“Me a Russian!” cried Billy, fiercely.
“Yaes, because you loog jes’ same.”
At the insult Billy became purple. He shouted:
“I don’t. Father says when I wear your old kimono I look Japanese. I’ll be Togo. I’m the oldest.”
Taro shook his head.
“I tell you what,” said Billy. “Juji can be the Russian. See how sleepy and lazy he looks. Let’s just duck him in the water and wake him up.”
“He’ll cry too much.”
“Oh, the Russians all cry and pray and make a big noise, but they can’t do anything after a Jap gets them. We won’t really hurt Juji. He’ll groan like a wounded Russian, and you can be a Red Cross Japanese doctor and make him better.”
“All lide,” said Taro.
So they began to play.