"Now, Smilash, do you wish to make any statement?
Be careful, for whatever you say may be used against you hereafter." "If you was to lead me straight away to the scaffold, colonel, I could tell you no more than the truth.

If any man can say that he has heard Jeff Smilash tell a lie, let him stand forth." "We don't want to hear about that," said the inspector.

"As you are a stranger in these parts, nobody here knows any bad of you.

No more do they know any good of you neither." "Colonel," said Smilash, deeply impressed, "you have a penetrating mind, and you know a bad character at sight.

Not to deceive you, I am that given to lying, and laziness, and self-indulgence of all sorts, that the only excuse I can find for myself is that it is the nature of the race so to be; for most men is just as bad as me, and some of 'em worsen I do not speak pers'nal to you, governor, nor to the honorable gentlemen here assembled.