 horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. A man's life often depended on the quickness of his draw. The local sheriffs were unable to preserve the peace, and it was not until the masked rider of the plane started his great fight for justice that law and order were brought to the lawless frontier. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoof beats of the great horse silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. A hot, sunny afternoon at the lazy flow of life in Canyon City was startled out of its calm in the sound of a dog fight. When the townspeople saw the dogs involved, they realized it was far more than a casual encounter. They emptied their homes, towed to the plane to watch the battle. But one of the two dogs, the great black hound, was the property of old Zeb Crump, and the other, identical in appearance except for its color, was owned by Charlie Teal. For years, the two men had been rivals and bitter enemies, and everyone present was aware that this fight typified their hatred. Suddenly, old Charlie Teal, accompanied by the lumbering figure of the sheriff, pushed his way through the crowd in front of the feed store and ran toward the snarling hounds. Hi there, Lobo. Great that you hear me. Hair boy, hair boy. Lobo, come here. Hey, folks, help me break it up. Give me a hand, won't you? Sheriff, give me a hand. Lobo, stop it, you hear? Stop that fight in this minute. Pete, give me that stick you've gotten. Break it up, you loco-pitters. Quit it before one of you kills the other. Yeah, that ain't gonna do no good, Charlie. What are all you into standing around doing nothing for? Slam hot, put over the cafe there and get a pill of boiling water. That'll do the trick. You betcha. Hey, Charlie, watch out. Here comes Zeb, thought you ought to know. That old fool, he'll get his tongue to wagon from both ends again as usual, I suppose. Don't he already? No, no, no. Let me through. Come on, get out of my way. All right, if you want to get trapped below, stand aside. Hi there. What's the idea? Sicken that howl to your own mind. I'll have the law on you. I'll have you jailed. You stop them dogs fighting right now. Now, look here you get it. Oh, shut up. I tell you to do something you do it. Hey, since when'd you get the right start giving me orders? Never mind that. Just now, hold on, Zeb. Oh, it's you, isn't it, Sheriff? Where have you been all the time? Can you hear me calling you? I was here for you. Then jail this fella. Go on, jail him. What for? For getting his dog to try to kill my dog. But he didn't. Charlie and me was in the feed stall when the ruckus started. You mean to tell you, Sheriff? Oh, the hot water. Well, give me that. I'll take it. Yeah, she's sure boiling all right. Well, here goes. What is something he don't take, too? Charlie's dog don't need it. It looks like the flag is done scooting for home, Zeb. When you get there, you'll likely find him waiting for you. Though both you got burnt, it plumb serves you right. Picking fights with trash. You ought to be ashamed. Who's dog you calling trash? For yours. Who just pulled? That'll be enough, you two. Charlie, you hadn't ought to have said that. Zeb, I reckon to keep the peace, you better climb in your buggy and get on out of town. It ain't safe having you both here at the same time. Can't make me go, Sheriff, unless you make Charlie too. Oh, he's running along, don't you worry. All right, then. But, Charlie... Well, there's a heap of things to be said between you and me. It's here fighting but one of them. Nothing to said that you weren't the cause of. If you weren't so all fired, jealous. Jealous? What of? You, my dad, wrecked your head. Now, not jealous. I don't want to have to keep repeating myself. I said to stop it, and that's what I meant. Now, Zeb, you get. Sure. But I just aim to tell Charlie this. What? Nobody does nothing. The folks less than they pay for it, Charlie. So far, you've been right lucky. But one of these days, you'll pay. And when you do, you'll be a mighty sorry man. Goodbye. Honest, Sheriff, sometimes I think old Zeb's clean local. Ain't he always been? I never seen you talk up to him so strong for, though, Charlie. What got into you? He ain't done no good trying to smooth things over, has it? No. Well, then why shouldn't I tell the old digit where to get off? Charlie, whatever's started all this between you two. Oh, I don't know. Ever do Zeb a bad turn? Well, not to know of. Yeah, it's a funny thing. I've been watching. It's like, uh... Well, I think you hit it right on the head. It's like Zeb was pies and jealous. And mine when you bought that dog of yours. Zeb had to have one as near like it as he could get. Only difference between a miss, mine's white and his is black. And when you built your new house, you hired every hand you could find to build a biggie. When I buy saddle horse, he gets one. Even tried to bribe my foreman to come to work for him, because I claim Nate was the best common I ever seen. Yeah, yeah. Well, Charlie, I told Zeb you'd be running along, so I... I guess you bet it. All right, Sheriff. Just as you say. See you again soon, I reckon. Come on, Lobo. Yo, Sidney, you and me are going home. Yeah, wish to thunder I knew it was going to come with this. What is that you said, Sheriff? Oh, I wasn't talking to anybody just to myself. Yeah? Don't pay no attention to me, Slim. I just can't hope and it don't happen when I know dog gone well it is. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scott. As soon as we reach the top of this hill, Tyler, you'll be able to see both places. Zebs is off to the right and Charlie's to the left. They're about five miles apart. You heard about their quarrel in town the other day, didn't you, Kimosabe? I think I mentioned it. Those two hounds, they all got into a fight. Ponto member. There's few to theirs. We'll have to be brought to an end. Maybe that'd be plenty trouble. If it's allowed to go on, I'm afraid there will be. What will Almond do, Sheriff? Everything he could, Tyler, but it hasn't been enough. And he's been at a disadvantage. Why that? Like almost everyone else in this district, he's a friend of Charlie Teals. He tries to get along with Zeb, of course, but it's difficult for him to hide his dislike. Naturally, Zeb sees that and resents it. Perhaps being strangers, we'll do better. Zeb Van Feller. He's a man whose soul has been poisoned by hatred. He knows that he's as wealthy as Charlie, if not even wealthier. His herds are as large. His range is almost limitless. He commands credit to almost any amount at the bank. And he's found that isn't enough. What do you mean? It's one of those strange quirks of personality. In spite of his wealth and power, he hasn't a real friend in the world. He knows that. Day after day, year in and year out, he's had to see Charlie secure in the respect and regard of his neighbors. While he even can't buy a surface respect. Which explains, I think, his craving to imitate Charlie in every way. Whatever Charlie does, Zeb attempts to imitate him. Him heap big fool. When he learns that imitation can never equal the real thing. Oh wait, here we are, Kimosabe. Pull up. See, that Zeb's place over there. Now, but this way is where Charlie lives. There's a deep canyon dividing their range. If you look where I'm pointing, you'll be able to just make it out. Oh, no, what's that? Me see it. Isn't that two horsemen? Ah, them ride plenty fast. In fact... What do you think? Looks as if one were chasing the other. See, they're about 20 or 30 yards apart. They must be following right along the rim of the canyon. Listen, there's shots. Come on, Tano, we'll find out. No, look, what's up? Tano, get hit. There, in fall. Not right out of the saddle. Tano, let's go. Ah, get him up, scoundrel. Come on, let's go. Hurry, boys, hurry. Oh, there's so many foes. Oh, there's so many foes. Oh, fella. Get out of there. Hey. Easy there, old fella. Think it easy, boy. We're friends. We're not here to harm you. Watch out for that fella, Tata. He's vicious. Ah, me watch out. Now, let's see what's happened here. This is where the one fella we saw dropped from the saddle. There's his horse over there. Ah. The fella who shot him kept going. He headed into the mesquite patch there and disappeared. Not right. We don't see what we can do about picking up his trail later. The thing to do now is find out what happened to the man who was wounded. And Tata. What matter? I think I can tell you now who that man was. Who that? Look at the dog, Tata. Him black fella. Don't you recall who owned a dog like that? Ah, fella named Zeb. Right. I've got an idea what's become of him. Here. From the signs, he must have been just about here when he fell. Not two feet from the canyon's edge. Ah. I don't know if he was wounded badly enough. But if he went over it. You come. What is it? You look down there. Not too close to the edge, Kimosabi. Tata, careful. You look. I see nothing but those rocks below there. Yes, Tata. Now I see what you mean. Ah, what do you think? Tata, there's been murder done. Ah. That man's dead. Ah, dog gone all up with them rewards and notices in this desk someway. And it ain't to be found while wrecking. What the? Clash, man. Carol, keep your hands from those guns. What are you? This isn't a hold up. And I'm not an outlaw. I brought you news of murder. What are you? Chair of a friend of mine and I were riding toward the canyon that divides Zeb Crump's range from Charlie Teals. From a distance, we saw a running gunfight. One man dropped from the saddle. What's that? And the other man was shot. We lost his trail on that malpie over there. But the other will be waiting for you when you get there. He's dead? Yes. Masked man, who is he? We thought he'd better not be touched until you could get on the scene. You showed sense. So we didn't attempt to get down to where he was. But if I'm not mistaken... What? That man Zeb Crump. Well, you're crazy, Mr. It can't be. There it means... I know, Sheriff. I know. It would mean that he was shot by a Charlie Teal. Well, I'll be... Settle up, Sheriff. We'll take you there. There's that redhead path here. Only way to get down to the bottom of the canyon, but it's almost worse than no path at all. We're almost there. All right, tell him... Yeah, we made it. I thought I was gonna bust my neck a dozen times over. Now, which way was it, Masked Man? To your right. Come along. Lead the way. You know where you've seen him. It isn't far. Thank you. But I'm thinking of climbing up again. That's gonna be a chore. When you saw him in those rocks, you see ahead of us. Isn't that right, Hunter? That's right. Here's the place. Circle his boulder here and we... Sheriff, he's gone. What? Strange, are you sure this is the place? You sure you ain't made any mistake? Look for yourself, Sheriff. This is where he fell. Yeah. Yeah, that's so. Well, even so, Mr. You did make a mistake. Yes? You said he was done for. Well, I don't know. But he couldn't have been. How he lived through a fall like that, I don't know. But he done it all right. If he hadn't, he couldn't have got up and walked away. But, Sheriff, he didn't. I wasn't mistaken. He was killed. What makes you think that he... Read the sign, Sheriff. Look at those boot prints. Well, I'll be switched. The murderer came back and carried him away. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, we have to pause for just a few moments. Now, to continue our story. When the Lone Ranger and his companions discovered the dead man had disappeared, they lost no time in starting for the top of the canyon. The difficulty of the ascent made it impossible to talk. But as they neared their rim, they heard a mournful sound. They reached them faintly at first, but gradually became clearer. You hear that, Meshman? I do. Yeah, funny thing, ain't it? That's Blackie. Old Zeb didn't have a human friend in the world. I mean animals, he was, too. But all that's something the dog just don't take into account. I mean, as Zeb was, Blackie's up there mourning and just the same as if he'd been the finest zombie ever wore outside a letter. Loyalty has bred in their nature, Sheriff. Perhaps there's a lesson in that for us. What do you mean? Maybe we should take more trouble to value men by their good qualities and less to condemn them for their bed. That's funny talk for a Meshman. Well, there's nothing to do with the problem we're up against right now. I'd suggest that just as soon as we reach the top. Rifle shots, get down, Doc. No, keep climbing. Those shots are being fired at us. We'll be safer up above. Come on, climb as fast as you can. Almost slipped. Can you climb me? We haven't much farther. Here we are. Make it. I'm all right. Up with you, Turner. Now, then, where's that hombre, huh? Where's he gone to? It's impossible to tell. If I could just get my hands on that skunker. I'm afraid you won't. But why? There's no way of telling just where those shots came from. Could have been anywhere over in there. That section's too broken up. We could spend days looking for a sign of that gunman and still not find him. That dirty Gregorch. I can't save you this. I can see how Zeb might have pestered Charlie. He just couldn't stand it no longer. But why would Charlie shoot at us? Him and me was good friends. When a man's life is at stake, he might do anything. Yeah. Yeah, I suppose that's so. But still it. Yes? I'd rather explain it by saying Charlie'd go on clean local. Didn't know what he was doing. There's the Charlie T-line who wouldn't have harmed a fly. I'm going back to town. I'll have plenty to do. You'd better send deputies to both ranches. They'll be sure their owners are missing. Yeah. And send out warrant notices for Charlie. Well, come on, mess men. Let's get back to the horses. What's the matter? What's that? Is something wrong, Turner? I mean, not no. He's uneasy about something, Sheriff. I can recognize the signs without Taddu speaking. Me watch that trail. Why, Kimosabe? I think maybe follow, follow. Following us? Do you suspect someone's following Taddu? Or do you know he is? Me not know. Keep watch, Taddu. But if we are being followed, try to do it without giving yourself away. I suppose that hombre figured if he kept on our trail, he'd get another chance to finish what he tried to start back at the canyon. It's possible. But it seems to me... Hold on. What's the matter, Sheriff? Those shots fired back at the canyon weren't fired at us. I'm certain of it. I should have known at the time. My gosh. Where were we when we heard those shots? We were climbing that path. And we're still almost 50 feet from the top. Those shots didn't come from anywhere near the edge of the canyon. We could have located them. What are you getting at? Those shots came from a point at least 300 or 400 yards back from the canyon. That's right. How could the man who fired them have been able to see us in order to aim? Well, I'll be... Mayor's men have never occurred to me at all. No, to me, Sheriff, until just now. You're right. But if he wasn't shooting at us, then who... Then he had another object. I think we can be sure that anyone wandering around in that district wasn't amusing himself in target practice. And don't talk foolish. Outside of target practice, you don't fire at an object. That isn't alive. But what other living object was around back there except ourselves? The dog. You see, Sheriff? It'll be too sure. There might have been an excellent motive, and we could just see what happened through the eyes of that fellow with a rifle. What a dog! Shootin' at a dog that wouldn't harm nobody. It wasn't bothering nobody. Well, if you could make anything out of that mess, man, then you got me licked to a phrase. I can see just one explanation. Well, let's hear it. No, for the present, it sounds too incredible. Sheriff, when you reach town, it'll be dusk. We'll ride part of the way with you. What have you got in mind? You'll go on to town as if nothing had happened out of the ordinary. And when you get there, do the things that would have been expected of you. Send deputies to both ranches. Get word around that Charlie Teal has wanted for murder. But at the first opportunity, slip away from your office without being seen. Ride just as fast as you can for the ridge. We'll be waiting for you. And then what? And then, Sheriff, we'll learn why a murderer wanted to kill a dog. All right, let's go. Get up. Get up! Almost nine, Tyler. Sheriff should have been here. If he doesn't arrive within a few minutes, we'll have to go on without him. Wait. That horse? Maybe him now. Sheriff? That's you, man. You late? I had one dickens of a time getting away. When folks heard about Zeb being killed and Charlie turning killer, I thought they'd go crazy. I was just about to take my guns to him to get him out of the office. Well, now where are we going? Back to the canyon. I'm backing on two things. One, that the dog will continue his vigil at the point where his master met death. Oh, he likely be there all right. And two, that Tyler was correct. That someone was following us this afternoon. What's that got to do with it? He must have been the fellow who fired at the dog. And if he followed you to town, then he hasn't had time to return. You're way ahead of me, Massman. Let's hope the killer isn't way ahead of us. You want to see justice done, Sheriff? Ride like you've never ridden before. Come on, sir. You must speak softly. There's no use advertising our presence. You're the boss. That's that dog. Yes, we leave the horses here where they'll be out of sight. They'll stand. Come along. Keep to the shadows. We go this way. You take the lead, Hunter. Is where we headed now. You want to find a place of concealment as close to the dog as possible. And fella comes back, you'll have to get close himself in order to get good aim at night. And then we'll grab him. Yeah, good place. By these rocks? Get down, Sheriff. We can do nothing now, but wait. Massman. What time is it? Almost midnight. Two hours. We've been here two hours. You honestly think that hombre's going to show up? I know he will. How can you be so all fired certain? The dog's still alive. If he had to kill him before, he's possibly playing it safe. I've got an idea that just like us, he's somewhere close. But remember, he's captured, it means his death. He's going to take every precaution to make sure he won't be interrupted again as he was this afternoon. Likely so. Be patient, Sheriff. It'll be worth it. I'm trying to. But you know Massman. What's wrong? I kind of wish I hadn't come with you. Yes? Why? I think I understand. It's the thought of arresting a man who's been your friend, having to hang him afterwards. You hit it, Massman. If I'd ever known someday I was going to have a job like this to do, I'd never run for sheriff. The lawman doesn't have an easy time of it. Oh, Charlie. The show must have gone clean out of his head. You won't. You look. What's up? What is it? Look. There. A shadow, Sheriff. Yeah, and by a target, that shadow's moving. Wait. Listen. If he continues on that course, he'll come directly between us and the dogs. That'll be the time for us to strike. Yes, you're right. Now, silence until I give the word. You stop, Massman. He's living something. He's aiming. Come on. Get that man. Stand right where you are, Charlie. You'll have to let you have it. Got that gun. Don't move. Get back. Get back. Got that gun, I said. All right. Massman. Well? This ain't Charlie. It's Zeb. Well, Massman, you've done a job to be proud of. This poor cat I got handcuffed to the saddle. Here's gonna hang. But you've kept everything so all-fired secret. Sheriff, Zeb gave himself away when he fired at the dog. And yet, if possible, the dog had to be killed. I don't savvy. It's clear enough. The murderer wanted the dog out of the way. It had to be for a reason. There was just one thing the killer was worrying about then. Discovery and capture. Zeb owned a black dog. We knew either Zeb or Charlie had been killed. Naturally, when we saw a black dog mourning the death of its master, we assumed that Zeb had been the victim and Charlie the murderer. That's right. But in that case, how could Zeb's dog give Charlie away? Charlie was already known to be the killer. The dog's death would have gained him nothing. That's where I was puzzled. Only one possibility remained. If Charlie had nothing to gain by the dog's death, then Zeb did. He was alive and Charlie had died. But the black dog wasn't black. His coat had been dyed. You will learn I'm right. Well, dog gone. It was a perfect plot. You would send out a description of Charlie as a murderer, not Zeb. Zeb, once he was out of the territory where he was known, would have been perfectly safe. But first, before he left... He had to get rid of the dog so I would never find out the trick he played. That's the answer, Cheryl. There's your prisoner. Come on, we may meet again. Hey, wait up! Hold on there, I want to... Clear it out. Well, Zeb, you ain't leaving. Hang on to the saddle. Your head for the Calibus. Get up. Get up there, boy. Come on, boy, get up. 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