The vessel soon reached Green Bay, where Marquette had spent a year among the Red Men.
The Indians had many rich and beautiful furs which they were ready to sell. La Salle ordered his men to load the vessel with these furs as quickly as possible. Then they were to sail back to Canada and unload them. He and a few others would go on their way in canoes.
Alas! nothing happened as La Salle had hoped. A terrible storm arose soon after the vessel started back. The winds swept over the lake and the little canoes drifted now one way, and now another. Every moment it seemed as though people and boats must be destroyed.
After four days, however, the storm went down and the men reached the shore. They were faint from need of food and wet from head to foot. No Indians were to be seen and they could find nothing to eat. As soon as they had dried themselves, they started on again. They hoped to find a village not far away where they could get food.
The poor tired men paddled on for some time more but no signs of Red Men nor of their huts could be seen.
"We will land and look about us," they said at last. The canoes were hauled up on the shore while La Salle and his men searched around.
"Here are corn caves!" some one cried in delight.
Sure enough, stores of corn were hidden away among the rocks. The hungry men helped themselves to the grain and made their way back to their camp. They were careful to leave presents near the caves. They would not think of stealing the corn. The Red Men must be paid for it.
A fire was soon blazing. The corn was ground and cooked and they all sat down to eat. Suddenly they heard a noise and two Indians appeared. The Red Men held up the beads and cloth that the white men had left as pay for the corn. They were as happy over their presents as children are after Santa Claus has paid them a visit.
It was surely time now for the vessel to return. La Salle watched for it in vain. It was never heard of again. It must have been wrecked in the terrible storm.