 Firey horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hardy high old silver, the building of the first transcontinental railroad was one of the most important steps in the winning of the West. The railroad was of prime importance to the future of the country. But powerful forces, cattlemen, stagecoach lines and steamship companies opposed it. Outlaw opposition sprang up and the Lone Ranger was commissioned by the president to lead the fight against the enemies of progress. 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. Come on, silver, the heading for Great's Point is El Silver High. Far west of the labor crews that laid the railroad tracks, west of the graders who smoothed the way for the tracks, in fact in a section of a country where surveyors still had work to do, the town of Greg's Corners nestled among surrounding farms and ranches. Greg, the founder of the town, was a worried man. You worried. All right, Hank, let's go with that. I won't complain anymore. What have you got to complain about, Greg? Here you sit in your office with an iron safe full of cash and a mortgage on every farm around here. And how about me? How about that cattle I lost when the water hole went bad? How's your wife taking your lost, Hank? Never mind talking about my wife. But Hank... I'm not blind and dumb. I know what's going on around here. And so does everyone else. I know what happened to the water hole that killed off my cattle. You know... So do all the other men around here. It's more than chance it caused so much to happen to all of us. And stop calling me Hank. My friends can call me that, Greg, but not you. But we've been friends for years. You don't know what real friendship is, Greg. You like like a friend, sure you will. You like money fine and lend a man all the cash he wants on his ranch. You'll take a mortgage and let him sweat and struggle to fence a place and film. Now, you see here, Newtom. I've got a right to know what stirred you up this way. Poisoned cattle, that's what stirred me up. The case of Jeb Finney's. It's a cut line fence that led his cattle straight over a hundred miles of mountains. In Rooney's case, it's fire that cleaned out his barn. But how can you... You listen to me, Greg. We know the truth now. You did all those things. What? I did. You. That's a lie. I said you're to blame. Maybe you didn't do it yourself, but your head had done. You let us all build up our land, and now you're taking it away from us. Hank, Newtom, you're a crazy fool if you think such a thing. I don't think. I know. You'll eat those words. Well, you can have your land back. I can't meet the mortgage now. Neither can any of the others. Take the land and the buildings and what's left of the cattle. We're all pulling stakes. You can't do that. Where do you go? What do you care where we go? You've got a farm. You've got kids to take care of. So we should stay on the place till you have the fun of throwing us off when the mortgage comes due. I never said I'd do such a thing. You don't need to. We're leaving while we still got food left to travel with. Where's Greg? You dirty scheming polecat. Now, what's happened? Have you been hit too? Hit a plenty. Look out there, winter. Look at that smoke. That's my bar to my house as a fire. I'm down right sorry. Sorry. I'm here for just one thing, Greg. And this is it. Yeah. Lama, I don't blame you. That's to remember me by Greg. Is there any chance of fighting the fire at your place, Lam? None at all. Me and my folks are taking the two horses we managed to save from the barn and our old wagon and heading away from here. Me too. Now, let's get going. We can pick up a plenty others. We'll make a wagon train for new diggings. They all hate me. They all think I want their farms back. Only I could get at the truth. Greg. Greg, you... Greg, what do you do over there on the floor? Hello, Watson. Here, let me give you a hand up. Hey, you've been hurt. What happened, Greg? I suppose the only reason you're talking civil is because I don't hold a mortgage on your place. Sit down, Greg. Who did it? It was Lam. But I don't hold it against him. If he really believes I'm horning up to set fire to his place, he's only doing what he thinks is right. Hey, it was him. I don't like the way things look around here. Everyone says you're driving away so you can get the land. I know what they're saying. I don't claim they're right. Why would I want all that land? Why would anyone else want to drive away? Now, I don't say you set the fires and poison the cannon or the crops. No, you don't say I did all those things, Watson. What are you thinking so? Of course, it'd be good business. You've got a name as a businessman. Good business. Good business to drive everyone out of his home, off his land. They can't beat the mortgages. You'd get the land back. What do I want of all the land? What good is the land? Of course, Greg, it's worth a lot more now than it was when you sold it to the settlers. Watson, if I could only tell all the men, if I could only find what's behind all the trouble around here. Yes. I all think I'm filthy rich with cash. I'm not. Don't have much cash. I've got heavy debts to meet, too. I wanted the cash for the mortgages, some of it, so as I could meet my debts. I don't want all that land back. I can understand, Greg, but all those homesteaders can't. I said, you smell smoke? I guess it's blown over from Lam's place. She's become from the other part of this house. We'd open the door. That is fire. Your own house. Where's Jane? I've got to get Jane. My wife is in there somewhere. I do. I'm younger than you. Jane! Jane! Who's that? Get him, Tuttle. I've got him. No, no, let me go. Let me go. My wife. She's outside. She's safe. Get out before you're trapped. This way. Great. It's all right. I see Jane outside. Who are you? You're a master. I'll leave that for later. Let's get out of here first. That's the end of my house. Nothing left but smaller than ever, Jane. After all the years we lived there. Oh, Greg, now what will we do? It might be a lot worse, Jane. There's a lot of farms with good houses on them. You'll have to lose them all. But what can you do? I guess the mortgages papers are all on file at the clerk's office. Aren't they great? Yes. Where did that engine in the mass man go? I don't know, honey. I don't know where they went. You think they started a fire? No. I'm afraid there was someone right around here. Someone that's got to hate me. That's what I think, Greg. It's probably one of the men that fears you drove them off his land. Jane, this is one of the times that makes me wonder if all our honest living has been worthwhile. Everyone thinks I'm the lowest, most ornery sort of a skunk that ever lived. They'll have a friend left in the world. You can count on me, Greg. Go as they've only lived here for your time, but they will now stand by you. I wonder where that engine in the mass man went. It came all of a sudden and disappeared just as fast. At that moment, the lone ranger and toddler were riding hard across the plane. The lone silver water hole is just ahead. Left pile of rocks. That's where water is. Good. We've reached it before the prairie wagons. Right up the tunnel, we'll water a horse and pull silver. Pull silver. Now, Toto, this is the last water hole for quite a distance to the east. Not right. Most of the people leaving Greg's corners will stop here and fill their barrels before going on. I want you to wait here, Kimosabi. Meet those people when they come and ask them to stay until I get back. Before you go. I've got to get to some of the railroad workers east of here. I think I know why Greg's been blamed for a lot of things he didn't do. Me wait here then. Keep all settler here. I'll be back in two days at the most. Toto made camp. By nightfall, several families had arrived in prairie wagons. Some of the men wanted to continue on their way. Others, out of curiosity, were willing to remain. Hank and Lem were two of the former. Yeah, this is probably some more of Greg's words. He wants us to stay here and starve. That's what he wants. Greg, not know about this. Then why are you holding us here? What if we won't stay? You stay. Me make sure of that. Hey, where's the horses? Yeah, where are they? What do you mean? What do I mean? What did I say? We're in Hitch to let the horses graze a while. It was all over there together. Yeah, I saw them there. Where are they now? I thought you knew, Hank. Horses led away by a engine while you was filling the water barrel. Led away? Where to? We got to find them. There's the rest again. He's on that paint horse. That's the one he rode while I led the horses away. No, it's too late. He's got away. We ain't a fine pack of fools to let them steal our horses right under our noses. Boys, men, Hank, take it easy. It's all right. All right. All right, my aunt, Hannah. How we go to move from here without the horses? We'll have the horses when it's time to move. What are you laughing at? I don't see anything funny. I know who the Indian's partner is. It's the Lone Ranger. I helped Todd'll make off of those horses. You see, boys, I know about the Lone Ranger. Then tell me about him. Who the Sam Hill is he? And why is he interfering in our business? You'll learn more about the Lone Ranger pretty soon. Now, you mind just as well relax and help us face camp here, then. Because we're here to stay until the Lone Ranger gets back. My next day, Greg was in the depths of despair. His wife found it impossible to lift his spirits. Well, after all, honey, we've got a place to live in. Got a lot of places, in fact. We can just about take our choice. Oh, place to live. Sure. There's nothing wrong with this place the Cummins built. It's not as big as the one we lost, but it is plenty big enough for the two of us. Jane, this is Jim Cummings' house. It isn't ours. But he's left here. Besides, you hold a mortgage, and in a day or so, it'll be ours by now. A mortgage. I wish I'd never heard of a mortgage. Now, now, honey. Oh, what's the use, Jane? I'm about ready to give up and go east with the others. There is nothing left here for me. You're the biggest landowner in this part of the country. And what good is a lot of land? I wanted people around here. Neighbors, friends. Jane, I'd give every mortgage I hold to know how so many things happen to people. Why, they all put the blame on me. Well, you might as well forget about that. Most everyone has gone from around here now. I wonder who that would be. Oh, it's Mr. Watson. Step inside, Mr. Watson. Well, you're real cozy in this place. Hello, Greg. I thought I'd drop in and talk a little business with you. Well, sit down, Watson. I suppose you'll be living here soon, huh, Mr. Watson? Hey, no, man. As a matter of fact, I like it here. I aim to stay for quite some time. Oh, that's nice. I don't know why. Oh, come, Greg. Don't take things so hard. Maybe when I've spoken the piece I came here for, you feel more like making plans for the future. Well, start talking. I'm ready to listen. You've got a lot of mortgages on land around here. No denying of that. Why not let me buy up some of those mortgages you hold? Why, they're worthless now. Why are they? Well, the men that own the land have left here. The mortgages won't ever be paid. You'll have nothing, but a lot of land that won't be worth much if they didn't live it on. You let me worry about that. Yeah, I brought some cash along with me. Take it, Greg, it's yours. Watson, are you serious about wanting to buy a lot of mortgages? Sure, why not? I'll get the land real cheap, won't I? You still pay more than it's worth? It's all right with me. This cash will tide me over. I'll be able to meet my obligations. Sure, it'll see me through this trouble. Good. I'm glad to hear it. What about the clerk's office? You can sign the mortgages over and the cash is yours. In an hour, the exchange was completed, and Watson went to his own office, the owner of many farms and ranches around Greg's corners. He slammed the door with a hearty laugh. We put it over, lefty. Look, here's a bundle of paper. Great work, Watson. Now I guess you can pay me off. You can pay it off in good time. Just wait until Greg finds out what a fool he's been. Wait until he finds it out. He just tended me a fortune for almost nothing. He spent less than $2,000, and I've got land that'll bring me over $50,000. Wait until Greg hears about that. 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. Watson was in his office on the second day after he had bought a number of mortgages from Greg, the founder of Greg's Corners. The afternoon had dragged slowly, and Watson was about to close his desk when... Hey, Watson, I got something that might be interesting to you. Come in and let me close the door. Watson, I just came from Hank's place. I went there like you said to look it over and check on where the property line was. So, is the property line... Oh, that's all right, but there was an Indian. He came right up there after I got there. He did. What do you want? Well, Hank could send him to get a few things that had been overlooked. Hank? Hank is three days' ride from here by this time. Yeah, that's what we thought, only he isn't. Neither any of the other settlers. They're nice. No. Where are they? Well, Easter here at the Waterhole. They set up a camp there. They're staying right there. Where are they? Well, I don't know. Why not? Go there and talk to them. Learn what you can. And out where they didn't move ease, and how long they planned to stay in that camp. Hank, you know, I won't feel easy, but there was folks near enough to learn what happens in the next few days. Right, I'll find out all I can about them, Watson. Hurry it up. I'll start first thing in the morning. Money! You'll start right now. It'll be dark before I get there. What of it? I'll get going. I've got to know about things. In the newly made camp, the people who had been forced from their homes made the best of their situation. Hank and Lim had already talked to the Lone Ranger and felt confident that he would help them. The Lone Ranger himself was camped a little apart from the others with Tonto. The two sat without a fire and watched the plane. In the moonlight, they finally saw a solitary figure riding toward the wagons. It was lefty, and the Lone Ranger went forward to meet him. Whoa, whoa, whoa there. Hello, that stranger. Hi. I was heading this way and saw the campfire here in the camp. Do you want to stop overnight? Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure. That'd be downright fine. Just wondering where I was going. What, uh... What's the matter? Well, you're masked. What about it? Well, uh, nothing. Nothing at all. There's a tent over this way with an extra space. You need blankets. There are some you can borrow. There are some other visitors in the tent, men from east of here. Well, that's, that's fine. I'll ride over with you. Come on, boy. Get up there. Have you started any fires recently? Huh? What's that? Well, I saw you hurring away from Greg's house. Just after it started burning. Well, well, no, no, no. That couldn't have been me. Well, it must have been someone else. Lefty felt increasingly uneasy as he walked toward the tent. There was something about the masked man's manner that caused a peculiar tension. I had the masked man brought up the fire at Greg's home. How much proof did that masked man have that Lefty was the one who started the fire? I can't prove anything. My word against his and Watson will give me an alibi if I need one. Then the tent flap was thrown back. The masked man stepped in and... I'm in. Boys, here's a man who's going to share the tent with you. Good. Make yourself at home. My name's Bart. This is my working bartender, Jack Stoddick. Howdy, howdy. You can just call me Lefty. Sit down there, Lefty. It's too early to turn in. We might as well talk for a while. I'll see you in the morning, Lefty. That masked man. Who is he anyway? He seems to run this camp. He sure learns things fast. He learns things? What do you mean? Once more, he makes plans to cash in on Jack. Move those instruments aside with him. Yeah, sure. Don't go on things, take up a lot of room. Well, those are survey instruments, aren't they? What else did you think we'd be carrying? You two are surveyors. Oh, I thought the masked man told you. We're working for the railroad. Oh. Yeah, we got to check on the route and make sure of it before the grading crew comes along. It makes me chuckle to think of how all these people hurried from their farms and came here to lay clean the homestead land. Is that what they've done? Why else would they be here? They must have learned where the tracks were to be run. It doesn't take anything out of our pockets, Jack. Of course not. I'd be sort of glad to see these people paid by the railroad. They need the cash. Anyone with gumption enough to bring a family out in this part of the country and set up a new life deserves all the help they can get. Hey, just a minute. What is it, Lefty? You're talking about here. Sure, what about it? Well, this is northeast of Greg's corner. Sure it is. But here's another man. Heard some of them rumors. Rumors? That's about it, Jack. You see, Lefty, there was some talk for a while about running the railroad through Greg's corner. But now... If it goes through here, it can't very well go through Greg's corners, can it? We'd have to cut away toward the saw, there's no point in that. Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, I've got to go. Where are you going? My horse, I'd better go and see to it. See you again. What about it, Bart? He could leave us. Wait a second, Jack. That's Lefty, and he's riding fast. Riding to take news to Greg's corners. Now we'll see things happen. Lefty rode as fast as the horse could travel. He raised up to Watson's house, leaped to the ground, and burst through the door. Watson, Watson, wake up, wake up fast. What's the matter? Oh, a matter of plenty. Lefty? Yeah, I've just come from where the ranchers are camped. They've skinned us, Watson, skinned us at your gate. Hold on, what are you talking about? We're digging a lamp. Never mind a lamp. Are you even eating a local wheat or something? No, I was in that camp. There was a survey man there. They had their instruments. The railroad isn't going to come through Greg's corners at all. What? I thought that had moved you. Not coming through Greg's corners? Well, it's got to come through here. It got me information. Now, your information was wrong. They're all planning on staking new homesteads near the water hole. Then they can sell right to the railroad. They will double-crossen. If I get my hands on the matter, it gave me that information. Listen, you, are you telling me the truth? Yeah, I am. Honest, I am. I've got to work fast. I've got to get to those ranchers. How long will it take? Well, you can make it by daybreak if you ride hard. Then I'll ride hard. Maybe they won't sell their land. They don't own it yet, but they can just... Get the lamp lighted. Quick about it. I've got to find a couple of my law books and get some clues on. Hurry up, get my horse out of there. Yes, sir. Those poor fools. The day when they can out with me will never come. I'll put my deal through. You just wait and see. Same night. There was another caller at another house. Greg was wakened by a tall masked man who rapped gently on the door. Oh, shakes alive. What do you want at this time? Mask. Hello, Greg. See, I remember you. Good. You helped me when my house took fire. I, uh, wanted you to take a trip with me, Greg. I have a wagon for you to ride in. A wagon? Pass your own. Right. This time of night? Where to? Why? Please save your questions until later. I want you to see what a friend of yours is going to do at Daybreak. Friend? A friend of mine? I don't have any friends left. You'll have a lot of friends, Greg, before another sunset. I'll come with me. Daybreak in the camp. The ranchers were up with dawn and busy with their campfires and chores. Each family was a small unit of its own. But the people as a whole were surrounded by a circle of their wagons. Lamb and Hank were the first to see two men approaching. Hank is Mr. Watson. Watson? So it is. There's a fine man for you. He's heard we're here, so he's come to see how we're getting along. Who's that with him? Oh, that's the critter that's been hanging around his office in Greg's corners. Guess Watson sort of pays him for a handyman job. Hi there, Mr. Watson. How do you know we were here? News travels fast, Lamb. What do you think we should do? We should have a new town here. Well, we don't know. Boys, I brought some mighty fine news for you. How's that? I dealt with Greg. I know you people put a lot of time into working to your farms, and I hate to see you lose them with that old skin flint. We did lose them. Sure we did. The mortgages weren't paid off, so we took up farms and ranches. Well, he hasn't got them now. Boys, get everyone together so I can tell the story once for everyone. What I've got to say would be a big surprise. Hey, mighty! While the ranches convened, a wagon drew up outside the circle of prairie schooners. Greg rode in the wagon. The lone ranger rode alongside. A ton of approach from a nearby tent. Watson got all people together now. And we're just in time. How about the men in the tent, honey? They're ready to go to Greg's corner to make survey. They're ready to do what you say. If what you told me is a truth... You see, it is, Greg. Come with us so we can hear what Watson says. We're all here now, Mr. Watson. All right, then, let him be. Now, folks, I knew how you feel about your property. You hated to leave it, but you had no choice. Greg did everything he could to ruin us so we couldn't pay off our mortgages. Well, folks, I bought all those mortgages from Greg. What? Yes, sir. I've got them right here. Come the owner of every one of your farms. Now, eh, how would you like to go back there? Go back there. Good. I can't keep the farms for nothing. But each of you can stake the land he's on here. You can make claim to it, then swap with me. You need to say you would give us our own land back for whatever we stake here. That's what I do. Well, why can't you just give us a land without bother staking claims? It's all got to be done legally, boys. You wouldn't want it any other way, would you? Have got papers all made out. You can sign them now, then file you right to this land when we get to Greg's corners. Well, step up, boys, one at a time, and I'll give you the mortgage as you sign the agreements. It's almost through now, Greg. Hello. Bring up Barton Jack. Tell him it's time for the showdown. Come on, Greg, we'll tell your friend just where they stand. Right. Glam, Hank, he's your real friend. You two lefty, we want you in on this. Man, you've been tricked, but that man named Watson. Tricked, my eye, he gave us back our land. Only because Lefty heard those two surveyors talking last night. Lefty was made to think the railroad was going to cross here instead of in Greg's corner. Now, you've seen here. Watson wanted your land. But Watson, who hired Lefty to do everything he could do to harm you. And Watson bought the mortgages after he'd broken Greg. Now, Watson thinks the railroad is to cross here. So he's arranged a deal, his own, get this land, and you get off of it. That's not true. It's true as gospel. I saw Lefty set fire to Greg's house. If you need more proof than that, compare his boots with the footprints of the woodshed for the fire ground away. As for you, Watson, meet two friends of mine, surveyors for the railroad. I talked with your pal last night, Watson. Yep, so did I. Now, if all your people are ready to leave here, we'll go back to Greg's corners with you. That's where we have to check on that survey. Now that you own your farms, you can sell part of them at a neat figure. Where's the frame up? I've been tricked. Wait. You may give me back those mortgages. Give them back. There's nothing to it. It'd be a hard time proving you're a crook, Watson. So you'll miss a trip to jail. But I think you've paid in cash for the damage you did. Now, boys, boys, believe me, I never raised a hand against you. We can see it now, Greg. Greg, forgive me for hitting you. I never knew that you... Shucks. That's all right. Boys, pack up the wagons. Pack things for travel. We're going back home. And the first thing we got to do is show Greg we're sorry for what we thought by rebuilding his house. Boys, just wait until Jane hears of this. This is the happiest day of my life. Say, where's that Lone Ranger? I've got to thank him. You have just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.