History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

              HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
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my attention to the bush, which was  also  full of them.
He was the only hunter with us; I wanted to fire, but he shook his head as a veto on my wishes. Wrapped in a buffalo robe, he got quietly out of the canoe, passed unheeded through the crowd to the edge of the prairie land, about fifty yards, and immediately shot one. At this signal, I was at once in the bush among the host; but they were so frightened, running, jumping and bunting, that I was so confused that I could not take aim at any one in particular, so let fly at the flock, to no pur¬ pose. Within fifteen minutes, my guide had three fat cows lying at his feet. When I reached the prairie, the whole scene before us was one black, living, undulating, moving mass —tens of thousands of heavy, powerful beasts were fleeing from their hated enemies. But all had been put under Adam's control. I had not had a fair shot. In due time we returned home.
The wild fowl season came, and I practiced on them until the ice shut them off, and they disappeared; then followed a few days of musk- rat hunting, when winter shut me in. Not a book or paper of any kind to beguile and shorten the tedium of the season; a little trapping, and one snow-shoe trip of sixty miles to visit my nearest neighbor; then making oars and paddles to wear off the winter. Finally the Indian hunters came in, trade was soon over; my lit¬ tle half-breed took off my little boy and girl to her friends, and I never saw her again. My boat was repaired, and about the 20th of March, 1814, I left the river St. Peter's, with full intent to return to the trade, not, of course, knowing what a kind Providence had in store for me.
Arriving at Prairie du Chien, I, as usual, deposited such articles as I would require for the next winter's trade; and after feasting eight or ten days at my friend, Mons. Brisbois', on
thickened milk and sugar, I started for Macki¬ naw. It being early in the season, and hard work for the men to stem the strong current of the Ouisconsin river, I permitted them to go on leisurely, stopping along the sand banks to collect turtles' eggs, which were excellent eating, and to kill rattle-snakes, some of which were very beautiful to behold—at a respectful distance—being about four feet long, with skin of a bright golden color, interspersed with ebony black heart-shaped spots.
But the eating of turtle's eggs was, after a few days, brought to a sudden termination. These eggs are somewhat less in size than a pigeon's. My cook brought me, as usual, a dozen for breakfast. On opening the first one, I observed something coiled in it, like a black hair; but how a hair could get inside of an egg, I could not make out. So I summoned the men to examine the phenomenon. They at once called out, "a snake." I was not aware till then that turtles' and rattlesnakes' eggs were quite similar, and that they both made their deposits in the sand, for the warmth of the sun to hatch ; nor did I know how many young snakes I may have eaten. We had col¬ lected of the mixed kinds, and eaten at least a peck a day for the last five days, and I now re¬ gretted the discovery, for they were very good. But our stomachs revolted against them for fur¬ ther indulgence.
I spent a few days at Green Bay, with my friend, John Lawe. In short, I so daw¬ dled away my time that nearly all the traders had arrived, and I did not reach Mackinaw un¬ til about the 10th of June. I made a splendid return: 330 buffalo robes, and ten packs of bea¬ ver and other furs and peltries. For the robes I was offered, by the commanding of¬ ficer of the fort, ten dollars each; but I had re¬ ceived a circular from my equipperin Montreal, Touissant Portier, advising me not to sell be¬ fore his arrival, as he would give 4)he highest market price.