32 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST ]IISSOURI of those accompanying him. This man had cherished a secret grudge against La Salle and had foiind an opportunity for satisfying his hatred. So there died, in the prime of his life and in the midst of the execution of great plans, the greatest of the French explorei-s. Had he lived to carry out his plans and had the French government caiight something of his idea and his entluisiasm, it is quite probable that the history of the Mississippi valley would have been quite diflEerent. It was long, how- ever, before the government of France came to have much appreciation of the great terri- tory of Louisiana. She regarded it with little care or concern ; left it without attention, or granted it with careless indifference to vari- ous applicants.
