life, whom not even the adroitest police officer could recognize as
Ranjoor Singh, even had he been acquainted with the risaldar-major.

"Had he a weapon of any kind?"

"Not knowing, would prefer to say nothing about that. It was with
the horse--with the rump of the animal that he hit me, and not with a
sword of any kind."

"Well, you had better come with me to the office, and there we'll
take down your deposition."

"Am I arrested?"

"No. You're a witness."

"On the contrary, I am prosecutor! I demand as stated formerly full
rigor of the law. I demand capture and arrest, together with fine and
imprisonment of party assaulting me, failing which I shall address
complaint to government!"

"Come along. We'll talk about that at the office."

So the babu was escorted to the stuffy little police office, where
he was made to sit on a bench beside ten native witnesses of other
crimes; and presently he was called to a desk at which a native clerk
presided. There he was made to recite his story again, and since he
had had time in which to think, he told a most amazing, disconnected
yarn that looked even more untruthful by the time the clerk had
written his own version of it on a sheet. To this version the babu