wn Jack Armstrong upon the ground, in his wrath, as a lion
would throw a dog that had been set upon him, and while the strong
stranger stood there, with his back to the wall, challenging the whole
gang, with deep-set eyes blazing with indignation, they acknowledged him
as their conqueror, and declared that "Abe Lincoln is the cleverest
fellow that ever broke into the settlement."

The initiation was over, and young Lincoln's triumph complete. From that
day "the Clary's Grove Boys" were his staunch supporters and defenders,
and his employer was allowed to go on bragging about his wonderful clerk
without hindrance.

GIVING ANOTHER BULLY "A DOSE OF SMARTWEED"

A bumptious stranger came into the store one day and tried to pick a
quarrel with the tall clerk. To this end he used language offensive to
several women who were there trading. Lincoln quietly asked the fellow
to desist as there were "ladies present." The bully considered this an
admission that the clerk was afraid of him, so he began to swear and use
more offensive language than before. As this was too much for Abraham's
patience, he whispered to the fellow that if he would keep quiet till
the ladies went out, he (Lincoln) would go and "have it out."

After the women went, the man became violently abusive. Young Lincoln
calmly went outside with him, saying: "I see you must be whipped and I
suppose I will have to do it." With this he seized the insolent fellow
and made short work of him. Throwing the man on the ground, Lincoln sat
on him, and, with his long arms, gathered a handful of "smartweed" which
grew around them. He then rubbed it into the bully's eyes until he
roared with pain. An observer of this incident said afterward:

"Lincoln did all this without a particle of anger, and when the job was
finished he went immediately for water, washed his victim's face and did
everything he could to alleviate the man's distress. The upshot of the
matter was that the fellow became his life-long friend, and was a better
man from that day."

HOW HE MADE HIS FELLOW CLERK GIVE UP GAMBLING

Lincoln's morals were unusually good for that time and place. Smoking,
chewing, drinking, swearing and gambling were almost universal among
his associates. Offutt hired a young man, William G. Greene, after the
purchase of the mill. This assistant first told many of the stories, now
so well known, concerning Abe at this period of his career:

Young Greene was, like most of the