ave the {229} obnoxious fort demolished. Just then La Salle sailed
for France with strong letters from Frontenac. Imagine the rage of his
opponents when he returned not only master of the fort, but a titled
man, the Sieur de La Salle, with the King's patent in his pocket giving
him a princely grant of many square miles on the mainland and the
adjacent islands!

But how was a needy adventurer to raise the money to pay for the fort
and to do all the high-sounding things that he had promised the King?
He counted on raising money on the strength of his great expectations.
He was not disappointed. His friends and relatives rejoicing in his
good fortune, which they naturally hoped to share, lent large sums of
money to enable him to carry out his agreement with his royal master.
Now he began piling up a mass of debts that alone would have crushed a
common man. He had, besides, a tremendous combination to fight, nearly
all the merchants of the colony, backed by the influence of the Jesuits.

Still La Salle might have settled down in his seigniory, commanded his
soldiers, lorded it over his colony, controlled the trade of the Lakes,
paid off his debts, and have grown enormously rich {230} within a few
years from the profits of the fur-trade. But he flew at higher game
than money, and cared for it only as it might serve his ambition. He
was dreaming of the Gulf of Mexico and in imagination ruling a
Southwestern New France many times larger than the old.

Therefore he took ship again for France. This time he went crowned
with success. He had done all and more than all that he had engaged to
do. He had torn down the wooden fort and replaced it with one of
stone, surmounted with nine cannon. He had erected a forge, a mill, a
bakery, barracks, and officers' quarters. He had gathered about him a
village of Iroquois, who were under the teaching of two Recollet
friars. Some French families had been settled on farms. Land had been
cleared and planted. Cattle, fowls, and swine had been brought up from
Montreal. Four small vessels had been built for use on the lake and
river. Altogether, French civilization was handsomely represented at
this lonely outpost; and La Salle had shown what he was capable of
doing as an organizer and ruler. Now he went to ask another grant.

Fancy the dismay of his opponents when he came back, in the following
year, with an {231} extraordinary commission that gave him authority to
"labor at t