Show M synopsis CHAPTER I 1 graham norcross railroad manager and ills his secretary jimmie dodds are marooned at sand creek siding with a young lady shella shola shela a macrae and her small cousin unseen they witness a peculiar train holdup in ili which a special car is carried oft off CHAPTER II 11 norcross rec recognizes 09 the car stolen as is john chad lV wicks icks financial lin ancial magnate whom vh am he was to meet at portal city he and dodds rescue chadwick tho the latter offers norcross the of the pioneer short line which is in ill tile the hands of ca eastern speculators lie headed abed hy by breckenridge dunton president of the line norcross learning that shella sheila macrae I 1 fact ae is stopping st at portal city accepts CHAPTER ill III dodds 0 overhears conversation ersa tion between rufus hatch and 1 guslav tj henckel Hen citel portal city financiers in they admit complicity in chadwick their object being to keep chadwick from attending a meeting ot of directors to reorganize the pioneer short laae which mould jeopardize their inter ests cl CHAPTER L apter IV IN T to curb the mono monopoly controlled by hatch and the P red d tower corporation norcross forab tile llie storage and warehouse company ile he begins to a deep interest in shella sheila dodds learns that shelia is married but ining in ing apart apar I 1 her husband norcross dob no not know CHAPTER R V hatch falch abare anare that dodds has knowledge ol of his and henckels participation in fit the chadwick offers film inducements to leave deavil norcross dodds refuses leaving the office lie he Is ia knocked ben rt cov ering er ing consciousness lie ha learch that norcross has disappeared and ib i bellei belle ed etl to have resigned reigned re fand and gont gone cast CHAPTER VI dodds t connects norcross disappearance machinations of hatch and henckel and on recovering strength sets seta out to sole the mys tery lery CHAFFER VI all I 1 I di g an z A roads master mechanic dodds gets a line on norcross hb disappearance they ollow follow a clue ghen them through a s missing CHAPTER vill 1 A close call with everybody fai liv lir had resigned and left the oti I 1 g hinss there were all kind kicul or of i bililc in fit city alid ind nil ill ilin the short line mien lin the ord mait ent out that mr s i liick back un oil tile job and running it inucci till alif ime anie its as if nothing had imiri happened Im iii after supper on coil the ich ht or ins its from froin tile bild lild allt IW in nit fit a 11 long ions code liles ni csir ag to mr liada Chad ILIC k ind 1 a I shot t one to ill president ilent dunton anti and though I 1 re ee the reply cepl to either I 1 gue mr Cl Ch indIcks adIcks fit sier at le leat 04 aas the right kind lf ile lau laue e our track went into comini mon lon mith etli a 1 s liim and all the reform po policies licie took look 1 a I sine enough fielli start aul und begin to hump hunia willi euneman Tu Ju neman nenian working ork the newspapers to a fiehl we heard hear nothing further bioni mr fr dismuke tile the gentleman in the lie tan spats though ile he still staged on oil at lie bullard vc ive saw linn him occasionally at meal ineal times and twice lie ile was as patin at tile nine tahle table lilt lintel hatch and Ilen ckel that placed him all right for ui though I 1 pue gue lie need much placing I 1 wondered a little nt lit air arst t that mr norcross take the clue that r the Io aej lind hall loii us its and benr roose an ale trails gang that hall had trapped liim him ire ile or seem to broin the first hour of tile 1 ficq lily lie ile axa was up to ill ills neek neck in iliin for the ne new company fell roi fri tile lie guipo pin pose e of putting ite red 1 I lonnei nut lit of if bu business sInes and lie take a 1 time for ana in tiling thin else ehe or of course coure cour e it sn ans s itself that lint mitch never made any more inore about sell elling iii the red to tower er plants to the cithens Cit lens A AVire warehouse howe people after tin the boss bos got of luck back that moe went into ill lie discard sn lit it hurry ind the consolidation outfit was 1111 alnis setting getting lilt into it its fig clothes a and if I 1 t trying r y to chock the wheels or of the lie C S IV with nil all sorts of legal obstacles Franch franchise je contracts with lilt ili anil 1 loid nerv eri flashed ni ind oje cin for nold lit in ind nhat lait little sli tool oi lie kot got for a myk eck or to ns n in ams irville li lit ln is iii hin around ind tr fr ins to 10 1111 1 lii neu client clients tile lie C S IV V foll foil out lilt of if jail for of boint ile lid it little nd ind boulet nd ind boken lie othild put pill hie file legal leather into ill alic id et bill liillie ln illie lie lie other r ido romild bile luchik ie f apie cc sin ili ingot tate tt corporation and N lion hen ill alic loal courts cio oled Il illige lite would ind some nay ay iy to jerk tit alif ano cn c out oitt of them and put it up lip to Ie iederan deral judge jinie around bonte in cit things mie just arton two da 1 boll on alight ly alad ii I i ail soon mr fr tot ot loicl lii cl e si 1 I if nev ali hum ain on oil the head quart elz folee foice ile air was wn a 1 onn gr lellow bained Ta maibell ibell ilio w and and in acted like 1 a I ov or punch jut just in bioni riding line lie ile a carried on oil air ir van vall lipitt 13 1 fit s pj pi MOll I 1 oil as a ill an a or Ili irli elief cf telez telegraph raph oper operator thou 11 e I 1 ne nemr or liend of liis his bring being ent out our to 10 deliee all anybody boda I 1 izod till new young youn nian ain n up tip libit away for 1 a I special of some sort anil all the lie proof broor that I 1 was fight n klit baine ono one afternoon alien fell ripley dropped iu ill raid fell into i chair to fan olf fill its ills straw lint hat like a inan imin who had bad just put down don a I 1 load that lie had bad ht hac er cari cirgin ing in abndt if mile and a mill fail liei chati lie hall had bai bargained gained to illick Il Ili link alik the lie told aoi d the last of those allt i olt the lie docket lie t laid nd th dibin mili a lon imig aleath ind and MV gilt lii hi neat little hoad at the bon ho ill i 1 one for the hatch people Noi oi cio cirss lav ie ic stubborn stub lorn fight ellit el ei well vell beat eni eill predicted the hie boss tho aliee Tl iee c got ot to let it yo go how about our C S W fi lends ate aie they still I 1 gallic zi file fine I inc asserted the Ia lawyer Nyer the stock I 1 is subscribed no all C S IV V lq is a going COIl concern Lern the building boom I 1 is on oil I 1 eduie to siy ay iy thele are two to khoii and at oik at the different aln erent cen leis up lilt alie S fol foi the now plants at this moment you ought to liae a i monument Note loss it b the most ori original inal scheme tor for brea brcak kill iii a monopoly that as evel devised the boan was wab looking out of lilt window sort of ab absently antly Lh bowing eing on oil his cigar ciar which hall conr out Ili ripley pley I 1 wonder what iou d say if I 1 should tell you that tile idea 1 Is not of mine lie said qaid after a little pause pale not 3 ours no it 11 or tit at beast least tile the gerni germ ol oc it wa w is given to lne ine 1 ly V a wol woman liall a wo man who knows knos no more about business fir details than nott ou do about driving title ill id like to le be ellade acquainted with the lie lade lad nid aid ripley with a cited little alile I such genis gems sire are too lile to be wasted on niete lumber maids and ft lilt pac korles kerle and gi ain elea eleito is and the lite like meet lier her some day laughed the io boss with it sort of happy lilt in III hl i olce that lint fairly ninde made me ine sk ILI knowing ant I 1 lid did and knowing that lie he k know it then lie switched ill the subject abruptly about lie mutter matter It illicy 1 I 1 know M 0 v auve N been antty luty buny but youve had tarbell nearly a week neck what hae oti oil found oil out kiple liti ofed the lie general situation 1 is I it tood stood on the night 0 of the evgine left lit in i few terse ter cre se sentences enten en tence ces aside abide A side front from lite tl ight ait on oil red consolidated 0 soli o li the nei ne railroad r I riad policies eie to upset all ill ilie time lime honored political traditions tradition of the elane governed state an election a as ippi caching and the ralli ond ote and influence must be whipped into hill line As A the rattlers gratteri grat viewed lr it lie c ico lution was it a 1 I and if that mail coil lie lie he dagget would daib T the I 1 I 1 L execution details detail had been till tinned tied over mer to tile lie political bo ho bos s of poll 11 city the plot itself ai wis simple at a certain hour or of a ghen night in an a ai iiii iiii ius letter was to lie ile sent ent to mi Noi cio s telling him that 1 a I gang ann of noted liin lobber loli na was stealing teallie teal lil a n I 1 v tion the portal citi cit aid anid rot foi the e of running inning ri down tile mile line and wi eking tile fast mal mall often carried a bullion opi ill C ir r if alir fit los hos li fall fail for it as a lie did lien the time thile cattle canic go 1 in pel pei oll 0 to o top stop the lie mid lie wa was to lie ile lilt and spirited ill ni 1 I a robed ietter pui to ile be a I 1 to tle of if 11 ins n was 1 1 az to lie ile ae left ft fo for r mr van vall blitt and 1 fa fike 1 e mei 1 giam aill ini king tile lie same alne announcement wis to 0 o lo he 10 sent ent to dunton in fit new yolk nothing 1 is I S left ind finite bill the of the flip night ili lit 1 I 1 ippol up pose poL mitch a to give ive tile lie 1 I boli lid tile boss ho to hil biad d been beell ol icily lilt anwer baw er abat iz Is tile lie lintel libla gme g me the word ord after in ili talk with ill on bill tile ilie time was nude een ole nole propitious liv hv the anial of alio ill two to lele vinni the one finin mr chadick le k fit ind the lie one finin mr million Dui iton brith of which they inter filter b ly means of tin tilo tapped e 11 mr looked lip quickly Ri riplon Rip lev fill did Dilli annton toll hilm what wa was goiner oin to be 10 done to me file oil I 1 think not it ant fit at all noc nelsn P sn zai that lint lie should lie ile taken in on of it tle rie lias has been op opposing point hiir acie policies ill along ind and hall just ent nt iou ou 1 a I savage ravage call down he lilt int boti on in the fust place and he be lias been air ailous zious to get lid fill or of ou if ever eer since the plotters knew ety well ell what lie would ilo do if lie should got get a wile it which NIll cli purported to lie ile amir our ile he would appoint allot other glicr man quick ind and all thoy would liae hae if to do would ho be to make ine sine s that lint 3 on oil of e N well ell off stage will und would stay oft off until tile lie other inin inan emild could tike hold bold it worked out nut like ilke a i admitted the boss with nith a I 1 wry smile 1 I haen lanien t been talking much about the detill detail because I 1 wanted to rind find out olit if alii oung fel fella fellow lj tarbell Tir liell aas a good 1011 loll as tile majors llin jor inundation inen dation of him anil ami partly because ini im honet lin nestly lN aslia ined 1 api y any ally man mail of mv ii age c and experience who iio would swallow si allow halt bait look hook all and line as I 1 did that night flight deen de en es to get all that is 1 coming to him you can nn tell nie life now 1101 cant you queried tit the attorney 1011 oli loll lex e have it all ol 01 pric shally nil all I 1 fell for the anonymous letter about tile lie mall holdup hold up and chib while I 1 dont lilt i little er eo cally eis lly ordinarily dina rily that aliat was wal one time tillie when avil 1 I lot lost ni in head just kr for the lie moment the ob lobious loll tiling filing to do if ally an attention r na was to ojie he paid to the anon NN warning arning was uns to the lie polie police wid the roundhouse round house I 1 did neither either 1 because I 1 thou thought lit it inight be loo ot slow low so ou oti nude n I 1 straight shoot hoot for tile lie scone celle of action 1 I did down the back and the lie lower end call of ill alie az AS it appealed or rather as it was made to appeal I 1 was barel lit in time el V mon men tit at the engine and when I 1 splint sin idled eti the baid aid they vie road read to nime moe it t out to the lie main title line I 1 celled at them theirl gilld lan fail lit in thice of thein tackled nil me the moment I 1 cilc c lille within ll leach fl I 1 got one of lie be iiii lie point of the jaw and ami thea alie had t to leaie leae him behind but eie boug it anole of bliem beaole I 1 1 ie aliel ahat iut was happe happening nhi clivy nad mid lite ine rinsed up tip lile I 1 turkey and 1 I loaded inlo the alie cab or of tile engine aiom aidin that on oil it was nna lilt all plat 11 sailing then they took you to lie old lumber camal camp AN A fast faa ais I 1 the elig engine itie could be made to tu turn 1 lier her wheela ariolo an lias has no night operator and glnn livit wu ne sneaked through lite banta aard ard all and pat pa t the lie station the operator ani 11 ab ahleen leep I 1 saw liim with liis ills head in ill lie the crook of lili liis arm arin at the telegraph ta table lie in lie buy bay window us as we parsed we ve ran out to the lie timber thither mountain Y and front from that on up the old auw hlll line the rall rail connections eie all in fit place jud and I 1 knew from this that preparations had boon been mude made beforehand they tell me anything except that I 1 wm wi to bu be olied fit ii fur for a ni few xv i lay duy you yon knew flat that meant M ii dropout drop out would ac c made hindu tu to look 11 is if I 1 had jumped t the te job and dainton would appoint if a new inan 11 after that I 1 could come colne 1 bick a e k if I 1 wanted allied to whatever Wh ateer I 1 I 1 might 1119 I 1 i t 10 I 1 lo 0 or try to do would cut no figure I 1 ind n it no explanation I 1 could make would I 1 lie e bell beli eed ell I 1 eliad mo mot most t obligingly dai dug my illy oli official grave and there here could lit ill no resurrection what then picked pie ed ripley keenly interested ng as anybody cougil chuh bee ee when they took hie th e cloies clobes line front from my lily arin amis there ans ag another i crap it do any good they sot got the door shift on oil me and got it locked after that for four solid das dans ripley I 1 was as ninde made to realize how little it lake to hold leold a man I 1 hall had my pocketknife pocket knife hut but I 1 whittle my way out the floor punch con bons were ere spiked down find and I 1 din dig out they hall had taken all my lily mut elies lilt and I 1 burn tile place I 1 filed died tit alie stick stich rubbing and all those things ou read about fakes I 1 got get even the lilt smell inell of smoke thib chimney ja ka they had me trussed up like a a christmas turkey tilde on in they had belted liei ted the place ahen lien I 1 il was wao a commissary with n ame ind iid llie lite pille hole 11 alie it ceiling beihn hall I 1 piece of sheet froll nailed onor it and I 1 set get it to the unit to nt it all they hid hall me file nodded and fit fill snippy like well sol got chelli now my illy little loll 1011 gie gic abe word ord bathell lias has I 1 pinch on one of the Chi chinchan nahan men inen and lie ile will tinn saito t didente oi ei deme dente we can call ra raili oa oid d cecii oil one of if t those iloe fellows I 1 who carlice on and the lie men lusher up pieties pie tied tile bos bols bo s no not net et thell axell ell ill fulop it right aviu it i 1 I 1 dont lilt ant llie lite fired tools tool no one oile of unless Illi lel boll cin t set get llie 1011 that stippled doall Doi Dol lils ll here they nellt eit on 01 talking my illy burnup burn up listening in fit I 1 learned for the ailt dilno jil just 4 low how it had |