 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty high-o silver, the Lone Ranger. In the early days of the Western United States, the masked rider of the planes not only fought crime and criminals, but also the enemies of justice who worked within the law. No one could match his strength and courage, and his daring and resourcefulness made him the greatest champion of justice the West ever knew. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. I'm out of the past from the Thundering Hoof Beach to the Great Horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on Silver! We're heading for the Hill Camp! The Lone Ranger and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, rode toward the small settlement that sprung up within a mile of the great Eureka mines. Sharing the Masked Man saddle was a young girl, a child of five or six. The Masked Man pointed to the neat cottage they were approaching and... Now then young lady, is that where you live? Uh-huh. You think your mother's worried about you? I don't know. Well, I'd be surprised if she isn't. Young women your age should stay close to home. Do you think you can remember that? I wasn't lost. Weren't you? Uh-uh. Then you possibly would have been if you'd gotten much farther. Here we are. Hoof, Hoof, Silver, Hoof Count. All right, young lady, down with you. Wee! Hello, Mommy. See the Night Horse? You never mind the Night Horse. Where in the world have you been? Just walking. It's not only I found her near the swamp. We were afraid she'd get into trouble so we brought her back. The swamp? Oh, good gracious. Nancy, I told you never to go there. I wasn't afraid, Mommy. I just bet you weren't. Don't you know you've had me frantic? I've looked everywhere for you. And that dress. Mud from head to foot. Now you run in the house. You're gonna have a bath. But I like mud. Don't I know it. Go ahead now. I'll be in a minute. Bye, Masked Man. Goodbye, young lady. Thank you very much for bringing me home. You're welcome. Isn't she awful? Today I think I owe you some thanks. Does she wander away often like this? No, thank goodness. Usually I got time to keep an eye on her. But I've had so much to do today. Packing our things and getting tickets for the stage and washing. I just lost track of her completely. Looks as though you're moving away. Yes, at last. Your husband must work at the mines. He did work there. This is his last day. And what I've heard recently, he's fortunate. How soon do you expect him home? Well, I don't know. Almost any time now. Why? Has he been employed at the mines long? Over a year. Then perhaps he could give me some information. The stories I've heard have all been at second hand. I'd like to talk to someone who's actually worked in the mines. Oh. You've heard about the accident. Yes. I am. Well, after all the ants, there was a trouble to you. Well, I don't want to seem curious, but just why are you interested? Don't be misled by my mask. My friend and I are not outlaws. Oh. We're interested because they say the accidents could be avoided. And that's true. Why aren't steps taken to prevent them? No, I can tell you that. Yes? Meakin. Jim says he's taken over a million dollars out of those mines, but he can't afford to spend a few thousand to protect the lives of the many employees. I see. He must be the greediest man ever lived. How can he get workers? Oh, there's always plenty of men needing jobs. Jim did when he come here. But he doesn't have to work here any longer. We'll leave him here tomorrow. Fine. We've saved half of everything he's been paid. We're going back to Kansas, where Jim can buy a little business and work just for himself. I'm so happy that he can get away. I scarcely know what I've been doing. I don't blame you. If you just knew what it's been like. Wondering every morning when he leaves, if he'll come back home safe. Going almost crazy every time there's another cave in till I know he's not been caught. See, and the other women have had their husbands crippled or lost him. I can understand. So this is the first day since we come here. I've had any peace of mind. Here come Pellar. And this must be Jim. Oh, no. No, it isn't. It's his foreman. Well, if they're making him work overtime today, I... Perhaps Talonide better be going. No, wait. What is it? I don't know. It's just suddenly... I'm afraid. You don't think... Wait, please. Oh, fella. Oh, I... Ma'am, I... I hate like sin to have to tell you this, but there's been a cave in. Jim had just knocked off and was getting ready to leave. Ma'am, it... Come so suddenly, he never had a chance. No! No! The Lone Ranger and Tato made camp fairly close to the mines and two hours later. Tato, I never want to see a thing like that again. For a year, that poor woman and her husband had saved so that they could leave. They had enough money. He'd gone to the mines for the last time. And he's killed. That heatbans. It's no less than murder. He lived his life in the mines in just the last six months. With no honest excuse for it. Old, rotted timbers used over and over again to shore up the tunnels because it would cost money to freight in the kind of lumber that's needed. The men forbidden to take the time to make the tunnels safe because it would cut down on the time spent bringing out ore. Cheap, undependable blasting powder. And all the gold produced by the mines not doing meek in any good because he's too miserly to spend money even on himself. He lives back in the hills he bought when the mines were first opened up. Him heap band-puller. No one can touch him. Short of going outside the law. Not right. Well, if the law can't make him protect his men, perhaps there are other ways. Here's over. You'll ride. We both ride. Here's scouts. Where we going? This either man responsible for all this. See meek in himself. Come on, so... When they tumbled down old house where the mine owner lived, meeken had already been accused of criminal carelessness. His son, Dave, glared at him. Pa, this is the finish. I'm fed up. You send me to school. You have me taught everything I can learn about mining and then you refuse to listen to anything I say. You telling me my business? I am. You're just a fresh young sprout. Do you realize how many men have died in those mines since they were opened? You don't have to tell me. Over 30. I'm sorry for them. Sorry, sorry. Do something about it. Why not? Ain't practical. You mean it would cost money. No such thing. That's exactly what you mean. If you meant anything else, you'd listen to me. I could show you a dozen ways to make those mines safe. I have shown you. And you refuse to do anything at all. Nobody has to work for me, do they? Is that an excuse for criminal carelessness? I ain't breaking no laws. Never broke a law in my life. Needn't said it either. And you don't feel any responsibility for those men. Why should I? Do they feel responsible for me? They do their jobs, honestly. Well, we won't argue that again. We've been over it too many times before. I'm just here for one reason. Since I've left school, I've learned just as much practical mining as you have. Besides that, I have my training. You could put me in complete charge of those mines. Let me run them absolutely on my own, and I'd guarantee to show profits as big as yours or bigger. I'll call it anything you want. I know it's so. Look, I'll make you a proposition. Let me run the mines for a year, and if my management doesn't show as good a record as yours, I'll turn them back. Suppose you'd spend cash on all them fancy ideas. Are yours for the tunnels, huh? I would. Well, I won't have it. Very well. In that case, I'm leaving. Huh? Leaving? Today, right now. Oh, hard. I can't stand to see any more men die without cause. Dave, you don't mean it. I do mean it. And you can't. You can't leave me. Am I to be manager? Well... Am I? That's nonsense. I won't do it. All right. Then that's my answer. Goodbye. No, wait, Dave, boy. You can't. James, do you mind? Well? I can't do it. You'd ruin me. Bye. Davey, no, come back. Wait, Davey. You can't leave your old boy, please. Davey! Davey! Come back, Davey! I can't hear you, Meakin. What? I heard your quarrel. If you won't listen to your own son, you won't listen to me. You! But I'll make you a promise. Get out! Get out! You're going to suffer just as you've made others suffer. Come on, sir. Get him out. Get him out. There's Dave, tunnel. Just going over that far rise. Uh, Mr. M. You think you can overtake him? Uh, good. Go after him. Get him and bring him to our camp. How to do it? I'll meet you there. Uh, get him up, Skull. Get him up. Come on, Silver! Hey, oh, Silver! Away! Night had fallen, and the lone ranger had built a small campfire. At last, he heard Tonto approach. So you're the fellow that sent this Indian after me? Yes. Hi, Arthur. He pulled a gun on me. He refused to go with him. What if I did? I don't know. They're not so fast. If you'll hold on to your temper, I think you'll find that we're on the same side. What do you mean by that? Tonto and I rode to your father's place. We overheard your quarrel. Well? Unless I'm mistaken, you're as anxious as we are for those minds to be run as they should be. As anxious as you are? What's it to you? We were at the Edwards Cottage when the news arrived today. Oh. I doubt that anyone could have seen what that news did to Jim Edwards' wife and will not wish to do something, anything, to make it impossible for such a thing to happen again. But you're an outlaw. No. Well, that man... I wear for reasons of my own. Now look at this. A bullet. For what? A look again. Silver. Well? Wait. I've heard something. Somewhere, I've heard... My friend's name is Tonto. I've named my horse Silver. Tonto. Silver. I've got it. Yes? A lone ranger. You still think it's impossible for me to be on your side? I didn't know. I never expected this. Dave, listen to me. Yes? I suppose you were telling the truth when you told your father you were confident that you could run the minds. I know I could. That's all I've been hoping for, to get the chance. And if you did get the chance, would you make it possible for man to work for you in safety? If you heard as much as you say you did, you must know that without my telling you. Then you'll get your chance. It can't be done. No? There's no way to argue my father into it. I believe there is. How? When I rode your father's place, I had no plan in mind. What I heard and saw there suggested something. Suggested what? Your father seems to think quite a bit of you. Oh, he does, yes, but he doesn't think anything of my ability as a mind manager. Well, that won't count. Well, what? You agree, Tonto will prepare disguise for you. Disguise? What in the world for? So that you can go back and work for your father. Huh? In one job, he'd never expect to find you as a common minor. 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. When three days had passed with no word from his son, Mekin could control his fear no longer and summon the sheriff to his home. Want to see me about something, Mekin? I did. Shut down. What's the trouble? Something's happened to my boy. Yeah? He must have been hurt or something. Well, now that's too bad. Dave's all right. I always liked him. What do you think has happened? I don't know. That's why I sent for you. Well, what I mean is if you figure something's happened to him, you must have some kind of an idea of what it is. Well, I ain't. No? Then why are you worried? He's disappeared. Oh. He ain't... He ain't heard from the boy in the past three days. And that's what's got you upset? You trying to tell me I shouldn't be? Well, Chuck, you're his paw. From what I've seen before, you set a heap of store by the boy. So I can serve you while you're bothered. But I don't think there's any real reason for it. Why ain't there? Well, I've heard of other young fellas not being seen by their folks for that long and nothing serious come of it. I ain't no joke. Well, I didn't mean it to be. And you find the boy. Do you hear me? You find him. Sure, I'll try. I didn't say just try. I said find him. All right. You got any notion how to go about it? Any idea where he might have gone when he left here? Seamus told you I ain't good, didn't I? Then you're asking me to carry out a pretty tough job. Too big for one fella? Well, after all, I got other things to look out besides your... Then hire some fellas. Hire all you need. Scour the country. Look everywhere. Who's to pay? I will. All right. Fair enough. I'll tell it to you, straight sheriff. There ain't but one thing in this world I give a hoot about. Don't care much for the mines. Don't want no friends. Don't even like myself. Very special. But I won't have nothing happen to Dave. You understand that? I won't have it. Sure, I understand. You'd better. I... Because if that boy ain't found, you're out of a job if it takes every dollar I got to do it. The sheriff heard it done by Meakin and back with his money and listed a dozen men to make inquiries as to Dave's whereabouts. Never suspecting that Dave was working in the mines. It was a week later that the young man slipped away to ride to the secret camp of the Lone Ranger. Whoa, whoa, boy. Whoa there. I've been expecting you. Have you seen my father? Tonto and I have been keeping an eye on him. Haven't you? He scarcely ever goes to the mines. He has an office at home. I think he's afraid of the men. I see. Does anyone at the mine suspect who you are? I'm sure no one does. Good. What have you done so far? Everything's ready. Yes? I've found exactly the right tunnel. It can be done easily. Fine. But how soon? Not for a while yet. Oh, why not? Everything depends on how badly we can worry your father. The longer he goes without a word from you, the better chance we'll have to handle him when the time comes. Yes, yes, I suppose. Don't worry, Dave. Trust me to get word to you at the right time. I am trusting you. Then there's nothing more to say. Get back to the mines. Watch for Tonto and I'll keep in touch with you through him. Very well. I can tell you this. You've done most of your waiting already. Another week went by and then... Oh, this'll be... Oh, boy, oh. Tonto. Uh-huh? I saw the sheriff on his way to report again to Meakin. I think when Meakin learns his son still hasn't been traced, he'll be ready. Ah, that heap good. I'm going to get rid of this mask and wear this skies. He picks them. And when you finish, ride to the mines. Hmm. Find Dave and tell him to go through with our plan. The sheriff found his report to the mine owner. An unpleasant task. You must be a complete idiot. I'll wait, Mr. Meakin. Dave gave you a case to hire all the fellas you claim you needed. You've had time to search between here and the next state. And you ain't found a thing. Mr. Meakin, you don't seem to savvy. Well, we know maybe Dave cleared out of the district complete. Might even have gone back east. Checked with the stage lines, ain't ya? Yeah, but I... Checked every trail out of here, too, didn't ya? Sure did. Then he's still around. If you ain't found him, it's cause you don't know your business. Take it from me, sheriff. If you get into office next election, you're gonna be a mighty lucky man. Well, I've done the best I could. I know it. That's what I'm complaining of. Your best ain't worth nothing. Who's there? Hey, Mr. Meakin. Now, stay out, Scott. I'm busy. Bastard, didn't you hear me? Stay away from here. Mr. Meakin, I'm sorry, but this is important. Now, but ain't you are fired? There's been another key, then. What? It just happened. I got over here as fast as I could. Meakin, this has gone too down, gone far. Don't you care nothing about the fellas you hire? Who's hurt, anybody? Well, there's one fella. Killed? I don't know for sure. Tramped, anyhow. It happened in one of the tunnels that's been worked out. Don't even know what this fella was doing. Then serves him right. But ain't you coming over to see what can be done? Can't you handle it? For sure, but... Then get back and do it. Get your job in it. Or don't you want to work for me anymore? All right. I'll do what I can. No, wait. I'll ride over with you. Oh, sure. I'll meet you. Go ahead and try and get my job. I'd rather have a fella like you again than for me any time. Confounded impudence. I'll teach that lawman. Show him he can... For you. You most likely wouldn't know if I told you. Who gives you the right to walk in here without knocking? I've got news for you. News? News? That's all I get. And all of it bad. This is also... Well, let's have it. You've been searching for your son. Sure I have. You mean you know where he is? I do. Well, tell me. I'll pay anything. Just tell me. That's your man. He's been working there. It's a lie. He couldn't have been. If he had, I'd have known it. He's disguised himself and hired out under another name. You're telling the truth? I am. Your foreman was just here. He probably reported that one of your miners was caught in another cave-in. He did it. Yeah. You don't mean... I do. That miner was your son. Driven frantic with fear by the Lone Ranger's announcement, Mekin hurried to the mines. Arriving there, he found that most of his employees had gathered outside in sullen groups. Following the main tunnel, Mekin at last found the place where it branched to form the tunnel where the cave-in had occurred. His foreman and half a dozen miners stood looking at the piled-up rock and gravel. What are you standing there for? Why don't you do something? Get him out of there! Get him out! Well, hold on, Mr. Mekin. That's my boy in there. Why? Well, that can't be so easy. It is. What? I've already explained to Mekin here. This guy is himself and was using a different name. Oh, come on. Well, get shoveled. Start digging. You want my baby to die in there? Look, Mr. Mekin, we can... Can't you see for yourself what might happen if they started digging? The whole thing had likely cave-in. Oh, what's this? That's the only entrance in there that wasn't covered up. Have you talked to Mekin to it? Well... How many have you? Well, at first we did, then... Then he quit answering. Maybe. Maybe he's died. No, I wouldn't say that. Why can't he answer, then, if he ain't? Maybe he's dead already. Davey! Dave! It's your Paul. Can you hear me? Davey! Say something. You see? I'm climbing through there. No, you don't. I'm gonna go. I'm going in there. No, I'm not. You want to get yourself cute? You couldn't squeeze through that hole a thousand years. No, still. But we've got to do something. You there. Well... You could make it a hundred dollars if you would go in there and bring my boy back. Not me. Five hundred dollars. A thousand. You just have to stir that slide enough to get it moving again and you'd be buried alive. Then how much could it be a thousand dollars? You make it. And why should we go after you, old boy? You never cared anything what happened to our son. I'll pay anything. Anything. Save Davey. Please. Name anything. I'm afraid that it won't work, Mickin. There are no cowards working in these mines. No coward risks his life day after day for the kind of wages you pay. You shut up. No. Now you're getting a taste of what the people depended upon you have suffered. What do you think the families of the men killed in these tunnels have felt? You think they cared any less for their men than you do for your son? The raises were the raises with everything. I'm going in there. These men wouldn't let you if you tried it. I have another suggestion. You could save him. Perhaps. How much do you want? Perhaps more than you're willing to give. Just name it. Davey wanted to take over the money. It's one of these mines. He's always favored the men. Moreover, he's had the training and the handling job like that. What's all I've got to do with being trapped in there? I'll get him out on one condition. One condition? If he comes out alive, you'll retire. What's that? I think you understand me. You'll retire and put Dave in full charge of the mines. I don't know such things. Very well, then. I'll give you five thousand to go in there. I'm not after your money. You're the only condition that's acceptable. I couldn't. Why not? Dave, Dave would ruin me. Nonsense. He'd probably make the mines pay twice as well. You've been using outdated methods here for years. You've reached the age where you should be glad to rest anyhow. Step aside and give your son the chance. No. No, I just couldn't. None of you will make the try. None of you will make the try. And it looks as though Dave will have to remain here. Wait. Wait, don't go. No. Dave, if I promise you, you will save him. Accept that condition and I'll give you my word. He'll not be left in there if he's still alive. Oh, it's hard. Remember that these men are witnesses to anything that you may promise. He won't go in there for anything else? No. Then I guess it's got to be. You'll retire? Yes. I warn you. You go back on that. I'll see to it. You'll regret it. Folks have said lots of things about me. But never that I went back on my word. Dave, you hear me, Dave? Come out. It was a trick. Yes. It wasn't ours. Why wasn't it? You didn't have to go in there. Think back and you'll see that I never promised I would. But I... I promised only that if Dave was still alive, he'd not be left in there. Well, he hasn't been. Here he is. You'll have to admit it now. If you do break your promise, this time we're finished for good. You don't mean that. I never meant anything more. But... Call me and see. What in? He did kind of out flicker me, didn't he? You admit it? I'd be glad to see it. Maybe it won't be so easy. He took advantage of it after all. And you're retiring? Mine as well. I reckon maybe that fellow who took charge of things was speaking true and it's time to do it. Son, you were right about me in the way I've been acting. I am so dependent on you, Dave, to make up for your Paul's mistakes. I'll do the best I can, Pa. Thanks to the Lone Ranger. I'm sure you have just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.