BOTCHAN
back. I explained, “Yes. I didn’t like to have you treat me and expected to pay this back at all hazard, but as I think about it, I would rather have you treated me after all; so I’m going to take it back.”
Porcupine laughed heartily and asked me why I had not taken it back sooner. I told him that I wanted to more than once, in fact, but somehow felt shy and left it there. I was sick of that one sen and a half these days that I shunned the sight of it when I came to the school, I said. He said “You’re a deucedly unyielding sport,” and I answered “You’re obstinate.” Then ensued the following give-and-take between us two;
“Where were you born anyway?”
“I’m a Yedo kid.”
“Ah, a Yedo kid, eh? No wonder I thought you a pretty stiff neck.”
“And you?”
“I’m from Aizu.”
“Ha, Aizu guy, eh? You’ve got reason to
–192–
