The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-06-09
CHAPTER XIII
whs, the Pilot Engine Found

What the Pilot Engine Found
For n time after the suicide Of the
ff-trick-dispatcher the wreck epidemic
paused Acting upon Mr.. Norcross'
suggestion. Mr.. Van Britt called his
trainmen In. crew at n time, and
gave them the straight tip; and after
that che hoodoo died 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
a few facts that were worth some
thing. In the Petrolite case he found
a 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
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. and this time under
RIpleys Instructions. our ex-cow-
punch had been able to set and bait
n trap. by dlllgent 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-
llberately shot In n 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 Limberton hills.
When Tarbell discovered him he had
cut out the booze. had grown beard.
and was thlrsting 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
Tarbelrs help, was loaded for bear.
One chilly october afternoon the law
yer came down 10 our office TO tell
Mr.. Norcross that the game was cor
nered.
.Ad you have TO do now is 10 give
the word" was the way Ripley wound
up. "You refused to do II on former
occasion. because we couldn't get the
men higher up. This time we cnn
nail Clanahan, and a good few Of the
political gangsters and bosses In the
other towns along the line. What do
you sayf"
The boss looked up with the little
horseshoe frown wrinkllng between
his eyes.
"Can we get Hatch and Henckelr'
mo; not yet"
"very well; then you may lock those
papers up In your safe and well walt.
When you can SEQ your way clear TO
criminal trial, with Rufus Hatch
and Gustave Henckel in the prisoners
dock, Wen start the legal machinery :
but not before"
BY now we were right on the eve
OF the state election. AS fer 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 IL.
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, il passed OFF very quiet
40 Along I'm tho afternoOn tho nawsna.
per offices began TO put out bulletins
and by evening the result was no long.
er doubtful. For the first time In years
the power Of the political machine
had been smashed declsively at the
polls. and on the following morning
the Mouptaineer announced the elec.
tion OF Governor Burrell, with safe
working majority in both houses OF
the legislature for the Independents
-. ~ .la. IA