Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-12-23

u
genius named Jim Smiley, who was al
ways ready to bet. Here is speci-
men: Ns-
Well, this yer Smiley had rat-terriers
and chicken cocks, and tom-cats, aud all
them kind of things. till you couldn't
rest, and you couldn't fetch nothing
for him to bet on but he'd match you.
He ketched frog one day and took him
home and said he caflated to educate
him; and so he never done nothing for
three months but Tin his back yard
and learn that frog to jump. And you
bet he did learn him too. He'd
give him little lunch behind, and the
next minute you'd see the frog whirling
in the air like q doughnut7-see him turn
one summerset, or maybe couple, if he
got q good start, and come down fiat
footed and all right. like a cat. He got
him mp so In the matter of ketching
flies, and kept him in practice so con-
slant, that he'd nail fly every time as
far as he could see him. Smiley said all
q frog wanted was aducatirn and he
could do almost anything-andI believe
him. Why I've seen him set
Danl Webster down here on this
fioor-DanI Webster was the name
of the frog and sing. out, '.Fies
Dan'l flies" and quicker N you could
wink, he'd spring straight mp, and
snake fly off'n che counter there, and
flop down ON the floor again as solid as
a COB of mud, and fall to scratching
the side of his head with his hind foot
as Indifferent as if he hadn't no idea
he'd done any more'n any frog might
do. You never see q frog so modest
and straiphtfor ard as he was, for all he
was so gifted. And when it come to
fair and,square jumping on a dead lew
Ell, he could get over more ground at
one straddle than any animal OF his
breed You ever see. Jumping on q
dead level was his strong suit, you I'M
derstand, and when it came to that,
Smiley weuld ante up money on him as
long as he had red. Smiley was
monstrous proud of his frog, and well
he might be, for fellers that had trav-
eled and been everywheres all said he
laid over any frog that ever they see
| Well, Smiley kept the beast in lit
tie lattace-box, and he used to fetch
him down town sometimes and lay for
bet. One day feller-a stranger in
the camp, he was---com6 across him
with his box, and says: s4
"What might it be that you've got in
the bcx?"
And Smiley says, sorter Indifferent
like, ''Itmight be parrot, or it might
be canary, maybe, but it ain't--it's
only Just frog" aa
And the Teller took it, and looked at it
careful, and turned round this way and
that, aud says. "H'm-so. tbs. Well,
whats he good for?''
"Well," said Smiley, easy and care
less, "He's good enough for one thing,
/ should judgeAhe can out-jump any
frog in Calavaras county"
The Teller took the box again, and
took another long, particular look, and
gave it back to Smiley and says. very
deliberate, "Well, don't see no points
about that frog that's any better'n any
other frog"
"Maybe You DON'T" Smiley says,
"Maybe you understand frogs, and
maybe you don't understand 'em; may
be you've had experience, and maybe
you amt only a amature, as it Were.
Anyways, I've got my opinion, and I'll
risk forty dollars that he can out-jump
any frog in Calaveras county,"
And the Teller studied minute, and
then says, kinder sad, like, swell, I'm
only q stranger here, and 1 amt got no
frog = but if had a frog I'd bet you.
And then Smiley says, "That's all
iight-that's all right-ifyou'llh hold my
box a minnie I'll go and get You frog"
and so the Teller took the box, and put
up his forty dollars along with Smiley's,
and sat down to wait.
So be set there good while thinking
and king to hisself, and then he
got the frog out and pried his month
open and took teaspoon and filled him
full of quail shot-filled him pretty near
up to his chin-and set him on the floor
Smiley he went out TO the swamp and
stopped around in mud for long time,
and finally he ketched frog and
fetched him in and gave him to this fe
Ter and says: ,...
Snow, if you're ready. lay him along
side of Dan1, with his fore-paws just
even with Dan'Ps, and Eli give the
word. Then he says, ''one-two-three
Jump T. and him and the Teller touch
ed mp the frogs from behind, and the
new frog hoped of lively, but Danl
give heave, and hysted mp his should
ers-so-like Frenchman, but it wasn't
no use, he couldn't bulge; he was plant
ed as solid as anvil, and he couldn't
no more stir than if he was anchored
ont. Smiley was good deal surprised,
and he was disguised too, but he didn't
have no idea what the matter was, of
course. .ceei
The Teller took the money and started
away, and when he was going out at the
door he sorter jerked his thumb over
his shoulder way, at Danl, and
says again very deliberate:
"Well, dent see any points about
that frog that's any better n any other
frog" df1 saJ ra .aeaa
9 Smiley he stood scratching his head
and looking down at Dan1 a long time,
and at last he says: SCI asi1qTs'.
,sI do wonder what in the nation that
frog throwed off for; L wonder if there
amt something the matter with him;
he pears to look mighty abaggy, some
how Aud he ketched Dan'l by the nap
of the neck, and lifted him up, and
says:
Why blame my cats if he don't
weigh five pounds" and turned him up
side down, and he belched ont about
double handful of shot. And then he
see how it was, and he was the maddest
mamie set the frog down and took
ont after the Teller, but he never ketch-.
ed him. And liiuse9 iq e elei .daa 4
IIIaro c;,,,,, WI, aa1ar baord b;a non,a