it, and a prominent citizen stopped the encounter. The result
was that Armstrong and his gang became Lincoln's friends and later gave
him the most hearty political support at times when the support of just
such men as Armstrong was an important political asset.

During this time Lincoln continued his studies, and feeling the need to
study English Grammar he ransacked the neighborhood until he found trace
of one some six miles away and walked over to buy or borrow it; brought
it back in triumph and studied it exhaustively.

About this time we have some narratives concerning his honesty that
compare favorably with the story of Washington and the cherry tree.
While he was keeping Offut's store a woman overpaid him four pence and
when he found the mistake he walked several miles that evening to return
the pennies before he slept. On another occasion in selling a half pound
of tea he discovered that he had used too small a weight and he hastened
forth to make good the deficiency. Indeed one of his chief traits all
his life was absolute honesty.

He was chosen to pilot the first steamboat, the Talisman, up the
Sangamon. At Springfield they held a banquet to celebrate the event but
Lincoln was not invited because they only invited the "gentlemen" and
Lincoln was only the pilot.

He spent all his spare time studying Law or History, and had been from
his youth an admirer of the romantic figure of Henry Clay. He adopted
most of Clay's principles as his own, especially that of the gradual,
compensated emancipation of slaves, to which ideal he clung all his
life. With such interests, it was natural that when Offut failed and
his job as store clerk ended, he should announce himself as a candidate
for the legislature. His campaign was interrupted by the Black Hawk War.
Lincoln volunteered. The Clary's Grove boys enlisted and elected him
captain. He showed his kindness and courage when during the campaign he
found his whole command, mutinous and threatening; and facing them he
placed his own body between them and a poor friendly Indian, who, with
safe conduct from General Cass, had taken refuge in camp. He saw no
fighting and killed no Indians but was long afterward able to convulse
Congress with a humorous account of his "war record." The war ended in
time for him to get back and stump the county just before the election
in which he was defeated.

In partnership with a man named Berry they bought out the little store
in New Sale