 speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty high of silver, the Lone Ranger. With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the mask rider of the planes led the fight for law and order in the early Western United States. The stories of his strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness have come down to us through the generations and nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past from the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver, the Lone Ranger rides again. It had been a routine day in Mason City. In the Mason City bank it had been a very special day for Jack Randall. He'd locked the door of the bank, balanced and put away the cash and closed the ledgers. Then he went to the door of Flint Gregory's office. Come on in. I want to see you for a minute Mr. Gregory. Yes, I know you do. Well, shut the door and come in Jack. I don't need a calendar to tell me when the 15th of the month comes around. Not as long as you've got payments to make on that ranch. This will be the last payment Mr. Gregory. No, you don't say. Yes sir. There's your money. I sure appreciate what you did. I never could have bought the place if you hadn't advanced the cash three years ago. Well Jack, I'm mindy proud of you. Proud of me? Well, maybe I should say proud of my judgment in you. I sized you up as a right sort when you first came to Mason City three years ago. You were the only man in town that would take a chance on a stranger that wouldn't tell about his past. Oh, I kept a sharp watch on you Jack. My eyes weren't closed. If I'd seen you hobnobbing with Candy Lonegan any of that gambling crowd have been different. How does Helen like the ranch? Oh, she likes it a lot. So does Billy. How old is that boy of yours now? Just seven. This is his birthday. Today? Mm-hmm. Helen's made a cake with seven candles on it. When I get home we're going to celebrate. Well, you go along and don't keep Helen and Billy waiting. We'll transfer the title of that ranch tomorrow. Yes sir. Oh, just a minute Jack. Yes? Here. I want to give you a little bonus. You can call it a birthday present for Billy. Oh, that's nice. Now you take this home to Billy. A double eagle. $20. Thanks Mr. Gregory. That's all right. I'll show this to Billy and bring it back here tomorrow and start a bank account for him. It sure is a big day or... Oh. Well, what's the matter? I just saw that man looking in the window. Well, he's been around town for several days. His name is Mattson. Mattson? Yeah, I see some kind of alarm from east of here. Well, yeah. Yeah, I know him. Does he want you, Jack? Well, I know. No, he doesn't. Good. Now you get along that ranch of yours. Billy's waiting for his birthday cake. Yes, sir. You can go out that door and stay walking to the bank. All right. Good evening, Mr. Gregory. Goodbye. Hello there, Randall. Well, I didn't know you were in Mason City, Mr. Mattson. Have they transferred you to this territory? Bank's pretty big stuff for you, Randall. Kind of as safe as they got in there. I'm not interested in safes anymore. Hey, tell me you've settled down here. Yep. The wife waited for you. She sure did. Helen was waiting when I finished my time in jail. We came here to Mason City where we weren't known. And you're really working in the bank. You bet I am. Hmm. We've got a little ranch in a house. Everything is working out swell. Living the honest life. I told you when I got out of jail that I was going to chuck the crooked business. What do you both think about you being a safecracker? He doesn't know about my past. Oh, you didn't tell him, huh? Nope. Maybe you were smart, not too. Look, Mattson, I went wrong once, but I paid for it. I paid in full. I've been on a level ever since. Jack, I want to talk to you. Not now. I'm in a hurry. It's Billy's birthday and he'll be waiting for me at the ranch. We'll go over to the back room of Candy Lottigan's Cafe. You can talk there. No, I'm in a hurry. Besides, I don't want any part of that crooked gambler's place. I will go there. Or would you rather have me talk to your boss? You... Well, all right. Come on. On that day of all days, Jack Randall was delayed in town. He knew that his son would be waiting for him, but he didn't suspect that there was a visitor at the ranch. Dan Reed had written up to the small house, dismounted, introduced himself to Helen. Dan Reed? Yes, Mrs. Randall. One of your husband's friends sent me. Has something happened? Is Jack hurt? Hurt? Not that I know of. Do you know where he is? No, ma'am. I thought he'd be here. He should be here. He's over two hours late. I was afraid you were bringing news that something had happened to him. Did you come from Mason City? No. Jack should be here soon. He said he'd get home as early as he could. You see, it's our son's birthday. Yes, Mrs. Randall. I brought a little birthday present for him. You did? Well, it's really from the Lone Ranger and Tata. The Lone Ranger? Do you know him? Yes, ma'am. Where is he? Is he coming here? He and Tata wanted to be here, but they couldn't make it. They're following a trail, so they sent me. Oh, well, come in, Dan. Do come inside. I know you're standing on the porch. Is Daddy home? Oh, pretty soon, Billy. Billy, this is Dan Reed. Oh, Dan? Many happy returns of the day, Billy. I brought something for you. Here. It's a wooden cup. Oh, isn't that nice, dude? Tata carved it for you. See? It's got your name on it. Thank you. You can drink your milk out of it, Billy. Uh-huh. I'm going back to the window and watch for Daddy. He's tired. He's past his bedtime, but he won't let me light his cake until Jack comes home. Oh, sit down, Dan. Oh, there. Now tell me about the Lone Ranger. I... We all owe everything to him. You do? I don't know how much he's told you about us. Nothing at all. He just said that this was Billy's birthday, and he was sorry he couldn't be here. He didn't forget. I beg your pardon? He promised us happiness on Billy's seventh birthday. At the time, it didn't seem possible that we'd ever know happiness. No. I wish the Lone Ranger could see out of a ranch here in Billy. I'll tell him about everything, Mrs. Randall. Will you see him? Oh, sure. I travel with the Lone Ranger and Tata. You do? Yes, ma'am. And he never told you about Jack Randall? No. Well, then I'll tell you. And you can tell him that Jack and I will always be grateful. You see, he sent Jack to prison. He did? Yes. Golly, I didn't know... It was years ago on Billy's first birthday. I've made a little cake. A very little cake with one candle on it. Billy sat on my lap waiting for Jack to come home so we could light the candle. I looked out the window and saw Jack coming. He was riding hard. I saw his face and I knew that something was wrong. He looked worried. Grimm was right. Oh, oh, oh. Helen, I've got to get away from here. Jack, Jack, what's the matter? It's Madsen. The Marshal? Yes, he's after me. I've got to get my rifle and clear out. But Jack, Billy, and I... You stay here. They've got nothing on you. I'll, I'll send for you. What do you mean? Why does the Marshal want you? Because I stole money from Jake Yates. You, you stole? Yes, I did. I lied about that cash I brought home the other day. I didn't earn it. I stole it. I broke into the safe in the store. Jack, no. Well, it was that or Starve and see the baby Starve. I should have known I couldn't get away with it. Now Madsen's coming after me. Oh, Jack, baby's cake. His birthday cake. I've stolen money. Stand aside, Helen. Get baby out of the line of fire. No, no, Jack, put down that rifle. That man's coming to get me. Don't add murder to thievery. Get back. Stay where you are. I've got the drop on you. Turn around and travel. Killing me won't help you, Randall. Get back on that horse, I tell you. I'm not going to be taken. You shoot me and there'll be others. Keep mad. Keep back. Keep back or I'll shoot. No, you won't. Stop coming toward me. Stop. I tell you, I'll shoot. I'll take that rifle. There. I get back in your house. Why you... Killing me won't help you, Randall. You're masked. You're no lawman. No. I heard about you, Randall. Yates didn't want to jail you. He didn't. Well, he's the one I robbed. He wanted to give you a chance to pay back this stolen money. He knew that you'd been robbed just after you came here. He knew that you'd tried to find work. My son was starving. That's why I stole... Listen to me, Jack. Mattson is a new lawman. He wants to make a record for himself. He's coming here and he's hoping you'll resist. He's sooner to shoot you than jail you. I won't stay here to face arrest. I'm going south. I'll cross the border. You'll be a hundred men for the rest of your life. Oh, Jack, that's not the answer. Listen to me. Yates wants to help. He intends to give your wife a position in his store so she can wait for you till you finish a jail term. I won't go to jail. Yes, you will. You'll pay for what you've done so you can face the world. Take my word for it. You'll be happier if you square yourself. The masked man may, Jack, see what a mistake it would be to run away. And you found out later that he was the Lone Ranger, eh, Mrs. Randall? Yes, Dan. He promised, Jack, that if he'd square himself, there'd be happiness ahead. It was right. We came here when he finished his jail term and started all over again. Mommy, Mommy, daddy's coming. Oh, good. He's riding awful fast. He's in a hurry to get here. Now we can light the candles on my cake, can't we? Oh, yes. I've got to hurry. Jack, what's the matter? Nothing, nothing, dear. It's all right. But Billy has been waiting. Oh, son, hello. Listen, old man, daddy's in a mighty big hurry. We will have to wait until later for that birthday cake. Oh, Jack. I've got to get some things and hurry back to town. But there's someone here to see you. Dan Reed has been with... You'll have to wait. I've got to get some dark clothes, Mrs. Jack, you have a gun. It's all right, Helen. It was a dark hat. What are you going to do? Please don't ask questions. But this is blasting powder. I know what it is. Jack, you've got to tell me. All right then. Madsen is in Mason City. Yes, he's trying to get the goods on Candy Lonegan, the gambler. The goods? He wants some papers that are in Candy's safe. I've got to get them for him. For Madsen? Yes, and I've got to hurry while Candy's not around. You mean you're going to break into the gambler safe? Yes. It's all right, I tell you, Helen. I'm on the side of the law. Madsen wants evidence against Candy Lonegan. Let him get it for himself. I've got to help him. If I don't, he'll tell Flint, Gregory and everyone else about my past. Let him. You've paid for your one mistake. You don't understand. I'd lose my job. I'd lose all I've worked for. I guess this is all I'll need. But Jack, Jack, please wait. I've got to hurry. Billy's been waiting so long, and there's a friend to see you. I'll be back in a couple of hours. Let Billy take a nap. We'll have his birthday when I get back. I'll go out this way. It's handy. Jack, you've got to listen to me. I'll be back, Helen. Oh, Jack. Where's Daddy going? Come here, son. We've got to wait a little longer. But where's everyone going? Everyone? Dan's gone, too. Oh, he... He could hear, Jack. For God's sake. Where's Dan gone? I... I don't know, Billy. I wonder. 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. Now to continue our story. Dan Reed rode hard as darkness gathered. He went to the Lone Rangers camp where he found the masked man in the Lone Tunnel. He told them about Jack Randall. So when I heard that, I came here. I hoped you'd be here. Tutto, get your horse settled. Ah, me fixin'. Yes, Count? Here's Silver. Are you going to help Jack Randall? We certainly are, Dan. Yes, there's Silver. I was afraid you wouldn't be here. I thought you'd still be on the trail of that outlaw. We lost the trail in the dark, Dan. Oh. We came to camp to wait for daylight. Daddy, Count, Daddy. We traveled pretty quick. Easy, big fella. Ben, are you sure of your facts? Yes, sir. I told you just exactly what I heard. Jack Randall was going to help that lawmaker. Mattson. Yes. He's not lawman now. He isn't? He never was a good lawman. He took office only to get a chance at bribes. When he lost his job, he turned crooked. Mattson did? Yes. Daddy, Silver, easy. Jack Randall doesn't know that. He thinks Mattson's trying to get evidence against the gambler, Candy Lonegan. I don't know what Mattson's game is. I do know that that isn't true. See, Dan, the man we're trailing, the man whose trail we lost, is Trigger Mattson. Oh, God. But he taught us to do big fun. Be ready. Come on, Dan. Get him up. Come on, Silver. Get up, Victor. While the Lone Ranger and Tonto race toward Mason City was Dan following at a distance, Jack Randall worked with a pale moonlight that slanted into Candy Lonegan's huge office. He was dressed in dark clothes and was nearly invisible against the dark corner of the room. Several times, he paused in his work. Funny. Can't shake the idea that someone's in this room with me. He listened, heard nothing, then proceeded with his work on the safe. Good thing I'm on the side of the law. Helen will understand when I have the chance to explain everything. There. That fuse should work all right. Now to light it. Jack Randall touched a match to a short length of fuse. It sputtered and started burning toward the carefully placed blasting powder, while the young clerk took shelter behind a heavy desk. In the meantime, the Lone Ranger and Tonto raced into Mason City. They dashed to the rear of a row of buildings that bordered the street and rained up near Candy Lonegan's cafe. Oh, there you go. Oh, fella. There's a Lonegan place. Tonto, steady big fella. That's right. Those two windows open into Lonegan's office. They're a horse. You see it? Yes. Come on, we'll go the rest of the way on foot. Man will catch up to us. Explosion. In that office, I saw the flash. We got that fire. Come on, fella. That gunfighter in office. Explosion of gunfire that brought the Lone Ranger and Tonto on the run rang through Candy Lonegan's cafe and brought everyone to sharp attention. Hey, gunfight. Here, explosion, too. Sounder like you come from Candy's office. We'd better see you about it. Where is Lonegan? Come on, boys. We'll look into things. The men in the cafe mill through the door of the rear and started down a corridor to the lead pass several private rooms to the gambler's office. Nansen came out of the office. Hey, boys. Boys, that's bad. What is it? What happened? What was the shooting? I was in that room with a pal. Heard the blast and looked in the Candy's office. I get the law. Get a light in there. You like their lamps in there? I don't know. Well, that's it. They get to bring that lamp from the wall, and break it. Hurry it up. Get some light in there. There you are. Hey, look at the safe. It's blown wide open. There's Candy on the floor. He's got his. Hey, we're through there, boys. I don't touch anything. Sheriff, make way for the law. fellas, here's some murders, Sheriff. Robbery and murder. We're down all of you now. Shut up. So someone got Candy, eh? Was he dead? Well, let's see. Who was the first one here? Mattson. What'd you got to say about him, Mattson? I was in the next room, Sheriff. I heard the explosion. Yeah? Then there was gunplay. I hurried in here and saw two men sprawl on the floor. Yeah, there was only one man here now, Candy Lonegan. I saw two. There was moonlight enough to show him. One was right there by that desk. I went to blow the safe. He was hit, Sheriff. Look, he's hit hard. Candy must have shot him. Now, that's it. Candy heard the blast and came in. Thief shot him, and Candy shot back. Here's Candy's gun right beside him. That window was open, but Thief got out that way. Candy's gun been fired, Pete? Yeah, wait, let's see, Sheriff. Yep. One shot fired. Thief must have sneaked out while I went for the men. Well, he's wounded. We should be able to find him. Hey, the safe's cleaned out, Sheriff. Candy always kept a lot of cash in there, in big bills. Well, they ain't here now. Sheriff, I hate to put suspicion on anyone, but I think I know who the thief is. Whoa. In the moonlight, it looked to me like that clerk in the bank, Jack Randall. What? Oh, I can't believe young Randall would do a thing like this. He already served time in jail for robbing a safe. I sure he did. Did you gents know about that? No. Well, maybe I shouldn't have spoke about him. But if he ain't glee, he can easily prove it. We'll go to his house, and if he ain't got an alibi, and if he's got a fresh wound, it'll look bad for him, especially if there's some big bills and folding money out. Hey, somebody shut out the lights. Light out of the lantern. Here's one on the safe. Someone showed something through the window. There's something hit me on the shoulder. Get that light going. Hey, there it goes. Someone's lying away. Get after him. Stay here now. Don't go and leave this room. Get the light. What you got there, Sam? Look, money. Folding money rolled up. Acquire, acquire. Where'd you get that money? What was tossed through the window? Sheriff hit me on the shoulder. And it's in big bills, too. Candy loner gets the money. Well, it might be. Sheriff Candy had a lot more money than this. I know he did. This ain't but a tenth of what he kept in the safe. Well, I'll take charge of it for the time being. Hank? You get the corner over here to take care of Candy's remains. I'm going out to Jack Randall's place and see what Jack's got to say for himself. The Lone Ranger, after tossing the money through the window, raced away from town and overtook Dan, Tonto, and Jack Randall. The four horsemen maintained a steady pace until they rained out at Randall's house. Oh, sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Jack, easy now. I'll help you off your horse. It's no use. They've got me. Come on. Let me go. This wound. Dan, you take all the horses. All right. Get them out of sight. As I'm mistaken, there'll be some company here in a few minutes. Me help get Jack in front of the house. Get on the other side of him, Tonto. Yeah, to bring down him here. Come on, Scott. Jack, Jack, what's happened to you? Another serious wound, Helen? What? A masked man. I was a fool, Helen. The step's not Jack's, Teddy. You'll be all right. What happened? Helen, it's another mistake. Put him down there. Close the door, Tonto. All right, here we'll do. You've already bandaged the wound. Never early, Helen. Stay there now, Jack. Lie down. Helen, I'm no good. I'm a fool. I didn't mean I thought I was helping the law. What happened? He thought Mattson was after evidence to jail Candy Lonegan. Well, Mattson asked Jack to blow Lonegan safe. Mattson threatened to tell about Jack's past if he refused. I had a feeling that someone was in that room with me. I should have trusted my hunch. Instead of that, I went ahead and blew the safe open. How did you get shot? Someone jumped up in the corner and fired at me. Then the door opened. Candy Lonegan came in. I could see, then, from the light that came from the hall that it was Mattson that shot me. He shot Lonegan, too. Why? Was it? I tried to shoot at Mattson, but the gun he gave me wasn't loaded. And I guess I lost consciousness. Then what happened? Mattson must have worked fast. He took the cash in the safe and stuffed some of us in Jack's pocket. And he dropped the gun beside Jack and Candy, then went to call another man who would think that Jack had been caught robbing the safe. That was his scheme, all right. But, Helen, the Lone Ranger and Todd have got me out through the window. We were too late to prevent a killing, though. But you got me out. What about that money? We tossed that back into the office, Helen. Well, now Mattson will have to make one more move before he can pin Candy's murder on Jack. Kimo-Suppi, can you hear plenty of horse come this way? Mattson will be with the sheriff's men. The sheriff's men are coming. All right, Dan, you stay with our horses. They've got me. The wound, the fact that I was there. They haven't got you yet, Jack. No matter what happens, I'm finished. No one will trust me now. Wait and see. This way, Todd-O. Uh-huh. Be savvy. Oh, don't leave. He won't be far away. Come on, then, like this, Mrs. Sheriff. Hey, where's Jack? There he is. I wounded him. No, wait, Sheriff. Mattson, you double-crossing. Why were you a half an hour ago? Here, Candy Lone against the office? Sir, it's a house sheriff. He's had the cash somewhere. He must have. Please, listen to me. All right, what's going on here? It's Gregory. Isn't Gregory the banker? Mr. Gregory. What are you doing in here, Mr. Gregory? I heard about Lonegan. I won't believe that Jack turned teeth. You'll blame soon, no. Mattson, you keep out of this. I'll handle it. Then look for the cash. Mr. Gregory. Hold it. What is it? Hold it. Mask my thunder. Sheriff, some of the stolen money was in Jack Randall's pocket. Put there with a man who tried to frame him. I returned that cash when you were in the office. You're the one that shot out the lamp. Yes. Now, Mattson, we'll have to hide some cash here to frame Randall. I'll see here. Hey, Mattson. Sheriff, hurt that man before he gets rid of the money. I won't stand for it. Go on, Sheriff. Go on. You come here. Hey, you come here. Here. Here, look. Hand his bankroll. So that's it, huh, Mattson? Oh, wait. Listen to me. I was framed, Mattson. I've trailed you from Big Rock. You can stand trial for murder here in Mason City or go back there. Is he wanted there? Yes, Sheriff. He's convicted of murder there. He broke out of jail two weeks ago. And he planned this robbery and murder to get money. He almost succeeded. That's all we want to know. Thank you, Mr. Calibou. Come on, Mattson, on your way. Sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Randall. Good evening, Mrs. Randall. Good evening. Well, Jack, looks like you'll have to take a vacation. I know. I'll resign, Mr. Gregory. Resign? For what? Well, you know by this time that I was once in jail. I knew that two years ago. You did? Oh, I sure. But you said take a vacation. To get over that wound. I've spent three years training you for the banking business. I won't let you leave me now. Oh, Jack. Jack, now you won't have to fear your past being known. I feel as if a load was off my shoulders. Mommy. Oh, Billy. Billy, come here, sonny. I should have known that all the noise would waken you. Daddy, are you home for my birthday cake? Birthday cake? Mr. Gregory, what time is it? About 10.30. Then it's still your birthday, Billy. Let's light those candles. Jack, you won't. I never felt better in my life. Billy, this is a birthday we'll never forget. It's the one the Lone Ranger told us we'd have. I think we'll have to. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.