I started to improvise a cutting remark, because I am methodical by temperament and like to see plans carried out when they have been made, but then I reflected that after all this place unquestionably had it all over any hotel room they were likely to be saving for us in Crowfield, with the town overflowing with exposition visitors. On the other hand it was always bad policy to feed his conceit by displaying ap- proval, so without comment I returned to the bedroom and began operations on the big suitcase. Pretty soon he waddled in, removed his coat and vest and dropped them on one of the beds, and started to unbutton his shirt.
I inquired pleasantly, 'How did you coerce Pratt into having us as house guests? Just turn on the old charm?'
'There was no coercion. Technically we are not guests. Mr. Pratt was eager to adopt my suggestion.'
'Oh.' I whirled on him with my hands full of socks and handkerchiefs. 'You made a suggestion?'
'I did. I'm being perfectly frank about it, Archie; I could let it appear that the suggestion originated with Mr. Pratt, but it didn't; I offered it. Knowing of his difficulty, it seemed a decent thing to do, after his generous hospitality. He ap- proved at once, and proposed a commission to me, and I accepted.'
'I see.' I was still holding the haberdashery. 'What kind of a commission, if you don't mind my asking?'
'Not a very lucrative one. Nor very difficult. Surveillance.'
'I thought so.' I crossed and opened a drawer of the bureau and arranged the socks and handkerchiefs inside. Then I stood and watched him struggle out of his shirt and heard the seams protesting. 'I suspected it the minute you told me to unpack. Okay. That's a new one. Pasture patrol. Bodyguard for a bull. I sincerely trust you'll enjoy a good night's sleep, sir, having this lovely room all to yourself.'
'Don't take a tone with me, Archie. It will be dull, that's all, for a man as fidgety-'
'Dull?' I waved a hand. 'Don't you believe it. Dull, out there alone in the night, sharing my secrets with the stars? You don't know me. And glowing with satisfaction because just by being there I'll be making it possible for you to snooze in that excellent bed in this big airy room. And then the dawnj Mr. Wolfe, how I love the dawn!' 'You won't see the dawn.'
'The hell I won't. Who'll bump me off, Clyde? Or will the bull get me?'
'Neither. I have made arrangements with Mr. Pratt and Mr. McMillan. The man called Dave will be on guard while we are dining. At 8:30 you will relieve him, and at 1 o'clock you will be relieved by Mr. McMillan. You often go to bed that late at home. You had better waken me by knocking when you come in. I am not accustomed to my room being entered at night.'
'Okay.' I resumed with the suitcase, and laid out a fresh shirt for him. 'But darned if 111 lug that shotgun around. I'll take that up with McMillan. Incidentally, I've accepted a commission too. For the firm. Not a very lucrative one. The fee has already been paid, two bucks, but it'll be eaten up by expenses. The client is Miss Caroline Pratt.' Wolfe muttered, 'Jabber.'
'Not at all. She paid me two bucks to save her brother from a fate worse than death. Boy, is it fun being a detective! Up half the night chaperoning a bull, only to be laid waste by a blonde the next day at lunch. Look, we'll have to send a telegram to Fritz; here's a button off.'
4
I DIDN'T get to share any secrets with any stars. Clouds had started to gather at sundown, and by half past eight it was pitch-dark. Armed with a flashlight, and my belt surrounding a good dinner-not of course up to Fritz Brenner's standard, but far and away above anything I had ever speared at a pratteria-I left the others while they were still monkeying with coffee and went out to take over my shift. Cutting across through the orchard, I found Dave sitting on an upended keg over by the fence, clutching the shotgun.
'All right,' I told him, cutting off the light to save juice. 'You must be about ready for some chow.'
'Naw,' he said, 'I couldn't eat late at night like this. I had some meat and potatoes and stuff at six o'clock. My main meal's breakfast. It's my stommick that wakes me up, I git so derned hungry I can't sleep.'
'That's interesting. Where's the bull?'
'I ain't seen him for a half hour. Last I saw he was down yonder, yon side of the big walnut. Why the name of com- mon sense they don't tie him up's beyond me.'
'Pratt says he was tied the first night and bellowed all night and nobody could sleep.'
Dave snorted. 'Let him beller. Anybody that can't sleep for a bull's bellerin' had better keep woonies instead.'
'What's woonies?'
He had started off in the dark, and I heard him stop. 'Woonies is bulls with their tails at the front end.' He cackled. 'Got you that time, mister! Good night!'
I decided to take a look, and anyhow moving was better than standing still, so I went along the fence in the direction of the gate we had driven through in our rescue of Wolfe. It sure was a black night. After making some thirty yards I played the flashlight around the pasture again, but couldn't find him. I kept on to the other side of the gate, and that time I picked him up. He wasn't lying down as I supposed he would be,' but standing there looking at the light. He loomed up like an elephant. I told him out loud, 'All right, honey darling, it's only Archie, I don't want you to get upset,' and turned back the way I had come.
It looked to me as if there was about as much chance of anyone kidnapping that bull as there was of the bull giving milk, but in any event I was elected to stay outdoors until one o'clock, and I might as well stay in the best place in case someone was fool enough to try. If he was taken out at all it would certainly have to be through a gate, and the one on the other side was a good deal more likely than this one. So I kept going, hugging the fence. It occurred to me that it would be a lot simpler to go through the middle of the pasture, and as dark as it was there was no danger of Caesar starting another game of tag, or very little danger at least… probably not any, really…
