Wau-bun | Page 7

we reached the shore.

CHAPTER III.

GREEN BAY.
Our arrival at Green Bay was at an unfortunate moment. It was the time
of a treaty between the United States Government and the Menomonees
and Waubanakees. Consequently, not only the commissioners of the
treaty, with their clerks and officials, but traders, claimants, travellers,
and idlers innumerable were upon the ground. Most of these were
congregated in the only hotel the place afforded. This was a
tolerably-sized house near the river-side, and as we entered the long
dining-room, cold and dripping from the open boat, we were infinitely
amused at the motley assemblage it contained. Various groups were
seated around. New comers, like ourselves, stood here and there, for
there were not seats enough to accommodate all who sought
entertainment. The landlord sat calm and indifferent, his hands in his
pockets, exhibiting all the phlegm of a Pennsylvania Dutchman.
His fat, notable spouse was trotting round, now stopping to scold about
some one who, "burn his skin!" had fallen short in his duty; now
laughing good-humoredly until her sides shook, at some witticism
addressed to her.
She welcomed us very cordially, but to our inquiry, "Can you
accommodate us?" her reply was, "Not I. I have got twice as many
people now as I know what to do with. I have had to turn my own
family out of their quarters, what with the commissioners and the lot of
folks that has come in upon us."
"What are we to do, then? It is too late and stormy to go up to
Shanty-town to seek for lodgings."
"Well, sit you down and take your supper, and we will see what we can
do."
And she actually did contrive to find a little nook, in which we were
glad to take refuge from the multitudes around us.
A slight board partition separated us from the apartment occupied by
General Root, of New York, one of the commissioners of the treaty.

The steamer in which we came had brought the mail, at that day a rare
blessing to the distant settlements. The opening and reading of all the
dispatches, which the General received about bed-time, had, of course,
to be gone through with, before he could retire to rest. His eyes being
weak, his secretaries were employed to read the communications. He
was a little deaf withal, and through the slight division between the two
apartments the contents of the letters, and his comments upon them,
were unpleasantly audible, as he continually admonished his secretary
to raise his voice.
"What is that, Walter? Read that over again."
In vain we coughed and hemmed, and knocked over sundry pieces of
furniture. They were too deeply interested to hear aught that passed
around them, and if we had been politicians we should have had all the
secrets of the _working-men's party_ at our disposal, out of which to
have made capital.
The next morning it was still rain! rain! nothing but rain! In spite of it,
however, the gentlemen would take a small boat to row to the steamer,
to bring up the luggage, not the least important part of that which
appertained to us being sundry boxes of silver for paying the annuities
to the Winnebagoes at the Portage.
I went out with some others of the company upon the piazza, to witness
their departure. A gentleman pointed out to me Fort Howard, on a
projecting point of the opposite shore, about three-quarters of a mile
distant--the old barracks, the picketed inclosure, the walls, all looking
quaint, and, considering their modern erection, really ancient and
venerable. Presently we turned our attention to the boat, which had by
this time gained the middle of the river. One of the passengers was
standing up in the stern, apparently giving some directions.
"That is rather a venturesome fellow," remarked one; "if he is not
careful he will lose his balance." And at this moment we saw him
actually perform a summerset backward, and disappear in the water.
"Oh!" cried I, "he will be drowned!"

The gentlemen laughed. "No, there he is; they are helping him in
again."
The course of the boat was immediately changed, and the party
returned to the shore. It was not until one disembarked and came
dripping and laughing towards me, that I recognized him as my own
peculiar property. He was pleased to treat the matter as a joke, but I
thought it rather a sad beginning of Western experience.
He suffered himself to be persuaded to intrust the care of his effects to
his friends, and having changed his dress, prepared to remain quietly
with me, when just at this moment a vehicle drove up to the door, and
we recognized the pleasant, familiar face of our old friend, Judge Doty.
He had received