seized his victim, they chose Lincoln umpire, relying not only on his
fairness but his ability to enforce his decisions. Judge Herndon, in his
"Abraham Lincoln," says of this notable event:

"I cannot improve on the description furnished me in February, 1865, by
one who was present.

"They formed a ring, and the time having arrived, Lincoln, with one hand
on each hip and in a squatting position, cried, 'Ready.' Into the ring
they toss their fowls, 'Bap.'s' red rooster along with the rest. But
no sooner had the little beauty discovered what was to be done than he
dropped his tail and ran.

"The crowd cheered, while 'Bap.,' in disappointment, picked him up and
started away, losing his quarter (entrance fee) and carrying home his
dishonored fowl. Once arrived at the latter place he threw his pet down
with a feeling of indignation and chagrin.

"The little fellow, out of sight of all rivals, mounted a woodpile and
proudly flirting out his feathers, crowed with all his might. 'Bap.'
looked on in disgust.

"'Yes, you little cuss,' he exclaimed, irreverently, 'you're great on
dress parade, but not worth a darn in a fight."'

It is said, according to Judge Herndon, that Lincoln considered
McClellan as "great on dress parade," but not so much in a fight.

A LOW-DOWN TRICK.

When Lincoln was a candidate of the Know Nothings for the State
Legislature, the party was over-confident, and the Democrats pursued a
still-hunt. Lincoln was defeated. He compared the situation to one of
the camp-followers of General Taylor's army, who had secured a barrel of
cider, erected a tent, and commenced selling it to the thirsty soldiers
at twenty-five cents a drink, but he had sold but little before another
sharp one set up a tent at his back, and tapped the barrel so as to
flow on his side, and peddled out No. 1 cider at five cents a drink, of
course, getting the latter's entire trade on the borrowed capital.

"The Democrats," said Mr. Lincoln, "had played Knownothing on a cheaper
scale than had the real devotees of Sam, and had raked down his pile
with his own cider!"

END FOR END.

Judge H. W. Beckwith, of Danville, Ill., in his "Personal Recollections
of Lincoln," tells a story which is a good example of Lincoln's way of
condensing the law and the facts of an issue in a story: "A man, by vile
words, first provoked and then made a bodily attack upon another. The
latter, in defending himself, gave the other much the wors