“Oh, never mind,” answered Tsunehei; “I will go and apologize for our carelessness, and get the football back.”

“Well, but then you will be chidden, and I don’t want that.”

“Never mind me.  Little care I for his cross words.”  So Tsunehei went to the next-door house to reclaim the ball.

Now it so happened that Zempachi, the surly neighbour, had been walking in his garden whilst the two youths were playing; and as he was admiring the beauty of his favourite chrysanthemums, the football came flying over the wall and struck him full in the face.  Zempachi, not used to anything but flattery and coaxing, flew into a violent rage at this; and while he was thinking how he would revenge himself upon any one who might be sent to ask for the lost ball, Tsunehei came in, and said to one of Zempachi’s servants—­

“I am sorry to say that in my lord’s absence I took his football, and, in trying to play with it, clumsily kicked it over your wall.  I beg you to excuse my carelessness, and to be so good as to give me back the ball.”

The servant went in and repeated this to Zempachi, who worked himself up into a great rage, and ordered Tsunehei to be brought before him, and said—­

“Here, fellow, is your name Tsunehei?”

“Yes, sir, at your service.  I am almost afraid to ask pardon for my carelessness; but please forgive me, and let me have the ball.”

“I thought your master, Shozayemon, was to blame for this; but it seems that it was you who kicked the football.”

“Yes, sir.  I am sure I am very sorry for what I have done.  Please, may I ask for the ball?” said Tsunehei, bowing humbly.

For a while Zempachi made no answer, but at length he said—­

“Do you know, villain, that your dirty football struck me in the face?  I ought, by rights, to kill you on the spot for this; but I will spare your life this time, so take your football and be off.”  And with that he went up to Tsunehei and beat him, and kicked him in the head, and spat in his face.

Then Tsunehei, who up to that time had demeaned himself very humbly, in his eagerness to get back the football, jumped up in a fury, and said—­

“I made ample apologies to you for my carelessness, and now you have insulted and struck me.  Ill-mannered ruffian! take back the ball,—­I’ll none of it;” and he drew his dirk, and cutting the football in two, threw it at Zempachi, and returned home.

But Zempachi, growing more and more angry, called one of his servants, and said to him—­

“That fellow, Tsunehei, has been most insolent:  go next door and find out Shozayemon, and tell him that I have ordered you to bring back Tsunehei, that I may kill him.”

So the servant went to deliver the message.

In the meantime Tsunehei went back to his master’s house; and when Shonosuke saw him, he said—­

“Well, of course you have been ill treated; but did you get back the football?”