Indians, traces of whom had been seen near by, and a party of Frenchmen,
with Indian guides, was sent out on the trails of the natives. They
returned without the lost man, and La Salle, at length, reluctantly
giving him up, prepared to continue the journey. Just as they were
entering the canoes the missing man reappeared. For nine days he had
been lost in the forest, vainly seeking his friends, and wandering
hopelessly. His gun, however, had provided him with food, and he reached
the stream just in time.

Once more the expedition was launched on the swift-flowing current,
eight or ten large birch canoes filled with Indians and Frenchmen in
Indian garb, and laden with supplies. The waters bore them swiftly
onward, there was little labor with the paddles, the wintry weather was
passing and the air growing mild, the sky sunny, and the light-hearted
sons of France enjoyed their daily journey through new and strange
scenes with the warmest zest.

About one hundred and twenty miles below the Ohio they reached the
vicinity of the Arkansas River, the point near which the voyage of
Marquette had ended and that of the followers of De Soto began. Here,
for the first time in their journey, they met with hostile Indians. As
the flotilla glided on past the Arkansas bluffs, on the 3d of March, its
people were startled by hearing the yells of a large body of savages and
the loud sound of a drum, coming from behind the bluff. The natives had
taken the alarm, supposing that a war party of their enemies was coming
to attack them.

La Salle ordered his canoes at once to be paddled to the other side of
the stream, here a mile wide. The party landing, some intrenchments were
hastily thrown up, for across the river they could now see a large
village, filled with excited and armed warriors. Preparations for
defence made, La Salle advanced to the water's edge and made signs of
friendship and amity. Pacified by these signals of peace, some of the
Indian chiefs rowed across until near the bank, when they stopped and
beckoned to the strangers to come to them.

Father Membre, the priest who accompanied the expedition, entered a
canoe and was rowed out to the native boat by two Indians. He held out
to them the calumet, or pipe of peace, the Indian signal of friendship,
and easily induced the chiefs to go with him to the camp of the whites.
There were six of them, frank and cordial in manner, and seemingly
disposed to friendship. La Salle made t