 A horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty high old silver, the lone ranger. From the range country of Texas to the hills of Wyoming, the lone ranger led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. It was his vision of the future that brought hope to the pioneers, and it was his strength and courage that made possible the fulfillment of their hope. Nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice. Return with us now to those thrilling days when the west was young. Come out of the Pascua and the thundering hoof beach of the great horse silver, the lone ranger rides again. The lone ranger has sent Tonto into the little mining town of Brownsville for supplies. But in less than 15 minutes the faithful Indian raced back to the grove of trees where the mask man was waiting. Tonto, what's the matter? You come. Come plenty fast. Did you go to the store in town? Tonto, go there. Not too long. Plenty trouble in town. Come fast. But this mask, I'll have to take time to disguise my face. That's why I didn't go with you in the first place to get food. Nobody see you. Why not? Nobody in town. Everything dead. Dogs sleep like dead. Are you sure? You come. You see. I will. Let's get going. There was no sign of life on the main street of the town. The dog which Tonto had seen was still sleeping on the porch of the general store. He didn't stir as the lone ranger in the Indian walk past him. Inside the store, everything seemed to be in perfect order. No dust here. No man here. Him gone. The cash box hasn't been touched. It wasn't a robbery. We'll have a looking back. The storekeeper might be there in his living quarters. No, Tonto, look afar. Him not there. Plenty strange thing here. You see? There was a plate of food partially eaten on the table in the kitchen. A half filled cup of coffee was still warm. We'll have a look in some of the other houses, Tonto. I can't understand this. It was the same in every house. There were signs of recent occupation, but no signs of a hasty departure. Nothing was disturbed. In one house, the fire still burned in the stove. Bread was baking in an oven. There's smoke coming from the oven. Look, the bread's burnt to a crisp. Tonto, fix it. We've been in five of the houses, Tonto. We'll see if there isn't some sign of life in the last one. Town plenty small. Yes. I don't think there are over 20 people in the town cutting everyone. Most of those 20 work in the mine. We'll check the last house. Maybe accident come to mine. Maybe all full of dead there. But even if everyone who worked in the mine was gone, the women and children would be around. That's right. Those dogs we found, Kimosabe. All of them so sound asleep that we couldn't wake them. That's our only clue so far. Oh, it's the same. Nobody answered. This is still on the table. And here's the kitchen. Another thing touched. We know the people were still in Brownsville a few hours ago. That's right. Then something, somebody made those people disappear. Come upstairs. We look in the bedrooms. Did you hear? Hello. That sound came from one of the bedrooms. We'll start in here. Nobody here. This room is yours. Someone alive at last. I'll get you out. I'll show you. Hold on there. Take it easy. I'll fix it. You'll all hurry. Me. Hold him, Tata. Hold me. We're going to find out a few things. Stop your struggling. We're not here to hurt you. There was just one of you. Me. Hold him. There. Now you take it easy, fellow. They got me, Betty. Now they get you. One minute. Guess who do you think we are? Please don't hurt my brother. You've done enough already. Now hold on. There's a misunderstanding here. You seem to think that we're to blame for some strange thing that's happened here in town. Well, ain't you? No, we're not. Now tell us. What did happen? I don't know why I should tell you. Stop. What matters? Don't let that water leave that picture be. Let me take drinks. No. That's what's happened to the town. They all took a drink of their water. The water? Oh, if there was only some way I could be sure I could count on you. Why not tell me what you know? Don't tell him, Jimmy. He's got you. He may as well tell what we know and suspect. I don't know how. Maybe they can help get Paul back to us. Where is your father? We don't know. He just disappeared. Oh. We don't know that either. You see, we were all at breakfast the same as usual. Paul and Betty and me. And what's your name? Jim Lanson. I was eating breakfast and fell asleep. I come to and found Paul gone. A hundred for Betty. And where were you? In my room. I had gone there to tidy up the bed and things after breakfast. I felt awful dizzy all of a sudden. When I came to, Jim was telling me Paul was gone. What about that water? I figured there was dope or drugs of some sort. Maybe poison in the water. It had a mighty funny taste. Doesn't your father run the mine near here? Yes. Nearly everyone works there. Paul was late and getting started there this morning. Jim. Remember Jim. Remember Tully last night. Yeah. I wonder. Maybe that's the answer. You say everyone's gone from town? Yes. I bet I got it then. Tell me. Paul had this fellow Tully arrested last night. He'd been stealing cash from the office. Yes. Oh, Tully was furious mad. He swore he'd get square with the whole town for jailing him. There was always an odd duck, scheme and queer things. He was sly too. I wouldn't put her past him to poison the whole well. Does everyone get water from the same well? Yeah, they ain't but one well in town. Oh, Jim. Huh? What is it, Betty? I thought it was strange at the time. It didn't seem to make much sense. What's that, Betty? The wait Tully wanted to stop at that well for a drink on his way to jail. I wouldn't be surprised if you were right. I remember he wanted to stop at his house too. It was just after he'd been arrested. There was quite a few men there. Betty and I were there too. Tully finally calmed down at his arrest and came along as far as his house. Keep right on, Tully. Wait. Wait for just a minute. You've got to wait. For what? I want to get something in my house. It won't take but a minute. You can tell us what you want. We'll bring it to you in the jail. Yeah, go on, Tully. Shove on. Where you're going, the county will supply you everything you need. No, let me go. Hey, you local. I'll be back. Wait. Well, I'll be there. That critter is local. Oh, if there's something he wants as badly as that, Jim, why don't I let him get it? Then we wondered what Tully was so all fired eager to get from his house. He came on in a couple of minutes holding a small package wrapped in paper. He didn't tell anyone what it was, but the next thing, he wanted to stop again on the way to jail. To get a drink of water from the well. Yeah. We got to the well and he balked like a stubborn whore. Now what's the matter with you, Tully? Drink. Last drink of water. You can't stop me from that, can you? Well, get your drink. Look out there. Oh, hang it. Look what you're doing. You dropped your package. Oh, well. Was that all you got to say? Let's go to jail. Might as well. I still say the guy's local. The package and the well. The thing that made me sure he was local was that after being so anxious to stop and get it, he didn't seem to care a hoot about losing whatever it was when he dropped it into the well. And everyone drank water from that well this morning? That's it. Some of the people and most of the men would be overcome by the dope after they reached the mine. Sure they would. And the rest... But what's happened to the rest? You're the only folks we've seen. We've looked everywhere. You looked into the jail? Yes. Tully might have got loose. It wouldn't be hard if everyone was sleeping. Oh, where is he? Let's go look at the mine. We'll have a look at the mine. I'm going too. Good-bye. We'll see if we can find him. You're quiet. What is it? I'm going to come in house. Oh. Not a sound. The entrance to the mine is right in back. It's come from there. I'm going to see. There he goes down the stairs. Stay with Betty. I'll get after him. Tully, you stay with the girls. Got it. We're going after that man. The Lone Ranger and Jim Lansing race down the stairs and after the man is seen heading for the back door. Tonto and the girl remain behind. A few moments they waited in silence. And then... Tonto. That's your name? That's right. Oh, they must catch Tully. What do you think he's done with everyone in town? Oh, me not know. Maybe find out plenty soon. Pa said a dozen times he thought Tully was acting strange. I'm sure he did. Maybe that's right. Locally. Tully. You're covered, Redskitten. Make a move. Go on. Make a move. I'd like an excuse to shoot. Tully, listen to me. You. Why should I listen to you? You listen to me. Turn around. Walk straight ahead. Go out the back of the house. You, Redskitten, you keep behind her. I am taking no chances having you shoot over a shoulder at me. How did you get here, Tully? I thought... You did. Yes. You thought. So the others, the mask man, your brother, they thought I went into the mine too. But I didn't. Now walk. That's only a warning. Get moving. Tully forced Betty and Tonto to go downstairs. But when they reached the first floor, the girl turned to the gunman and... Go on. Right through the back door. Into the tunnel. Your father's in there. Knew what him say and best for now. All right. Keep right going, Betty Lansing. Out the door now. Those others didn't see me duck back inside the mine entrance. Then come out again. No, it's too eager to get me. Tully, don't you realize you'll hang for what you're doing? Me? Hang. Who'll hang me? Who's left to hang me? If you and Jim had drunk as much water as the others, you'd still be sleeping like the others. But don't worry. You'll sleep. You'll sleep. We all right, Jim. He'll recover, I'm sure. I reckon the others must be further back in the tunnel somewhere. Probably. Likely Tully went back to where they are. Then we can get him if he tries to come back out again. Yeah, we can do that. There's no other way out of this mine. Oh, he's moaning. Oh, fuck, can you speak? He's coming to now. What happened? Oh, you're all right, Pa. You're in the tunnel. Now, now take it easy, and you'll be as good as new in a few minutes. What happened? Jim, is that you? Yes, Pa. Tully done it. He's drugged the drinking well. Everyone in town was drugged to sleep. I came here, and that's all I remember. Tully's brought the women folk here, too, but he's local. We'll get him in a minute. Someone's coming. Jim, is that you back there? Betty, what are you doing here? Who's behind you? It's the Indians. Tully slipped back out and made us come here. Him, local. Look, there he is at the entrance to the mine. Tully, I want to speak to you. Speak. There's nothing to speak about. What are you doing there? Stop that. Wait, Tully. I'm lighting a fuse. See? Watch it burn. Now I'm leaving you. Goodbye. Good-bye. He's fixed a blast there. Down, down on your face. You better hurry. 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. Lansing, the owner of the Brownville Mine, his daughter Betty and his son Jim, were with the Lone Ranger in Tonto when an explosion roared to the tunnel of the mine, and a landslide sealed the entrance. Well, that does it. That does it plenty. Now we're sealed in our own tomb. When's the tiny spot of light at the opening, Lansing? We'll probably get air to last us for some time. You! From what I gather, if it hadn't been for you, Jim and Betty wouldn't be here. They'd be out in the open anyhow. Pa, don't hold it against this man. You save your breath, Jim. I'll do the talking. Lansing, we're all in this together. It doesn't matter how we get here. The thing to do is find a way to get out. Yeah, well, you figure that out. Tonto, have a look at the entrance. See how badly we're sealed in. Tonto, do it. First place, is there water that's fit to drink in here? No. Of course, there's no food supply. Of course there ain't. How about blasting powder? To keep any of that inside the tunnel? That'd be downright foolish. Where are the rest of the people? We'd better have a look at them. They're back further than I am. Must be if they're in here. They're between us and the entrance. What sort of man is this fellow Tully? Must be local. That's all I can figure out. What does he to gain by this act of his? Nothing. Only what I said before, stranger. He was so at everyone in town for arresting him. This is his way of getting revenge. It's a mighty strange way of getting revenge. What has he against everyone? It's just the way his brain works. He can see that he's local. I wonder just how crazy the man is. Gosh, mister, you don't have any doubts about it, do you? I wonder. Eh, you wonder. What's there to wonder about? The way he's going about this whole thing. The way he put a drug into the well to start with. The way he tricked us into coming in here and getting Tato and your dover in here. Lane crazy. Finally, the way he set off that blast. It takes a lot of skill to fix a blast so it would drop the stone just where they do the most good. You should realize that, Lansing. Sure, I realize it. But Tully ain't no fool. That's just it. He's crazy. But lots of crazy men have mighty foxy ways about him. Who's coming? It's me, Lansing. Miller. Oh, you've been further back in the tunnel, huh? Yes. The rest of the folks have been back there with me. They've all come around now and are wondering what happened. We heard you talking here. Who's a stranger? I don't know. How's the rest? Who all's there? Everyone in town. The men that didn't come here to work must have been lugged in. The women are back there too. Miller, it strikes me that you might be blamed for this whole thing. Me? How do you figure, Lansing? You had charge of the Blaston powder. Tully couldn't have got at that without your help. Well, there's loco talk. I had the key to the shed in my pocket. Tully took the key when he found that I'd been knocked out by the confounded drug of his. Miller, you studied a lot of this here chemical stuff when you was in school, didn't you? Yes. What'd you say that dope in the well might have been? I don't know. There's a lot of things that could have been used. Uh-huh. How'd Tully know about them things? It got me, Lansing. I don't know. I felt for a long time that Tully was deeper than anyone knew. I'm going back to join the other women. Oh, just a minute. Well? I suggest that we all go back into the tunnel further. I happen to have a supply of drinking water there. If we ration it, we can make it do for a few days. You've got drinking water? Yes. I keep a big canteen of it on hand when I'm working. I fetched it in yesterday and didn't use much of it. One canteen won't go far. Split up about 20 different ways. Well, that's what I say. We'll have to ration it out so there'll be a little to what everyone will throw and let it go with there. Let you tell them? That's right. Hunter will look at stone. Is there a lot of it? Oh, plenty. We have powder. Maybe we blow way out. Not get out any other way. Then we have no powder. Well, we may as well take charge of the ration out of that drinking water. Come on, all of you. Here's Mr. Lansing, folks. No tunnels at home! Lansing on a plane for them! Lay off Lansing. Take his fall. Quiet down! There ain't no use having hard feelings here. Where's that drinking water? I'll get it. It's cast over here. If we only had some lighter, it wouldn't be quite as bad. The sitting in the dock just waiting for death! Why don't we do something? What's the sense of sitting and waiting to die? Actually, let's do something! As soon as you're ready to listen, I have a suggestion to make. Let's have the water first. We make light. Say what matches you got. Uh, plain water first. Here it is. I've got it. Let her tell it to me. Speak to you. Yes, you come this way. Well, what about the water? You got it, Miller? Yes, let me see. A little bit leaked out, but the canteen is still over half full. Now he got to put everyone on his word to do no more than take a sip of it. Is that agreed? Just one minute. You better keep out of this, stranger. Don't you think it would be easier to pass that canteen if we had some light? I have a bit of candle here. Let's hold things for a minute. I don't see what difference it makes if there's a lighter now. Hey, Lansing, you take care of the canteen. All right. Now, if there ain't no object... Hey! You're a master! Now, about that canteen, Miller, I'll take it. What? Hey, he's doing us out of that water. The safest place for this water is right here on the ground. Stop that! Stop it! Get in the canteen. Stand back. He's gone local. Stop it. Rush him. Take the canteen. You keep back. Rush him. Save that water. Stand back. Don't make me shoot. He's gone local. Who's got a gun? Shoot the last man. He's robbing us. Take the water. Rush him. He's gone local. Oh, that was crazy! Stranger, I think we'll get you. Wait, wait. All of you listen to me. I've stopped pouring out the water. There's still a little of it left. Enough to prove to you why I poured it on the ground. What are you talking about? You'll find out if you listen. In the first place, what water there was wouldn't prolong our lives enough to matter. If we're not going to get out of here alive, we might as well perish one day sooner. But we are going to get out. Hey, I'd like to know how. Me too. It wasn't intended that we should all die in here. Let me tell you something. Then, if you disagree with me, I'll surrender my guns. And you can do what you want. That sounds fair enough. We're trapped here because of carefully made and perfectly carried out plans. Someone wanted us all to die, perhaps so the mine could be taken over. Perhaps a plotter knew of a lot of other valuable claims that might be staked, and the present owners of the land were not here. What are you getting at, Stranger? Whatever the motive. It wasn't simply because Tully was out of his mind. Tully was just a willing tool in the hands of the real killer. Oh, he's crazy. He's talking no sense at all. Well, let's hear him anyhow. We ain't nothing else to do. That's right. Might just as well listen to what I have to say. Now about this plotter. He knew he couldn't kill everyone in town without having a lot of explaining to do. He couldn't explain it. So he drugged the water to get us all into this tunnel. Tully done that. We all know it. Yes. But when we were in here, the plan was to give us more water. The water we'd have in here wouldn't contain any drug. It would contain a deadly poison. That calls for a side approach, Stranger. That's as much as saying I'm a murderer. He's charging Miller with murder. A quiet let me finish, won't you? Go on, Stranger. We'd all perish except the one who planned the tragedy. And he would be allowed to escape from here. The tunnel would be sealed once more until there'd be no way to tell how we died. And doesn't it stand the reason that this is the work of a man who knows medicines and poisons, a man who can plan carefully and use Tully as his tool? That's a fine story, Stranger. But there ain't a shred of proof in any part of it. But proof is in this canteen. Yeah, but it still ain't proof. Drink it, Stranger, and show us how it kills you. The canteen leaked a bit. Once out of light of the match, he saw where the ground was moist. And he saw a rat that had sipped the water. The condition of that rat was all that was needed to prove that this was dangerous water. Oh, that's a lot of... But we'll make sure. Miller, you filled this canteen, didn't you? Well, I... You said you did. Are you going to deny it? I filled it, and it's all right. Then take it. Drink what water remains in it. I ain't thirsty. Go on, drink it. Just moisten your mouth with it. That's all you have to do. You'll likely put poison in it yourself. That's why the candle was lighted. You've all had the chance to watch me. You know I put nothing into the water. Say, Miller, you ain't afraid, are you? I don't trust that man. You're going to drink this or confess? I ain't. We'll see. Come on. Let me go! Let me go! We gotta help, Miller, that man's been dragged phone guns on them, Tully. Don't let them interfere. We gotta stop this. We gotta stop this. Come on, Miller, open your lips. Take a swallow of this. Unless you're ready to talk. Well, we can't help him. This is worth watching. How about it, Miller? Do you talk or not? I'll talk. Fasten, you won't put us out of the way with poison. You'll either tell us how you plan to get out of here or stay and die with us. I'll show you. I'll show you. Get up, then. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it. Never mind the talk. This shows how you plan to get out after you'd murdered all of us. Folks, this man's local. You're going to stand by and... That's enough. Now you'll drink. No! No, no, wait! The way out! Quickly! Just follow me. Go ahead. Leave the way. Maybe he does know a way out. The rest of you, wait where you are. I'll see if this man's telling the truth. Go on, Miller. I'm right behind you. And I'm bringing what's left of the water with me. Look. Look, stranger. Keep going. I'm going to use it. Tell her we'll hold the others back until we find out where you're going, Miller. All right. I done it just as you said. Now, look. Maybe you and me can make a deal. The way out? You're not heading toward the tunnel's mouth? No, it's this way. There's another place where we broke through in the digging. Nobody else but me knew about it. I fixed it with a blast, all set to touch off. I figured this out a long time ago. How much further? Right here. This is where we stop. The fuels? It's there. See it? I had this thing worked out perfect. I'd have been the richest man in the state. I'd own this whole town. All the gold there was in all this ground. And no one to argue with me for it. Even if my scheme failed, you've got to admit it was slick. Is there powder connected to that fuse? Sure. It was all set to touch off as soon as the rest of you were down for. Light it. All right. Look. Before we open the hole. How about it? Light it. There's still to know all of my scheme. I even went beyond what I told you. It's gone. Back back. Very well. This way. The fuse ain't none too long. It'll let go in a second. Down. Down in your face. Right. There's the service and the thought. Free, my friend. Can't take back all I said about that man's man. Miller's the crook. We'll string him up. Gosh, that is so... That smells great. They're a horse. Him is over here, old boy. Miller, you got anything to say? Yes, I got plenty to say. You got nothing against me. You try and prove I'm crooked. You can't do it. Murder and coyotes. This man's hurt. Tully, you... You tried to kill me. You didn't tell me the blast was coming here. He told me, he said, sit here. He said, right here, you said. Wait here. And you know it all the time. This is where the blast would come. Look after him, Tully. Him bad. Is he done for? Not right. Him dead. Miller. Looks to me as if the dying words of Tully would be enough to hang you. They will. We're all witnesses to what Tully said. Miller fired that blast that killed him. Well, come on, boys. Throw that killer in jail till the judge comes around next time. 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