Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-01-06

psl anu see IL tHeS NcIe all fiSut.
"Don't you get in any fight she
said, which shows that the women
knew what was in the air.
Sarah led the way and the others
followed her"
Those big, brawny fellows from tile
Grove when they got merry We're look
ing always for chance to get mad
at some man and turn him into Il
plaything A chance had come to get
mad and they were going to make the
most Of it. They began to growl with
resentment. Some were Wigging their
leader, Jack Armstrong, to fight Abe.
One of them ran to his horse and
brought bottle from his saddle bag.
Jack Armstrong got the bottle before
ii was half emptied, drained it and
flung it high in the air Another
called him a hog and grapped him
around the waist and there was Il deS-
perate struggle which ended quickly.
Armstrong got a hold on the neck Of
his aSSalant and chOked him until he
let 20. This was not enough for the
| sturdy bully Of Clary's Grove. He
seized his follower and flung him so
roughly on the ground that the latter
lay for a moment stunned Armstrong
had got his blood warm and was now
! ready for action. With Il wild WhoOp
he threw off his coat, unhuttoned his
right Shirtsleeve and rolled it TO the
shoulder and declared in "a loud voice.
as he swung his arm il the air, that
he could "out jump, out hop, out run,
! throw down. drag out an lick any man
| in New Salem
In letter to his father Samson
writes:
ABE was working at my elbow
saw him drop his hammer and get up
and make for the ladder. ! knew
| something was going to happen and
| followed him. In minute everyone
was off the roof and out of the build
ing l guess they knew what was
coming The big lad stood there
swinging his arm and yelling like an
| Iniun. 1t was big arm and muSClef
and corded up some, but | guess if I'd
showed the calico off mine and held it
up he'd Il pulled down lis sleeve.
didn't know just how good Il man
| Abe was and / was kind O scairt for
Il minute. | never found it 50 hard
work to do nothin' as | did then. Hon
/ est, my hands kind o ached. | wanted
to go an cuff that feller's ears an
grab hold o him am toss him over the
ridge pole Abe went right up 10 him
an said:
"Jack, you amt half so bad or half
so cordy as we think We are. You say
YOU can throw down any man here
! [ reckon I'll have TO show We that
! you're mistaken. I'll rassle With We.
! We're friends an we won't talk about
lickin each other Les have friend
ly rassIe.'
in second the two men We're
I locked together. Armstrong had
lunged at Abe With a yell. There was
no friendship in the way he took hold.
| He was going to do all the damage
! he could in any way he could. Half
| drunk, Jack IS man who would bite
your ear off. 1t was no raSslc; it was
a fight. Abe moved like lightning.
He acted awful timber an we'll
creased In a second he had got hold
of the fe1ler's neck with his big right
hand and hooked his left into the cloth
on his hip. In thai way he held him
off and shook him as you've seen our
dog shake Il WOOdcluck. Abe'S blood
was hot. If the whole crowd had
piled on him | guess he would have
come out all right, for when he's
reused there's some hing in Abe more
! than bones and muscles. | suppose
it's what | feel when he speaks q
piece. It's a kind of lightning, | guess
it's what our minister used TO call the
! power of the spirit
"a friend Of the bully jumped in
and tried to trip Abe. Harry Needles
stood beside me- Before / could move
he dashed forward and hit that Teller
in the middle of his forehead and
knocked him fiat. Harry had hit Bap
| McNOlI, the COth ll&HLCI. XVI up
next to the kettle theG and took the
scum off it. Fetched one of them
devils a slap with the side of my hand
that took tne skin off his face and
rolled him over and over. When |
looked again Armstrong was going
limp. His mouth was open and his
| tongue out. With one hand fastened
to his right leg and the other on the
nape Of his neck Abe lifted him at
arms length and gave him toss In
the air. Armstrong fell about ten
feet from where Abe stood and lay
there for minute. The fight was all
out Of him and he was kind of dazed
and sick. Abe stood up like a giant
and his face looked awful solemn.
Boys, if there's any more O. you
that want trouble you can have some
| off the same piece, he said
~s~~--.,a