 Fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hardy high old silver, the Lone Ranger. When gold was discovered in the Black Hills, a new wave of emigration swept into the western United States. Along with the honest settlers came gamblers, criminals and confidence men, and the mining towns ran wide open. It was in the hills that the Lone Ranger led the fight against the powerful and ruthless Drexel Syndicate, and it was only his strength and courage that made possible the victory of right over might. Return with us now to those thrilling days when the west was young. From out of the past came the thundering hoofbeats of a great horse, Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver, we're heading for Deadwood. Hey, Silver! Golden Lady Cafe was one of Clark Drexel's many properties in Deadwood. When he reached the town, the doors were thrown open to all the miners and drinks were on the house. Clark himself stood near the door and shook hands with every newcomer. At midnight he climbed the stairs to the balcony, walked past several private rooms and opened the door of the office. Rita Perry, who operated the cave, was waiting for Drexel. Well, Rita, it's quite a party downstairs. It should be. It's going to cost you more than a thousand dollars. We'll get it back tomorrow night. That's possible. I have all the figures on the cafe here since we opened up. Cost of the building, income, expenses. You'll find everything's in order. I know I will. You've done a good job. Only wish my other employees were as competent. Talking about Beasley? Yes. What are you going to do about him? Nothing. Aren't you even going over to jail and see him? I should say not. I've already told the sheriff I'd not be responsible for anything Beasley did. He acted without orders from me. That's a lie, of course. Not exactly. I left the choice of methods up to him. He evidently chose the wrong ones and was stupid enough to get caught. Let him serve his sentence. Who's going to manage a mining property? I'll handle it personally for the time being. Then you plan to stay here? For a while until things get running smoothly again. I can't understand why Beasley failed. He was a good man in Virginia City. The opposition was a little bit too much for him, that's all. Opposition? You don't mean the sheriff? No. Then my good friend Benjamin Steele hasn't become interested in gold, has he? I don't think so. Ben's in Texas. Then what's the opposition? Did you ever hear of the Lone Ranger? Yes, I have. Well? Out with it. What's he been up to? He stopped Beasley and every deal he tried to put through. Finished up by sending him to jail. Is he still around here? Just Bartlett saw him yesterday afternoon. Bartlett? Yes. Bartlett's one of our men. Drives the stage between here and Crawford. He saw the Lone Ranger about five miles from town near Lookout Hill. Only five miles? Well... You know, I've often thought I'd like to meet the Lone Ranger. Don't forget what happened to John Kimberley. The Lone Ranger's never been beaten. There's a reason for that. Most men have some weakness. Find it and you've got them. That isn't true of him. I know. That's why everyone who's fought him has met defeat. But strength can be weakness, Rita. What do you mean? Whenever anyone needs help, he's always ready to give in. Well, that's dangerous. When you help the wrong people, you're apt to get in trouble. He doesn't do that. He might if we played our cards, right? You got an idea? I think so. If the Lone Ranger never comes into town, how does he get his information? There's an Indian called Tonto that travels with him. I've often seen him around town. Does he ever come to the Golden Lady? None then. Good. Let me know the next time he shows up. Now wait a minute, Clark. We haven't got a chance in the world of framing the Lone Ranger in Deadwood. The sheriff won't believe a word against him. Black Hills cover a lot of territory. Isn't this someplace he isn't known? Maybe in Crawford. It's a long way. Find out. That's easy. My brother Rancor's over there. Better and better. We might be able to use the yellow coyote. None of that. Remember, he's my brother. That's the only reason anyone puts up with him. Just tip me off the next time you see Tonto in here. By that time, I'll have my plan worked out. A week passed, and then one night as Drexel was watching the play at the roulette table, Rita touched his arm. What? He's here. Over by the door. You don't have to look. We'll talk in a few seconds like this. You start the fight, raise your voice so you can hear every word. Don't worry. What was the name we've read on? Who's supposed to hold his note? Frank Carson. Carson. Carson. Blue Moon Mine. Notes do win. They after tomorrow? No, that allows too much time. You better make it tomorrow at sundown. Stage leaves here in the morning and gets there about four o'clock. If it kept to its schedule, you'd be able to make it with a couple of hours to spare. Tomorrow at sundown. All right. I think I've got everything straight. All right. Now raise your voice. Get angry. I ought to have known better than to ask a favor from you. Now calm down, Rita. I won't calm down. My brother means a lot to me. He's got every cent invested in the mine. That's too bad. He doesn't pay that note by sundown tomorrow. He'll lose it. You've got to help him out, Clark. I won't, and that's final. But it won't cost you anything. Think of it as a business transaction. It's a good investment. All you have to do is take over the note. In another 30 days, the mine will be producing, and pay you back with interest. I realize that. What? You don't know much about my affairs, Rita. I know plenty. This Frank Carson who holds the note is one of my agents. Your agents? Of course. He was acting for me when he lent your brother the money. By sundown tomorrow, the blue moon will belong to me. You'll get it for just $10,000. Yeah, that's right. You think you will, but you won't. I'll see that Rance gets the money. How? I've got my diamonds, haven't I? You won't be able to sell them in deadwood. I'll see to that. I'll take them to Crawford in the morning stage. I'll sell them there. You can, and don't try it. You'll try and stop me. Rita was the only passenger on the stage the following morning. Judd Bartlett was the driver, and as usual on the Crawford run, there was no guard. They ran a lot of town and along the trail until they drew near Lookout Hill. Then Judd rained up, climbed down from the box, and started to work in the wooden axle with a saw. Rita watched him. I don't saw all the way through. Now you leave it to me. Well, hurry up. There's camp somewhere around here. He might show up at any minute. Oh, that's enough, I guess. Hurry up. What's the matter? I see a cloud of dust to the south. That might be him. All I have to do is drive the stage over that rock up ahead. Better get in. All right, but hurry. Judd swung the driver's seat and whipped up the team. In a moment, the right rear wheel of the stage creamed over a large rock to the side of the trail. There was a loud crack at the weakened axle broke. The dragging boat soon bought the horses to a stop. That's that. That's fine, Judd. Yeah. Hey, he was too far away to see what I was up to. Don't stand around. Get one of the horses unharnessed, as if you're going to start over the hill to the telegraph office. He know. A white horse. The lone ranger, all right. I can see his mask now. Better let me do all the talking. Suits me. Help! You ought to let on that you're scared when you see his mask. I will. Then I can tell you who he is. Judd. It's an outlaw. Clark's hired an outlaw to hold us up. Well, you're local. He ain't no outlaw. That is the worst for the boy. Hey, what he called his horse? That's the lone ranger. The lone ranger? What's happened? Looks like dirty work to me. Somebody saw the axle almost all the way through. When I hit that rock back there, it cracked. It wasn't just somebody. Clark Drexel's behind this, that no-good schemer. Clark Drexel? Yes. He knew I had to get back to Crawford by four o'clock. I was going to ride over the hill to the telegraph office and send word for men to bring a new axle from Deadwood. I can't fix it myself. Oh, Judd, wait. If this man's the lone ranger, he'll help. Listen, mister, my brother's going to lose his mind if I don't get to Crawford. He's got to pay off a note by six o'clock. I've got to get there and sell my diamonds to help him. I see. Miss Rita, you don't have to go there yourself, do you? Of course I do. Even I explain time and time again that I'm the only one... Well, as I see it, all that matters is for Rance to get the stones. Why don't you ask the lone ranger to take them for you? What? You couldn't find anybody better to trust, and it wouldn't take any time for Silver to get them. Of course. Would you do it? Would you do it, please? Why don't you ride one of the horses from the stage? Why, I'm afraid of horses. It's no use. I've already suggested that. Please, here. Take the diamonds. You're my only chance. I'll have to ride back to my camp first. Is it far? No. Then hurry. Please, hurry. What's your brother's name? Rance Perry. I telegraphed him, and he'll be waiting at the express office. How soon can you make it? Less than four hours. Don't worry, Miss Perry. I'll be there. Adios. Come on, Silver. Perry, quimacabi. Bricktono, you'll have to help me with my disguise. And what happened? The girl started for Crawford, but the stage broke down. Tracks will say, girl, not get to Crawford. It's up to us now. I have the diamonds. You take them for her? Yes. But the sheriff in Crawford doesn't know me. I can't ride into town masked. Not right. I thought I'd fix the skies pretty quick. Are you a telegraph operator or aren't you? Sure. Then go ahead and send the message. But look, if you've been held up and your diamonds have been taken, why don't you notify the sheriff in Deadwood? It's closer. You aren't paid to argue. You're paid to send the message. You want to catch the crook, don't you? The sheriff at Crawford's the only one who can do that. It's a long way. But that's where the masked comrade was headed. Send the message. Okay. Boys, there's been a hold up on a trail near Lookout Hill. A masked man on a white horse. You mean the stage was held up, chef? Yep. My sister was on that stage. She was bringing me some diamonds. The masked man got a ranch, but he's heading this way and I'm rounding up a party right now. You've got to catch him. Get your horses, saddle boys. We're going after the car. For its last five miles, the trail to Crawford led through Shadow Canyon. The lone ranger, Antonto, had covered half the distance when the Indian suddenly raised his arm and a signal to rain up. What's the matter, Antonto? It's hard to tell when we ride. It's hard to think him here, other horse. Yes, I think you're right. Ah, many horse. That Drexel's men were in for trouble. Only way to Crawford, go through Canyon. We can't turn back. Just in case anything happens, we'll make sure they don't get the diamonds. What do you mean? It's only a little past 12. There's plenty of time. We'll leave the diamonds and those rocks over there and turn right on. Come on, saddlemen. Get them up. Easy, boys. There they come. It's all right. That's the sheriff riding in front. You're covered, mister. I can see that. You aren't wearing a mask, but there couldn't be another white horse like that in the West. Get them up, saddlemen. Look out. The inch is making a break for him. Let him go. There was only one man held up the stage. What stage? The deadwood stage. And you're the ovary who did it. But, Sheriff, maybe the engine's got the diamonds. Oh, I never thought of that. Pete, surely I'll get after him. Rest up and grab hold of this one and search him. You won't find anything. They told you the engine. We'll get him. They'll end up in jail together. Tie him up, boys. Right, come on. Tie him up. 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. The Lone Ranger offered no objection as he was taken to jail. But Tonto made a clean gutterway. It was early that evening that the deadwood stage rolled into Crawford with Judd Bartlett on the driver's seat and read a parry inside. Rance and the sheriff were waiting for her. And they took her directly to the Lone Ranger cell. I haven't been able to get much out of him, Miss Parry. But if you can identify him, that's all we'll need. He's in here. I'll take the lantern, Sheriff. All right. Come over here, mister. Hold the lantern up high. Yeah. Well, Miss Parry? His face was masked this morning. How about height and weight? Well, they seem about right. I could hear him talk, I'd be sure. Oh, I'll say something. Your brother's lost his gold mine, Miss Parry. He doesn't seem to be worried about it. What's that? That's the man. There wasn't any truth in your story at all, was there? What's he talking about? I told him that my brother had to get my diamonds by six o'clock to pay off a note so he wouldn't lose his mine. Since when did you own a mine, Rance? I don't know anything about it. No, it was just a story I made up. I tried to appeal to his sympathy, but he wouldn't listen. He grabbed the jewels. Grabbed him, eh? And he twisted my wrist. It still hurts. You give your testimony to the jury just like that, and he'll get 20 years. And if you don't tell what the jewels are hidden, he'll hang. Shortly after the sheriff and the parries had left the lone rangers cell, you heard the low call of a night bird outside the barred window. That might be Tano. Kimusabi? Huh? Why then put you in jail? They've accused me of holding up the stage and stealing the diamonds. The argument between Rita and Clark Drexel is a thing of a frame up. Oh, that's pretty bad. It's a good thing you got away. It's always a good thing that one of us is on the outside. That's right. Did you pick up the diamonds? Oh, me got them. Here. Here, bang. Thanks. How did I get you off of here? I don't want to get out just yet. Silver in corral. Oh, bang. It's hard to judge these stones in this light and me your knife. Huh. Here. I'm going to try and scratch the surface of this one. Why you do that? Just as I thought, Tano, not even the diamonds are genuine. They're imitations. It not shine like other stone girl wear? She has other ones. Ah. Time to see stone one time this big. Diamond that size would have to be an imitation. It's shine. Plenty bright. There's only one diamond that big in the United States and that was... Tano, are you sure? Nearly as large as a silver dollar. Ah, me sure. Oh, that's possible. Rockwell diamond was stolen and has never been recovered. Deadwood's a long way from New York City. She might take a chance on wearing it. I don't think it was real out here. Yeah, plenty bright. That changes things. I've got to get out of here and go back to Deadwood. Ah. I'll be a deputy on guard in the office. Son, let me get keys from him. Be careful. You wait. I'll take them back. Just a minute, sir. This chair sure uncomfortable. You might just well try to sleep on the floor. So let Kyle sort of woke me up. That and the creaking. Say, I didn't leave the window open. We'll see what happens. You keep quiet. Quiet. All right. You don't have to stick a gun in my ribs. You got key. You let prisoner out. Move. All right. All right. I'm going. Hey, you must be the engine that got away from the posse. How do you expect to get out of town without getting caught? You will not talk. Unlock door, pronto. You're right on time, Tutto. Huh. Here. You take gun. Time to tie collar up. Put gag in mouth. A good idea. We'll be in Deadwood before dawn. One window lighted on the second floor. In that office. You know which is the girl's room? Her have room next to office. At least we can get up to the balcony without being seen. After, we'll have to take our chances. Come on, Silver. I'm going to leave you right under the balcony for a fast getaway. Come on, Scott. That's on the office. Let's hope this window is unlocked. Maybe better. We wait. It'll be daylight in another half an hour. So far so good. All right. Come on. Bureau washed in. There's a cabinet over there. They seem likely she'll have to light another match. And open it here. We'll take it with us. Isn't that easy? It's not easy. Who's in this room? Take the box. I'm going to tell you. I'm going to shoot. Oh, my hand. Quick, out the window. Come here. Come here. The matter of seconds, the lone ranger and Tutto were through the window and on the balcony. The masked man leaped over the railing. Then Tutto tossed the box to him and followed the next instant. Well, Silver. I'm out of town. When the sheriff from Crawford County discovered his prison was gone the following morning, he called out his posse and they searched the hills and canyons around the town. They found no trace of him. And it was long after dark before the lawman returned home. But scarcely had he closed the door behind him and dropped into a chair to pull off his boots and... Hey, what the... All right, Tutto. A masked man in the same engine as me. He'll stay gagged until we're out of town. I'll tie his hands and feet. After leaving the sheriff, Rance Perry stopped the café for nearly an hour. Then he went to the cabin where Rita's sister was waiting. Oh, it's about time. I'm just getting ready to go after you. Close the door and sit down. What's the matter now? No trouble. Plenty. What's that you got there? A letter from Clark Drexel. Came on the afternoon stage. Oh, he's heard about the escape. Listen, dear Rita, the news of the jailbreak came to us by telegraph early this morning. I may be able to complete the story for you. What's he mean? Does he know where the... Be quiet. I was working in the office long after everyone else had turned in. Heard a noise in the next room, your room. When I opened the door I couldn't see anything but I could hear someone whispering. Oh, shoot. But my gun was shot out of my hand first. Does that mean anything to you? The Lone Ranger. Here's the rest of it. There was more than one man in the room, but whoever they were, they got away. The door of your cabinet was open. I can't tell you if anything was taken. There are only a few old papers inside it now, however. Burn this letter. The Lone Ranger and the engine rode all the way to Deadwood last night. Yes. What are you doing? I'm burning the letter. Well, they weren't there. What were they looking for in your room? I thought they were looking for. Why? My strongbox was in that cabinet. What of it? What? If you tell me that... I've got to. The diamond was inside. The Lone Ranger's got it. Well, you fool. You couldn't hide it safely. You had to wear it. Another six months and we've got to taking it back to New York. Say it for Amsterdam. Don't lose your head, Rans. And you're the one who always talking about me not having any brains. I ought to break you. Come with me. Talk to the Lone Ranger. It's the engine. Be careful. He's got a gun. What does the Lone Ranger want with us? I'm not saying any more. You come. I'm going to show you, Rita. It's a chance he doesn't realize. It may work out all right. Very well, engine. We'll go with you. Well, friends say you'll not know how to ride horses. That was just another lie, told him. We have horses out in the back. You lead the way and we'll follow. Tonto led Rans and Rita out of town by way of the back streets and then on into the wild country north of the canyon. When they reached a great bluff cut by the dark opening of a cave, they rained up. There was a campfire near the opening, but no one in sight. Tonto ordered them to wait for the fire and disappeared in the cave. A moment later, the Lone Ranger appeared. Good evening. What do you want? Let me handle this. Tonto tells me you didn't make any trouble when he asked you to come out here. We wanted to make a bargain with you. Yes, what sort of a bargain? You're still wanted by the law. I'm the only one who can clear your name. That's true. I'll tell the sheriff it was all a frame up. If you'll give me back that strong box. And the fiery fuse? Sooner or later you'll be jailed for a hold up and I'll testify against you. But suppose I do this, Miss Perry. Suppose I give myself up to the sheriff. Suppose I hand over not only the paced diamonds you gave me on the trail, but also the real ones I took from your room last night. No, no, no, you can't do that. And why not? I'll tell you what. You keep the real diamonds for yourself and we'll fix everything up with the sheriff. That sounds like a bribe. You talk too much, Rance. There's only one way you two can save yourselves. How? Did Clark Drexel have anything to do with the theft of the Rockwell diamond? So, you're not interested in small fry? If you two stole it by yourself, you couldn't be called that. I had no part in that suggestion, Rance made. I was only interested in getting the diamond back. I can do that. All right. But you can't send us to jail for stealing it. You took that strong box from my room. You opened it. But there's only your word. The diamond was inside. You could have put it there afterwards. I have more proof than my word. What? You've given your own. You can come out of the cave now, Sheriff. Well, about time. I was just about getting ready to quash. He was inside there. He must have heard everything. Yes, I must have. And I did. You're just about the most worthless critter I ever said eyes on, Rance. If I weren't a gentleman, I'd say the same thing about your sister. You still can prove that. Miss Perry? Making you a pardon. The lone ranger didn't break the lock on that box till I was with him. He's got my word as well as his own. You'll go to jail for a long, long time. There's only one way you can cut down your sentence. Clark Drexel didn't have anything to do with the diamond. Well, help if you can give us any other evidence against him. We'll go to jail alone. But Rita... I'm not trying to save him. But it's better to go to jail than to die. Yeah. Yeah, Clark would... I guess you're right. The law will give you protection. You're smart, masked man. You've proved that tonight. But you still don't know how powerful Clark Drexel is. If you ever find out, well, maybe that'll be the last of the lone ranger. Your mind is made up, isn't it? I want to live. Same here. Well, we'll have to keep trying, fellow. Here, Silver. Yes, Count? Do you have your prisoners, Sheriff? I sure have. Nothing more we can do to help you. Very big fella. You've done plenty. The crooks that stole the Rockwell diamond. Adios. So long. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Count. Get him up. Hey! The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the lone ranger incorporated.