 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust in the hearty high old silver, the lone raindrop. Whenever men gathered around the campfire in the early days of the western United States, stories were told of the masked rider of the planes, and these stories have come down to us through the generations. His strength and courage were always on the side of right against might. His daring and resourcefulness brought law and order to the lawless frontier, and blazed the trail for the winning of the west. 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. Sam Birdwell ran the only store in Rainbow Bend. It was the only store in over 400 square miles of rangeland, and every settler and rancher bought supplies there with one exception. Sam Birdwell had never sold any groceries or supplies to Dirk Kincaid, the man who owned the biggest bread in the section, but one day. Sam, look who's coming into the store. Yeah, I've seen him tie up to the hitch in rail. It's Kincaid. Kincaid and his foreman Gonzalez. You better get him back, Deborah. They're coming in. Remember, Sam, he's the biggest rancher around these parts. If he wants anything, you sell him. You get him back. Dirk Kincaid himself coming to my store. Howdy. Howdy. Hi, I know your name, Kincaid. My foreman here, Gonzalez, dropped around yesterday to buy some grub and supplies. He didn't get them. I got other customers. Yeah, well, my lazy K-Rangers are neat as some grub, savvy. I reckon you can settle. Well, I'm sort of out of a lot of food. Long trip to Los Angeles to get more. Yeah, that's what I'm figuring. So far, I've been doing my buying a lot of setters. But like you say, it's a long travel. So I'm buying and you are selling. If I got what you want. Get bacon, ain't you? Gonzalez. Here's your Kincaid. Get the flinch of bacon hanging on there. Hustle it down and put it on this here counter. All right, Birdwell, here's your knife. Slice that bacon up for me. Slice it. You heard me, Birdwell. I would have sliced it. With the cook on your spread, he can do that. Your Kincaid. I am undy with the knife. Very undy. You want to slice this? Yes, you're always itching to use your knife. Put it away. I'm asking Birdwell. Pick up that knife, Birdwell, and be sure you slice it thin the way I like it. And just in case, here's my six you to rest them right on the counter. Now, start. How's that? Finner, Finner, I tell you. No, my gravy, I won't do it. Birdwell, pick up that knife. No, Kincaid, I ain't selling you nothing. Not a thing. I sell to most folks, but not to you. Pick up that knife and start slicing. No. You're an ordinary scheming crook. You own the biggest spread this side of the high Sierras. But you're a rustle cattle, you steal horses. You're a poison-side wine and rattler. Maybe other folks do what you order, but not me. Now, get out. The man can talk to me like that. If you've got a gun, I can't reach for it. I'm going to bless you to- You're not sure if I didn't send it. The engine, get out of here and mind your own business, Sebi. You put gun back, run away, pronto. All right, go on your head. I'm doing like you say. Good for you, me coming in store, huh? Yeah, the engine, only I- Look out! Look out, Gonzalez has a knife. The next time I draw my gun, the bullet may not hit your knife. The mesh man. The fastest draw I ever seen. Mister, you saved the engine for sure. You're up now, but that was it, Bert Will. Sounded like I never saw a Bert Well before, and he never saw us. We came here for supplies, but we heard enough outside. In Cade, are those your horses at the Hitching Rail? Supposedly I am. The door's still open. You and your foreman can make tracks right now. Yeah, lookie here, mister. You heard me, on your way. Come on, Gonzalez. I'm gone, but what I said still goes, Bert Will. You won't sell the grub or supplies to the lazy K, eh? Well, you're stacking up trouble for yourself, a heap of trouble. And it won't be long in common. How do you use it? I reckon I'm a plumage, mister. Kin Cade sure means what he says. Now I've got you in trouble, too. Tano and I are used to trouble, Bert Well. We were glad to help. Sam, Sam are you all right? Sure, Deborah, sure. I was out and back, taking a walk. I was so nervous I couldn't stay in the back room. Then I heard that shot. What did Kin Cade try to do? He tried to do. Plenty, Deborah. He sure ain't hurt. I said he tried. Only the masked man and the engine stopped him cold. Masked man, the engine? Who you talking about? These two gents, right? Well, I'll be hog-tied. They've gone. I don't even know their names. I'd sure like to have them on my side. Kin Cade wasn't fooling when he said there'd be trouble. I'll sell the home away. Mr. Kin Cade, almost we are back to the lazy-care ranch. All the way from town, you're saying nothing. I've been figuring out what to do, consulates. I'm going to get it all set now. As soon as we get to the ranch house, get some of the boys, savvy. They're riding every spread around here, every rancher and settler and townsman. Every single solo buys from Bert Well. They're buying from him no more. Bert Well don't sell to me. He don't sell to nobody. Hey, you rich man. I got a message from Senior Kin Cade. He said nobody treats me as Bert Well. Huh? Nobody's hurry. You stop trade with Bert Well's plan to rich man. Or Kin Cade, you don't like it. Much better you do like Kin Cade tell you, huh? They remember. Message him in a hurry. There'll be no more trading at Bert Well's. I haven't given the orders. Don't trade at Bert Well's. That's all. No more trading at Bert Well's. That's all. Nobody's going to the store. Not me, not me. Bert Well won't sell to me. He won't sell to nobody. Sure, Kin Cade. Sure, whatever you say. You're top men around these parts. If you say so, I stop buying from Bert Well right this minute. There's Carney. Carney. Hey, Carney, rain up a second, will you? Howdy, Bert Well. Bert Well. You could get mighty office all of a sudden. Y'all used to call me Sam. Well, I... Why don't you drop in the store for a minute? Can't. That is, I'm in all-fired hurry. I didn't notice that. Your horse was just amblin' along. Well, I am. Oh. Say, need a new vest, Carney? I just got in the supply of the fanciest you ever see'd. Real antelope and stitched with red beads from back east. Nope, don't need nothing. Besides, I gotta get going. No, Carney. What's ailing everybody? Well, it go that rain, will you? Carney, I'm asking you. What's wrong? Why ain't nobody been in my store? Why ain't you been in? You ought to know why, Sam. I've been told it'd be healthier not to. You mean Kin Cade, don't you? I'd rather not mention any names. Don't have to. I suspicion it. But I thought you fellas had more gumption. Kin Cade's a tough army derile, Sam. He's one man, ain't he? You and all the rest put together could stand up against him. Carney, you know what kind of skunk he is? I gotta travel. I did what any man with backbone would do. I counted on you fellas to keep trading with me. Leave go the rain, Sam. Nobody knows better than you that Kin Cade's a coyote. He handles his guns too good for argument. Leave go the rain, Sam. Carney, Carney! They'd no use yelling. Kin Cade's got him scared to a frazzle. Every last one of them. I gotta do something. I gotta. That does for one gun, now the other. So... Sam, where you going? You get back to bed, Deborah. Mr. Middle of the night, Sam. What on earth are you... You wearing guns? I've got a little business to attend to. And your horse, all saddled and ready. Sam, what's on your mind? Where you going? I'll be back right soon. No. Now wait, let me see your face. You try not to look at me. Deborah, or I'm heading for aint woman's business. Kin Cade. You're going after Kin Cade. Answer me, Sam. You're going to shoot it out with Kin Cade. A man's got a right to protect his business. You can't even kill you. He's a dead shot. I'll take my chances. It's better than starving. Because nobody trades at our store. You can't go gunning for... Kin Cade's an ordinary snake. He thinks he can run this section. He thinks he can ruin me because I prefer to do business with good people. But you can't. This is a log in gun fighting. Law. What good laws when nobody uses them. And friends too. I thought I had plenty. But what good friends if they won't stand behind you? No, you can't blame him for knuckling under Kin Cade. I ain't blaming him, Deborah. But I'm settling this. Sam, no. No, come back. Don't go with me. My mind's made up. Sam. Sam, you can't. I'm calling him out, Deborah, tonight. As soon as I get to his ranch. Give me a kiss for luck. Sam. Deborah, I... Get up, boss. Get up there. Sam. Sam. Did you see that? Uh-huh. Him clear in moonlight. Looks like Birdwell pushing his horse plenty hard. That's right. Come along. To the store? Yes. Come back. You see it? Did you see that, Tutter? No, just closed. It was a woman. You can see her in the light. That Birdwell's wife, huh? Must have been. Hello in there. Listen. Woman crying, huh? Yes. We're going in, Tutter. Mrs. Birdwell? A masked man. An agent with you. Move one step closer. Now pull his trigger. Tutter and I are your husband's friends. Oh, we help. A masked man. Yeah. Sam did say something about us. Well, you helped him before, but you can't... We saw your husband making tracks. Where's he going? I tried to stop him. Kincaid will kill him. Ah. Kincaid? Is that where he's heading? Sam was going plumb locos seeing how Kincaid made everybody stuck trading here. Sam took his guns. He's going to call Kincaid out. Tutter, look after Mrs. Birdwell. How may you do it? Masked man, where are you going? I'm going after your husband. He's over there. You mean it, Masked Man. You'll go after him. Come on. Come on. I'm going to go after him. He's got to get there in time. He's got to... Him go plenty fast. I don't see all the trouble. Kincaid. Kincaid, wake up. Put him please. As soon as you look over. More of the world, he must have an eye chance. Sure. You'll listen. Come on, Kincaid. Come on out and bring your guns. I am the courtier. Well, dear. That dumb rabbit means it. He gave us a funny gun duel with me. Get me that gun, Bertrand. Here. Yes, Anyard. You fix him good, eh? That silly second-out shoot, Birdwell, from here to breakfast. When I get through out there, he'll be faced down in the dust, ready for a gravestone. Come on. 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. A lot of continue our story. Moonlight silvered the prairies. Sam Birdwell, the storekeeper, stood outside Dirk Kincaid's ranch house, challenging him to a gunfight. Birdwell was determined to end, once and for all, Kincaid's attempt to ruin his business. Come on out, Kincaid. Come out, or I'll come in and drag you out. Who's that? Very soon. He better. What is wrong? You're scared, eh? Maybe I am. I ain't much of a hand for gunfighting, but I'm going through with it. You end up six feet under... So be it then. I'll get away, you only knife-throat. Sure. Sure, I'll leave you by yourself now. That you, Kincaid? Where? Come out in the moonlight, or I can see you. So you come gunning for me, Birdwell. Come out, or I can see you fair. I can let you have it right from here. Yeah, I reckon you could. I reckon that's the way you like to fight, too. I ain't holdin' a gun for years, but I still got nerve enough to use him. Now, come on out. It's you and me, Kincaid. Come out! Kincaid, get him back! Come on, Birdwell. You're coming with me. Let go of me, Mashman. Set me down. You're staying on this post and taking her away from me. Go on, you mister. Save us, we'll talk later. Come on, so prepare for the war! This is far enough. We'll talk here, Birdwell. Ain't no good stopping me, Mashman. I'll go back there as soon as I can. I gotta face out Kincaid once and for all. If I hadn't come along, you'd have been killed. It would have been a fair fight, so... It would not. Huh? I saw the flash of Kincaid's guns as I rode up. He had them drawn. He was ready to shoot. You mean he was... He was from the force before you could see him. He had no intentions of giving you the slightest chance. Boy, that low-down po-cat I ought to get. Besides, Birdwell, he wouldn't stand a chance against a gunfighter like Kincaid, even face-to-face with an equal draw. Yeah, I knew that. But, thunder-ration, mister, a man's got his pride. Kincaid's ruined me. And I can't take it lying down. You still have your friends? Friends. What good are friends when they don't stand by you? There ain't one of them dares to come into my store. I'm not so sure of that, Birdwell. It's true. Not one of them dares stand up against Kincaid's orders. Sometimes it takes people a long time to act. Too long, Mask Man. Too long. Sometimes it isn't until someone is gone that his friends realize they should have helped. Mask Man, the way you said that, like... like you had some kind of plan up your sleeve. Would you be willing to do as I tell you? Mister, you saved me twice. I reckon I'll do anything you say. All right. I'm riding back to Rainbow Bend, but you'll stay here. What? Well, I don't savvy. You will, Birdwell. Now listen. Indian. Indian, is that... Oh, that friend, that silver. How are you? Steady, Silver. I got there in time, Kimosubbie. Mister, mister, where's my husband? Where's Sam? His horse came back with the saddle was empty. Your husband is unharmed, Mrs. Birdwell. I left him up in the hills for the time being. What? Kincaid was going to shoot him without giving your husband a chance to reach his guns. He could have done... Mister, if Sam ain't hurt, why didn't he come back here? I have a plan to help him. That's part of the plan. Mister, you ain't lying to me. Sam ain't... Friend, always tell truth. Your husband isn't even scratched, Mrs. Birdwell. You've got to believe that. Mister, I reckon I do believe it. Fine. There's something about you that makes me trust you. You say you've got a plan to help, Sam. By refusing to sell to Kincaid, your husband has lost all of his trade, hasn't he? Yes. Yet everyone is friendly with him? Oh, everybody. If it weren't for Kincaid's orders, they'd still have him. Very well, Mrs. Birdwell. I want you to hitch up your wagon. I want you to make the rounds of all your friends. The ones who are afraid to stand up against Kincaid. I want you to tell them your husband went to call on Kincaid, and he didn't come back. But, Mister, if I say that, don't think Sam's been done for. Yes, they will. They'll jump to that conclusion. Well, it'll take an eye on the two days to get to all of them. They're all spread out. Then take two days. Tyler can go with you. What about you, Mask Man? You coming along? With this mask? No, I'll stay here. I'll stay here. I have some work to do. You'd call on everyone you can. Yes, Mask Man. Yes, and I'll tell him just what you told me to say. But Mask Man, I've been setting up here, and I own the two days now. I ought to be down at my store. Why? You have no business to attend to? Well, maybe I am. You promised you'd stay here till I told you to leave. You've got to keep that promise. All right. All right, I will. But, hey, hey, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, the swan snows! Hey! Hey, mister! Where you going? Hey, Silver! Mister, where you going this time? Look out there, across the appointed frequency towards Rainbow Bend. My eyes ain't as good as yours, mister. Well, Masked Man, we've done it. Me and Toronto must have covered now under 70 miles, but we told them all. They're coming into Rainbow Bend? In the morning. It's just like you figured, mister. They all jumped to the conclusion that Sam was done for. I sure had a hard time not letting them know Sam was alive and well. He is, Andy. He's fine. How did they take the news? Asked the engine. They was plum ashamed of themselves. That's right. You must be tired, Mrs. Birdwell. I'd like to see Sam. You'll see him in the morning. I look up there into the twilight. You see that fire winking on the hill? Is that where Sam is? That's the camp. Are you sure those friends will be here? Positive, mister. Good. I brought a scout for you, Tyler. It's time for us to make tracks. Uh-huh. Me, come. Now you go home and get some sleep, Mrs. Birdwell. And in the morning, you lead all of Sam's friends up on that hill. Understand? Sure will, mister. Good night. Good night. Adios. What do we do now, Kim and Bobby? I've been watching Kincaid's ranch every night, Tyler. Kincaid's been on the lookout for Birdwell. Huh? What's more, Kincaid believes I'm with Birdwell. He thinks the two of us are dangerous. And we interfere with this rule of the district. Oh, talk to Sammy now. So far, I've made sure Kincaid or his men didn't see me. But this time, I'm making sure they do. Come on, Tyler. Get them up, scoundrel. Come on, sir. On the trail. At mid or level night, the cellars, we watched for a long time. Maybe Kincaid was wrong about his men's home raid. Maybe the mass home raid and Birdwell even moved. Hey, what is that? Orsha's is the rider. No sign of Kincaid up yet, Tyler? All sleep. Do you mind just as well to get back to Birdwell? we do that we're bird well now on the hill south of town tell us we go sleep we've been up to the night he must have a yes we'll head back for a camp so time for me to tell came here he's knows if you're waiting for a lighter mask man see him yet we were close enough to guns on his last night so he could hear a total of me talking bird well I'm sure it came Kate has been told huh what is a total look man off that way to write is crossing the ridge I can't make him out at all it's King Kate and Gonzalez it must be they'll be hearing about now or not right there's no doubt what they plan to do dry go what else all right on your way your scout head down in the rainbow bend get the Mrs. Birdwell and make sure she comes up here proud of me that makes you make certain those friends come along to hurry to come in on a scout bird well you know what I plan is yes man if their mom is going to surprise this campfire then that's just what we'll let them do it shouldn't take them long. Well that's your horse can tell us the campfires right here smoke she's a little this way can't hear a sound. Recognition be like shooting at a target in your what is that sounds like horses Gonzalez spread this must keep us keep the part in the gas. Well you're it is the Indian you bring the woman Mrs. Birdwell and all the people they're coming this way look with the year and you're maybe we better go over and we still got time for me what can't get the others at camp stop cast your eyes on that Gonzalez two of them wrapped up in blankets that more than 50 yards down from us there is a white hat that must be the most. The others Birdwell can't see his face but he's got that spotted vest to decide the hunt blanket which one I should take bird well now get the mass when we start shooting those below the come fast let them we still have time to get your horses get away. I take bird well yeah all right Gonzalez now. What's more. That is fine they did not even both of them now come on we've got to make tracks faster. Come on this is right past this club with. What. Is a man. And both of them it is impossible they are both. So she knows that your phone can drop those bullets in the logs under the blanket skin Kate now drop those guns and. The gun is clean of the book is and look at man here comes Debra all the rest of. I even scratch Debra how do you. One of you just keep your eye on these two ordinary skunks I got them Carney Sam I reckon we owe you an apology work so we thought you was dead that we realized we let ourselves be bulldozed by a pole cat we should have stood up against him Kate right from the first just a minute hold on a minute it's a man's man quiet you fellas quiet Salo and I are going but first I'd like to say a word to you man Sam Birdwell did what every one of you wanted to do he stood up against oppression and wrong and each of you was a little too lazy yes a little bit afraid to back him up until you realize what might have happened to Sam yeah we thought he was dead yes honey but from now on I've got a feeling that you like like true Americans you remember to stick together all the way to find oppression and wrong no matter where you find it. I don't know if you come on give me some of it. I don't know. Masked man and I just wonder where we'd be if he didn't come along to help folks out Deborah we won't think about that now for a gentleman supposed to have been dead I'm full of ginger how about a chance is my store open for business again the radio. The story you have just heard the copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.