 of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hell of silver, the Lone Ranger. The full Indian companions thought all the mass criteria of the plains 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 come the thundering hoofbeats of the Great Horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again! The only passenger who left the stage in much black. He looked around as if he expected someone to meet him. He saw no one but the men on the stage and the thin-faced boy smaller than himself who staggered beneath the weight of the male fact that was handed down. Hey, you got it, ranch? Yep, I got it. Heavy load of mail this trip. Catalog time. Is that all you got for us, Jim? That's all, ranch. Give my regards to folks. Sure will. So long. Good-bye. Hey, let me give you a hand with that sack of mail. Huh? Oh, sure. Sort of hard to handle. I'll take this then. Where does it go? This way. Right inside Pa's store. You run the post office? Oh, not me. No siri. Pa runs it. I just saw Pa when he's not around. He won't catch me running those store when I grow up. I want to be a llama. Oh, that'll be fine. Put the sack right here in the corner. Oh, thanks for helping me. That's all right, ranch. I'm glad I was handy. You know my name. I heard the driver speak to you. Oh, that's it. Say, I bet I know your name. You do? Not just your first name either. You're Dan Reed. Am I right? How'd you know that? See, I'll make a first-rate detective. How'd you know my name? There was an Indian in here a couple days ago. Where is he now? Well, he said he couldn't wait to meet you. He told me what you look like and left the note for you. Oh, that's it. I got the note right here. There you are. Thanks. I wondered what town it was. Is that the Indian's name? Uh-huh. Can he read and write? Mm-hmm. He didn't write this, though. Another friend of mine wrote it. Golly. I think that an Indian can read and write. Rance, how far is it to Polkville? Polkville? Great gun. You don't want to go there, do you? Yes. How can I get there? Well, if you've got to go, there's a stage. It's not the regular stage line. Just a little out there. Does it run every day? Oh, gosh, no. Once a week is all. You have to wait three days for the stage. Three days? Well, there's nothing in Polkville except the stage station. Can I rent a horse? Not for the trip to Polkville. No one would rent a horse for that trip. It's too tough. It's an open country. It's covered with alkaline sand and hot as a fake oven. It's mighty hard on horses. How long would it take to walk? Walk. You're local. You couldn't make it. Heat would get you. The only thing you can do is wait for the stage. My power puts you up and won't cost you a cent. But I want to get there before. Uh-huh. What do you have to go there for? To meet my friends. They work for the stage line? No. Then what are they doing in Polkville? Rance, you sure can ask questions. Well, that's how a lawman gets back. If you were a lawman right now, you might be able to solve a mystery. Yeah? How's that? Two weeks ago when the stage came into Polkville, both the guard and the driver were dead. Great. Dave, who killed them? No one knows. They don't even know what killed them. But that's not all. What's the rest? When the stage came in here last week, another guard and driver were dead. Chompon, Jupiter, that's a mystery. Hey, what do your friends got to do with it? I don't know, Rance. I'm anxious to get to Polkville so that I can find out. Rance's interest was aroused by Dan Reed's story about the mysterious murders on the stage that made the short run between Mudflats and Polkville. He questioned Dan further, but soon decided that Dan had told the truth when he said he didn't know how or by whom the stage drivers had been killed. After getting Dan subtle for the night, Rance made the excuse that he had more chores to do before going to bed. He waited until Dan was asleep, then going to the stable behind his father's store. He settled a rather nondescript looking horse and his hands shook with tense excitement as he followed the plan that he decided upon. This was the chance he'd been waiting for and he wanted nothing to spoil it. Finally, the horse was ready. Rance let him quietly a short distance from the stable, then believing that no one of his father's friends could hear the hoof beats, he mounted and set out to Polkville and adventure. Get out, boy! Get out! It was the following afternoon in the small hot town of Polkville when the deputy marshal stopped in the office of Van Sautel, operator of the stage line. You say that mail has been taken from the stage? I'm sure of it, Marshal. Someone stopped the stage, went through the mail real careful, and took out what letters was wanted. Does much mail come over your line? It's considerable. We carried for mudflats on the main line that's picked up here by the Butterfield route. And you think these men were killed to give the murderer a chance to take out the mail that looked as if it held money? That's what I think. But how were they killed? A big mystery. Wasn't a mic on him. No sign of a wound of any sort. Horses brought in the stage with two dead men on the box. Guired and the driver. Oh, oh, oh, oh! Sautel, who's that rainin' up outside? I don't know. Skinny lookin' kid, ain't he? So that's dove in horses. Where's the Sautel? That's my name. I guess you're the one I want to talk to. Let's have it, son. Where'd you come from? Mudflats. On that horse? Oh, it's not much to look at, but his heart is nailed. I've never been up to mudflats, but drivers tell me it's a bad trail. Well, it sure is. Especially if you missed the water hole like I did. Come all that way without water? I had a canteen. No wonder you look poached. What's your name? Well, just call me Joe. What's your name? Me? I'm Marshall Bay. Marshall? Golly. Say, you got a friend by the name of Dan Reed? Never heard of him. Why? Oh, I just thought you might be a friend of his, that's all. Now, you didn't come here for your health, Joe. What are you after? A job. What kind of a job? I'm a stage driver. You? A stage driver. If you're a stage driver, I'm a full-blooded Cherokee Indian. When you get too laughin', we can talk. I'm just as healthy kids down right serious about it. How old are you, Joe? What's that got to do with it? You look to be about 16. I'm small for my age. And skinny. Well, just the same. I can handle a six in hand. Yes, Mr. Sautel. That's all I want. I'll bring the horses through, and I won't be a corpse with a dead guard beside me. What's that? Why'd you say that? You've had some mysterious deaths, haven't you? How do you know about him? Just happened to hear about him, that's all. What'd you say your name was? I said you could call me Joe. Did I get a job, Mr. Sautel? No. I gotta stay around here. My horse can't go any farther. Then stay around. Don't ask for a driving job. Well, how to be if I swept up the place. I'm sure I need to. All right, sweep up the place. Broom's around somewhere. Maybe when all the other drivers get killed off, you'll give me a chance. Joe? Yes, sir? Do you know anything about those deaths? Well, I speak up. Oh, no, sir. I guess I don't. That is not yet. No, I can't. What do you mean? Well, maybe I'll have something to say later on. Oh, all right. And if you learn anything, you'll tell us, won't you? Sure. I'll get to that floor sweeping job. Ben? I wonder if that towhead knows anything. I don't know. Step outside of me. For what? Come on. I've got an idea. What have you said? You find the broom? Yes, sir. I've got it. That youngster rode from one flat. Why do you want to step outside? Come around here at the side window. Right. And boy, it was powerful anxious to get a job here. I take a sneak look through the window and see if he tends to be sweeping or does something else. We can see from here. Well, look. He stopped sweeping. The minute my back was turned. He took your desk, Ben. Don't go. Going through papers and things. That young sprout is up to something, my son. I wonder if he's in any way connected with the murders. And they attend to when he's holding back some kind of information, and I wouldn't take that bet. What's a bookie's summon? A payroll book. I'm wanting an entire nation to be interested in that. Have you noticed the men that were killed? Yeah. What's your view of them, sir? What the hey, Mast! Betty, who are you? I don't slap, brother. I was just about to ask which of you were in the office. Who are you? Answer up. It's the law talking. And you must be Ben's hotel. I am. And this is Marshall Baird. He's here to find the answer to four murders. Now start looking for the answer by questioning you. My advice to you is this. Hand over those guns. I didn't come here to surrender, Marshall. Six men have held guns on me. They're dead. I am not. Oh, fast on the jaw, huh? Do you make it a practice to peek through windows? You're gonna surrender? I know, I mean... I came only to find out when the next stage is due to arrive from Mudflats. That's just about what I figured. You want to get another guard and another driver, and some more mail. Why, you murder and see, but... I will do. Oh, won't you expect the next stage? Have you got the nerve to think I'll answer that? What do you know about the boy that came here? What boy? Sure you know about him, Mast. What do you know about that towhead? Towhead. You know what I'm talking about. No, so tell I don't. I think we have different boys in mind. What do you mean? I'm expecting a boy on the next stage, but he's dark-haired. Now, will you tell me when the stage is due or force me to go inside and see your schedule? You'll try to go... Don't do what you're thinking about, Marshall. You... Just leave your gun where it is. Sure. I'll leave it where it is. I won't have to take any risks. The man who's coming up behind you will take care of you. I'm supposed to turn and look. I don't care whether you're doing or not. It doesn't matter. Take him, Murgo. Right. Look out, Murgo. I got him. He won't let go. Not yet. Stronger than I. Hand in that hand. I can't. Only three of you. Look out. Murgo! Who have you? Hand, get his gun. Club him. I'll try him. Watch that run. Now it's you and me. I'll fix you. I'll take your gun. Here, Silver. I'll get you. You killer. My God. He sure clipped you, Marshal. I saw most of the rocks. Why don't you do something? It didn't seem to be much I could do. You had them three against one. Wake up, Soltero. Wake up. We got to get after that mask, man. Mask, man. Where is he? How do you get away? Don't waste time with questions. What did he hit me with? Oh, Murgo, you worthless idiot. You had the chance and they left Critter from behind. I've done my best, Mr. Soltero. You handle him as sloppy as you handle the reins of a stage team. We should have had that mask, man. We'll get him. And we'll clear up those four murders. Now we know who we're looking for. I'll swear in every man in town. We'll have our killer before nightfall. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger story. Before the next exciting scene, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. Marshal Beards, Soltero and Murgo sat in the office of the stage line. We just a few minutes after the Lone Rangers escaped. You had a gun, Marshal. Why in thunder didn't you shoot that mask man when Murgo grabbed him from behind? How could I shoot him? I didn't have anything against him. Said yourself he was probably behind the murders. The law can't shoot a man on suspicion. I sure thought we had him. We did. We haven't got him now. Where did you come from, Murgo? I was in the cafe. I came up and saw the mask man holding a gun on you in Soltero. So I grabbed him. Murgo's one of my drivers. Been with me for two years. Oh. What are your plans, Marshal? Going to set a posse after that mask man? You bet I am. But first I'm going to question that boy. Hey you! Come out of that corner and answer a few questions. Do the best I can, Marshal. Why are you here? I told you I came to try to get a job driving the stage. That's all. Then why be a snooping over things on Soltero's desk? Me? We saw you through the window. You were looking through my payroll book. Oh. Why? No particular reason, Mr. Sartai. I guess I was just curious. What's your connection with that mask man? Never saw him before. Don't lie. I'm not. When he heard there was a boy here, he was mighty surprised. I don't know why he should have been. Listen, Toad. You know something about the murders on the stage line. What do you know? I got nothing to say. Go ahead. Do what you want. I won't talk. Stubborn, youngster. That was like he means it. You bet I mean it. Hey look, Marshal. You mind if I make a suggestion? Go ahead, Murgo. Send the boy outside first. Go on outside. Stay where we can watch you through the open door. Stand over by the hitch rail. Don't bend your ears to try and hear what we say. Yes, sir. Mr. Sartai, I don't know how you'll take to this idea. Let's hear it, Michael. I'm scheduled to drive the stage to Mudflats this week. I know. You're mighty shorthanded after losing four men. What about it? You're especially short of guards. Now, suppose I go in the box as guard. Let that boy handle the rain. Oh, he's not big enough. Oh, shucks. The horses can make that rung without a driver. What's back of your idea, Murgo? A boy knows something. I'm sure of it. He's a stubborn type. He can't make him talk. So my idea is this. Ride in the stage alongside him, I can get friendly. Maybe I can get him to open up. That makes sense to me. Me, too. That's a good idea. You afraid of the trip, Murgo? Me? No, sir. I'll be on guard. I'd like to meet the murderer and find out how he kills our men without leaving a trace. Sure is mysterious. Give me a chance to get acquainted with a kid, Mr. Sartai. I'll learn something. All right, Murgo. In the meantime, Marshall Berry will get men to look out for that masked man. It was after dark when the Tahoe road into the Lone Ranger was well-concealed camp. Oh, scout, hold for the hold. All the things in Postville. Plenty men out looking for you. I thought, uh, if you find out when the stage lead is from what flat. Uh, it goes from one morning to nine o'clock. That's when it leaves Postville. Uh, it takes 12 hours for a trip. It takes 12 hours for a trip. Then the horizon mud flats tomorrow night. When does it start back, you know? Next morning, nine o'clock. That's when Dan will leave the flats. Uh, we'll be ready to start at nine in the morning. They keep the stage in sight and see if anything happens. Uh, and the next day we'll watch it on the return trip. Uh, maybe better me go alone. Plenty men look for you. We'll dodge the Marshall's men. I don't want anything to happen while Dan's on the stage. Oh, maybe Dan not on stage. How's that? Maybe him not get a letter, you know. You left it in the mud flat store, didn't you? That's right. But boy in store, not there now. Him in Postville. He is? Uh, him in stagecoach office. Let me see him. Oh, so he's the one. Oh, uh, did you talk to him? Well, me not get chance. Other fellow with him. Maybe talk by and by. I've got to see him. I've got to know whether or not Dan got our message. Uh, him makes bunk and shed next to the stage office. I'll get to him tonight. Brandt had turned in on a bunk that Ben saw Tal fixed up in a vacant shed. He couldn't sleep. He lay wide awake, thinking of driving the six in hand. Presently, he saw a shadow at the open window. He heard a voice. Brandt? Huh? Who's that? I'll come to the window. I want to talk to you. Yeah, sure. Gosh. You're the masked man. How do you know my name? Todd, I knew you were here. I know you were here. I know you were here. I know you were here. I know you were here. I know you were here. I know you were here. Todd, I knew you were here. Todd, oh, is he your friend here? Quiet. Keep your voice down. Did you see Dan Reid? Yeah. He got your note. Golly, I saw you lay out those three men. How did you do it? Range, why did you come to Pockeville? Well… Well, all right, I can talk to you. You're all right if you're Dan's friend. The Marshal thinks you're the killer. But I know different. Why are you here? Because I'm trying to find the killer. I've got a clue. You have? A lot of them, so I practiced by noticing things. A man with a beard kept coming to the power store to buy some poison. He said he used it to kill weeds on his farm. Yes. Every time he came in, I'd ask questions. He didn't know anything about farming. He wasn't a farmer. I wondered why he said he was, and why he lied. Then I heard about the mysterious murders. Hence, good for you. Those men might have been poisoned. That's what I thought. I came here to see if I could find all the whiskers. I didn't dare talk to anyone. He might have partners. Are you working for Sautel? Yeah. I'm going to handle a team tomorrow. You are? Sautel's mighty short-handed. I'm driving. Wait. Someone's coming. You better scoot. If they catch us. I've finished. We may meet in mud flats. Golly. Dan reads lucky to have a sidekick like that. Hey, Joe. Wake up. Let me in. Is that you, Mr. Merkel? Yeah, me and Mr. Flossel. Gosh, is there something wrong? Oh, nothing new. You still want to handle that team? You bet I do. And get dressed. No. We're going to change the schedule. The boss thinks we'll have a better chance to miss that murderer if we go to the flat tonight and return tomorrow instead of the next day. I'll be ready in a jiffy. A lone ranger in Toronto slept through the night unaware of the change in the stage schedule. Awaken the dawn. Toronto rode into town and soon returned with the startling news. What's the matter, Toronto? Have you, have you wrong? Stage gone. Well, it was to start at nine. That's right. But plans changed last night. States left at midnight. Ah, here, Silver. Get the saddle while I fix the blanket. Here, Meeker. Thanks. Steady, boy. The stage is probably in mud and flaccid by this time. That's right. Steady, Silver. Easy enough. They've already started back with Dan Reed on board. Easy. There. One, two, three. Ready. Move, Silver. Get him up. Out. With Toronto close behind, the masked man set out on a furious pace. He raced through the town and passed the stage station. He saw the marshal but made no effort to dodge. He dashed on, counting on the speed of silver to keep him out of the hands of Posse. One, two, three. Dan Reed was the only passenger on the trip from Mud Flaps to Folkville. He rode in the high seats of Brant from the guard named Merkel. Any water left in your canteen, Dan? Not a drop, Brant. Sure as a dusty trip. I thought you said your name was Joe. Oh, I just gave that name, Mr. Merkel. All right, name Brant. My father runs a store and post office in Mud Flaps. Oh, so, uh, you're a Jeb's boy. Uh-huh. I guess Bob's been in the store when you make a run. Yeah, I guess so. Why did you want a job on the stage? Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Merkel, I think I've got a clue to the mysterious killer. Oh, you don't say so. I didn't want to tell anyone around Folkville till I sure they were trustworthy. I see. Maybe you better not tell me. Oh, you're all right. I guess we're pretty good stage mates by this time. Well, what's your clue? Maybe Dan and I can help you dope things out. Well, I'll tell you, I figure those dead men were poison. Oh, you don't say. How'd you figure that? A critter with whiskers came into the store a couple times, saying he was a farmer. I've thought about it a lot. You're a pretty smart lad, Brant. I figured that the poison could be put in the water hole after the stage pass on the way to the flat. Why after it, Pat? If the killer was after mail, he wouldn't want to knock off the garden driver before the mail was picked up. He'd wait until the return trip. And before another trip, the spring would purify itself. Sure. Oh, that water hose, all right. Better rain up. It's right ahead of us. You want us to stop? Sure. Whoa! Whoa, boy! Whoa, boy! There we are. I don't want any of that water. I guess I don't either. Well, I'll get down and stretch my legs. I think the water's all right. Maybe I'll try it. I could stand and stretch. I don't know why they make these things so high. Mr. Markle, you dropped... It's a false beard! Huh? Holy smokes! False whiskers! Markle, you're the one. Smart boy. Now get off that stage. So that's it, huh, Markle? You pull a gun and prove it to that killer. Too bad you won't be able to tell the Marshal about the rest of the proof that he can find in my house. Now get off that stage and be quick. We better do it, Brant. Now the whole thing's clear as day. You probably figure that if you're finished to run a day early, you would have come for you coming through alive. You would have come through alive, too, if you weren't so smart. Now I've got to fix that water hole for you. Dan, that's the poison he brought from me. Well, you should know. There you are. Drink up. Think we're local? Take your choice. A drink or a bullet. Go ahead and shoot. You can't make me drink that water. It'll matter to me. I'll give you three seconds to make up your mind. I don't need three seconds. How about you, Reed? A drink or a slug? Count me in with Brant. I'm sorry about this, boys. But I've got to let you have it or hang. And I don't aim to hang. You want to turn your back, Brant? Go on, you yellow pole cat. Shoot. All right. Look, help's coming. That's an old trick. Make me turn so you can jump me, huh? Brant, even if he shoots as he won't get away with it, the little ranger's coming. Who? Hey, what's that? Entano. Go on, fire that gun and see what happens. I sort of fired right now. Oh, he nailed him. Jump him. I got him. I'm with you. I got his gun. Get covered, Marshall. Oh, children, how are you? Look who we've got. There's the killer. Very big fella. Dan, are you all right? Sure thing. Oh, that's the critter I told you about. There's the whiskers on the ground. Brant found out about him and he was going to shoot him. How did he possibly come this way? There's the Marshall and sought out. That's the town of Polkville was chasing us. Now, this is your prisoner, Brant. You hand him over to the Marshall. Oh, Dan was in on it. Then you and Dan hand him over. We'll meet you in Polkville, Dan. You don't have time. I don't know how to keep going. I want to fight the Marshall before he learns the truth. Very big fella. Charlie, Dan, what a partner you've got. Look, here comes the Marshall and Mr. Sautel. I'm going to get out of here. No, you're not. I'm going to... Here's the thing. What's this? Merkle and the two kids. Hey, Merkle, you can't lay over here. Get back on the box. You have to be much glad. The only place Merkle's heading for is jail. What's that? Killer and Dan, we haven't got time to pull over. We've got to keep after that mass killer. You're wrong, Marshall. Merkle, here's the killer. Not the mass man. I've got proof of it. What? It's my kid, ain't it? No, all the aunts. Not all of them. But I'm smart enough to know you've been chasing the wrong man. He's the Lone Ranger. Merkle is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.