Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #10: Blades of Freedom

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #10: Blades of Freedom — page 9
BEFORE LA SALLE COULD PLAN HIS NEXT ADVENTURE TWO OTHER FRENCH EXPLORERS JESUIT PRIEST JACQUES MARQUETTE AND TRAPPER LOUIS JOLIET REACHED THE MISSISSIPPI FIRST HEY JOLIET THIS IS ONE BIG RIVER SURE IS MARQUETTE REAL BIG YOU DIDNT KNOW ABOUT THE MISSISSIPPI WE'VE BEEN USING THIS BIG RIVER FOR CENTURIES AND I HERNANDO DE SOTO A CONQUISTADOR OF SPAIN CROSSED THE MISSISSIPPI IN 1541 OVER A HUNDRED YEARS EARLIER TAKE THAT FRENCHIES WHOA 1541 WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM HE DIED OF A FEVER JOLIET AND MARQUETTE FOUND A GIANT RIVER THAT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL CONTINUE ALL THE WAY TO FLORIDA NOT YELLOW FEVER WE WEREN'T EVEN HERE IN 1541 I WILL BE THE FIRST TO FOLLOW IT TO THE SEA AS IT GREW WARMER THEY SAW NEW ANIMALS ALLIGATORS SNAPPING TURTLES AND CATFISH A PARTY OF FRENCH EXPLORERS AND NATIVE AMERICAN GUIDES SET OUT ON DECEMBER 28 1681 THIS PLACE IS TERRIFYING THEY PULLED SLEDS DOWN THE FROZEN ILLINOIS RIVER UNTIL THEY GOT TO THE MISSISSIPPI 12