 horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. Early days of the Western United States, the grazing rights to the open range were fiercely contested by sheepherders and cattlemen. Sheep ruined the range for cattle, and the ranchers stopped at nothing to drive them from the country. Open warfare might have continued for years, if it had not been for the masked rider of the plains. It was he more than any other man who convinced both factions there was plenty of room for all, and that only through cooperation could the winning of the West be accomplished. 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. One morning, unknown to the cattlemen whose territory lay to the north, an order was given that led to one of the most deadly range wars the district ever knew. On the level floor of a broad valley, thousands and thousands of sheep had been herded together, and around a tall, grim-faced man on horseback were clustered their herdsmen, each in spite of his trade, a fighting man, and each carrying a rifle and sidearm. Finally, the mounted man spoke. Shut up and listen! Now then, I suppose you're wondering the reason for this meeting. I'll tell you, some of you work for me, some don't. That don't make no never mind. I'm here to give me your orders, and you'll take them whether you're on my payroll or not. I'm speaking for your bosses just as much as for myself. Senor, what is it that we must do? It's the start of a new season. It's time them sheep started following the grass. Say, Senor. Every year for this you've taken them south. But this year you're taking them north. Well? To the north of this cattle country, Senor. Sheep, they are not permitted. Oh, they ain't, eh? No, Senor. It will mean trouble. Mort your trouble. That's why we give you them extra guns. What, Senor? Any trouble comes up, you'll be able to handle it all right. If you couldn't, you wouldn't be drawn wages. And another thing, just keep this in mind. That's open range where you're going. Open to anybody, Savvy. Ain't no legal way any common can keep you off it. So if there's trouble, shoot the kill. The law's on your side. All right, get them sheep moving. All right, come on. Hey, turn them sheep back. Where do you think you're going? Stop going to get them sheep off this range. Stop where you are, Senor. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You'd pull a gun on me? Do not make a trouble. The sheep, they are going through. Like fun they are. Senor, do not drop. You dirty... Oh, Luke, you shot me. Well, you would not leave them. There comes Andy. What's his hurry? Looks like something's up the way he's burning that bronc. Hey, listen, I think he's yelling something. The sheep are coming. What's that? Off the deadline. They're on our range. Whoa, whoa, bro, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang Duncan tried to turn them back and a murderin' breed shot him down. It's just lucky Hank wasn't killed. Well, where's Matt Carpenter? You don't know what to do. Anybody seen Matt? Where's he at? He's down at the cafe. I think he's still there. Then one side, out of my way. If them sheep ain't drove back, there won't be enough grass left to feed an ale and doggie. Get up. Get up, boy. Come on. We don't get no sheep done. Try and tell us what to do. Oh, my. Matt Carpenter organized the resistance of the cattlemen. The reports that reached Hauser were not encouraging. And one day, about a week later... Yeah, what's the matter with you? You haven't found a cattleman. Sit down and cool off. Getting under your skin, are they, Hauser? Yeah, I'd like to sit. Where's the rest of the men? You the first one here? Sure, but I'm early. You ought to know that. It was you that called this meeting. What time is it? Just seven. Oh. The others ought to be along pretty soon. Hauser, what's wrong? I don't reckon you call this meeting for nothing. Dirk, it's Matt Carpenter. Yeah? He's came with a whole scheme. Wasn't for him, it would have been a walkover. My sheep and yours and all the rest would have been feeding right now in the richest ranges side of the Rockies. Yeah. We hired enough breed gun hens to outnumber them two to one. But Matt's got them fighting mad. Making a stand over beyond Hank Duncan's place. Can't get them sheep one foot further. Look, Hauser... Yeah? I don't know whether I'd be so ready to tell the rest of the fellas that things ain't going just like they should if I was you. Maybe you'd better tone it down a little. Why? Well, in the first place, this was your scheme. You'll make us rich. Grab that range and we can feed twice as many sheep. Sure, but that's just one thing. The second is, when we agreed to it, we decided to leave the whole thing to you. Well? Things are going wrong, it's your fault. Can't put the blame nowhere else. But doggone it all, that's what I'm trying to tell you. Things wouldn't have gone wrong if... If what? Well, if it weren't for Matt, he's a fighting fool. The rest of them cattlemen could have been licked in no time. So? There's a thing that's got to be done. What? You'd rid them that. You mean it? How can you savvy what I mean without me putting a no-planer? And that's why you called the meeting? It has to be done. But I ain't taking the blame alone. We've all got to agree to it. Where's most of the men now, Hauser? And you know something? Huh? If Matt's got to be took care of, I reckon there ain't none of us will holler. Come in, boys, come in. Tutto, ask me a rope. Ah! Here, rope, good. Now, those I had, there's a runaway all right. Now, we'll see who he belongs to. Come on, silver, enough. A little closer, old fella. Just a little closer, boy. No! Oh, boy! Oh, silver! Oh, that's it, boy. Easy, boy. Stand still, fella. Let's see where you came from. There. There are a brand. C-bar C. Who that? I think... Wait a moment. There's some initials on the saddle. They've been worn almost smooth, but it's still possible to make them out, Tutto. M-J-C. He must have been. This horse must be loaned to Matt Carpenter. That's right. You look. What is it? Look here. The stain. Huh? Tutto. What do you think? This looks as if Matt may have been shot. Back into the saddle, Tutto. Huh? We take horse? Let him loose. He'll find his way home all right. Uh-huh. We've no time to bother with him. And what we do? We're back trailing until we find what's happened to Matt. Can you follow the trail all right, Tutto? Uh-huh, me follow it. Then hurry. Uh-huh. Get him up, Scout. Come on, Silver. Come on, old fellow. Come on. Two hours later, in a wild, deserted canyon, the lone ranger and his faithful Indian companion reached the end of the trail and did murder, Tutto, shot in the back. Look at his guns. Both still in his holsters. He never had a chance to defend himself. That's right. He was a fine man, Kimosabe. Uh-huh. How do you know? No one in the West could have wanted his death unless... What do you think? Unless it were the sheepmen who had been trying to invade this range. Them killers. I know them, Tutto. Ex-russlers, ex-bandits, ex-gunmen, with the sweepings and the dregs of the cattle country. Uh-huh. They banded together to raise sheep because no self-respecting cattlemen would do business with them. Uh-huh. Now they're after more than wealth at the expense of the ranches. Now they're after revenge. That right. And with Matt murdered, they're likely to get it. He was a grand fighting man. I'm afraid without him to lead them and keep up their spirits, the others are bound to be beaten. That'd be bad. Plenty of him bad. I hate to let them know that Matt... Wait. What matter? Tutto, he's just about my build. Darker, but that can be remedied. A dye for my hair, a stain for my skin. Masabi, I think I have it. You've got plan? Tutto, say nothing of Matt's death to anyone. To anyone, understand? Ah, me shall be. The sheepmen won this round, Tutto. Uh-huh. But we may rob them of victory yet. It was on the evening of the next day that Hauser and Dirk rode toward the sheepherder's camp. Hauser, how much are you going to tell Manuel? About Matt? Yeah. No more than a half, too. Just enough so him and the rest of them breeds will get their nerve back and keep going. Once Matt's found... Well, that'll be just about the finish of any fighting we'll have to do. That'll show them cattle when we read business. It ought to. Then if Manuel and his parts get a move on, their range ought to be ours inside another week. Hauser. Yeah? Don't get me wrong. If I ask anything, you'd rather not tell, just say so. But as long as there's just the two of us, there's nobody to hear. What are you getting at? Well, I've been wondering just how you did fix Matt. And where? Over by one of them canyons inside a bull mountain? Yeah? Sure. Trailed them till you went where there weren't no danger me being seen. Did he put up much of a fight? No. You know why? No. Because he never even knew I was there. He never knew what hit him. Figured that's the way you do it. What'd you mean by that? No, don't get mad, Hauser. No harm, man. You'd better not. Just because I was the one that did the shooting don't mean the rest of you ain't just as much to blame as me. You were first. And don't go hitting them yellow. Sure, you're too touchy. Never met no such thing. Look, Hauser, I was thinking, hey, what the? Hulk still, dog gone. Your Hulk's still there. Hey, what's the big insecurity? I don't know, but I'll teach the past. Hold it. What's that over there? Something kind of white and wiggling around. But that's what done it. Say, that looks like, that looks like a man. Come on, get up. Get up. It does. Get up there. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. It's Manuel. They're tight and gagged. Now, who done this? Give me a knife, quick. Here you are. Cut his ropes. I'll secure the gig. Don't hurry. Hulk still, dog gone. Man, Manuel, who done it? Hey, all your stuff together. You hear a jerk? Who tied you up? It, it was a single cabinet. Huh? What's that? They catch me. Diablo. He tied me up. Suck it. Say, if I make the trouble one day, he'd kill me. You say it was Matt Carpenter? Say, say, senor. Your loco. He must have been saying things that he couldn't have been him. No, senor. It was. I see him with my own eyes. How, sir? Were you lying to us? No, Duke. I tell you, I wasn't. Matt. Matt can't be alive. Or he is. Yeah? He couldn't be human. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. To continue our story. A Lone Ranger and Tahoe race toward a small woods. And there they took cover among the trees. Oh, oh, that's a long scout. Oh boy. Oh, hold on. Steady, Silver. Steady. Well, Senator, you've given them something to think about. Matt, right. How's my disguise now? It, it's good. You'd still take me for Matt? Uh-huh. And we'll soon strike again. But first, Tahoe, for a message. You'll have to carry it. Paper and your saddlebags. Give it to me. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. What, what message? I'll address it to Hank Duncan. Uh-huh. Here. Your paper. Thanks. Hank was a good friend to Matt, but I doubt that he knew Matt so well that he'd be able to say that this wasn't Matt's handwriting. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And there, take it. Uh-huh. You got it. All right, out of ride for town. You should find Hank at the cafe. Uh-huh. Get him up, Scout. Get him up. Hey, fellas. Listen to this. Look at what I got here. Hank, what is it? A note from Matt. What you're talking about? The engine just brought it. You see Matt engine? Where's he at? Why ain't he here? I mean, I'll talk. Leave the red-skinned bee, fellas. Matt says here he don't want anybody to know where he is. What's the idea? Them coyotes of sheepmen are out to drill him. Sure, we could guess that, but he ain't a fear to them, is he? A feared? Matt? Ho-ho-ho. Don't talk, local. Then what are you getting at? Fellers, Matt's got his own way of fighting. Sure, but all the same... That is a good one, as we ought to know. Well, he says we're to keep on holding back them sheep. And he says... Huh? He says it's going to make them skunks wish they'd stayed where they belong. Are we going to do like he says, fellas? Are we going to keep on fighting them? Fine. I knew you would. You heard him, engine. Where of Matt is you tell him we'll fight as long as there's one of us left alive. They said that, Tundra? Huh? Now I have time to carry out the rest of my plan. It means a week's journey, but they'll hold for that long. All will go well. Where are you right? After the closest United States Marshal, Tundra. The range is open. As far as the law is concerned, sheep have as much right to it as cattle. Tonto no. In cases where the two parties conflict, the law usually refuses to step in. Matt right. So they can't be arrested for invading the cattleman's territory, Kimosabe. Matt, they can be jailed for murder. How proven killer. I've got a way to force a confession, Tonto. But that can wait until my return. You'll stay here. Keep an eye on the ranches. Help them if you can. You can look for me back within the week. Come on, Silver. Hurry, old fellow. Hurry! Riding day and night, scarcely pausing for either rest or food. The masked man raced for Cascade Falls, a little town where the United States Marshal for that district made his headquarters. Then, once there, Marshal, I said I'd prove those men are murderers, and I will. He won't regret taking me at my word. We'll return to my camp. Follow me. Come on, Silver. Come on. Yeah. Yeah. The horse written by the Marshal was no match for Silver. But for the masked man to lead the way and to urge the other on, they made good time. On the fourth day, oh, oh, there's Silver. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Tell me, very glad to see you. Sir, what's happened while I've been gone? The ranch is still holding out? Ah, then make good sight. Fine. The Marshal here says he won't take sides. But if we can prove who murdered Matt, he'll arrest the man or a man responsible. Not good. Which means work for you, Kimosabe. Not all right. You'll call on the ranchers. You'll take them where I tell you when I tell you. No mistake must be made. They must be there just when I say. And where are we taking them? Remember that old line cabin in the hills where we made camp once before? It hasn't been used for years. It's isolated. Whatever happens there, no one will ask questions. That's right. Get as many of the ranchers as you can. Tell them to wait until dark, then take them to that cabin without being seen. Time to do it. And in the meantime, What you do? You'll disguise me to look like Matt again. And I'll make some calls myself. Ah. The men I call on won't be pleased to see me, Tanner. When I'm done, they'll be headed for the rope. Then, that night, at spaced intervals but losing no time, the Lone Ranger paid several calls. Who is it? What? Matt. Matt Carpenter. Outside. Oh, no. Let me be. I didn't try to shoot you. No, please, Matt. No use calling for help. I'll get right into the saddle with you. No. No. Matt, please. Come on, Silver. Come on. For another man I want, squint right ahead of me. Don't get blasted out of that saddle. But you haven't. You didn't expect to see me alive again, did you? Well, we'll square accounts tonight, Houser. Out the door. I don't shoot. It was the last of 12 men to be made a prisoner by the Lone Ranger. He was taken to a lonely line cabin when the door was thrown open. Quiet. Quiet, I said. Inside, Houser. Go on. There you are. I keep my promises. You want to attempt to make a break and it'll be your last. Got you, too, Houser. What? What do you think it looks like? Well, I just... Quiet. When I want you to speak, I'll let you know it. Matt, you look here. You've got some kind of notion. You can scare us into clearing out or something. You're clean, crazy. Maybe you have got us tied up, but you can't... But what? Well... Well... You seem to forget that you are tied. Every one of you. That every one of you here is at my mercy. Now, you... Remember that. Don't get him, Matt, Dirk. Matt, uh... What are you figuring to do? Can't we get together somehow? After attempting my murder? What murder? You aren't killed. Matt was made. My hideout? Houser, quit acting like a yellow pup. That's it. He's all bluff. Figure it out for yourself. You think he'd bring a whole dozen of us out here, then finish us off all by himself? Don't be a fool. But I... You needn't look so frightened, Houser. That isn't my plan. Didn't I tell you? Well, mister, just what did you figure to gain by this? I'm going to turn a lot of you over to the law. What's that? For trying to drag out me. Matt, did I hear you right? You did. You really mean to say you're going to turn us over to the law? I am. On what charge? I've told you that already. Attempted murder. But you ain't killed. That doesn't add rent to it. Matt, you're barking up the wrong tree. Just try and find any lawman in this territory that would jail anybody for just attempting a killing. You'll have about as much chance as you would of finding snow in summertime. But you do admit you did try to get me, huh? I didn't houser did. That right houser? Bless you, jerk. What do you care whether Matt knows it or not? Didn't you get it through your head that as long as you didn't get him, it don't make no difference? You'll get more yellow by the minute. Well, maybe it don't matter. So you're the fellow? Well, I shot it just sure. The rest of these men had nothing to do with it? Nothing. They had plenty to do with it. Maybe they didn't shoot, but they was in on it just the same. It was agreed between a bunch of us. Just happened I was the one to try it. Oh, it's different when I tell about you, fellas, huh? You say don't hurt for Matt to know about me, but you polkettes don't aim to share the blame. Houser's right, fellas. We're all in on this. All right, Matt, now you know the whole thing. That's what he aimed to do about it. I'll show you. Where do you get it? Donald, bring the marshal and the rest of the men in here. The United States Marshal. And the cattlemen. They were outside and heard everything that was said. And every one of you scunks is gonna hang. Rotten pack of sneak and killer. We never killed nobody. You can't do a thing. I don't care what you heard. As long as Matt's still alive, it can't hang us for nothing. But I'm not Matt. And Matt isn't alive. Tell her to show them. Here, take this stain off my arm. Come through to it. We're rough hearts. Fellas, that is a stain that's coming off. That ain't Matt. He was disguised. Which is how he was able to trick you. You was willing to admit you tried to kill Matt? Cause you thought Matt was still alive. The marshal told you men, Hank? He did, stranger. And thanks for everything you've done. We owe you more than we can tell you. Forget it. You fool, you fool, Dirk. It was you who made me talk. You thought you knew so much. Grab that yo before he strangles Dirk. We oughta let him. We'd say the law's some expense. Listen, then, don't trouble over the rains, Andy. I think your worries are over. You bet they are, friend. But these skunks, their worries are just beginning. All right, fellas, let's help the marshal herd these gents to town. On your feet, you pole cats. Well, maybe you don't like walking so much. But when you're hanging from a rope, you'll wish you could. Now just keep moving. For you have just heard, is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.