Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-10-09
j Inn Wolfe and the Tom
e Cats.
BY MARK TWAIN.

Il knew by the thoughtful look up
on his face-I knew by the emo
tional Hush upon the strawberry on
the end or the old free liyer's nose.
that simon Wheeler's memory was
busy with the olden time. And So |
prepared to leave, because all these
were symptoms of reminiscence-
signs that he Was going to be deliver
ed oil another of his tiresome expert
ences-but was too slow; he got the
start OF me. AS nearly as | can re-
collect. the intliction was couched i'm
the following language: -..ss
we was all boys then, and didn't
care for nothing only how to shirk
school ana keep up a revivin state of
devllment all the time. This var
jim Wolfe | was talking about, was
the prentice, and he was the best
hearted feller he was, and the most
| forgivin' and onselfish, ever saw
we'll, there couldn't be a more bulli-
her boy than what he was, take how
you would; and sorry enough was
when see him for tile last time.
Me and Henry was always restes-
ing hlm and plastering hoss bills on
ms back and putting humble bees in
MS oea, and so on, and sometimes
we'd crowd in and bunk with him.
Notwithstanding his growing, and
then wed let on to get mad and fight
across him, SO as to keep him stirred
up like. He was nineteen, he was.
and lank and bashful, aud we was
/ iilteen and sixteen, and tolerably
lazy and worthless.
30 that night, you know, that my
sister Mary gave the candy pullin',
they started us off to bed early, SO as
the company could have full swing.
ana we rung OH Jim to have some
fun.
Our window looked out onto the
ROOF OF the ell and about ten O'Clock
couple of old tom cats got to rarin'
ana chargin' around on it, and carry
IN on like sin. Thar was four inches
OF snow on the roof, and it was so
froze that there was right smart
crust OF ice on it, aud the moon was
shinin' bright, and we could see them
cats like daylight. First the'd stand
OH anu e-yow-yow-yow, just the
same rs II they was cussin' one an
other, you know, and bow up their
backs and bush up their tails, and
swell around and spit, and all of
sudden the gray cat he'd snatch
handful OF fur off the yaller cats
nam, and spin him around like but
ton on barn door. But the yaller
"ak was game; and he'd come and
eiiEch, anu tae way they'd gouge,
and bite, and howl, and the way
they'd make the fur fl y was powerful.
Well. Jim got disgustcd with the
row and lowed he'd climb out there
and shake 'em off'n that roof. He
hadn't RELY no notion of doin' IL.
likely, but we everlastingly logged
him and bully ragged him, and
lowed he'd always Dragged how he
wouldn't take dare, and so on. tin
bimeby he histed up the winder, and
10, and, behold you, he went-went
just as he " as--nothin' OH but a shirt
and it was short. You ought to have
seen him cre-ep-in' over the ice.
and diggin' his toe nails and finger
nail in for to keep him from slippin,:
ana above all, you ought to seen that
shirt a flappin in the wind. and them
long redicklous shanks of his'n a
glistenin' in the moonlight. =
Them comp'ny folks was down
there under the caves. the whole
squad of 'em under the onery Shed of
dead Wash'to Bewer vines-alI set.
tim round about two dozen sassers of
hot candy, which they had sot in the
snow TO cool. And they was a laugh h
in and talkin lively; but bless you
they didnt know nothin' about the
panorama that was goin' on over
their heads. Well, Jim he went a
snoakin' and a sneakin' up, onbe-
knowns TO them tom cats-they was
swlshin' their tails and yow-yown',
ana threatenin' to clinch, you know.
and not payin any attention, he went
a sneakin and a sDeakin' right up to
the comb of the roof, until lie was I'm
foot and half OF 'em, and then all
OF sudden made a grab for the yal-
Ter cat! But by gosh. he missed fire
and lost his holt, an his heels flew
up and he Hoped onto his back an
shot ofi'n that roof like dart!-
went a smashin' and crashin'
trough them old rusty vines and
headed right In the dead centre of all |
them company people!-set down
Ike yarth quake I'm them two dozen
sassers OF red hot candy, and let off
howl that was bark from the tomb! /
Them girls-well, they left, you
know. They see he waren't dressed /
for company, and so they left. All
done in O second it was Just one
little war whoop; and whish Of
their dresses, and blame the wench
of 'em was in sight anywhere!
Jim, he was i'm sight! He was
gormed with bilin' hot molasses
candy clean down to his heels, and
had more busted sassers hangin' to
him than II he was Japan princess
ana he came prencin up stars just
whoopin' ard cussin' and cussin
and every jump he'd give he'd shed
some china, and every squirm he
fetched be dripped some candy.
And blistered! Why, bless your
soul, tls0t poor creature couldn't RELY
set down comfortably for as much as .
four weeksu