 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a clot of dust, and a hearty hyo silver, the lone ranger. With his faithful Indian companion, Toto, 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, from the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver, the lone ranger rides again. The time was 1865. A great nation was just beginning to recover from four disastrous years of civil war. Thoughts, dreams and hopes turned to America's last frontier, that vast expanse of land between Kansas and the sea. Thousands of settlers and immigrants joined the steady increasing march to the west. Some traveled by saddle horse or muleback, but most of them were part of large wagon trains drawn by yolks of sturdy oxen. A never ending cavalcade of pioneers streaming westward, ever westward along the Oregon Trail. They came from everywhere. St. Louis, Omaha, St. Joe, all part of a dusty pageant moving slowly along a trail marked by tall wooden poles. As though they were sentinels, the poles stood rigidly at attention, bearing a thin strand of iron wire. It was the first transcontinental telegraph line. Pa! Pa! What do you want, son? I've been counting them poles. I'm sure an awful lot of them. 25 every mile. What's the wire for, Pa? A telegraph. What's telegraph? Yeah, I don't know. I can rather answer that question, son. Well, it's got electricity in it. It talks. Books call it Cretan's Lightning Line. Why? Well, because a fellow named Ed Cretan has strung it up. How does it talk? Don't ask so many food questions. You want to know any more about that telegraph contraption? It has print made it. He works for the company. How can I ask print anything when he spends all his time riding a saddle horse alongside Sheila? Son, if I was a smart young fellow like print made it, I know a girl as pretty as your sister Sheila. That the ride will do. When will we get to Fort Laramie? I'll have to make it tomorrow at some time. Can't be over 25 miles from here. That's, uh, chimney rock right up ahead. Gee. Tim? Oh, Tim. There you go. It's calling you. Oh, I was going to ride my pony up to the head of the train and ask print about the telegraph. You go back and help your ma. Printing Sheila don't want no kid like you hanging around. Jump. Up to you. Jump. Up to you. How do you like the view from here, Sheila? See, that's chimney rock over there. And the river just beyond it. The big cloud of dust is our wagon trail. Oh, print, it's wonderful. Somehow I never thought it would be like this. Miles and miles of rolling hills. Long rivers. Yes. And it won't be any time at all that Western Union has lines all over this country. I may be even up into Oregon. You're proud of your job, aren't you? Oh, sure. I'm not important. Just an operator with a repair crew. But I'm part of something that's making the West a better place to live in. Isn't the work dangerous? Ever since we left Omaha, whenever you leave our wagon train to inspect the telegraph lines, I worry about you. Do you really? I mean, worry about me? Of course I do. Well, I mean, there are wild Indians. The Scouts reported sighting three or four of them only yesterday afternoon. Three or four Indians won't cause any trouble. And even if they did, your pa's the boss of the wagon train. There's a lot of men with him who are good shots. Well, that doesn't stop me from worrying. Sheila? Yes, friend? A few minutes ago, you said something about how someday people would settle all over the wilderness. Have farms and homes. Yes. The Western Union is sending me out to Bitter Creek Station. It's the other side of Fort Laramie. Of course, a telegraph operator doesn't make much money. But I could save it. I could homestead some land. And I could, I mean, we... Shucks, I guess I'm kind of mixed up. No, you aren't, friend. The answer is yes. Gee, Sheila, I can't... Friend, what's that? Indians. Look, coming over the ridge, hundreds of them. And the wagon train is... Oh, friend. Sue Indians. They're on the warpath. We've got to ride back to the wagon shield and ride fast. Get up, boy! Come on! Indians, hurry up, circle them. It's the teams. Who should break the best works? Break out every gun you got. Look at them. They're murdering red skins. They're going to circle us. Then close in. Some of them are packing rifles. Keep down! Down, I see it. Take every shot count. Oh, Mel, I... Put your head down, boy. Twist him. Back of Clice Johnson's wagon. He's safe enough, I guess. Oh, Mel, Sheila. She and Print Main are drawn on ahead of the train. Everything to do is better safe. Don't come back into this. Oh, but Mel... Mel, if Sheila should... No, steady, boy. You've got to keep playing. Just keep going away. Bone ranger, Tonto and Dan Reed, riding north toward the Big Horn country, rained up their horses on a hillside trail. Hey, golly, there's a telegraph line. I've heard about it, but that's the first one I've seen. Yes, Dan. Tonto and I were up here several years ago when Mr. Creighton was surveying the route. How does telegraph work? Well, the wire carries electrical impulses from a key at the point of origin to a sounder where they're received. Impulses? It's a code. Combinations of dots and dashes for every letter in the alphabet. Oh, golly. Elegraphy is something I want you to learn, Dan. It's going to play a big part in building the west. Gee, I'd like to learn it, but I think it'll take a little... Timo Zubby. What's the matter, Tonto? This is the gunfire. This is Lando O'Gallagall of Sue, Tandy Warriors. Yes, I... Come on, Silver. Get up and come. Oh, steady there. Oh, look, look. They've got the wagon train surrounded. Come on. Come on, Tim. They'll be... Oh, Prince, we've got to do something. We can't do anything down there, Sheila, except get killed. There must be 200 redskins in that bunch. Oh, I... Three of them have set it up. They're coming this way. Look. Stay behind me, Sheila. They get within gun range. Look, the man on the white horse. He's not an Indian, and he's wearing a mask. There must be one of those renegade whites, and they're worse than Indians. I'm gonna... Wait! Hold your fire! Whoa! Hold your fire! Hold your fire! Hold your fire! Three of you against one gun. You'll kill us, but I'm going to make my first shot count. Oh, see your gun. We don't want to kill anybody, at least of all you. Well, you're masked. You're riding with the redskins. Wait, tell me. Are you and the girl part of that wagon train down there? We just rode up ahead a few minutes ago. The War Party of Sue. Sure. The five of us don't stand a chance against them. We need help. Lots of it. Everybody in the train will be murdered. There's only some way to... Wait. What's that strap to your saddlebag? A portable telegraph key. It'll work for Western Union. Can't you use it to carry them on the line and call the Fort Laramie? There are soldiers garrisoned there. Sure, I could. But look. The line's down there near the wagon. We'll have to take that chance. There's no time to waste. Come on, Sylvia. Get out! Get out! Oh, Sylvia! Come on, you'll have to work fast before some of those outriders spot us. Now, there's a pole. Can you climb it? I think so. Help him, Dan. I'm glad you prayed that a Sioux warrior doesn't look over this way. Hurry, boy. Here. You grab one end of this piece of wire. Push it into the ground as far as you can. I'll reel out the rest of it and send you up the pole. All right. Here I go. He must have a Siouxius, my warrior, right this way. I was afraid of that. Move over there next to Dan at the bottom of the pole. Wait. I'll come down. So, stay there. Have you tapped the wire? Yes. The line's alive. Then stay there and send the message. I'll keep circling you and try to hold off these Sioux. Come on, Sylvia. Get them up. I've got to get this through. I've got to. That's it. Just a little more. That's it. Oh, oh, Sylvia. Oh, oh, oh. I guess they didn't like that. They've turned away. Sioux, not like even tight. Run away plenty fast. Oh, you did drive them off. Shealy, all right, honey? Not a scratch. Did your message go through? Oh, I'm sure it did. Now, if there are any troops at Fort Laramie... I've been here before long. You did a good job sending that message with arrows and bullets flying all around you. I did. I know it was all you and that Indian and the boy who helped me. But most of the Sioux are still around the wagon train. You're right across the ridge and find out. I'm out of all of you. Yeah. Come on, Sylvia. Get them up. The Indians, they're gone. Look, there's smoke. Maybe some of the wagons burned. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. I telegraphed the Fort Laramie for soldiers. I think, what happened here? I don't know exactly. We put up a fight. Had us outnumbered, but all at once, they quit shooting and ran away. Were any of your men killed, Mr. Bryant? Six or eight. I say, who are you anyway? Those murdering redskins. Maybe it wasn't all the engines' fault, Trent. Not all the... What do you mean? There was too many of them to be just a winter in the war party. I think somebody in this train tipped them off. I can't believe that a white man would... Who do you think it was? A white man who was missing. Six or seven were dead. Do you know the names of the old skinner named Terrell? And another on-plane named Lynch. Hey, Terrell. Yeah? I guess we can mosey back to the wagons now. Shooting's over. Keep back of this line of brush till we get close enough to sneak in. I was supposing somebody spots. What did they do? It was an engine ride and we took cover, that's all. Chief Black-Kettle and his brave sure high-tail it. His pilgrim did a lot more shooting than we figured. I'm told Black-Kettle will get another chance to the other side of Laramie. Look, soldiers. Cavalry from the fort. Now, how did they find you? I know how it happened. Printman or the brass pounder for Western Union must have sneaked off and sent a message. Telegraph, eh? Lynch, the next time you and me and Black-Kettle plan a little party, we'd better see that the telegraph contraption ain't working. Yeah, we'll... Hey, let's not go up there now. Why not? Everybody's talking to the soldiers. They won't notice us. It ain't that. See the tall ombre and a white horse over near Brian's wagon? Yeah, I... Well, he's wearing a mask. Ever saw an owl hoot traipse around in daylight in front of soldiers and wearing a mask? I could just know I'll hoot. At least I don't think he is. You know him? Well, he knows me. That's worse. Oh, there's an engine with him. Look, they're riding off. Yeah. But if those two farmers are gonna hang around this wagon train, we'll have to use a different plan. Why? They're poison. Plain poison. 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. Proceeding with the wagon train to Fort Laramie, the Lone Ranger asked Print and Mater to teach Dan telegraphy. In the days that followed, while equipment was being repaired at the fort, a close friendship developed between Dan and Print. Golly, Print. Must take a long time to learn all those telegraph dots and dashes. To do it quickly, I mean, like you do. Oh, not so long, Dan. I'll own you my practice key. Gosh, thanks. Oh, I'm gonna be moving on to Bitter Creek Station tomorrow. But I'll introduce you to the operator here at the fort. He'll help you, too. All right. His name's Jess Abbott. Oh, he's in the telegraph room now. Come on. Hi, Jess. Hello, Print. I thought the company was sending you over to Bitter Creek. I won't leave till tomorrow. I want you to meet a friend of mine, Dan Reed. Jess Abbott. Hello, Dan. Howdy, Mr. Abbott. I'm your anchor and I'll learn Morse code. I'm gonna loan you my practice key. He'll be around the fort here when Mr. Bryant's wagon train pulls out. So I told him you might give him a few pointers. Sure. Glad to help. Just a minute. What's it saying, Print? Awesome news from New York. Jess is writing it out. Look at this. I say, this is news. What? The Great Eastern and Atlantic Cable has just been completed. That means a telegram can be sent clear to England. Gee, here's another one. It'll be laid from Washington, D.C. Yeah? The State of Tennessee is applied for readmission to the union. Good. Well, you're pretty busy, Jess, so Dan and I... Wait, there's a personal message coming over the wire. You can deliver it for me. Sure. Here. I think I saw Colonel Cody out there in the main room. You give him this. Say, Dan, where's that mass fellow you were riding with last week? He looked like an outlaw, but he didn't talk like one when he asked me to help you with telegraphy. Well, he's not an outlaw. He and Tom are camp not far from here. I ride out and see him every day. Who is he? The man in the mask. He's just a man who believes that every time he helps someone who deserves help, he's making the West a safer and better place to live in. Making the West a safer and better... I've never heard of anyone like him before. Say, when can I start practicing with the telegraph key? Oh, anytime, Dan. I'll leave it with Jess. All right. I've got to run along now, but I'll see you before you leave for Bitter Creek tomorrow. Oh, sure, sure. I'll be busy myself. I've got a lot of things to talk over with Sheila. The days that followed lengthened into weeks, and Brian's wagon still waited at Fort Laramie while broken equipment was repaired. True to his promise, Dan Reed spent his time in long hours of practice with print-managed telegraph key. Let's see now. Dot dash. That's A. Dash and three dots. That's B. C is two dots, space dot. Better try it again. Dot dash. Dash and three dots. Two dots. Space dot. Dot dash. Dash three dots. Two dots. Space dot. Dash two dots. Dot dot. Dash dot. Dash dash dot. In the meantime, deep in the hills, north of Fort Laramie, two white men rode into a Sue Indian camp. Oh, oh, oh boy, oh boy. Oh, there you come. Yeah. Tell Chief Black Kettle we want to see him in front of him. Well, make your way. You follow. Come on, Terrell. Chief Black Kettle. You go in. Make talk. All right. Let me do all the talking, Terrell. Yeah. Chief Black Kettle. Oh. We ride many miles. Bring good news. Uh, you make talk. Black Kettle, listen. You just found out the white man's wagon train will leave Fort Laramie tomorrow morning. Those are the same white men who kill so many of your braids. Uh. The first stop will be Bitter Creek Station. I figure we can weigh land between there and the fort. Uh, that's not good. Singing wire on that trail. White men talk a heap. Bring soldiers. The telegraph? Don't worry about that, Chief. Start with. There are only a few men at the fort now. Most of them are up at Whiskey Gap. We'll fix the talk a heap by cutting it. Uh. It'll bring one of them young telegraphers out of Bitter Creek to repair it. We set the trap and Bryant's wagons roll right into it. You say no talk a heap, and black cattle say good. Take plenty of braids. Uh. It might not be a good idea for you and the braves to wait right there in the trail while we set the trap. Van Scouts and the train might spot you. Now, you wait on the other side of the ridge so you get a signal from Terrell and me. What signal? Well, I, uh, three shots. Three gunshots close together. And you ride in, you say? Three gunshots close together. That's it. You'll get revenge black cattle. Me and Terrell will get the freight over them wagons. The wagon train just left, and I... Well, what's the matter, Jess? I don't know. I don't feel so good. That's too bad. Why don't you go with the barracks and lie down? I'll take over the shift for you. Would you, Dan? There won't be anything coming over the wire tonight. Sure, go ahead. Give me a good chance to try my hand at talking with print up at Bitter Creek. Thanks, Dan. Thanks a lot. Hello, Dan. You here all alone? Yeah, Jess doesn't feel so good. So I'm standing in the shift for him. Gotta get some practice, huh? No, that's what I wanted to do, trying for two hours. Two hours? No Western Union operator has ever away from me post that long. Then why doesn't Bitter Creek answer? See? That's strange. I don't see why, unless the line is broken and print's gone out to repair it. Golly, you think maybe some... I don't know, Dan, but I'm going to find out. I was waiting for me outside. He and I are right up to Bitter Creek now. This is a spot, Terrell. You're busy with that act. Chop down three or four of those poles. Yeah. Tell the group you can't work without wires. Oh, what's going on? What's going on? This is Bitter Creek Station, Tutto. Steady. All right. Print maynard not here. Now we'll find out. Come on. The place is deserted. It doesn't look like there's been anyone here for quite a while. I'll try the line. It's dead. Maybe telegraph. I'll go out to fix it. It's undoubtedly where he is. We have no way of knowing whether the break is north or south of here. And what we do, Kim is happy. Ryan's wagon train is leaving the fort. We'd ride south. Maybe that's where print is. Come on, Siliber. Get him out this counter. There's the break, Tutto. See? Those poles have been chopped down. Do you think so, Chotten? No. Can't chop down telegraph poles with a tomahawk. Whoever did this job used an axon. Whoa, whoa, Siliber, whoa. I was kidding. Just as I thought, Tutto. The Indians wouldn't do this. All right, you all praise. I've got you covered. Reach. Reach? That ain't the brass pounder for a mass critter. I see who it is in a veto. That's what you think. And Tutto. Meek and him. Sam Lynch, huh? This is the answer to the broken telegraph line. Oh. Shut up. Use some rawhide, Tutto. Now, the hands and feet I'll cover you. Meek. Now, there must have been some special reason for breaking this line. What was it? You're a smart hombre. You figured out. There were any Indians around here. I think it was another one of your planned raids. There'll be Indians here. Plenty of them. You fix that. Is that so? When you tried them free shot, you hung your scalp on a Sue Warbelt. Oh, it's Sue, is it? Yeah. You might have the drop on us now, but when Black Kettle and his Braves get here, all they were waiting for was a sound of three shots. Shut up, Tutto. You'll find out quick enough. Why should? Now I understand. Ryan's wagon train. Yeah. That's something you can't stop. Take more than two pop guns a year to hold off over 100 Sue Braves. Tutto. They're telling the truth. The wagon train will ride right into a trap. That's your smart figure. We could only get soldiers from the fort to. Tutto, keep these two covered. You'll be right back. What you do? Line the first telegraph pole that's left standing south of here and try to send a message. How do you send a message without telegraph key? The line's alive. From here to the fort, I can break the wire and send Morse code by touching the ends together. Oh, gosh. The line's still dead. It must be printing. He's calling here, but that doesn't sound like print sending it. Golly, I gotta get that message. Line cut five miles south of Bitter Creek. Sue, great danger for wagons. Send help. Dan, jump it. Well, he said, Dan, that message was for me. How would print know that I... Golly, it wasn't print. That was a lone ranger. I've got to tell the colonel to get soldiers. Lynch was telling the truth, Tutto. Here come the Sue. You send message on telegraph? I send it, Tutto. But I don't know whether anyone heard it. What we do? We've got to reach that wagon train before the Sue get to it. Any big fella? Hope that soldiers from the fort are right behind us. What about troops? We'll leave them here. Come on, Sylvie. Get them up, Tutto. It's the soldiers, Tutto. A cavalry troop from the fort. Look. Sue, see them. Run other way. Move. Move. Dan, I'm glad to see you. Are you the one who got my message? Golly, yeah. Hey, I just sent it from Bitter Creek. No, Dan. I sent it below the break in the line, which was caught by Lynch and Terrell, and sent it from the top of a telegraph pole. Gee, how could you do that? I'll tell you about it later. Everything seems to be all right now. The wagon train's safe. The Sue won't attack again. The colonel told me he's detailing soldiers to escort it north. You said something about Lynch and Terrell. What about them? The soldiers know where they are. The Indians haven't already found them. Come on, Sylvie. Get them up, Tutto. Come on. Print. They've gone. Dan reading the man with the mask. The Indian, too. Yeah, I wanted to see him and tell Dan the reason that Bitter Creek was because it was out repairing a break in the line north of the station. I wonder who he is, Print. The man with the mask. I asked Dan the same question. And all he'd say was that his friend was someone who's trying to make the West a better and safer place to live in. Or you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.