untain each morning to bring back the mail, was derailed at the
second switchback and crashed into a forest of big oaks. The car was
empty, and the train, being on the second switch, was moving backward. The
rear end of the coach was crushed but the engine and engineer escaped
unhurt.

"Gerani," said Mr. Hobart when he heard the news, but Ratowsky shook his
head in negation. "You no see him no more. He be bad man at Bitumen no
more, b'gosh." Then Joe laughed heartily and slapped his broad limbs with
his hand. He never lost his first appreciation of the manner in which he
had settled Gerani's interference. There had been a gang of a dozen
Italians somewhere along the road, but they had neither seen nor heard
anyone.

For several weeks communication between Bitumen and the rest of the world
was cut off. It was then that Joe Ratowsky walked to the foot of the hill
to telegraph Elizabeth to remain at Exeter. And the day following he
called upon her, with a letter, putting the best construction he could
upon the road being disabled.

There was a little mule-driver in the mines who bore the euphonious name
of Ketchomunoski. He ate much wienerwurst and drank beer freely, and on
holidays devoured, at one sitting, a half-dozen loaves of bread, the
centers of which had been previously dug out and filled with melted lard.
He visited "The Miners' Rest" and reeled home to his shack at a late hour.
All these are mere preliminary details to the statement that his nerves
were growing irritable, and his temper uncertain. He beat one mule until
it was forced to return disabled to the barn, and a few days later
mistreated a second until it was worthless and the boss in a humane spirit
had the animal shot.

For such cases a precedent had long been established. The boy deserved to
be discharged at once, and discharged he was. Had conditions been normal,
discharging a mule-driver would have been of so little moment it would
have passed without comment. But O'Day's quiet work had not been without
its effect.

The same evening, a delegation of miners waited upon Mr. Hobart.
Ketchomunoski was to be put back or the rest of them would go out. Mr.
Hobart listened to their terms. He considered the question before
replying. Again he felt certain that another brain had put the plan in
operation. After deliberation, he spoke to them plainly. Such a movement
on their part was ill-advised. First, the largest orders for the year had
already been fi