CHAPTER XVII. The Judge and his buggy-Indian woman's kindness-A blanket war-Little Cocaloo-Hospitable lady in the woods-Treacherous French guide-Night in a dismal swamp-Wolves-Last white man's house-Butte de Morts-A nondescript-Hard cases on the prairie-Indians-Grignons-Traders-Osh-Cosh le Brave-Voyage up the Wolf River-Our canoe-FishingThe camp-Indian village-The agent-A Council. THE best part of the day being spent, I re-crossed the river, and signified my intention to sleep at the tavern. As yet only fifteen miles from the Bay. Here, to my great surprise and annoyance, I found my friend, or foe-the grey-coated judge—uneasily watching his slender buggy waggon, which had been rather roughly shaken, en route. He had spent the day, steering up from Astor, avoiding ruts and stumps, and, with his wife, had halted for the night at the tavern. I was glad to find him lowered a peg in his boasting. He vowed he would never have ventured so far upon this 'tarnal bad road, if he had calculated the depth of the ruts. "I declare," said he, "I do not think the buggy will hold together as far as Fort Winnebago." "You may take your oath of it," said I, pointing to sundry cracks and crannies in the buggy, and other weak points. "What do they say of the road still further west?" said he. "That the road between this and the bay is a bowling-green, compared to it," said I; "a regular waggon-splitting, racking road." "If I had not my lady with me, I would not care,” said the judge, in a choking voice. "Sad affair, sir, to venture so far from home in so fragile a concern as yours," said I. "It is a fact; I see my error now," said the judge; horse hurt his leg too." my "A man is ever more independent on foot," said I; ❝he has no incumbrance-no lumbering waggon-no lame horse-no awful mud-holes, to retard his progress. He carries his blanket, his fire-box, his rifle, on his shoulder, jauntily; he crosses the deep rivers in a log canoe; he basks upon the sunny side of flowery banks, and snaps his fingers at the world." "It is a fact!-a fact!-a fact !" said the judge with deep emotion and a groan; "it is the only way to go a-head in this New Country." 66 Judge, dear—Judge, my dear-bring in the robes out of the buggy," cried a shrill voice from a window, and an old woman favoured us with a sight of her sublime nose, at the casement. 66 Coming, my dear!" responded the judge. "And bring me my box, also, and my clothes-bag, for the bed is not sheeted; and you had best come help me." While the judge was trying his hand at bed-making, three cavaliers arrived-one of whom I had seen at the bay. He was bound for the payment, and regretted I had no horse, and could not accompany them in their expedition; whereupon the judge affected great surprise. "No horse! What!-has the gentleman no horse! Could he get no horse to hire in all Green Bay? |