d. Joe saw Gerani prowling about before you came."

"And I saw him leave, Mr. Hobart. I went up to Bruno's shack to have my
shoes fixed, and I came down over the hill instead of the usual way by the
road. Gerani was just going up as I came down."

Mr. Hobart made no further comment. But from that time Gerani was watched
closely. Joe Ratowsky, while seemingly doing nothing but attend his little
lunch-counter, shadowed the man. He knew when Gerani came and went. There
was proof enough that he had been interfering with the engine. But it was
not he alone whom Mr. Hobart wished to reach. It was the man back of the
act who had sent the Pole to do the work.

The superintendent thought at first of dismissing Gerani. But this might
bring on more serious complications. His fellow-workmen might object--the
Huns and Poles, at least. The Italians were not in the mines but were
employed about the dumps, and on the road which wound about the mountain.
It was Joe again who thought of a means of subduing Gerani. He had heard
enough of O'Day's covert suggestion that he could tell much that Gerani
dreaded. Joe undertook the same stratagem. One stormy night he met Gerani
on his way home. Catching him by his sleeve, he detained him long enough
to say in his native tongue, "I've a word to say to you in secret,
brother. O'Day is not the only one that knows about the Dago. The
superintendent, he knows, too; but he keeps quiet because you are a good
miner when you are not drunk, brother. So a word of warning. Keep friends
with Mr. Hobart, and whatever happens, don't let it come to his ears that
Gerani went up at daylight to work at the engine. Just a word of warning,
brother, all given in good faith, and for the sake of the land from which
we came."

That was all. Joe Ratowsky strode on through the darkness without giving
the other time to respond. In his own tongue, his speech was impressive.
He saw now, from the frightened expression of Gerani's face, that his
words had struck home.

The next morning, the big Pole was not at the mines, nor did he come to
draw the pay due him. Joe Ratowsky chuckled to himself when several days
passed. "Gerani--oh--he all right. We no fear him. Me scare him like the
tivil, b'gosh."

Mr. Hobart rested easy again with Gerani at a distance and afraid of him.
But men of O'Day's stamp can readily find tools to their need.

There was a week or more of quiet, then the engine and one car, which went
down the mo