An incident illustrates how strong a friend Jack Armstrong became to Abraham. A stranger came into town, and he proved to be a kind of bully, and got into a difficulty with Jack.

“You are a coward and a liar!” said Jack.

“You’ll find out whether I am or not,” exclaimed the stranger.

“You’re a coward and a liar, I say!” shouted Jack, more loudly and defiantly, while the stranger backed towards a wood-pile as Jack advanced.

Before Jack perceived the purpose of the stranger, the latter seized a stick of wood, and struck him such a blow as to bring him to the ground. Jack recovered himself in a moment, and was about to leap upon his antagonist, when Abraham, who was near, interfered, saying,—

“I wouldn’t, Jack; it won’t do you any good.”

“I’ll thrash the skunk,” retorted Jack with wrath.

“No, Jack; we’ve done with that kind of business in New Salem, you know,” Abraham continued.

“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 than you would have done to him,” suggested Abraham.

“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.