La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

436 THE INNOCENT AND THE GUILTY. [1(587.persons, — Joutel, Douay, the elder Cavelier, hisyoung nephew, and two other boys, the orphan Talonand a lad called Barthelemy.Joutel, for the moment, was absent; andL'Archeveque, who had a kindness for him, wentquietly to seek him. He found him on a hillock,making a fire ofdried grass in order that the smokemight guide La Salle on his return, and watchingUthe horses grazing in the meadow below. I wasvery much surprised," writes Joutel, "when I sawhim approaching. When he came up to me heseemed all in confusion, or, rather, out of his wits.He began with saying that there was very bad news.I asked what it was. He answered that the Sieurde la Salle was dead, and also his nephew the Sieurde Moranget, his Indian hunter, and his servant. Iwas petrified, and did not know what to say; for Isaw that they had been murdered.that, at first,The man addedthe murderers had sworn to kill me too.I easily believed it, for I had always been in theinterest of M. de la Salle, and had commanded inhis place; and it is hard to please everybody, orprevent some from being dissatisfied.I was greatlyperplexed as to what I ought to do, and whether Ihad not better escape to the woods, whithersoeverGod should guide me ; but, by bad or good luck, Ihad no gun and only one pistol, without balls orpowder except what was in my powder-horn. Towhatever side I turned, my life was in great peril.It is true that L'Archeveque assured me that they