"But he insulted me."

"And what did you say to him?" inquired Abraham. The question mollified Jack's wrath somewhat, for he began to get his eyes open.

"I called him a coward and a liar," replied Jack.

"Well, suppose you were a stranger, in a strange place, and a man should call you a coward and a liar, what would you do?"

"Thrash him terribly," answered Jack.

"Then this man has done no more to you would have done to him," suggested Abraham.

than you

"That's so," responded Jack, as if he saw the point clearly. "It's all right, Abe." And turning to the stranger he added, "Give us your hand;" and suiting the action to his words, he took the hand of the stranger, and declared himself a friend, supplementing his pledge of friendship with an invitation to "take a drink," according to the custom of the "Clary Grove Boys."

Offutt came into the store one afternoon perplexed as to the disposition of a large drove of hogs he had purchased. He had no pen large enough to contain them.

"Build one," said Abraham promptly.

"Too much work; take too long," replied Offutt. "It's more work to be without a pen when you need a larger one," was Abraham's suggestive answer. "Can't get anybody to build it," continued Offutt. "I can build it myself," said Abraham.

"What can't you do?" answered Offutt.

"There are a great many things I can't do; but I can

build a pig-pen," Abraham replied with a smile.

Well, go at it, then, and I'll help William about the store and look after the mill," was Offutt's quick decision.

Abraham went into the woods and cut down the

trees, and split rails enough to make a pen sufficiently large to hold a thousand hogs.

During the time that Abraham served Offutt he attended a debating club. Dr. Holland says:

"During this year he was also much engaged with debating clubs, often walking six or seven miles to attend them. One of these clubs held its meetings at an old store-house in New Salem. He used to call these exercises 'practising polemics.' As these clubs were composed principally of men of no education whatever, some of their 'polemics' are remembered as the most laughable of farces. His favourite newspaper, at this time, was the Louisville Journal, a paper which he received regularly by mail, and paid for during a number of years when he had not money enough to dress decently. He liked its politics, and was particularly delighted with its wit and humour, of which he had the keenest appreciation. When out of the store he was always busy in the pursuit of knowledge. One gentleman who met him during this period says that the first time he saw him he was lying on a trundlebed, covered with books and papers, and rocking a cradle with his foot. Of the amount of uncovered space between the extremities of his trousers and the top of his socks which this informant observed there shall be no mention. The whole scene, however, was entirely characteristic-Lincoln reading and studying, and at the same time helping his landlady by quieting her child."

The question whether the Sangamon river was navigable or not had been under discussion several years, and reached the crisis while Abraham was in the employ of Offutt, or just after he closed his labours for him.

"The Talisman is chartered for the experiment,"

said a citizen of New Salem to Abraham, "and you ought to be her captain."

"It will take a man of more experience than I have had to run her up the river," was Abraham's modest

answer.

"Well, there's nobody here that understands the business better than you do," continued the citizen. "Will you undertake if you are wanted?"

"I'll try, and do the best I can," was Abraham's characteristic reply. "I have tried this river considerably with a flat-boat."

"That is what I thought, and for that reason you ought to pilot the Talisman; and I think that is the general opinion."

"I am willing to undertake it if it is thought best," Abraham added.

The result was that he was sent, with others, to meet the steamer at Beardstown, and pilot her up. There was great excitement over the experiment, and the inhabitants came from far and near to witness the trial from the banks of the river. Abraham took his place at the helm, and piloted her with comparative ease and safety as far as the New Salem dam, the people gathered upon the banks of the river frequently cheering at the top of their voices. Here it was necessary to remove a part of the dam to let the steamer through. She ran up to Bogue's mill, when the rapidly falling water admonished the successful captain that she must be turned down stream or be left there for the season. No time was lost in beginning the return trip, which was accomplished at the slow rate of three or four miles a day, "on account of the high wind from the prairie." J. R. Herndon was sent for, and he says: "I was sent for, being an old boatman, and I met her some twelve or thirteen miles above

New Salem. We got to Salem the second day after I went on board. When we struck the dam she hung. We then backed off, and threw the anchor over the dam, and tore away part of the dam; then, raising steam, ran her over the first trial. As soon as she was over, the company that chartered her was done with her. I think the captain gave Lincoln forty dollars to run her down to Beardstown. I am sure I got forty dollars to continue on her until we landed at Beardstown. We that went with her walked back to New Salem,"

While Abraham was in the employ of Offutt, the latter made some unprofitable ventures, by reason of which he became pecuniarily embarrassed. His mill enterprise did not prove as successful as he anticipated, and other speculations left him considerably out of pocket. Fortune ceased to smile upon any of his enterprises, and his difficulties multiplied from week to week, until he failed, closed his store, shut down his mill, and left Abraham without employment. It was, however, a period of very great advancement to Abraham. He had acquired much knowledge of mercantile business, had become familiar with grammar, had read many books, made many friends, and improved himself generally. Dr. Holland says that when he terminated his labours for Offutt, "every one trusted him. He was judge, arbitrator, referee, umpire, authority in all disputes, games, and matches of manflesh and horse-flesh; a participator in all quarrels ; everybody's friend; the best-natured, the most sensible, the best-informed, the most modest and unassuming, the kindest, gentlest, roughest, strongest, best young fellow in all New Salem and the region round about."

XVIII.

ON THE WAR-PATH.

THE Black Hawk War was causing great excite

ment in Illinois and other Western states when Abraham closed his labours with Offutt. Not long afterward the Governor of Illinois called for four regiments of volunteers.

"I shall enlist," said Abraham to his intimate friend. and companion, William Green, as soon as the news reached New Salem.

"I shall if you do," responded William.

“Well, I shall do it, honest. Nothing else on hand now. Besides, Black Hawk is one of the most treacherous Indians on the footstool, and he ought to be shot. It is not more than a year ago, and hardly that, that he entered into a treaty; and he was to keep his people on the other side of the Mississippi, and now he has crossed to make war on the whites."

"Real Indian, that is," continued William; "the only way to deal with an Indian is to shoot him."

66

I don't know about that; it's the only way to treat Black Hawk, though,-a cunning, artful warrior, who is in his element when he can massacre the whites," added Abraham.

"They expect to make short work of it, or the governor would have called for volunteers for more than thirty days," suggested William.

"They may call for them again after the expiration