 By special recording, General Mills, makers of Wheaties, breakfast of champions, and Cheerios, the Oats cereal ready to eat, presents, The Lone Ranger! Horses with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hotty-hio silver! The Lone Ranger! With his faithful Indian companion, Toto, the daring and resourceful mask-rider of the plains, led the fight for law and order in the early Western United States. 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! Let's go big fellow! I am Silver! And here's the Lone Ranger! A long time ago, a man fought an enormous animal bigger than an elephant. When I found the bones of that animal in the desert, I realized that size alone doesn't always win. That little man must have prepared himself to conquer the monster. He must have known, even in those days, that champions are made, not born. And, that's still true today. Anyone hoping to become a champion needs lots of energy to sharpen his skills and to back those skills with power. Right Lone Ranger, one of the big reasons champions choose Wheaties is for energy to help them get on their way. It's easy to see where that energy comes from when you know there's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties plate. Friends, keep in mind this advice from the Lone Ranger. Champions are made, not born. Get on your way with Wheaties! Breakfast of Champions! The Lone Ranger and his Indian companion, Tondo, rode the trail through the hills of the town of Ledge Rock. The sun was setting and they hoped to find a suitable campsite before it became too dark. As they rounded the bend, they heard the distant clangy of a farm bell. Tondo, that doesn't sound like the usual signal to the farm hands that come to supper. Something must be wrong. And look, quimacabi, they're red glow to left. Looks like global fire. Maybe we can help. Come on soon! At the farmhouse, men were frantically fighting the fire. Oh, I'm a little fuckin' mornin', prayin' for the water. Oh! Oh! Get! Get, kitchen! Yeah, here I am. Sam, what's up? Why are you and your hands here over here helping fight the fire? Outlaws are runnin' off with some of your cattle. It's true, John, I saw them. About five of them. They were masked. And they were drivin' several heads from your north range. They started shootin' at me so I left in a hurry. When I started the ranch house, your wife told me you were all over here. Well, it turned out maybe they're the ones who started this fire just to get us away from the ranch. As soon as we get the fire under control, we'll form a posse and go huntin' for those wrestlers. That's busy, man. Come on! A short time later, one of the men excitedly crawled to Judd as he fought it toward the top of a ridge behind the farmhouse. Judd, look, the masked man and an Indian, they're headin' this way. There's some of your martin' come with me. We have gunned those two before they get away. They quickly came back to see what was goin' on. The lone ranger and Tato go over the top of the ridge and started toward the burning farmhouse. Give us, honey. Send them out, horses, right this way. I see them. But the fire is still under control, I wonder. Hello, the fire again is in control. Back in a hurry. Come on! The masked man and Indian soon out-distance their followers. They cover their tracks, and as darkness had fallen, finally stopped in a grove of cotton words to make camp. Welcome, sir. Those men meant business, Tato. They must have noticed my mask and decided we were outlaws. After we pitched camp, I'll disguise my features and we'll ride to town. They may get news of Frank Drew and his gang. Later that night, the lone ranger disguised as a ranch hand sat in the cafe with Tato. They listened to the conversation around them. Well, please, the second one to be set on fire this week. Yeah, and something happened each time. That's right. The first time I housed in the edge of town there. While we were helping fight the fire, the bank was robbed. Good. This time a gang of outlaws ran off some of Judge Jenkins' cattle while you were all at the well's fire. And two of the gang had the nerve to come snooping around the scene of the fire. Yeah, I saw them. One was masked and the other was a red-skinned. We chased them, but they gave us the slip. Everybody in the territory is up in arms about what's going on. Nobody knows where the gang was striking. Please, that will do something, boy. There's the answer to what happened, daughter. Ah, maybe at Outlaw Gang we've come to capture Kimus Ali. I thought of that too. We're right over near the Jenkins' place. We've got to find the gang's trail. All right, let's go, huh. Frank Drew, outlaw leader, talked to his men in a vacant farmhouse, not far from Judge Jenkins' place. Well, starting fire is to attract attention as we're dead so far, men. As soon as the excitement dies down, I have an even bigger deal in mind. Yeah, why? We'll start a fire on the ridge near the North Range. That'll bring everybody from town and from miles around to fight it. We'll move in and clean out the town. We'll hit the express office, the hotel, and the cafe. Ah, that'll be risky. Might finally trail us here. We won't come back here. Tonight we'll use the running iron to change the brand on the Jenkins' cattle we stole. And we'll drive them over to Hillcrest and sell them tomorrow. We'll head North with plenty of cash. Everything works out right. The Long Ranger and Tato go toward the North Range, hoping to find the trail of the gang. But the moon went behind the clouds. It was too dark for them to see so they returned to their camp. For several days they searched but were unable to trail the outlaws who had cleverly covered their tracks. On the third day, as the Long Ranger and Tato rounded a bend in the trail, they saw a group of horsemen approaching. You must have a... and looked like men who chased us other evenings. Bring us the woods, Tato, quick. Hey, Jimmy, those were the same two. Who gave us the slip when we chased them from where else, please? We'd better get after them. But there wasn't one of you men to ride to town and get the share. Tell them we spotted those out who'd you gave me. And asked them to come with a party. We searched the hills for those crooks till we found them. I'll go for the share. Well, let's trail the marriage men and the Indians. Come on. Once more, the Long Ranger and Tato out-distance their followers and cover their trails. They finally stopped on a bluff overlooking the North Range. From their position, they could see the ridge beyond. Kimosabi, we see heavy smoke along the ridge. Yes, and I see flames leaping up. The timber is dry and that fire will spread. Let's go! Others have seen the fire on the ridge, too. Judge Jenkins and his men were searching for the trail of a masked man and Indian when one of the men called out. God, look up at the ridge and the forest fire! Hold on! Very friendly, if the wind turns that fire will burn out my place and set in the whole town. What's more, it'll spread to the range grass and stampede my cattle. We'll give as many others as we can. Then we'll head over there and try to stop that fire before it's too late. Get up there! Judge sent men in every direction to warn the ranchers in the territory and sent one man to town to get help. Soon, every available man in Ledge Rock was heading for the burning ridge. They went by buckboards, wagon and on horseback. It'll take every other man around here to stop that fire. Yes, but it has to be stopped. From a wooded grove at the edge of town, Frank Drew and his four followers watched the exodus of the townsmen. Our plan is sure working, fellas. Looks like everybody in town is heading to the ridge. I saw the sheriff and the party rise in town just a while ago, too. Yeah, this is going to be easy. We'll get plenty of loot this time. All right, Hitler, there, let's go. The crooks rode into town and first stopped to rob the express office. Next, the crooks entered the hotel and held up a desk clerk taking the contents of the safe there. Then they went to the cafe and successfully carried through another robbery. As they rode from town, the barkeep ran to the Hitchback in front of the cafe, mounted a horse, and rode hurriedly toward the ridge to report. Get up, get up there! Meanwhile, the lone ranger and tato reached the blazing area on the ridge. Oh, easy, tato. The fire is a great headway, tato. Oh, it's pretty bad. Back that way, and we'll start a backfire. That's the only way to stop it, let's go. Well, Mass Man and Indian rode down along the ridge at a fast pace. Near the end of the ridge, they came face-to-face with Job Jenkins and his men. We came to help fight the fire. That's a lie. We can't waste time arguing. Oh, wait, we're not outlawed. We say, ah, don't try to choke your way out of it. Eat and come with me and we'll pick your gun. I say, gun them just. We haven't time to fool them. All ranger and tato tensed. They were ready to fight for their lives, but they knew they'd have little chance against so many. Watch them close, man. I'll take their guns. But curtain falls on the first act of our lone ranger adventure. Before the mechs exciting things, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. This is Mel Allen, sports announcer, and I've been in this business long enough to know that champions are made, not born. It's not the way it should be. It gives every youngster a chance. Take Betty Shallow figure skating beauty with the famous ship stads and Johnson ice follies while she was learning to cut figure eight years ago. Been eating Pweeties since she was only chin-high to her breakfast bowl. Twenty years ago, that was. Or Otto Graham of the Cleveland Browns who can thread a needle with a forward pass. Otto made himself a champion, practiced hours every chance he had and been really going for that Pweeties breakfast for 23 seasons. There's so long gone much honest energy packed into Pweeties. Nothing you pick at and push aside for Pweeties are downright goblin good. Let me say again what champions know. There's a whole kernel of Pweet in every Pweeties plate. And don't you lose track of this fact for a minute. Champions are made, not born. Get on your way with Pweeties, breakfast of champions. Now to continue, the Ranger and Tunnel faced a hostile and determined group of men. They knew that as soon as Sam took their guns the others would open fire. As Sam started toward them, the arrival of a new group of horsemen interrupted the proceedings. What's going on here? Why aren't you all fighting the fire? Sheriff, you arrived just in time. We caught the two outlaws who started that fire. They were seen near the Welsh place the other night. Yeah, the two were the gangs. They're on Sheriff. These men wouldn't give me a chance to explain. All right, well, I'm Sheriff. Now, mister, you said something about a chance to explain. If it can go ahead, we have a little time. This letter from the governor will explain enough. Yeah. By golly, you men almost made a mighty bad mistake. This masked man and Indian helped the law. This letter signed by the governor voucher for him. I've heard of him before, too. How do you know he can be trusted? Yeah, he might have stole that letter. Ah, wait a minute. This letter describes him and his horse and says he carries silver bullets. Here, Sheriff, look at this bullet. Yes, sir. By thunder and silver, all right? What's that got to do with it? I said it, air friends. You can take my word for it. Then what are they doing here? Yeah, what about this? We came here to start a backfire. That's the only way to stop that ridge fire. Hey, that's right. Yeah, these are the only ways. Hey, we can be sheriffs right about it. There's no time to lose. We better start it right away. Let's go. Soon the backfire had been started and roared to meet the oncoming flames. That'll do it. Lucky I came along when I did. You might have kept a man from helping you. By the way, Sheriff, does it occur to you that this fire may have been set for the outlaw gang as a cover-up for another robbery? By thunder, you may be right. During the last two fires, something happened, and this ridge fire bring most every man from town. There are many of them crossing the range down there right now. I suggest we take some men and go back to town in case the gang does strike. It's a good idea. The rest of them can keep tabs on the ridge fire. Let's mountain head for town, man. We'll ride with you. On the way back to town, the group of horsemen saw a rider approaching at top speed. Someone coming this way. Downlaw gang, five of them robbed the cafe in town and they headed out the north trail. That's not all. I heard one of them say they'd robbed the express office and the hotel, too. They started that fire so they could clean out the town as soon as everybody headed for the ridge. Let's hurry, man. We know a shortcut to the north trail, Sheriff. If we take it, we should be able to pick up their tracks without going through town. Take the way. Right. The lone ranger and tunnel with the sheriff and his men took the shortcut to the north trail. There, they followed the tracks of the fire forces written by the outlaws. Finally, they came to the point where the hoof marks entered the shallow water along the shore of the river. Who's there? I knew it. They've always been smart enough to cover their trail and throw us off. I suggest we divide our forces, Sheriff. Half ride with me along the shore. The rest go with the tunnel to the other side. In that way, we may be able to pick up the trail again. Mr. That's a good idea. But if they doubled back, we'd be wasting our time. It seems logical to me that they'd go on to the New Mexico border, Sheriff. If they doubled back now, they'd reach Ledge Rock about the time every man in town is out searching for them. That makes sense. We'll follow your plan, Mr. Now, split up, boys. Half you go with the tunnel and the rest come with me and the man. The posse divided and followed each bank of the river northward. Finally, the long ranger called the halt. What are you? What are we stopping for, mister? I don't see anything here to indicate they left the river. Look closely. See those marks on the rocky surface? I believe they were recently made by horseshoes. Yeah, now I see them. I wouldn't have figured what they are. So you think they left the river at this point? Yes, Sheriff. If we look around, I'm certain we'll find their tracks on the soft ground beyond this rocky surface. Come on, Silver. A short time later, the tracks were found. The others were signal to rejoin the sheriff and the masked man. Then the entire posse set out to follow the newly found tracks of the gang. Come on, Silver. Later, in a deserted prospector's cabin, Frank and his gun slick settled down for a few hours' rest. Do we ought to have someone go up and stay in guard? Yeah, no reason for that was safe enough. I figure it's taken him until about now to get that fire under control. Nobody will learn of the robberies till the townsmen go home. That's right. That sheriff and the ledge rock is too dumb to outsmart me. He's been running in circles for weeks. Yeah, Frank, you sure know how to cover tracks. Oh, see, how about getting the loot from the saddlebags and divvying up now? Yeah, I'm looking forward to. All right, get it and put it on the table. All right. Wait, get enough to put us on easy. Three for a while. The Lone Ranger, Tato and the posse have no further trouble following the gang's trail. Finally, they saw the shack. Look, horses tied behind that shack. It may mean the men we're following are there. What do you figure is the best thing to do, mister? Leave our horses among the trees and go forward on foot. We'll have our guns ready and keep close watch in case they ever look out. Good idea. Tato and I will go on ahead to make sure the gang's in the shack. You and the men follow Sheriff. We'll circle the building when you get there. Right. The crooks were gathered around the table where Frank was piling the cash in separate bundles. Suddenly... Hey, look, a man's with him. Oh, you two all hoots think you're going to grab our cash, is that it? Well, nobody outsmarts Frank Drew, mister. Just remember that. Frank Drew, huh? They've been looking for you and your gang. Well, you found us. Now you better ease on out of here while you're still in one piece. I'd draw, man. Give them lead. Don't go off! The other four men went for their guns. The Lone Ranger and Tato fired simultaneously. At the same time, the Sheriff and his men appeared at the windows. They got you coming from the windows. You two might as well forget your guns. Masked Man and Indian brought a gang with them. Got their guns, Tato. Tato quickly took the crooks' guns. Then the Sheriff and his men came inside the shack. Hey, Frank, look. Let's know our law gang. It's the Sheriff and his men. What are they doing with a Masked Man and an Indian? You'll soon learn the answer to that one, Drew. Here's the loot from the three robberies here on the table. That's right, Sheriff, and I'm sure they'll admit they set those fires. They'll do plenty of talking. Don't worry, mister. We'll banish their wounds and take them back to Ledge Rock. They'll have a lot of time to think in jail. Those are the men we were hunting, Sheriff. I'll let you have them in custody. Tato and I will continue on to pay coast unless you need our help. Mister, without the help you already gave, we wouldn't have caught them. We can handle them from now on. In that case, we'll say adios, everybody. We'll see you again, Sheriff. Come on, Donald. Frank, I don't get this. I'll come to that Masked Man road with a pass, eh? Then walks out as calm as you please. Doug Cardiff, I know. He even said he and the Indian were looking for me and my gang. Now, maybe it's about time you found out, Drew, that you aren't as smart as you thought. That Masked Man and his Indian friend work with the law to capture low-down crooks like you and your gunmen. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Does he ride a big white stallion? Does the Indian ride a paint? Yeah. I should have known when I first saw him. I should have known what, Frank. Who is he? Why, you fool, you must have heard of him. That ombre is none other than the Lone Ranger. I don't see. When Bill's up fast, the kids all shout, you can't strike that slugger out. He gets the hips because he knows he's got go-pollers. Yes, he's got go-power. There he goes. Everybody loves Cheerios. So delicious. There he goes, all ready to eat with milk. And the go-power it gives you. You see, each spoonful of Cheerios and milk is packed with vitamins, proteins, and minerals. The very things your body needs for healthy nerves, good red blood, strong bones, and muscles. Yes, Cheerios is real muscle-building food. Have Cheerios every morning. Then you'll hear people say, He's feeling his Cheerios. Cheerios. A copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated is created by George W. Trendle, produced by Trendle Campbell Muir Incorporated, directed by Charles D. Livingston, and edited by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Grace Beamer, your announcer, Fred Foy. The Lone Ranger is brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at this same time. Be sure to listen. This recorded program has come to you from Detroit. This is ABC Radio Network.