New Orleans Republican., 1873-07-13

mos. anything; and believe him. Why,
I've seen him set Daniel Webster down
here on this tioor-Daniel Webster was the
name of the frog-and sing out: Fines
Daniel, flies" and quicker you could WIDE
he'd spring straight up and snake fly OF
the counter there and tiOp down on the tioor
again as solid as COB Of mud and fall to
scratching the side of his head with his hind
| foot as Indifferent as if he hadn't been DO
ing any more than any other frog might 90:
| You never see frog so modest and
kstraighttor' ard as he was, for all 10 was so
| gifted. And when it came to fair and
| square jumping on a 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 understand: and when il come
20 that Smiley would ante up money on
| him as long as he had red. Smiley was
mons.rous proud of his frog, and we'll ne
might be. for fellows that had travelled and
! been everywhere all said ne laid over any
| frog that they ever see.
| Well, Smiley kept the beast in little
] bog, and he used TO fetch him down town,
| and lay for a be-. One day feller-a
| stranger IN the camp. he was-cOme across
him with his box, ana says:
What nigh. !. be tina: you've got in that
| box p
And Smiley says. sor:er Indifferent like.
lit might be parrot. or { might be
canary. may be. hu: j: ain't-it's only just
| d frog
And the feiler took il. and looked a: it
careful, and turned 1t round this way and
that. and SAYS. III .ui SO It's: Well. what's
he good fol!"
'Well.' Smiley says. easy and careless.
hes good enough for one thing, l should
judge-he can on.jump airy frog in Calaveras
county,
The feller took the box again. and took
another long particular look, and gave it
well. don't see no 'nts about that frog
that's any better n any other frog"
May he you DON'T Smiley says. ''May
be you understand frogs, and may be you
don't understand EN-: may be you've had
experience. and may be you amt only
amature as it We're. Anyways, I've got my
opinion. and III risk forty dollars that he
can outjump ary freq IN Calaveras county"
And the teller stuffed minute and then
says, kinder sad like. .'Well, am only
stranger here, and ! amt got no frog; bu.
II had a treg I'd bet you
And then Smiley Gays. That's all right
that's all right: il you'll hold my box min
ute, Ill go and get you frog" And SO the
feller took the box and put up his forty dot.
lars along with Smileyy's. and set down to
wait.
cO NC SCI IAciC a SOUu Willie, tulukluK
and thinking to hisself. and then he got the
frog out and priced his mouth open, and
took teaspoon and filed him full Of quail
shOt-nlled him pretty near up to his chin
and set him on the floor. Smiley he went
down to the swan, and stopped around in
the mud for long time, and finally lie
ketched frog and fetched him in. and give
him to this feller. and says:
Now, if you're ready. set him alongside
M yCIf h <<r I1rcS xu-,Sf y,
Danl. and I'll give the word Then he
says, "One-tyo-three-jum and him
and the feller touched up the frogs from
behind, and the new frog hoped off, but
Danl give a heave. and hysted up his
shonlders-so-like Frenchman, but it
wasn't no use-he couldn't bulge: he was
planted as solid as en- anvil, and he couldn't
no more stir than II he was anchored out.
Smiley was a good deal surprised, and he
was disgusted, too. bu: he didn't have no
idea what the matter was of course.
The teller took the money and started
away; and when he was gong out at the
door he sOrter jerked his thumb over his
shoulders-this way-at Dan1, and says
again, very deliberate. ''Well, don't see
no p'ints about that frog that's any bettern
any other frog
Smiley, he stood scratching his head and
looking down on DanI long time, and at
last he Gays, II do wonder what in the ma
rion that frog throwed of for; l wonder if
there amt something the matter with him.
he pears 70 look mighty baggy. somehow"
And be ketched Danl by the nap of the
neck and lifted him up. and says:
why, blame my cats, if he don't weigh
five pounds ard turned him upside down.
and he belched out double handful of
shot. And then he sec how it was. and he
was the maddest man. He set the frog
down and took out after that feller. but he
never ketched him. And
Here Simon Wheeler heard his name
called from the front yard and got up to
see what was wanted. And turning as he
moved away. he said, "Just set where you
are, stranger. and rest easy-I amt agoing
to be gone a second"
But the stranger did not think that a
continuation OF his history of the enter.
prising vagabond. Jim Smiley, would be
likely to afford much information concern
ing the Rev. Leonidas N. Smiley, and so
started away. MARK TWAIN.