The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-12-10

l. took another long, particular looI
; and gave it back to Smiley, and say
Ii very deliberate, "Well-I don't se
: no points about that frog that's an
better'n any other frog.,'
''Maybe you DON'T" Smiley says
s'maybe you understand frogs, an
maybe you don't understand 'em
maybe you've had experience, an
msy5e you amt only amature. as
we're. Anyways I've gotnay opinion
and I'll resk forty dollars that Ii
; can out jump ary frog in Calavera
county,
And the feller studied a minute
> and then says, kinder sad like, "Well
I'm only a stranger here, and ain
got no frog-but if l had a frog Pd
bet you"
And then Smiley says, "That's al
right-that's all Iight-if you'll hold
my box minute FIJI go and get yor
a frog" and SO the feller took the
box, and put up his forty dollar:
along with Smiley's and set down to
wait.
So he set there good while think.
ing and thinking to hlsself, and then
he got the frog out and priced his
mouth open and took q teaspoon
and filled him full of quail-shot-
lilied him pretty near up to his chin,
and set him on the floor. Smiley, he
went out to the swamp and slooped
around in the mud for a long time,
and finally he ketched II frog and
fetched him in and give him to this
feller and says:
Now. ii you're ready, set him
alongside of Dan'l, with his fore
paws just even with Dan'I's, and III
give the word. Then he says, zone,
two, three-jump! and him and the
feller touched up the frogs from be-
hind, and the new frog hopped off
lively, but Dan'l give IL heave and
histed up Bis shoulders-so-like a
Frenchman, but it wasn't no use--he
couldn't bulge; he was planted rs
solid as a anvil, and he couldn't no
more stir than il be was anchOred
out. Smiley was good deal sur
prised and he was disgusted too, bat
he didn't have no idea what the mat
ter WAS, OF course.
The ieller took the money and
started away, and when he was 60
ing out at the door lie sorter jerked
his thumb over lis shoulder-this
way--at Dan'l, aud says again, very
deliberate, "Well, 1 don't see no
points about that frog that's any bet
tern any other irog.'
Smiley he stood scratching his
heal and looking down at Dan'l &
long time, and at last lie 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 might baggy some
he ketched Dan'l by the
nap OF the neck, and lifted him up
and says he, ''blame my cats il he
don't weigh five pound and turned
him upside down, and he belched
ouu aUOuU a uouDic-nas4urul III slIOt
and then he see how it was, and he
was the maddest mainland SET the
frog down and took out after the
feller, but he never ketched him.
And
Here Simon Wheeler heard his
maine called from the front-yard, and
got up 10 go and see what was want
ed, and turning to me as he NOV
ed away, he said: "Just sit where
you are, stranger, and rest easy--I
amt going to be gone second
But by your leave, did not think
that continuation of the history of
the enterprising vagabond Jim Smil-
ey would be likely to afford me much
concerning the Rev.
Leonidas w. Smiley, and so / start
ed away.
At the door | met sOciable Wheel
er returning, and he button-holed me
aud recommended
Well, this yer Smiley had a yaller
One-eyed cow that didn't have no
tail, only just a short stump like
and
80, curse Smiley and his afflicted
cow" | muttered, good-naturedly,
and bidding the old gentleman good
day, departed. Yours truly,
MARK TWAIN