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

1687.] THE CRISIS. 449fired at Duhaut, who staggered three or four pacesand fell dead. Almost at the same instant Ruterfired his gun at Liotot, shot three balls into his body,and stretched him on the ground mortally wounded.Douay and the two Caveliers stood in extremeterror, thinking that their turn was to come next.Joutel, no less alarmed, snatched his gun to defendhimself; but Hiens called to him to fear nothing,declaring that what he had done was only to avengethe death of La Salle, — to which, nevertheless, hehad been privy, though not an activecrime.sharer in theLiotot lived long enough to make his confession,after which Ruter killed him by exploding apistol loaded with a blank charge of powder againsthis head. Duhaut's myrmidon, L'Archeveque, wasabsent, hunting, and Hiens was for killing him onhis return ;but the two priests and Joutel succeededin dissuading him.The Indian spectators beheld these murders withundisguised amazement, and almost with horror.What manner of men were these who had piercedthe secret places of the wilderness to riot in mutualslaughter? Their fiercest warriors might learn alesson in ferocity from these heralds of civilization.Joutel and his companions, who could not dispensewith the aid of the Cenis, were obliged to explainaway, as they best might, the atrocity of what theyhad witnessed. 1Hiens, and others of the French, had before1Joutel, Relation (Margry, iii. 371).29