 A fiery horse with a speed of light, the cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-ho silver, the Lone Ranger. The building of the first transcontinental railroad was one of the most important steps in the winning of the West. The railroad was of prime importance to the future of the country. But powerful forces, cattlemen, stagecoach lines, and steamship companies opposed it. Outlaw opposition sprang up, and the Lone Ranger was commissioned by the President to lead the fight against the enemies of progress. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse, Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver! We're heading for the north woods. I'll Silver! Building the great central railroad across the country was a gigantic task. Steel rails and supplies had to be shipped from the east. Men recruited from all parts of the country. And from the great forests of the Northwest Territory came the huge trees which were turned into ties to support the iron horse. A tree for the railroad to use. Your handle is Antoine Bourdier. I want to talk with you for a couple of minutes. Sure thing, I'm Antoine Bourdier. You want to make talk with me? What is your name, Monsieur? You can call me Paulette. You are not from this country, eh? I know, but I'm down around Omaha. My business is cattle. Yeah, I make talk with you. Hey, job! Slide this log down the spillway. Very soon it's come time to float the log down the river, will you? Come on. I reckon this spot's good enough, Bourdier. There's a raft of logs going down to Missouri pretty soon. Am I right? Perhaps so, Monsieur. To be used as railroad ties with the great central, huh? You make talk, Monsieur. Bourdier, you listen. Kena, when that raft of logs gets down river, the railroad men figure on cutting them up into the right length. It'd be too bad if something happened with them railroad ties, wouldn't it? Something happened? Why, sure, it's a long way down river. There might be a log jam or the logs might get smashed at white water. Oh, no, no, Monsieur. Me, myself, I ride down the river with the lumber. Me, Antoine Bourdier, buy Garri and best lumbermen on three river. I take that raft of logs down river so soft it's like a little baby that's sleeping cradle. Sure. Sure, I savvy, but supposing somebody made it worth your while, Bourdier. Huh? What'd you say? I mean, suppose you fixed it so something did happen, so that... Well, here. Money talks. No, you know. It sound like money. Go ahead, open it. Take a good look. What? A solid gold coin. Double Eagles, Bourdier, 300 cash. It's yours. We is a lot of money for... ...secretly. What did you say? This she's for me, for Antoine Bourdier? Yeah. Why did you make Doug go on the shore? The railroad doesn't get those railroad ties. Now, what do you say to that? What I say? I'll say this. I'll show you how Antoine Bourdier do. Hey, you local, let go of me. May I know, monsieur? You are too hot in the head. You need water to cool you off. Please. Let go of your own right, polket. Let go or I'll shoot yourself all over the place. You drop six cotton, monsieur. Drop it. Ah! Yeah. Now, you know the share. I'll show you what there's like to come. Tell me. You need water. I shake him like muskrat. Then I throw him into the river. Oh, he looked like she's drowned, right? I swear to you, ma'am, Zill Bartley never have Antoine Bourdier see anything so... Wait, Antoine. What did you say his name was? Oh, Pollard. That was name he gave me. Pollard. I was afraid of that. Antoine, you know I work for the railroad. I'm secretary to Colonel Parkman in charge of construction. He sent me up here especially to see you. C'est de ma'am. These are no for sure. Please. This man, Pollard, offer you money to stop the railroad from getting the lumber. Yeah. The money I keep. But if you think Antoine Bourdier will ever do something that is not right, then I am very upset, ma'am. Oh, no, you don't understand. I know you can be trusted implicitly. Only... What? There's no way of proving it. But this man, Pollard, may be a member of the... the iron spur. And what? You've heard of the iron spur? For sure. Antoine, unless the railroad has that lumber in two weeks, Colonel Parkman may have to give it up. A railroad must be built according to schedule, Antoine. The government is paying for it. But unless a certain number of miles are laid each week, then the government has the right to withdraw from the agreement. Our supply of railroad ties is running short. You can't lay track without ties. Oh, do not concern yourself with this matter, ma'am. It's too weak. That is nothing. It takes but one week to get low-graphed downriver. One week, yes, if nothing goes wrong. The iron spur? I didn't come up here alone, Antoine. I have some friends. I want to tell them about the log raft. All about it. Now tell me, Antoine, when do you float them downstream? How many men would you take? Where are the difficulties? We get very cold here at night. This is the Northwoods, Tutto. And we like prairie better. Up here, no buffalo, no cattle, no antelope. Only tree and cold. You've been on the Texas panhandle in the winter, Tutto. This is nothing to the cool that hits there. Ah, where Miss Barclay, huh? She was at the lumber camp, seeing a man named Antoine Bourday. You think iron spur make trouble? Ballard came up here, Tutto. Ah, and planted that ombré. But a dozen men with him. Every one of them gunfighters. Railroad need lumber. Keep fast. Just as soon as we can get steady silvers, we'll go to the telephone. That girl. She said she'd have news for us. Over that way, Tutto, toward the river. Get him up scout. Come on, Silver. Go on this saddle, Tutto. Trees hang over the trail. There's water now. There she is. Left, Tutto. Along the river bank. Hello, Miss Barclay. We were arranging the woods, waiting for your signal. There's trouble? It's already started, Maskman. Pollard attempted to bribe the boss lumberman. Pollard, no good. No need to worry yet, Tutto. Miss Barclay knows about it. That means a lumberman isn't playing Pollard's game. Anton Bordet is completely loyal. And I'm sure he'll keep all the lumbermen loyal, too. Only... Yes? It's a long distance down the river. Those logs pass through rapids and swift currents. If Pollard and his men start trouble, they'll have ample time for it. Pollard, him from Plains Country. Him not know anything about lumber. Oh, yes, Tutto. But Pollard has other men with him. What's that? Men who know about logging? Yes, two lumberjacks named Waddell and Sladen. Maskman, you'll have to watch Pollard and his gang every minute. Where is he now, Miss Barclay? Camping out in the woods someplace. We couldn't be sure where. No, we find him. He must have come up the west bank of the river. It's the only trail from the south. And we'll start looking there. You'll stay at the lumber camp? Until the logs are started downstream. Then I'm going along. Sometimes by horse, sometimes by bateau. What's that? It's a riverboat, Tutto. It's a French name for a small boat. Not much larger than a canoe. Oh. You may not see us, Miss Barclay. Just remember, I don't know. I'll be nearby all the time. And if there's danger, you can count on us. The railroad needs your help, Maskman. And so does the country. Adios, Miss Barclay. We will find those outlaws. Don't worry. Come on, Silver. Get him on this counter. Kimusabi. That campfire. Yes. There's a head. That's a boy. He's got a hole for the hole. He's not savvy. Fire out in water. Yes. I don't see him daylight. There's no island in water. It's a log raft, Tutto. It's anchored about 20 feet out in the current. Oh, that's right. I don't see now. Just a big fella. Huh? What you do? I've got to learn their plans. Here, take my gun belt. Huh? Take it. I'm going out there. Out there? But we not have boat. How you go? I'll swim out. It's dark. I can pull right along the side of that raft and hear everything that's said. Let me go with you. Oh, Kimusabi. But that heap is dangerous. There's no water. They shoot you, maybe. You not got guns. There's a risk only one of us can take. Stay here on the bank and guard the horses. If anything goes wrong... Huh? If something does happen, Tunnel, then it's up to you. Remember, you've got to make sure those logs get to the railroad. Adios. Adios, Kimusabi. Wait for me. I'll be hanged if I like this living on a raft. Give me a saddle any time. Pretty soon I'll be getting webs on my feet. You went to the lumber camp, what else? Yeah, asking for a job. I knew there wasn't no job... Don't take all night. Get to the point. The logs will be in the spillway by tomorrow. Day after tomorrow, they time together a formal log raft and start floating them downstream. You sure? Mr. I know lumbering. The water's just right. It won't be in another week. I don't savvy. What do you mean the water's just right? It's just high enough. That's what I mean. High enough so as most of the rocks are covered and not so high that the currents moving too fast. Kimo, go on. How many men? Four day and three others. Only four? For all those logs? Those gents know their business. Four is enough. The only place they'll have any trouble will be coffin rapids. It's white water, plenty fast and hard to travel. Cough and rapids, sir. Yeah. There's plenty of armbands dyed in coffin rapids, Pollard. Hmm. You reckon that's the best place for us to do our job? It sure is, Pollard. None better. We got twice as many men. Yeah. Here's what Borday will do when he gets that log raft to the upper end of the rapids. He cuts the logs free, savvy. Yeah. And lets him ride through the rapids one at a time. That way the current keeps them from smashing into the rocks. There's a still pool down below the white water, and they can gather the logs into a raft again. You follow me? Yeah, well, Delbert, what happens at Borday should forget to stop the log raft before it hits coffin rapids. He won't forget, mister. If those logs are tied together when they get them to the rocks and fast currents, they'll smash the smithereens. There won't be nothing left of them but toothpicks. You assure that? I was a lumberman before he turned a gunfighting, mister. Fine, fine. That's mighty interesting. What else? They wouldn't blaze. Oh, quiet, not so loud. I've been watching this end of the raft. Something funny. Huh? Looks like a man's head close to the edge. I don't see nothing. Yeah, you can't from here. The logs are in the way. Might be a musk rabbit. Okay, local. A musk rabbit coming this close. Yeah, that's what I figured. Take off your boots, what else? Huh? Take off your boots. Bring your gun. They can go on talking like nothing was wrong. You and Waddell are going to walk over to that corner of the raft ready to shoot, Savvy. Now start talking. Well, sure, Paul. I'd done a lot of timber cutting. Back a couple of years, I was in the Ohio Valley. Black walnut harvest workers took the bit right off the edge. Another step. What's that, Paul? Well, he's sure I can skin a log. There he is. Get him. He's pulling those. He's wearing a mask. Don't waste time, Waddell. Use your gun. Yeah, stand back. Get him before he gets away. He's gone. You got him, Waddell. Nice shooting. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger story. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. The next day, Tonto watched beside the river with silver and scouts standing near him. There was no sign of the Lone Ranger. There had been no further sign of him since the volley of shots rang out in the raft anchored in the swift current. Miss Barkley. He may talk with you. Tonto not want anybody seeing him. He's staying trees. What's the matter, Tonto? Where's the Lone Ranger? Tonto do what mask friends say. Tonto, what's happened? Lone Ranger go into water to listen to irons per outlaw. To learn what they do. Yes. What did he find out? Tonto not sadly that. But you said he went to learn their scheme. That's right, but... Yes. Tonto wait. Lone Ranger not come back. He didn't come back? No. Lone Ranger. Him say, Tonto make sure logs get down river. And Tonto come to help. We not talk about anything else, sir. It seems incredible. We not talk anymore. Better we not talk. I... I understand. You... You will go down river when we do. Tonto to go too. He take scouts silver down river. Keep up with logs like mask friends say. Here scouts. Here silver. Silver. Him gone. Over Bronco. How soon do we get the coffin rapids for you? Just around the next bend, Pollard. Well, we're well ahead of the log drive, aren't we? Yeah. Here we are, Pollard. There's your rapids. Bring it up, gents. Now they see the rapids. It's heavy. Just what you mean? No log grab could last a half hour in that water, mister. Pollard will tie up right below us when he gets here, Pollard. Yeah. It's the only place where the bank slopes right down to the water. The rest is too steep. And they take the supplies and so on off the raft. They'll sleep ashore overnight. They won't stay on the raft? Don't beat local. You're going to break the raft up, aren't they? Separate the logs so each one can flow through the white water separately. You know, that's... I guess she hit the nail in the head. Sure. Bought in three other gents, huh? Don't forget that railroad woman, that miss... Miss Barclay? Keenell. Four men and the girl. We got a dozen of us. Gather around, gents. Yeah. Now here's a scheme. They'll tie the raft to the shore overnight while they sleep. In the middle of the night, we go down there. Finish them off? No, we won't do no shooting if it ain't necessary. All we got to do is cut the rope and swing the raft free into the current, isn't it? Yeah, I reckon so. Sure it's so. So that's what I say. We watch them up here, keeping under cover. Making sure we see just where they tie the raft up to the shore. When we ride in, we move fast and suddenly, see? Waddell and Sladen jump off their horses and cut the raft loose. The rest of us stand by with our guns ready. Most likely, we won't even need it. Now we'll have that raft cut adrift. We'll be galloping halfway up the slope before those lumberjacks even wake up to what's happened. By then, it'll be too late. There ain't nobody can swim in that water. It's moving like a stampede in the herd. Keenell, gents. Now let's get... Quiet. That's them, Pollard. It's the lumberjacks. They're just above the bend. Yeah. I reckon we do that little job tonight. All right, gents, vermoose. We'll be back. Come on, get over here. In trail. You didn't. Round all rock, round here. Pollard's someplace nearby, but Tonto not nowhere. And there's no sign of silver. No. You've gone three days now. Tonto, if only the Lone Ranger were here. If only he hadn't... No, don't. I'm sorry. I promise not to speak of him anymore. I can't help feeling this. The Lone Ranger in line? Yes. But sometimes when I was riding along the riverbank and bored day and the lumberjacks were singing on the raft, suddenly I would seem to hear the thunder of silver's hooves. I never saw it. And at night, I've awakened from my sleep positive that I've heard the masked man's voice. Do you think it was all a dream? Tonto dream like that, too. Maybe Lone Ranger, him talk to us from happy hunting ground. Tonto not savvy. He might be alive after all, Tonto. Tonto. What's that? Himasabi. A bullet. A silver bullet. Oh, Tonto. He is alive. Look, look up there. There, Lone Ranger. Time! They must have seen me and they took me by surprise. They were reaching for me while I was still listening. Then what happened? Tonto hear shots? Yes, I dove under the water. One of them fired at close range and I was hit. That bandage on your forearm? Yes, Miss Barkley. The water took some of the force from the bullet so the wound wasn't bad. Locked me out for a while, though. Tonto wait on shore? I was unconscious, Tonto. I suppose a current flooded me downriver. When I opened my eyes, I was on a sandbar. I fixed my wound and headed back upriver. By that time, Tonto had left the place where he'd been waiting. You follow and get silver, huh? That's it, Kimosabi. I was a little bit weak. I couldn't have been thinking very clearly when I'd let you know somehow. The only thing in my mind was to get help so I rode away fast. Help? What kind of help? Miss Barkley, I had enough that night to know what Pollard plans to do. He and his men are heading somewhere near here. That's right. They said something about coffin rapids. What would happen if the log raft went into the rapids with the logs still tied together? Nice to kindling. Yes. Where are the lumberjacks now? Four day in the others. They're asleep. And wake them up. Do it as quietly as possible. Tell them to get aboard the raft with Tonto. Huh? To get aboard right now. And I'll be up above on the shore with them and I brought. Oh, here's my plan. Make it out sleep. Campfire is down to ashes, Pollard. We can just make out the sleeping bags. It's dark beyond that. The raft is there. It must be. Kino Gents, move down the slope. Travel slow and easy until I give the word. Then we move in fast. Yes. The outlaws rode down the slope, swinging widely, circling the dying campfire. As they approached the river, the white cap showed against the black rush of the current. They saw the log raft held against the bank with two long lines. Two lines? We can cut them easy, Pollard. Looks like we'll take them completely by surprise, Gents. Won't have to ride fast at all. Now we'll just... Yeah! One time we were ready for it! What places? Pollard, they tricked us. They're on the raft. They're fighting for us. They're shooting. We ain't like cats. We got them two to one. Right into them. Use your guns and keep busy. We'll show them. What's a Pollard? It's the mask man. It can't be. It is. What are we going to do? We're caught between two fires. The outlaws were thrown into confusion. While Bourdain and Lumberjack peppered them from the raft, the Lone Ranger thundered down the slope followed by a half-dozen soldiers. Half of the outlaws gave up the fight at once. The others jumped off their horses and clamored aboard the log raft. The Lone Ranger followed them even there. The mask man, the ones unsure under arrest, and these hombres here got all the fight took right out of them. We didn't know that the mask man was alive. He's alive, all right. It takes more than a couple of snakes like you to finish the Lone Ranger. Where's the Lone Ranger? Oh, hey, Miss Barclay. It's all over. They use logs and go through to the railroad. Oh, I'm so glad. And no one was even wounded. No one was left. Kimmel's hobby. Kimmel's hobby. Hello, what is it? Look. Look there in water. Oh, it's a man. What happened? It's Bourdain. I'm going to go into current. Oh, the current is so swift you'll drown. I don't, Corporal, out of the way. Now, what you do? We can't let him drown. Come on, Silver. Oh, my God. Come on, Silver. We're going after him. Into the water, old boy. Jump, Silver. That's it, Silver. The current's strong. We'll have to fight every inch. Bourdain! Help! Here, that's Silver. He needs us. Come on, Silver. Oh, very help, sir. This way, Bourdain. Right, swim this way. You cannot swim us here. I've got you. Here, here. Pull under the saddle horn. Here. One more day. I thank you. Hold on, Bourdain. It isn't over yet. We've got to get to shore. This time, we're swimming against the current from above. Yeah! Better you let Bourdain sink and go by yourself? No. Silver can do it. But no, he can. Here, old boy, I'll slip out of this saddle. I'm in the water beside you. You haven't any weight on your back, Silver. I'll turn, Silver. Get back to shore. Hold, Silver. The Great Stalin responded inch by inch. He fought the strangling rush of water. He forged his way back to the level beach, pulling the lumberjack with him. Good boy, Silver. You did it, big fella. You made the shore. Good work, Silver. Miss Barclay, I tell you this one thing for sure. Never before has Antoine Bourdain swallowed so much water. The Lone Ranger saved your life, Antoine. We first he saved the log for the railroad, then he jumped into the river and saved my life. And that horse, my foie... There's no horse like Silver anywhere. And where'd he go? I won't thank them for what they do for me. I won't shake hand with you. Get gone, Antoine. The Lone Ranger never waits for thanks, Antoine. Look, there they go now. See them up the slope? The Lone Ranger and Tonneau beside them. They're still on the trail of the Iron Spur. Ah, that Lone Ranger. He won't find man, no? I tell you this for true, ma'amsel. That fellow, he start out for the Get Iron Spur, then by Gary Get Iron Spur. You have just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.