HKB
rider stood against it for a second until Abe sprang his bow. Then the heels of the former flew upward and his body came down to the grass, back first.
"That ar done popped my wind bag," said the minister as he got up.
"Call in," said John McNeil and the others echoed it.
"I call you," said the minister turning to McNeil.
"McNeil!" the onlookers called.
The stalwart young Irishman stepped forward and said:
"I don't mind measuring my length on the grass."
This he did in less than half a moment. As the young man rose from the grass he said:
"I call in Samson Traylot."
At last the thing which had long been a subject of talk and argument in the stores and houses of New Salem was about to come to pass--a trial of strength and agility between the two great lions of Sangamon County. Either of them would have given a month's work to avoid it.
"I reckon we better begin our story-tellin'," said Abe.
"I think so too," Samson declared. "It's purty dusk now."
"A rassle--a rassle," their neighbors shouted.
"I'd rather give ten bushel o' wheat than miss seein' you fellers take hold o' each other," said Alexander Ferguson.
"I would too," said Martin Waddell.
So it happened that these friendly giants, each dreading the ordeal, faced each other for a contest.
"Now we shall see which is the son of Peleus and which the son of Telemon," Kelso shouted.
"How shall we rassle?" Samson asked.
"I don't care," said Abe.
"Rough and tumble," Ferguson proposed.
Both men agreed. They bent low intently watching each other, their great hands outreaching. They stood braced for a second and suddenly both sprang forward. Their shoulders came together with a thud. It was like two big bison bulls hurling their weight in the first shock of battle. For a breath each bore with all his strength and then closed with his adversary. Each had an under hold with one arm, the other hooked around a shoulder. Samson lifted Abe from his feet but the latter with tremendous efforts loosened the hold of the Vermonter, and regained the turf. They struggled across the dooryard, the ground trembling beneath their feet. They went against the side of the house shaking it with the force of their impact. Samson had broken the grip of one of Abe's hands and now had his feet in the air again but the young giant clung to hip and shoulder and wriggled back to his foothold. Those lesser men were thrilled and a little frightened by the mighty struggle. Knowing the strength of the wrestlers they felt a fear of broken bones. Each had torn a rent in the coat of the other. If they kept on there was danger that both would be stripped. The children had begun to cry. Sarah begged the struggling men to stop and they obeyed her.
"If any of you fellers think that's fun you can have my place," said Abe. "Samson, I declare you elected the strongest man in this county. You've got the muscle of a grizzly bear. I'm glad to be quit o' ye."
"It ain't a fair election, Abe," Samson laughed. "If you were rassling for the right you could flop me. This little brush was nothing. Your heart wasn't in it, and by thunder, Abe! when it comes to havin' fun I rather guess we'd both do better to let each other alone."
"'Tain't exactly good amusement, not for us," Abe agreed.
It was growing dark. Ann Rutledge arrived on her pony, and called Abe aside and told him that the raiders were in the village and were breaking the windows of Radford's store because he had refused to sell them liquor.
"Have they any guns with them?" Abe asked.
"No," Ann answered.
"Don't say anything about it," Abe cautioned her.
"Just go into the house with Sarah Traylor and sit down and have a good visit. We'll look after the raiders."