Page:Abraham Lincoln, A Story and a Play.djvu/32

26 rout the Indians.

By this time young Lincoln had become a great favorite in his part of the country, and he was chosen captain of a company of soldiers who had enlisted in the war. He was delighted at the honor, because it showed how much he was liked. He said afterwards that it gave him more pleasure than anything which befell him in later life.

Now it happened that the war came to an end before Lincoln's company was called upon to do any fighting, but the men were in camp for several months, where they were drilled daily and stood ready to fight if called upon. They had much spare time, however, in which they ran races, had jumping and wrestling matches and other sports, and Abraham enjoyed the good-natured companionship of so many young men.

Though they had not gone to the front, and had taken part in no fighting with the red men, they often talked together about the fearful massacres of which they heard. More and more they hated the Indians and felt a longing to destroy them. One day, as some of them were talking together about this very matter, an old Indian, poor and feeble, came walking into the camp.