The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-08-04
CHAPTER XIII
What n. plot Enalns Pound
- 'EFN
(Continued)

Tor a TINE nftsr the tulciuf OF thf
or.triek dispatcher the wreck epidemic
paused. Acting upon Mr.. NOrerOss
suggestion. Mr. Van Britt called his
trninmen IN, q crew al 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
sharp lookout for the trouble makers.
In the meantime. Tarbell. still dig
ging faithfully. managed 10 turn up
q few facts that were worth some
thing. In the Petrolite 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 siope from which the boulder had
been dlslodged and that one OF them
was carrying n pick. Also. further In
vestlgafion seemed 10 prove that the
rail which the blow Of the rock was
supposed 10 have knocked loose had
been previously weakened. either by
drawing some Of the spikes or by
unscrewing the nuts on the bolts al
the joints
In another field, and this time under
Ripley's instructions. our ex-cow-
punch had, been able 20 set and bait
n trap BY diligent search he had
found the man Murphy. the Clanahan
henchman. who. under pressure had
given away the Timber Mountain plot
which had cllmaxed In the kidnapping
of the boss This man had been de-
ilberately shot IN n har-room brawl
and left for dead But he had crawled
away and had got out ~ town 10 live
and recover M distant cattle ranch
IN the Ilmherton hills
when Tarbell discovered him he had
cut out the booze. had grown beard.
and was thlrstlng Tor vengeance Tar
hell brought him back 20 Portal City.
and presently there began 10 be de-
velopments Murphy knew oil the
ropes In little time Ripley. with
Tarbers help was loaded for hear
one chilly October afternoon the law
yer came down 10 our office 10 tell
Mr.. Norcross That the game was cor
nered
IAN You have % DO now is 70 give
the word" was the way Ripley wound
M. "You refused 70 DO Il on former
occasion. because we couldn't get the
men higher M This time we can
nail Cianahan. and a good few of the
political gangsters apd bosses IN The
other towns along the line What DO
Won saw"
The boss looked NJ with the little
horseshoe frown wrinklIng between
his ewes
"Can we get Hatch and HenckelT"
"No: not yet"
"very well then you may lock those
papers M IN your safe and we1l walt.
when you ran see your wav clear n
n criminal trial. with Rufus Hatch
and Gustnve Henckel IN the prisoners
dock ven start the legal .machlnery
bu, not before"
nv now We were right on the eve
~ the state election As far ne any
hody could see. the railroad had stayed T.
free and clear of the political FIGHT /
The boss had kept his promise 70 main I
tain neutrality and was stlll keep +
ing ~
Al the appointed time The hls day I
dawned and the political wlnd-up held /
the center - the stage So far as We
were concerned. n r. seed off very qute;- /
ly Along IN the afternoon the newsna- I
pcr Offices began ta puf ont bulletins
and by evening the result was no long
~ doubtful For me first time n years
the power ~ The political machine
had been smashed deciSlvely az the
nolls and on the following morning
the Mouninineer announced ne e'ec-
ton % Governor Rurrell with 2 safe
working maf0-ifv in hn'h houses ~
ire legislature Tor me Independents
II was on the third day afier The
election rather late In the afternoon. #
fhst the boss haa . cell from 3 min- /
INK promoter named Dawes represent
ne 4 bunch 81 mine owners af Sfrath-
-una who were havius trouble with
smelter The smeifcr. one ~ the few
Hatch uuuono'les which HADN'T been
shaken loose as Vet was located in
ne gulch six miles below Sfrathcona.
md L was served exclusively ~ ifs
1uu Industrial railroad. which @ was
1ssng - lever e pry - excessive
1auIiue eharre out - the mine own
~ wouidnr Mr Norcr0ss fry % 30
something about -
TIE boss said he'd 40 anything he
,euia. and asked what fhe mine own
- vented Dawes sid ihez wanted