 horse for the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver, the lone ranger. Fletchlers in the western United States had to fight out laws in hostile Indians so constantly that even the honest men came to accept gun law as a natural thing. It was the masked writer of the planes who made them realize that the winning of the West could never be accomplished until violence gave place to law and order. It was he more than any other man who brought justice and peace to the frontier. Return with us now to those thrilling days when the West was young, and out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver, the lone ranger rides again. In the town of Freeland, the Reverend Sylvester Lamb's meeting house stood virtually empty. His sermons were misconstrued to approve cowardice. He was a butt of everyone's jokes and his principal tormentor, the young Vic Donlan, son of the wealthy retired rancher, Frank Donlan. On the day our story opens, Vic, accompanied by a group of hangers on, had caught the minister outside his meeting house and was enjoying himself at Lamb's expense. Let's see your dance, Parsons. Come on, show us a jig. Please, Vic, you should know better than that. Eat your skypile at some of them fancy steps you learn when you go to school east, Vic. Make them do a fandango. Vic, give the Parsons some music to dance to. Of course. Oh, no, wait, please. Move it up higher and shake a leg, Mr. Let's get out of the way, Parsons. You mustn't do this. Dance like you enjoyed it. Get in a couple of shots. Oh, colleague, he looks mad in a wet hand. You young fool. Oh, now listen, Dad, I... I was... You've been drinking again. Drinking with these here no good barfly friends of yours. Only a couple. Where's my quart? Oh, here it is. I'll show you. I'll raise blisters on your hide. Mr. Donlan, I'm sorry for what my boy's been doing, Reverend, but I'll teach the young whipper snapper to... No. He... he meant no harm. What's that? Well, he was just amusing himself. He didn't realize what he was doing. Well, I'll be doggone. You mean you're sticking up for him? I don't want him punished on my account. Scared he'll get even with you, huh? I heard you wasn't much of a man, but I'll be horn-swogled if I figured you was that yellow. You don't need to be scared no more. When I get through with the young whelp, he won't be able to make you no trouble. You must understand. I'm not afraid. I simply don't believe he should be punished so severely for his high spirits. High spirits? The only spirits he's got in him come from a bottle down the cafe, spending my cash to get drunk. Meghan believes he's a real sport. By treating all the bootlickin' bums and talented drinks with money he never earned. Now look here, Frank. We can't... Yes, I mean you, Jason and you, Cal, and all the rest of you. The rate one of you's ever done a day's work in your life. You're a pack of sponge and guzzlers that are trying to make my boy as bad as you. Well, you won't do it if I have to gun whip every one of you and vick in the bargain. That's mighty strong talk. You better... Get on your horses and scat, or I'll take a gun to you right now. Well, you can't... Get! Blast ya! Ah, come on, fellas. Ain't nothing for us here anyhow. Not you, Vic. But Dad... You're going home with me. Dad, you can't talk to my friends like that. I just did, didn't I? You had no right. Yeah? Well, look at him headin' for time. And for another soft-headed idiot to buy him free drinks. Son, is that all the school and I paid for torture? To make friends with a lot of skunks like them? They're not... they're not skunks. They're as worthless as you are. Almost $2,000 I spent sendin' you to school. And you ain't done a lick of work. Ain't earned a dollar since you come back. Why should I work? You've got plenty, haven't you? Are you? Besides, what did they teach me in the East that I can use here? I wish I'd stayed back East. I wish... Shut up and get on your horse. What for? Cause I'm gonna get you home and give you the dog gone is talkin' to you ever had. Go on, get mounted. Oh, all right. And parsley. Yes? I don't blame folks for not comin' to meetin'. We raise men in these parts, and the fellow that aims to tell them how to live has got to be a man himself. Well, I don't intend to use my fists for sermons. No? Well, sometimes they're heap more convincing than all the talk-you-sky pilots can make in a month of Sundays. Come on, Rick. Get up there. Get up. Get up. Get up there, boy. I wonder if the day will ever come when they'll really understand what I'm trying to do. Oh, well... Come on, Silver. Masked. I heard the shots. I've been behind the meeting house. Oh, Silver. Oh. I suppose you came to rob me. I came to help you, but Frank Donlon got here first. Oh. You don't seem frightened by my mask. I have no reason to fear you or any other man. From what I've heard, I'd expect you to be frightened. I'm not the first man to be misunderstood. I said from what I'd heard. From what I've seen from myself, I'd come to a different conclusion. I don't quite see what you... I think I understand the work you're trying to do here. I believe you've got a message for the people in Freeland that they need. You could earn the respect of these people. If you could, they'd listen to you. I... I hope for that day to come. It's going to come. What do you mean? I mean you're going to be helped. You... you'll help me? I think I can. Come on, Silver. Wait, I'd like to... Come on, come on, come on, come on. Stop. Come back. He means well. But what can a masked man do to help me? The lone ranger sent Silver racing across country toward a small wood before he had made his secret camp. Tonto, his faithful Indian companion, was waiting for him. Oh, Silver, oh, boy, oh. Where... where are you right? I've been talking to the minister at Freeland, Tonto. Oh? Remember, I told you I was interested in him? I'm Tonto member. I'd heard about him and I wanted to talk to him. I think he's the kind of man this district needs. There are plenty of people in Freeland who are interested in him. I think he's the kind of man this district needs. There are plenty of trouble here. There always will be trouble as long as men are convinced the only authority is in their guns. Two men were killed just last week and drunk and brolled in town. When a man thinks he's been robbed or cheated, he doesn't turn to the law. He takes his six-gun and makes his aim the judge. Not right. Because the minister preaches against that, he's sneered at. They even laugh at him because of his name, as though a name could indicate a man's character. Not he foolish. The older men don't matter. They came into this country at a time when they had to fight to establish themselves. They built the country with the aid of their guns. And it's too late now to get them to change their way of thought. Younger men, however, should be taught that a new way of life is coming to the West. Young Vic Dunlund, for instance, he comes from a fine family. He's had the advantage of an expensive education in the East. And yet he's just as ready as anyone to criticize the minister because he teaches peace. Me, see, and Tonto not like it. I don't think Vic's a bad fellow though, Tonto. All he needs is a lesson. Tonto, Tonto here knows too. Knows? A fellow in town think engine, go on warpath. You mean the Indians on the reservation? Ah, him here, engine drum, think braves, get ready, take scalp. Well, those Indians are just celebrating their harvest ceremonies. Don't the people in town realize that? Them plenty scared. Frightened. Tonto, that gives me an idea. What that? Our old friend Chief Thundercloud. Where is he now? Him not far. Maybe four, five-day ride. I told the minister I'd help him. The time I wasn't sure how it could be done. You've got plan. There's only one thing that will ever win the town's people over to his side. Sir, ma, we'll have to show them that he isn't the coward they think him. Ah. And if those same people can get so frightened over nothing but a ceremonial dance, I believe I see a way to do it. That'd be good. Thundercloud will have to help us though. And we'll have to find a way to see that he doesn't get in the trouble because of it. Ah. Let's see. Tonto, I've got it. It's going to work out better than I thought. When it works, the minister won't only have a chance to prove himself, but Vic Dunlun may find that some of his ideas have been all wrong. What we do? We're going to ride at the home of Vic's father. We're riding at once. Here's Count. Yep. Frank Dunlun will do as we say. We're all set. Huh? And I think he will. Come on, come up, Count. The evening meal at the Dunlun home that night was silent and constrained. Vic sulked while his father glowered. Little was said, however, until they had finished eating. Then they waited until Mrs. Dunlun cleared the last of the dishes from the table and then... My, with a lot of dirty dishes, you men folks do leave. Well, there, that's the last of them. Uh, I'll help you with them, mother. You stay here. Stay in there, sir, son. I've done them alone for 30 years. I guess I can still do them without no help. Well, um, I think I'll be going to my room. I said you stay here. I promise you a good talking, too, and you're going to get it. I don't see what there's to talk about. Do you know what folks are saying about you, son? What do you mean? They're saying you're just a loafer. They're saying because I got money you figure you're too good for working like other folks got to do. They're saying the only use you've got is swillin' down liquor at the cafe. Now is that the way to have folks talking? Are you proud to know they're saying them things? You believe everything you hear. They ain't sayin' anything I haven't seen for myself. What's wrong with the way I do things? Nothing. You want to go through life, livin' off somebody else? Now, look, Dan, it's just like I said before. You've got money, so why should I go to work? What I spend isn't gonna break ya. It's to my friends. Well, no matter what you think, they're good fellas. What if they haven't got much money and I spend a little on them? They'd be my friends even if I were broke. I know they would. They're all right. So you don't figure on change in any, eh? I've told you what I thought. I guess I ain't much of a father, son. Seems if I ought to be able to say something that'd wake ya, I wish there was somebody else could talk to you long as I can't. But you won't lead and listen to your ma. What's the use of all this arguing? If a sky pilot was a real man, he'd be the fella to talk to, but he ain't. So do no good going to him. No parson. Reed Filkins pushed him into a mud puddle yesterday, and he just got up smiling. Jake Hanley put a burr under the saddle of his horse last week, and the horse nearly threw the parson into the next county. Then he never said a word. Then you expect anybody to listen to him. I said no such thing. What I did say was that he'd be the fella to go to if he was a man. I sure ain't claiming he is. I don't see why you're making all this fuss, any. You'll see someday, and I'm just hoping it don't cost you too much before you get your eyes open. You're just old fashioned, Ed. You think because you had to work that everyone should. Why anybody knows better than that nowadays? Meaning that Cal and Jason, their mother-bar flies no better. If you can't discuss this without calling my friends names, then I'm going to my room. Go ahead. I give up. Good night. Good night, son. Frank, honey, you're looking so awful glum. Is it Vic again? I tell you, Carrie, I don't know what to do with that boy. Now, don't get yourself upset. He's got good blood in him. You'll be all right one of these days. You just wait and see. I'm hoping so. Remember, Frank, when Victor was just a little tight with his chubby, fat legs, his big, round face, and his funny way of walking, remember what big plans we had for him? I remember. And how he said he was going to get the best schooling in the land and have the finest start in life that any boy could have. Remember that too, Frank? Uh-huh. And what a fool mistake we made by giving him that schooling. He should have been set to car-punch it. No, Frank. He's had the start. And he's got our love and hope for him. He's our boy. You just wait and see. One of these days, he's going to make us proud of him, and then we won't be sorry for a thing we've done. I wish I had your face, Carrie. A mask man. Oh, what? Don't be alarmed. What do you want? A talk with both of you. Get out. Get out of here. We ain't having no talk without us. Your gun isn't within reach, Frank. And you're going to listen whether you want to or not. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments to continue our story. The Lone Ranger, knowing that Frank Donlan was anxious to awaken his son to a sense of responsibility, outlined the idea he had in mind. The retired rancher and his wife were doubtful, however, until the masked man mentioned the name of Thunder Cloud, an Indian chief whose reputation they trusted. Having converted Vic's parents to his plan, the masked man hastily rejoined Tonto, who had been on guard outside the house. Tonto. What them say? They agreed, Kimosabi. Steady, old fellow. We ain't all right, Thunder Cloud. Yes, and we want to get there as fast as we can. The whites in Freeland and the Indians on the reservation don't have much to do with each other. But we can't take a chance on the whites learning that the Indians aren't preparing to go on the war path. We must be back before they learn the truth. Ah. Now Thunder Cloud's protected. When it's all over, Frank Donlan will explain that Thunder Cloud acted at our request. Isn't that good? Ready, Kimosabi? Let's go. We've got a long journey. I'll set up a boat! Away! The journey to Thunder Cloud's territory, ordinarily one of four days, was cut to less than three by the great horses ridden by the masked man in Tonto. They enlisted the help of their friend and then retraced their trail. In the meantime, Frank Donlan was not inactive. Each day as he stopped to gossip with his fellow townsmen, his tone became more foreboding and he prophesied dangerous times ahead. In the cafe, he expressed himself to a group of anxious listeners with him. I'm telling you, fellows, them Indians are really up to something. I've been hearing all kinds of stories. They say them braves on the reservation are going to break loose most any day now. Who told you that, Frank? Oh, more than one, Feller. You've heard about the drums and them dancing, haven't you? Yeah. Then I reckon you don't have to be told what that means. What surprises me is they ain't heard from before this. Holding off this long, they must be working up to something special. Breaking that two years ago when they went off the reservation? Sure do. Scalped every one of them nesters down along the creek they did, cleaned them out to the last mass. Shucks. This time it wouldn't surprise me if they was to head straight for town. Honest, Frank. You really think so? If them varmints do come hooping and hollering into town, we'll just have to fight them off the best way we know how, I guess. We ain't got what you'd call no choice. Well then, what if it... Look at that arrow. Ingers! Ingers! I call it. Someone yelled ingers. Come on. Let's see what he's hollering about. Come on, boys. If it's just when I was followed a trail across that covert breeze by the painted rock, I nearly jumped out of my skin. What's this? What's this saying? What was that you yelling about, Ingers? You seen any? I never seen them, but take a look at this. Who'd go on? An arrow. Where'd you get it? Was it shot at you? I was just telling about it. This dog gone arrow was shot at me when I was coming down the trail from Perryville. Gosh. Must have been shot from quite a distance, though, because it was just about spent when it caught up with me. I jumped out of the saddle, picked it up, and brought it along, so as you fellas wouldn't think, I was just telling a story. That means them redskins have left the reservation already. Painted rock ain't but 15 miles from here. What do we do? Hey, look up the road. Huh? A fellow on a white horse. He's short traveling. Right in this way, I'd like to have news. Well, I'll be. He's mad. Complains us whether he's masked or not. What's he saying? Shut up, and maybe you could hear. Step to the meeting house. Be with the dust outside town. Everyone to the meeting house. Get to the meeting house, like the mass man said, folks. It's the only place that will hold us all. Round up the women and children. Get them on their way. Come on. Get moving to the meeting house. Men, women, and children, urged by the masked man shots, hurried as fast as they could, and crowded inside the reverence of Mr. Lam's meeting house. No need to act like a herd of critters and unloading pen, folks. Just calm down now. You ain't hurt yet. Calm down, folks. Please don't be alarmed. We'll be able to defend ourselves. Anybody see them redskins here? I'm watching the trail. If they come from this direction, I'll let you know. Let's not get excited, folks. Hey, listen to who's talking. It's a sky pilot telling us not to get excited. Parson, you better keep your mouth shut. This is for men, folks, to handle, not fellas like you. We'll handle this, Parson. You get in the corner and hide yourselves. But, friends, don't get it, Parson. Don't you ever make... Hey, there's the mass fellas that give us the warning. The mass fans. Hey, when do you see them, Indians? Mr. They're not fire-offs. You'll see them soon enough. What's that? Listen to them. See to your guns. Get them primed and ready for action. Come on. Come on. What's the matter? Those Indians aren't members. Three to one. Don't fire a shot until you have to. Maybe it's possible to get them to leave without a fight. Don't spoil that chance. You all right, Ranger? Frank, look at them. They've grown up out there. And look who they've got with them. It can't be. Think. Are you sure it's him? That's who it is, all right. He's gone over there. Put down that gun. Put that red skin coming this way. I can knock him off without no trouble at all. Can't you see he's coming here with a message? His hand is raised. He's coming alone. Wait until you see what he has to say. I would rather fire and have them punish Vic for it. Anybody fires that Indian right in here, I'll take care of personal. He's stopping just outside. Open the door for him. You mean let him come inside? You're not afraid of one Indian, are you? Open the door. Yeah. Keep still, folks. Bring that red skin here. Get moving, red skin. You savvy white man's talk? Huh? Me savvy. You brought us a message from your chief? Tonto, bring message. You listen. Go on, speak up. Chiefs say white men come make plover. One white man. Go alone. Not take guns. What's that? You mean the chief wants one of us to go out there unarmed and talk with him? That's right. But what for? Me not know. Chief tell you. It's a trash war. It's just a trick to get another one of us. Wait. Is that all of the message? White man not come. Other white men die. You mean your president will be killed if we don't meet your demands? Uh. Them red skins must think we're a pack of fools. They ain't gonna trick us with no stock like that. They have a whip and we're surrounded. Seems to be either that or a fight to the end. Besides the death of Vic Donald. One of us must go out there. I'm going. Well, you're a boy. It's up to you, I reckon. Sure, that's fair enough. Why should we risk our lives? Frank is not going. I agree with the others here that it may be a trap. Frank, you're a married man. You have your wife to think of. Even if Vic is your son, one of the unmarried men should go out there. I agree with the message. No, it's my plan. You're not going. Who else will volunteer? Hell, how about you? Vic spent money on you, counted you his friend. Will you take the chance? Why in blazes should I? The drunken idiot don't mean anything to me. So that's how you feel. How about you, Jason? Well, I don't see how it's hardly my place. You refuse? Well, gosh, I don't see why I should risk my scalp for him. He ain't no kin of mine or nothing like that. Yeah, he's claimed you're one of his best friends. I can't help what he claimed. Then I shall go. What? What? A sky pilot. You're gone. You mean you'll walk right up to them engines without a gun or anything? I do. But it's always been Vic that's made you the most trouble. Why, he's pestered you more than all the other fellows in town put together. That has nothing to do with my duty. I shall go. Well, I'll be all gone. You're willing to take a chance of losing your scalp in cases of trick. And all these fellows here that've been calling you yaller and everything are scared to stir out of their tracks. Parsons, whatever I may have said about you before, I'll give you some of them words right now. Come. Don't walk any engines. It's as much as your life is worth. Friends, if talking to the chief of those red men will save Vic, I shall be happy to do it. And if this is a trick to capture me, then all I can say is that one more life will mean little. Indian, lead the way. There goes the man you said you couldn't respect. The man you sneered at because he preached against fighting. The man you said was a coward. Who didn't belong to the West? All of you. You're brave enough with guns in your hands. But the man you laughed at is the only man among you with a cold courage to put himself into the hands of those Indians unarmed. The townsmen shamed both for the action of the Reverend Sylvester Lamb and the words of the masked man, watched anxiously as the minister rode toward the lines of the assembled braves. They waited for him to be seized for the triumphant red men to reveal their treachery. Every eye was fastened on his progress. The townspeople scarcely dared to breathe. And then something unbelievable occurred. No sooner had the minister reached the red men than their leader shouted a signal. The braves called to their ponies and the band wheel broke into a galloping road swiftly away from town, leaving both Vic and the minister behind them unharmed. The townspeople shouting and cheering poured to the meeting house and ran toward the two men. Are you all right, please? Hey, boys, what happened? What made them Indians clear out that something scared them off? Vic! Vic! Dad, I don't know what got into those Indians. I heard them talking. They were going to grab the parson here and then all of a sudden they changed their minds and rode away. Uh-huh. And I'm thinking you're roaring the sky pilots in pretty tall apologies. Tommy was the only one out of all those men who tried to help you. I know. And you're fine friends here. The ones you've been running around with and talking about being such swell fellas. They were so scared you could see them shaking. Folks, wait a minute. Listen to me. Listen, I don't know how the rest of you figure this. Why are them redskins cleared out and all, but I'm here to say that regardless, the sky pilots the best man the whole blame tolls. He's a man to tie to. The most nerve ever seen. Hooray for the sky pilots. Go girl parson. You can preach at me as much as you want from now on. And I've got something to say. Go on, Vic. I've been looking down on the parson. I was fool enough to think I was a better man than he is. I was fool enough to believe that because people were friendly when I spent money on them, they were really friends. Well, I found out different. I've learned that a quick draw doesn't mean courage. I'm apologizing to the parson and saying I hope the day will come when I can call myself half the man the parson is. Half the man the parson? What'd it feel like to be riding towards them engines? Please, excuse me for a moment. There's someone I must speak to. Mask man. Do you remember the day you promised to help me? I do. Then I just wanted to say it was good of you to offer. But you see, now I don't need your help. Everything's worked out for the best without it. I see it has. And there was something else. Yes? That mask. You're an outlaw, of course. But I'm convinced there's some good in you. And if you ever feel that you want to turn over a new leaf, come to me. I'll do the best for you I can. I'll remember that. Come on, Silver. I'll sell... The copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.