Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-08-26
CHAPTER XIII
What the Pilot Engine Found

what the PiIot Engine rouHo
For time after the suicide of the
off trick-dispatcher the wreck epidemic
paused. Acting upon Mr.. Norcross
suggestion, Mr.. Van Britt called MS
trainmen In, a crew at time, ana
gave them the straight tip; and after
that the hoodoo died q 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 to turn up
a few facts that were worth some
thing. In the Petrolite case he found
a lone prospector living In snack
high up on the farther side or 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
yestigation seemed to prove that the
rail which the blow of the rock was
supposed to have knocked loose had
been previously weakened, either Dy
drawing some of the spikes, or Dy
unscrewing the nuts on the bolts at
the joints.
In another field, and this time under
Ripley'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 Clanahan
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-
liberately shot I'm bar-room brawi
and left for dead But he had crawled
away and had got out of town to live
and recover at distant cattle ranch
I'm the I.imberton hills.
When Tarbell discovered him ne nad
cut out the booze. had grown Dearu'
and was thirsting for vengeance. TAR
ball brought him back TO Portal City,
and presently there began to be de-
velopments. Murphy knew all the
ropes. In little time, Ripley, win
Tarbell's help, was loaded for Dear
One chilly october afternoon the law
ver came down to our office to tell
Mr. Norcross that the game was cor
nered.
"AlI YOU have to do now is to give
the word" was the way Ripley wound
un "You refused to do 1t on FORMER
occasion. because we couldn't get the
men higher up. This time we can
nail Clanahan. and good few of the
,political gangsters and bosses in the
other towns along the line. What DO
you say?" 49,
The boss looked up with the little
horseshoe frown wrinkllng between
his eyes.
"Can we get Hatch and Henckel?"
mo; not yet"
every well; then you may lock those
napers up in your safe ana Wen wait.
when YOU can see your way clear 10
= criminal trial, with Rufus Hatch
ond Gnstave Henctel in the prisoners
so,. u.arl start the legal machinery:
but not before
py now we were right on the eve
os tba state election As far as any
.hodv could see. the railroad had stayed
rraa and clear of the political hgnt.
The boss had kept his promise to MAIN
tain neutrality and was still Keep
ing It.
Al the appointed time the Dig oay
aawned and the political wind-up beid
tho confer of the stage. SO far as we
yvaye concerned, II passed off very quiet
" Along in the afternoon the newspa-
o., haron to mt out bulletins,
an5 hv evening the result was no long,
aorhtful For the first time in years
<ha mower of the political machine
- Noon smashed decisively at the
Lis ond on the following morning
ths Mountaineer announced the cleo
49,, :, Governor Burrell. with a safe
working majority In bofh houses %
the legislature for the lndepehuentS
II was on the third DAY ailer 'V