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the 12th of January； nearly two weeks later； with an advance
party of warriors； the La Verendryes reached the foot of the
mountains； 〃well wooded with timber of every kind and very high。〃
Was it the Rocky Mountains which they saw？ Had they reached that
last mighty barrier of snow…capped peaks； rugged valleys； and
torrential streams； beyond which lay the sea？ That they had done
so was long assumed and many conjectures have been offered as to
the point in the Rockies near which they made their last camp。
Their further progress was checked by an unexpected crisis。 One
day they came upon an encampment of the dreaded Snake Indians
which had been abandoned in great haste。 This； the Bow Indians
thought； could only mean that the Snakes had hurriedly left their
camp in order to slip in behind the advance guard of the Bows and
massacre the women and children left in the rear。 Panic seized
the Bows and they turned homeward in wild confusion。 Their chief
could not restrain them。 〃I was very much disappointed；〃 writes
one of the brothers； 〃that I could not climb the
mountains〃those mountains from which he had been told that he
might view the Western Sea。
There was nothing for it but to turn back through snowdrifts over
the bleak prairie。 The progress was slow for the snow was
sometimes two feet deep。 On the 1st of March the brothers parted
with their Bow friends at their village and then headed for home。
By the 20th they were encamped with a friendly tribe on the banks
of the Missouri。 Here； to assert that Louis XV was lord of all
that country； they built on an eminence a pyramid of stones and
in it they buried a tablet of lead with an inscription which
recorded the name of Louis XV； their King； and of the Marquis de
Beauharnois； Governor of Canada； and the date of the visit。
Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction。 One hundred and seventy
years later； on February 16； 1913； a schoolgirl strolling with
some companions on a Sunday afternoon near the High School in the
town of Pierre； South Dakota； stumbled upon a projecting corner
of this tablet； which was in an excellent state of preservation。
Thus we know exactly where the brothers La Verendrye were on
April 2； 1743； when they bade farewell to their Indian friends
and set out on horseback for Fort La Reine。
Spring had turned to summer before the brothers reached their
destination。 On July 2； 1743； they relieved the anxiety of their
waiting father after an absence of fifteen months。 Moving slowly
as they did； could they have traveled from the distant Rockies
from the time in January when they turned back？ It seems
doubtful； and in spite of the long…cherished belief that the
brothers reached the foothills of the Rocky Mountains； it may be
that they had not penetrated beyond the barrier which we know as
the Black Hills。 The chance discovery of a forgotten plate by
school children may in truth prove that； as late as in 1750； the
Rocky Mountains had not yet been seen by white men and that the
first vision of that mighty range was obtained much farther north
in Canada。
After 1743 the French seem to have made no further efforts to
reach the Western Sea by way of the Missouri。 If in reality the
brothers had not gone beyond the Black Hills in South Dakota；
then their most important work appears to have been done within
what is now Canada； as discoverers of the Saskatchewan； the
mighty river which carries to far…distant Hudson Bay the waters
melted on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains。 It was by
this route up the Saskatchewan that fifty years later was solved
the tough and haunting problem of going over the mountains to the
Pacific Ocean。 La Verendrye now ascended the Saskatchewan for
some three hundred miles to the forks where it divides into two
great branches。 He was going deeper into debt but he hoped always
for help from the King。 It is pathetic to see today； on the map
of that part of western Canada which he and his sons explored； a
town； a lake； and a county called Dauphin； in honor of the heir
to the throne of France。 No doubt La Verendrye had the thought
that some day he might plead with the Dauphin when he had become
King for help in his great task。
Before the year 1749 had ended La Verendrye； who had returned to
Montreal； was in his grave。 His sons； partners in his work；
expected to be charged with the taskto which the King； in 1749；
had anew appointed their fatherof continuing the work of
discovery in the West。 Francois； for a time ill； wrote in 1750
from Montreal to La Jonquiere； the Governor at Quebec； that he
hoped to take up the plans of his father。 The Governor's reply
was that he had appointed another officer； Legardeur de
Saint…Pierre； to lead in the search for the Western Sea。 Francois
hurried to Quebec。 The Governor met him with a bland face and
seemed friendly。 Francois； urged that he and his brothers claimed
no preeminence and that they were ready to serve under the orders
of Saint…Pierre。 The Governor was hesitant； but at last told
Francois； frankly that the new leader desired no help either from
him or from his brothers。 Francois； was dismayed。 He and his
brothers were in debt。 Already he had sent on stores and men to
the West and the men were likely to starve if not followed by
provisions。 His chief property was in the West in the form of
goods which would be plundered without his guardianship。 To tide
over the immediate future he sold the one small piece of land in
Montreal which he had inherited from his father and threw this
slight sop to his urgent creditors。
Saint…Pierre； strong in his right of monopoly； insisted that the
brothers should not even return to the West。 Francois； urged that
to go was a matter of life and death。 In some way he secured
leave to set out with one laden canoe。 When Saint…Pierre found
that Francois had gone； he claimed damages for the intrusion on
his monopoly and secured an order to pursue Francois and bring
him back。 He caught him at Michilimackinac。 The meeting between
the two men at that place involved explanations。 Face to face
with an injured man； Saint…Pierre admitted that he had been in
the wrong； paid to Francois many compliments； and regretted that
he had not joined hands with the brothers。
The mischief done was； however； irreparable。 Francois； crippled
by opposition； could not carry on his trade with success and in
the end he returned to Montreal a ruined man overwhelmed with
debt。 He wrote to the French court a noble appeal for relief：
〃I remain without friends and without patrimony。。。a simple
ensign of the second grade； my elder brother has only the same
rank as myself； my younger brother is only a junior cadet。 This
is the result of all that my father； my brothers and myself have
done。。。。 There are in the hands of your Lordship resources of
compensation and of consolation。 I venture to appeal to you for
relief。 To find ourselves excluded from the West would mean to be
cruelly robbed of our heritage； to realize for ourselves all that
is bitter and to see others secure all that is sweet。〃
The appeal fell on deaf ears。 The brothers sank into obscurity。
During Montcalm's campaigns from 1756 to 1759 Pierre and Francois
seem to have been engaged in military service。 Francois was
killed in the siege of Quebec in 1759。 After the final surrender
of Canada the Auguste； a ship laden for the most part with
refugees returning to France； was wrecked on the St。 Lawrence。
Among those on board who perished was Pierre de la Verendrye。 He
died amid the howling of the tempest and the cries of drowning
men。 Tragedy； unrelenting； had pursued him to the end。
Legardeur de Saint…Pierre； the choice of the Marquis de la
Jonquiere to take up the search for the Western Sea in succession
to the elder La Verendrye； himself went only as far as Fort La
Reine。 It was a subordinate； the Chevalier de Niverville； whom he
sent farther west to find the great mountains and if possible the
sea。 The winter of 1750…51 had set in before Niverville was
ready。 He started apparently from Fort Maurepas； on snowshoes；
his party dragging their supplies on toboggans。 Before they
reached Paskoya on the Saskatchewan （the modern Le Pas） they had
nearly perished of hunger and were able to save their lives only
by catching a few fish through the ice。 Niverville was ill。 He
sent forward ten men by canoe up the Saskatchewan。 They traveled
with such rapidity that on May 29； 1751； they had reached the
Rockies。 They built a good fort； which they named Fort La
Jonquiere； and stored it with a considerable quantity of
provisions。 If； as seems likely； the brothers La Verendrye saw
only the Black Hills； these ten unknown men were the discoverers
of the Rocky Mountains。
Saint…Pierre braced himself to set out for the distant goal but
he was easily discouraged。 Niverville； he said； was ill； the
Indians were at war among themselves；