 A merry horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty hyosilver, the Lone Ranger rides again. The Lone Ranger, mystery rider of the plains, the unknown hero of the greatest legend of the west. His face was masked. No one could guess the inspiration for his life and self-sacrifice, but everyone paid tribute to his strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness. Here was a champion of right against might, the symbol of American justice and American democracy, the Lone Ranger. In town, men gathered in the cafe each evening. From time to time, a small back room was used by those who sought privacy for their low-voiced conferences. In the back room of the cafe, Baldi Hanover, the notorious outlaw, sat with two of his cronies when they heard a significant knock on the private entrance. He said, tired you too, that might be Cleveland, it might not be. I got my guns ready just in case. Jake, you open that door. Right. What do you want? Baldi Hanover. Stop all this fiddling around and let me in to see him. All right, Cleve, come in. Shut that door, Jake. It'd be a sight easier to see the present of the United States than you, Hanover. Now, what do you want of me, anyhow? What's the idea of all this foolishness? Sit there, Cleve. I suppose you start over and speak in a more respectin' way. Respectin'? Of you? Why, you stage-writer? I said respectin'! If you wasn't ready to take orders from me, you wouldn't be here. All right, then. You win. Show your hand. Only tell me why you had to be mortgaged the side of the building by the bore keep, and then made a hand over my gun. Jake, you got your gun on you? Nope. The only guns in this party are held by me and my part lefty there. You ain't no better than Jake Smith, Cleve. What's more, I ain't yet explained why I wanted you two gunslingers here. If you don't like my play, you can leave and get your guns. If you decide to go in with me, you'll get your guns and hear more plans. And with you already? Didn't ride all the way from the Trigger Bend country for the fresh air I'd get. Need cash? I'm bad enough to take orders from you to get it. Good. The law must be real likes around here. If you're allowed to hang your hat. Yeah. I got friends here, Cleve. What's your scheme? Get to the point so I can start drinking to it. The point ain't far from here. Have you ever heard of the Lone Ranger? I should hope to say so. Good. That saves explaining. Now then, Lefty, you tell Cleve your side. Lefty works in the Western Union office, you savvy? Yeah. I see all the messages that goes to the wires from my office. So? Well, a few days ago, an old settler here came into my office. Her name was Maggie, something or other. But she's called Mustang Mag. She come in and hammered on the counter with a fist that looked as hard as any man's I ever seen. I'll be there when I get there. Take it easy. I've got to have some service and quick. All your horses, can't you? Dad, Lefty, this here's an important message, and it's to get sent to Washington, D.C. I read a powerful long ways to get here, and you step lively. All right. And where's the message you knew before? There's a name and address. I hope you can read. You mean this man? That's what it says, ain't it? Now you get that do-jigger clickin'. But there ain't no names behind this. You put them two letters on the bottom. That's all you got to do. The gent that gets the message will know what it means. Yes, sir. I'll tend to it. Right away. You can tell that the message was a mighty important one by the way I told you I acted. What was the message? It said that the man that sent it was holding important papers that he couldn't deliver. He was laid up with bad wounds. I'll take over now, Lefty. Cleave, the man that sent the message was the lone ranger, and he's in bed at Mustang Mag's ranch, hovering between life and death with bullet wounds. The lone ranger is? Yes, sir. So we're going to get the paper he has. It's mighty important and worth plenty to the government. Once we get our hands on that paper, we can tell Uncle Sam where to get off at. We can get a full pardon for all that's chalked up against us. Yeah. You sure of that, Baldi? I'm dead sure. That's why I sent for you. I thought you'd be interested in helping us. Not only me. I know a plenty of others with a price on their heads that'd be willing to do the same. We'll just ride up there and take it. If we got a shoot, we'll shoot. But what about the cash you said we could get? Just how much cash do you think your folks would raise if they had to do it to ransom off the lone ranger? Plenty. Thousands. Yeah. Now look, we'll take them with us. No good, Baldi. Why no good? Well, that's been tried before. Shucks, we wouldn't have a chance of catching a lone ranger. Well, that's been tried and tried. But it ain't been going out right. The way I got things planned, it'll be a cinch. Has the government sent a reply to that message? Nope. I do. I'll know about it. It might be worth talking over. No harm in planning anyway. As I said, I know a lot of good gunslingers that I can get to help us out. Keep talking. I think I heard someone move outside the door. Sure, I can get a lot of gunslingers. Men that'll fall right into line with us. Good men. No, wait. You've been snooping, eh, boy? Tender, come in here. No, wait, listen. Hold on. You're not outside the door, huh? I heard what you said. You admit it, eh? I admit it. And you ain't going to do it. What? I've been here a good many years. I know enough to keep my mouth, my eyes shut to plenty of things that went on. But this here is different. So what do you figure I'm doing? Baldi, you can't move again the lone ranger. You can't do it. Who stopped me? Every man jack in town. Well, they ain't a man or boy here. They wouldn't start gunfighting to stop such a scheme as you're talking about. I'll tell them. I will tell them. I had my gun now. You don't need a cleave. I got mine. Jake, shut that door. Baldi, you don't dash. Don't hey. We'll see about that. You acted mighty careless just now, bought Tender two careless. It's called a mean that you'll have to be fixed so she ain't able to tell them. No, no, listen to me, Baldi. Don't be a fool. I don't aim to be. You can't fight every man in town. If you get any last words, take them. I won't be drunk. Hey, he's going for the window. Get that door open. You hit him. He's running. He's still moving that crazy fool. Missed again. Hey, the door to the bar. We got to shove off fast. Let me do some shooting. You let that cleaner get away. Hey, hit him. You heard him squeal. You didn't drop him, though. What's going on there? Open this door. Come on. Get out and get away. Horse is right in the back. What's the shooting? None of your business. Stay on your side of the door. Stop, blade. That means keep up. Are we riding, too? Mildup, ride with me toward the north. First thing is to get away from here. Get up. The horses leaped in pain and fear from the cruelly driven spurs. The four plotters raced from the cafe. Above the clatter of hoofs, Baldi cried out. You said you could line up or miss. Sure I can, but not enough to bring the whole town. Then get what wind you can. I know where to get what's needed to clean up the town if we got a... Who'll you get? Indians. A couple of hundred of them. I'll show you. Baldi Hanover starts a thing. He finishes it. Whoa. Climax. Mustang Mag. No, ma'am. It ain't Missouri. I'm bar keeping the cafe. What do you want here with all these rompers? I've got a sick man inside this house. Not scared. Get going. Wait. I got a message. It's a Baldi Hanover bunch. They're coming. Worse pack outlaws just hide at jail. They're scheming for the paper the Lone Ranger has. Lefty's in with them. The telegraph man. Why that double-crossing two-finger? They're coming back. There are plenty of men. They'll capture the Lone Ranger. They'll have enough men to do it. Wearing chunk of this, Missouri. Why ain't that spab and glued around when it can be of use? You got to tell everyone that you need them, Mag. Tell them in to get here. Get here as soon as they can. What's the matter with you? You hurt? Nick, by a slug, not bad. Take enough to worry about. I'll get a horse and ride back to town with you. I'll show them polecats for reception when they come here. I'll make it so hot for them they'll think they moved into a furnace. My sakes. Look. Oh, here. Tonto. Tonto, come quick. My sakes, friend. You get yourself back into bed. Mag. Inviting fever and relapse for getting up on your week as a kitten. What matter? You call Tonto? Your friend is out of his book. No, no. You get back. Let Tonto help. Don't waste what strength you do have left in talking. Hold him on the other side, Tonto. He's back in the book. My stars. This is an awful reckless thing he's done. I'd like to set him back no end. Tonto, fix him. Stretch him out here. What infunderation did you try to tell me? Write it out, partner, if you can. I must go. Go? Where'd you figure on going? You ain't leaving this here house. Why him get up? Bartender from town was telling about the Boulder Hanover pack. What name? Boulder Hanover. You know him? Oh, him. Plenty bad. Barkeep, get back outside and shut that door. Don't tell the men in town what you told me. Yes, ma'am. No. Get going now. You know Hanover, Tonto? Me know him. Don't matter anyhow. Barkeep, get all the men in town to come here if they're needed. Baldi had a notion to kidnap the Lone Ranger. Maybe that's why a friend want to leave. That's right. He's nodding. But what do you want to leave here? The men in town were planning to stand off a handful of even pole cats. You'll not know him. What don't I know? You've got plenty of friends. Oh, that can't be. Mona doesn't mean to work with him. More. Mona doesn't? Well, there'll be 50 men from town. That ought to be plenty. That's not enough. You mean to say Baldi can get more than 50 men to come here? That's right. Baldi, him quarter-breed. Quarter-breed? Him part Indian, part Apache. Him get Indian. You mean he can get a tribe of savages to help him? Here, here. Get back there. Town wiped out. Can't stay. Well, you're going to stay. And if the whole town has to be wiped out in your defense, I can't think of no way their men as sooner die. 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. One horse raced like mad through the night. All Missouri, the close friend of Mustang Mag, hurried to the house where the Lone Ranger was recovering from his wounds. Well, hold that! The landscape is high time you got here. I was in town. The bar keep had news. Oh, we got there, huh? Then you know about the Baldi Hanover Gang. Yeah. I didn't wait for no details. I'll come here fast. Missouri, listen. Step off in the porch so I can talk to you. Mag, their mountain horse wouldn't have a chance. Missouri were in trouble up to the neck and getting deeper. Baldi Hanover has ideas of stealing the paper that belongs to the government and stealing the Lone Ranger at the same time. What's a government paper? It tells all about plans of renegade armies over the border. The Lone Ranger was supposed to turn it over to Colonel Blake, but he was shot before it could do it. So now what? I sent a message to Washington explaining about that paper. Lefty in a telegraph office told Baldi Hanover and Baldi's out to make trouble. Shucks. The narration he won't get far. That's what I thought at first. Of course he won't. Every man in town will be hearing. At first. What do you mean by that? The Lone Ranger is still determined to get away from this house. Baldi has a whole band of Apache engines to work with him. The men that fight he'll have more than they can handle. Oh, God. We can't let the Lone Ranger leave. He brought on his death. He's got the sting here. What's Tonto say? Poor engine. He's sick with worry. He figured to leave the Lone Ranger here? Tonto says he can't be moved. He just can't. That's all lies to it. That settles it then. Tonto's up against an injury that he can't handle. He's real worried about his friend. Meg, do you mean to say the Lone Ranger may not get well? Well, Tonto says he should have showed signs for better before now if... If what? If the things Tonto was doing was helping him. Oh, Missouri, why ain't there some real good doctors around here? I don't know. Tonto was telling me that this are much needed. A surgeon for one thing. One that knows more about treating wounds than Tonto does. Medicines to give him back his strength either. Meg, them things is needed sure enough, but we ain't got them. I know we ain't. Talking of them ain't finding a way to lick the red skins. I know we're tainted. Meg, I... Look into the window there. Look at Tonto. There he is on his knees beside the Lone Ranger's bed. He's alive. Take a look at that, Missouri, and see something the good Lord will let you see again. An engine pray into his creator. And it won't only be the life of the Lone Ranger he'll be asking for. If Lone Ranger not given strength to leave, please spare life of all men from town. What's the matter with you, Barley? Hear him? All it takes is a few words and some promises from me. Look what happens. He's up to the wolf, man. The drums in that chat needs me too. Makes me ready to fight. We'll show them what happens when they try to stop us. Calm yourself, Barley. Listen to me. How soon do you think the red skins will be ready to start? Longer we wait, the buddy. Lone Ranger may leave Meg's place. No, he won't. If he was able to leave, he wouldn't have to send that telegram. Leave those cutters' dads and sing. Let him go to noon. Let him go all night and all morning. Wasted time. No such thing. They've got to get bored and mad before they'll tackle the sinners. How many would you say are here? Two, three hundred. Enough. I'll warrant that, Lifty. More than enough to wipe out everyone that's in our way. By noon tomorrow, we'll be making our attack. My son said at the latest, we'll have the Lone Ranger. Yeah! While the Indians shouted and danced in the deeps about their consulfires, the townsmen brought their weapons to Mustang Mags. As each group of pioneers arrived in the course of the night, Tonto met the men and told them the unpleasant news. Apache and plenty savage Indians come without law. Without exception, the men reacted in the same way. We're here to stick. Tonto told the men that it was the Lone Ranger's desire to have no lives lost. He wanted Missouri and me to leave him too. That's just like him. He wanted to be left here alone. That's right. I'll be captured. Death is sure thing. We're here to stick. There's a patch he's coming. The thing to do is to make a stand inside the house. Yeah, that's how I figured it. I got the house fixed as best I can do. The furniture has moved back. Some of us can take fire and pulse in the barn. That's a good idea. Some on the second floor of the house. Poke some holes in the roof if you want. Just big enough to stick a rifle through. Yeah. The more points of fire we have, the better. We can get organized. No telling how soon the attack will start. It won't be long. I can promise you that. The sun rose with about 50 men in place in Mustang Mag's house and barn. The Lone Ranger is faced drawn by weakness and saddened by the sight of so many friends who stood ready to lay down their lives in his defense. Was on a bunk in the center of the house. Barricaded by upturned tables and trunks. I've got plenty of strong coffee for you boys. Just yell out when you want some. We will, Mag. I'll go outside and stand and watch. So Tonto can come in and get a mite arrest. Oh, Missouri. Tell Tonto that the Lone Ranger has a scheme. I can see it. I can see it in the way he's been studying the layout of the room. He figures to get to his feet and walk out and give himself up when the attack comes. That'll stop the fight. He can do that. Well, Tonto. Guys, I sure will. The hours dragged by to 9 o'clock, then 10. They may not come till after dark. It can't tell. Likely to show up any time. Can't let down watchin'. 11 o'clock, then noon when the sun was highest and hottest. They're coming! They're coming! Look behind us! Here's one to start them thinkin'. Get them rightin' down here! Give it to them, boys! Savages raced in, then formed a large circle surrounding the house and barn. They rode constantly nearer to the house, getting close enough to take up their pose and arrows that were tipped with flames. Don't let them use fires! That'll be our finish! Keep the guns back, boys! The engines are handy with their guns. They're coming close every time. It's just a scratch, our seniors. It's me! You've been hit yourself! It's me! You wounded your shoulder! Never mind my shoulder. Pass me another soup now, and I'll have a hand at this. I just wish them ordinary leaders had shoulder ugly faces. They're fighting! Fighting was at a peak. The Lone Ranger tried feebly to rise against the strength of Tonto. All the way, Tonto. Men dying for Rhino. Now you stay here. Those are not used arrows now. Tell me you'll get up on them. The house was filled with reeking powder smoke and water was slapped all over the floor. A score of the brave men had fallen with wounds and others still fought on. It had become a losing fight. The arrows tipped with flame were falling regularly on the roof and outside the house. Only a question of minutes and the water would be gone. Then fire would end the fight. Tonto raced for the door. Lone Ranger say, open door. No, don't do it. Lone Silver ain't here. Him one horse. But Tonto, he'll grab that horse. He'll only have to whisper and silver and take him out of here into the hands of the enemy. Not only way, Lone Ranger say, no other way now. Then he knows we ain't a chance. Oh, Tonto. Tonto, tell him they ain't a man here that wants his life to be spared by the Lone Ranger's surrender. Let me open door. Spursed into view with guns firing, the Indians knew better than to face the hard-riding soldiers, they broke fled and were pursued. The men inside the house raced into the open to watch the thrilling spectacle of flags and banners flying above the riders' heads. Colonel Blake himself rode to the house, dismounted and stepped inside. I'm here to see the Lone Ranger. Oh, you know about him? There's a hole all the way nowhere he is. None of my men know he's here. I received confidential orders from headquarters. My name is Colonel Blake. Oh, Colonel Blake. Colonel, you sure saved our necks? Well, I'm glad we arrived in time. The Indians will be driven back where they belong. Coming up from the rear as we did, we saw the men who incited them. Those men will be captured. Great! I hope you're safe. I'll take the report the Lone Ranger has for me. Now, my men will be camped close by and the signal of smoke will bring whatever help is needed. That sure will be a help, Colonel. It sure will. I have all manner of medical supplies in the army and my detachment. These are all at your disposal. Not good. Here, Indian, get on your feet. I don't blame Tonto for feeling that grateful to you, sir. He's been at his wit's end trying to doctor his friend. Tonto, eh? Well, stand up, trustee Scout. We're going to save the Lone Ranger for you, for all of us. And this... this first time... first time... Tonto... shed tears. Tonto. Never mind. Them tears is something to be proud of. God bless you. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger created.