Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1880-11-06
Jim Wolf and the Tom-Cats.
By MARK TWAIN

ful look upon his face-l knew by tn,
emotional flush upon the strawberr,
on the end of the old free liver's nose
that Simpson Whee!er's memory wa.
busy with the olden time. And SO
prepared TO leave. because all thes,
were symptoms of reminlscence-
signs that he was going to be delivered
of another of his tircsome personal ex
perienees-but | was too slow. he got
the start of me. As near as ! cen rec
collect, the ;nhiction was couchec. il
the following language:
I'VE was ali boys then and didn'1
care for nothing only to shirk schoo
and keep up reviyin' state of devil
ment all the time. This yah jim Wolff
| was talking about was the prentice
and he was the best hearted teller, he
was, and most forgivin and unSeltish
| evsr see-well, there couldn't be a
more butler boy than what he was
take him how you would; and sorry
enough | was when | seed him for the
last time.
Me and Henry was always Fostering
him and plastering boss bills on his
back, and putting bumble-bees on his
bed, and so on, and sometimes we'd
crowd in and bunk with him, Moth
standing his growing, and then we'd
LET on to get mad and fight acrost him.
so as to keep HIM stirred up like. He
was nineteen. he was, and long and
lank and bashful, and we was fifteen
and sixteen and tolerable lazy and
worthless.
80 that night, you know, that my
sister Mary gave the candy pullin'
they started Us off to bed early, so that
tn. company could have full swing,
and we run in ON Jim to have some
fun.
Oar window looked out on the roof
of the ell. and about ten clock couple
Of old tom cats got to rarin and charg-
in around on it. and carryin' on ike
sin. There was four inches OF snow on
the roof and it was tr0ze so that there
was right smart Of crust OF ice on it.
and the moon was shining bright. and
we could see them cats like daylight.
First. they'd stand off. and e-yow-yow-
VOW. .i.st the same as ii they were cuss-
in one another, you know, and bow up
their backs and bush up their tails. and
swell around and spit. and then all of
Il sudden the gray cat. he'd snatch a
handful OF fur oil the waller cats ham,
and spin him round Ike the button on
i barn door. But TIE yaller cat was
game. and he'd cons and clinch. ard
they'd gouge and !Hte and howl, and
they'd make tie fur fly was pow
erful.
We'll jim he got disguised with the
row, and lowed he d climb ont there
and shake EN- of that ruff. He hadn't
reely no notion Of doing j.. likely, bus
We everiastingl, dogged him and bull
iy-rag2ed him, and lowed he had al
ways Dragged how he wouldn take a
dare and so on, Till himc By he hlsted
the winder and low and behold you, he
wsnt-went exactly as he wss--nothin
IN but shirt. and ii was short: You
ought to a seen him. Yon ought to
seen him creenin over the ice, and
iiggin his toe nails in for 10 keep him
from slippin and, bose ali, you ought
to seen that shirt a tiappin in the wind,
and them long, ridiculous shanks Of
iis'n glistenine in the moonlight.
Them company folks was down
here under the caves. the whole squad
IF them under that ornery shed Of dead
Was! ton bower vines-all sctt'n round
bout two dozen sassers Of hot candy.
which they'd set in the SNOW to keep
DOL. And they was larghin' and talk
ns lively: but bless you, they didn't
now nothin' bout the panoramer tina.
vas goin' on over their heads. Well.
lin, he went sneakin' up, unbeknown
o them 10 them tom cats-they was a
wishin' their tails and yowyowin and
hreatcn;n' to clinch. you know, and
got pawn any attention went a
neakin' and sneakin right mp to the
omb of the root. till he was in a foot
md a half of en-. and then all Of sud
len he made grab for the waller cat.
But, by gosh. he missed fire and slipped
us holt, and his heels few up and he
Topped on lIis back and shot otfn that
oof like art.-went a smashin and
crash;n' down thro' them old rusty
ines and landed right in the dead CEN
er Of all them compny people-sot
own ike yesrthquake in them two
oxen .asers of red hot candy. and lei Off
howl that was bark from the tomb.
hem giris-gvel!, they left, You know.
hey see he warn't dressed for company
nd so'they left. All done in second;
/ was just one little warwhoop and a !
,hish. of their dresses and blame the
;ench of EN- vas in sight anywhere!
Jim he was 4 sight. He was gorm-
with the bilin hot molasses candy |
lean down to his heels, and had more
listed sasser. iiangln 20 him than if he |
Tas an inJun princess: and he came a
,-.,cin ,n stairs inst n wh6arin and a /