River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-02-19
Jim Wolf and the Tom Cats.

knew by the sympathetic glow upon
his bald head, | knew by the thought
full look u;'on his face, | knew by the
emotional flush upon the strawberry
on the end of the old free liver's nose
that Simon Wheeler's memory was
busy with the olden times, and so |
prepared to leave, because all these
were symptoms of q reminiscence-a
sign that he was going to be delivered
of another of his tiresome personal ex-
periences- was too slow, he got
the start of me. AS near as | can re-
collect, the infiiction was crouched in
the following language:
"We was all boys, then, and didn't
care for nothing only how to shirk
school and keep up revlvin' state of
divilment all the time.
"This yer Jim Wolf l was talking
about, was the prentice, and he was the
best hearted fellow, he was, and the
most forgivin' and onseltish | ever
see. Well, there couldn't be more bull
lier boy than he was, take him how
you would, and sorry enough was
when | seed him for the last time.
"Me and Henry was always poster
ing 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 MIN,
not standing his growing. and then
we'd let on to get mad and fight across
him, so as 10 keep him stirred up
like. He Was nineteen, he was, and
long, and lank, and bashful, and we
was fifteen and sixteen, and tolerably
lazy and worthless.
80 that night, you know, that my
sister Mary gave candy pullin,' they
started Us off to bed early, so as the
company could have full swing, and we
rung in on Jim to have some fun.
Our window looked out onto the roof
of the l., and about ten o'clock a couple
Of old Tom cats got to rarin' and charg-
in around on it, and carryin' on like
sin. There was four inches of snow on
the roof, and it was frozen so there was
a right smart crust OF ice on it, and the
moon was shinin' and you could see
them cats like daylight.
First they'd stand off AID e-yow-yow-
VOW, just the same as if they were a
cussin' one another, and bow up their
backs and brush up their tails, and all
of sudden the gray cat he'd catch a
handful Of fur off the yellow cats ham,
and spin him around like button on
barn door. But the yellow cat was
game and he'd come and clinch and
the way they'd gouge, and fight and
howl, and the way they'd make the fur
| fly was powerful.
Well, Jim he got Disguised with the
row and lowed he'd climb out and
shake'm off'n the roof. He hadn't
RELY no notion OF doing it, but we ever
lasting logged him and bully-ragged
him, and lowed he'd always Dragged
how ne wouldn't take dare, and so
on, till bimeby, he histed up the win
der. and 10 and behold you, he went
went exactly as he was and nothing but
his shirt, and it was short; but you
ought to see him cu-a-pin over the
ice and diggln' his toe-paiis in for to
keep him from slippin,' and Dove all
you ought to have seen that shirt a
fappin' in the wind, and them long
ridiculous shanks of hls'n glistenin' in
the moonlight.
Them comp'ny folks was down there
under the caves, the whole squad of 'em
under that onery shed of old dead,
Washington Bower vines, all settin'
round about two dozen sasser Of hot
candy which they'd sot in the snow to
cool, and they were laughing and talkin'
lively, but bless you they didn't know
nothing bout the panorama that was
going on over their heads. Well, Jim,
he went q sneakin' and sneakin' up
onbeknowns to them Tom-cats. They
was a swishin' their tails and yow-yow'n
and threatin' TO clinch, you know, and
not payin' any attention; he went a
sneakn' and sneakin' right up to the
comb of the roof. till he was in foot OF
'em, and then all of a Sudden he made
a grab for the yellow cat. But, 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 a
dart, went smashin' and crashin' down
through them old rusty vines and light
ed right in the dead center of all them
comp'ny people! Sot down like a
yearthquake in them two dozen sassers
of red-hot candy, and let off a yell that
was bark from the tomb
Them girls, well they left you know
They see he wasn't dressed for COM
pany, SO they left, all done in second;
it was just one little war whoop, and a
whish Of the dresses and blame the girl
of 'em was in sight any where.
jim, he was u sight. He was gormed
with the billn' hot molasses candy
clean down to his heels, and had more
busted ssssers hanging to him than if
he was 4 Ingun princes, and he came
prancing ap stairs, just whoopin' and
cussin, and every jump he gave he
shed some china, and every squirm be
fetched he dropped some candy.
And blistered why bless your soul,
that poor cretur couldn't RELY sit down
comfortably Tor 90 much as four week. "