 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a clod of dust and a ha-ha-ha-yo silver! The Long Ranger! With his faithful Indian companion, Toto, the daring and resourceful Masked Rider of the Plains led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. No where 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 Long Ranger rides again! The bloodiest of all wars between the Indians and the United States Army in the west had ended with a treaty. The government gave to the Indian nation, led by Chief Angry Wolf, a vast area of land in exchange for the Indians' promise to permit white emigrants to pass through their territory freely and in safety. In Washington D.C., Thomas Gray, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, spoke with Robert Lynn, who by treaty agreement would be the field agent in charge of the newly created Indian territory. Your job is important to this nation, Bob, and to all the people in the west. You'll deal directly with Chief Angry Wolf. Angry Wolf? Well, you'll find a chief in spite of his one-time enmity, a very honorable man. Well, that's good to know. In that case, Commissioner, we'll have no trouble in that part of the west ever. I hope you're right, Bob. Unfortunately, we've learned from sad experience that our own people are sometimes the ones most anxious for the Indians to fight against us. But what kind of man would want that to happen? The greedy ones, Bob. The dealers and guns and contraband. If death and destruction mean profit to them, they don't care what color the victims may be. The only colors that interest them are gold, silver and green, the colors of money. Dan Banning was one of these merchants of death. But in the outpost town of Ransom on the eastern banks of the Canyon River, Dan Banning was known as a traitor, honest and above suspicion. Directly across the river extending westward was the new Indian territory. It was of this territory that Banning spoke when he met in secret with his henchmen, Tad Davis and Jock Griffin. I want you to go there and start agitating. By terms of the treaty, the Indians are forbidden to carry or keep firearms. Chief Angry Wolf has already turned over the guns from all his tribe to the soldiers at Fort Manning. Well, in all they have are bows and arrows. That's all, Jock. I'm relying on you two to see that they buy new rifles. Thousands of them. Dan Angry Wolf may be a tough hombre to do business with. I remember what happened to Blackie Dawson when Wolf caught him selling fire water to his brain. Yeah, me too. Blackie got himself killed, that's what. Dan Angry Wolf said against that stuff, you'll hear that we're trying to sell it and he'll run us out of the territory. No, he'll not if you play it smart. Don't forget, those Indians of his were pushed back 200 miles west from what used to be their country. This new territory is strange to them. The tribes are scattered all over it, getting settled. Yeah, but Angry Wolf's village is the first one you come to after you cross the river, only 10 miles inland. Then bypass his village when you go to do business with the other chiefs. There'll be a government supervisor here before long. So the sooner you get trouble started, the better. A few days later in Washington, D.C., Commissioner Gray entered Robert Lynn's office. Bob, when you leave for the west tonight, I'll be with you. I just received word from one of our agents that he's made contact with the one man in the west who may ensure the success of your mission among the Indians. Who is he? Well, I can't tell you until we meet him, Bob. All I can say now is that our train will stop before we get to Ransom at a landmark already agreed on. The man where to meet will be waiting there. That evening, Commissioner Gray and Robert Lynn left Washington. Days later in the hills 10 miles east of Ransom, the train slowed to a stop. Gray and Lynn left the train and brought a few paces to the grassy expanse that bordered the tracks. The conductor standing on the car platform gazed at the hills behind them, then at the vast area of isolation that seemed to engulf them. Commissioner, are you sure this is where you're supposed to get off? Yes, thank you. But there's no one here to meet you. You're miles from everywhere. We know that. We'll stay here. Signal the engineer to start again. Yes, Commissioner. Do you still want me to leave your baggage at the station in Ransom? Yes. We'll pick it up when we get there. All right. I hope so. What? You're a puzzle. I am. Commissioner, this can't be the place for our appointment. This is wilderness. Well, that's why we're meeting here. You see? Commissioner, get your gun out. We're in for a hold of it. Look, coming out of the underbrush back in the foothills. It's a masked man and outlaw. He's not an outlaw, Bob. He's the man I want you to meet. What? The man I've met before, and whom the government considers the most important person in the West. If that's the case, then he must be... But of course, he's masked, he's riding a white horse, and there's an Indian with him. Commissioner, I've heard and read about such a man. Am I right? Is he the lone ranger? He is, Bob. He's promised to help you get started in your new job. Commissioner Gray, whom the lone ranger had assisted in the past, greeted the masked man warmly, then introduced him and Toto to Robert Lynn. The men spent hours discussing the problems of the situation that faced Agent Lynn, and the lone ranger supplied the answer to most of them. The meeting ended in mid-afternoon. The masked man made an appointment with Lynn for the following morning. Now, there's only one main trail in the Indian territory, and that starts directly across the river from Ransom. Toto and I avoid towns whenever possible. We'll meet you on the west bank of the river an hour after sun-up tomorrow. I'll be there. Will you be with us, Commissioner Gray, when we go to visit Chief Angry Wolf? No, it's better, I think, that Bob and the Chief meet for the first time without my being present. And your introduction will carry much more weight with the Indians than mine. But, Commissioner, I... Don't try to deny it. I recognize facts. Now, you said a while ago that you had horses which Bob and I may ride. Where are they? Back them on the trees. We'll take you to them and ride with you to the outskirts of Ransom. Shall we go to the horses? At that moment, Tad Davis and Jock Griffin met with calamity. Since their arrival in Indian territory, they had failed in their attempts to trade with the minor chiefs of Angry Wolf's nation. Now, after an unsuccessful effort to sell their illicit wares to members of an outlying tribe, the chief of that tribe made them prisoners and took them to Angry Wolf's village. Angry Wolf's tribal council was not impressed when the white renegades tried to justify their actions. They failed to convince the chiefs that the Indians should arm for war. When Davis finished pleading his case, Angry Wolf spoke with great indignation. You break Indian laws, law of white man, when you try sell guns and firewater and reservation, Angry Wolf tell you Indian tribes not want guns, firewater, not want them ever. Now, chief, you're paying too much attention to that treaty. The government gave you all this land now, but it'll try to take it from you again, you'll see. That's why you need guns, chief. That's why we're interested in trading deer. You need them. You can't trust anybody, including soldiers. Stop! You speak no more. Angry Wolf believes soldier of great white father friend. Now, that's where you're all wrong. Let me tell you... You tell Angry Wolf nothing more. Go. Take horses ride back over river. Indians not harm you now. But Angry Wolf warn you, if you come back, Angry Wolf calls soldier. Soldier may keep big trouble for you. Oh, don't worry, chief. That's the way you feel. We'll never come back. You go with Fierceekel. Him take you to where he put your horses. Now, go. The Indian Fierceekel led Davis and Griffin to where their horses were tied, in front of the oversized log cabin called a Hogan, where the Indians stored their food supplies. Now, you're right away fast, not quite longer. Get up! Get up! The two white traders galloped their horses away from the camp and headed eastward. Less than a mile from their starting point, Jock Griffin suddenly grew back in his saddle and rocked the pulled on the reins. Hold it, Tad. Hold it. Come back here quick. Tad, see that rock over there beside the brook where I'm pointing? That's gold, real gold. Your loco is the way the sun's playing on that rock. Don't tell me. I did some mine in a few years back, plaster and hard rock. I tell you, that's gold. Let's go and investigate. I'm going to prove it to you as soon as I get the axe out of my saddlebag. I was right, Tad. It's gold, all right. Look at that rock. When you see a vein like that, it means the whole place is covered with gold. Yeah, well, if that gold's always been there, how come the Indians never found it? Because they just moved into this country. That's why. They're not familiar with the land yet. We'd better take a claim here and have the soldiers march in and take it away from us. Hey, Jock, don't forget this is Angry Wolf's land. Anything found here belongs to him. The treaty says so. But we can't let the Redskins get the fortune that's here. I know that. So we'll take a sample of this ore back to Banning. And if there's a way for getting the gold out of the territory without causing trouble with the soldiers, Dan Banning will find it. Dan Banning, after hearing Tad's and Jock's story and examining the gold ore, came to a conclusion. There's only one way to get hold of that gold without making trouble for ourselves. How's that, sir? We'll make the Indians declare war on the white man once more. War? Sure. When they do that, the treaty will be broken. And the government will take back the land, open it for emigration, free for anyone to claim. Yeah, I get it. When that happens, we move in and stake claims to the section where we found the gold. That's the idea. Boys, go back to Angry Wolf's village during the night. Start a fire in the Hogan where their food supplies are stored. The flames will spread from there. I don't think that's enough to send them on a war path. It will, if you do, as I tell you. I have a room full of army surplus material that I bought for almost nothing. A lot of oil cans marked property of United States Army fought Manning. When you set the fire, leave those cans behind you. So the Indians will think soldiers started the fire, huh? It will be proved to them that they've been double-crossed by the treaty. And the war will start. The curtain falls on the first act of our lone ranger adventure. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Quickly before dawn, when Tad Davison jocked with and reached the village of Angry Wolf and made their way quietly to the Indian storehouse. Quickly they struck matches and lighted oil-soaked torches. Then they tossed these into the building through the open windows. Inside the Hogan, they heard the sudden crackle of leaping flame as they lighted torches once more and hurled them in a crimson arc into the interior of the log-made structure. That does it, Jock. Look at those flames, will you? We better get out of here and hurry. We'd like to drop these cans where the flames can't reach them. Hey, Jock, look. There's an engine coming out of that last tee-bees. Hey, Jesus, you give the alarm... Out of my way! Tad had seized a boy knife from his belt and with expert aim sent it streaking through the air at the Indian. The startled red man could voice his alarm. The blade of the knife pierced his neck with a faint gasp he slumped to the ground. Nice throwing, Tad. Nice aim. He didn't get to make a sound. Come on! Indian agent Robert Lynn met the lone ranger and Tato an hour after dawn that morning. The trio set out at once for Angry Wolf's village. Come on, Silly! Yes, come! Three horsemen reached the edge of the village and stopped short when they viewed the site before them. The entire village is in ruins. Burn to the ground. Rainbows and arrows. Some of them are pointing at us. Keep cool. These Indians know me. I'll ask them to take us to Angry Wolf. Chief Angry Wolf was called to the greeting of the lone ranger and his voice was acid as he spoke. Why you come here? Why? My purpose, Angry Wolf, was to introduce my friend Mr. Lynn. Who is to be with you as a representative of the great white father in Washington? Words like treaty mean nothing. Soldiers come at night, destroy food. Them set fire to village, stick knife into son of Angry Wolf. So now, engine ready, make war. You're making a mistake, Angry Wolf. No soldiers have done these things to you. They know what happened. Them set fire to Hogan where food's kept. Sparks fly to where? Set fire to Teepees. Injans fight to stop fire. Try save women children. Find Joseph's son of Angry Wolf with knife in throat. Medicine man try now to save him. Maybe him die soon. Were any of your people killed? No. Great spirit. Protect them. Them escape. Why do you say the soldiers started the fire? Braves find cans that hold oil which start fire. Cans belong to army. We got them here in Teepee. See them in corner. Chief, those cans may have been army property. It doesn't mean that the army used the oil in them to start the fire. And there no proof that soldiers started the blaze. Angry Wolf, think different. Chief, if only for the sake of your own people you can't risk war. Listen to me please. The lone ranger using reason and his powers of persuasion convinced Angry Wolf that war would be the last resort of the red man. At first effort should be made to learn who started the fire and why. The chief and white men visited the ground near the Hogan and their tattle came upon only fresh prince in the vicinity. Foot prince here came a sabi. You see? And hook prince over there. And them not made long go. Maybe made by men who start fire. Me see marks. But only show true men walk. Only show mark of two horses. Which proved chief that there were only two men here riding two horses. It shows how wrong you are in thinking the fire may have been started by a troop or any other body of soldiers. You look at hook prince and then go east. Look like riders go back to river, ride to ransom. Why don't we try to follow that trail and go after them? Yes, we'll do that. Tunnel will take after them at once. What are you going to do? If Angry Wolf will permit me, I'd like to look at his son Joseph. Chief, I have a medical kit in my son's bag. Angry Wolf wants son to live. If mask man help do this, Angry Wolf lead him to where son lies in sickness. Fort Manning's not far from ransom, is it? Five miles, maybe. While Tunnel's treading the horses that made those hoof prince, I'll ride to ransom and wire the commander at the fort. I'll have soldiers come here with food, tents, and the army doctor. Chief, I'll return. Tunnel and Robert Lynn rode east toward ransom The lone ranger went with Angry Wolf to the teepee where the badly wounded Joseph lay. The mask man used his medicines and surgical instruments to ease the pain and treat the wound of the young brave. When he rode from the camp an hour later, Angry Wolf, grateful, spoke to the warrior who stood with him. Him save life of Joseph. Maybe him find snakes who start fire. Him great man. When the lone ranger crossed the canyon river, he rode toward ransom. He was surprised when he saw Toto in a tree-studded area near shore. Toto signaled with a wave of his hand and the mask man joined him. Toto! Then Toto informed the lone ranger that he had followed the hoof prince to ransom and had already located the men who had ridden the horses. Him in building, at end of street, Kimisubby. Me look through in to see him. Them talk with man who own-builded. Who is he, Toto? You know? Me, no, Kimisubby. Name, Bannon. Bannon is supposed to be a reputable man. What would he be doing with two men like that? Me not know, Kimisubby. But when we tell man from government about him, him go to Bannon's office. Is Robert Lynn there now? Him go there after him send wire to Fort Mannon. Toto, go back and keep an eye on the building. When Lynn comes out, return here and let me know what's happened. I'll be waiting. When Toto returned shortly after, Robert Lynn was with him. He was both chagrined and angry as he spoke. I'm afraid I made a fool of myself. I steamed into Mr. Bannon's office and accused the two men who were with him of setting fire to the Indian village and that... Well, I made a mistake. Why? Mr. Bannon said they weren't in Indian territory yesterday. He said they work as traders for him, dealing only in furs and hides. And that they've been at his home since yesterday. Oh, him lie. Bannon said that, did he? He swear to it. I told him it might be necessary. I let him know who I was and told him my authority. What is it, Toto? What do you see? He could see street from here. Then we talk about leave office now, get on horses. Hey, you're right. They're riding in the other direction. They may be trying to escape. If they get away now, the law may not have a chance to investigate. Then, Toto and I will take the place of the law for the time being. Easy fellow, easy fellow. Davis and Griffin became aware of their pursuers when the lone ranger and Toto riding furiously closed in on the crooks as they rode into the hills. The escaping men threw their guns and began to fire over their shoulders. Their shots fired from the backs of their careening steeds were all wild. Davis and Griffin tried to load their pistols as they rode, but they were too late. The lone ranger and Toto overtook them, grabbing the reins of the horses, then covering the crooks with their guns. All right, get out off your horses. Yeah, yeah, don't shoot. We're doing what you say. Yeah. But what's the idea? We didn't do anything. You caught knife and throw the frame there. You threw from Angry Wolf's village? That tells us all we need to know, Toto. Yes, we failed you from there. Now you'll pay for what you did. Well, what are you going to do with this? Take you to where you'll pay the penalty for what you've done. You made a mistake when you knifed the son of Angry Wolf and I. What? You mean that engine we threw the knife at was Angry Wolf's son? Is he dead? Didn't you leave him for dead? No, it was his own fault. Look, we know how important the son of an engine chief is. We know what their law is. For killing the chief's son, they'll torture us. Please don't take us back to those engines. We're not the only ones in on this. I know I'm not going to die the hard way and let Banning stay alive to get that gold some other way. Oh, damn Banning told you to set fire to Angry Wolf's village, did he? Sure. It's all his fault this thing's happening to us. Ted, he'll get away with this and we'll get killed. He'll find that place where the gold is. You tell me everything there is to know. Perhaps things may not go too bad for you. All right, I'll tell you. Ted Davis told the complete story of his and Jock Griffin's crimes and the role of leader that Dan Banning played in them. He related the finding of the gold in the Indian territory and ended with an account of Banning's plot for a bloody war in an effort to get that gold. When he finished, the lone ranger and Tato tied the crooks and lifted them onto their horses. Then, despite protests, they led the horses back into the town of Ransom. Come on, sir. When they reached the main street of Ransom, they saw a small body of United States cavalry near the crossing at the river. Indian agent Robert Lin was in earnest conversation with an officer in Captain's uniform. The conversation ended at once when the masked man and Indian appeared with their captives. You caught up with them? Yes, Mr. Lin. We also caught up with Dan Banning. This is Captain Monroe. He and his detachment just arrived from Fort Manning in response to my wire. Food, medicine and equipment are on their way from the fort now. Also a doctor for Angry Wolf's son. A doctor? You mean he's not dead? I never said he was. Say, isn't that Banning leaving his building now? Of course it is. He's running away. He must have seen his ride into town with these two and seen all of us talking here. Come on, sir! The Lone Ranger had sped along the street after Banning. Banning never reached the place where his horse was stabled. The Lone Ranger caught him and circled him with a lariat and brought him back to where agent Lin, Captain Monroe, and the soldiers stood watching in fascinated amazement. Oh, sir, well, easy, sir. Here he is. Banning's the man who's been selling guns to all the Indian tribe that have caused you trouble, Captain. He planned it. Let those other two men tell you what he planned. Well, don't worry. We'll tell him the same thing we told you. Then, Toto and I have done our part. We'll leave you. Good luck in your job, Mr. Lin. The Indians with gold on their land will be more peaceful than ever. Adios. Goodbye. Let's go, Toto. Come on, sir! Let's count. Well, Captain, what do you think of that? Mr. Lin, before that man arrived with these two crooks, you told me all that he'd done. And since that time, I've seen with my own eyes why he impressed you so. I've heard of a man who's a legend. A man who rides a white horse and wears a mask. Is that... Yes, Captain. He's the man the government depends on to hold the West for our country. He's the Lone Ranger. This is a feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated, created by George W. Twendle, produced by Twendle Campbell Muir Incorporated, directed by Charles D. Livingston, and edited by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer.