as
cunning enough to know that his safety now lay in his keeping within the
limits of the law. He made ostentatious show of closing at the prescribed
hours. All the while he kept his eyes and ears open to discover his
enemy.

Big Joe Ratowsky was the only probable one. He made frequent visits to
"The Miner's Rest," but never drank. He knew the ages of all the miners.
In this respect Joe's watchfulness was clear to O'Day's mind; but there
the evidence stopped, and much could be said on the other side. So, still
at sea, O'Day kept himself sober and his eyes and ears open to all that
was said and done in his place of business. Finally, when his confidence
was fully restored, he returned to his old way of doing business, and kept
open one Sunday. His place was filled with drunken, riotous Poles and
Slavs. In a spirit of recklessness, he sold freely to all. On the
following morning a summons was served to appear before the court to
answer to the charge of illegal liquor selling. The charge was brought by
the Pole, big Joe Ratowsky. Even then O'Day's perception was dull. It did
not come to him that Joe was merely the instrument in the hand of someone
who would not act openly.

Raffelo Bruno, the little hunchback shoemaker, opened his eyes to the
truth. He was by nature suspicious. He had faith in no man. When the
summons came to O'Day, Raffelo quit his bench and made his way to the
saloon. His dark, swarthy face, with stubby beard, was twisted and
contorted. He gesticulated continuously, sawing the air with his hands.
"Ye-s--Joe Ratowsky, he run and tell ze--ze. He ees--one--fool. He ze
monkee on ze stick. Mees-ter Ho-bart, he meek hims--jump."

The suggestion was enough. Joe was the tool of someone, and that someone
was Superintendent Hobart; such was the idea the Italian meant to convey.
O'Day in forcible terms cursed himself that he had not seen this before.
It was evident enough now. Mr. Hobart, as superintendent, dare not
antagonize the drink-indulging miners with open warfare against the
saloon. Joe was his tool, carrying out his plans. Joe Ratowsky with his
smattering of English did not know enough to make himself a formidable
enemy. Some keen mind with a knowledge of the liquor law was the power
back of the Pole. The coffee-house and reading-room which Joe had opened
were mere subterfuges to draw the men away from the saloon. The man could
not and did not make enough to keep himself and family in the poor way
they