The League of Frightened Men

The other side was covered with Colt automatics, fifty-two perfect little gold Pistols all aiming at the center. Inside was stamped in gold: A. G. from N. W. Wolfe had given it to me on October 23rd, at the dinnertable, and I didn^t even know he knew when my birthday was. I carried my police and fire cards in it, and my operators license. I might have traded it for New York City if you had thrown in a couple of good suburbs.

When Fritz came and said Inspector

Cramer was there I put it back in my pocket.

I let Cramer get eased into a chair and then I went upstairs to the plantrooms.

Wolfe was at the potting-bench with Horstmann, spreading out some osmundine and leaning over to smell it; a dozen or so pots of Odontoglossums, overgrown, were at his elbow. I waited until he looked around, and I felt my throat drying up.

"Well?"

I swallowed. "Cramer's downstairs. The rugged Inspector." ^ "What of it? You heard me speaking to him on the telephone." |»f'Look here," I said, "I want this distinctly understood. I came up here only for one reason, because I thought maybe r^ you had changed your mind and would like to see him. Yes or no will do it. If you give me a bawling out it will be nothing but pure childishness. You know what I think."

I Wolfe opened his eyes a little wider, winked the left one at me, twice, and , • turned to face the potting-bench again. ^ All I could see was his broad back that might have been something in a Macy Thanksgiving Day parade. He said to Horstmann: o "This will do. Get the charcoal. No _ sphagnum, I think." r I went back down to the office and told Cramer, "Mr. Wolfe can't come down.

He's too infirm." – The Inspector laughed. "I didn't expect | him to. I've known Nero Wolfe longer than you have, sonny. You don't suppose I thought I was going to tear any secrets M^ out of him? Anything he would tell me he | has already told you. Can I light a pipe?"

"Shoot. Wolfe hates it. To hell with him." | H "What's this, you staging on me?"

Cramer packed his pipe, held a match to it, and puffed. "You don't… need to.

Did Wolfe tell you what… I told him on the phone?" ‹I heard it." I patted my notebook.

"I've got it down."

"The hell you have. Okay. I don't want

George Pratt riding me, I'm too old to enjoy it. What went on here night before last?"

I grinned. "Just what Wolfe told you.

That's all. He closed a little contract."

"Is it true that he nicked Pratt for four thousand dollars?"