The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-04
The Wreckers
Francis Lynde
tcoutnu~i From Yesterday,
tc.ryvssss. isrs. ~ Charles se<tS-
scr'. Ssnpb

I
he was a first.class fighting man.
with clear head and nerve TO
burn. when he had got as far as
he could so alone he turned on me.
"Ilmmie. do you reckon this Red
Tower OUTFIT was far enough along
In its scrap with the boss to put up
a job 10 pass him out OF the
gamer he demh ndcd.
told him u didn't seem 20 nj
into any s0thcentury scheme Of
things. and past that I mentioned
the fact that the Hatch people had
taken the hack track and were now
offering 70 sell out and stop ehook-
ms the wheels OF reform
Il know he put In. -nut I've
been readin' the papers. Jimmie. and
II Amt all Red Tower not by a Jug
full The big graft In this ncck-a
woods Is political. and the Red
Tower gang Is only set.a cogs in
the hultwhcei. MIR. Norcross was
gettin' himself mighty pointedly
dishked: you know that The way
he was amin 20 run things. Il was
heginnin' TO look as II maybe the
people Of this state might wake up
some day and turn In and help
him.
Il know All about that 7 threw
in. but where are you trying TO
land. MART"
fright here Mr.. Norcrces was
the whole show. Take him out OF Il
and the whole ahootin'match would
fall to picccs--as it's dom, right
now. They didn't need 20 slug him
or shoot him up or anything like
that: II u could be made 90 look as
II he'd jumped the job. quilt. ehucked
II all Up. why there you are. A new
boss would be sent out here. and
you could bet your sweet life he
wouldn't be anybody like Mr.. Nor.
cross. Not so you could notice n.
Tho New York people would take
blamed good caroa that
You think the Dunton people are
standing In With tho graft7-
Nobody could've grabbed off the
motive power Job on this railroad.
as did. Jimmie. and not think Il
ard be damn sure Of Il. Why.
Lord o. Heavens, tho Red Tower
bunch was ugin' us Just the same
as II we belonged TO 'emA-orderin'
our men 10 do their machinery re-
pairs. bcipin' themselves 10 any rail-
road material tina; they happened TO
their loggln' roads and mine
hrRnches--
You stopped an chis-
! You bet did - between ttwo
days, They've been maxim seven
teen different kinds Of . roar evvr
since. but I've had Mr.. Van Britt
and the Big Boss behind me. 80
just showed ahead.
| What kirgan said about Ire Rcd
Tower people usinx our rolling stock
on their private branch roads set .
bee TO buxxing IN my brain What
II they had stolen the 1918 10 use
In tina. wuyf et the bee loose.
and kirEan grabbed At II IKE . cnt
jumping for a Erasshopper.
Say. Jimmie, boy-youve got a
pretty miadlln' long head on you
when you give II room to play sn.-
n. grunt.d. The strings tangled
up about as bad as u was before.
but believe you're gettin' hold Of
tn. loose end
| You have q blueprint Of the
Portal Division here. haven't your
asked. Dig IL up and let's have
a look at IT.
! He didn't know where 90 hook for
the blue print, but Just then his boz
stsnographer came back and found
liz for US. The shop whistle had
blown and II was quitting time. no
KirEan told the boy he could no on
home. when we were alone again
unroilcd the blueprint and wc be
gan to study II carefully with an
eye 20 the possibilities
| At first the facts threatened to
bluff US The blueprint engineers
map ess an old one. but II showed
the spurs and sidcuacks. the alta
tons and water tanks Since the
lost engine had been standing at
the western end of the Portal City
yards. we didn't try 10 trace II
eastward. To get out In that di
recon 1t would have had TO pass
the round house. the chops. the
passenger station and the headquar.
ters building, and. even at that time
Of night. somebody would have been
sure to see H.
| Tracing the other way--wcstward
we had a clear track for 10 miles
TO Arroyo. Arroyo had no night
operator. 20 we agreed that the
stolen engine might easily have
slipped past there without being
marked down. Eight miles beyond
Arroyo we came TO Banta, the first
night station west OF Portal CITY.
Here. as we figured II. the wild en-
CINE must have been seen by the
operator. IL by no one else. Banta
was an apple town. and the town
itself might have been aaieep, but
the wire man at the station should
not have been.
Lets hold Banta IN suspense a
bit, and allow that by some means
or other the thieves managed TO get
by" suggested "The next thing
to be considered IL the fact that the
Ten Sixteen must now have been
MANIFESTATION orders. we must
remembcr-against the Fast Mail
coming Fast. The Mali didn't pass
her anywhere - not officially. at
least; IL II had. the fact would show
up In some stations report TO the
l6ispatoher's Office
At this, ~e hunted ND an official
time card and began TO figure on
the meet" proposition. The Fast
Mail was due at Portal City at
1920. and on the night in question
| II had been on time. Making due
time allowances for inaccuracy In
the yard watchman's story. the
missing engine could hardly have
left the Portal City yard much be-
fore i045.
The Fast Man was srheduied at