Year: 1866

e


up, andscattering her legs around timber,


sometimes in the air, and sometimes out


to one side among the len3es, and kick


ing up more dust, and raising more rack
ct with her coughing and sneezing and


blowing her nose-and always fetch up
!, at the stand just about neck ahead, as


near as you cipher it down.


And he had little small bull pup,
that to look at him you'd think he
warn't worth a cent but to see around
and look ornery, and lay for chance to
J steal something. But as soon as money


was up on him be was a different dog
his under-jaw'd begin to stick out like
the for'castle of a steamboat, and his
: teeth would uncover and shine savage


like the furnaces. And a dog might


tackle him, and bully-rag him, and bite


him, aud throw him over his shoulder


two or three times, and Andrew jackson
which was the name of the pup-An-


drew jackson would never let on but


what he was satisfied, and hadn't ex-


pected nothing else-and the best being


doubled and doubled on the other side


all the time, till the money was all up


and then all Of a sudden he would grab


the other dog just by the joint Of his


hind legs and freeze to it-not chaw, you


understand, but only just grip and hang


on till they throwed up the sponge, if it


was a year. Smiley always came out


winner on that pup till he harnessed a


dog once that didn't have no hind legs,


because they'd been sawed off in a circu-


lar saw, and when the thing had gone


FAR enough, and the money was all up,


and he came to make a snatch for his pet


bolt he saw in a minute how he'd been


imposed on, and how the other dog had


him in the door, 50 to speak. and be ap-


peared surprised, and then he looked
sorter discouraged like, and didn't try no


more to win the fight, and so he got


shucked out bad. He gave Smiley a


look as much as to say his heart was


broke, and it was his fault for putting up


dog that hadn't no hind legs for him


to take hold hold Of, which was his main
dependence in Eght, and then he limped


Oft piece, aud laid down and died 1t


was good pup, was that Andrew jack


son, and would have made name for


himself if he d lived ioy the stuGf was in


him, and he had genius-I knew it, be-


cause he hadn't had no opportunity to
speak Of, and it dou't stand to reason


that dog could make such fight as be


could under tLem circumstances if he
hadn't no talent. 1t always makes me


fesl sorry when l think Of that last Sight


Of his'n, and the way it turned out.


/ Well, thish yer Smiley had rat-terri-


ers and chicken cosks, and tom cats, and
all them kind oG things till you couldn't


fetch nothing for hjm to bes on but he d


match you. lie ketched a frog one day


ana took him home, and SAID he cal'Iated


to educate him and so he never done


nothing for three months but sit in his
backyard and learn that frog TO jump.
And III bet you he did learn him, too.
He'd give him ! little punch behind, and


the next minute you'd see that frog


whirling in the air like doughnut-see


him turn one summerset, or may be a
couple if he got a good start, and come
down fat footed and all right, like a cat.


He cot him up 50 in the matter of ketch-


ing flies, and kept him in practice so con
slant, that he'd nail fly every time as
far as he could see him. Smiley said all


frog wanted was education, and he
could do most anything-and l believe
r him. Why, I've seen him set Dan'l
Webster down here on the Hoor-Dan'l


Webster was the name of the frog-and
sing out, Flies Dan'I, flies" and
quicker'n you could wink, he'd spring
straight up, and snake fly off'n the
counter there, and fop down on the floor
again as solid as a COB of mud, and fall to
scratching the side of his head with his
hind foot as Indifferent as if he hadn't no
idea he'd done any more'n any frog


might do You never see a frog so
modest and straight for'ard as he was,
for all he was so gifted. And when it
come to fair and square jumping on Il
dead level, he could get over ground at
one straddle than any animal of his
r breed you ever see. Jumping on dead
level was his strong suit, you understand
and when it come to that, Smiley would
ante up money to him as long as he had
Il red. Smiley was monstrous proud Of
; his frog, and well he might be, for fellers
that had Travelled and been everywheres
all said he laid over any frog that ever
: they see.


Well, Smiley kept the beast in little


lattice box, and he used to fetch it down
town. sometimes and lay for bet. One
! day feller-a stranger in the camp, he
was-came across him with his box, and
, says:


: I. What might it be that you've got in
the box


: And Smiley says, sorter Indifferent
like It might be parrot, or it might


be a canary, may be, but it ain't-it's
only just frog"


; And the feller took it, and looked at
it careful, and turned it round this way
J and that, and says: H'm-so 'tis.-
Well, what's he good for =? -


. "Wcn," Smiley says, easy and care,
less, He's good enough for one thing,


should judge-he can outjump any frog
( in CalaVeras county"


y The felIer took the box again, and
e took another along, particular look, and
:. give it back to Smiley and says, very de.
= iiberate, Well don't see no point;
t about that frog that's any better thar
t any other frog"


s " Maybe you DON'T" Smiley says
+ Maybe you understand frogs, maybe
- YOU don't understand EN-; maybe yoJ
l. have had experience, and maybe yor
II amt only amature, as it we're. Any
e ways, I've got my opinion, and I'll risL