 with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. His faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the masked rider of the planes led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. The stories of his strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness have come down to us through the generations, and nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse, Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver. A danger on the trail ahead. Two men sprawled beneath the hot sun on the broken rock, strewn ground of the open plain. One of these was dead, the other more nearly dead than alive. He could hear the clatter of approaching horses, but he was too weak to lift his gun to fire another shot at those whom he believed to be returning killers. A dying driver of a stagecoach saw the man who wore the mask. He was sure that there would be a sudden shot and would end for all time the racking pain of many wounds. Hold there. Hold, Silver. Hold your hold, fellow. Hold. One fellow still alive. Take a look at the other, Tonto. I'll see what I can do for this man. Ah, need take a look. Stay there, Silver, big fellow. Shoot me again. I'm not going to shoot you. I'm here to help you. Too late. Here, let me help you. Take a drink of water. He is, Tonto. Who are you? I'm a friend. I want to know who shot you. They don't know. I saw the tracks of the stagecoach nearby. Are you the driver? Me. Me. The pizza driver. Yeah, try to swallow some more water. Tonto, can you do anything for the wound? Oh, I see. I'll take it easy. Tonto's going to put a bandage on your wound. Dirty killers. For the stage. Where's the stage? Fix head this way. Him, less better. All right, Tonto. Now, tell me, have you any idea who did this? What? I said, have you told a thing about this? Tonto, whoever killed these men are the most... You look. Yonder. What's that? Riders come this way. I have six riders. I see them. Get ready, Tonto. We may have to fight them right here. Maybe the outlaw's coming back. I'm here ready. Hold on. That's the sheriff. You know him? Yes. That's Curly Bedford, the sheriff from Ransfield. Him though, you? I know, Tonto. That's bad. That's plenty bad. Maybe he'll think you... I see what you mean. Well, you're right. You'll think we did this. You ready for a fast break, Tonto? We may have to get away from here in a hurry. I'm here ready. Hand right out. Don't try to mount. Get your hands up. Raise them up. We got the drop on you. Brad, you and Sam take a look at those two and see if they're done for. You didn't take the trouble to examine them, Sheriff Bedford. They're both dead. Oh, they are, huh? Well, I reckon you ought to know. Take the guns, Red, and take the mask off the tall one. Just a minute. Say, how'd you know my name? I've seen you before, Sheriff Bedford. I've been in Ransfield several times. Yeah? Well, where's the stage? I don't know. The rest of your gang made up of it, huh? Well, we'll find a way to loosen up your tongue when we get you to town. Red, I told you to take the guns. I... I wouldn't try it, Red. Here, look here. We can start shooting if you want us to. Tonto and I had nothing to do with these murders. We came here when we saw vultures circling. I don't believe a word you're talking about. We found one of these men still living. We found that there was nothing that could be done to help him. I tried to learn from him who shot the guard and drive and robbed the stage. He couldn't tell me. You're only wasting your time, Mr. We're taking you into Ransfield. You can go peaceful or go horizontal, whichever you want. You will let us mount our horses, won't you? Sure, mount up. Let Red take your guns first. Why doesn't he come and take them, then? Dread it. I don't like to eat stands there, Curly. He looks like a man who could drop them hands and jerk his guns in the flesh of an eye. Oh, take his guns. How about it? Will you let me? Come in close and try and see what happens. You see, Curly? Dad, Red, he'll grab me and use me for a shield. Assure us I'm alive. Mount up, Tonto. Uh-huh. How about it, Curly? You're going to shoot me because your deputy won't do what he's told? Ready, Phillip? Oh, take on my own self. Come on, Dad. That's what I hope. Harry, let me go. I've been going till the last count. You men fire, and you'll hit your sheriff. Like always, you'll hang. Put me down, I tell you. Oh, Silver. Put the spear down. Let him go, dear. You'll pay for this. You'll pay, I tell you. Listen to me, Sheriff. Listen. Oh, you wait now. You jail me. You'll be letting the real killers get away scot-free. If I'd kill those men, you think I'd stay there and wait for you to capture me? I was hoping you'd be sensible, but you're not. I'll get square for this. You're going to let you down now? Oh, there, whoa, Silver. Hold for a while. Oh, you wait. I'll get you again if I have to scour this county with 200 devotees. You can walk back to your men and your horse. When I find the murders of the stage garden driver, I'll turn them over to you. Come on, Silver. Meanwhile, far off in another direction, six horses, cruelly driven, pulled a bouncing stage across Rocky Brown, with no tracks left. Half a dozen men on horses rode alongside the stage. Two men sat upon the seat. All right, sir, crane up here. This place is as good as any crane up on you. Oh, there, oh, oh. Sir, got away with this cargo in neat order, huh? Yeah, sure enough did, Blackie. As far as I know, both the garden driver was left dead. Mighty close to it. Don't matter anyhow. They didn't get a look at our faces. Yeah, they'd hate to ride on that thing all the time. Yeah, me too. Give me a good horse and saddle instead of one of them things. Now come on, you boys. Get the mailbags off the stage. Hurry it up and don't stand around waiting for instructions. You know what you're to do. Yeah, it was a sight easier to take the whole stage than to unload it and tote the mailbags on the horses, even if it was tough riding for a time. Yeah, unhitch the stage horses, Tuck. All right. I'll give you a hand when the boys are unloading the mail. We'll set fire to the stage and let her burn. Yeah. That's too bad we can't use these horses. They're good ones. Yeah, only they ain't saddle bread. We'd have no use with stage-pulling horses. Yeah, I reckon we just have to leave and go. How about those mail sacks? They're most all off the stage now. Well, cut them open then. I want to go through the mail. Blackie hurriedly went through the mail, selecting certain letters that looked as though they might hold money. When the last of the sacks was unloaded, his men helped him. Meanwhile, dirt finished unhitching the horses. Get going. You two get it along there. How about the mail, Blackie? Well, we'll make enough out of this to make the hold up worthwhile. Good. Now, bigot, maybe Big Dan will be stringing us along. You know it's better than to try and do that. How many stages have we got to dispose of? He didn't say. He just said that he'd tell us when we'd way-laid enough of them. Doggone. Look at the cash-holding money in this letter. They must be close to $500 here. Good. Put it with the rest. And when we're all done, we'll whack up and set fire to the rest of the mail when we burn the stagecoach. Well, Blackie, maybe we could go to Big Dan and tell him that there wasn't any cash on the stage. Then we could tell him he'd have to pay us if he wants us to keep on with his robin and wheeling. You don't tell Big Daniel things that ain't true, Dark. Big Daniel never got as far as he has by being took in by men like us. He's a dugun smart schemer. And if he hadn't wanted to be a lawyer in a banky where he could have made a fortune in any one of a dozen other ways. All right. I only suggested that it's all... Blackie. Yeah. Just why does Big Daniel want us to do this? I didn't ask him. I don't see what he gets out of it. I don't either. But you can bet your boots he'll get his or he wouldn't have had us do this. Blackie, I bet Jim Mosie will be hit hard when he finds that his stage is gone, eh? Never find the stage. I can tell you that right now, Gail. But Pa, why are you so sure of that? Well, it's just a feeling I've got. That's all. I reckon we're licked, honey. Licked and done for. Pa, how can you say such things? You, Jim Mosie. Why, they used to call you fightin' Jim Mosie. Fightin' Jim. And now, just because you've lost the stage and cargo, you're ready to call quits. Gail, I never did tell you all that was going on. Now, Pa, I know that the garden driver were friends of yours and you feel mighty bad about having them killed, but they wouldn't have wanted to die any other way. You know that. Old Slim always said he hoped he'd die in harness with his boots on. Gail, you talk up like a brave girl, honey. But when you're fightin' the things we're up against, courage don't play no part in winnin' out. Why? Have you seen that slicker from the east that's been around towns this mornin'? Yes. I saw him when I passed the hotel. He's the one. The one? What one? The one we've got to lick. We can't do it because... I don't know the rules of the game he's playin'. I don't understand, Pa. Look, Gail, there he is now. We're comin' in here. May I come in? You are in. Close the door. I suppose you want to look at the stage line's office and see if it's the way you'd like to have it when you take it over. When I take it over? Well, you haven't got it yet. So if you don't have any business here, go on back to the hotel. Pa, that's no way to speak. Oh, no way to speak, eh? You're the owner of the stage line. That's me. Jim Mosley. I've heard a lot about you, Mosley. I used to call you fightin' Jim, didn't they? Is that all you come here to say? Pa, now you shush off and let me speak. We don't know who you are, stranger, so maybe you've got the advantage. I'll tell you who he is. He's Mr. Tupping. He wants my stage line. He's tried all manner of tricks to get it. He started out with makin' office through Big Dan, over at the bank. You never told me, Pa. I won't sell this line. I built this stage line up from nothing. I built it when the stages ran at a loss. I fought Redskins all along the trail from here to St. Joe. I know you did, Jim. And when you found I wouldn't sell out, you told Big Dan'l to get tough, make threats against me. But I'm not the one... But I'm glad you're here. By Juniper, I am glad you come here. At last, we can have the showdown. I hope it come. You want a showdown? The same old fightin' Jim I've always heard about. Well, you've taught me a new way to fight. When you couldn't scare or bluff me in the sellin' out, and I suppose you handled things your own self, instead of letting Big Dan'l handle them for you. You hired killers. You sent them out to wreck the stage. Well, that didn't make me sell. So you stole another and shot my friends. Oh, you can't accuse a man like that. Well, I am accusing him. I'm calling you. I heard you. You figured that if you wrecked enough of my stages, I'd go broke and have to sell out. You turned to robbery and murdered to get what you wanted. Well, two can play at that game-tubbing. For all I wanted was to know the rules. Huh, and the name of goodness, stop. That's gunpowder talk. That's what it's meant to be. But you can't... You want the stage line, eh? You'll kill two good men to get it. Well, then try and kill the third man. You got a gun under that coat of yours. I can see the butt end sticking out. Oh, stop. One minute, Mosley. One minute, nothing. You made the rules of the game-tubbing, and the rules say that murder is all a part of it. Well, let's have the showdown here and now. Reach for that shoot-nine. It's you or me. 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. Here's our story. The owner of the stage line who had suffered loss of stages and death of his friends was livid faced with furious. He shouted at the man dressed in the clothes of an Easterner. You hurt me, Mr. Tubbing. Reach for that gun. It's either that or I'll have to shoot you like I would a pole cat in my cellar. Not just as soon do it. No, you won't, Jim. It hang you. Hang me. What's the difference? Hang me or shoot me. I don't care which it is. I have lived. I have lived to see my stage line amount to something. Ah, you've got to stop and listen. You stand back, girl. But if you don't... I can see the stage line taken from me or I can drill you and know that it'll be rid you of your play to get it. And if they do hang me, Gayle will be able to carry on where I left off. What if I don't draw it, Jim? And I'll shoot you anyway. I'm drawing right now. Just the way you did when you fought with General Custer? I'm shooting anyhow. I'm drawing right now. What? The way you did when you helped the Texas Rangers clean out those smugglers at the border? And the way you did... Hey, hold on. How'd you know about those times? Remember that time that you warned the Texas Rangers about an ambush? You told them about 50 men who were up ahead of them? Yeah, I remember that. And then fought side by side with six Rangers and cleaned out the gang? Your wife stood right near you then, Jim. That's as your daughter standing there now. Only she wasn't telling you not to shoot. She was yelling, fight, Jim, fight, Jim! Loading your guns for you as fast as you could empty them. Yeah, I remember. You couldn't shoot a man that would enjoy his gun to defend himself, Jim. Not you. Say, who the Sam? Who are you? Ain't your name Tuffing? Jim, I'm not from the East. But Big Dan, the lawyer, banker. I want to have a talk with Big Dan. I want to know more about this Easterner named Tuffing. You're not Mr. Tuffing? I'm from Texas. Oh, Pa, you hear that? He's not from the East. He's from Texas. I was with your old friends just after they'd been shot. I was with one of them when he died. He was? The Sheriff wanted to arrest me for the murder. That's why I came here in disguise. And, Jim, I don't have found your stagecoach or what was left of it. It burned it. They did, eh? I suspected I'd never see it again. You helped the Texas Rangers once, Jim. Now perhaps a man that thought a lot of those Texas Rangers can help you. Let's sit down and have some facts. Big Dan had studied law and owned the bank in Ratesville. The combination made it possible for him to do just about as he pleased and get away with it. So clever was Big Dan and his handling of affairs that no one suspected him of underhanded dealings. In fact, he enjoyed the goodwill of almost everyone. He was sitting in his office when fighting Jim Mosley walked in. Well, Jim, come and sit. Close the door. Well, thanks, Daniel. Have a seat, I am. No. No thanks. I can't get the knack of burning tobacco instead of chewing it. I came here to have a talk about my stage life. Yes, I heard about your hard luck. Sure is too bad, Jim. It was muddy, sir. Even the sheriff told me it found your garden driver dead. He got it, all right. The sheriff says he had the critter that did it, but he made his escape. That's what I heard. There was an Indian with him, too. Daniel, do you think there'd be any chance that this man you spoke of would have hired men to wreck the stage? The man you told me about, Mr. Tupping. One you said has been trying to buy me out. Oh, Tupping. Well, Jim, it's hard to say. Tupping, what's your stage line, mighty bird? So you said. And you know how it is. He's got lots of cash. Women like that, once something, you usually get it. You think he'd go that far? Yeah. I mean, murder? It couldn't be proved, Jim. No, I know from my experience as a lawyer that we can never prove anything against him. Even if he did hire men to make trouble. All right, Sammy. I'm sorry, Jim. Mighty, sir. Well, I suppose the thing to do is to take the advice of a man like you, your businessman, your lawyer. Yeah. What did you suggest? Well, Jim is a friend of yours and is a businessman. I suggest you take a fair deal and sell out. What's a fair deal? Well, you know what Mr. Tupping offered. That wasn't a fair price. Why, the horses are lower worth more than he was willing to pay me. You had some losses since this offer, you know. Maybe you'll have to pay a little less now. Less? Why, you? Well, I know how you feel. You feel that the business you build up is worth something. But that's just your point of view. It is worth something. It's worth a heap more than Tupping offers. Well, of course. If you want me to write him again, I'll do it. Hey, I thought that strange around the hotel was Mr. Tupping. Oh, I don't know who he is or says one of some sort or anything. Well, look here, Dan. You tell Tupping if he wants to make a deal. He's got to come here. Come here, but he's away in the east. I still say he's got to come here if he wants to make a deal. I won't do business with a man I can't see face to face. Jim, business methods have changed since you were a young man. Well, I ain't changed and I'm the man that's doing business. You write and tell him I'll sell out, but I've got to see him. He can come here if he wants to take over my stage line. All right, if that's the final word. It is. Each evening, the stranger dressed as an easterner left town and after darkness had fallen went to a small camp near the town of Rainsville. There he met Tonto and the great horse, Silver. Ed won't be long, Silver, and we'll be riding again. Huh, huh, rest makes Silver want to get way, huh? Things are shaping up, Tonto. Biting Jim is willing to help us. I'm not good. The information we had when we started for Rainsville is right. We'll have a trap for the biggest crook in the west. But maybe trap not work. Him plenty slick. If we don't catch him with this trap, Kimosabi, we'll have to find some other way. You're watching things in town. Huh? He watched plenty close. Good. They may have to wait some time. Tonto, I don't think we will. The crook is too anxious to get control the stage line. Several days went by. Then as Gale Mosley was passing the bank, Big Dan came to the door and called. Oh, Gale. Gale Mosley. Yes, sir? Step over here, won't you? I've got word for your father. Oh, have you? Yes, Mr. Tupping has written to me. Oh. He's ready to come out here and talk about buying the stage line for your father. Oh. Now, don't look so, Miss Gale, after all, to be cash enough to make you and your father rich. Compared to what most folks are, I... The part didn't want to sell at any price. I understand, but sentiment must have no part in business. No, I... I suppose not. You tell your father to step around when he can, and I'll advise him. I'll tell him. Glad you came right away, Jim. Now, I can sit in when you confer with Tupping. Reckon you can, Dan. Unless you'd sooner have someone else. Of course, being your banker as well as your lawyer, I can be in a better position than anyone else should. Oh, no matter. Reckon all I'll need will be a witness when I sell out the line. You can sign as a witness same as anyone else. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll try and talk Tupping into paying a little more. Just for the good will of the business, you see. All right. Then that's settled, eh? Yeah. You will be with me when he comes here. Good enough. When's he coming? Now, let me see. I'll have to check back on his letter. Could I have that letter? It's addressed to me. Yeah. He says he'll be here on the 10th of the current month. He's coming on your own stage line. Good. I'll arrange to meet him. 10th of the month, he says. Right. I'll be waiting. On the morning of the 10th, Jim Moseley went to the office of the sheriff. You said that you'd help out if there was a chance of getting the quitters that killed the garden driver. So I will, Jim. No matter what you have to do, no matter what. It's all right then. That settles. I'll call in my friend. Hey, mister, come on in here. Sheriff's ready. Good. Oh, Sheriff. Oh, you're still around, eh? Mister, I've been wondering just what you're here in town for. You'll find out, Sheriff, before the day is over. You and Jim will have to go for a ride with me, and you'll have to wear masks. What? Masks? Sheriff, you promised. All right then, I promised, and I'll see you through. But what do we got to do? Jim will tell you, well, I use the back room to change my clothes. I have other clothes here, better for riding. All right, go ahead. Now, what's this about masks, Jim? Sheriff, we got to pose a stage, Robert. And stop the westbound that's supposed to bring Mr. Tupping here. For what? Set a crook to catch a crook. Mister, change clothes. You ought to be ready by this time. Come on, Sheriff. Hugh, so you are the one. You and the Redskins. Well, I wondered why your voice was familiar. Come with me. Out on the horses are a wedding in back of your office. We're going to stop the stage. The westbound rumbling along with a fast clip was suddenly overtaken by three masked men. Don't shoot us. Don't shoot. We're stopping. Get off that seat. Where are the passengers? Only got one. Get out, stranger. No, wait. Hold on. Hurry up. Get out of that stage. You got driver passengers. The three of you line up. Come on, quickly. Hold on. Now, let me speak. We've got our orders. It's bad that we can't let the big boss get into a jam by having survivors tell what we look like. Hold on, you dog-gone fool. Don't you know who I am? What's it matter? Don't drill me. I'm working for the big boss, too. Hugh, you don't even know who he is. Yes, I do. I'm working for Big Daniel, I tell you. You touch me when you wish it didn't. I'm in on things. Hey, take care of the garden, driver. What are you doing on the stage if you're working for Big Dan? I got to pose as an easterner to put through the deal. I suppose you direct this stage so the price will come down. Put through what deal? That's Dan. You'll convince us that you're working for him or take hot land? You know that deal. He's going to buy the line. He's got to show a buyer, and I'm riding the ranch field. The pose is the same. Maybe you're the one that headed that last raid. Yeah, I am. Well, I guess this fellow's to go back to town with us, isn't he? You didn't handle it all alone, did you? Oh, sure not. The rest of the boys are in Amoranthi. I can get them and prove to you who I am. You've got to be sure of you, though. What did you do with the stage the last time? I burned it. Took the cash from the mail, then burned the mail too, the same as you'll do this time. Is that enough? That's enough for me. Take off your mask, Jim. You dirty, ordinary, murdering, pole cat? Jim. Jim Mosley. Yeah, talk on right, and here's my badge. The sheriff. That's all we need. By June of for at last, we've got the goods on Big Dan. Let's get going. Hey, sheriff, what is it? Come on, Blackie. Here's your pole cat, Killer Dan. We took it from the stage. Just to make sure, Dan, look at the letter you said you had for Mr. Tuffing. Oh, no, wait. Yeah, there it is. Get the envelope, Jim. There it is. Now, let me see the postmark on the end. No, wait, let me explain about this. Ah, never mind. This explains everything. This letter was mailed a long time ago. You just faked the letter from Tuffing and put it in this envelope from the east. You never thought to check the date on the postmark. Blackies confessed, Dan. The deputies are getting the rest of his gang over to Amoranthi. And I'm going to keep my stage. And Big Dan? You're going to pay for all damages before you go on trial for planning murder. Hey, that mask man, sheriff, get him back. I've got to thank him. And Gail wants to thank him. He's out there in the saddle. Wait. Wait, mister. You have just heard it's a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.