“No,” I said, “that is my tank,” when he cut me short, saying, “I have had enough; I want to hear no more. It seems to me that you are putting on a good deal of side for a damned Eurasian, if I must tell you so.” “Eurasian or not,” I replied, “my father was and is H. J. Smith of Jalalpur, and as you are his nephew we are cousins; and it comes with bad grace for you to twit me of being an Eurasian when it was from no sin of mine, but at the pleasure of your own virtuous, Christian uncle.” This all came out in a volley before he had time to interrupt me. He sprang to his feet, for he had taken his seat, his face all aglow with anger, and shaking his fist at me while he stamped upon the ground, he fairly shouted, “It’s a lie; all a damned lie! Do you wish to insult me? You must leave at once. Chuprassi!” But I was off and away before his minion could come around the tent. It was some minutes before I recovered from my terrible anger, and then I cursed myself by the hour for being such an ass, such an extra long-eared one, for making a stupid blunder as to quarrel with a Settlement Officer who had the valuation and taxation of all my lands in his power. Though I had the satisfaction of telling the truth and getting rid of some of my bilious indignation, it would have been better not to have gone to him after the repulse of the first call; rather to have lost all the fruit and vegetables, all the fish, both small and great, before angering a settlement officer. It is said that there are two parts in a man, right and left, to dominate the brain in turn. When one part had spoken as above, the other said, “Who cares what such a man can do? Is it not better to be a man and stand up for your rights than to cringe like a coward and quietly submit to the oppression of a tyrant? Was not the heavy blow that you gave that insolent bully’s head worth more than all the increased assessments he can make?” Thus the two parts of me alternately held the floor, the one lamenting the probably increased taxation, the other pleading for the rights of my manhood.