The Dolores star., 1921-11-25
CHAPTER XIII
What the Pilot Enaine Found
10

what the Pilot Engine Found
For time after the suicide OF the
ofr-trIck ck-dispatcher the wreck epidemic
paused. Acting upon Mr.. NOrcross'
suggestion. Mr.. Van Britt called his
traInmen In, a crew at 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
ging faithfully, managed to turn up
few facts that were worth some
thing. In the Petrolite case he found
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 dislodged, and that one of them
was carrying pick. Also, further In
vestigation 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. and this time under
Ripiey's instructions, our ex-cow.
punch had been able to set and bait
a trap. BY diligent search he had
found the man Murphy. the Clannhan
henchman, who. under pressure. had
given away the Timber Mountain plot
which had climaxed in the kidnapping
Of the boss. This man had been de-
iiberately shot In a bar-room brawl
and left for dead. But he had crawled
away and had got out Of town to live
and recover at distant cattle ranch
In the LTmberton hills.
When Tarhell discovered him he had
cut out the booze, had grown beard,
and was thirsting for vengeance. Tar
bell brought him back to Portal City,
and presently there began to be de-
velopments. Murphy knew all the
ropes. In little time. Ripley. with
TarbeiIs help. was loaded for bear.
One chilly October afternoon the law
yer came down to our office to tell
Mr.. Norcross that the game was cor
nered.
"AiI you have to do now is to give
the word" was the way Ripley wound
ap. "You refused to do 1t on former
occasion, because we couldn't get the
men higher up. This time we can
nail Cianahan. and a good few Of the
political gangsters and bosses in the
other towns along the line. What do
you sayT
The boss looked up with the little
horseshoe frown wrnkling between
his eyes.
"Can we get Hatch and Henckel?"
mo; not yet
.very well: then you may lock those
papers up In your safe and we'll wait.
When you can see your way clear to
a criminal trial, with RUFUS Hatch
and Gustave Henckel In the prisoners
dock. we'll start the legal machinery !:
but not before"
By now we were right on the eve
If the state election. AS far as any
body could see. the railroad had stayed
free and clear of the political fight.
The boss had kept his promise to main
tain neutrality and was still keep
ing It.
At the appointed time the big day
dawned, and the political wind-up held
the center Of the stage. So far as we
were concerned, 1t passed of very quiet
~. Along in the afternoon the newspa-
Dsr offices began to put out bulletins.
and by evening the result was no long
ef doubtful. For the first time in years
the power Of the political machine
had been smashed decisively at tho
polls, and on the following morning
the Mountaineer announced the cleo
tfon of Governor Burrell, with a safe
working majority In both houses Of
the legislature for the Independents.