Shortly after his talk with José, Manuel opened up a store and as a special inducement, he offered a glass of three-year-old Madeira to all visitors on his opening day. It was not long before card games were in progress at Manuel’s and the attendance daily increased. His wine was purer, it was older, and it was stronger than the kind the other stores supplied. The players got drunk faster at Manuel’s than they did elsewhere, and more than one fight was fought in that little back room. Finally a man was seriously injured in one of these fights and then the police began to sit up and take notice.
“We’ll raid that place tomorrow night,” said the Sheriff to a friend who brought him news of the latest escapade for which the wine in Manuel’s place was responsible.
“By the way,” asked the friend, “how do you raid?”
“Easy. We send in a man with a marked coin to purchase a drink. We usually have him buy a bottle of wine which he brings out to us. Then we go in and arrest the store keeper. We nab the cash drawer, get the marked coin and bring it to court with the bottle for testimony. It’s easy to convict in this way.”
João Pinto, known to the rest of the force as “Long John,” overheard this conversation. Long John was in love with Maria, and Maria was Manuel’s daughter. Supposing that her father should send Maria to sell the wine on the morrow? He loved her, but his duty would compel him to arrest her just the same. If he did though, he would have to give up all hope of marrying her. If Maria was not selling wine at the time of the raid, her father would, and that was almost the same, for Maria fairly worshiped her father, and, were he arrested, she would never forgive the policia who had a hand in the affair. Ah! he had a plan. He would drop a note to Maria hinting at the proposed raid on the morrow. He would plead sick the next day and so escape being sent out. John chuckled at the plan. Writing the note he dispatched it by a small boy who lived near Manuel’s store. He went back to the office and met the chief, who said: “John, that new store on Punchbowl is raising hell with the Portuguese. We’ll raid that place tonight.”
“Tonight?” burst involuntarily from John’s lips.
“Yes, tonight. Things are worse than I thought. We can’t put it off for another day. Here’s the marked coin. Go in and have a game of cards; lose; treat the crowd. We’ll be there about seven. So long.” And the chief went out to dinner.
Tonight! and he had told Manuel in his letter to have a good time that evening as on the morrow the store would have to be quiet.
But it would soon be seven and his duty had to be performed even at the cost of Maria.
He entered the store and was greeted heartily by Manuel who took him aside and whispered, “Thanks for the warning. I’ll give my consent for any day which you may choose to marry Maria.”