THE JUMPING FROG. 



31 



warn't finished v/hen he first come to the camp ; but any way, he was the curiosest man about al- 

 ways 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's he got a bet, he was satisfied. But still he was lucky, uncommon lucky ; he most 

 always come out winner. He was always ready and laying for a chance ; there couldn't be no soli.« 

 t'ry thing mentioned but that feller'd offer to bet on it, and take ary side you please, as I was just 

 telling you. If there was a horse-race, you'd find him flush or 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 a 

 chicken-fight, he'd bet on it ; why, if there was two birds setting on a fence, he would bet you 



which one would fly 

 a camp-meeting, he 

 to bet on Parson Walk- 

 to be the best exhort- 

 he was too, and a good 

 a straddle-bug start to 

 would bet you how 

 him to get t o — t o 

 ing to, and if you took 

 ler that straddle-bug 

 would find out where 

 how long he was on 

 boys here has seen 

 tell you about him. 

 no diff'erence to him 

 thing — the dangdest 

 er's wife laid very 

 while, and it seemed 

 to save her ; but one 



first ; or if there was 

 would be there reg'lar 

 er, which he judged 

 er about here, and so 

 man. If he even see 

 go anywheres, he 

 long it would take 

 wherever he was go.- 

 him up, he would fol- 

 to Mexico but what he 

 he was bound for and 

 the road. Lots of the 

 that Smiley, and can 

 Why, it never made 

 — he'd bet on any 

 feller. Parson Walk- 

 sick once, for a good 

 as if they warn't going 

 morning he come in, 



and Smiley up and asked him how she was, and he said she was considable better — thank the 

 Lord for his inf 'nit mercy — and coming on so smart that with the blessing of Prov'dence she'd get 

 well yet ; and Smiley, befoie he thought says, "Well, I'll resk two-and-a-half she don't anyway." 



Thish-yer Smiley had a mare — the boys called her the fifteen-minute nag, but that was only in fun, 

 you know, because of course she was faster than that — and he used to win money on that horse,, 

 for all she was so slow and always had the asthma, or the distemper, 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 always at the fag-end of the race she'd get excited and desperate-like, and come 

 cavorting and straddling up, and scattering her legs around limber, sometimes in the air, and 



