“In the twenties maybe.”

“How many times has she been here?”

“She was here a couple of times with this girl. Say, wait a minute. I remember something about her, too. She was a bunny-nose.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know the way a bunny moves his nose? Well, she had thin nostrils, and when she’d get a little excited, they’d twitch. I remember now, I noticed that. She was a good-looking jane. Boy, I could have gone for her in a big way.”

I gave him my hand. “Thanks, Louie,” I said.

“Not at all. And no hard feelings over the sock I gave you?”

I shook my head.

“Honest,” he said, “you was a pushover. Now mind, I ain’t throwing no slams at you, buddy. I’m just telling you. You didn’t have any neck hold at all. When you’re fight-mg, you want to keep your neck muscles so that when a punch gets by your guard and you have to take it on the button, you can roll it off. You get me?”

“No,” I said, “and I haven’t time to go into it right now. But I’m coming back some day and let you show me.”