expedition, where they were made to act as guides as well as
slaves.

Then De Soto asked the Indians where the great cities with gold and
silver treasures were. One Indian said he did not know of any. At this
reply De Soto caused the Indian to be put to death with frightful
torture. This made the Indians untruthful, and they told De Soto many
different stories of places where they thought gold might be found.

So the expedition wandered on, searching for the gold which they never
found; and the men grew discouraged and heartsick, and longed for home.

[Illustration: De Soto Marching through the Forest.]

The Indian tribes, angry at the cruel treatment of the Spaniards,
attacked them frequently, and De Soto and his men scarcely ever enjoyed
a peaceful rest at night. The Spaniards were unused to Indian warfare,
and were no match for the quick, nimble savages, who glided through
the forests silently and swiftly. These Indians never came to open
battle, but hid themselves behind rocks and trees, and were scarcely
ever seen. Two or three would suddenly appear, send a shower of arrows
at the Spaniards, and then dart away again into the woods. The Indians
scarcely ever missed their aim, and the Spaniards never knew when they
were near.

One day De Soto captured some Indians who said that they knew where
gold was to be found and that they would show the way to the place.
De Soto only half trusted them, but he allowed them to lead the way.
The cunning savages led the Spaniards into an ambush, where other
Indians attacked them fiercely, killing their horses and many of their
men.

As punishment for this act, De Soto ordered that these Indians should
be torn to pieces by the bloodhounds.

Sometimes the Spaniards, in their wanderings, passed camps where the
Indians were gathered round huge bonfires, singing, dancing, yelling,
and shouting the terrible Indian war whoop. Under shelter of this noise
the Spaniards would steal quietly away and avoid the Indians for a
time.

At length, after wandering for two years, De Soto came, in 1541, to
the shore of a large river. This river was wide and muddy, and had
a strong current which carried much driftwood along with it. De Soto
learned from the Indians that it was called Mississippi, or the "Father
of Waters."

[Illustration: De Soto Discovers the Mississippi River.]

He had reached it near the spot where the city of Memphis now stands,
and here his company halted and camped.