 A fiery horse with the speed of light at cloud of dust and hearty high old silver, the lone ranger. With his faithful Indian companion tunnel, the daring and resourceful mast rider of the planes 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 hoofeets of a great horse, Silver. The lone ranger rides again. Come silver, let's go people. I am silver! Abner Watvers sat on the porch of his small ranch house, looking wistfully at a heavy stagecoach that stood beneath a nearby tree. His watery eyes turned toward a pasture where several horses grazed. Oh, all of us grow old, old and stovent. Are you speaking to me, Abner? Oh no, no, Martha. I was just thinking that's all. Things around here haven't been the same since the boys left. Nonsense, nothing's changed. Yes it has, Martha. The building herb was here, we had them to take care of. Now they got a ranch all their own. They don't need us no more. No one needs us. No one but my old horses. Now, Abner, don't take on so. Well, even the horses don't need us much longer. Bill and Herb have asked us to come and live with them. If you want to go... No, I don't. This is my home and I want to stay here. I wish we could raise cash enough. Abner Watvers, cash enough for what? Well, I... Oh, never mind, Martha. You've been talking to the men who took over the stage line, haven't you now? Well, I... I knew it. That's the way you've been moping ever since you got back from town. You've been trying to get back in harness. Oh, it's just sitting around. Nothing to do. It gets under my skin. Oh, honey, you've done your work. You've earned enough to buy a little ranch and keep us for the rest of our days. Nothing to do but sit and wait. Just the same as the horses over there doing... waiting to die. Don't go to Martha if I had cash enough to buy an interest in that new stage line. Oh, if that's not just like a man. A year ago you were sky-hootin' because you'd sold out to the new stage line and you wouldn't have to work anymore. I know. Now you want to buy an interest so you can go back to work. Well, I, for one, am mighty glad we used the cash to pay off what we owed on this piece of land and help the boys get started on their own ranch. Nothing left but six old stogan horses and that stagecoach. Look at her over there, Martha. Sturdy as she ever was. Shiny. Oh, it should be. You spend half your time puttering around it. Can't help thinking when I look at her how proud I was when those horses were young and spry and rare in the go. I'd sit there calm and straight, make a big thing of pullin' on my gloves while all the townfolk gathered around admiring an Indian name. I remember. I used to watch. Then I'd take the reins in one hand, take the whip in the other, just like this I'd hold it. Then I'd crack the whip and I'd shout, get up there! Get along there, Blackie! Come on, Dusty, get along! Make a line there. Look at your horses over there. Well, they remember, Martha. Look at them standin' there with their ears cocked. They heard me. Look at old Blackie standin' eye on me. As them was the days. Dog gone, I wish I could raise the cash. I'd buy into this new outfit and show these young whipperslappers how to run a stage line. Well, you may as well forget it, Edna. You haven't got the cash, and if you did have, I wouldn't hear you if you're trying to drive a stage again. Martha, I hear horsemen coming this way. They must be on the other side of the house, sir. Oh, there they come. Snakes are alive, Martha. Look at that white horse. Look at that stride. Did you ever see such a critter? That pain's a good horse, too. Edna, that man on that white horse is masked. What? Masked? Sure enough. Maybe he's an outlaw. Maybe they've come into robbers. Oh, dear, I wonder. I don't know though they've come to make trouble. Hi there. What does that mask mean, stranger? What do you want here? Nothing but water. We like to water our horses until our kin teams. I think... Oh, what is it, mister? Why are you looking at me that way? Aren't you having their watches? Yeah, what if I am? You are, and that's your stagecoach. I remember when you used to drive the San Pedro trail. You do? I certainly do. The record you made over that trail has never been matched. You hear that? You hear what he said? Yes, I heard it. If water is all you want, mister, the trough is right over yonder. You're more than welcome. Thanks, thanks a lot. Hello, take care of it, will you? This way, sir. Perhaps you can help me. If it's cash, mister... No, not cash. The express office has been robbed. You mean the express office in Woodstock? Yes. That's my old office. Yes, I know. What is stolen? Did the crooks get away with much? Well, quite a bit of gold was in the office. They got away with all of it. Oh, God, you hear that, Martha? Such things never happened when I was running the stage line. There were eight men. Eight of them, eh? Yes, Lefty Jordan's gang. Lefty Jordan? Martha, you hear that? I'm not dead. That critter's been dodging the law for as long as I can remember. That's why there's such a big reward for his capture and additional rewards for every member of his gang. Uh, do you know the one side? He's gone right at you. Well, he may come this way. Oh, my thanks. Abner becomes fast here while he might make no end to trouble for us. Hold on, mister. If he was coming this way, he'd have been here by now, wouldn't he? Not necessarily. He'd be ahead of you. He might find some place near Woodstock and hide until he sees a good chance to escape. Did he start out this way? No, Abner. Left town with a north trail. All the lawmen went in that direction to look for him. If he's smart, he'll lie low for a while and circle back this way and escape over the south trail when no one is looking for him. He'd have to cross the San Pedro Bridge to get anywhere. It'd be miles to go around the canyon. That's right. Doggone, I'd better get my rifle loaded. If eight gunslingers are heading this way with stolen gold, I'm gonna do my doggone as to stop them. The north is all ready now. All right, thanks, tonneau. See here, mister. If you're looking for the Jordan Gang, you must be on the side of the law. I am. Then why do you wear a mask? Uh, this may explain it, Abner. What's that? Some bullets. I hope we'll meet again. Adios. Ready, big fella? Ready, fella? You ready? Hey! This bullet's made of silver. All silver! Come on! Martha. Martha, take a good look at that man that's riding away. Take a good look at him. He's the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger and tonneau crisscross the area between the town of Woodstock and the San Pedro Canyon while lawmen hunted north of town for the Jordan Gang. The masked man had reasoned accurately. The outlaws had the circle to the south, but had exercised extreme caution to keep to hard ground and the tracks of their horses wouldn't show. At one point, they rode for several miles in a shallow stream. Good day, boy. Finally, Jordan signaled a halt. Oh! Oh! Oh, boy. Hold it. Should have done a good job of hiding our tracks, lefty. Yeah, we had to. I bet we left every lawnman hunting for us on the other side of town. Probably did, but we sure wore our horses out doing it. We need fresh horses. I know where we can get them, lefty. Over there. If my eyes are wrong, it's the right smart-looking critters in that corral. Yeah, I see them. Don't look like there's anyone around. Who owns that outfit, any of you know? I know who lives there. I remember hearing about that outfit. Yeah, who is it, Jake? There's two brothers there. They fought the place about a year ago to raise horses. They're the sons of old man Watris. Watris. Watris. Yeah, have no Watris. We used to run the stage line before he sold out. Oh, yeah. Bill and Herb. That's the name of the boys. Bill and Herb Watris. Well, they're breeding horses. They got what we want. Well, then, what are we waiting for? I see something I want. I got a habit of getting it. We help ourselves the horses and cross the San Pedro Bridge. We be in the clear. What about the critters we got now? Are we going to take them along with us? You take horses along with us, but not these. We take fresh horses, extra ones, and we can keep going as long as we want. Yeah. We can always sell a few extra horses of their good ones. What do we do? Charge up there and help ourselves? Oh, hold on, Jake. That's the way to invite lead poisoning. Well, I... You ride up to the house without flashing any hardware or showing any signs of making trouble. Is there only one thing wrong, Lempty? The way your pick has been spread around on hand, Bill, the chances are two to one that you'll be recognized. Maybe so. That'll be time enough to start getting rough. Come on. Get up there. Come on. Get up on that. Come on, Herb. Food's spread out on the table. Sit down and start eating. Just a minute, Bill. Look out this window. Huh? What are you looking at? Some men coming this way. Eight of them. Sure enough. Maybe they're coming to buy horses. Yeah, they could use them. Horses there riding are just about stove in. I reckon we can postpone eating for a while if we can sell eight or nine horses, huh? Hey, Bill, take a look at that one man, the big credit. There's something familiar about him. Have you seen him before? I don't know where I've seen him, but as you say, he looks familiar. I can't remember. He's coming up to the door. We'll ask him where we've seen him. Here. I'll open the door. If it's horses you want, Mr. Weigill. I remember. We want horses, all right. Bill, it's Lefty George. Jordan. Great scratcher, right, Herb? Don't get tough, you two. Put those guns down. You can't. We're getting a house here, son. We've got to talk business. Come on. Get in there. Why? Shut up. If you think you can get away with it... Oh! Now watch yourself. Herb. Herb. It's just my heart. That shot will hurt more. You boys get rough with me. My friends are awful fast on the trigger. Rope these two, and we help ourselves to the horses and get away from here. Why don't we drill the two of them and let it go with that, Lefty? I said, rope them. Got no hankering to have a noose around my neck. I'm ever caught. And that's what'll happen if we leave dead men lying around behind us. Don't get away with this, Jordan. We'll see about that. Come on, hurry up, Pete. You and Jake get those two hogtied while the rest of the boys are switching saddles to fresh horses. Take your horses, boys, and saddle up. Put my gear on that big black. All right. Now, give me your hands. If I make these ropes too tight, don't let out a squeak. Because your dog gone lucky lefty Jordan don't believe in making you two permanently quiet. Now, you take care of that one, Jake. Come on. Have any trouble with them. Slap them on the head with your gun barrel. 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. To our story, the Jordan gang wasted no time on the horse ranch. They selected the best horses from the corral and hurried away, leaving Herb and Bill tightly bound on the floor of the house. Meanwhile, the Lone Ranger and Tonto continued their search for some sign of a thieves. It seemed like a hopeless case. Then the masked man suddenly held up one hand. Hello, right up. Oh, there are hoof marks. Yes, a lot of them. They came out of that stream over there. That's right. At least half a dozen horses passed this way. The rake men in Jordan gang, the tracks go over there toward that ranch. Let me see them. Come on, Tonto. Get them up scum. Put a few minutes for the masked man and his Indian companion to reach the corral. There they saw the tired horses they had followed. The tracks go away from here. Very big for the easy. Heading south. That's right. Hey! I've come from house. Come on, Tonto. Talk about this. Take care of that one, Tonto. I'll... You, Bill, watch this. How do you know? You must be Herb. That's right. You'll have those robes cut away in just a second. Who are you? How do you know us? I know your father. Who tied you? Lefty Jordan's gang. There you are. Thanks. They stole our horses. They're heading for the San Pedro Bridge. That's what we wanted to know. There's eight of them in Iran. You've been wounded. Oh, never mind that. It's just a scratch. Get after those crooks. That's the ticket. If you're on an outlaw, go and get them. We'll go with you. Oh, what are you going to ride? Ride? Well, horses. I... I hadn't thought of that. Herb, they took our horses. The ones they left to war on. You can travel on them, but not very fast. Those crooks are riding our horse flesh. We'd never catch them. I don't suppose you and your Indian friend ever chance, even if you did catch them. Two against eight? Yeah. That's too long. Yeah. I guess there's nothing for us to do, Herb, but take the loss and like it. There might be a way to even the odds. What do you mean? I have an idea. Tutto, you stay with Bill and Herb. Ride with them. Follow the trail that Jordan gang, even though you do have to go slowly. Gang got good start. They have a good start. I think you'll finally continue on a roundabout route to avoid being seen by anyone. What are you going to do? No time to explain now. You three get on the trail and follow it. Oh, I'm going back to Abner's ranch. I think I know how we can block those crooks. Does he mean dance, please? That's right. What for? Oh, dad can't help none. Hold still there. Abner Watress was still seated on the porch of his small ranch house, his recently loaded rifle resting across his knees. The old man stood up when he heard the distant thunder of hoops. Well, hang the vanilla horseman coming again. Well, I just hope it's Lifty Jordan. I'd like to get a shot at that horny jump in Juniper. It's the mask man coming back. Martha! Martha, look there! It doesn't die back. Now, what's the matter? Look it there, Martha. It's the mask man coming back here. Why? You're right. He is coming back. Riding like the wind. I don't see anyone chasing him. Do you? If there was, he wouldn't be running away from him. No mistake about it. He's got something on his mind. Hold still there. Hold on. He's just going to be caught. What's up, mister? Abner, answer my questions and be quick. What's the trouble? How long does it take to get from here the San Pedro Bridge? No, the horse. No, with a stagecoach. Oh, about half an hour. If there are four or six good horses, take six if they're pulling a load. How long from your son's ranch to the bridge? Well, that's a lot longer. How long? Well, three times as long. Maybe four. Then there is a chance. A chance of what? What intarnation are you so mysterious about? Can that old stage of yours be moved? It's sure been moved. Good. Bring out your horses and hitch them up. Them old horses? Dog gone, mister. Them critters is old. War out. Warlum is blind. Bring them out. They've got to help pull the stage. But for what? Where to? Now, look here, mister. I don't know what you're planning to do, but those old horses haven't pulled a stage in two years. They couldn't do it now. Horses are a lot like people, Mrs. Watris. They'll do what's expected of them if they're made to understand how important it is. I don't know, mister. Them horses couldn't be beaten their day. Abner, you're too old to drive. Yes, I know. What? Who is? Aren't you? Like fun I am, and any blameful it says I am. You're too old to drive. I can handle rain as good as any man. Darn sight better than these young ripper snappers. Them don't say your horses are too old. They might like to be back in harness just as much as you would. If you just stop asking questions long enough to tell me what for. To smash the lefty Jordan gang. What? Yes, that's right. I just come from your son's ranch. The Jordan gang stop there, and they... The boy is out here. Bill and Herbert are all right, Mrs. Watris. Are you sure? Oh, mister, if they hurt their boys... Lefty Jordan and his men tied them up, then stole their horses. Why are there no good Theven criggers? Those crooks are on their way now to the San Pedro Bridge. The triple twisted horse Theven sidewinders. Leave our boys tied up will they? Make all for the best horse flesh in this part of the country, eh? Get extra ammunition for that rifle, and get those horses hitched. We're going to trap those outlaws. Great land of milk and honey. Why didn't you tell me all this in the first place? I wouldn't be wasting time standing here, John, if I'd have known. Get the extra ammunition, and save your arguments. I'll get the horses hitched just as fast as I can. You wait right there, mister. Are you sure the boys are all right? Yes, the greatest concern is to get their horses back, Mr. Watris. You won't let anything happen to Evan the Willier. I won't. I'll fix that ammunition right away. Another half hour and we'll be at the bridge, Lefty. All right, Jake, then we won't have a thing to worry about. The law don't have guards at the bridge. Ah, that bridge is clear. The law won't figure we're anywhere but in the north side of town. By the time you get wise, it'll be too late for him to do anything about it. It's a mighty slick scheme, Lefty. Well, we do meet the law, boss, and we shoot it out. There's nothing going to stop us once we reach that bridge. Get up there. Come on. Get up there. Get them horses. They're sure steppin' spry, lookin' lively. My thunder Blackie has fired as I just like he used to have. Steady there, Blackie. You said to go on the jibby. Here, I'll give you a hand. I'm going with you. Martha! I know you're soggin', Ebner. But see here, it's not safe. The extra ammunition's up on the seat, Ebner. All right, inside. Oh, my sakes are life. What a woman to try to reason with. Martha, you're... Baby, breath the dragon, Ebner Watris. Well, get in then. Get in. Can't take time to argue. I know, Ebner. You and I will travel alongside your lead horses to set the pace, Ebner. All right, ahead and set the pace. These horses seem to have lost all their old age. We'll stick with you. Good. Be ready in just a second. I've got to pull my gloves on. Never mind your gloves. Now I'm ready. Look at them old horses, Martha. Clatterin' and pawin' the ground. Anxious to get started and on the run. Ready, Ebner? All set. Good. Come on, fill it in. Get up there. Zero. Dusty. That tube is just like it used to be. Look at them travel. Ain't no no more. They're young. They're back in harness again. Yes, sir. Get up. Get along there. Come on, fill it in. Ebner Watris felt the thrill of another day return to him as he sat once again on the hide-chancing seat of the aged stagecoach. His eyes flashed with excitement. Get along there. Ebner's horses strained to maintain a position alongside the lone ranger and his powerful white stallion. Come on, fill it in. Mile after mile, rolled beneath the rumbling wheels and thundering hoops. And then the San Pedro Bridge was in sight. It was a narrow bridge. It's barely wide enough to carry the stagecoach. Off to the left, the lone ranger saw eight horsemen. Ebner, look. Horsemen. I see them. It's a Jordan gang. We're ahead of them. Run your stage on the bridge and join me. Who's over here? Back out. While Ebner ran the stage on the bridge, the lone ranger rained up his great white stallion behind a huge pile of rocks near the entrance to the bridge. Come over here behind these rocks. Bring your wife with you. The bullers made a fortress that no bullet could penetrate. In a moment, Ebner and Martha had left the stage and joined the mask man. Who's he traveling? Keep behind these rocks and you'll be safe enough. Martha, do you see the mask man's plan? The stage has the bridge shut right off so those crooks can't get across. They can't cross without moving the stage. Before they can move the stage, they've got to get past us. I see. There they come. Don't you want any more of yourself than you have to? I shall be. Hey, get that stage out of the way. Now I'm on your tin time. You're covered, Jordan. Hello, aren't you? Hello. You want gunplay? Remember that you're the ones that are out in the open. You surrender or get shot down. You better make up your minds. Lefty, we're cut off. Those rocks should make a barricade for the creditors behind you. Or is it we better backtrack? Turn your horses. You better surrender if you don't want to be dropped in your tracks. Your back trail is cut off. Hey, Lefty. He's right. Look over there. More riders coming. Or is it just one chance? Rush them from both sides and open fire. Don't try it, Lefty. Let him come. We have cut him down. I'll arm. Lefty, we can't go no closer. They can cut us down like flies. Put on your gun and get your hands up. I got it up. I surrender. Me too. If you want to fight him lefty, you go ahead. I'm quitting. All right. We give up. While the Lone Ranger and Abner covered the gang, Abner's sons, Bill and Herb, accompanied by Tonto, rode up and dismounted. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. I'd be glad you got here, boys. You're just in time to see a parcel of cutthroat horse thieves hog-tired for the long. Just. And it's your old stagecoach. Yeah, sure is. And your old horses. Yeah. And, boys, it's your old man that drove you. Well, you're just in time to help with the rope. Well, there, your prisoner's, Abner. When you turn this gang over to the law, you'll have reward enough to do almost anything you want. Not on your life. You're the one that gets the reward money. Thanks alive, yes. You let Abner get his hand on any cash you'll be buying at the stage line. Well, that's not a bad idea. Huh? Well, you hear that, Martha? Hear that? He said that's not a bad idea. We'll see you again, Abner. And we'll look for the watchers' stages. You watch for a mister? You sure as thunder see him? Good. Let me come up. Won't you let us count? I'll do that. You have just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.