Some history makers say that they ascended the Missouri river to the Arikarie villages, then turned south and crossed the Platte and Arkansas rivers. Watkins says their journey is somewhat shadowy, and Chittendon tells us that they left the Missouri river at or near the present site of Sioux City, on May 29th, and reached the Platte July 2d (a physical impossibility in those days of slow travel, and that they ascended the Platte to the forks, and the south fork to the mountains, arriving at Santa Fe, July 22d. The distance would be a thousand miles, and the time fifty days, or an average of twenty miles per day. which deduction makes it questionable, although possible.

But the story I have to tell, as I said, will fall upon some incredulous ears. It bridges in such a remarkable manner, the one hundred and fifty years from the time the trip was made, to the date the story came to me, that I would hardly venture to include it in history, except that I found some translations from Duiderot and De Margry, that fix the dates as stated, and lend confirmation to the balance of the story.

Old-timers, over on Gonneville, or Pumpkin creek, will remember Francois Jourdain, and around Sixty-Six mountain the pioneers will remember "Tommy" Chaunavierre. (The cowboys called him "Shunover.")

In the old days, thirty or more years ago, I frequently visited "Frenchy" Jourdain's cabin, which was about three miles east of Wildcat mountain, and I enjoyed his stories. He was not a voluble man, but if you started him upon reminiscence, tradition or history, he would wax eloquent in gesticulation and expression of countenance, even if not very articulate.