 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a clod of dust, and a hearty hyal silver, the Lone Ranger. With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked 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. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rives again. Come on Silver, let's go big fellow. Come on Silver! The road was being built through the west. The center of activity was the town at the end of track. It was a temporary community of light shacks and tents that could be picked up and moved ahead periodically as the work progressed. In addition to quarters for the railroad workers and their families, there were shops and stores and cafes. Various traders as well as gamblers, confidence men and crooks moved with the town. Brad Carter was in charge of construction for the railroad and Brad felt fine as he relaxed at a table in one of the cafes with several of his friends. Yes, sirree, boys, this is the first time in weeks that I've been able to take an evening for a little talk and relaxation. Work is going good now, eh, Brad? First rate, and report state the land ahead is clear redskins, shouldn't have no more trouble at all. I hope you're not being too optimistic, Brad. Why do you say that, Steve? Well, I'm thinking of Sloane. Oh, that crook. Yeah, he's a dangerous crook, too. Well, I'm shuddering him now, glad I learned about his pals before he had the chance to make trouble. Sloane wouldn't take kindly to being fired off the job. Oh, he's gone from these parts. I hope so. We won't hear no more of him. Hey, Carter, look who just came in. It's your wife. Molly, takes her life. Brad! She's seen you. Looks like she's upset about something. Look, Brad! Brad, thank goodness I found you. Molly, what in tarnation are you doing here? Well, Brad, I came to warn you, Ted Sloane's looking for you. Sloane? We were just speaking of him. One of the men came to the check, and he said that Sloane was coming here. He makes any trouble. I'll drive him into the ground like a wooden stake, and I won't bother shouting in the air. Please, Brad, please don't fight with him. He's dangerous, isn't he? And Joe said he was in an ugly mood. Take it easy, Molly. Don't worry. Look, he just came through the backwing doors. I and everyone in the place, looking for you. I'm right here, Sloane. So I see. I promised myself a showdown, Carter. All right. I'll collect it. Oh, no. No, please don't fight with him. There'll be no fight, Molly. If Sloane starts trouble, I'll finish it. Sloane, when I learned you'd done time in jail for stealing cash, I warned you that I'd give you a chance to make good. I warned you to steer clear of your old pals. No man can tell me who'll be my friend. I don't care who you choose for friends. But I won't have a man working close to payroll cash. It'll be hob knobs with crooks like Prescott and Knowles. That's why I fired you. That's why I'm here to call you on it. You're wearing a gun, Carter. Go for it. Not me, Sloane. You want gunplay, you start it. All right. I'll start. Look out! Oh! Good work, Carter. Yes, I'm a little faster than you figured, huh, Sloane? I tried to shoot away your gun. My bullet brushed your arm. You sure had it coming to you. Sloane, you slapped Liller first. You sure did. You asked for trouble and you got it. You'll wait, Carter. I'll square things. You'd better get out of here, Sloane, and out of town as well. If I hear any more from you, I'll put the next bullet where the effect will be more lasting. Now get! You wait, Carter. You just wait. You haven't heard the last of me. Gosh, Brad, you sure threw a fast shot? Grease lightning. Yeah, I didn't mean to crease his arm. Maybe it's as well I did. You might not be so free to start gunplay when we meet the next time. Oh, Brad, he'll be back. Oh, I don't know, Molly. He will be. I know it. He'll never rest until he gets you. Brad, I'm afraid Molly's right. Had Sloane will be back. And he won't come alone. Next time, they'll bring some of them crooked pals here as long with him. Oh, Brad! Stop it, boys. You know you've given Molly things to worry about. I'm not concerned about what Sloane will do to me. I can take care of myself. Only thing that worries me is the railroad payroll. Brad, you think he'll make a play to get that? Might be. He knows when it comes from the east and how it comes. Now on we'll have to be gosh-awful careful. Yes, sir, we gosh-awful careful. After leaving the cafe at the end of track, Tad Sloane mounted his horse and rode eastward to an arroyo where Prescott and several other hard-faced men were camped. Their campfire was small and fairly well obscured, but it was enough to attract the attention of an Indian who dismounted from his paint horse and advanced silently to the rim of the arroyo. The Indian was Tonto, the companion of the Lone Ranger. He could hear the men's voices. Come on over that gear. I'm in a hurry. I'm doing things as fast as I can, Sloane. I'll have the rest of the blankest road and tie in the jiffy. It wouldn't hurt you to lend a hand, Sloane. My arm hurts where Carter's bullet creased it. Man, that'll do. That horse set to travel, Prescott? Yeah. Get him. Sloane, what are you going to do about Carter? I'll get the critter. I'll get him if it's the last thing I do. If it's the last try, it came close to being the last thing you did. That bullet had been a little more the center. You'd be a gone goose. Save it. If I was you, Sloane, I'd leave him alone. I'll take no chances next time. I'll get him first, then we'll go after that payroll cash. You had a snap getting the cash if you hadn't lost your job. We'll get the cash. How do you aim to get Carter? I know a couple of places just west of town where I can lie and wait, drill them from ambush. Are they laying the new rails? Yeah. Horses are already moved out, Sloane. All right, man, I'm going to show off. Get up. It was one hour later, and daybreak was close at hand. The Lone Ranger lay in his blankets beside the embers of a dying fire. The fast beat of approaching hoofs roused the masked man to instant wakefulness. Silver's Winnie was one of welcome that told the Lone Ranger that it was his friend Tonto who was riding in. Welcome, footballer! Tonto, you've ridden hard. Not right. You learn anything about Sloane? Me learn plenty, Kimusabi. Is he the one we've been looking for? Ahem, same fellow who robbed Bank in St. Joe. And he's been working for the railroad? Not work now. Ahem fired. Ahem got crooked friends. Them planned dry-goat boss named Carter. Brad Carter? Ahem. When? This morning, when Carter get on job. Come on, Tonto, get my bridal. Would you please? Silly Silver, we've got to move fast. Sloane, fella, planned wake in ambush near end of track. You'll have to hurry to get there in time. Ahem. Just one second, boy, we'll be on our way. The cinch is tight there. Silver, ready now. Right. Easy big flow. Easy big flow. One, two, there. Get him up. Let's go. They break found the trackman at work. As Sloane, Prescott, and two other men took places of concealment on a slight rise overlooking the tracks. Yes, a good hiding place. Good enough. There's some men on the far side of the tracks. One of them looks like Brad Carter. I think I got him spotted. But I won't be sure until he gets a little liner. Looks like Carter's own horse. Yeah, that's Carter all right enough. Why don't you drill him and be done with him? I do. Those men with him will come after us. We'll have to run for it. Might get caught. I'm not taking any chances. Sloane, what kind of talk is that? We'll have to run for it, whether you're firing now or ten minutes from now or for that matter an hour from now. In a couple of minutes we'll get more of a head start. How do you figure that? Look to the east there. See that work train shoving cars this way? Yeah. What about it? If you'll stop at the end of track, those rails can be unloaded. The liner cars will be right between Carter's pals and us. They'll be cut off. Before they can take after us, they'll have to go all the way around the liner cars. We'll have a good head start. Hey, now, that's slick. I'll fire just before the train passes in front of Carter. I'm thinking so mighty smart thinking. Keep on with that kind of thinking. We'll soon have us a railroad payroll. Quiet now. The train's getting close. I'll draw a bead on Carter. Don't miss when you're first shot. Don't worry. Sheltered by rocks, Sloane lined up the sights of his rifle and prepared to fire the death bullet when the work train came close. He didn't see two hard-riding men coming from far beyond the tracks. He wasn't aware of them until his partner spoke. Hey, Sloane, look yonder. Those riders once masked. The others are risking it. Shut up. I gotta make this shot count. Train's close to Carter. Shoot! A couple of seconds more. When a loon ranger fired into the air to attract attention, Carter and his men turned quickly. At that moment, Sloane's carbine spoke just once. You got him. The trains go off the view. I fired just in time. Train's stopping now. All right, boys, come on. Hit your saddles in place. I think I got square with Carter. In the confusion of the moment, the men with Carter couldn't determine the direction from which the shot came. They had all been looking at the approaching masked man and his Indian companion. They knew that the hard-riding pair had fired their guns, and they knew that Brad Carter had been hit and knocked from his horse. Brad, what happened? What have they done to you? That masked man did it. Get your hands up, both of you. You too, Redskins. We saw you riding down blazing away with your guns. See how badly Carter's hurt. I should get him off. That can wait. See what you can do for him, Tutto. Him hurt pretty bad. Brad, Brad, speak to me. Speak to me, Brad. You're Mrs. Carter. Yes. You shot him. You were hired by Sloane. Oh, you murderer. Mrs. Carter, they were coming to warn your husband of an ambush. Likely story. That shot came from the other side of the tracks. We saw some men in ambush halfway up the hill. Where are they now? The train came in and cut them off. Maybe so, and maybe not. All we know is that you came in with guns blazing and Carter got hit. We'll hold you for the time being. How about him, Tutto? Bulletin deep chemistry. Steve, Frank, where's the nearest doctor? Gosh, I don't know. Isn't there one back in town? No. And this man will have to be taken into Batesville. Get him on that work train. Tutto and I will do what we can for him while we're on the way to the doctor. Now hold on, mister. You're our prisoners. We will settle for that for the time being. Say this man's life. But don't try to disarm us or remove my mask. I'm dead red-handed while you're packing your machine, man. Can you help me, sir? Take care of Brad. Yes. Put him into the caboose and unhits those flat cars that are ahead of the engine. We're safe enough here, boys. Do we get our win, Sloan? We made a slick getaway. You sure did. You sure you got Carter for keeps? I think I did. That mask man, they were shooting, might have thrown me a little off my aim, but I think Carter's done for. Now, man, we'll round up the rest of the gang. Then we'll make plans to take charge of the next payroll that comes through from the east. Come on. Get up. Get up. 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 continue our story. Brad Carter lay on the floor of the caboose with his wife and friends watching anxiously. While the Lone Ranger and Tato did what they could until the wounded man could get to a doctor, the engine and caboose moved more and more slowly on a long upgrade. Oh, Brad. Brad, can you speak to me? Barley. I'm right here. You're going to be all right, boss. We're taking you to the saw bones at Batesville. Yeah, and we got the man that drilled you. Sloan. Ted Sloan. You're wrong, boss. It's a mask man. He's right here with us. The doctor removed this bullet. You see that you made a mistake. Carter was hit by a rifle bullet. How'd you know? I heard you shooting. That's enough for me. Tato, open the rear door of the caboose. Now, now, hold on. Get as much air in here as possible. Oh. Well, if that's why you want the door open once. Oh, look. Look, those horses. Yes, Captain Silver catching up to us. Hey, this train's hardly moving. Yeah, we'll soon be over the crest. Then we can make better time. Men, Tato and I have done all that we can do. Now, honest up to the doctor. We're going to try to find the man who shot Carter. You're staying right here. Don't try to leave this caboose. Sorry. Let's go. Let me go shoot. I don't intend to shoot. I do intend to leave this car. Go on, Tato. Jump off the rear. Get to the saddle and cover me while I jump. Uh, meatball, you can't get away. Can I have every man in the railroad looking for you? Meanwhile, I'll be looking for Tad Sloan. Me, Tato. I know it's got you covered. I will meet again. Hey, he jumped to his horse. Arsenal of Easter. Come on. Here we go. It was two days later. Brad Carter was rapidly recovering his strength, but was still confined to bed in the temporary cabin that was his home in the town near the end of track. For the first time since being wounded, he was able to sit up and ask questions. Uh, go over again, Molly. Give me all the facts about that mask man. But, Fred, I've told you all I know. You say you wore a mask and was lightning fast with his six guns? Yes, he was. And his Indian friend was called Tato? Brad, I was... Molly, tell me just one thing. You said he had a white horse. He did. That critter was right behind the caboose on the upgrade when that masked man jumped off and escaped. What did he call his horse? Brad, I don't know. Think back, Molly. Think back. Did he call it silver? Come to think of it, Brad. I reckon he did. Doggone. Molly, you mean to say the boys blamed that mask man for shooting me? Well, yes. Then it's a mighty good thing I wasn't killed. Why, Dad read it. Molly, it'd be terrible if that mask man got strung up. He's the lone ranger. Brad, are you sure of that? I'm dead sure. I tell you, there's just one man who wants to kill me, and that's Tad Sloan. Somehow or other, he's the one who did the shooting. The masked man blamed Sloan. He said he fired from the opposite side of the tracks. Just for the work train, cut us off. My thunder, I'd give all I got if that lone ranger would get on the trail of Sloan and his pals. You won't have to give anything. But, Brad... What the... I had to slip into the back door. It's you! Yes, Brad. I didn't want to be seen by anyone in town. There seems to be a strong desire to stretch my neck. Well, I'll change that. Just wait like it up and around to tell a truth about you. Mr. I want to thank you for getting me to the doctor. Brad, you said you wanted your enemy tracked down. Sloan is out to make trouble. This makes twice he's trying to get me. Sloan is wanted for a bank robbery. That's why I've been looking for him. He's done time in jail for a couple of crimes. You go back for a couple more. Oh, Mr. I'll not sleep a wink as long as Sloan's around. If you could only track him down... That's what Tom and I have been doing. Brad, we picked up Sloan's tracks on the hillside to hurry where he'd ambush you. You did? There were two men with him. There are a couple of no-good skunks he's been hobnobbing with. One is named Prescott. I don't know who the other one is. Could you follow his tracks? Yes, but it's been slow work. Early this morning, we found a camp. Yeah? Sloan seemed to have spent considerable time in that camp. He was joined by some other men. Some others? Yes. There were at least 15 men in that camp. 15? Oh, Brad. He's up to something. Oh, Mr. What can be done? I've got a lot of friends here in town, as well as the men who are working at the end of the track. Maybe we took all of them and raided that camp. The Sloan gang is on the move. Do you know where they're going? No. The trail became quite hard to follow. I left Tom as a studyate while I came here to speak to you. Mr. Will you keep on that trail? Will you do it till I'm strong enough to take over? I'm not asking it for my sake. I'm asking it for the sake of the railroad. We'll do all we can to learn what Sloan is planning. Don't worry, Carter. That night, Sloan and Prescott and the rest of their gang were huddled close to a small fire in a new camp. We missed out the other day when we tried to get Brad Carter. But I don't aim to miss out anymore. What about that payroll money? That's what I'm going to talk about. We'll start now tomorrow morning before dawn. We'll head to the end of the tracks where the construction gang is spiking rails. Now, hold on, Sloan. You said you were after payroll money. We are. Well, a payroll money will be in the cabin where Carter makes his home and office, and that's in the town. I know that. The working crew has gone ahead since the last time the town was moved. That's right. It fits right in with my plans. Suppose you tell us some more of your plans. That's what I aim to do if you'll shut up a minute. We'll get that payroll cash by being smart. Listen carefully. Then check on your guns and be ready to break camp before daybreak. The construction crew had advanced several miles since the morning when Sloan had waited in ambush to shoot Brad Carter. There were nearly 20 men in Sloan's gang that rained up near end of the track. Right over there, boys. That's the layout. You shoot from here. You have plenty of cover. Prescott, you take charge. I'll take Hank with me to collect the payroll. Any questions? Let me just check on our part. We'd open fire on the labors and keep firing until they send a town for reinforcements. That's right. Every man able to bear a gun will clear out a town. Leaving things easy for me and Hank to call on Carter. As soon as the reinforcements get here to help the labors, me and the boys clear out, is that it? That's right. The attack here is just to draw men away from town while you and me get the payroll, Sloan. Right. Are you boys open fire and me and Hank will start the town? Come on, Hank, right. Open fire. Let them have it. How many men are attacking us? But we're outnumbered. We need help. My horse is over here. I'll go to town and get more men. Ho, ho, ho there. All out. All out, boys, it's an attack. Get your horses and rifles. Get to the end of the track. Get out there. Come on, get out. Word spreads through the community like wildfire and the men lost no time in grabbing rifles leading to their savils and riding westward. Ho, ho, ho there, boys, ho. The messenger will end up before Brad Carter's home. Brad, it's a Sloan gang. What are they up to? Where are they? Attacking at the end of the track. Molly, Molly, I gotta go help the boys. Brad, Brad, you can't get up. No, you stay here, boss. We'll have plenty of men to handle Sloan's gang. I've got every able-bodied man in town. I just wanted you to know what's going on. Molly, I wonder what Sloan is up to. I thought he'd come here to get the payroll cash. Darkness had forced the Lone Ranger and Kato to call a halt as they followed the trail of the Sloan gang. They had resumed their way at daybreak and were riding slowly when they heard the sound of distant gunfire. Kato, let's get ahead. Alright. The direction of Sloan's men went. Come on, we'll see what it means. The two men rode at top speed until they reached the crest of a hill. Ho, ho, ho. In the valley beneath, they saw the end of crack. They saw the railroad workers firing at the outlaws who had sought cover halfway down the hill. That's Sloan gang. There's gang, Kato. I don't see Sloan himself. Me not, Sam. We've got to make sure. Remember we opened fire from here. Catch outlaws between two fires. Oh, wait. We cut off retreat of gang. Yes, we could. Men railroad men capture all crooktima, Savvy. Why does Sloan attack? What's he after? Me not, No. Kato, Sloan isn't there. I'm sure of it. Now listen to me. You stay here. Those men try to retreat, take shelter behind that rock and open fire, put off their escape. Me, Savvy. Known as after payroll money, he'd be in town. That's where I'm going. I'll have the sheriff and his men join you here. One pillar! In his home, Brad Carter was restless and angry. Can't found it, Molly. Me here doing nothing while my men are fighting that gang. If I could only be out there fighting with them. Now, Brad, Brad, please. There's no use grumbling. You can't get out of bed, and even if you could, you couldn't ride a horse and pack a gun. Just the same, I don't like it when other men do my fighting for me. I'd like you to do my own fighting. Hello, Carter. Sloan. Steady, there's no use trying to go for a gun. You won't beat me this time. My gun's already on you. You want a dry, gulching pullcat? Go ahead, Carter, speak your feet. Let's get where we came from and get out of here, Sloan. Oh, we got plenty of time, Hank. You keep an eye on the woman. Go ahead, Sloan. Do your shooting and have it over with. You're a poison-faced rattler. I guess you know what we're here for, don't you, Carter? Two things. You and the payroll. If I had my gun... Well, you haven't. You can't shoot a defenseless man. You can't do it. You shut up. This is the third time I've come for you, Carter. First two times, I failed. But this time, it's going to be different. Oh, no. Oh, yes. This time, it's going to be different. I'm going to put a bullet right between your eyes. I wonder if you can see it coming. Look faster. What is it? Drop that other gun. You, mask. Drop it or you'll get the same as Sloan. Oh, my shoulder. Quickly. No, no, don't shoot. I dropped it. I'll keep the gun over to you, Brad. Figure it out. Yeah, I got it. Now, Sloan, as you said, this is the third time you've tried to get me. And this time, it's going to be different. Wait, wait. Listen, Carter. I'm not armed. You can't shoot a defenseless man. Now, the tune's different now, isn't it? He won't shoot you, Sloan. You're going to save you for the law. There's another gun over here. I'll get it. Red's gun. Oh, I can help keep these bullcats covered until you get back. Till I get back? Yes. Yes, the rest of the gang are attacking the railroad workers. You needn't worry about the rest of Sloan's gang. They're trapped between two fires. By this time, they're prisoners. Oh, gone Sloan. It looks like three times an hour, huh? Let's keep them covered until the sheriff gets there with the rest of Sloan's gang. Adios, Brad. Adios. I can't find it, mask man. If it hadn't been for him... Sloan is a lot of crooks in jail. It wouldn't be there. If it hadn't been for the Lone Ranger. This is a product of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. Created and produced by George W. Trendle and directed by Charles D. Livingston. Tonight's story was written by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer.