cruel foes. Father Membre returned thanks to
God that He had borne them, unharmed, through such great peril, and had
restrained them from the exercise of any unchristian revenge. It was
the morning of the 19th of April.

For twelve days they continued breasting the current of the stream, as
they laboriously paddled their way upward. Anxious to return to Quebec
as soon as possible, with the tidings of their glorious achievement,
they made no tarry at the many villages which were scattered along the
banks. They often saw assemblages of Indians, who seemed to assume a
hostile attitude. No attack was, however, made upon them.

In descending the river they had a good supply of corn, and stored away
quite a quantity in a _cache_. They found it, on their return, in good
condition, and it furnished them with a very opportune supply. They
were surprised to see how rapidly the corn in the fields matured.
Fields were passed on the 29th of March, where the tender blades were
just sprouting from the ground. And now, in less than four weeks, the
corn was fit to roast. They were told that, in fifty days from
planting, it often ripened.

A short tarry was made at the friendly village of the Taensa Indians,
where they were again very hospitably entertained. On the 1st of May
they resumed their slow and laborious voyage, and reached the Arkansas
Indians about the 15th of the month. On the 16th La Salle took two
light canoes, propelled by sturdy Indian rowers, and pushed on in
advance of the rest of the party. He gave directions for the other
canoes to follow as fast as they could. But he was taken dangerously
sick on the way.

A birch canoe, in which one is exposed to the rays of the noonday sun,
to the chill dews of morning and evening, to drenching showers and
dreary days of clouds and rain, presents but few comforts to a man in
sickness and suffering. He, however, succeeded, after a toilsome voyage
of about ten days, in reaching his old encampment, which he had named
Prudhomme, near the mouth of the Ohio River.

Here his malady grew so alarming that he could go no farther. His party
landed, drew their canoes up upon the grass of the prairie, repaired
their camp, so as to make it an effectual protection from sun and rain,
spread mats upon the ground, and made the sick man, who they feared was
soon to die, as comfortable as possible.

In such cases a camp was generally built in the form of a shed, with
the front entirely open. T