Year: 1873




'49-or may be it was the spring of 80
don't recollect exactly, somehow,
though, what makes me think it was
one or the other is because I remember
the big fiume wasn't finished when be
first came to the camp; but anyway, he
was the curiousest man about betting
on anything that turned up you ever
see, if he could get anybody to bet on
the other side and if he couldn't, he'd
change sides. Any way that suited the
other man would suit him-any way,
just so he's got bet, he was satisfied.
But still he was lucky, uncommon
lucky; he almost always came out win
ner. He was always ready and laying
fora chance; there couldn't be no sol
itary thing mentioned but that feller'd
offer to bet on it, and take any side you
please, as I was just telling you. If
these was horse race you'd find him
flush OF you'd find him busted at the
end of it; if there was a dog fight he'd
bet on it if there was a cat fight he'd
bet on it if there was chicken fight





birds setting on fence, he'd bet you
which one would fly first; or if there
was a camp-meeting, he would be there
reg'Iar, 20 bet ON Parson Walker, which
! he judged to be the best exhorter about
| here-and 50 he was too, and n good
man. If he even saw straddle bug
start to go anywhere, he would bet you
how long it would take him to get where
ever he was going to, and if you took
him up he would follow that strabdle-
bug to Mexico but what he found out
where he was bound for and how long
he was ON the road Lots of the boys
here has seen that Smiley, and can tell
you about him. Why, it never made
no difference to him-he would bet on
anything dangdest fellcr. Parson
Walkers wife laid very sick once, for a
good while, and it seemed as If they
warn't going to save her. But one
morning he came In, and Smiley asked
how she was, and he said she was con-
siderably better-thank the Lord for
his infinite mercy-and coming ON so
smart that, with the blessing of Provi-
dence, she'd get well yet; and Smiley,
before he thought, says, "Wen, I'll
risk two and half that she don't any
way.


This yer Smiley had mare-the
boys called her the fifteen minute nag,
but that was only In fun. you know, be-
cause of course she was faster than that
and he used to win money ON that
horse for all she was so slow, and al
ways had the the asthma, or the dis
temper, or the consumption, or some
thing of that kind. They used to give
her two or three hundred yards start,
and then pass her under way but al
ways at the fag end of the race she'd
get excited and desperatelike, and come
cavorting and straddling up, and scat
tering her legs around timber, some
times in the air, and sometimes out to
one side among the fences. and kicking
up more dust and raising more
racket with her coughing and sneezing
and blowing hor nose-and always fetch
up at the stand just about neck ahead,
as near as you could cipher it down.


And he had little small bull pup,
that to look at him you'd think he want
worth cent but to set around and look


ornery, and lay for chance to steal


something. But as soon as the money


VS. put up on him he was different
dog his under jaw'd begin to stick out
like the fo'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, and throw him over his
, shoulder two or three timee, and An
+ drew Jackson-which was the name o
, the pup-Audrew Jackson would never
I let on but what he was satisfied, anC
= hadn't expected nothing else-and tn,
q bets being doubled and doubled on th'
f other side all the time, till the none,
Y was all mp ; and then all of a sudden h,
q would grab the other deg Jest by TIN


lint of the hi I'd leg and freeze to it, no


chaw, you understand, but only ies


grip and hang ON till they throwed u


the sponge, If it was a year. Smile
J always came out winner on that pup
IS till he harnessed a dog once that didn'
c Iii.sse no hind legs, because they'd bee
l sawed off by circular saw, and whe
n the thing had gone along far enough
/ and the money was all up, and he cam
II to make snatch for his pet holt, b
9 saw in a minute how nd been impose
3 on, and how the otter dog had him
II the door, so to speak, and he 'peare
q surprised, and then he looked sortt
s discouraged like, and didn't try to vi
IL the fight, and so he got shucked OF
is bad. He gave Smiley q look, as muc
ID as TO say his heart was broke, and
y was his fault, putting up a dog thi
ii hadn't no hind legs for him to tai
or hold of, which was his main dependenC
e, In a fight. and then he limped off
es piece, and laid down and died. 1t VI
ne a good pup, was that Andrew Jackson
is and would have made name for hiu
ne self if he'd lived, for the stuff was
'y him, and he had genius; know 1t, b
~ cause he hadn't had any opportunitit
ed to speak of, and it don't stand TO re
u son that a dog could make such a fig
It as he could under the eircumstanees
he he hadn't no talent. It always max
e. me feel sorry when think Of that la
n fight of his'n, and the way it turns
d. out.


II Well, this yer Smiley had rat ta
oi riers, and ehicken-cocks. and al of the
Us kinds Of things, till yoR couldn't re
-Is and you couldn't fetch nothing for hi
90 to bet on but he'd match you. ]
an ketcl1ed a frog one day and took hi
"a home, and said be cal'klated to ederca
II him; and 50 he never done nothing
oe three months bat sit IN his back Va
: ~ and learn that frog to jump. And y
u bet he did learn him. too. He'd 81
~ him a little punch behind, and the ne
70 minute you'd see that frog whirling