 a cloud of dust and a hearty high of silver, the lone ranger. With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the masked 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 in the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver, the lone ranger rides again. Come on Silver, very big fellow, come on Silver! The bittersweet valley had been a happy home for Luke Callan and his wife and child. The man had worked hard, determined to create a lasting peace and prosperity on the new frontier. When Callan's wife died, the boy Bill had grown nearly the manhood. And Luke Callan was proud of his son. He was proud of the heritage that he was able to pass along to the young man. Then, the trouble came. Across the valley, it turned to sheep ranching. The triangle herd was raided a dozen times. And out of the flaming hatred that swept across the rangeland, came the demand for law enforcement. Young Bill Callan responded. When the election took place at the town of Five Mile, the boy was elected by an overwhelming majority. It was many weeks later that Lou Callan rode into Five Mile and dismounted directly in front of the sheriff's office. As he entered the small room, Callan could see his son Bill, seated at a big desk, and five pointed stars showing plainly on the young man's shirt front. Hi, Dad. Have a chair. You sent word you wanted to see me. What's on your mind? Still soar at me, huh? What do you want to see me about? All right. I wanted to talk with you, Dad, about some of the new riders you've been taken on out of the triangle. Then you talk and I'll listen. What about them? I, uh, been checking over the list here. Here, Red Barkley, Jack Martin, Pee Wee Nelson, Andy Lake. Them fellas working for cowboy wages? Well, that happens to be my business. But some of those boys, maybe all of them, have got reps as gunslingers. And that happens to be my business. Go on. I've been sheriff here in Five Mile for three months, and I hear the talk that's going around. Talk? I hear folks saying that the triangle outfit's getting pretty high and mighty. Ever since Lou Callan's boy got himself elected sheriff. Huh. Why don't you finish that? Since he got himself elected by a bunch of sheep herders. I won't deny that Clem Ainsley backed me when I run for office. Ainsley? That mangy old varmint. One of these days I'm going to hang his carcass on a fence post. That's what I wanted to see about, Dad. What? You've been making a lot of fight talk about old man Ainsley ever since he started bringing in sheep on this range. Those smelly, blatant grass- Now hold on, Dad. You've got to realize that Clem Ainsley owns his ranch the same as you own the triangle. And if he wants to raise sheep or jack rabbits, that's his privilege. But he's ruining the whole country. He's not hurting your land, any. The point is, you go off the deep end and get all wound up with a lot of fight talk. Then you accuse Ainsley of rustling your stock. Turn right, I do. You're bringing a crowd of fancy gunslingers, and now Ainsley's gone and done the same thing. He has, huh? That's right. He's got a dozen new men on his payroll. And the kingpin of them all is Vic Fowler. Fowler? You mean to say it? I mean to say I'm the sheriff. And I don't figure to have a range war on my hands just because you and Clem Ainsley start acting like a couple of school kids. Yeah, I heard Fowler was in these parts. Well, I got a lot of respect for your job as sheriff, son. But I also got some respect for my own personal property. Meaning? Last month, the Triangle had put in their 300 head of prime beef cattle runoff for wrestlers. I know. You don't know, Bill. 300 head at $40 a piece? That's $12,000. How long do you think I can keep going? But I've been trying to stop the wrestlers. Right. You tried and failed. Now I'm going to try. Dad, you know better to take the law on your own hands. You know I ain't going to sit back and let some sneak and coyote rob me blind. You can tell your friend Ainsley I said so. You've got no proof against Ainsley. I'll have all the proof I need. The first time I catch Clem Ainsley on the Triangle Ranch. You understand? It was late afternoon. The sound of excited voices out front brought Sheriff Bill Callan to the door of his office. Callan saw a starboard Indian riding up on a paint horse and leading another horse. The Sheriff needed only one glance. The figure slumped across the saddle of the second horse. They realized that the man was the sworn enemy of his father. The man, his father, had threatened to kill Clem Ainsley. What's happened here? Me find this fowler on trail, maybe five, six miles west of town. West of town? Why, why that? Don't say it, Sheriff. Five miles west of town, it'd be on a triangle range. Oh, hello, Fowler. Is he... In plenty bad hurt. You get doctor right way. Clem, what happened all the time? Somebody go over to Doc Sawyer. Tell him to hustle over here. I'll go, Sheriff. Who's heading for town? Sawyer, Dad, come in. Then what? I cut across the salt drawer. Figured he wouldn't see me, but... But he did see you, huh, Clem, and cut down on you. Keep your mouth shut, Fowler, or I'll shut it for you. Hey, yes, he is sure. Heard rifle shot. That's all I remember. Until the engine found me. Stand back. Here come doctor. Never mind. Don't need doctor. All right, Sheriff, let's get a posse together and head for your old man's trial. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. When I want a posse formed, I'll let you know. Yeah? You ain't figuring on letting your old man get away with cold-blooded murder, are you, Sheriff? I'll see you here, Fowler. You and Clem say how he tried to avoid meeting Lou Kellan. And everybody knows Kellan's been laying for Ainsley for a long time. Ainsley's dead and I'm running his outfit. I'm gonna swear out a murder warrant again. You're gonna serve. Figured maybe one of the boys was taking a pot shot at the coyote, maybe. Ainsley's dead. Murdered on the triangle range. Serves him right. He was warned enough times to keep off the place. You've been making threats against Ainsley for six months. Now he's dead. And from what he says, everybody figures you killed him. Let him figure and be alarmed. Well, what do you figure to do about it, son? I've got to take you back to Five Mile to stand trial. You got a warrant? Here. Signed by Vic Fowler, huh? He'll be running the Ainsley spread until other arrangements are made. He wanted me to get up a posse to come after you. I told him it wouldn't be necessary. You told him wrong, boy. What do you mean? Five Mile ain't like it used to be. Used to have quite a bunch of such crowds. Don't worry about that bunch. I'll guarantee your safety. No thanks, son. I've got my own guarantee of safety right here in my holster. So if you're aiming to take me to jail, you better go back and get the posse Fowler offered. Dad, you don't realize what you're saying. Let me see that warrant you got there. Here. It's legal, Dad. It's the law. It's... what? There's your warrant, Bill. Any more questions? You're making a big mistake. I got my job to do. Then get busy and do it. You've got to go back with me. When I was in your office this morning, you made some mention about these newcomers on my payroll not working for a cop on your wages. So? So you was right. They draw a fight. They can start earning their money any time you and Vic Fowler want to come after me. I'm not going to let you make a fool out of yourself and me too. Now, are you going to change your mind? Drop that gun, Sheriff, before I drop you. What? You all think you're pretty smart laughing at the law? Well, I'll be back and you laugh out of the other side of your faces. Better get started, boy. I imagine your sheep-herder friends are waiting for you. Who's the law? Easy now. This the place, Tunnel? Let me find Ainsley Fowler right here and brush alongside trail. Ready, Silver? Let's take a look around, Tunnel. Ainsley Fowler say, him heading for town. Say him see Lou Callan. I'm tired to avoid a meeting, huh? That's right. Ainsley say him ride down here into south draw so Callan not see him. This is a perfect spot for an ambush. Meet the side of the trail. Riders in a big bunch. Quick, get the horses back out of sight. Here, Silver, come on, boy. Take the horses back in the brush, Tunnel. I'm going to hide here by the trail. See who those riders are. Young fellow in the lead wore a Sheriff's badge. That young Callan. Man riding with him in the lead was Vic Fowler. Maybe then go with Posse to get Lou Callan for killing Ainsley, huh? That's what's happening, all right. I hate to think of the killing that's going to follow when those two gangs of professional gunfighters meet. Uh, you're too bad. Young Sheriff, I'll have to go after Father. He evidently believes he can guarantee his father a safe trial. The town of Five Miles is Sheep Town. The crowd might have its own ideas about it. Hottow. Uh-huh. Then you say that Ainsley was heading for town and rode into the south draw when he saw Lou Callan? That's right. That means Ainsley was coming from the east. In order for him to have seen Lou Callan, Callan would have been riding off to the north of that ridge. That's right. Who cared, Donald? Why, why that fresh bullet hole in tree? A bullet hole, yes. Made by the same bullet that killed Ainsley. Bullet hole in east side of tree. Which means that whoever killed Ainsley was following him from the east, traveling west. Lou Callan was riding from the west, heading for the triangle. Ah, that plenty plain. The killer stopped and went into ambush when Ainsley rode down into this draw. Maybe killer and not even see Lou Callan come from other directions. But Ainsley had seen him. When he recovered consciousness after you brought him into town, he quite naturally believed Callan had shot him. Ah, what we do? Steady, Silver. We've got to get there before that posse does. Get him up, Silver! 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. Our story. At the triangle ranch, Lou Callan spoke grimly to the group of hard-faced men about him. Boys, this trouble has been coming for a long time. Well, it just so happens that I didn't bushwhack old Ainsley, but he's dead, and folks think I killed him. Yeah. I ain't sorry the old buzzard is dead, but I am sorry that my kid is the sheriff, because it means I got to fight my own flesh and blood. He wasn't foolin' when he said he'd be back with a posse. Well, we'll make it our business to be ready for him. If it takes war to clear things up, then, Pee-wee, what the blue blazes? Company coming, boss. Two riders coming from town. Really cutting the breeze. Could you recognize them? No, but they're coming like the devil himself was holding the reins. Nothing to worry over, just two riders. You just, gents, just to be ready in case of trouble. Hey, what the hell is this, man? Helen, you got to clear out of here quickly. Yeah? Just why? Who are you outlaw? I never mind who I am. Your son is heading this way with a posse. Yeah, I've been expecting him. Is that all you got to tell me? My friend and I just came from the scene of the killing. Well, what about it? If my kid wants to choose upsides against me, what's it to you? You want to fight against your boy? Don't talk silly. Of course I don't. But he ain't giving me any choice. I'll give you a choice. Come on, clear out of here quickly. Not on your life. I fight for what's right. So do I, Helen. And I can prove that you had nothing to do with the killing of Clemensley. How can you? No time for questions now. Will you ride and help us to capture the real killer or stay here and start a war with your own son? Boys, I'm going along with what this masked armed is telling me. Come on, let's get out of here. Right. Within a matter of moments, the entire crew of the triangle led by the masked rider and tanto were riding away from the triangle, heading toward the distant protecting foothills. When the posse arrived at the ranch, they found the place deserted. The young sheriff, Bill Callan, felt secretly glad that his father had escaped. And yet with heavy heart, the boy realized that Lou Callan's flight constituted an admission of guilt. Meanwhile, in five mile, the townspeople were in an empty handed. Without the prisoner, they'd gone after him. So Lou Callan flew the coop, huh? He asked me to have something mighty fishy about the whole setup. Yeah, especially after his kid went out there alone this morning. Probably went out to warn his old man, the posse would be coming after him. At least we don't have to wonder no more whether or not Callan's guilty. He was running away before the posse got there, proves that. We should have listened to Vic Fowler and made the sheriff take the posse along the first time. The sheriff didn't come back to town with the posse, did he? Nope, went riding off into the hills with Vic Fowler. Said he was going to do some looking around. Mighty fishy. At a tumbledown shack far back in the foothills of the Triangle Range, the masked writer of justice spoke to Lou Callan and the men with him. And the bullet mark which Todd and I found on that tree is positive proof that you couldn't have fired this shot which killed Angely. Now the job is to find the man who did kill him. Meanwhile, to avoid a gun battle with your son. The kid's doing what he thinks is right, I guess. I don't envy him, his job, not a speck. Well, if my hunch is right, your son will have a chance to do his job in a big way before tomorrow morning. What do you mean? I had another reason for wanting to get you and your men away from the Triangle tonight, Callan. What? Someone has been getting rich, raiding your beef herds. They knew that the sheriff couldn't stop them. When you began importing these fighting men, they figured they'd have a fight on their hands. You're blamed right, they would. You suspected Angely was behind the rustling. I still do. Well, you'll find out tonight. Huh? Callan, you made a lot of threats against Angely. I think now that he was killed for only one reason. Whoever killed him knew that the blame would fall on you because of the many threats you'd made. Yeah. They figured I'd hang for it, huh? Either that or go on the dodge to escape justice. In either case, you'd be forced to leave the Triangle wide open for the wrestlers to finish cleaning out your stock. What the blazes? If you suspected that, why in thunder did you bring us all way out here? So that the men were after with swing into action immediately. Then come on, let's get back there. Pronto and be ready for them when they come. No, not you, Callan. The sheriff's posse may still be looking for you. You might be shot on sight. You're staying here with Peewee Nelson. The rest of us will be able to handle the wrestlers if they show up. Come on, men. Come on, Tutto. Then my hunch was right. Get ready for the men. They're coming straight this way, coming after the main herd. Let them have it! In the hideaway shack where the fugitive Lou Callan and Peewee Nelson waited for word from the mask man. Doug Gunnett-Lew, there was no sense in my staying here. Someone's after the herd tonight. I ought to be with the rest of the boys. You think I don't feel the same way? But that mask man is figuring out angles I never thought of before. So I'm playing this thing his way. Yeah, just the same. I don't like sitting around here just... All right, both of you reach. You choose, Peewee. This is Vic Fowler-Turkin. I'd like nothing better than to burn you down. Well, so you found us, huh, son? I thought maybe you'd head for this shack. Now I know why the mask man wanted me to stay with you, Lou. Don't try for that gun, Peewee. I'm warning you. Always wanted to meet up with you, Fowler. Always wondered if I could... He always wondered if he was fast enough for Vic Fowler. And he always found us. You dog, Fowler. You had to drop on him right from the start. I got the drop on you, too, Mr. Callan. Now come on, Sheriff. Let's get your old man to jail. Where he belongs. I'm asking you not to give us any trouble, Dad. You know I got my job to do. I'll promise you a fair trial. Sure. Sure, I know what kind of a fair trial I can expect. From a bunch of sheepherders. Let's go. Drop the cattle from Stampeding Cattle. Hey, who's he with those ropes? I got a bullet in my arm. You're lucky it's in your arm, outlaw. Outlaw right now, chemist hubby. Good try. Take it easy. Now, mister, I suppose you know what happens to rustlers when they're caught red-handed. Now listen... Get your prisoners on their horses, men. What are you going to do with them? Oh, they're silly questions. Hurry it up. There's a bunch of cottonwood treated by the mile west of here. Wait a minute. You've got to give us a chance. You took a chance, mister, and lost. Now, all ready to go, chemist hubby. Steady, Silver. All right. Let's get it over with. Come on, Silver. The mass writer confided in Toto that he was bluffing. And if the bluff works, Toto will soon know who killed Clemington. Uh-huh. Crooks. Let he scare it. You hang him. Here we are at the Cottonwoods. Oh, Silver, hold on. Hurry it up now. Get your ropes over that lowest branch. Toto, bring those prisoners underneath the tree. One at a time. Please. Please. You've got to give us a fair chance. We was only obeying orders. Orders? What do you mean? If you want the man who was responsible for the steel and even for the killing that came out. Go ahead, mister. You can talk if you like. Or we'll go ahead with the party. Get Vic Fowler. He's the one you want. It was him who planned the whole thing. He even killed Clem Aisley to put Luke Allen on the dodge. All right, men. Take those ropes down. There won't be a hanging party tonight. Oh, where can I find Fowler? I want to know if you're telling the truth. I ain't lying. Fowler and the sheriff went in the hills after old man Callum. The sheriff figured he was hiding out the line shack back there. You men, get these prisoners of town and put them in jail until the sheriff gets there. Come on, Toto. Huh? You ready? Luke Allen was taken prisoner by Vic Fowler. He'll never reach town alive. Get him out of here. Come on, Silver. I figured you'd get away with murder just because your kid here was Sheriff. Huh, Callum? Yeah, you seem to think so. What's wrong, Sheriff Fowler? My father's a prisoner. He's going to stand trial. If he's guilty of killing Aisley... If he's guilty, that's pretty funny. Didn't old man Aisley say he'd seen him just before he got shot? Didn't your old man run away when the law went after him? Why, don't you shut up, Fowler. You'll make my stomach sick. Yeah, you're going to be more sick to your stomach, old man. Rain up there, old fool! You're not fool! Mask man, what? You're made a prisoner of the wrong man, Sheriff. Maybe, but it's got to be proved by law. You know quite a bit about law, don't you? I'm the Sheriff, and this man is accused of murder. The law says I've got to take him in, even though he's my own father. The law says you should use your head, Sheriff, regardless of who the prisoner is. Hold it, Sheriff. Fowler, you had a pretty good plan. My friend and I, along with Lou Callum's man, just broke up your big party at the Triangle. Every one of your men were taken prisoner. They're on their way to the five-mile jail right now. What kind of crazy talk is this? You're the one who demanded action from the Sheriff, one of the killer of Clemensley captured and brought to trial. Hey, just who might you be, Mr. Wildhooter? Maybe you're a partner of Lou Callum's here, huh? I'm his friend, if that's what you mean. Well, you act like you never heard of Vic Fowler before. You seem to think... I think you killed Clemensley by shooting him in the back. I think you're yellow, Fowler. What? Go on, bad man. Try it. You bad... There's your killer, Sheriff. You'll find a half a dozen men in jail willing to testify that he killed Clemensley and that he was behind all the wrestling at the Triangle. And you, Fowler, there's a present for you, a six-gun souvenir for you to remember me by. Come on, Toto. Well, of all... Here, let me see that. What do you give you, Fowler? What kind of souvenir? What's a bullet? It's a silver bullet. What, that mask, man? Yeah, I'll finish it for you. That mask man was the Lone Ranger. Come on, Fowler. What you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.