Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1921-10-20
CHAPTER XIII
Whist the Pilot Engine Found


Fer a time after the suicide OF the
or<rick-dispatcher the wreck epidemic
passed. Acting upon Mr.. Norcross'
suggestion. MFR. Van Britt called his
trainmen In, a crew at a time. and
gave them the straight tip; and after
that the hoodoo died a natural death.
and a good many pairs of eyes all
along the Short Line were keeping a
sharp lookout for the trouble-makers.
In the meantime, Tarbell. still dig
sing faithfully. managed to turn up
q few facts that were worth some
thing. In the Petrollte case he found
q lone prospector living In a shack
high up on the farther side of the
canyon who told him that late in-the
evening of the day preceding the
wreck he had seen two men climbing
the slope from which the boulder had
been %dIsIodged, and thar n of them
was carrying a pick. Also. further In
vestlgation seemed to prove that the
rail which the blow of the rock was
supposed to have knocked loose had
been previously weakened. either by
drawing some of the spikes. or by
unscrewing the nuts on the bolts at
the joints.
In another field. ahd this time under
Rlpley's Instructions. our ex-cow-
punch had been able to set and bait
a trap. BY dillgent search he had
found the man Murphy. the Clanahan
henchman. who. under pressure. had
given away the Timber Mountain plot
which had climaxed In the kidnapping
ef-the bexsb@Thls man had been de-
lIberately shot In a bar-room brawl
and left for dead. But he had crawled
sway and had got out of town to live
and recover at q distant cattle ranch
the Limherton hills.
when Tarbell discovered him he had
-ut out the booze. had grown a beard,
md was thirsting for vengeance. Tar
,eil brought him back to Portal City.
presently there began to be de-
,elopments. Murphy knew all the
.opes. In q little time. Ripley. with
rarbeii's hep. was loaded for bear.
)ne chilly October afternoon the law
rerA came down TO our office 10 tell
FIR. Norcross that the game was cor
iered.
"All you have to do now Is to give
he word was the way Ripley wound
10. "You refused TO do II on a former
.ceasion, bs aus we couldn't get the
men higher. up. This time we can
lalI CianaIan, and a good few OF the
gnngsters and bosses in the
,ther towns along the line. What DO
tou sayf"
The boss looked up with the little
horseshoe frown wrinkling between
lis eyes.
Scan we get Hatch and enckelf"
"No; not yet"
every well then you may lock those
,apers up In our safe and We'll wait.
When you can see your way clear TO
criminal trial with Rufus Hatch
md Gustave Henckel In the prisoners
lock, well start the legal machinery:
,ut not before"
DH We
" the state election. AS far as any
pody could see. the railroad had stayed
rec and clear Of the political fight.
The boss had kept his promise to main
ain neutrality and was still keep
ne Il. I
At the appointed time the big day
and the political wind-up held
ne center OF the stage. So far as we
we're concerned. IL passed off very quiet
y. Along IN the afternoon the Hewspa-
YER offices began { put out bulletins.
md by evening the result was no long
" doubtful. For the first time In years
he power of the POLITICAL machine
Iad been smashed decisively at the
POLLS. and on the following morning
Mountsinecr announced the--etee-
ben OF Governor BurreIl. with a safe
majority In both houses Of
be legislature for the Independents
Il was on sb~ third day after the