The Placer herald., 1873-04-26

and the way l. turned out.
Well. this yer Smiley had rat terriers and
chicken cocks, and all them kind OF things
till you couldn't fetch nothing for him to BET
on but he d match you. He ketched frog
one day, and took him home, and said he
c,lklated to edercate him; and 80 he never
done nothing for three months but set in his
back yard and learn that frog to jump,
And you bet he did learn that frog too.
He'd give him little unch behind, and the
next minute you'd see that frog whirling III
the air like doughnut-see him turn one
summerset, or maybe couple. if he got II
good start, and come down h4t-footed and
all right like a cat. He got him up 80 in
the matter of catching flies, and kept him in
practice so constant, that he'd nail a hy
every time AS far az he could zee him.
| Smiley said all frog wanted WAS edercation
and he could do most any thing aud | be.
ieve him. Why. I've seen him set Dan'l
Webster WAS the name of the fros--and
sing out, Files. Dan1, flies, and quicker II
you could wink he'd spring straight up, ana
shake fly off the counter there, and flop
down On the floor again, as solid as goh
| Of mud, and fail to scratching the side of his
head with bis bind foot as Indifferent as il
lie hadn't no idea he'd been doing any NOR u
my frog nigh. do. You never see fro.
20 modest and straight for ard M he WAS
FOR ali he was so gifted. And when il
came to fair and square jumping on dead
ievel, he could get over more ground at ON
'raddlc than any animal of his breed you
ever see. Jumping on dead level war
t,is strong suit. you understand; and When
It come to that, Smiley would ante ~
money on him as long as he had a red.
Smiley was monsrrous proud of his frog =,
md well he might be, for feers that had
said he laid over any frog that ever they
see.
Well Smiley kept the beast ina It'll.
box, and he used to fetch him down town
sometimes, and lay Tor bet. One day "a
;eller-a stranger in the camp, he waS-
come across him with his box, and SAYS;
"What might it be that you've got il
that box p
And Smiley saye, sorter Indifferent ike,
cit might be parrot, or it might be
canary. mnybe it amt; ia only frog
ANA tue IrlcT LOOK ", huu IooktU dt u
careful, and says. III IN! go 'tis.-Well,
what's he good for?'
"Well' Smiley says, easy aud careless,
hes good enough for one hing, should
Judge; he can ou'jump aiy frog in CalAverae
County"
The teller took the box again. and took
no her long, particular look, and says, very
deliberate, "Weli, don't SEQ no p'iuls
,bout that frog that's any be,ter'n any Other
frog"
"May be you don't" Smiley says
MAY be you understand frogs, and may
ne you don't understand EN-; may be you've
mad experience, and may be you amt only
, ametuer, AZ it were. Anyways; I've go
my opinion. and III risk forty dollars thaI
ne Can oujump airy frog in Calaveras
County"
And the feller studied a minute, and
,hen says, kinder sad like, "WeIl, I'm onl,
, stranger here, and amt got no fog; bu
fl had frog Id bet you"
II s all right: if you'll hold my box Il
-.e, III go and get you frog" And
o the feller took the box, and put up hi
forty dollars along with Smeys, aud se
down to wait.
So he sci there good while. thinking
md thinking to hisself, and then he got tn
frog out and pried lis mouth open, and tool
!, teaspoon and filed bim full Of quail sho
filled pretty near up to hs chil-and &c
him on the q or. Smiley, he went to tn,
swamp and stopped around in the mud for
long lime, and finally be ketched n frog
aud fetched him in, and gave him to this
feler, and says:
snow, if you re ready, set him alongsidt
of Dan'l and III give the word" Then he
says. Notwithstanding J. anu
him and the feller touched up the frog from
behind, and The new frog hoped off, bu
Danl gave heave, and hlsted up MS
-houlder-so-like Frenchman; but il
wasn't no use--he cauldnt bulge; he war
planted and solid as an anvil, and be couldnl
40 more stir than if he wasn't anchored out.
Smiley was good deal surprised, and
isgusted, 100, but he didn't have no idea
what the matter was.
The feller took tho money and started
iway; and when he was going out at the
door, he sorter ierked his thumb over hIs
-houlder-this way--at Danl and says
gain, very deliberat, "Well, | don't Sc,
no p'ints about that frog that's any better b
my other frog"
Smiley be ptood scratching his head and
looking down on Dan'l a long time, and At
,st he saws, IL do wonder what on the
nation that frog throwed of for; | wonder 1
here amt something the matter with him.
he pears to look mighty bag y somehow
And he ketched Dan'l by the nap of the
neck, and lifted him up and says. "Why,
lame my cats, if he don't weigh five
pou Ids 7" and turning him upside down,
md he belched ont double handful OF shot
And then he see how It WAS, and he was
The maddest man. He set the frog down
md took out after that feller, but he never
setched him. And-Here ! abandoned al
hope Of learning anything Of the Rev
r .t.a