Our Catleolic H er-itage in Texas
their beds with a fever for several weeks. Their companions roamed through the country between the Trinity and the Neches, perhaps going as far as the Sabine. After a two months' stay, upon the recovery of La Salle and Moranget, it was found that most of the ammunition had been used and that a number of men had deserted. Because of these circumstances it was thought advisable to return to Fort St. Louis, where they arrived in August, 1686. Of the original twenty men only eight returned. Four had deserted, one had been lost, and one had been devoured by an alligator. The other six had been left along the path at various places, worn out. Although La Salle had given permission to these last mentioned men to return to camp, not one appears to have done so. To repay them for their many hardships and severe loss of human lives, the survivors brought back five horses loaded with provisions given to them by the friendly Cenis. They had failed to find the fatal river. Thfrd and last expedition of La Salle. The condition of the French settlement by this time was truly desperate. Of more than one hundred and eighty settlers, there remained a scant forty-fi ve. Some of these were tired and worn out, and longed for the comforts and peace of home back in France. The conviction that the only remedy was to make their way to Canada suddenly became painfully clear. La Salle pro- posed to take the strongest men left, including J outel, this time, and lead them to Canada, from where Joutel was to go to France to secure reinforcements, while La Salle was to return from Canada to Texas. Before the preparations for the proposed expedition were completed, the little colony celebrated its last Christmas Day with all solemnity. A midnight Mass was said in the chapel. Fathers Membre, Cavelier, Douay, Chefdeville, Le Clercq, and D'Aimanville stood before the altar together, for the last time. The celebrant was Father Membre. Clouds of incense dimmed the light of the rude chapel as the forlorn survivors of the ambitious enterprise knelt with bowed heads during the Consecration. With heavy hearts they put on a merry appearance during the Christmas holidays, and on Twelfth Night (January 6, 1687) the whole company gathered in the big hall of the fort to drink the king's health. With a hollow toast "the king drinks," the little company raised to· their lips cups filled to the brim with cold water, for the wine had long since been exhausted. On January 12, the five horses given to La Salle by the Cenis were
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