 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hyo silver, the Lone Ranger. With his faithful Indian companion, Toto, the daring and resourceful mask rider of the planes led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. 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 come the thundering hoofbeats of the Great Horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again! Come on, silly! Let's go, big foe! I am silly! The 14-year-old nephew of the Lone Ranger was one of two passengers in the stagecoach that headed south toward the town of Bodleman. The other passenger was a girl of 19 or 20 who had introduced herself as Betty Culkins. There had been a third passenger, but he had left the lumbering vehicle at a crossroads 15 minutes earlier. Dan, are you going to visit friends in Bodleman? Yes, I'm going to call on an old school teacher. My friends were going to stay around Broken Bow for a few days, so it was a good chance for me to run down to Bodleman. I see. You live in Broken Bow, don't you, Miss Culkins? Oh, yes. In fact, I was born there. My father helped build the railroad and established the town. Oh, he did? Golly, he was a real pioneer. Is he still there? No, Dan. He died five years ago. My brother and I have kept ours ever since. Is your brother with the railroad? Mm-hmm. He operates the telegraph office. I'd rather be an engineer. Would you, Dan? I'm going to marry an engineer. Oh, really? That's right. Jim Stevens, I... What's the matter? Driver! Driver, stop the stage! Well, Cully, what's up? Dan, I think I've been wrong. What's that you see, Miss? My bag. My handbag. It's gone. Gone? I'm sure I had it here with me. Well, you did. I remember seeing it. Gone now? That other passenger, the one who left the stage, he must have taken it. I didn't notice, ma'am. Neither did I. Who was he, do you know? No, I never saw him before. I can remember what he looked like. Well, come to think of it, he made up his mind to leave the stage, might he sudden? Was there anything valuable in that handbag, Miss? It was three days later when Tonto rode into a small camp near the town of Broken Bow. The Indian friend of the Lone Ranger had written hard to bring a message to the tall masked man. Oh, Scott, how's that? Easy, Scott. Easy. Kimusabi, me and townman's stage come from south. Did Dan send word that he'd reached bottlenecks safely? Ah, and him send letter. Me got it. What's wrong? Well, him tell about robbery. A stage robbery? Ah, fella leaves stage, take handbag, a girl. Dan tell what fella look like. Here, you read letter. Yes, let me see it. A girl's name, Betty Calkin. Yes. A girl and Dan, both sure, fella who leaves stage, take handbag. I'll describe the man as well as I can. You might see him if he shows up in Broken Bow. Tall and thin, very dark hair and a black mustache. Let me see fella who look like that. You did? Ah, him in cafe right now. Toto, I know of a man who answers this description. You'll know him? Sounds like dude Lofgren. He's wanted by the law in Arizona. I'll settle silver and ride into town with you. Have a look at this man. It was nearly dark when the lone ranger and Toto left their camp and started for town. A short time later when the darkness had become complete, a westbound train reached Broken Bow. Pete Calkins came out of the telegraph office swinging a signal lantern, while the engineer moved the train onto a siding. That'll do, Jim. That'll do. My last car in the siding? Yep, you're clear. Hold it. Right. Good enough, Jim. I ain't climbed down. Good. Thanks for far as a bit, will you, Bill? Right. I don't suppose you know how soon the eastbound's coming through, do you, Pete? Nope. If she's on schedule, you'll have a four or five hour wait. Seems like an awful waste of time to lay over on the siding and wait. Better to pull off on the siding and meet the eastbound head on. We shouldn't have double tracks. That's what we should have. Not that I'm mind-waiting here in Broken Bow. How's my girl? Betty, she's all right. You know, Pete, I could never figure out how a homie-glued like you could have a sister like Betty. What? Is she at home now? Nope. She took the stage down to bottleneck to visit our hands. I have all the dark gone. Look, I counted on seeing her this trip for sure. Too bad, Jim. Better luck next time. Didn't she know my train was due? Yeah, but we had word that Aunt Callie was sick. So Betty figured she'd better go and visit to see if she could be of any help. She said to tell you she was sorry she'd be looking for you on the next trip. Well, that being the case, I may as well go to the cafe, wash up, and spend a few hours with the boys. In town, Toto had gone to the cafe to make sure that the tall dark man was still on hand and then had crossed the road to join the lone ranger who was waiting in the shadows. We'll wait right here, Toto. When he leaves, we'll follow him. Lofgren works with a gang. That man is Dude Lofgren. He may lead us to a hideout. Time dragged slowly for the masked man and the Indian who waited in the darkness while they watched the batwing doors across the street. It was an hour before the tall dark man came out, close on the heels of another man, one who wore the cap and overalls of a locomotive engineer. Look, Toto, he seems to be following a real red man. And what we do, we'll go along, leave the horses where they are. Jim Stevens walked to the edge of town, then halted suddenly and turned. Say, listen, you, what's the idea? What's what idea? I saw you in the cafe. You were eyeing me mighty close. You're left when I did, and you've been following me. Yeah, you're right. Now keep your voice down. Oh, a gun, huh? Well, if this is a stick-up... It's not a stick-up. Isn't your name Jim Stevens? Yeah. What about it? You're the engineer on the westbound. Well? You put your train on the side until the eastbound goes through. Is that right? Yeah. You went on toward the west. What had happened? What do you think had happened if two trains run toward each other on the same track? It'd be a smash-up. Good. That's what I want. You're going to shove on so there'll be a smash. I'll do nothing of the sort. Well, you'll make a deal with it. I'm not interested in a deal. My job is to take the train west and do it safe. Nothing you can offer will make me do what you want. Just a minute. You don't know what we're going to offer. I don't care what it is. I'm not interested. How about the train? I'm not interested. How about the life of your girl? What? Me and my pals have captured her, see? She's where she won't be found until we let her go. Her chances won't be worth much, Stevens. If you don't do what we want... Why are you dirty coyotes? Won't be hardly. All you got to do is start out toward the west, that's all. You can jump clear the engine for the smash. You're trying to run a bluff. You haven't got the girl at all. Maybe you'd better go along with me and see some proof. There's plenty of time. You don't have to decide right away. I'll take you to our camp. I'll show you the proof that we got the girl. I'll give you a chance to think it over. Come on. All right. I'll go with you. Yes. Although we've got to change our plans. What do we do? You follow those two and find out where they go. I'm going to the telegraph office and try to prevent a wreck. Tuttle traveled on foot to follow the trail of Dude Lothgren and his prisoner. While the lone ranger mounted silver and hurried to the telegraph office. Oh, is this enemy club? Pete Hulkins was on duty. He looked up from his desk where he had been making out reports by the light of an oil lamp when he heard the horse stopping outside. Hey, what's this? Take it easy. That mask. If this is a stick up, mister, you've come to the wrong place. There's no cash on hand in this office. I'm not after cash and I'm not an outlaw. Well then, what do you want? Have you heard of Dude Lothgren? Lothgren? Why do you ask? Are you, uh, are you one of his gang? No. And what are you... Lothgren is planning a train wreck. You've got to prevent it. What? A train wreck, you say? Yes. He's captured Jim Stevens, the engineer on the westbound. He's going to try to make him take the train out before the eastbound comes through. Why, that'll mean he'll come together on the single track. That's just what Lothgren wants. Ah, Stevens wouldn't do it. Why, he'd be killed if he tried it. Not necessarily. He could slow down and open the throttle and jump clear before the train got up speed. Ah, you needn't be concerned about that, mister. He couldn't make Stevens do any such thing. He wouldn't sell out. Oh, maybe not for money. But Lothgren's men have captured his girl. They have. They'll kill her if Stevens doesn't play their game. Oh, no! We may be able to keep the train from leaving here. But just in case we can't, you'd better get on that telegraph and tell the station west to hold the eastbound at Grant's Pass. Wait now, why not get the Lothgren gang? Because it's quite unlikely they're holding the girl in their camp. They probably got her hidden somewhere. Yeah, yeah, that's so... Now open your key, clear the line and get to work. Maybe you're right. I'll try to get him to hold the eastbound at Grant's Pass. At least that'll prevent a smash-up. If Jim takes the westbound out in spite of anything we might try to do to stop him. In the meantime, Jim Stevens found himself in a camp with Dude Lothgren, a man called Lefty, and several others of the gang. Now Stevens, look this stuff over. You'll probably recognize some of it. This pin here, for example. Yes? If you want, I'll have the fire built up so as you can see better. I can see all right. These things belong to your girl, don't they? Yes, they do. And I guess you don't need any more proof that we've captured her. Where is she? What have you done to her? Ah, you needn't look around the camp. She's not here. But if you want to see her again, you'd better do as I say. Right two trains. There'll be some cash in it for you, Stevens, as well as a life of your girl. Lefty's right. There'll be plenty of gold aboard the eastbound. You won't have to worry about losing your job. Do you think I'd wreck those trains from money? All right, never mind the money. You wreck the train to save the life of your girl. Listen, Lothgren, if you're after that gold on the eastbound... That's what we're after. And we aim to get it without running any risk. I'll be easy picking after the train is wrecked. Hey, you! Thanks God, someone. What's up? I'll fix him. Hank, who's that? What'd you find? Give me a hand here. Get along in front of me, Stevens. All right. I was coming in to camp when I spotted someone hitting trees. It was just red skiing. Ah, snooping on it. He heard everything that was said. Now let him have it on the head with the Baron of God. Good work. Put him there with a fire. Then we decide what to do with it. 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. While the Lone Ranger was in the telegraph office, Tuttle followed Jude Lofgren to the outlaw camp, where he was discovered and knocked unconscious with a barrel of Hank's pistol. It's a good thing I saw the red skin hiding amongst the trees, eh, dude? Yeah, it's a good thing you saw. You must have hit him hard, Hank. It wasn't gentle. He's out cold. You gotta do something about him. I wonder how much he heard. Whatever he heard, it's too much. Being as I'm the one who cracked him on the head, I'll finish the job with a bullet if you say so, dude. Ah, that won't do. I can't leave murdered men around to the law to find him. You gotta get rid of him? I've got an idea, dude. What is it, Lefty? Tie him up and put him on the train. He'll be killed in the craze. You can't do that. I won't have a hand in much. You shut up. But I won't do it. Stevens, you're taking orders. You're going to take the train west, and that's all. What else happens is none of your business. But it's murder. You want to see Betty Calkins alive, don't you? Why are you... How about it, dude? Should we put the red skin on the train? Yeah, that's what we'll do. Get some ropes on him. All right. If the law sees him rope when he's found dead, what'll be the same as finding him here with a bullet in his hide? As long as he's not found near where we're camped, I don't care what the law thinks. Now, you ready to meet our term, Stevens? All right. Don't you care about the life of your girl? If I could just see her for a minute. You can't. She's not around here. Now, what's your final answer? Yes or no? All right. I'll run the train. But I'll need a fireman. Hank'll stoke the fire for you. Hank, you go over the engine right now, and we'll start the fire. Right. We'll break camp so as we can ride ahead and be on hand soon after the wreck. The red skin. We'll bring him to the train when we've broken camp. Now, you get going and build steam pressure. Kino. Stevens? Hey there, boy. You stay here with us or we can keep an eye on you until it's time for you to go to work. The entire westbound train had been drawn up on the siding. The engine was some distance away from the small shack that housed the telegraph. Culkin sat before the clicking instrument with the lone ranger standing at his side. Was that the operator at Grants Pass? Yeah, yeah, it was. He said the eastbound hadn't passed there yet. Then there's a chance to stop the eastbound. But that won't do any good. There's no sign that Grants Pass. Even if the eastbound is stopped, it'll still be on the single tracks. If the westbound leaves here, it'll pile right into it head-on. We're going to try to keep the train from leaving here. Tell the Grants Pass operator to stop the train, remove any passengers. Hurry, man. There's a lot to be done after you've sent that message. I'll do it. The outlaw known as Hank had at one time been a railroad man. He knew enough to slip the coupling of the engine so it would travel without dragging a long line of empty cattle cars. Then he climbed to the cab and built up the fire beneath the boiler. The pressure of steam had risen considerably when Lough Grinn and the rest of his gang rode up in the darkness. Hey there Hank, how's she coming? Good enough. We got the red skin here. Reach down, we'll hand them up to you. Is he still unconscious? Yep. Here he is, Hank. Reach down and grab him. When I hit someone, they stay out for a while. You got him roofed up? Yeah. Here's the final word. You travel with Stevens to see that he doesn't try any tricks. You can travel slow until you see the headlight of the eastbound approaching. And make sure the Indians unconscious, even if you have to wrap them on the head again. Take off the ropes, and you and Stevens can jump after opening the throttle wide. Is that clear? Yep, that's easy. There won't be any bullet holes in the red skim, so maybe they'll all think he tried to steal a locomotive. Hi, Savvy. All right now, Stevens, get on board. Hank, you keep him covered. Come on, Stevens. All right. Get up. All right, I need to shove. I'm getting on board. Get over there to the controls. We'll have enough pressure to get underway in just a couple of minutes. By the way, Stevens, you needn't worry about the regular fireman interfering. He's over in the cafe. You won't know the engine's pulled out until long after we're gone. We'll leave you now, Hank. Start riding west. Right. Hey, dude, look over yonder. What's the matter, lefty? There's a light in the telegraph office, and a horse pulled up outside. Someone must be in there with corkins. You'll find out what's going on. Easy, boy. Come on, boys. Get up there. Get up. What are you sending, corkins? I'm telling the grants pass operator to stop the train, just like you said. Hey, leave that switch alone. You cut me off. What's your game? What are you talking about? You know what I'm talking about. You weren't sending the right message. How do you know what I was saying, little? I haven't another code. What? You were going to send routine reports. Well, I... What's your game, corkins? Are you working with dude Lofkin? No, no. Then why didn't you send the message? I... I guess you win, mister. I'll send it. I'll see what you do and make it fast. I'll make it fast. You! Get away from there. Now, no one will send the message. I shouldn't have given you a chance to smash that instrument. You're going to pay for it, corkins. No matter what happens to anyone else, I'm going to see that you pay in full. If those trains are wrecked... I don't care what happens to me. I don't count. I feel the same as Jim Stevens does. The life of my sister is more important than anything else. The life of your sister? That's what I said. What does your sister have to do with this? Everything. She's Jim Stevens' girl. It was no news to me when you came here and said that she'd been captured. Lofkin had already called on me and told me his plans. He told me she'd be released after he'd gotten the gold that's coming through on the eastbound. Wait a minute, corkins. Your sister's name is Betty. That's right. She was on the southbound stage, going to visit her aunt and bottleneck. How do you know so much? A friend of mine was on that stage. And so was Dude Lofkin. Dude stole your sister's handbag, but he didn't capture the girl. What? She reached bottlenecks safely and so did my friend. If you doubt it, here's a letter from him. A letter? Betty, safe. But Lofkin showed me some of her things to prove he'd captured her. Of course he had some of her things. He stole her handbag. Oh, that journey lion. I've got to tell Jim. I've got to get to that engine before he takes her out. Get him out! But you... Hi, Tim. You're both covered. You too, corkins. You seem to have come at just the wrong time, Lofkin. It depends on the point of view. For me, it's just the right time. We heard what you were saying. I know the truth now, Lofkin. You didn't capture my sister at all. All you've got's her handbag. She's safe and sound in bottleneck. It's too bad you can't pass the word to Stevens. He's already on board the engine. About due to start-out. What do we do with these two, dude? Shoot him and leave him here? I don't like to do that. I'd rather handle them the same as we did to the Indian. The Indian? Yeah. Snoopin' red skin. We caught near camp. You two boys, come in here. All right, boys. Take their guns and tie them up. Put them on the train with the Indian. We'd better knock them up, first, boys. If corkins has a chance to tell what he's learned to Jim Stevens, Stevens won't go through with it. Hey, we're too late, dude. The engine's already underway. Take a look and make sure. Meanwhile, you two keep your hands up. Yeah, it's done. It's already left the sighting. It's on the main line and heading west. All right. And we'll have to give it to these two right here. I don't mind drilling the mask, man. But I'm sorry for you, corkins. Doesn't matter now. Lofkin, you'll never get away with it. Oh, no. No. You're going to jail. You'll be there for a long time. You'll be able to do a lot of thinking, but you'll probably never know how Tonneau got off that train. Tonneau? Yes, the Indian you captured. Don't want to drop their guns. Tonneau says I know you're behind them. What the hell are you? The outlaws acted instinctively and turned to look behind their backs. In that split second, the masked man charged, throwing his weight against Jude Loughbren and locking the leader back against the others. Corkins closed in fast. Two of the outlaws stumbled and fell. And before they could regain their feet, their pals had been dropped by well-aimed blows. Lefty lying on the floor pulled the gun, but the masked man turned and fired from the head. Oh! I'll get the other. That did it. My arm, my arm's busted. Be your neck if anyone dies in that train wreck. Loughbren is still conscious. He's trying to get up. I'll help you, Loughbren. Up you come. Let's hang it! And down he goes. Corkins, you have a gun. Disarm these men. Then wash them till I get back. Where are you going? I've got to try to stop that train. He's a big fella. One silhouette! The engine and the tender were traveling west at slow speed. It was no great task for the lone ranger on the mighty stallion's silver to overtake the iron horse. As he came alongside, he saw Jim at the throttle, Toto on the floor of the cab, and a third man who held a gun. Jim, Jim, stop the train. It's all right. Your girl is safe. Jim's eyes went wide. He reached for the throttle, but Hank jabbed him with a barrel of his gun. Then swung the weapon toward the man who rode alongside. There were two shots. A bullet whistled past the masked man's head. Hank's shot had missed, but not the lone rangers. Hank spun from the impact of a heavy slug. He clutched at his shoulder, then fell to the floor. Stop the train! Stop the train, I tell you! That is safe! Toto was quickly freed and restored to consciousness. In a few words, the lone ranger told the truth to Jim. Then the engine was reversed and brought back to its place on the siding, coupled to the line of empty cattle cars. It was later. Jim and Colkins were alone in the telegraph office. I guess I repaired the damage I did to the telegraph. Pete, how long do you think those crooks will be in jail? You heard what the sheriff said when he took him in hand. They won't even go on trial around here until after they've served their terms in other places. They'll be in jail from now on. That'll suit me first rate. Jim, you would have wrecked the train, wouldn't you? I thought that was the only way to save Betty's life. Were you going to jump clear? No. No, I wasn't, Pete. I was going to open that throttle wide and hit the eastbound as hard as I could, in the hope that I'd take one of those crooks with me when I was killed. I don't know what I'd have done afterwards, but I can tell you one thing. I'd have hated to go on living with myself. I guess we're both pretty lucky. Lucky that that masked man dealt himself a hand in the game. And lucky that he'd had a letter from that young friend of his who rode the stagecoach with Betty. I wonder who he is. Jim, here comes the eastbound. Yeah, right on stage. There she goes. And that engineer will never know what he escaped. That's my signal, Pete. Time for me to take out the westbound. Uh, what were you saying, Jim? I said it's time for me to take out the... I mean, I mean, just before the train came through. Something about the masked man. Oh, I said I wondered who he is. Well, I can tell you that, Jim. He's the lone ranger. This is a feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated, created and produced by George W. Trendle and directed by Charles D. Livingston. Tonight's story was written by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer.