Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-11-30
Sim Wolfe and the Tom Cats
81 MARK TWAIN.

| / knew by the sympathetic glow upon
/ bis bald bead knew by the thought
I full look upon his face-I knew by the
emotional flush upon the strawberry on
the end of the old free liver's nose, that
/ Simon WheeIer's memory was busy
with the olden time. And so | prepar-
\ ed to leave, because all these were
symptoms of reminiscence-sign that
be was going to be delivered of another
of bis tiresome personal experiences
but was too slow; he got the start of
me. As nearly as can recollect, the
infiction was couched in the following
language:-
1--WE was all boys, then, and didn't
care for nothing only how to shirk school
and keep up revivin' state of devilment
all the time. Thish-yar Jim Wolfe /
was talking about, was the prentice, and
/ he was the best heartsd Teller, he was,
and the most forgirin' and onseIfish, /
ever see well, there couldn't be more
bullifer boy then what he was, take him
how you would: and sorry enough l
was when see him for the last time.
"Me and Henry was always Fostering
him and plastering boss bills on his back
and putting humble bees in his bed, and
so on, and sometimes we'd crowd in and
bunk with him, Notwithstanding bis
growin, and then we'd let on to get mad
and fight acrost him, so as to keep him
stirred mp like. He was nineteen. be
was. and long and lank. and bashful,
and we was fifteen and sixteen, and toll
eraJly lazy and worthless.
$50. that night, YOU know, that my
sister Mary gave the candy pullin', they
started us off to bed early, so as the
comply could have full swing, and we
rung in on Jim TO have some fun.
"Our winder looked out onto the roof
of the ell, and about 10 o'clock a couple
Of old tom cats got 10 rarin' and charg
in around on it and carryin' on like sin.
There was four inches of snow on the
roof, and it was froze so that there was
a right smart crust of ice on it, and the
moon was shinin' bright, and wo could
sec them cats like daylight. First,
they'd stand off and yow-yow-yow,
Just the same as if they was cussin' one
another, YOU know, aud bow up their
backs aud bush up their tails, and swell
around and spit. and then all of a sud
den the gray cat he'd snatch handful
Of fur off the waller cats ham, aud spin
him around, like the button on the barn
door. But the waller cat was game, and
he'd come and cinch, and the way
they'd gouge, and bite, aud howl, and
the way they'd make the fur fly was
powerful.
"Wrn, Jim. he cot disguised with the
row and lowed he'd climb out there and
shake 'en off n that roof. He hadn't
RELY no notion Of dom it, likely, but
we everlastingly logged him and bully
ragged him, and lowed he'd always
Dragged bow he wouldn't take n Care,
and so on, till bimeby he histed up the
winder, and 10 aud behold You, he went
went Just he was-nothin' on but
shirt, and il was short. You ought to
a seen him! You ought TO a seen him
ere c pin over that ice, and diggin bis
toe nails and his finger nails in for to
keep him from slippin'; aud above all,
Won ought to seen that shirt hoppin
in the wind, and them long, redicklors
shanks Of his'n a glistenin' in the moon
light.
"Them comply folks was down there
under the caves, the whole squad of IN
under that emery shed Of dead WASH
ton Bower vines-all sett'n round about
two dozen sassers Of hot candy, which
they sot in the snow to cool And they
was laughin' and talkin' lively; but bless
YOU. they didn't know nothing about the
panorama that was goin' on over their
heads. We'll, Jim, he went sneaking
ard a sneakin' up, unbeknowns to them
tom cats-they was n swishin' their tails
and vow-vowin' and threatenin' to clinch.
/ you know, and not payin' any attention
he went sne-akin' and sne-akin'
right up to the comb of the roof, till he
was in foot and half of 'em, and
then all of sudden he made a grab for
the waller cat! But, by gosh, be missed
fire and slipped his holt, and his heels
/ flew up and he Topped on his back and
+ shot off u that roof like dart went a
smsshin' and crashin' down thro' them
old rusty vines and headed right in the
/ dead centre of all them country people J
set down like a yearth quake in them
two dozen sassers of red-hot candy, and
I let off howl that was bark from the
tomb! Them girls-well they left, you
know. They see he warn't dressed for
company, and so they left. All done in
a second; it was just one little war
whoop, and whisb, Of their dresses,
and blame the wench of 'em was in
sight anywhere!
''Jim he was in sight. He was
/ gormed with the bilin' hot molass IS
candy clean down to his heels, and had
more busted sassers hanging to him
than if he was Japan princess-and
be came prancing up stairs just a
| whoepin' and cussin' and every jump
he give he shed SEINE china. and every
squirm he fetched he dripped SONG
| candy.
"And blistered! Why, bless your
soul, that poor cretur couldn't RELY set
down comfortable for as much as four
weeks"