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Rh regretful voice, he murmured—"I am so sorry. I have created trouble for you—but how could I know?"

"What have you done?"—asked the Doctor Babu rather anxiously.

Slowly, the Daroga proceeded to explain—"You see, it was in this way. Yesterday afternoon the District Magistrate was at the Club and he sent for me. I went and stood there, salaaming him. 'Well, Daroga—he said—'have you collected good and strong evidence in the European assault case?'—'Yes Huzoor,—I replied—'There are a constable and two chowkidars who saw the whole occurrence and can identify all the accused.' The Magistrate seemed to be very angry at this. 'Nonsense'—he exclaimed—'a constable and two chowkidars? Couldn't you find out any credible witnesses?' The bloodshot eyes of the Magistrate Sahib threw me into such a state of confusion that I did not know what I was saying. 'Yes, Dharamawatar,'—I faltered out—'there is the Government Doctor, Hara Govind Babu who also was present there and recognised all the accused persons.' 'All right'—said the Magistrate Sahib,—and walked off to the tennis court."

The Doctor felt very much annoyed. "You ought not to have said this to the Magistrate without ascertaining if it was a fact,"—he said.