Free The Lone Ranger and Tonto by Fran Striker, Francis Hamilton Striker

please."
    "Now, now, Steve," admonished Higgy, "that ain't no way fer you to talk to sech a good friend as you claim me tuh be."
    "Rot!" snapped Steve Delaney. "If it hadn't been for me, you—"
    "Yuh know what I think," interrupted Higgy, "I think maybe you figgered I'd be scared away when the kid headed intuh Snake River. Yuh thought I wouldn't dare tuh show myself around here tuh git what's rightfully mine."
    "I didn't think about you at all. I told you I'd been busy. Why you thick-skulled half-wit, you'd have settled for a tenth of what you've had so far, if I hadn't showed you the way to cash in on what you had!"
    "You didn't show me anything because yuh liked me. Yuh showed me the way tuh cash in in a big way, because by doin' so you could take a big slice of what I got. But even then you weren't satisfied. Yuh tried tuh win my share with yer crooked poker."
    "I told you I'd give you some cash. I'll do the best I can with you." The Lone Ranger noticed the change that came over the gambler's face when he said this. It looked as if he'd had a sudden inspiration, an idea that might be turned to good use.
    Higgy's grin vanished and a scowl replaced it. "Just what d'you mean by doin' the best yuh
can
with me? That sounds a heap like you didn't figger on splittin' even with me."
    "Haven't you heard about the excitement in town?"
    Higgy shook his head.
    "You must have noticed that there was a lot of activity around here for this time of night."
    "Didn't notice nothin'. You tell me what yuh meant by yer remark."
    "A masked man came into town and broke Dave Walters out of the jail!"
    Higgy showed genuine surprise. "Is that so? Who's the masked man?"
    "No one knows," replied the gambler regaining his composure when he saw that Higgy's curiosity and interest had been aroused. "There were robberies as well," he finished.
    "Robberies, eh? An' who was robbed?"
    "I myself was one of the victims."
    "You? No, don't try tuh tell me that yuh lost anything that was rightfully
mine
!"
    "I'll tell you the whole story," said Delaney. "This masked man came and took Dave out of jail before the men could get to lynching him. The Sheriff and a lot of other men went out to hunt them. While they were out, and they're still out hunting, the masked man returned to Snake River and robbed John Langford and then he robbed me."
    "Now wasn't that right convenient," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "He robbed Langford, so Langford can't pay out any more, an' then he robbed you, so you couldn't pay up what you owe me. It looks like
I'm
the one that this masked stranger has hit the hardest." He drew back the hammer of his .44 with a sharp click. "At least," he said, his voice becoming menacing, "it would look so if I was to believe this lie you told me."
    "Lie? It's no lie! You can ask anyone in town!" Higgy dropped the silky manner of speaking and his voice was hard and cold. "I say it's lies. Delaney, you're a smooth talker and a smoother liar. That's how you made a success at gamblin'! You let yer face lie for yuh when yer tongue didn't need tuh, but now yer bein' called. I don't believe a word yuh say." Higgy advanced closer while Delaney gave ground and backed against the dresser. The gambler saw resolution in Higgy's face and raised his hand to protest. But Higgy came close, jabbing his gun hard against the gambler's chest. "Where," he demanded, "is the cash you owe me! Give it to me, or I'll let yuh have hot lead!"
     

Chapter VIII
THE MASKED MAN'S WAY
    The Lone Ranger held his gun in readiness. There were now two men he wanted to confront with a demand for what they knew about Dave Walters. He still desired a conference with Steve Delaney, and he wanted desperately to talk to this man called Higgy. When Higgy jammed his .44 into the chest of the gambler, threatening to fire at any instant, Delaney lost his composure. Panic showed in his face, and that panic might make him snatch for the small gun on his dresser and risk a shot at his