Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-05-10
Daddy Riggs's Scrape at
COckercll'S Bend.
BY THE "CHICKENMAN.

Grockerell's Bend is well known
rendezvouz for the hunter and Usher
Of the Tallapoosa; and a beautiful
place it is. The upper end of the
curve is lake-likc in its stiffness and is
very deep; while half mile below, the
river spreads itself to double its usual
width. and brawls among rocks and
islcts fringed with the tall river grass.
The part above is resorted to by those
who fish with the rod .and that below by
seiners. Opposite the deep water,
the hills come towering down TO within
twenty yards of the river. the narrow
intervening strip being low land, COW
cred with tremendous growth of gum,
popular, and white oak. Late in the
afternoon of a warm May day, this
part of the Bend is most delightful
spot. The little mountains on the
south and west exclude the sun-glare
completely, and the mere comfort
seeker may lay himself fiat in the bot
tom of the old Indian canoe he finds
moored there by a grapevine. and float
and look at the clouds and drcam-as
have often donc-with no living
thing in sightto disturb his meditations.
except the muskrat on the end of the
old projecting log, and the matTonly
sumner duck with her brood of tiny
dacklings, swimming closely Euddled,in
the shade of the huge water oak, whose
ovcrhanging limbs are covered with a
close net work Of mascadine vines
whereof (of the Vines ! mcant.), have
a story of my friend Captain Suggs,
which will be related at the proper
time. Tahe care! We little downy ras
cals-cspccially you, little fellow. with
half an cgg-shell stuck to your back
true, there arc not many or large trout
in the TalIapoosa: but there are some;
and occasionally one is found of mouth
sufficient to engorgc young duck?-
and almost always in a cool, quiet
shade, just Iike-his,! snap!-thcre
you 90, precisely as told you! Now,
old lady, quit that fnssing and futter-
ing, and take the 'yonng uns' out of
the way OF that other one that isn't far
of! Triturarion in trout's NAV
must be unpleasant, one would think
II CHANGED once, that the writer en-
campcd for day or two on the narrow
strip spoken of, with a company Of
the unsophisticatcd dwcllcrs of the
rough lands in that region, of whom
the principal parsonage was Daddy
Elias Biggs,' sometimes collcd Daddy
LAS but more commonly Daddy
Biggs.' We were on a fishing cxpedi-
ton, and at night hung short line or
two from the branches of the trees
which ovcrhung the water, for cat
One night, as we had just done this
and were gathered around the fire, a
gallon jug passing from hand to hand,
Daddy Biggs'-who was a short,
squad man, rosy-checked, bald, and
"inclining to three score"-remarked,
as he extended his hand towards long
quaint fellow. with a very long nose,
and very black beard
Boys, amt you never hearn what a
scraPe had here, at this very spot, last
year! Billy Teal, let me have a suck
at that yeathenwar, and I'll tell you
all about it.
The old man took "a suck smackcd
his lips aud began his relation.
You all member the time, bows,
when them Chatohospa fellows come
here f>hin'! Hang EN-, wish they
could fish about home, without goin'
twenty miles to interrupt otherpeople's
range.-well, they camped right here,
and right here they seed the deyilp
Seed the Devil!' exclaimed Billy
Teal.
Did they in right down airnest,
nowr asked Jim Waters, looking a.
round at,he dark woods, and insinuat-