’Eh bien!  I no saw not that that frog had nothing of better than each frog.’ (Je ne vois pas que cette grenouille ait rien de mieux qu’aucune grenouille.) [If that isn’t grammar gone to seed, then I count myself no judge.—­M.T.]

‘Possible that you not it saw not,’ said Smiley; ’possible that you—­you comprehend frogs; possible that you not you there comprehend nothing; possible that you had of the experience, and possible that you not be but an amateur.  Of all manner (de toute maniere) I bet forty dollars that she batter in jumping no matter which frog of the country of Calaveras.’

The individual reflected a second, and said like sad: 

’I not am but a stranger here, I no have not a frog; but if I of it had one, I would embrace the bet.’

‘Strong, well!’ respond Smiley; ’nothing of more facility.  If you will hold my box a minute, I go you to search a frog (j’irai vous chercher.)’

Behold, then, the individual who guards the box, who puts his forty dollars upon those of Smiley, and who attends (et qui attendre).  He attended enough longtimes, reflecting all solely.  And figure you that he takes Daniel, him opens the mouth by force and with a teaspoon him fills with shot of the hunt, even him fills just to the chin, then he him puts by the earth.  Smiley during these times was at slopping in a swamp.  Finally he trapped (attrape) a frog, him carried to that individual, and said: 

’Now if you be ready, put him all against Daniel, with their before-feet upon the same line, and I give the signal’—­then he added:  ’One, two three—­advance!’

Him and the individual touched their frogs by behind, and the frog new put to jump smartly, but Daniel himself lifted ponderously, exhalted the shoulders thus, like a Frenchman—­to what good?  He could not budge, he is planted solid like a church, he not advance no more than if one him had put at the anchor.

Smiley was surprised and disgusted, but he not himself doubted not of the turn being intended (mais il ne se doutait pas du tour bien entendre).  The indidivual empocketed the silver, himself with it went, and of it himself in going is that he no gives not a jerk of thumb over the shoulder—­like that—­at the poor Daniel, in saying with his air deliberate—­(L’individu empoche l’argent, s’en va et en s’en allant est-ce qu’il ne donne pas un coup de pouce pas-dessus l’epaule, comme ca, au pauvre Daniel, en disant de son air delibere).

’Eh bien!  I no see not that that frog has nothing of better than another.’

Smiley himself scratched longtimes the head, the eyes fixed upon Daniel, until that which at last he said: 

’I me demand how the devil it makes itself that this beast has refused.  Is it that she had something?  One would believe that she is stuffed.’

He grasped Daniel by the skin of the neck, him lifted and said: 

‘The wolf me bite if he no weigh not five pounds.’