The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-02-24
jim WOLF AND THE tom CATS
BY MARK TWAIN.

L knew by the sympathetic glow upon
his bald head-I knew by the thonght
| ful look upon his FACET knew by the
emotional flush upon the strawberry Oh
the end Of the free liver's nose, that
Simon Wheeler's memory was busy with
| the olden time. And SO l prepared to
| leave, because all these were symptoms
of a reniniscenee-signs that he was
going to be delivered of another OF his
tiresome personal experierces-but ]
was too slow; he got tie start on me.
| AS nearly as I can recoilect, the infiic-
/ ton was couched in the following
language:
eve was all boys, then, and didn't
care for nothing only how to shirk
school and keep up reviving' state of
devilment all the time. This yah jim
Wolf L was talking about was the 'pren-
tice, and he was the best hearted feller,
he was, and the most forgivin' and onsel-
fish [ ever see-well, there couldn't be &
more buliier boy than what he was, take
him how you would; and sorry enough I
was when I see him for the last time.
''AIe and Henry was always Fostering
him and plastering hoss bills on his
back, and putting bumble-bees in his
bed, and SO on, and sometimes we'd
crowd in and bunk with him, notwith-
standing his growing, and then we'd let
on to get mad and fight across him so as
to keep him stirred up like. He was
nineteen, he was, and long, and lank,
and bashful, We was fifteen and sixteen,
tolerably lazy and worthless.
$50, that night, you know, that my
sister Mary gave the candy pullin', they
started us off to bed early, SO as the COM
p'ny could have full swing, and we rung
in on Jim to have some fun.
s'Our windar looked out into the roof
of the ell, and about 10 o'clock couple
of old tom cats got to rairin' and char
GIN around-o on it ard carryin' on like
sin. There was four inches of snow on
the roof, and it was froze that there was
right smart crust OF ice on il, and the
moon was shining bright, and we could
see them cats like day light. First,
they'd stand of, and r-yow-y yow-yow, just
the same SIS if they was cussin one
another, you know, and bow up their
backs ard push up their tails, and swell
around and spit, and then all of sudden
the gray cat he'd snatch a handful of
fur off the yaller cats ham, and spin
him around, like the button on barn
door. But the yaller cat was game, and
he'd come and clincli, and the way
they'd gouge, and bite, and howl, and
the way the'd make the fur fly was
powerful.
"Well, Jim got disguised with the
row and lowed he'd climb out there,
and shake 'em Off IL that roof He hadn't
reeiy no notion of doin' it, likely, but
we everlastingly dogged him and bully
ragged him, and lowed he'd always
Dragged how he wouldn't take dare
and so on, till bimeby he histed the
winder, and 10 and behold you, he went
went exactly as he was-notbin' on
but shirt, and it was short. You
ought to a seen him! You ought to seen
him creepin' over that ice, and diggin'
his toe-naiis and his finger-nail in for
to keep him from siippin'; and, 'bove
all, you ought to seen that shirt flap
pin il the wind, and then long, ridick-
lous shanks OF his'n a-giistenin' in the
moonlight.
'"Them comp'ny folks was down there
under the caves, the whole squad of 'em
under that ornery shed of dead WASH
ton Bower vines-all sett'n round about
two dozen sassers OF hot candy, which
the'dssot in the snow to cool. And they
were laughin' and talkin' lively; but
bless you, they didn't know nothin' bout
the panorama that was goin' on over
their heads. Well, Jim, he went
sneakin' and sneakin' up unbeknown
to them tom cats-they WIS swishin'
their tails and vow-vowin' and threaten
ing to clntch, you know, and not pay
ing any attention-he went sneakin'
and sneakin' right up to the comb of
the roof, till he was in foot and a half
of 'em, and all Of a sudden he made a
grab for the yale catl Bat, By gosh, he
missed fire and slipped his holt, and his
heels flew up and he Topped on his back
and shot off'n that roof like dartl went
a smashin' and crashin' down thro' them
old rusty vines, and landed right in the
dead center of all them comp'ny people!
sot down like earthquake in them
two dozen sassers of redhot candy, and
let off howl that was hark from the
tomb! Them girls well, they left, you
know. They see he wurn't dressed for
comp'nY, and SO they left. All done
in second; it was just one little war
whoop, and whish! Of their dresses,
and blame the wench of 'em was in sight
anywhere!
ssJiln, he was sight. He was gorm-
ed with the bilin' hot molasses candy
clean down to his heels, and had more
busted sassers hangin' to him than if he
was Injun p1incess-and he came
prancin up stairs just a whoopin' and
cussin', and every jump he give he shed
some china, and every squirin he fetch
ed he dripped some candy
'*And blistered? Why, bless your soul,
that pore cretur couldn't RELY set down
comfortable for as much as four weeks.
& MARBLE firm agent, soliciting orders
lar,,l., C1,,,r,tI G.ali.