hard to give up beaten.

"Lincoln," said he, "you have thrown me twice, but you can't whip me."

Abe laughed again and replied:

"Needham, are you satisfied that I can throw you? If you are not, and
must be convinced through a thrashing, I will do that, too--_for your
sake_!"

CHAPTER X

CLERKING AND WORKING

HE COULD "MAKE A FEW RABBIT TRACKS"

It was in August, 1831, that Abraham Lincoln appeared in the village of
New Salem, Illinois. Neither Denton Offutt nor his merchandise had
arrived as promised. While paying the penalty of the punctual man--by
waiting for the tardy one--he seemed to the villagers to be loafing. But
Abraham Lincoln was no loafer. He always found something useful and
helpful to do. This time there was a local election, and one of the
clerks had not appeared to perform his duties. A New Salem woman wrote
of Lincoln's first act in the village:

"My father, Mentor Graham, was on that day, as usual, appointed to be a
clerk, and Mr. McNamee, who was to be the other, was sick and failed to
come. They were looking around for a man to fill his place when my
father noticed Mr. Lincoln and asked if he could write. He answered that
he could 'make a few rabbit tracks.'"

PILOTING A FAMILY FLATBOAT

A few days after the election the young stranger, who had become known
by this time as the hero of the flatboat on Rutledge's dam four months
before, found employment as a pilot. A citizen, Dr. Nelson, was about to
emigrate to Texas. The easiest and best mode of travel in those days
was by flatboat down the river. He had loaded all his household goods
and movable property on his "private conveyance" and was looking about
for a "driver." Young Lincoln, still waiting, unemployed, offered his
services and took the Nelson family down the Sangamon River--a more
difficult task in August than in April, when the water was high on
account of the spring rains. But the young pilot proceeded cautiously
down the shallow stream, and reached Beardstown, on the Illinois River,
where he was "discharged" and walked back over the hills to New Salem.

ANNOYED BY THE HIGH PRAISES OF HIS EMPLOYER

Denton Offutt and his stock for the store arrived at last, and Lincoln
soon had a little store opened for business. A country store seemed too
small for a clerk of such astounding abilities, so the too enthusiastic
employer bought Cameron's mill with the dam on which Lincoln had already
distinguished himself, and made