Page 184 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

IS0 WISOONSLN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.

vieming the scene. After I got over, I yelled back, thanking
them for their goodness in the matter. I met a friend who
itold me that 1 must look out for TWIGGS; that if 1 should
come near the Fort, he would cowhide me. I told him that
TWIGGS had better let that job out; that if he should ever
attempt to interfere with me, I would take his heart's blood.
On my return, I again crossed the river by swimming my
horse, and got finely immersed in the operation. I boldly
passed the Fort, but did not see the cowardly TWIQGS.
As early as June, 1825, Hon. JOEN P. ARNDT obtained a
license to maintain a ferry across Pox ~ivkr, a short distance
above Fort Howard. Soon after, the commanding officer
placed a guard on the west side of' the river, to prevent the
ferry-boat from landing-contending that no one had a right
to cross without first obtaining leave of him. I was at this
time boarding with ARNDT, and took one of his boats, with
one man with me, to try and see mhat the guard would do with
me. As I approached near the opposite shore, the guard
came down to seize the boat; I directed the man to turn the
boat round, and throw the stern to the shore. He did so, and
as I jumped out, the boat received an impetus which pushed it
into the stream, when the man returned unmolested. I was
arrested, went to the Fort, and la,ughed at the officers, and
told them that I thought I was in a free country; and so
believing, that I should go and come when and where Iplettsed,
that they might all go to -.
Soon after, Judge ARNDT thought that he would try the
experiment of crossing and landing on the mestern bank of the
river. But as soon as they landed, he and his companion
mere arrested, and taken to the Fort. ARNDT was a little
mulish, and refused to go, but was overcome by numbers, and
dragged to the Fort by brute force. He was finally discharged
with an admonition not to attempt to cross again without
permission from the commanding officer. The court sat a
short time after, and ARNDT commenced a suit against the
commanding officer for false imprisonment; the officer was fined