Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-06-29

went on the principle hat If 1t was
only somebody playing the goat, he'd
get tired of it before long If no one
paid any attention to him; if it
meant anything more than that, he'd
keep on MacVighties pugnacious
face screwed up into u savage GRIM
ace. well, maybe this counterfeit
ing idea has had something to do
with deciding me, but, anyway, I'm
satisfied now. He has kept on. And
I'm satisfied now that those messag
es are q cipher code that the gang
is using, and that our cat-and- mouse
play. as you call it, instead of being
abortive, is exactly what's going to
land our men for us. That's one
thing I came to tell you tonight
that I am ready now to take the
gloves off on this wire game"
Lanson smashed his fist down on
the table top.
Good" he exclaimed grimly. I'D
like to make things hot for somebody
ard it'll at least be easy enough to
catch whoever is using the wire"
.MaCVightie shook his head.
"Oh, no; it WON'T he said evenly.
II didn't mean to give you that i'm
preston, and don't you make the
mistake Of nder-estimating the
brains we're up against, Lanson. I'm
no expert on telegraphy, that's your
end of it. but 1 know they wouldn't
sit in on any game where they didn't
hold trumps up their sleeves. Get
me? Now let's see what it looks like.
AS 1 understand it. these messages,
no matter from what point on the di-
vision they are sent. would be heard
on every sounder on the line-that's
right isn't it?"
"Yes-sure! OF course!" agreed
I-anson.
And 1t might be an operator work.
ing with them as an inside man; or,
with the necessary outfit, the wire
could be tapped at any point, couldn't
it?"
yet" said Lanson: but the min
ute he starts In, we could begin to
ground him out
go on!" invited Macvightie. I'm
| listening"
I'VE could tell whether he was
working east or west of any given
point" explained the superintendent:
''and with the operators instructed
beforehand. practically narrow him
down to, say, between two stations.
The Hawk, as he, too, listened, per-
mitted an amused smile to flicker
across his lips.
"Um" said MacVightie. "And
would he be aware that this ground
| Ing process was going on?"
"Yes--naturally," admitted Lanson
I'VE can't prevent that"
Macvightie shook his head again.
THAT doesn't sound good to me-
he said slowly. "All he'd have to do
would be to>beat 1t then-and the
next time start. in fifty miles away,
and you'd have to begin all over
again. And, besides. who's receiving
the messages? You can't put any
tabs on that. Every sounder from
SeIktrk City to Rainy River registers
them. and all mans got to do Is
listen. You see, Lansop, it's not Sc
easy--eh?''
| Lanson frowned.
! well, what do you suggestT' he
asked uncomfortably. we can stop
/ it."
"But we don't want TO stop III"
returned MacYightie, We could have
done that from the first. What we
want Is our man now. And II strikes
me that the first thing to do is to
t find out whether one of our own OPP
orators is in on this or not. Unless
the line is tapped somewhere, it's a
cinch that q station key is being
used, isn't II? Send some hnemen
that you can trust over the division
II they find anything at all. they'll
find the spot where the messages are
coming from, won't they? II they
find nothing Wen know we've got to
look nearer home-amongst our own
men,"
Lanson, in his turn, shook his head
mot necessarily" he objected
We've a number Of small stationa
where there's no night operator. They
might have got into one OF those
The messages all come thru At night"
We'll. I'll call the turn there!" re-
sponded MacVightie, with Z short
Taught. '.See that I got Z list OF those
stations In the morning. and I'll detail
men to take care OF that end Of it,
! The Hawk drew back a little. shift
! ing his strained position - the
amused smile was no longer on hia
Hips.
"And az for that ground bust
ness" went on Macvightie," go slow
| with it till you get your linemen's re-
port. Don't do any more than try II
out with some operator you can alb
solutely depend upon, say, about half
way down the line. You say you
| would be able to- tell whether the
messages were coming from east OF
west OF that point; thatl cut the
division in half for us as far as our
search is concerned, and that's worth
taking a chance on. But don't over
do 1t, Lanson. We don't want to
throw any scare into him-yet."
"All right" agreed Lanson. Til
start things moving tonight. Martin,
at Bald Creek, will be the best man, l
guess. I'll send a letter down to him
on No. g."
And warn him to make no reports
by wire" cautioned MacVightie.
"All right-yes naturally" agreed
the superintendent again. Then, az
ter short pause, anxiously: "Any-
thing turned up at all, MacVightie ?
Any clue to that necklace? The gov
ernor's wife Is making a holler that's
reached from here to the roads direc-
tors down in Wall street."
Damn It," growled MacVightie.
TIN well enough aware of it-but the
necklace isn't any more important
than any one Of the other affairs, is
it? No: there's nothing-not a
blaued fhippf"