The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-10
Jim Wolf and the Eom Cats.
BY MARX TWAIN

knew by the sympathetic glow upon his
bald head knew by the thoughtful 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 Wheeler
memory was busy with the olden time. And
30 | prepared to leave because all these
we're symptoms of a reminiscence-sings
that he was going TO be delivered of another
of his tireseme personal experlenees-but |
was too slow he got the start of me. As
nearly as can recollect, the infiction was
couched in the following language;
s. We were all boys, then, and didn't care
for nothing, and didn't have no trouble,and
didn't worry about nothing only TO shirk
school, and keep up E ~revivin' state of divil
ment all the time. This yah Jim Wolf I
was talking about was the prentice, and he
was the best hearted Teller, he was, and the
most ~forgivin' and onselfsh I ever see
well. there couldn't have been q butler boy
than he was, take him how you would, and
sorry enough l was when | saw him for the
last time.
Me and Henry was always Fostering him
and plas,ering boss bills on his back, and
putting humble bees in his bed and 80 on,
aud sometimes we'd crowd in @ bunk with
him, Notwithstanding his growing, and then
we'd let on and fight across him, so as to
keep him stirred mp like. He was nineteen,
he was, long, and lank, and bashful and
we was fifteen and sixteen, tolerably worth
lees and lazy.
So, that night, you know, that my sister
Mary gave a candy pullin', they started US
off to bed early, so as the company could
have fall swing, and We run in on Jim to
have some fun.
Our window looked out into the roof Of
the ell, and about ten o'clock q couple of
old tom-cats got to rarin' and chargin'
around it and carIyin' on like sin. There
was four inches of snow on the roof, and i,
WAS frozen so that there WAS a right smart
crust of ice on it, and the moon was shining
bright, and we could see them cats like
daylight. First they'd stand off and e you
VOW VOW, Just the same as if they was 8
oussin' one another, you know, and bow up
their backs and push up their tails, and
swell around and spit, and then all Of a
sudden the gray cat he'd snatch q handful
Of fur out of the yeller cats ham, and
spin him around like the button on a barn
door. But the yeller cat was game, and he'd
come and clinch, and the way they'd gouge,
and bite, and howl, and the way they'd
make the 1ur ny, was powerful.
Well Jim, he got disgusted with the row,
and lowed he'd climb out there and shake
him off the root. He hadn't RELY no notion
of dom it likely, but we everlastin1y logged
him, and bully ragged him, and lowd he'd
always Dragged how he wouldn't take a dare;
aud 80 on, till bimeby he histed up the
winder, and 10 and behold you he went
went exactly rs he was, nothin' On but a
-. - 49, -uno AH Rat n1rht
TO q seen him. You ought to see him
cre-e-pin' over that ice, and diggin' his
toe nails and finger-nails in to keep from
%slippin'; and 'bove all, you onght to seen
that shirt fappin' in the wind, them long
ridiculous shanks OF his glistening in the
moonlight.
Them company folks was down there
under the caves, the whole squad Of 'em,
and that shed ofold Washin'ton Bower vines
all sett'n round about two dozen sassers
of hot candy, which they'd sot in the snow to
cool. And they was laughin' and talkin'
lively, but bless you, they didn't know
nothin' about the panorama that was a Roin
on over their heads. Well, Jim he Went a
senskin' mp unbeknown to them tom cats
they was q swishin' their tails and VOW
yowin', and threstenin' to clinch. you know.
anu not pdylu any 6ttcHtlou-ue went u
sneakin' right to the comb of the roof till he
was in q foot'n a half of en-, and then all of
OF a sudden he made a grab for the yaller
cat! But by gosh he missed fire and slipped
his holt and his heels few up and he Topped
on his back, and shot of'n that roof like a
a slashin' and a crashin' down
thro' them old rusty vines and landed right
IN the dead center of them company of peo |
ple!-sot down like a yesrthquake in them
two dozen sassers of red hot candy. and let
off q howl that was bark from the tomb
Them gals-well they looked you know =
They see he wasn't dressed for company
and so they left. All done IN a second. !,
was Just one little war whoop and a whish
of the dresses, and blame the wench of 'em
was in sight any where!
Jim, he was q sigh. He was gormed with
that billin' hot molasses candy clean down
to his heels, and had more busted sassers
hangrh' to him than if he was an lnjun
princess-and he came a praucing' up
stairs Just a.who opin' and %cussin', and every
jump he gave shed some china, and every
squirm he fetched he dropped some candy
And blissered /! Why, bless your seul.
that poor cretur couldn't reely set down
comfortable for - much - four wesks,n