The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-02-04
Mark Twain's Story or Jim Vol and
the Tom Cats.


knew by the sympathetic glow mp
on his bald head knew by the
thoughtful look upon his face-I knew
by the emotional flush upon the straw
berry on the end of the old free liyer's
nose, that Simon Whecler's memory
was busy with the olden time. And 50
] prepared 10 leave. because all these
were symptoms Of a reminiscence-
signs that he was going 10 be delivered
Of another Of his trcsOme personal ex
pericnCrS-Dut ,,..- 49, 4 -. = =.
the start on me. As nearly rs | can
recOllect the infection was couched IN
the following language:
1--WE was all boys then, and didn't
care for nothing only how 10 shirk
school and keep up reyiyin' state of
dcvilment all the time. This yah Jim
Wolf was talking about was the prem
tice, and he was the best hearted feller,
he was, and the most forgivin' and on
selfish | ever see-well. there couldn't
be more butler boy than what he was,
take him how YOU would, and sorry
enough l was when | see him for the
last time.
- Me and Henry was always poster
ing him and plastering boss bills on his
back and putting humble 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 acrost
him, 50 rs to keep him stirred up like.
He was nineteen. he was, and long and
lank and bashful, and we was fifteen
and sixteen, tolerably lazy and worth
less.
so, that night, you know, that my
sister Mary gave the candy pullin, they
started us OF To bed early, so As the
comply could have full swing, and we
rung in on Jim 10 have some fun.
=. Our winder looked out onto the
roof Of the ell, and about ten O'Clock
couple Of old tom eats got To rairin and
chargin' around on il and carryin' on
like sin. There was four inches Of snow
on the roc, and il was froze so that
there was a right smart crust Of ice on
it, and the moon was shining bright,
and we could see them cats like day
light. First they'd stand of. and e-yow-
yow-yow, just the same as if they was
cussin' one another, you know, and bow
up their backs and 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 yaler cats ham
and spin him around ike the button on
a barn door. But the yaller cat was
game, and he'd come and clinch, and
the way they'd gouge and bite and
howl, and the way they'd make the fur
fly was powerful
SWell, Jim got disguised with the
row and lowed he'd climb ont there
and shake 'em of N that roof. He
hadn't RELY no notion of dom IL, like
ly, but we everlastingly logged him
and bullyragged him, and lowed he'd
always Dragged how he wouldn't take
a dare, and 80 on till bimeby he histed
the winder, and 10 and behold you. he
went-went exactly as he was-nothin'
on but "A shirt, and il was short. You
ought TO a-seen him, You ought To a
seen him creepin' over that ice and dig
GIN his toe-nails and iinger-nails in for
to keep him from slipp'n'; and, 'bove
all, you ought TO a-seen that shirt a
fappin' i'm the wind, and them long ri
dicklous shanks Of his'n a-glistenin' in
the moonlight.
Them comply folks was down
Of 'em under that ornery shed of dead
Wash'ton Bower vines-all sett' round
about two dozen sassers Of hot candy,
which they'd sot 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 go
in on over their heads. Wei, jim, he
went sneakin' and sneakin' on un-
beknOwn to them tom cats-they was
swishini their tails and vow-vowin' and
threatenin' to clinch, YOU know, and
not paving any attcntion-he went a
sncakin' and a sneakin' right
up TO the comb of the roof, till
he was in foot and a half of 'em,
and then all of a sudden he made a
grab for the yallcr cat, But, by gosh,
he missed fire and slipped his holt, and
his heels flew Np, and he Topped on his
back and shot off'n that roof like n
dart went 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 n
yearthquake in them two dozen sasscrs
Of red-ho candy, and let of a howl
that was bark from the tomb, Them
girls-well, they left, you know. They
see he warnt dressed for comp'ny, and
SO they left All done in second it
was Just one little war-whoop, and a
whish! of their dresses, and blame the
wench of 'em was in sight anywhere
I" Jim, he was sight. lie was
gormed with the bilin' hot molasses
candy clean down TO his heels, and had
more busted sassers hangin' to him
than If he was Injun Princess-and
he came prancn' up stairs just a
whoopin' and cussin', and every jump
he give he shed some china, and every
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