ere with him.
The cutting-out was the most difficult part, and, as he had never made a
lady's riding-habit, that task fell to my share. I was as great a novice
as himself, and I must admit that this, my first effort, was open to
criticism. But the little tailor was of a different opinion. He was in
an ecstasy with our joint performance.

"Upon my word, madam," he would exclaim, surveying it with admiring
eyes, "we shall have a very respectable garment!" I do not know how many
times he repeated this during the three days that the work was in
progress.

I believe he had not perfect confidence in the culinary powers of his
comrade of "Company D," for regularly a half-hour before beat of drum
his work was folded and laid aside, his snips gathered up, and, all
things being restored to order, he would slip out, resume his shoes,
which, _Turk-like_, he had left outside the door, and speed over to the
barrack-kitchen to see how matters were going on.

In the mean time, great preparations were making below, under the
supervision of our tidy, active little French servant, Mrs. Pillon, the
wife of one of the _engages_, by whom the irregular and unmanageable
Louisa had been replaced.

Biscuits were baked, a ham, some tongues, and sundry pieces of salt pork
were boiled, coffee roasted and ground, sugar cracked, isinglass cut in
pieces of the size requisite for a pot of coffee. For the reception of
all these different articles cotton bags of different sizes had been
previously prepared. Large sacks of skin, called by the Canadians
_porches_, were also provided to hold the more bulky provisions, for our
journey was to be a long one.

The distance from Fort Winnebago to Chicago was not very formidable, it
is true, if the direct route were taken; but that we knew to be
impossible at this season of the year. The route by Kosh-ko-nong was out
of the question; all the Indians being absent from their villages in the
winter, and the ice being now gone, we could have no means of crossing
the Rock River at that place.

There remained therefore no alternative but to proceed south to Dixon,
or, as it was then called, Ogie's Ferry, the only certain means of
crossing this broad and rapid stream. This route being so much out of
our direct course that we could not hope to accomplish it in less than
six days, it was necessary to prepare accordingly.

While the wardrobe and provisions were thus in preparation, arrangements
were also being mad