The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-12
The Wreckers
Francis Lynde
CONTINUED r,pm Yesterday,
tcepyrssAs tsfs. hy Charles scrsA-
uer.s sseel

~When they took the clothes.iine
from my arms there was another
scrap, II didn't do any good. They
got tho door shut on mo and got Il
locked. After that. for four solid
days. Ripley. was made 10 realize
how little Il takes TO hold a man.
had my pocket knife. but l
couldn't whittle my way out. The
floor puneheons were spiked down,
and couldn't dig out. They had
taken all my matches. and I couldn't
burn the place. tried the stick.
rubbing, and all those things you
read about. they're fakes; couldn't
get even the smell OF smoke"
The chimney
There wasn't any. They had
heated the place. when Il was a
commissary. with a stove. and the
pipe hole thru the ceiling had a
piece OF sheet iron nailed over H.
And couldn't get TO the roof at
all. They had me-"
Ripley nodded and said. snarpy-
like: We'll. we've got them now
any time YOU give the word. Tar
bell has pinch on one OF the
Clanahan men and he win turn
state's evidence. We can railroad
every one OF those fellows who car.
risd you Off
And the men higher up?- queried
the boss.
No: not yet
Then weli drop II rich, where ~
To- don't want the hired tools. no
one OF them. unless you can get
the devn that crippled Jimmy Dodds.
here
They went on. talking about my
burn-up. Listening In. learned
for the first time just how II had
been done. Tarbeli. thru his hold
upon the weishinE clanahan striker.
had got the details at second hand.
nRtch's assassin 80 or Cianahan'r -
must have had II all doped out and
made ready before Hatch had made
the break at trying TO brlhe me.
Anyway. a lead had been taken
FROM a power wire at the corner OF
the street and hooked over the outer
door knob. And inside had been
given A sheet Of copper TO stand on
for a good ground the copper
Itself being wired 10 a water pipe
running up thru the hall Tafbell
had Rftsrward proved up on all this.
it seemed. finding tho insulated
wire and the copper sheet with It's
connections hidden In a small rub
Dish eloyet under the hall stair. just
where a fellow In a hurry might
chuck them.
'"rarbell is a striking success. "
Mr.. Norcross put IN. along at the
end Of things. Wen keep him on
with us. Ripley
You'd better" said the ieveieyed
young attorney, significantly. Prom
the way things are stacking up.
youn presently need a personal
botyEuard | suppose It's no use
asking you 20 carry n gum
Hardly" laughed the boss TIVE
never done II yet and it's pretty
late in the day TO Begin
Past this there was. n little more
talk about the c. q. a w. deal and
about what the Hatch crowd would
be likely TO try next. and when IT
was finished. and Ripley was reach.
Ing for his hat. the boss said.
There In no change In the orders:
we've got EN- going now. and well
keep EN- going. Drive It. Ripley,
drive II for every ounce there In In
you Never mind the election talk
or the stock quotations This rail.
road Il going to he honest. n II
never earns another net dollar.
Wen winf'
IT'S beginning IN look a little
that way. now" the lawyer ad
mitted. with his hand on the door
knob. Just the same. Norcross.
there IN safety In numbers. and our
numbers are precisely one; one man
holding up a single finger. "As
before. the pyramid IL standing on
It's head--and you are the head. The
other people have shown US once
what happens when you are re
moved For Gods sake. be care.
fur
don't know whether the boss
took that last bit OF advice TO heart
or not II he didn't. he was a
bigger man than even had been
taking him for-with the crooks OF
whole state reaching out for him
and with the knowledge which he
must have had. that the next time
they came cunning for him They'd
shoot 10 kill.
IL was late In the afternoon wher
Ripley made his visit. and pretty
soon after he went away the boss
and closed up our end OF the shop
and left May pecklng away at his
typewriter on a lot OF routine stuff
don't know what made me do Il
but as was passing Fred's desk
on the way out. stringing along be
hind the boss. I stopped and jerked
open one OF the drawers. knew
beforehand what was In the drawer
and pointed 70 ia new 30 auto
matte. Fred nodded. and slipped
the gun into my left.hand pocket
wondering. as / did IL. II could
make out TO hit the broadsIde' Of a
barn. shooting with that hand, II
/ had to.
A half.minute later had caught
ND with Mr.. Norcross. and together