servant named Luz, who was more aggressive than the
daughter of the most celebrated barber in Mexico."
There is some doubt as to whether Jalot remained in Coahuila
as indicated in the preceding quotations from Gayarre or con-
tinued on to Mexico City with St. Denis, a nominal prisoner as
was his master. Castafieda states that he was the only companion
on this journey;25 while Morfi quotes Prevost as stating in one
place that he did accompany St. Denis to Mexico City and in
23Margry, Pierre. Decouvertes e Etablissements des Francais Dans
l'ouest et danrs le Sud de l'Amerique Septentrionale (1614-1754), p. Vols.,
Paris, 1879-1888, Vol. V, p. 533.
24Ibid. p. 560.
2sCastaf eda, Carlos E. Our Catholic Heritage in Texas, 1519-1986,
7 Vols., Austin, 1936, Vol. II, p. 32.