“England.”
“England!—Why that’s im—”
“England, yes, native of England.”
“Recently from there?”
“Yes, quite recently.”
Said the Colonel to himself, “This phantom lies like an expert. Purifying this kind by fire don’t work. I’ll sound him a little further, give him another chance or two to work his gift.” Then aloud—with deep irony—
“Visiting our great country for recreation and amusement, no doubt. I suppose you find that traveling in the majestic expanses of our Far West is—”
“I haven’t been West, and haven’t been devoting myself to amusement with any sort of exclusiveness, I assure you. In fact, to merely live, an artist has got to work, not play.”
“Artist!” said Hawkins to himself, thinking of the rifled bank; “that is a name for it!”
“Are you an artist?” asked the colonel; and added to himself, “now I’m going to catch him.”