Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-12-18

scratching tho side of his head with
his hind foot a. Indifferent al if he
hadn't no idea he'd been doing any
more than any other frog might do.
You never see frog so modest and
straight for'ard az he was, for all he
was so gifted. And when it came to
fair and square jumping on . dead
level, he could get over more ground at
one straddle than any animal of his
breed you ever see. Jumping on &
dead level was his strong suit, you un
derstand and when it comes to that
Smiley would ante up money on hin
as long as he had q red. Smiley wal
monstrous proud of his frog. and vel
he might be, for fellows that had trav
elled and had been everywhere all sald
he laid over any frog that ever they see
Well, Smiley kept the beast in . lit
tie box, aud he used to fetch him
down town and lay for bet. One
day = fellow-a stranger in the camp
come across him with his. box, and
says:
in that box"
Aid Smiley says, sorter Indifferent
like: 1T might be . parrot, or il
only just frog"
And the TELLER took it and looked al
it careful and turned it round this way
and that, and says: Him! 90 tits.
Well, what's he good fort"
"Well," Smiley says, easy and
careless, she's good enough for one
thing-I should judge-he can out
jump any frog in Calaveras county.
The feller took the box again, md
took another long, particular look, and
gave it back to Smiley, and says, very
deliberate; "Well, I don't see nc
p'ints about that frog, that's any bet
tern any other frog"
Maybe you DON'T" Smiley says
"Maybe you understand frogs, and
maybe you don't understand 'em
ma ybe you've had experience, and
maybe you amt only IN amateur as il
were. Anyways, I've got my opinion,
and Ill risk forty dollars that he car
out jump any frog in Calaveras coun'
ty."
An the fellow studied a minute, and
then says, kinder sad like. "Well,
am only q stranger here, and I ain't
got no frog; but if I had frog I'd bel
YOU"
And then Smiley says, "That's all
right-that's all right If you'll hold
my box . minute, III 60 and git you q
frog" Aud so the felle: took the boz
and put up his forty dollars along with
Smiley q, and set down to wait.
So he set there . good while thinking
and thinking to himself, and then he
got the frog out and pried his mouth
open, and took . teaspoon and filed
him full of quail shot-filled him pref.
ty near up to the chin-a1d set HIM on
the floor. Smiley he went down to the
swamp and stopped around in the mud
for long time, and finally he ketched
. frog and fetched him in and gave
him to the Teller and said:
"Now, if you're ready, set him
alongside Dan'l, with his forepaws Just
even with Dan1, and I'll give the
word" Then he says, One-two-
three-jump Sand him and the feller
touched up the frogs from behind, and
the new frog hoped Of. but
Danl didn't give = heave, and hysted
up his shoulders-so-like q French.
man, but it wasn't no use-he couldn't
bulge; he was planted as solid as ON
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 he didn't have nc
idea what the matter was, of course.
The fellow took the money and start.
ed away, and when he Was going out Al
the door he sorter jerked his thuml
over his shouldar-this way-"I don't
zee no p'ints about that frog that's any
better n anv other frog"
Smiley he stood scratching bis head
and looking down on Danl q long time,
and at last he says, 81 do wonder what
in the nation that frog throwed on for
I wonder If there aint something the
matter with him, he 1pears to looh
mighty baggy somehow" And he
ketched Dan'l by the nap of the necl
and lifted him up, and says, "Why;
blame my cats, If he don't weigh dvl
pounds!" and turned him upsid.
down, and he. belched out q double
handful of shot. Ard then he Gee how
it was, and he was the maddest man
He set the frog down and TOOK ou
after that feller, but he never ketchet
him. And-here Simon Wheeler hearG
his name called from the front yard
and got up to see what was wanted
And, turning as he moved away, HI
said, "Jest Get where you are, stranger
and rest easy; I amt ago'ng to b
gone second
But tho stranger did not think that I
continuation of his history of the en-
terprislng vagabond, Jim Smiley
would be likely to afford much infor
nation concerning the Rev. Leonida,
| W. Smiley, and so 1 started away.
MARK TWAIN.