 with the speed of light, the cloud of dust, and the hearty Pio Silver, the lone ring. In the early years of the western United States, the local sheriffs were powerless against the bands of outlaws that roamed the frontier. The honest settlers often took the law into their own hands, and a man accused was a man convicted. The primitive courts were ignored, and hanging for even minor crimes was an everyday occurrence. It was then the Lone Ranger fought to prove that justice and violence could not exist side by side. It was the force of his example, his strength and courage, that held the pioneers true to the American ideal, and finally made possible the winning of the West. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoof beach of the great horse Silver, the Lone Ranger rides again. It was early afternoon, and the cafe at San Marco was nearly deserted. The bartender dosed behind the bar, and two cowboys sat at one of the tables. The first, a tall, lanky Texan, studied an empty glass. The other, smaller than his companion, olive skinned and dark-haired, gazed out at the sun-baked empty street. Oh, he's hot. I'd just been waiting for somebody to tell me about that. I didn't figure it could be below zero, but I've been wondering if it was hot enough to really call hot. It is, and you already are hot enough. You can't go back to sleep now. Had me worried. Somehow I do not think you are funny one little bit. I suppose we can afford to buy another drink. You still try to be funny. How much further before we get to the railroad camp? A hundred miles. We will stay here until it is dark, and then ride again. Pedro, you want to work on the railroad? Do I want to? Give, uh, it is not that I like to work at all. Ah, me neither. It is it now and then, just enough to keep in practice I'd like to eat. Yeah. Well, I ask you, is there any ranch you would take on men in the middle of the summer? They all have full crew. There is not even place for Pedro Martinez de Salvatte Runiega. Yeah, that goes for Pete Lacey too, I guess. So? Work on the railroad, Pedro. I don't get your Spanish blood in the uproar. I tell you what? What? I try for it to get another drink. On credit. Ah, you're talking, son. Hitch up your belt and remember that your great-grandpappy was a conquistador. Well, it is so. Do not laugh. I'm not laughing. After taking a look at that bar, keep on the wish your grandpappy was here to back you up. Well, I go. I hope you can talk yourself into it. See, I go now. What the? I would like two more drinks. All right, put up your gun. You don't have to tell the place down. On credit. What's that? On credit. I want two drinks on credit. And you woke me up for that? I am Pedro Martinez de Salvatte Runiega. I don't care if you're general grand. I will pay you soon. My word, it is good. Now listen, cowboy. I don't know you. I never saw you before in my life. I tell you, I don't care what you tell me. I'm not the regular barkeeper and I can't give you any credit. Here's the boss now. If you want to argue, you can argue with him. All right, Joe. I'll take over. I'll meet you at the cabin. When? As soon as Cy gets here. Good. At this time, Bray wants a drink on credit. I'll see you later. About sundown. Hey, senior. Forget about it, Pedro. You two traveling together? Yep. Where you heading? To the railroad camp. We are going to work in crew. When we get our force, Bray, we will send you money. No need for that. The house can afford a drink. Oh, gracias. Sure are thirsty, mister. You did set him working for the railroad. Your health, senor. It is the only kind of a job we could get. You don't know of a ranch around here that would hire us, do you? He is Pete Lacey, the best bronco buster in the state of Texas. This is Pedro Martinez, a top hand if they ever was one. Do not forget my lariat. He can rope a jackrabber with a 60-foot line. Not only one hind foot, senors. Both hind foot. Well, as a matter of fact, I may be going into the ranch and business myself. Oh. I'd like to buy some land here in the valley. Got it all picked up. When you get around to it, you can send us word at the camp. Oh, wait. I've been having some trouble with the men who own the land I wanted. If I was to try to buy it myself, they'd hold me up. I wonder if you two would act as my agent. Yes, senor. When you deliver the deeds to me, I'd give you $100 a piece and a job to boot. You've hired somebody, mister. The name is Fraser. Now, I want my part and this kept quiet, you understand. You'll keep away from the cafe till you get the deeds. What will we use for money, senor? I'll give you all you need right now. You... Will you thrust us with it? I can afford to. My men will see that you don't leave the valley. You don't have to worry about us, Fraser. We won't try on a double crew. No, senor. You have the war, the pay, the martineries. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But this land you got picked out. Can you tell us where it is so we won't make any mistake? I got a paper and pencil here. I'll draw you a map. You won't have any trouble. Now, this is the valley. The river runs smack through the middle of it. Now, here's the circle bar, the lazy D and the bar N. They go over as many miles Which one you want? I want a part of all three. I notice that most of their land is north of the river. But each of them got a strip on the south shore. Yeah? It's those three sections I want. I'll pay $5,000 a piece for them. You... You'll give us $15,000? I get it here in the safe. I'll give it to you right now. Pete, you feel like millionaire for a little while. Oh, it's a lot of money. But I've been thinking, Fraser. Pedro and me ain't as pretty as we might be. Those ranches are going to ask questions. What do you mean? They'll wonder how we got so much. They might decide we were outlaws. That's taking care of each of you enough. Now, here's the $15,000. And here's an advance on your hundred. $50 a piece. You can buy yourselves new office before you start making your calls. Just look at those boots, Fraser. Got cracks in them like the Grand Canyon. We'll get ourselves all decked out this afternoon. It is almost so good to be true. We'll start rounding up those deeds for you tomorrow morning, Fraser. You'll start tonight. I can't tell you why, but I want to own that land by tomorrow night. There's no time to waste. You will! You have the world afaith! Don't worry, Fraser. Whatever your reasons are, they're good enough for us. Yeah. I guess you boys will come through for me all right. You're strangers. You come from the West. You shouldn't have any trouble. But if you do, just remember that I never saw you before in my life. It's awful dark in these woods, Pedro. Yeah. You sure we're on the right trail? Yeah, but as soon as we get out of trees, then we'll ride for half a mile more, come to the river, circle by a ranch on the other side. These woods will make a great place for murder. Are you coward? These new boots are awful, Purdy. I hate to have anything happen to them. Nothing will happen. We've got $15,000 on us. Do you have to tell the whole world about it? I'll just talk to myself. Then do not have to yell. Rain up there, reach for the sky. Pedro, that boy's coming behind us. He's got the droop on us. We'll spy a little boot. You can turn around now. We'll have to die fighting, Pedro. We can't... Just as you were passing, we decided you ought to stop and say hello. Well, it is great pleasure. We can't tell you how great, mister. I was just fiction to say goodbye to $15,000 and a pair of new boots. $15,000? That's right. Hand it over. I'll take it back to the bank. What did you get us? Oh, but no, no, senior. We would never steal. Not with you and Tonto around. I'd still like to know where you got it. I got it from the bar. That's interesting. The right section would be a good investment. We're going to get ourselves a hunk of the lazy D in the bar end, too. You're acting for someone else, aren't you? Well, yes and no. You tell the whole truth when the masked man asks you a question. Say, senior, we asked for someone else. Have you come from the west or the east? From the west. We were broke when we hit town, but we got... Then you're buying the land for someone in town. I know you to say we get into town and go into café. Everybody know that man named Fraser owned the café. It is not saying anything at all, eh? Thank you, boys. That's all I want to know. Is there something wrong with what we're doing? I'm not sure. We promised to buy land by tomorrow night. That's your business. I have an idea that Fraser is behind the rustling in this district. But that has nothing to do with buying land. If he's rustling, we will not work for him. We will not take his money. But we have already, Pedro. Don't tell me I'm going to have to say goodbye to my boots. You're sure he's all right? If Fraser is a crook, it may be all we need to expose him. Go ahead. That makes me feel a whole lot better. But don't give the deeds to Fraser. Not until you've seen me. When will that be? Where? You can visit all three ranches tonight. Sure. When you finish with your business, come back here and make camp. Wait here for me. See you, senor. I may not get back until tomorrow night. But don't leave. No, sir. Adios, then. Ready, gentlemen? Come on, silver. Get him up, scound. Adios! I will still bear away! We're riding through the fork. Uh-huh. What do you think? We know that Brian left the railroad camp three days ago. He should have reached here by yesterday at the very latest. That's right. He passed through Bennett City a day ahead of us. That's what men in store tell Tonto. Between Bennett City and here, there's only one place on the trail he could have gone wrong. You may have turned to the right instead of the left. You'll find out very soon. Yes, Tata. But where does that trail to the right lead? You may have found out too late. Maybe so. There it is up ahead. Come on, silver. Get him up, scoundrel. There's a rail ends at that cabin. Looks deserted. No light. We'll have to investigate. Pull up, Tata. We'd better lead the horses from here. Better we circle cabin. Go around back. You're right. There seems to be a lock on the front door. That's unusual in this part of the country. You think we find railroad men inside? I almost hope we don't, Tata. Come on. There. I'm going to climb through the window, Tata. You'd better stay outside. No one out here. Time to come with you. All right. Someone over in that corner. A lamp on table. Light it. Here. Here, lamp. It's Brian. Past man and a ninja. Are you outlaws too? No, Brian. How do you know my name? There isn't much about the railroad we don't know. But who tied you up this way? A half a dozen of them. One called Fraser. That explains everything. I talked too much. He said to take me into San Marco in the morning. When I told them why I wanted to get there, they tied me up. It wasn't hard to figure what they planned on doing. But what's the idea of the mask if you aren't an outlaw? Him, Lone Ranger. Lone Ranger? Honest? Well, no wonder you know about the railroad. I've heard the boss speak about you a lot. That's silver. Put out the lamp, Tata. Someone coming? There's a woman. We should be able to see anyone on the trail. I don't hear any horses. There they are. They've stopped. A whole gang. I'm afraid they saw the light. They're a tough crew, mister. We'll be awful lucky if we get out of this alive. Get down! 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. Now to continue our story. Fraser and his men, returning from San Marco, saw a light in the window of their cabin hideout. They left their prisoner unguarded. They knew that Brian could not have freed himself. Fraser gave the order to open fire. Pour it into, man. I don't see any horses. I heard one around in back. We'll see that they don't escape that way. The rest of you, man, stay here. Come on, Joe. There's no sign of light in the cabin. Who could it be? Some traveler come along, looking for a place to spend the night. What do we do with it? Hold him until tomorrow night. That's all we have to do. You sure those two cowboys won't try to double course you? They haven't got enough brains. Boss! There's a white boss in the paint. A couple of men getting out that window. Let him have it. We got to the horses. Get them! What do we do? We can't catch them. Rain up at the cabin. But one of those hombres might have been the railroad man. If he gets away... I don't think so. They're both too big. Better pass the word along to the boys before we go in. They'll fill us full of lead. Hold your fire! Hurry up to the window. Brian, we left you gagged. What do you want? He's free. Maybe he's got a gun. He wouldn't have answered if he did. Light the lamp. Still tied up, huh? But he isn't gagged. Who are those two men that just hightailed it out of here? The last man in an engine. What do they want? They took the gag out of my mouth and asked me who I was. I told them. But they left you here. You can see for yourself, can't you? They were outlaws. We scared them off. Well, maybe so. Maybe they found out all they wanted to know. Did you tell them why you came to San Marco? I didn't have to. They knew? They seemed to. Somebody else is on to the deal. A masked man can't do nothing about it. I don't like it. You stay here, Joe. Where are you going? I'm taking the rest of the boys back to town. We've got to find those two cowboys before the night's over. Pete and Pedro had met with no difficulty in buying the land. A grout in the accepted fact that the new railroad would not pass through the valley made the ranchers willing and eager to sell. The deeds in their pockets of two cowboys returned to the spot where they had met the lone ranger. There they unsaddled their horses and unrolled their blankets. An hour they waited beside the campfire and then... It must be two o'clock, Pedro. We'd better hit the hay. See? The masked man, he will not come until morning. Will you give me a hand with my boots? They might be pretty, but they might be tight. All right. I'll pull them off. Oh, you can't do it that way. Turn around so your back's toward me. All right. I'll push you with another foot. Yeah! Yeah! I didn't! I pushed Pedro Martinez de Sofa de Rognac on his face. I don't know. It would come off so easy. With these insults, you pushed me on my face. I didn't. We will fight the door. All right. Tomorrow at sunrise, I'll go to sleep. No! There's someone coming. It's a white horse and a paint. The lone ranger in Tonto. We will postpone the door. We got the deeds all right, masked man? I know you did. You do? How do you know that? Tonto and I have stopped at all the ranches. Let me see them. Pedro? Yeah, right here. Oh, and a circle bar, the lazy D, and the bar N. The ranches have signed them, but you didn't. No, no, señor. Frazer tillers not to. He will take them to the land offers, have them registered in his own name. Do we let him, masked man? Shall we give him the deeds? I'll keep them for the time being in... Wait a minute. Is something wrong? Is this the land Frazer told you to buy? See, circle bar, lazy D and bar N. Yes, I see. The boys, most of the ranches have gone to town. To San Marco, you mean? Yes. At this time of night? I think you'll find them in the cafe. They're looking for you. What for? You'll find out when you get there. It's time you told them you were acting for Frazer when you bought this land. You want us to go to town right now? Right away. Tonto and I'll meet you there in a little while, just as soon as we've taken care of some other business. We will go, señor. Ready, Tonto? Come on, silver. Get him up, shallow. Silver away! Frazer's search for Pete and Pedro had been unsuccessful. It was shortly after he had led his men back to the cafe that a hard-riding band of ranches and cowboys raced into town. Their horses thundered to a stop in front of the cafe and the angry murmur of their voices could be heard inside. That sounds like a mob coming this way. They got nothing on us, though. Remember that. Frazer! What do you want, Jeff? We want justice. That's what we want. We're looking for a couple of ordinary sidewalkers that cheated us out of our land. I don't know what you're talking about. They called themselves Pete and Pedro. One of them is a big yellow-haired Texan, the other short and dark. I never saw him. We'll get him. What do you mean they cheated you out of your land? They bought a section of peace from us. Well, there's no law against that. We didn't know the railroad had changed its plans and was coming through the valley. The railroad would give us three times what those hombres gave us. They cheated us. You sure about the railroad? The man who smitten an engine tool is coming straight from headquarters. What's going on out there? Send him along in here. He got the money he gave us right here. Hand over those deeds. Well, are you waiting? We have a message for you. What message? It was not for ourselves that we bought your land. No. Frazer hired us to do it. That's a lie. You give us $15,000. No, I don't believe them. They see they're in trouble and they're trying to get out of it. I wouldn't put a pair as your Frazer. I always figured you and you might have been wrestling our cattle. You've got no proof of that and I never saw these two before in my life. I use your brains, Jeff. If I gave them $15,000, would I deny it? You might to save your neck. We mean business cowboy. Hand over them deeds. We do not have them. You see this rope? We aim to use it if you don't hand them over to Pronto. Head roads tell you the truth. We haven't got the deeds. Where are they? Right now, we do not know. Maybe you'll change your mind when you feel a rope around your neck. Just wait a while, Jeff. We're not waiting any longer. Tie their hands behind the back. Get them on the horses and ride them out of town. We're heading for the big cottonwood men. Pete and Pedro were hustled out of the cafe and lifted to their saddles. Jeff rode in front of the self-appointed posse and the town was left behind. A thin streak of light rimmed the eastern sky as a giant cottonwood loomed on the trail ahead. That's it. Passling those ropes over the big limb. I'll do it. You're not in this frizzy. I don't like a dirty deal any more than you do and I'd sure like to make them talk. Hurry it up then. Give me a hand, boys. Back up their coyouses a little. That's it. Hold it now. You change your mind any yet? We'll tell you the truth. There's nothing more for us to say. No use wasting our breath. Who'd have been here before long? All the more reason why I should save it. I got a few goodbyes to say. See, adios, Pete. Goodbye, Pedro. And goodbye, little boots. I wish I could wipe you off just once more. Why for do you call them little boots? You've got the biggest feet in America. What's that? The biggest feet in America. Them fighting words, you scum. Scum? That's what I said. Saying hard things about my feet. They never did you no harm. They pushed me on my face tonight. You won't tie my hands and I will fight dual with this man. I will kill him dead and save you the trouble. That suits me. Give me the chance, Jeff. I'll pump him full of lead just on time. Don't pay any attention to him, Jeff. Sit still so I can get this noose around your neck. Too bad, Pedro. Might have worked. It was worth it, right? Do you have to pull the noose or tie it already? It's your last chance. Where's those deeds? Listen, Pete, deeds are coming, Jeff. Can't you hear those horses? I can see them, too. It's getting light in the east. It's the mass man and the engine. The same ones that told us about the railroad. There's somebody else with them. Yeah. A couple of hombres. Joe and Brian. Don't let Fraser get away, Jeff. Looks like he's trying to make a break for it. Stay where you are, Fraser. What's going on here? You can see for yourself. These are the hombres that cheated us out of our land. Have you got the deeds to it? I have. Then hand them over. Not so fast, Jeff. If they knew, Fraser said that he did not give us money. You deny giving them $15,000? Why, yeah. It's certain that no one else gave it to you, Pedro. The land you bought must belong to you. We got something to say about that, and we've had enough plawering. You've listened to me once before, Jeff, and you'll listen to me again. Not for long. It won't take long. And here's the man the railroad sent to buy your property, Jim Bryant. Howdy. Suppose you tell him which sections you want, Brian? Why, sure. Everything on the south side of the river. The south side. That's right. But the land we showed was on the north side. Exactly. You still own the land the railroad wants, and Brian is ready to do business with it. Cut the ropes for those boys. Pete, I tell you it was the land on the south side we should buy. Yeah. You tell me I am wrong. You say we buy land on the north. I sure did. I can't understand how I was so plum-for-getful. So? Oh, oh, oh, oh. Ah, sometime, Pedro, sometime, Pedro, sometime, Pedro, something you'll have if rain, eh? What is that, Fraser? I'm just going back to town. I haven't got any business with Brian. I got some business with you. Perhaps you haven't noticed that Joe's with us. Bring him over here, Toto. Very good. And try this. Quiet down, man. We haven't finished yet. When Brian rode into the valley, he took the wrong trail and ended up at Fraser's cabin in the hills. He was made a prisoner. I didn't have nothing to do with it. You can't put all the blame on me. Ah, shut up. You'll both keep quiet until I've finished. Fraser hired Pete and Pedro to buy your land. If he denies it, we can't do anything about it. But the hides are another matter. Fetch! After we set Brian free just now, Toto and I made a search of the cabin. We found a trap door. Underneath the floor of the cabin, there was a storeroom. It was filled with hides. You could hardly get down in the place. We only brought three with us, but they should be enough. Let Jeff see them, Toto. Ah, you look. Circle barb, that's my friend. Lazy D and Barron. That explains the rustling in this district. Fraser and his men have been sealing your cattle with a hide. Hey, there's cunks. We'll string them up right now. No, you won't. You'll put them in jail and give them a fair try. They deserve to hang. You let a judge and a jury decide that. Had to do what he says, man. You're talking to the lone ranger. He didn't know that, mister. Whatever you say goes. Round them up, boys. Take them back to town and throw them in jail. Yeah? Pedro. Si, señor. Whatever you do with that land is all right with me. Let's go, Toto. Ah, get them up, scoundrel. Come on, silver. Adios. Hold on, mister. What do you mean, Pete? What do you want us to do? If we keep the land, be sort of dishonest. We have no money to stock it. Being ranchers, we couldn't travel anymore. Oh, that is bad. I know. He wants us to give the land back to pay the ranchers for the cattle they lost. Hey, it's a good idea. That's what he wants, I'm sure of it. Si, señor. That is what he wants. The lone ranger is our friend and he always wants his friend to be happy. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the lone ranger incorporated.