The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03
McCLVRE'S.
fernando De Soto, by Cyrus
Townsend Brady.

fs ~ @o.p 49, 80 - NaAe OhN-
more upon the march. They were a rude
array of savage men, clad in the skins OF
| wild beasts, a few of them riding horses,
and driving a small drove of swine; and
! their rude weapons scarcely differentiated
them from the surrounding savages. Head
ing ever westward and northwar1. early in
the month Of May (the exact iate is not
known. the advance guard broke through
the dense woodland, and from a high blum
latitude sc degrees north. near Memphis,
TENN beheld the tawny. turbid flood Of the
Mississippi rolling swiftly at their feet
Espiritu Santo, De Soto named II. Up and
down. as far as the eye could see, spread
the great river. A half league away the
other bank confronted them.
The discovery of the Mississippi, together
with his misfortunes, are the incidents
which have served to perpetuate the name
of De Soto. otherwise he would be rernem-
bered as lightly us De Narvaez or the 9TH
ers whom the primesal forests of the New
World had swallowed up. The Importance
Of a moment. the value Of an incident. is
rarely known until viewed through the per-
spective of centuries OF time. The broken
De Soto. who saw In the hurrying flood only
an obstacle in his path, little dreamed that
this river valley was to be the central
artery OF a great empire, which would some
DAY strike his country the severest blow
ever dealt to Spanish rule.
Moving down the river until they found q
place where the ground sloped gently to the
waters edge. the Spaniards crossed and
took up their weary march. Drawing away
from the stream. the tired cavalcade plod-
ded on toward the northwest They dis
co, cred 10 gold; but on the banks OF the
White River. in Arkansas. they found some
thing more precious to them in their ex-
tremity, for which they had longed ever
siLce they began their wanderings, and that
vas salt.
III 1 could only lave a morsel of fresh
meat and a handful of salt" had been the
plant of many dying men. Il think 1 couli
1--we"
THE DETERMINED
SEARCH FOR GOLD.
Some Of them ate It so greedily that they
died of 1t. By and by. In despair. the
wretched army turned to the southwark and
dragged its way down to the Mississippi.
Was the iron will Of the conquistador at
last broken? Had he repented the decision
which had led him away from safety after
Maubila? Was the natural longing to see
Donna Isabella. to return to civilization at
all hazards. strong enough to move him?
No. for after passing the third winter in
the Province of Utiangue. where Juan Ortiz
d.ed-a great ioss-in the springtime they
kept on still exploring, fighting. hoping.
they struck the banks OF the great river
again, and followed its winding course until
they reached the village of Guachoya, at
the mouth Of the Red River.
Hating here uncertainty, De Soto was
seized with a wasting fever. which never
left him. In spite Of his ~resolute will, he
was forced to take TO his rude couch, where
he grew speedily worse. There Is something
manly and attractive In the way In which
he met his death. His life had been hard,
stern. cruel and merciless. Ruthless and
treacherous, he had partaken Of all the
vices of his age and nation. but there had
been in him a magnificent courage. a cool
forethought for HE men. an
open-hearted generosity. Here and there
were sparks Of justice IN his dealings with
the indians, once In a while touches of
mercy. standing out bright before the black
background against which they were exhib-
tied. These have half redeemed his fame.
He had been the noblest. the highest and
the best OF the great explorers. and was
now the poorest and most miserable. He
had everything to live for when he set sail
from San Lucar. and nothing was left OF
his possessions now, except the rude hut ON
the banks of the Mississippi, two slaves,
ment and despair had broken even his reso-
soul. All his toll. labor, sacrifice. de-
votion, courage had come to naugbt. If ALI
ended here on the banks Of the Mississippi.
OF
DE OTTO
Conceaiing the death Of the Child Of the
SUM- from the Indians. lest their prestige |
diminish. Moscoso caused the corpse
10 be hidden for three days. while the SOL |
diers were compelled to dissemble their
grief by outward manifestations Of Joy and
At the end Of that time, at the dead |
of night. they buried their great Conn |
nander in a deep grave outside the village: |
the shrewd Indians suspected some |
and In great fear lest they should
dig up the plain and find the body, Mos |
In the river.
D'Anascc and four other Captains soca |
Q place over I hpndrad faet Am ]