<hr class="chap" /><p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_102" id="Page_102"></SPAN></span></p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/lrr-108.png" width-obs="250" height-obs="218" alt="" /></div>
<h2><SPAN name="Chapter_XIII" id="Chapter_XIII"></SPAN>Chapter XIII</h2>
<p class="center extraspacebot2">HELP WEARS A MASK</p>
<p>Penny couldn't turn back without making herself appear
ridiculous. Rangoon had already seen her, and was
grinning a welcome. He took his hat off with a flourish
and revealed black hair, parted low on one side and plastered
down upon his forehead with a carefully nurtured
dip. His hair gleamed from greasy stuff that he used on it.</p>
<p>"Wal," he said with the air of a welcoming host, "this
is a downright surprise."</p>
<p>Penny halted at the edge of the clearing. It was the
first time she had seen Rangoon at close range, and she
found him wholly repugnant. His face was pitted from
smallpox, scarred from a knife brawl, and generally<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_103" id="Page_103"></SPAN></span>
greasy with sweat, but it was his eyes that made him
hideous. They were small, bloodshot, and set too close
together. He had only one eyebrow, which extended clear
across the ridge of his receding forehead, serving both
eyes. The expression in the eyes was one of confidence
and insolence.</p>
<p>Instinctively, Penny felt that she should turn at once
and ride back home. Rangoon advanced on foot, and
held a hand toward her.</p>
<p>"I'll help yuh down from the saddle," he said.</p>
<p>"I'm not dismounting, I was just about to turn back."</p>
<p>"I don't reckon you'll want tuh turn back right now,"
Rangoon said. "There's somethin' over here you'll be
right glad to have a look at."</p>
<p>"I doubt it." Penny tried to jerk the reins around, but
Rangoon was holding them. "Please let go of my reins,
Rangoon. I'm going home."</p>
<p>Rangoon shook his head slowly. "I wouldn't," he said,
"if I was you. I understand that yer uncle'd be right sore
if he found you'd rid up here in spite of all he's said
about it."</p>
<p>Penny pulled suddenly and hard, but vainly.</p>
<p>"It ain't no use tryin' tuh pull free jest yet," Rangoon
advised her, "because I aim tuh have yuh take jest one
look at what I seen. Then yore free tuh go, if yuh want
tuh."</p>
<p>Penny was armed: she wore a small-caliber revolver
on a belt around her waist. She felt that she could use
this if necessary. She was more angry than frightened.
She dismounted, ignoring the offered hand of the pock-marked
man. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say it<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_104" id="Page_104"></SPAN></span>
didn't matter. She noticed that his own horse was tethered
to a near-by tree.</p>
<p>"What is it you want to show me?"</p>
<p>"I suppose," Rangoon said slowly, "you're downright
disappointed that it's me yuh seen here instead of yer
other friend."</p>
<p>Penny noticed the use of the word "other." It implied
that in his mind Rangoon had no intention of considering
himself in the humble position of a waddie on her uncle's
ranch, but rather as one on an equal social footing. Penny
made no comment.</p>
<p>"Yuh wonder how I know about him, eh?" Rangoon
said. "Wal, there is what I wanted yuh tuh see." He
pointed to the ground.</p>
<p>Penny saw the marks of her small boots clearly showing
where she had stood yesterday. Near by were the
prints that Tonto's moccasins had made. Penny stared
and felt herself growing cold with fury at the realization
of what she knew must be in Rangoon's foul mind. Not
only were the prints there together, but both pairs led
toward the lean-to.</p>
<p>"'Tain't as if it was one of the boys from the Basin,"
the tantalizing voice behind her said, "but a critter
wearin' moccasins! That might mean a redskin."</p>
<p>Penny acted instinctively. She whirled quickly and
swung with all the force of her arm. Her gloved hand
smacked against the scar on Rangoon's cheek.</p>
<p>Then she burned with embarrassment. Any explanation
would be futile. She walked quickly toward her horse.</p>
<p>"Not so fast," Rangoon said sharply, grabbing Penny's
arm.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_105" id="Page_105"></SPAN></span></p>
<p>"You let go of my arm, or I'll shoot you."</p>
<p>"The hell yuh will!"</p>
<p>In that instant Penny was ready to kill. All reasoning
left her. The hand on her arm brought her fury to white
heat. She snatched for her gun, but Rangoon slapped the
weapon from her hand.</p>
<p>Rangoon released his grip on her arm, and caught up
the reins of her horse. "Jest git yer senses while I tie up
yer hoss, an' we'll talk."</p>
<p>Released, the girl made a dive for her gun, which was
on the ground. Rangoon saw the motion, and put his foot
on the weapon.</p>
<p>"I'll fix that," he growled. He picked up the gun and
emptied it of cartridges. "Now you c'n have the shootin'
iron back," he said, handing it to her while he tossed the
ammunition deep among the heavy brush. Penny took
her weapon mechanically and put it, empty, in her holster.</p>
<p>Fear gripped her for a moment when she realized that
she was practically helpless. To turn and race away on
foot would be a futile gesture. She thought of fainting,
but that wouldn't help matters any. She looked defiantly
at Rangoon.</p>
<p>"What do you want to talk about?"</p>
<p>"Now, that's more like it. Yuh needn't be scairt of me;
I don't aim tuh hurt yuh none." There was a definite
sneer in both the voice and expression while the man
tossed Las Vegas' reins about a tree and knotted them.</p>
<p>"Don't get the notion that you gotta fight fer yer honor
an' all that sort o' tripe like in the readin' books. I don't
aim tuh git shot up by men in the Basin fer makin' passes<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_106" id="Page_106"></SPAN></span>
at you. I like my women without no killin' fights tied
ontuh them."</p>
<p>Penny stubbornly refused to let her face indicate her
feelings. She stood, chin up, listening.</p>
<p>"First of all," Rangoon said, "I hanker tuh know why
yuh rid up here."</p>
<p>"It's none of your business."</p>
<p>"Goin' tuh be stubborn again, eh? Now you'll git home
a sight quicker if yuh answer my questions."</p>
<p>"Why are you here?" countered Penny.</p>
<p>"That's easy. I tell, then you tell," Rangoon grinned.
"Makin' a sort o' game of it, eh? Wal, yesterday I seen
smoke comin' outen the treetops. I wondered who was
campin' here, but couldn't git away from the Basin tuh
see. I rid up tuhday an' found some downright interestin'
footprints. Now it's yore turn tuh tell jest what they
mean."</p>
<p>"And then you'll let me leave here?"</p>
<p>"Talk first."</p>
<p>"I used to ride up this way before I went to school.
I came up yesterday and found a friendly Indian camped
here."</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"How do I know?"</p>
<p>"Yuh rid up here twice."</p>
<p>Penny hadn't credited Rangoon with such skill at reading
signs.</p>
<p>"Yes, I came up twice."</p>
<p>"The redskin had two horses with him. What about
'em?"</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_107" id="Page_107"></SPAN></span></p>
<p>Penny, while hating herself for enduring the man's insolence,
felt that there was no use trying to evade the
truth, which after all was harmless. She told Rangoon
about bringing food for the Indian's friend.</p>
<p>When she mentioned the friend, Rangoon showed keen
interest.</p>
<p>"Who was that there friend?"</p>
<p>"I don't know."</p>
<p>"Where was he at?"</p>
<p>"I don't know that either. I've told you all I know,
Rangoon."</p>
<p>The man shook his head slowly, "'Tain't enough. I got
tuh know the rest."</p>
<p>Penny was defiant. "I've told you all I know and now
I'm starting back for the Basin. If I'm not there Uncle
Bryant will wonder why, and I'll tell him why I was
delayed. You ought to know him pretty well, Rangoon.
He won't take this sort of behavior from you!"</p>
<p>Rangoon threw back his head and laughed hard at this.</p>
<p>"Yer uncle won't hurt <i>me</i>," he said between two roars
of laughter.</p>
<p>Penny made a sudden dive for the knotted reins. Again
Rangoon was quicker. He caught her in strong hands.</p>
<p>"Yuh ain't leavin'," he said, "till yuh tell who the
redskin's friend is, an' where he's hidin'."</p>
<p>"I tell you I don't know." Penny struggled to free herself.</p>
<p>"I'll wring it out of yuh," Rangoon bellowed as he
wrapped his long arms completely around the girl and
nearly cut off her wind in a bearlike grip.</p>
<p>"L-let m-me g-go," gasped Penny.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_108" id="Page_108"></SPAN></span></p>
<p>Rangoon's grip was tighter. His arms were crushing
the slim girl to him, bending her back until it hurt frightfully.
His ugly face was close to her, his breath, foul with
alcohol and half-rotted teeth, was hot. Penny felt nauseated,
violently ill.</p>
<p>Contact with the girl made Rangoon reckless. He
seemed to forget any fear he might have had.</p>
<p>His voice was hoarse as he shouted to Penny, "Who is
that Indian's friend?"</p>
<p>His repeated question was simply an excuse to hold
the girl. His voice was hoarse. "Who is that Indian's
friend?"</p>
<p>"I am!"</p>
<p>It was a new voice, a deeply resonant one that spoke
from behind Rangoon.</p>
<p>"Stand back," the same voice snapped.</p>
<p>Rangoon swore and whirled as he snatched out his gun
with catlike speed and agility. The releasing of the girl,
the turning, the drawing, and the firing, all seemed part of
one smooth flowing movement that came from instinct.</p>
<p>Wide-eyed, Penny saw Rangoon's gun jump as it lashed
flame and smoke toward the newcomer. The gun seemed
a thing alive—it leaped free of Rangoon's hand and flew
in an arc across the clearing. Rangoon screamed a livid
curse of pain as he gripped his gun hand.</p>
<p>The stranger, standing ten feet away, had his own
weapon back in its holster. Penny saw that the man was
tall; his hat was white and clean, and his face was masked.</p>
<p>Rangoon's hand must have hurt terribly, to judge
from his violent cursing. Penny had a dazed, detached
feeling as she watched the two men. Rangoon, still cursing,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_109" id="Page_109"></SPAN></span>
held a hand that stung from the force of the bullet
that had knocked his own gun away.</p>
<p>The stranger with the mask stepped forward and
slapped Rangoon on the face. The blow did not appear
to be hard-swung, but it sent Rangoon sprawling on the
ground.</p>
<p>"That's enough of that talk," the stranger said in his
crisp but nonetheless pleasant voice. Penny heard another
sound, and turned as Tonto came from behind the trees.</p>
<p>The masked man spoke again. "You're not hurt badly.
My bullet struck your gun, not your hand."</p>
<p>"You'll pay fer this," Rangoon cried. "I'll see yuh
shot up, a little at a time—I'll have my men git yuh, you
wait."</p>
<p>The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto. "You'd better gag
him, Tonto," he said. "It's going to be hard to talk above
that noise."</p>
<p>Tonto grinned and leaped astride Rangoon, who made
no attempt to rise from the ground. What the killer said
was muffled as Tonto jammed a knotted cloth into his
mouth.</p>
<p>"When he's gagged, rope him."</p>
<p>Tonto nodded and his expression said, "Gladly."</p>
<p>Penny watched with interest. She knew she should
mount and ride at once for the Basin, but there was something
about the masked man that held her, and there were
things she wanted to ask. Who was this stranger whose
chin was so well shaped? Why was he masked? She instinctively
liked him, aside from the help he'd given her.
She liked his efficient manner of handling Rangoon.</p>
<p>Beyond the trees she caught a glimpse of Silver. This,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_110" id="Page_110"></SPAN></span>
then, was the man to whom she had sent food. The man
for whom Tonto had asked help. This was the owner of
the magnificent stallion.</p>
<p>"Friend," she thought. "That's who he is. Tonto's
friend." She remembered the way Tonto had spoken of
him, then understood the tone the Indian had used when
he said, "My friend."</p>
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