 Burst with a speed of light, a cloud of dust and a ha-hey-hay-oh-silver, the lone ranger. With his faithful Indian companion total, the daring and resourceful mask writer 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. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver, the lone ranger rides again. As Lobo Grady and Judd Kohler were captured in the Texas town of Armadillo by Marshall Pete Cooper and his posse. The cooks were locked in the cells which were in the rear of the Marshall's office. While the trophy rode away in search of others in the outlaw gang, Marshall Cooper remained with his prisoners. A short time later a man gray-haired and benign looking entered the Marshall's office. He had a disarming smile and his manner was at once timid and confidential. I don't know how to say this because... well, because... Well, go ahead, mister. What's on your mind? Will be it. Will I speak to your move? Well, there's no now, sir, mister. But if you want to get those prisoners back there from overhearing, it's all right with me. Now, what is it you want? Get your hands up. What? Give me that gun! Here it is. I'll take care of you. Hey, boy, speak, tap-tap. I'll get the keys and let you have the minute. Give me those keys, Marshal. There, that's you. The gray-haired man released Lobo Grady and Judd Kohler from their cells, then led them back into the Marshall's office. I figured out this little trick myself. It worked out fine. Now, Lobo... Sure did. Judd and I said we were calling her sure this time. Where are the boys now, tap-tap? They're leading the party on a false trail. They'll double back and meet outside town. Yeah, boys. Sure. Yours and Judd's are where the Marshal left them, in the stable at the rear of the jail. We'll get them and head south. Just a minute, then. Hey, what are you doing in the Marshall now, tap-tap? Just investigating. He's still bleeding, but it's not going to be for long. What are you taking out of his pocket? His wallet. If he has papers of identification in it, I think I'll take his badge, too. Boys, I can think of a lot of times when a Marshal's badge makes me in handy. You ready to go? Sure. I'll leave the way out. The Long Ranger and Tahoe traveling north reached the town of Armadillo early that morning. The town was not yet awake, so the mask man rode through the deserted main street with Tahoe and stopped before the Marshal's office, half an hour after the crooks had escaped. Look out. To drop in and tell Marshal Cooper we met his posse south of town looking for the rest of Lobo Grady's gang. It good him have crooks behind bars. Them bad ones. Grady and Kohler are among the worst, Tahoe. Let's go inside. Marshal Cooper? He's been shot. The cells are empty. Grady and Kohler have escaped. Tahoe, get the medical kit from my saddlebag, please. Let me get it. The Long Ranger and Tahoe treated the wounded lawman, and when the flow of blood had stopped, carried him to the doctor's office nearby. There, as he lay on a cot, Marshal Cooper regained consciousness for a few moments. Laboriously, he gasped a few words. They go shout. I heard them say that. We were south of town. They didn't leave the main trail, that's sure. How many were there? Only three. Trick me. You shot me. We know the rest. Marshal, who was the man who tricked you and helped him escape, you know? Tap, tap. They called him tap, tap. He must have been. He must have been. Tap, tap. That doesn't make sense, does it? It makes very good sense, doctor. He must be speaking of tap, tap spalling. That's a man's name, tap, tap. The nickname his given name was Edward. But why? Why the tap, tap name? Doctors because spalling was once a telegraph operator. Unfortunately, he was a crook before he became a telegrapher. The telegraph company didn't know that? No one did. Spaulding's always been able to fool people. Anyway, as an operator, he learned many things about shipments of money and valuables. When he had inside information like that, he'd pass it on to the gangs he worked with. What company? Find out. That's right. However, spaulding escaped before they could arrest him. He's been an active outlaw ever since. I've never heard of him before. Doctor, that's because he operated mostly near Dodge City. Famous Mobile Grady and Judd Kohler. They came to Texas Territory because the law was too close to them in Kansas. None of them are known here. That's why they're doubly dangerous. Marshall Cooper said they fled south, didn't he? Yes, that's what he said. I wonder if they really are heading that way. The outlaws headed southward for a short distance. Then they rode around the town and sped through the shale-covered hills to the north, where the rest of the gang waited. Mobile Grady spoke to his men. Boys, even if the Marshalls' men do figure we've doubled back, they'll never be able to pick up our trail of these hills. That's right. The ground's nothing but rocks and shale between here and Jarco City. I figured the best thing we can do is ride until we get into Indian Territory. Plenty of pickings up there for us. What about Grubb, logo? We clean out of it. I'll tell you what. We'll be in the hills near Jarco City about nightfall. When we get there, we'll send Tap-Tap into town to look things over. There's a general store there. If Tap-Tap gives the word, we'll ride in and get Grubby to buy Robin in or pay him. Well, there's something else we'll let it do first, though. What's that, Tap-Tap? They have telegraph wires strung all along the trail between here and places north. We'd better cut them down. You mean that? Sure. You don't want the Marshal to send word along the line about us, do you? No. Then we don't let him. I'll climb one of the poles and cut the wires from the north on our medulla. It'll be days, maybe, before they find where the break is. I'll do it right now. At that moment a few miles to the north, but on the main trail, a herd of 50 horses was being driven to the north. The riders were led by the two handsome sons of a Mexican horse breeder and his American wife. The youths, Juan and Miguel Fierro, were the only ones who spoke English, and this was the language they used in their conversation as they rode. Miguel, the day is hot. Soon I think we must stop and rest. But Juan, we make such poor time. At the rate we go, we never will reach this place, Colby. We're going to get there. But Juan, we make such poor time. At the rate we go, we never will reach this place called Dodge City. Well, I think you are very wrong, brother. We are very close, I think, to the schedule that father made for us. No, that may be so. Still I am the impatient one. Not knowing this country is hard to judge one. Miguel, the horses, look! These tempis across the field, they had put it... But now they stop. Don't you see why, brother? But, yes, I see, they have smelled water, and there's a stream nearby. Ah, they stopped the train. Ah, yes. Don Miguel, we do as the horses do. We stop and drink alcohol. The low ranger and talker had left Marshall Cooper in the doctor's care and also left a message for the Marshall's posse when it returned. They left the trail of the three outlaws following the hoop prints from the Marshall's stable. But they were not surprised when they saw the prints circled around to the north. They're doubling back again, Toto. We're heading north. Ah, I'm going to Hill. It'll be difficult to follow a trail there. All shale and boulders between here and Jarco City. We go after them, quimacubbies. Yes, Toto. We stay on the main road for the first few miles and head into the Hill after that to make better time that way. Come on, Toto. The lone ranger and talker galloping along the main road reached the field where Juan and Miguel Fierro and their riders were preparing to start off once more with their herd of horses. The Mexicans reached for their guns as they saw the mask man and Indian. But the lone ranger and talker raised their hands high in peaceful salute. The mask man introduced himself to the brothers and heard their story. Juan Fierro finished. Horses which my father raised in our ranch are the best in all North Megas. We know our American friends will pay great prices for them because they are wonderful horses. There's a great market for animals like those in Dodd City. I'm sure your venture will be very successful. That is nice for you to say, Senor. Still, fine as our horses are, I would trade them all gladly for that wonderful white one you ride. Is he not a beauty me well? They're the most magnificent ever I'd ever seen. The brothers and their riders after admiring Silver and Scout ask questions about the country to the north of them. The lone ranger told them all he thought might be pertinent and ended. You should reach Jerko's city about some time. I'd advise you to stay in the town overnight. With these horses, Senor, we should remain in the town? Yes. Todd and I are searching for an outlaw band. We believe they're somewhere in the hills above. I doubt that the outlaw would try to steal your horses but there's just a chance that they think they're not being followed. Oh, but such a thing would be most tragic. That's why I advise you're taking the horses into the town. You'll find a large corral behind Phil Allen's table. Phil Allen. Now, we remember that name one. But yes. A good night's rest at a hotel would be good for you and your man after so many days on the trail. Senor, we thank you very much for the advice we've given to us. But will you not honor us by riding with us for a while? I know. Thank you. How long are you going into the hills now? Perhaps we'll meet again on the trail before you reach Dodd City. But right now, we think only of getting to Jarco City. Adios, Senor. Adios, amigos. Come on. Come on. Come on. The outlaw gang have written hard and with great cunning. They reached the hills above Jarco City, shortly before sunset, and took Haven amidst a great field of giant boulders. Okay, we make much better time than I ever figured out, Jeff. You sure did. Even if the party did pick up our trail. No party ever could. I'm ashamed of it did. None of them would ever think we got a four here in one day's riding. Well, we've got to think about that group now. Yeah, I get you, little boy. You want me to get down to town and look things over, huh? Yeah. None of us have ever been in that place. Still, it's better not to take chances. Yeah. We ought to make sure that telegraph service hasn't been restored between there and Armadilla. You said nobody had farmed the curtain. That's right. It should take days, and we can't take chances. Not to be sure. Tap-tap's right. So go ahead, Tap-tap. Look things over and get back here as soon as possible. The curtain falls on the first act of our lone ranger adventure. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Night had fallen when Tap-tap's spaulding returned to the crook's hideout. His manner was excited. Hey, boys. That's like a good thing. We're going to be rich. Real rich. But we'll have to work fast. What are you talking about, Tap-tap? What about group? We're going to get some? I didn't bother to find out about food. Why? Are you fooling? No, no, I'm not. But listen, we're all here. Yeah, what is it, Tap-tap? What brings the biggest money returns in Indian territory? Red-eye. How you're armed. That brings chicken feet compared to what you get for a good horse. Horses sell as high as $500 a piece there. Can you come back and tell us that? Horses. There's about 40 or 50 horses down there in Jocko's city in the corral behind a place called Alan's Stables. We'll take those horses tonight and be on our way north before anybody knows what happened. Oh, local. Horse stealing is the worst thing you can do in this country. We'd never get away with stealing horses. That's that money. That's just it. That money will be easy to get. But we're just as calm and meagol-like as if they belong there. Where as if they belong to you, low boy? You, Judd. What are you trying to get at? Tap-tap told of trying to send a wire to Armadillo and being advised that service was not in order. That means no one's found a cut in the wire. Just like he said, it also means no one knows about Lobo and Judd shooting a marshal and escaping. What has that got to do with horses? I'm coming to that, Judd. Listen. Tap-tap told of seeing the horses and learning of their ownership. He concluded. And only two kids speak English. The rest are Mexis. And for all anyone knows, they could be Horsties. And that's what we're going to make them for. We're going to make them Horsties? Yep. Remember, Lobo? I took Marshal Cooper's badge and papers. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I told you it might be in handy. It will. Hey, you boys have never been in Jacuzzi, have you? Ah, you know we haven't. We've never been in these parks before. That's what makes it perfect. We keep cool. And we'll be driving those horses toward Indian Territory tonight. But you still haven't told us how. Yeah, here it is. Who sends telegraph messages, include? Tap-tap. Who can climb a telegraph pole? And by cutting in on the wire, send a message. Tap-tap again. I'll send a message over the wire from that pole down near the road. Pop Henry, elderly telegraph operator at the Jacuzzi Railroad Station, had jumped when the instrument began to tap out a message from Armadillo. The wire's working again. Come something true from Armadillo. By the time the message was completed, he was bug-eyed and hardly able to restrain himself. He was bug-eyed and hardly able to restrain himself. Pop Henry ran through the main street of Jacuzzi, waving the telegram plank at the men who lounged in front of stores and cafes. Horses and pirates! Those makesies! By the time Pop Henry arrived with a message at Sheriff Maxwell's office, half the men in town were standing in the open doorway behind him. As Sheriff Maxwell read the message, Pop Henry turned to the crowd. Boys, those makesies stole that herd of horses they brought into Allen's corral this afternoon. That message came from Marshal Cooper and Armadillo, telling us to hold him. He sent in another Marshal named a Fleming here with the real owners of the horses. Isn't that right, Sheriff? That's what it says here, all right? It appears like they took the horses, drove them out of Armadillo after murdering a couple of hands. And they cut down the telegraph wire so we wouldn't know what happened when they came through here with the horses. Can you imagine them horse thieves having them there to put up the horses for the night? Marshal Cooper describes the brand on the horses. The owner will be here with that Marshal Fleming who's coming with his passing. Well, why don't we do him standing here? There's only one thing to do with horse thieves. Yeah, especially maxi horse thieves. Bring him up. Yeah. Yes, bring him up. He'll light up charges so we can see. We'll have any necktie parties while I'm here. Now stop it. Come back here. I'm the horse. As the crowd headed for the corral behind the stable where the Mexican riders guarded their horses, two horsemen came down from the hills in the darkness to the edge of the town's main street. A lone ranger and tattle had made a vain search through the hills for Lobo Grady's gang and were planning a new course of action. Tattle, glad to share with Maxwell's office. We've helped him at times in the past, perhaps he... Tattle, that crowd's straight ahead. Look, they're carrying torches. There's something wrong there. Come on, Tattle. We get closer to the little she was taking place. They'll never notice us, judging by the way they're milling around. All right, let's go to her. The crowd unheeding, and Sheriff Maxwell tried to keep the men back and become a seating almost hysterical mass. They had fun lynching the Mexicans, whom they dragged from the corrals. To the horse. Oh, no, my dear horse. Listen to him. Can't even talk so you can understand. There's two more staying in the hotel. Get them, they're the leaders. You stay right here. We'll have justice. Out of the way, Sheriff. Hey, here come the other two horse thieves now. While the McWale Fiero, dressing hastily, had run into the street to learn the reason for the riotous outburst in front of the hotel. Before they knew what was wrong, the crowd grabbed them and roughly dragged them to where their Mexican friends stood in terror. Hey, horses, steal horses and murder good men? Well, yes, sir. What are you doing? We are not horses. These horses belong to us. We took them from our home. You hear that? They took them. They stole them. You old man, stand back. Get them! Some trouble riding fast, pushing their horses into the crowd, shooting over the heads of those who held the lynching ropes. Get away from those men. We'll shoot to kill if you make another move. Do not shoot. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, we mean it. Now, does anyone else want a bullet? Oh, no, no, no, no. Sheriff Maxwell, you know me. Yes, I know you. Man, this man is not an outlaw. He's a man who believes in justice. And there's no justice here if you try to hang these boys and the men who are with them. You call them horse thieves. Why? We're not horse thieves. I try to tell them not. You are, too. Marshal Cooper, I don't know. Who are you, mister? That's Bob Henry, the station master and telegraph operator. The shooting by the Lone Ranger and Toto had quieted the mob, who remained sullen as the masked man and Indian kept their guns leveled. Now, Sheriff Maxwell had his gun ready, and he made his way toward the Lone Ranger looked down on the crowd from his horse. Now, these men, they were about to hang our horse thieves. Still, I can't allow Lincoln to run. I tell you, they're not horse thieves, Sheriff. Now, this man said something about Marshal Cooper. Now, what was it? Well, it's telegraph message. Now read it clear so you know what it says. Sheriff Maxwell read the wire purportedly sent by Marshal Cooper of Armadillo. When he finished, the Lone Ranger addressed the crowd and the sheriff at the same time. Marshal Cooper couldn't have sent that message, unless a miracle happened since this morning. He was near death then. What happened? Yes, it's true. He was shot by outlaws who escaped after he'd captured them. Lobo Grady and Judd Kohler, you've heard of them? You mean Marshal Cooper had them under arrest? I didn't know they were in Texas. But they are. And they're somewhere near here now. But the man who shot the Marshal was tap, tap, spaulding. He's another one who... Tap, tap, spaulding, you say? That hungry, skunk of a rattlesnake is the one. Oh, wait, wait. Let me see that message. What time did you receive it? Just a little while ago. The wires were out all day. And that may explain a lot. The old ranger read the message once more, then made a speech to the crowd and topped it by a suggestion. If you have a sense of justice, you want the facts. Do you agree that the message could have been sent in the way I suggest? I didn't know a man could cut in on a wire and send a message. Harper, is there a fact? It sure is. Let's come tap, tap, spaulding the kind who'd do it. Then let's do what the masked man said. As for you Mexican fellas, maybe we're going to have to apologize to you. And believe me, if we're wrong, we're going to do it. Amen? There were a few men on the main street when the horsemen led by Lobo Grady, Judd Kohler and Tap, Tap, Spaulding stopped in front of the sheriff's office a short time later. Tap, tap, wearing Marshall Cooper's badge. Let the way inside. Well, Chef, I see you had the message from Marshall Cooper's hands. I'm Marshall Fleming. Oh, yeah? We didn't expect you here so soon. We've been riding hard all day coming this way. We figured the horse thieves would have had to hear it. I just saw the horses in the crowd behind the table of the street. They're my horses sure. Well, this here's Mr. Gardner who owns the ranch where those horses were stolen from. I have a ranch man with me, Chef. Ready to ride the horses waiting town right away. My foreman. I'm the foreman. I'll get the boys out of the crowd now, if you say the word. Well, I'm not so sure the horses belong to you. This message I have here is in Moscow. It says the brand on the horses is circle bar. That's the choice. Let me see that message. Where do you see that? This message says you. Go on, Tap, Tap. What does it say? What does it say? Man, man. He knows you, Tap, Tap. And you do, Lobo. That's a trick. Oh, I'm shot. Hey, we walked into a trap. He said, look. There's a monkey behind that boy's little boy. They're making that boy's put up their hands. You'll get yours up too, Tap, Tap. You walked into the trap. You tried to lay for someone else, didn't you? Give me that latch, you're wearing. That probably belonged to Marshall Cooper. It did. You and your smart ideas, Tap, Tap. We were going to get a wrist. You're going to go to jail. We're lucky you're not getting a rope because people are almost placed around the necks of innocent persons. Well, Juan, this crowd promised you an apology. Come here and make them give it to you. Stop it, no. The mistake has been made, and we do not want to tell you how ashamed we are. Don't be mad. Yes. We picked on you right off because, well, because you weren't one of us. We're never trying to take the law in our hands again. And believe me, we'll never be prejudiced again. Hey, what's the idea of the speeches? I'm shocked. Those are my partners, Judge. We need a doctor. You'll get a doctor after he finishes with a few friends who got the same treatment from the Mashman. He saved them from murder. And he saved you coyotes with the rope in the prison cells. And now after he does all these things, suddenly he is gone. Seniors, who is that Mashman? He's a friend of everyone who's in the right, regardless of who they are or where they come from. He's, well, gone. He's the Lone Ranger. This is a feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated, created by George W. Trendle, produced by Trendle Campbell Muir Incorporated, directed by Charles D. Livingston, and edited by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beemer.