CHAPTER XXIV.
RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO.
A great part of the command, with the cattle belonging to the officers and soldiers, had, a day or two previous to the time of our departure, set out on their march by land to Green Bay, _via_ Fort Winnebago.
Lieutenant Foster, under whose charge they were, had lingered behind that he might have the pleasure of joining our party, and we, in turn, had delayed in order to see the other members of our family safely on board the Napoleon.

But now, all things being ready, we set our faces once more homeward.
We took with us a little _bound-girl,_ Josette, a bright, pretty child of ten years of age, a daughter of Ouilmette, a Frenchman who had lived here at the time of the Massacre, and of a Pottowattamie mother.

She had been at the St.Joseph's mission-school, under Mr.McCoy, and she was now full of delight at the prospect of a journey all the way to the Portage with Monsieur and Madame John.
We had also a negro boy, Harry, brought a year before from Kentucky, by Mr.Kercheval.In the transfer at that time from a slave State to a free one, Harry's position became somewhat changed--he could be no more than an indentured servant.

He was about to become a member of Dr.Wolcott's household, and it was necessary for him to choose a guardian.

All this was explained to him on his being brought into the parlor, where the family were assembled.