 The Lone Ranger! Full Indian companion Toto, the daring and resourceful mask rider of the plains, 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. A mile of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again! An Indian scout lay flat on the ground, peering over the crest of a small hill. For some time he remained motionless while distant specks came nearer. He saw four wagons, each drawn by six Missouri mules. And he saw that these were army wagons, but the men who drove the mules wore uniforms. With this information, the scout hurried to a nearby gully, leaped to the back of his horse, and raced away with the news. An hour later, the army wagons came up the hill. A horde of savages were waiting where the single Indian had been. And a signal, they leaped to the attack. I'm out of my way, I gotta see the coming down right away. Hold on, Hawkins. Never mind all your dog going for malice, say that for the regular soldier. You can't come inside the fort without the counter sign and you know it. You hunters and scouts are all alive. How could you, crazy dunderhead, go out how many times are you gonna be told not to ride a horse to my house? Sergeant Griswold, this horse is laughing because I gotta see the captain right away. Tell the scout to stand aside, he's on my way. They won't give the counter sign. What of it? You know it's one of our scouts? Let him in. Sergeant, Captain Hawkins. Never mind Captain Hawkins. Here, guard, hang on to my horse while I see the captain. But do what Hawkins says and shut up. Sergeant Griswold, if Captain Robert sees me a-holding a horse... If he does, maybe you'll get disgusted and go back to West Point with all these notions about army discipline. Come on, Hawkins. There's gonna be some court marshals around here. Sure, sure. Ever since Captain Robert's took charge, we hats a dog on much discipline, we ain't got time to run the fort. Clean up, paint up, dress up. It's getting so no matter what you see, you gotta do something about it. There's something in front of you. Pick it up. If it can't be picked up, paint it, but move, salute it. Them critters that make the rule should be here in the Indian country. They'd blame soon-chainslaves. The captain's over here in that place if except for an office. Now be sure you call him sir and salute a plenty. Maybe I better bow from the hips at the same time. What do you see? More Indian work. Four wagons burned, the guards and drivers dead. Boy wonder has been waiting for them wagons. They had a new issue of rifles and ammunition. Whatever they had, the Indians have got it now. Yep, old jumping bears drive. Them buzzard face sneaked, thieving, murdering, catamounts. Now, Roberts have better do something more and talk. Who goes there? Well, for the love of... Don't tell me there's a garden in front of the captain's quarters. Oh, I got orders, Sarge. Who goes there? Friend or foe? I blessed you for a jughead. Didn't you win a week's pay for me in the poker game last night? Sarge, please, I... If I weren't a friend, I'd have shot you for that. Stand aside. Hawkins has to see the captain. Sarge and Gisle, I got... Hey, Captain Roberts. Captain Gisle, you've got to learn to conform to regulations. Yes, sir, Captain Roberts. Sir, but Mr. Hawkins has just brought in a report, sir. I've seen four army wagons wiped out by jumping bears' drive. What? Well, maybe, sir, you ought to write a note to jumping bear and say that he's hurt and disappointed you. Maybe them rules you got in Westport will tell you just what kind of a note to write. Sergeant Gisle. On the other hand, maybe you ought to just shut your eyes for a couple hours and let me and the boys ride out and knock the living daylights out of them cantankerous murdering skunks. Lieutenant, sir, please step outside and close the door. Sergeant Gisle, you've been out here fighting Indians for a long time. I know that you resent the fact that I've been made the officer in charge of the... I resent seeing our army rid over roughshod by a pack of sleet and redskins. I came here with orders to make peace with the Indians. I also had orders to install military discipline in this fort. I can overlook insubordination in men like Hawkins, who are hired as hunters and scouts because they're not members of the army. But you can't overlook nothing in an old war horse like me. Is that it, Roberts? Listen, let me tell you something. Twenty years ago, when I was your age, I had the same idea as you got. But in a country like this, there's things more important than spit and polish. Now, I reckon I'd better head for the guard house. No, Sergeant, I need you. Huh? I need you and your knowledge of this country more than any other man. I wish you'd try to conform a little bit. I don't ask you to respect me. I ask you to respect the commission I hold. Captain Roberts, it's the nearest I ever heard you come to talking like a human being. Hey, look, I near kill the horse to get here fast. Jumping bears outfit is camped nearby. Maybe they'll attack. They got all them new rifles. It was headed for us. Where they camped? I'll lead a detachment there. Sir? You may lead me. Now you're talking. How many are you going to take with you, sir? I propose to take two men. What? I'm going to confer with Jumping Bear. Confer? As people have had hard times, they've little or no food they've been starving. Perhaps it's hunger that drove them to take desperate measures. Hunger in my eye. It's just plain cussing. Sir? We'll see. Lieutenant. Yes, sir? Horses are to be saddled for Scott Hawkins, Sergeant Griswold, and me. We're going to ride under a flag of truce to meet Chief Jumping Bear. Miles away from the army post, a masked man rode into a small camp where the Indian Tonto had been waiting. Oh, sir. I propose. Right. Plenty fast, Kimosabe. You need a big fella? Yeah. We have a lot of riding ahead of us, Tonto. Oh, you see Padre? Yes, I saw him. Look at this. Letter? Letter that he received from an old friend. Man he knew in the East. Here, let me read you a part of it. Ah. My son, Captain Roberts, of whom I've been so proud has been transferred to Fort Vincent. I have apprehensions about his success in new assignment. You may find that the things he learned in the East cannot be applied to the situation on the frontier. It'll be everlastingly great for you, Padre. If you'll advise me if you hear any reports about the Captain. You know, Captain Roberts? No, Tonto. But I promise to Padre that we'd ride to Fort Vincent to see if we can learn anything. Ah. We know where Fort is and that bad country. It is? Chief Jumping Bear near Fort. Him plenty bad Indian. Him hate all soldier. Maybe make trouble for young fella. We'll see. A few days after the young Captain had met and conferred with Chief Jumping Bear, Sergeant Griswold came into the office at the port. They sent me to tell you there's a half a dozen redskins in a wagon load of stuff outside. They were admitted to the fort on the pass you gave them. Good. Is Jumping Bear here? Yeah. He's kept his word. See Sergeant Griswold? We've made friends with the Indians. Isn't that better than fighting them? I'd soon await a while before I'll make up my mind. I'll go and see the Chief. Care to come with me? Yeah. They still say that you ain't made friends with him, Kitty. You can't make friends by bribing them. I contend, as I have all along, that we can prevent fights by removing the cause. Look at this smirk on Jumping Bear's face. Oh, Captain. Jumping Bear, hello. I'm happy to see that you've kept your part of the pack. Ah, dear wagon. You brought all the firearms from your tribe? Ah, me tell men, take off cover. You see, una totico. You take rifle. You fill wagon with wood. That was the agreement. Hey. Look at the rifles he's brought. Old flint locks and muzzle loaders. Let me see those things. If this ain't a worthless pile of junk, I bet there ain't a rifle in the whole load that can be fired. Aren't the new rifles there? Don't see them. Hey, this is junk. The Indians picked up on the planes. Jumping Bear, I told you that there were a lot of new rifles stolen from our wagons. Me not say Indians steal rifles. We know they were stolen by Indians. Maybe other Indians. Not by jumping Bear Indians. No, you better think fast, Captain. Me bring all guns from Indians. How can you prove he's held out the good rifles? You say me bring guns. You give food. Jumping Bear, I'm sure you have more rifles than ammunition. You come look in Indian village. Break a good that'll do. I'll have the rifles hidden. Maybe word of soldier not good. Maybe peace treaty not good. You not give Indian plenty food. I'll give you food. Unload your wagons. Sooner or later. Hey, Captain, Jumping Bear is back again. For what? More grub. He says his tribe's used up will be given two days ago. That's one that he Redskins sent for more grub. Third time in a week. Can't possibly use all the food we're giving him. He says his people are hungry. And he says you gave your way to feed him in exchange for all the firearms he had. And ungrateful sneak. Robert, it looks to me like he's outsmarted, Jim. At this rate, we'll run out of supplies. Maybe that's what Jumping Bear's aiming at. And the wagon field. Perhaps this will be the last demand for a little while. It was a few days later when the Lone Ranger and Tauno reached the vicinity of the Fort and made camp. They were at their evening meal when Silver showed signs of rustlessness. Hey, old boy, how's the trouble? Maybe him hear someone. Close by. What? Take it easy, mister. We don't look for trouble. Sergeant, huh? This was your name. I reckon there's no use asking your name. You wouldn't be mad if you didn't want to keep it secret. Outlaws, huh? No, not outlaws. It doesn't matter to us. We don't want reward money. We want meat. You're from Fort Vinson? Yeah. You have a new officer in command, haven't you? Yeah. Captain Roberts. If ever a man made a bad deal, he made it with Jumping Bear. How's that? Let me tell you. Have they come back every couple of days for more grub? We're all on short rations, just so we can keep them critics from starting trouble. And the worst of it is, we know they got all them spanking new rifles. And ammunition. And ammunition. It's all hidden somewhere. And as soon as we run out of grub, Jumping Bear will say we broke the pack. And he'll attack us with rifles that are twice as good as anything we got. Why not find out where he hides the rifles and take them away from him? If we could only do that by thunder, he would be so all fired sure himself. How did a wife bring off his ugly face? But how can it be done? That's a question. How can it be done? A 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. After Sergeant Griswold and the hunter had left the Lone Ranger in Tonto, the masked man sat for some time gazing at the campfire while he thought over what he'd learned. Presently, he turned to Tonto. I wonder if we can help the captain. I'll mean no about jumping bare. Him plenty smart. I'm afraid he's managed to outsmart Captain Roberts. Ah. And if he gets away with it, career of that young soldier may be ruined. That's right. It mustn't happen. This country needs men with a training that Roberts has had. Ah. And what do we do? That's a question of been asking myself, Kimusabe. In some way, the tables must be turned. You think it better soldier make attack on jumping bare? That would be the worst thing that could happen. First place, it would prove to all the soldiers that the old sergeant had the right idea. The young captain was wrong. Ah, that's right. Second place, if jumping bare has the army rifles, it might defeat the troopers. You've got ID? I've thought of a plan, Tonto. I don't know what it would work or not. We try it? I think it's worth trying. There's just one trouble. What that? Dangerous. It fails. It might cost our lives. Oh. Possibly the lives of a couple of other men. Who them? Sergeant Griswold in that scout named Hawkins. Tonto, I'm going to find Griswold and see if he'll help us. Or him go to Snake Valley and look for games. Yes, I know. Ready, Silver? Wait here, Tonto. I'll be back when I've talked to the sergeant. Me, wait. I wonder if he's big enough to risk his life to help his captain. I said he'd be big for life. Come on, Silver! That night, the council fire and jumping bare's camp before the police chief, the braves feasted and danced. Then, when the chanting was out of peak, an Indian cropped up to jumping bare. You great chief. Who you? Me, Tonto. You not member of tribe? No. What matter? You sick? No. Me, hungry. Where are your people? Many moon travel in here. You give Tonto food? The great chief. Me, great leader. Plenty food for people of jumping bare. Plenty food come from army. Great chief. Share food, Tonto. Plenty food on all sides. You find, you eat. On all sides, Tonto saw examples of extravagant waste. The Indians had eaten only the choices of the food that had been supplied by the army. The rest had been thrown out for the gorge dogs. He ate of the discarded food, then begged jumping bare, let him remain where there was such an abundance. Three days went by, during which the Lone Ranger's companion kept a close watch on all sides. Then, on the third night, Tonto crept in the village and joined the mask man. Although, have you had time enough to learn about jumping bare? Him take plenty food from soldier and throw it away. He's throwing food away? That's right. Him see how far army go. See, what does he plan to do when the army stops giving him food? Then, jump and bare say, army break treaty. Then, he make attack on army. Then, he does have the new rifles. That's right. That proves that his people massacred the soldiers and supply wagons. You know where the rifles are hidden, Tonto? No, we not know that. That's what we've got to find out. We've got to get those rifles away from the Indians. Ah. You know when the Indians will send another wagon to the fort? Then go there tomorrow morning. All right, Kimosabe. We'll make our move tomorrow. How you get back to the Indian village, I've got to signal Sergeant Griswold. Harkins, look over there. You see that fire? Yeah. That's a signal the mass man told us to watch for. Then we've got to go meet him right away. Do you think we can get out of the fort? Yeah. Leave that to me. Sergeant, jumping bear is sending a wagon for more food tomorrow morning. All right, that daughter-hitted troublemaker. We're not shortrises as it is. As long as jumping bear has those new rifles, he's in a strong position. If we could just get them rifles, jumping bear decides to make war, he'll bring them out. Then we've got to see that he doesn't have a chance to use them. What's the plan? You've got to persuade Captain Roberts to act. You've got to risk court-martial. You'll be risking more than that. Just give me the orders. Half a dozen Indians brought a heavy wagon into the fort early the next morning. They also brought demands from jumping bear. War food, eh? All right, I'll take charge of this. You put his weight right here. I'll take the wagon and get her filled up. Get up there. In the back of the storehouse, Brisbane gave orders that made a couple of privates gasp and surprise. I'll fill that wagon with rocks. Throw them stones in here. Do what you're told. Here's a good one to start with. Fill her up and throw them hides over the rocks. We'll give them red skin, something to cut the wisdom teeth on. Over there, over there, over there. There you are. The wagon's loaded. Get aboard and clear out there. Now, all that trouble's left. Walk over to the office with me. I got to see Captain Roberts. He's going to go right through the roof. He's going to sit right at this desk and listen to me. He's got to... We'll be lucky if he don't stand us before a firing squad. You wait out here. Oh, who goes there? Oh, God, I... Oh, you, huh? Sergeant Griswold. Glad you're alone, Captain. Jump and Bear has sent another wagon for food. Yes, I saw it come through the gate. Well, they didn't depreciate our ladder none. Not this time. I took the wagon back to the storehouse and filled it with rocks. You what? Ah, look here, Captain. I gave orders to keep those Indians supplied with food. But you didn't give orders that they was to have food to throw away. Now listen here, Captain. Griswold, you've gone too far. I was willing to overlook certain laxities because of your years of service. But this insubordination... Captain Roberts, you better listen to what I got to say. Jump and Bear's got a whole shipment of the slickest, fastest shooting rifles the Army's ever bought. He's just waiting for an excuse to bring them out of Hayden and pace to live in daylights out of it. I know that. That's why I've been meeting his demands. I've been giving him everything he asked for, to buy time. What in places good has it done us? I've written Washington for more rifles than ammunition. I hope to stall until they arrived. Now you've given Jumping Bear the excuse he wants to start war. He'll say we broke the agreement. What did you plan to do when you got rifles and ammunition? And we could meet Jumping Bear's tribe. And shoot it out just like I said we should have done in the first place. Well, I... Now listen, Captain Roberts. I admit you got the right to court, Marshal Lee. But just let me talk for five minutes. Let me tell you about a man who's risking his life for us. When the Indians uncovered the wagon load of rocks, Chief Jumping Bear was secretly pleased but he lifted his voice in simulated anger. Soldiers break trees. Soldiers not give Indian food. It's sign of war. Indian must fight. Build great council fire. Bring out war drums. Tondo was still in the Indian village. He kept a close watch on Jumping Bear as the war dance began. The lone rangers standing next to Silver on a nearby hill watched Tondo through binoculars. He waited patiently as the war dance continued. Then he saw Tondo raise one hand high overhead. The signal. That's what we've been waiting for, Silver. One Silver. As the lone ranger dashed down the hill, Tondo hurried to the end of the Indian village. He leaped to the back of his paint horse and waited for the mask man to join him. Who's Silver? Who? Jumping Bear sent three men for army rifles. Did you find out where those rifles are hidden? No, but we follow Indian and wagon. Wagon over there. Good. As the lone ranger and Tondo rode, they saw the Indians in their wagon draw up in front of a cave. Then they knew where the rifles were hidden. Their job was to keep those rifles out of the hands of Jumping Bear's warrior. That takes care of the third one. Look at those rifles. Six cases of them and a lot of ammunition. Look over there. All tribes see us come here. Coming this way. They've got to make a stand in the cave that the horses move from that wagon top. Working with frenzied speed, Tondo slashed the range to free the horses from the Indian wagon while the lone ranger took Scout and Silver into the cave. Indian can he close? Pull the wagon back a little bit. We'll block the cave with it. That's it. I'll tip it on the side. That's it. Over with it. The lone ranger and Tondo got into the cave an instant before the Indians came close enough to shoot their sharp pointed war arrows. Hundreds of them hit the upturned wagon. This can't last long, Tondo. We open fire with guns. Oh, we can't possibly get all those Indians. They've got to use what time we have to destroy these rifles. Indian rush cave plenty soon. Yes, I know it. Get these cases open. Use a stone and knock the lid off. Shame to spoil good rifles. I hoped it wouldn't be necessary, but it is. The Army can't have these weapons. We've got to be sure the Indians don't use them. Has the first case opened? Hey, quick. Kimosabe, what you do? Our rifle bullets will ruin these guns beyond repair. That's the quickest way to smash them. The Indians will just hold their attack for a little while. Wait, Kimosabe. It quiet outside cave. Maybe the shots made the Indians draw back. I'll take a look. Tondo, look out there. Captain Roberts' brothers' men. The soldiers are here. The Indians have thrown down their bows. There wasn't no fight at all. What? They would have been a different story if those critters had had them rifles. It looks as if your captain is giving the chief a stiff talking to. He's a lad that can do it. Here he comes. Sergeant, is this the masked man you told me about? It sure is. Sir, the Army's indebted to you. Jumping bear seems quite repentant, Captain Roberts. He's a different Indian now that he knows he can't depend on firearms. You take what food we deem sufficient and he'll behave himself to get it. How about them redskins that we'd laid to supply to them? They'll be punished. I'm happy to say that I can make a report that will show the Indian situation to be well in hand. Your father will be glad to hear that. My father? My father, how do you know him? Sergeant, I wonder who that masked man is? I just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.