“Thanks!” he said in a pleasant voice, and with very little accent. “That was a close shave. If I had had to catch another butterfly today I should have exploded. He will ride ten miles or so looking for me!” He chuckled wickedly.
“What do you have to learn about butterflies for? You are no girl!” said Hank scornfully.
“That’s what I say,” said the boy, smiling cheerfully at Lawrence. “They don’t stick you with that sort of stuff in England. My people sent me over there to school for awhile, and it was great. Are you English?” he asked Lawrence.
“American,” answered Lawrence.
“Better yet!” said the boy. “Not that England isn’t all right, but they say America is so big and so roomy and a fellow can do as he pleases.”
“Not much he can’t,” said Hank bitterly. “I never seen anything like it. It’s ‘don’t step on the grass,’ and ‘don’t pick the flowers,’ and ‘don’t tease the animals,’ and ‘don’t chip a piece of this here house for a sooveneer.’ Don’t, don’t, don’t every way a feller turns!”
The boy looked surprised.
“Why should anyone want to tease the animals or chip pieces off the houses?” he asked.
“They don’t,” replied Hank. “At least they don’t ’til some smart Aleck sticks up a sign and puts it into their heads. And then of course they gotter.”
“Oh, well,” said the boy, “there are lots of other things you can do that you can’t do here.”