The Placer herald., 1866-02-03
jim SMILEY AND HIS JUMPING FROG.

chicken cocks, and tom cats, and 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 took him home, and said he cal'lated
to educate him; and SO be did nothing for
three months but learn that frog to jump
And you bet be did learn him. lie give
him little bunch behind and the next min,
ute you'd see the frog whirling in the air
like doughnut-see him turn one sum.
merset and maybe couple If he got good
start and come down flat footed all right, like
cat. He got him up so in the matter Of
ketching flies, and kept him in practice so
constant, that bey'd nail fly every time as
far as be could see it. Smiley said all frog
wanted was education, and he could do most
anything, and believe him.
Why. have seen him set Dan'l Webster
down here on this hoor-Danl Webster was
the name of the frog-and sing out "Fes!,
and quicker than you could wink, he'd spring
straight up and snake fly off'n the counter
there and flop down on the floor again as
solid as COB Of mud, and fall to scratching
the side of bis head with his hind foot as in
different as if he hadn't no idea he'd done
any more than any frog might do. You
never see frog so modest and straitfor'ard
as be was, for all he was so gifted And
when it come to fair and square jumping on
a dead level, he'd get over more ground in
one stradde than any animal you ever see Of
his breed. Jumping on dead level was
his strongest suit, you understand, and when
it come to that, Smiley would ante up money
on him SO long as he had a red. Smiley
was monstrous proud of his frog, and we'll
he might be, for fellers who had travelled
and ben everywhere. all said he laid over
any frog that ever they see. Well, Smiley
kept the beast in attse box, and he use TO
bring him down town sometimes and Law for
bet One day felIer, a stranger in the
camp, he was-come across him with his
box an says:
What might it Be you have got in the
box?"
And Smiley says, sorter Indifferent like
sit might be parrot, or it might be
canary maybe, but it ain't its only frog"
And the Teller took it and looked at it
careful, and turned it around this way and
that, and says, "H'm-so it's. Well, what's
it good fora"
"WelI," Smiley says, easy and careless,
"he's good enough for one thing l should
|
veras county,"
The felIer took the box again and took
another long particular look, and gave it
back to Smiley and said very deliberately
"WeIl-I 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; maybe you've had expert
ence, and maybe you aint only a amature,
as it were. Anyways, I've got my opinion
that he can out jump ary frog in Calaveras
county"
And the feler studied minute. and then
says. kinder sad like, "Well-rm only
stranger here, and amt got no frog-but if
had frog I'd bet you"
| And then Smiley says, "That's all right
that's all right-if you'll hold my box min
ute I'll 90 and get you frog' and SO the
feler took the box, and put up bis forty
dollars along with Smiey's and set down to
wait.
So he set there good while thinking and
thinking to himself, and then be got the frog
out and pried bis mouth open and took a
teaspoon and filled him full of shot-fiIed
him pretty near up to the chin and set him
on the floor. Smiley he went out to the
swamp and stopped around in the mud for
long time, and finally he ketched frog
and fetched him in and gave him to the
feller and says:
"Now, if you are ready, set him along side
Of Dan'l with his forepaws just even with
Dau'l's and I'll give you the word" Then
be says. tone, two, three, jump" and then
the felIer touched up the frogs from behind,
the new frog hoped off lively, but Dan'l
gave heave, and hysted up his shoulders
so-like Frenchmar, but il was no use-he
couldn't bulge; he was planted as solid as
an anvil, and he couldn't no more stir than
if he was anchored out. Smiley was good
deal surprised, and he was disgusted too, but
he didn't have no idea what the matter was
Of course.
The feer took the money and started
away, and when he was going out at the
door he sorter jerked his thumb over his
shouder-this way-at Dan' and says again
very deliberately "WeIl-I don't see no
points about that frog that's better'n any
other frog"
Smiley be stood scratching his head and
looking down at Dan'l long time, and at
last be says, Il do wonder what in the nation
that frog throwed off for-I wonder if there
amt something the matter with him-he
pears to look mighty baggy somebow-and
be 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
turning him upside down, and be belched out
double handfnl Of shot. And he sees how
it was and be was the maddest msn-he
set the frog down and took after the teller
but he never ketched him. Mark 1'wain.
A Coon STRIKE.-A man named John