 with his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the mask 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, from the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver, the lone ranger rides again. It happened in Kernville one blistering hot day in mid-summer. A dark complexion woman, her features half hidden behind a heavy veil, ran at a surrey at the livery stable. She drove south on Main Street until she reached the shade of a large cottonwood tree. Whoa, whoa there, whoa! There she was joined by two men, Leni Crater, whose nervous voice betrayed a constant state of interfere, and Big Mike Monahan, the woman's husband. Hey, here she is, Mike. Hello, Marge. Have any trouble? Why should there be any trouble? The yokels in this town don't know they're alive. Yeah, but you never can tell when somebody might be... Quiet, Leni. How about Cheeto and the saddle horses? Cheeto's all set. You'll be waiting for us about a half-mile south. Don't you have to signal them, Mike? Yeah, I got some brush piled up back at the ridge. I'll go light it now. You two wait here. Marge, you think Mike's suspicious? Of course not. He's working with his wife and his best friend. Yeah, but I don't... Yeah, you're supposed to drive this rig, Leni. I'm gonna sit in the back seat like a lady. Now, help me up. Got that note written to the sheriff. You can mail it tonight in Fenton. It'll be delivered here tomorrow morning. Good. Nothing else to do till Mike gets back. Marge, ain't you scared? Say, as long as we're killing time, I thought I had a deck of cards here in my handbag. Marge. Yeah, here they are. Might as well see how the odds stack up when this caper... How can you sit there fooling with cards when both of us might be dead within the next five minutes? That's what I'm trying to find out, Leni. You know how better I'd be a real good as a fortune teller? I'd get me one of those big crystal balls... Suppose Big Mike gets wise. Suppose he looks... Suppose you shut up. Here he comes. Everything's set. That brush pile's making a lot of smoke, so Cheetah will see the signal all right. Whatcha doing, Marge? Telling fortunes? Yeah. Look, there's the king of diamonds. That's you, and it means money. Sure, sure it does. It means 80,000 in gold. The railroad payroll we're gonna borrow from the Kernville Bank. And there's the Eight of Spades right next to it. Good. Hates my lucky number. Ah, this is gonna be a cinch. Now listen, here's the way we'll do it. Leni, you drive. Marge and I'll sit in the back seat like a couple of hay seats. I'll pull up in front of the bank and keep your eyes peeled while we're inside. Sure. Marge, we'll go in and walk straight to the cashier's cage. How about your mask? Suppose somebody might recognize you. I'll keep my head down over my eyes and put on the mask at the last minute. You do the talking at first. Make it sound like an old woman. Well, that's easy. Then cover me when I brace the cashier. You got a gun? Right here in my bag. And I can handle it without anybody knowing it's there. All right, but no gunplay unless you have to. I'll use mine to keep the yokel scared. You understand? Sure. What are we waiting for? Nothing. Let's go, Leni. Here, get up! Get up there! Come on, get up! We'd start one of them things you call a bank account. Oh, of course, ma'am. Right over to that window. Cashier will take care of you. Thank you, thank you, mister. Not at all. The mask, right? You'd better be here. I've got it. Didn't I hear you folks say you wanted to... The only thing we want, Bob, is that canvas sack right there. One that's got the payroll in it. Mask and a gun. Hand it over before I bless you to kingdom come. Here, here it is. Good. Now we'll get out of here. Hold up! Just march our block in the door. A little bit too much shooting, but we made it. There'll be lawmen right behind us, Mike. Sure, but not for long. We'll lose them. Now mount up all of you. Steady. Cheeto, give that team a crack with a whip. Get them out of here. Get along there! I don't know how to keep the law off our trail for a little while. Now we're split up. Lenny, you head for Fenton. Lay low to Le Mara. Yeah. Marge, you line out for Clear Creek. Sure. Cheeto and I'll cut back to Sundance Canyon. I'll hide this stuff from Sir Gleast again. Tomorrow afternoon, we meet at the other end of the canyon. Understand? Mike, where are you going to hide it? The gold, I mean. I don't know. The usual place, I guess, under the cabin. Why? No reason. I just wondered. Let me worry about that. We'll all get our split tomorrow. Now dig your Bronx and ride. Get up! Get up! You might cut some new sign on that monohand, could it? I don't know. Got a tip. This letter came in the morning's mail. Letter? What do you mean? Well, listen. It says, if you want to catch big Mike, who pulled that hold up in your town yesterday, be at the west end of Sundance Canyon this afternoon. And assigned a friend. I wonder if it's on the level. Can't tell. Sometimes crooks fall out, then they call in the law. Well, there's one sure way to find out. Come on. We're heading for Sundance Canyon. Get out of there! Can't understand it, Cheeto. Martin Lenny should have been here an hour ago. Can't tell, Mike. Maybe they got a new lead. Hey, what the... Lawman! Behind that ridge, up ahead. Yes, sir! A trap. Let us shoot our way out. That's the only way. All right, boys! Close your eyes! Not while I can sling-led your dirty law dogs! Pardon my shoulder. I can't. Run for it, Cheeto! Run! I'm down with you! It's big Mike. Yeah. Some of your boys trail the other. I've not heard bad, Monhan. You're going to have a long time to get well. Where's the gold you got from Cornville Bank? You nailed me, but you won't get the money. Where is it? Where'd you hide it? Listen, law dog, that's something neither you nor anybody else will ever find out. Mark the sentence of this court that you shall spend the rest of your natural life as an inmate of territorial prisoners. A lot of good that does us. We still haven't got the money. If Mike didn't hide it under the cabinet, hell, it must be some place near there. Yeah, but where? How are we going to find it? Well, go back to Kernville. You can pretend you're a prospector. Search Sundance Canyon from one end to the other. That might take a lot of time. What will you be doing? I don't know. I'll have to earn a living some way. Yeah, that's it. What? Change my name to Madam Zampa. Get a crystal ball and become a fortune teller. Pretty far north for a horseranger like you. What's your name, cowboy? Cheeto. Cheeto, eh? Figuring on staying very long around these parts? I don't know. Things are... I mean, the weather got kind of hot down south. So I headed this way. Figured on going back? Sure, I'll go back someday. You see, there's something waiting for me down there. But it'll be safe for quite a spread. Ten years passed. Ten long and uneventful years during which the Kernville bank robbery and everything connected with it was almost forgotten. Then, on another warm mid-summer day, the Lone Ranger and Tonto pulled their horses to a halt at the western end of Sundance Canyon. Oh, who's got a home? It's almost Sundance Canyon. We better make camp. The creek at the bottom of the canyon, we get gunfire. You hear, Tonto? It comes from behind pine trees. Down there. No trail leading that way. We better leave the horses here and steady, big fella. Come on, Tonto. Look, that man in front of the cabin. He's been shot. He can hardly walk. What he's doing is best to get into the cabin before... No sign of anyone else. We heard two guns. Maybe somebody shoot, fella, and leave plenty fast. No matter how it happened, that man in the cabin needs help. Come on. As he's gone on the ground, he must have dropped it. Raise your nosy arms, please. Get him a pie. Behind us, Tonto. Don't turn around. First one of you that moves is going to stop a hunk of lead. 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. To continue our story, facing the open door of a small cabin, the Lone Ranger and Tonto are surprised by a sharp command from somewhere behind them. I said, reach for our chute. Do what he says, Tonto. We'll stall for time. Yeah, that's better. Now you men and critters get what's coming to you. Yes, it's always easier to shoot a man in the back. The door, Tonto. We'll jump for it. I don't care who you're or where you come from. I'm going to... Jump! Keep down, Tonto. This rain, some of that lead might spit the door. The sun's in his eyes. He can't see very well. I'll use the window. That saves me the trouble of breaking it myself. You're lucky I'm not trying to kill you. Look, I'm going to drop gun. Run away plenty fast. Yes, I think he realizes he started something. He couldn't finish it. Maybe we should have let him get away, but on the other hand... I'm heavy. I'll run, bunk him corner. Him hurt bad. That's right. Almost forgotten about him. His wounds are bad. Eat some water, Tonto, and we'll try to help. No. No, it wouldn't do any good. I'm done for. You're wearing a mask. Glad it was an owl who had found me instead of the law. Is that so? Big Mike is doing a life stretch in prison. I just came down from up north. When I found out about Lenny Crater in Marge, I wrote to Mike. He smuggled a letter back, sent me a map so I could find the money. It's easy. Just eight by eight, and... He's dead, Tonto. Ah. You think him tell truth? I don't know. I'm going to find out. The looks of the ground all around the outside of this cabin. Somebody's been doing a lot of digging in the last few years. Hello. I want you to trail the man who tried to kill us. You must be Lenny Crater. I'll bury this man, see if I can find anything around here. Meet me just outside Kernville in about two hours. Marge. Lenny. Marge, I found it. Found what? The money we've been searching for for the last ten years. Look, look, here's a map. I got it from Cheeto this afternoon after I drilled him. So you got Cheeto, huh? Yeah. Now, here, here, see. Simple one you understand how Mike figured. You remember how we always used to say eight was his lucky number? Well, it's just eight paces south, and then eight more, and... You see. So that's where he planted it. Yeah. Well, there's no use waiting any longer now. I'll go the livery stable and rent your horse, and we'll ride up there tonight. Then with 80,000 in gold, we can head for any place. Mexico. Wait a minute, Lenny. I've got a business here. I can't leave all of a sudden. Business? You call this fake madam's amp or stuff with that crystal ball of business? Maybe. You know, Lenny, I... I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Yeah? You're thinking about what? You, me and Mike, how we double-crossed him, and what he'd do to us if he ever got out of prison. Oh, don't worry about that. Mike's doing life, and the law's not going to turn him loose. I hope not. Another thing that's got me worried is... is that crystal ball. Crystal ball? What do you mean? Well, maybe all fortune tellers aren't fakes like I am. Maybe there is something to it. I can see things in the crystal. Lenny, honest, I can't... What? After 10 years of faking, you're starting to believe in your own line of bunk? I've seen Mike in the crystal lots of times. Seen his face just as plain as I can see yours. Ah, you're going spooky. It's a good thing we're getting out of here before you... Lenny, wait a minute. Hey, what's wrong? I could've sworn I heard the outer door open and closed just now. I'll wait the window. There's nobody on the street. Just an Indian walking the other way. Oh, boy, you're going bad. All redskins look alike anyway. Now, you get your stuff packed, and I'll be back in a few minutes. Then we'll head for Sundance Canyon. And from there to Easy Street for the rest of our lives. How about it? All right, Lenny. I'll be ready. At that same moment, in an upper cell of territorial prison a few miles away, Big Mike Monaghan turned to his cellmate. Ten years of slime and sweat. Ten years of work. All because I made the mistake of trusting two people. My wife and... my best friend. How do you know? Didn't Cheeto write me a letter to say just that in different words? I told him he could have the money. That didn't mean anything to me now. But I'm getting out of here tonight. To the odds! He's gone over the wall! I've lost him! Damn you! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Did you trail Lenny Crater? Ah, me follow him. Go to Little House in Kernfield. Him talk to woman there. Her name, Madame Zampa. She have big glass ball and table. Look at it all time. Her make talk about sea things. Evidently, Mrs. Monaghan is a crystal grazer. She calls herself Madame Zampa. Her say, her see Big Mike all time. It make her plenty worried. It's probably her conscious as much as it is a crystal ball. Like Monaghan is in territorial prison, I... What matter? Nothing, Kimosabe. I just remembered that Mike and I are about the same size in build. He used to wear a mask, something like mine on most of his robberies. I wonder if... Leave your horse here, Toto. We'll walk into Kernville. Can we catch Lenny Crater? I hope so. The first thing I'm going to do is have my fortune told. Who is it? I'd like to have my fortune told. No, I've closed up for the night. I'll pay anything you ask. $10, $15, $20... Well, all right, but it'll have to be a short reading. I'd rather dim in here, isn't it? That makes crystal reading easier. But you don't have to keep your hat pulled down over your face. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm sure of that. All right, over here. Take the chair on that side of the table. Will you tell the past as well as the future? Sometimes I can, but... What's wrong? Nothing. Must be the way you wear your hat down over your face. I used to know a man who had the same habit, but it was 10 years ago. He was my husband. That's right. Marge. I guess old habits are pretty hard to hide. My God! Your voice is different. 10 years in prison can change a lot of things, Marge. How did you get out? Make a break? It's been done before. My... Mike, if you're broke out of prison, won't the law be trailing you? Maybe. You see, I wanted to have you and Lenny with me when I pick up that money from the bank job. The money? Yes, I didn't hide it in a regular place. I thought as long as it was $80,000 and eight was my lucky number, I'd use that. What do you mean? And it was a pretty good idea. Eight feet from the end of the cabin and eight feet straight up the trunk of a hull of pine tree. Do you really want me to go with you? You're still Mrs. Monaghan, aren't you, Marge? Why, sure. Sure I am. Eight o'clock. Yes, my lucky number is still working. I'm Marge. Of course, Mike. What are you gonna do? I have a couple of horses staked down at the edge of town. I'll get them and then come back. All right. All right. You do that, Mike. Remember, I'm coming back for you. Adios. Lenny, Lenny, why don't you hurry? If you don't get back pretty soon, you'll be hurt. All set, Marge. Lenny, Mike's out of prison. Busted out. He was here just a few minutes ago. Mike, are you sure? He knows everything about being double-crossed. He was just playing with me like a cat with a mouse. What can we do? There's only one thing to do. You went to the edge of town to pick up some saddle horses. Follow him, Lenny. And kill him. Kill him before he kills us both. Yeah, but what? Hurry, hurry, Lenny! Well, then, Lenny, hurry and cut him. Hurry and cut him. Take him out, Harry. Come, cut him. And first thing in the morning, we'll turn him and the stolen money over to the sheriff. Yes, cut him. Yes, cut him. What about woman? Her, too. I know she is. But unfortunately, the law has no proof against her. There's no man-made laws that take care of people like her. Come on, Tutto. Well, who are you? I work down the railroad station, ma'am. Your telegram just came in. I guess it's for you. It's addressed to Mrs. Mike Monaghan. Madam Zamper, is that you? Telegram? Let me see it. The trouble chair. I don't know. Hank over at the telegraph station said he delivered a telegram to this Madam Zamper's house, and the woman fainted. Come on. There she is. Touched out on the floor. Hmm. You never can tell what a woman is. She, uh, she hasn't fainted, Sheriff. This woman's dead. Well, I'll be. Any sign of bullet wound? Not a one. Looks to me like she died of a heart attack or something like that. Hmm. I wonder why the telegram, she still got it in her hand. Yeah. Let me see it. Yeah. Well, I'll be. This is addressed to Mrs. Mike Monaghan. Do you suppose this Madam Zamper, who's been living here all these years, was really Big Mike's wife? I don't know. You never k- What's the telegram say? Well, listen. It's signed by the warden of Territorial Prison. And it says, Mrs. Mike Monaghan, it is my unpleasant but necessary duty to inform you that your husband was killed tonight when he attempted to escape from Territorial Prison. He died at eight o'clock. It is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.