The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-03-19

more ground at one straddie than any
animal of his breed you ever see.
Jumping on a dead level was his
strong suit, yon understand and
when it come to that, Smiley would
ante-up money on him as long as be
had q red. Smiley was monstrous
proud of his frog and well he might
be, for fellers that had Travelled and
had been everywhere, all said he
laid over any frog that ever they
see.
Well, Smiley kept the beast in a
little box, and he used to fetch him
down town and lay for a bet. One
day feller-a stranger in the camp,
he was come across him with his
box, and says:
What might it be that you've got
in that box?"
And Smiley says, sorter indiffer-
ent like at might be a parrot, or it
might be canary, may be, but it
amt, it's only frog"
And the feIler took ii, and looked
at it careful, and turned it around
this way and that, and saws, Him,
sO'tis. We'll, whats he good for ?'
"Well, Smiley says, easy and care
less, "he's good enough for one thing,
| should judge-he can out jump ary
frog in Calaveras county"
The fel!er took the box again, and
took another long, particular look,
and gave il back to Smiley, and saws,
very deliberate, "Wcll | don't see
no p'ints about that frog that's anv
better'n any other frog
May be YOU don't, Smiley says.
May be you understand frogs, and
may be you don't understand 'em may
be you've had experience, and NAV
be you amt only amateur as it
were. Anyways, I've got my opini-
on, and I'll risk forty dollars that he
can out jump airy frog in Calaveras
county.
And then Smiley saws, That's all
right-that's all right il you'll hold
my box a minute, I'll go and get you
a frog And so the feller took the
box, and put up his forty dollars along
with Smiley's, and set down to wait,
and set there a good while, thinking
and thinking to hisself, and then he
got the frog out and priced his mouth
open, and took teaspoon and filed /
him with quail shot-fiIled him pret-
" near up to the chin-and set him
on the floor Smiley he went to the |
swamp, and stopped around in the /
mud for long time, and finally he /
ketched frog, and fetched him in and I
give him to this feller, and SAYS:
Now, if you're ready set him
alongside of Danl, with his forepBws
just even with Dan1 and I'll give the I
word" Then he says, "One-two !
-three-jump!'' and him and the /
feller touched up the frogs from be-
hind, and the new frog hOpped of, but /
Dan'l give heave, and hysted up
his shoulders-so like a Frinchman /
but it wasn't no use-he couldn't /.
bulge he was planted as solid as
an anvil, and he couldn't no more stir |
than if he was anchored out. Smiley
was good deal surprised. and he
was disgusted too, but be didn't have
no idea what the matter was, of
course.
The feller took the money and |
started away: and when be was go
ing out the door, he sorter jerked his
thumb over his shoulder-this way at /
Dan', and says again, very deliber-
ate, "Well | don't see no p'ints about |
that frog that's any better'n any other
frog.
Smiley he stood scratching his head I
and looking down on Danl long
time, and at last be SAYS, | do wonder |
what in the nation that frog throwed |
off for; | wonder if there amt some
thing the matter with him, he pears |
to look mighty baggy, somehow |
And he ketched Danl by the nape of /
the neck, and lifted him up, and SAYS, I
why, blame my cats, if he don't /
weigh FIVE poundr and turned him
upside down, and he belched out a |
double handful of shot. And then 1
he saw how it was, and he was the |
man. He set the frog down, ,
and took out after that feller, but he
did never ketch him. And
Here Simon Wheeler heard his |
name called from the front yard, and |
got up to see what was wanted. And /
as moved away, he said, |
Just set where you are, stranger, /
md rest easy-i amt agoing to be /
gone q second.
But the stranger did not think that
4 continuation of the history of the
enterprising vagabond, Jim Smiley, |
would be likely to afford much infor-
nation concerning the Rev. Leoni-
Has W. Smiley, and so ] started
lwav.