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第9章 The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County（第1页）

第9章TheNotoriousJumpingFrogofCalaverasty

MarkT>

InpliaherequestofafrieemefromtheEast，IgarrulousoldSimonWheeler，aermyfriend'sfriend，LeonidasW。

Smiley，asrequestedtodo，aoappe。IhavealurkingsuspithatLeonidasW。Smileyisamyth;thatmyfriendneverkneersoheohatifIaskedoldWheelerabouthim，itwouldremindhimofhisinfamousJimSmiley，andhewouldgotoworkahwithsomeexasperatingreminisaslongandastediousasitshouldbeuselesstome。Ifthatwasthedesign，itsucceeded。

IfoundSimfortablybythebarroomstoveofthedilapidatedtaverninthedeinggel's，andIhewasfatandbald-headed，andhadanexpressionofwilenessandsimplihistranquilce。Herousedup，andgavemegoodday。ItoldhimafriendofminehadetomakesomeiacherishedpanionofhisboyhoodnamedLeonidasW。Smiley-Rev。LeonidasW。Smiley，ayouheGospel，whohehadheardwasatoimearesidentofAngel'sCamp。IaddedthatifMr。WheelercouldtellmeanythingaboutthisRev。LeonidasW。Smiley，Iwouldfeelundermanyobligationstohim。

SimonWheelerbatoadblockadedmetherewithhisdthensatdowhemonotonousnarrativewhichfolloh。Heneversmiled，heneverfrowned，henevergedhisventle-flowiowhiedhisierayedtheslightestsuspithusiasm;butallthroughtheintermiivethereranaveinofimpressiveearnessay，whieplainlythat，sofarfromhisimaginingthattherewasanythingridiculousorfunnyabouthisstardeditasareallyimportantmatter，awoheroesasmenoftrageniusihimgooninhisownway，aerrruptedhimonce。

"Rev。Leonidasos;m，RevereherewasafellerhereohenameofJimSmiley，ierof‘49-ormaybeitringof’50-Idon'trecollectexaehow，thoughwhatmakesmethinkitwasoherisbecauseIrememberthebigflumeos;tfinishedwhep;butaheanaboutalwaysbettingonanythingthatturnedupyoueversee，ifhecouldgetanybodytobetoherside;andifhep;apos;the'dgesides。Anywaythatsuitedtheothermanwouldsuithim-anywayjustso'shegotabet，hewassatisfied。Butstillhewasluoalwayseoutwinner。Hewasalwaysreadyandlayingforace;therep;apos;tbenosolit&apmehatfeller'doffertobetonit，andtakeanysideyouplease，asIwasjusttellingyou。Iftherewasahorse-rap;apos;dfindhimflushoryou'dfindhimbustedattheendofit;iftherewasadog-fight，he'dbetonit;iftherewasacat-fight，he'dbetonit;iftherewasa-fight，he'dbetonit;why，iftherewastwobirdssettingonafence，hewouldbetyouwhiewouldflyfirst;orifthere-meeting，hewouldbetherereg'lartobetonParsonWalker，whichhejudgedtobethebestexhorterabouthere，aoo，andagoodman。Ifheeveraddle-bugstarttogoanywheres，hewouldbetyouhowlongitwouldtakehimtogetto-toingto，andifyoutookhimup，hewouldfollerthatstraddle-bugtoMexicobutwhathewouldfindoutwherehewasboundforandhowloheroad。LotsoftheboysherehasseenthatSmiley，andtellyouabouthim。Why，itnevermadeohim-he'dbetonanythifeller。Parsonos;swifelaidverysice，foodwhile，anditseemedasiftheyos;tgoiheein，andSmileyupandaskedhimhowshewas，andhesaidshewassidablebetter-thanktheLordforhisinf'nitmeringonsosmartthatwiththeblessingofProv'denceshe'dgetwellyet;andSmiley，beforehethought，says，'os;llresktwo-and-a-halfshedon'tany

"Thish-yerSmileyhadamare-theboyscalledherthefifteethatwasonlyinfun，youknow，becauseofcourseshewasfasterthanthat-aowihorse，forallshewassoslowandalwayshadtheasthma，orthedistemper，ortheethingofthatkiogivehertwoorthreehundredyards'start，andthenpassherualwaysatthefagendoftheraceshe'dgetexddesperatelike，aingandstraddlingup，andsgherlegsarouimesintheair，atoohefendkigupm-o-r-edustandraisiwithhergandsneezingandblowinghernose-andalwaysfetchupatthestandjustaboutaneckahead，asnearasyoucouldcipheritdown。

"Andhehadalittlesmallbull-pup，thattolookathimyou'dthinkheos;tworthatbuttosetaroundandlookorneryandlayforacetostealsomething。Butassoonasmoneyonhimhewasadifferentdog;hisunder-jaos;dbegintostickoutlikethefo'boat，ahwouldundshihefurnadadogmighttacklehimandbully-raghim，andbitehim，andthrowhimoverhisshouldertwoorthreetimes，andAndrewJa-whichwasthehepup-AndrewJawouldwhathewassatisfied，andhadn'texpeothihebetsbeingdoubledaheothersideallthetime，tillthemoney;andthenallofasuddenhewouldgrabthatjestbythej'intofhishindlega-notchaw，youuand，butonlyjustgripandhangohrowedupthespowasayear。Smileyalwayseoutwipup，tillheharnessedadogodidn'thavenohihey'dbeensawedoffinacircularsaw，ahinghadgonealh，andthemoney，aomakeasnatchforhispetholt，heseeinaminutehoos;dsbeenimposedon，aherdoghadhiminthedoor，sotospeak，andhe'pearedsurprised，andtheerdisced-like，anddidn'ttryhefight，ashuckedoutbad。HegiveSmileyalook，asmuchastosayhisheartwasbroke，andituttingupadogthathadn'tnohindlegsforhimtotakeholtof，whichendenafight，andthenhelimpedoffapiedlaiddow，wasthatAndrewJadwouldhavemadeanameforhimselfifhe'dlived，forthestuffwasinhimandhehadgenius-Iknowit，becausehehadn'tnoopportuospeakof，anditdon'tstaadogakesuchafightashederthemcesifhehadn'talwaysmakesmefeelsorrywhenIthinkofthatlastfightofhis'ur。

"Well，thish-yerSmileyhadrat-tarriers，anddtomdallthemkindofthings，tillyoup;apos;trest，andyoup;apos;tfetgforhimtobetonbuthe'dmatchyou。Hefetchedafrogoneday，andtookhimhome，andsaidhecal'latedtoeducatehim;andsohehingforthreemonthsbutsetinhisbadlearnthatfrogtojump。Ayouhedidlearnhim，too。He'dgivehimalittlepund，aeyou'dseethatfrintheairlikeadoughurno，ormaybeacouple，ifhegotagoodstart，andedownflat-footedandallright，likeaupsoieroffetgflies，andkep‘himiant，thathe'dnailaflyeverytimeasfurashecouldseehim。Smileysaidallafrogwaion，andheostanything-andIbelievehim。os;veseeDan'lWebsterdowhisfloor-Dan'lWebsterwasthehefrog-andsingout，‘Flies，Dan'l，flies!’andquicker'nyoukhe&apstraightupandsnakeaflyoff'erthere，andflopdownonthefl'inassolidasagobofmud，andfalltthesideofhisheadwithhishindfootasiasifhehadn'tnoideahe'dbeendoin'anymore'nanyfrogmightdo。Youneverseeafrogsomodestandstraightfor'ardashewas，forallhewassogifted。Aetofairandsquarejumpingonadeadlevel，hecouldgetrouraddlethananyanimalofhisbreedyoueversee。Jumpingonadeadlevelwashisstrongsuit，youuaileymoneyonhimaslongashehadared。Smileywasmonstrousproud，abe，forfellersthathadtraveledandbeeneverywheresallsaidhelaidthatevertheysee。

"Well，Smileykep'thebeastiidheusedtofetchhimdown-towimesandlayforabet。Onedayafeller-astrahecamp，hewas-withhisbox，andsays:

"Whatmightitbethatyou'vegotinthebox?"

"AndSmileysays，sorteri-like，‘Itmightbeaparrhtbeaary，maybe，butitain't-it'sonlyjustafrog。’"

"Aookit，adturroundthiswayandthat，andsays，‘H'm-so'tis。os;shegoodfor?’"

"‘Well，’Smileysays，easyandcareless，‘he'sgoodenoughforohing，Ishouldjudge-hepanyfrogiy。’"

"Thefellertooktheboxagain，andto，particularlook，abailey，andsays，verydeliberate，'os;hesays，‘Idon'tseenop'intsaboutthatfrogthat'saer'nany。’"

"‘Maybeyoudon't，’Smileysays。‘Maybeyouuandfrogsandmaybeyoudon'tuand'em;maybeyou'vehadexperiendmaybeyouain'tonlyaamature，asit;apos;vegotmyopinion，andI'llreskfortydollarsthathepanyfrogiy。’

"Audiedamihensays，kindersadlike，‘os;merhere，andIain'tg;butifIhadafrog，I'dbetyou。’

"Andthehat&apht-that&apht-ifyou'llholdmyboxaminute，I'llgoay。’Aookthebox，andputuphisfortydwithSmiley's，ao>

"Sohesetthereagoodwhilethinkingandthinkingtohimself，ahefrogoutandprizedhismouthopenandtookateaspoonandfilledhimfullofquail-shot-filledhimprettyohisdsethimonthefloor。Smileyhewenttothesedaroundinthemudftime，andfichedafrog，achedhimihisfeller，andsays:

"‘Noos;reready，sethimalongsideofDan'l，withhisforepawsjustevenos;l's，andI'llgivetheword。’Thenhesays，'Ohree-git!andhimaouchedupthefrogsfrombehind，andthenewfroghoppedofflively，butDan'lgiveaheave，andhysteduphisshoulders-so-likeaFren，butitos;tnouse-hep;apos;tbudge;helantedassolidasadhep;apos;thanifhewasa。Smileywasagooddealsurprised，andhewasdisgustedtoo，buthedidn'thavehematterwas，ofcourse。

"Thefellertookthemoartedaasgoingoutatthedoor，hesorterjerkedhisthumboverhisshoulder-so-atDan'l，andsaysagaie，‘Well，’hesays，‘Idon'tseenop'intsaboutthatfrogthat'saer'nany。’

"Smileyhesthisheadandlookingdoos;lalolasthesays，'Idowoihatfrogthroos;dofffor-Iwohereain'tsomethierwithhim-he'spearstolookmightybaggy，somehoos;A'lbythenapofthenedheftedhim，andsays，'Whyblamemycatsifhedon'tweighfivepound!'andturnedhimupsidedownaadoublehandfulofshot。Andthewas，ahemaddestmahefrogdownandtookoutafterthatfeller，buthechedhim。And-"

[HereSimonWheelerheardhishefrotuptoseeaurningtomeashemovedaway，hesaid:"Justsetwhereyer，aeasy-Iain'tgoingtobegoneased。"

But，byyourleave，IdidnotthinkthatauatiooryoftheenterprisingvagabondJimSmileywouldbelikelytoaffordmemuatitheRev。LeonidasW。Smiley，andsoIstarteda>

AtthedoorImetthesociableWheelerreturnionholedmeandreenced:

"Well，thish-yerSmileyhadayallerohatdidn'thavenotail，onlyjustashortstumplikeabannanner，and-"

Hbothtimeandin，Ididnotwaittohearabouttheafflictedyleave。