Page 96 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

92 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
sions that so often arise in Indian lands, of there not being
enough for him to eat until he falls fast asleep. "Why, then,"
exclaimed my alarmed companion, "whats to be done?" "I
oaloulate I've got some salt pork," rejoined our little hostess.
"Then, Madam, you must fry it without the fish," I replied.
So to the old business wc went, of bolting square pieces of fat
pork, an amusement I had so often indulged in, that I sometimes
felt as if I ought to be ashamed to look a live pig in the face.
Our landlady, however, was a very active and obliging person;
she said she would make us as comfortable as it was possible for
her to do, and "she guessed" she had a little coffee, and mould
make us a cup of it. Whether it was acorns, or what it was,
puzzled me not a little; it certainly deserved to be thought
tincture of myrrh, and as we drank and grimmaced, dear Mrs.
PECK, in her sweetest manner, expressed her regret, that she
had no other sugar for our coffee, they having, "somehow or
another, not brought any with them."
" Whilst we were at this repast, the thunder storm broke over
us, and a deluge of rain came down, streaming through the roof
in various places. In the midst of the confusion two other
vagabonds came in; one of them a ruffian looking fellow, who
said he was a miqer, on his way across the Indian country from
Milwaukee; the other, a stupid, boorish, dirty-looking animal,
said he had not tasted anything for two days, having lost his
way on the prairie; and, having been overtaken the preceding
night by a very heavy rain, whilst making his way up a coulee
or vale, had been afraid to lie on the ground, and had passed the
hwole night sitting on a fallen tree. Fortunately there was pork
enaugh for us all, and when our landlady had put the frying-
pan to bed, she did the same to us by the act of blowing the
candle out. Where she stowed herself was her own secret.
Choosing a place between two barrels, I lay down, and drew my
cloak over me; of sleep there was very little to be had, for it
rained in torrents almost the whole night, and, not having
pitched my camp skilfully, it poured uponme from the unfinished
roof as I lay stretched upon the floor, not daring to move in the