every boy of his age, that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. But in his bewildered state he was incapable of reasoning, and even of distinct memory. He must have remembered sometime having heard it said the sun was in the south at noonday, and the idea that took possession of his young brain was this: 'The sun is in the south and we must travel toward it to reach home.' Over and over to himself he conned this lesson:

"The sun is in the south, and we must travel toward it if we would reach home." "

As certain as though his mother had told him did he feel the truth of these words. Having them fully impressed upon his mind, he was calm and assured. It must have been long past midnight when he arrived at this state, but now he was content to sleep until morning, when they would set out on their homeward way. Accordingly he replenished the fire, and then laid down. and was soon lost in dreamless slumber.

The sun was lighting the trees with its earlist rays when he awoke. The fire had burned low, and the air was cold and frosty. He looked at his sleeping brother, and pity made him hesitate for a moment to wake him; but not for long. Full of the hopeful thought that had filled his mind, he was eager to communicate it to his companion, so with a gentle touch he aroused him. The boy awoke from dreams of home, and looking around at the dark forest, and at the overhanging rocks, and as a realization of his present state broke in upon him, the tears filled his eyes and coursed down his cheeks.

"Don't cry," said Willie. "I have thought of a plan by which we can get home. You see the sun shining yonder? Well, the sun is always in the south, and we have been traveling from it. Now, if we go toward the sun we shall, of course, go towards home, so hurry, and let us be going, for we have no time to lose.' Johnnie was too stupefied to notice the falsity of his brother's logic, as doubtless he would have done at another time, but, nevertheless, the deprecating manner in which he received it dampened the ardor of Willie a little.

"I do not think much of your plans," said he, "and I do not believe we will ever see home or mother again.'

It was a blessed thing, as they afterwards knew, that their courage had not been destroyed by taking in the full horror of death by starvation, and fatigue in the woods, or the more blessed, because more speedy, but still terrible thought of being killed by wild beasts.

The little weary feet were soon on their way, and their little faces turned toward the rising sun. Until now, one of the boys had worn a pair of moccasins, and the other a pair of shoes, but thinking that they could travel faster without them, they were removed, and although the ground was hard and frozen, and the little feet were often torn by briers and sticks, they hastened on,

never minding the pain. Hope rose higher, as they thought at times they could recognize places they had passed the previous day. It must have been noon when they again came to a large stream, and-wonderful to tell there was the very same tree on which they had crossed the day before. They knew it by many unmistakable marks, and if any proof were wanting, there were the prints of their own feet, and also those of the dogs on the wet sand at the further shore. They recrossed this stream with more hopeful hearts than they had carried with them to the opposite shore.

An hour or two of rapid walking, and they came to a roadthe same they had crossed on their first day out, but much farther from home. A short consultation was held, and they decided not to cross this road but to follow it--but in which direction? The sun was so nearly overhead that they scarcely knew how to follow its guidance. They however, concluded to take an easterly course. They had not traveled more than a couple of miles before they had made up their minds that they were wrong, so back over the same road pattered the little bare feet. This time they kept steadily on their course, until at last the low roof of a building met their view. This, be it remembered, was the first sight of a human habitation that had met their view for three days. An older person would have went directly to it and have sought food and rest. Not so did our young wanderers. Willie had once been at McGregor's Landing, and although McGregor was a flourishing young town, and this was only a solitary cabin, he was convinced in his own mind that he was at the former place. It seemed to him afterward, to have been a strange idea, but we have seen that neither of the boys were capable of reasoning.

"That," said he to his brother, "is McGregor's Landing. I know it because I have been there. The sun must now be about two hours high, and we are five miles from home. If we hurry, we can get there before dark."

Johnnie offered no objections, so back over the same road, for the third time that day did they hurry.

Dusk was gathering around their path, and they were still hurrying on, Willie considerably in advance, and at times, waiting impatiently for his brother to come up, when they were met by some travelers. There were two men driving oxen, and with a wagon loaded with lumber. There were some traps for game, and a few other articles on the load-how well did the boys remember every detail in after years.

It must have been a strange sight to these men-that of two tattered, weary, and wild looking boys on this lonely road, where seldom a human face was met.

They were hurrying on without speaking, but the men stopped their teams and enquired:

"Where are you going, boys?"

"We are going home," called out Willie, without stopping or looking around.

"But are you not lost?" enquired one of the men.

"No. We have been lost, but we are going home, now."

"Where do you live?" persisted the man.

"On the Goss place, and its just ahead," said Willie.

"Then you are lost, for that is seventeen miles away, and this road does not lead past there either."

Reluctant as was Willie to stop, Johnnie had halted and he was now obliged to wait for him to come up.

"When did you leave home?" was the next question.

"Three days ago; but if you will not hinder us, we will go on, and will soon be there."

"But I have told you that this road does not lead to your home. If you will go with us, we will care for you to-night, and will take you home in the morning."

To this proposition they offered a stout resistance, saying that their parents would be uneasy about them, and that it was necessary for them to reach home that night.

Just then two other men rode up on horseback, and having heard their story offered to ride on that night, and inform the boys' parents that they were found. But here they entreated to

be taken on the horses and carried home.

Seeing how unfit they were for the journey, they were answered that the horses would not carry double, and that they had best go home with the men who had the team, (they living in the cabin whose roof the two boys had seen early in the day,) and remain until morning.

Just then the sound of a horn rang out loud and clear, more than any words could have done, did that sound calm and quiet the excited children? "That is father's horn," they both cried in a breath, "and he is looking for us. Let us go to him."

But now, in a calmer state, they were ready to listen to reason, and were easily persuaded to return with the teams, while the men on horseback rode with all haste to the place where the horn was heard to sound, a distance of some three miles. They found that the boys had not been mistaken. It was their father's horn, and that father was overjoyed at the glad news the men had to to communicate. Then the firing of three guns in quick succession announced to other searchers that the children were found, and after a short time two more guns told that they were alive, this being the signal previously agreed upon. This was responded to by others. And all through the woods firing was heard, and shouts of joy as men began to gather and take their homeward way. Feeling that the weary wanderers were better for a night's rest before being taken home, they were left with the men who had taken them up, while the good news was conveyed to the anxious waiters at home.

I have before said that neither hunger or weariness had been realized by the lost children, but no sooner were their excited minds at rest than both began to grow upon them. They laid down upon the wagon, and by the time they had reached the home of the men were to stiff and lame to walk, and had to be assisted into the house, and never did a meal taste sweeter than the one of corn bread, salt pork, and strong coffee, with which they were provided.

In the morning they were conveyed to their home, where you may be certain a glad welcome awaited them. As friends came out to welcome them, little Johnnie pushed passed all, telling them rather crossly to let him alone. He went into the house, and climbing on the first bed he found, covered his face and refused to speak. From that bed it was thought he never would arise. For long days he lay in the delirium of a fever. His limbs were swollen with travel, and scratches and bruises covered his form from head to foot. It seemed evident that had the children spent another night in the woods, their swolen and tired limbs would have refused to carry them further on the next morning, and that only death would have relieved their sufferings.

Years have passed since then. The boys have grown to manhood, and in the changes and chances of pioneer life, and later on in the war of the rebellion, many trials have come to their lot, but in memory's pictures, vivid and distinct above all others stands out the pictures of those three days' wanderings' alone, and Lost IN THE WOODS.

CHAPTER IV.

Review of Early History: Fort Atkinson; Old Mission; First Settlers; First Settler's Cabin; First Things Reviewed; County Organization and County Seat Contest; The Day Family; Judge Reed; Lewiston, Moneek and Decorah; Strategy; Moneek's Defeat and County Seat for Decorah; Freeport's Fight for it and Defeat; Land Office and Court House Fixes it at Decorah; Sketch of Moneek; More about Early Settlers; Pioneer Norwegians, who were the First; Protecting Squatter Rights.

We have in previous chapters given particulars of the early settlement of this county, a sketch and history of the Winnebago Indians who (after the Sacs and Foxes who formerly occupied a large part of Iowa, and were removed by treaty, as will be seen from state history,) occupied this territory just previous to the coming of the whites, their traits and characteristics and in

tercourse between the two races; also a sketch of pioneer life here, and the incidents in the early settlement of the county. We continue the history of the county by first giving a brief resume of leading events.

The erection of the fort for the military supervision of the Indians, overlooking the site of the village which now bears its name Fort Atkinson-was commenced on the 2d of June, 1840. Capt. Sumner, afterward, the renowned Gen. Sumner, being in command. He remained in charge till 1846, when he left to join the U. S. forces in the Mexican War.

After the removal of the Indians, in 1848, the military appearance of the fort was no longer kept up but it was not entirely abandoned as a post, until some years later. More extended details in regard to it will be found in a succeeding chapter embracing a township history of Fort Atkinson.

It was in the spring of 1842 that Rev. D. Lowery, who had just been appointed an Indian agent, commenced the erection of the mission buildings at Old Mission about five miles southeast of Fort Atkinson, and in 1843, Col. Thomas, his assistant, built the first grist mill in Winneshiek County. The first permanent settlement in that vicinity commenced in 1847, when those pioneers and homesteaders, Gotlob and Gotleib Krumm, Charles Kregg, and Francis Rogers arrived at Fort Atkinson in June, Gotlob Krumm coming directly from Germany. Gotlob his wife and two children had for their first habitation a deserted Indian wigwam near a beautiful spring. In a few weeks a log house was built for them in the same locality, being the first actual settlers' cabin in that part of the county.

A. R. Young, who was a soldier in the fort, would be entitled to the honor of being the first settler as he remained and settled after the garrison left, if the time of his coming to the fort could be counted.

Mr. Joel Post, referred to in a previous chapter, was the first actual settler in the reservation. But as his log house, built in 1841, was on the site where Postville now stands, it is out side of our county line, and therefore he cannot be called the first settler in Winneshiek County.

Some authorities say that the Fort Atkinson settlers, named above, did not come until 1848, and that Hamilton Campbell and his wife, who made a claim June 7, 1848, in Bloomfield Township, were the first permanent settlers. The names of the old settlers as they successively arrived, have been given in a previous chapter to which our readers are referred for further detail; and we close this resume of that portion of the history by eecalling a few points of interest.

The honor of being the first white child born in the county belongs to Mary Jane, daughter of Mr. Jas. Tapper, one of the