Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-01-26

Jw SWLH's JUNFNC FRoC.-Wel, this
yer Smiley had rat-terrIcrs and chicken
cocks, and t0m-cais, and all them kind of
things, till you couldn't rest. and you
colin' fetch nothing for him 10 bet on but
he'd match you. lie kctchcd frog one
DAY and took him home and said be cal'lated
to educate him. and 30 he never done moth
ing lor three months but set in bis back yard
and learn that frog to jump. And you bet
YOU be did learn hin, too He'd give him a
little hunch behind, and the next minute
YOU j see that frog whirlIng in the air like
a doughnut-see him turn one summerset,
or maybe a couple. if be got good start,
ard come down Hat footed and all right, like
a cat. lie got him up 50 in the matter Of
kctching llics, and kept him in practice 50
constant, that he q nail fly every time as
far as he could see him. Smiley said all
irog wanted was education, and he could DO
most anything-and believed him. Why,
I've seen hIm set Danl Webster down here
on this f0Jr-Danl Webster was the name
of the lrog-and sing out, "Flies, Danl,
flies" and quicker'n YOU could wink, be d
spring straight up, and snake fly of the
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 nor n any frog might do. You
never see a frog so modest and straighti0r-
ward as he was And when it come TO
iair-and-square jumping on a dead level, he
could get over more ground than any ami
NAL of his breed you ever see. Jumping on
a dead level was hIs strong suit, you under
stand. and when 1t came 20 that. Smiley
would 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 Travelled and ben eyerywhercs said
he laid over any frog that ever they see.
Well. Smiley kept the beast in little
lattice box. and he used TO fetch him down
town sometimes and lay for bet. One day
a feller-a stranger in the camp, he was
come across him with his box and says;
"W hat might it be that you We got in the
box?'
And Smiley says, sorter Indifferent like,
at might be parrot, or it might be can
ary, may be, but it ain't-it's only just
frog"
And the leller took it, looked at it care
ful. and turned it round this way ard that,
and says, "H'm-so It's. Well, what's he
gooi for -
.'Well," Smiley says, easy and careless,
Hes good enough for one thing | should
judge-be can out-jump any frog in Calav-
eras county
And the feller studied minute. ard then
says, kinder sad, like, "Well-I'm only a
stranger here. and l amt got no irog-but
if had frog I'd bet you
And then Smiley says, d" That's all right
that's all right-if you'll hold my box a
minute I'll 90 and get you a frog" and so
the feller took the box. and pat up his forty
dollars along with Smiley's and set down to
wait
So he set there a good while thinking and
thinking to hisself, and then he got the frog
ont and pried his mouth open and took
teaspoon and filed him full Of quail shot
filed him pretty near up to hIs chin went
out to the swamp and stopped around in the
mud for long time, and finally he ketched
a frog and fetched HIM in and give him to
this feller and says:
" Now, you re ready, set him alongside Of
Dan'l, with his fore paws Just even with
DanI's, and I'll give the word" Then he
SAYS, - onc-two-three-Jumpi' and him
and the teller touched up the frogs from be-
hind, and the new frog hoped off lively but
Dan'l gave heaye, and hysted up his
shoulders-so-like Frenchman, but it
was no use-he couldn't budge; 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 dissusted too, but he didn't haye no
idea what the matter was Of course.
The teller took the money ami started
away, and when he was going out at the
door, he sorter jerked his thumb over his
shoulder-this way-at Dan'l, and says
again, very deliberate, 3 Well don't see
no points about that frog that's any bet
ter n any other frog
Smiley, he stood scratching his head and
looking at Dan'l long tune, and at last be
says. :. 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 bOggy, somehow -
and he ketchei 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 upside down, and he beleh-
ed out about double handful Of shot. And
then he see how it was, and he was the
maddest mamie set the frog down and