 a fiery horse for the speed of light, a cloud of dust in a hearty high, oh, silver, the lone ranger. On the wild and lawless frontier of the Western United States, the local sheriffs were unable to control the outlaw bands that roamed the new territory. The honest ranchers knew that their only real protection against gunmen and criminals was the masked rider of the planes. Without his strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness, the winning of the West might never have been accomplished. They turn with us now those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse, Silver. The lone ranger rides again. Leaving their great horses behind, the lone ranger in Tonto approached the crest of a hill. Below them, when they paused, was a sweeping expanse of rich prairie land where cattle grazed. In the distance, a white ranch house set in trees described a large figure L. Occasionally, the small forms of mounted men appeared. They're keeping close watch, Tonto. How many men did you see when you tried to reach the house? Maybe a dozen. You saw a dozen? There's probably another dozen you didn't see. And every one of those men a killer ready to shoot on sight. I hope that from up here we discover a way to get in without being seen, but it's out of the question. That's right. In the daytime, there's no cover anywhere. We could be seen approaching a mile off. Tonight, they've got to guard every few paces as you learned last night. How's your arm now, bothering you any? It's all right. Six inches to the left, and you'd have been dead. It come heaped close. I'll try that again. Tonto, it seems impossible. I'm willing to swear that Amos and his wife are prisoners in their own home, but we can't prove it. I'm sure I've just laughed when I told them my suspicions. Him heaped big fool. Well, I don't know that I blame him. He'd neither seen nor heard anything out of the way. Why should he take the word of a mask, man? Uh. What's that? Not no. Listen. Well, we're plenty happy. Maybe he has. He's got nothing to do with that ranch, Kimosami. You look. A cart. A donkey cart. He's leading it. That's something new, Tonto. Look, he funny. What's he singing? You hear now. Get stubborn again? Why can't you all keep your good nature the way I do? Now, hire there. Come on, Tonto. Don't take what Luther says personal, friends. He don't mean nothing by it. Just his way. Luther? Well, he'll answer to Luther. Nobody likes to, though. If here's the right dignified donkey. He's got a full name. And he'd a little rather he used it. A full name, huh? Uh-huh. Luther La Courge's Jones. Ain't that elegant? Well, unusual at least. What was that you were singing? Oh, that. That was just one of my poems. Yep, make them up out of my own head. Good at it, ain't I? Not bad at all. What's all that you have in your cart? Oh, just pots and pans and such, friend. I sell them and mend them and make what I can at it. It ain't much, but it keeps me and Luther so it serves. A potter, huh? And potters my handle. Potluck potters what they call me as nose maids. Potters my name and potters my trade. Right suitable, ain't it? Like to hear a poem made up about it? No, but reckon it better not. It weren't one that Luther took to. Some he likes and some he don't. Sentimental Luther is. Just yearns for poems about pretty girls and flowers and such. Gets a look on his face like he was swallowing sugar. Others he don't hardly listen to. He doesn't paint him. Headed any place in particular? Well, thought I might look in that place below there. Might settle something or find something to fix. Amos Chandler's place, huh? Well, good day to you, friends. Ever get tired of outlawing? You might try being potters. Take half bath. Oh, come on, Luther. Wait. Oh, boy. Sorry, friend, but we got to... Potluck, I think you're just the man to do us a favor. Huh? Think so? You can take my word for that or not, as you wish. Whatever we are, the favor we ask won't get you in trouble with the law. Oh, taint the law, worries me, friend. It's Luther here. Couldn't do nothing that'd shame me from the Luther. That ranch you see is owned by an elderly couple. Amos Chandler and his wife, Nellie. Don't say it. We're friends of theirs, but we can't reach them. See that bandage on Tana's arm? They got that trying to get to the ranch house. Warned up to nothing bad, was ya? I doubt that anyone would be allowed on that ranch suspected it would interfere with their crooked plans. But you could go anywhere, Potluck. You might even find the opportunity to deliver a message. A message? Yes. But more important, I want a written answer. You're my puzzlin', friend. Potluck, I have reason to believe that Amos and Nellie Chandler are prisoners and that they're not permitted to leave their home. No. Luther, you hear that? Hear what this fellow's sayin'? I can't get the law to act because I have no proof. But if I could show the sheriff a written statement by either Amos or his wife backing up my claim, then the sheriff would have to act. That's all, engine? It's true. Sounds queer. Will you do it, Potluck? Will you try to smuggle my message to one of them without being seen? Well... It won't catch you on the wrong side of the law. Friend will tell you what? Yes? I'll put it up to Luther. He says it's all right. I'll do it. But if he don't, then I can't help you. Well, Luther, set your mind to it. Do we help these fellows or tell them we can't be bothered? Well? Luther says he don't see nothin' again. Just give me that message. Inside the Chandler Ranch House. What is it this time? Please. Out with it. If you'd only get a doctor for poor Amos. What's that? What's that you sayin', Nellie? Now, Pa, no need to get angry. I don't need no doctor. Don't want one. Fit is a fiddle, I am. And that's one thing we agree on. All this pretendin' they'd been foolin' me. But Amos ain't been out in his bed for past a week now. I could get up if I was a minder. That all you call me in for? Well, I'm... I thought... You thought what? If the doctor could just call one. He ain't doin' it. But why... One's would be enough. The next thing the sheriff would be showin' up. I wouldn't say nothin'. Nellie? Don't you ask nothin' of him? You and me? We don't deal with yellow pole cats. Who you call a pole cat? You're a pole cat! Shut your face before I smash your one. Oh, no. Don't you start your wine again, either. You didn't act like this when we first hired your hook. When you first hired me, I didn't know that old mine of yours over the arrowhead flats was worth nothin'. You won't get it. Ain't no hurry. Me and the boys, we're livin' good. They'll pay. You will come to time after a while. Ain't nothin' else you can do. Stealin'. Well, now is it. Stealin', you callin', eh? Well, who in places gives a hoot what you call it or what you think about it? Get this straight. You'll sign over that mine. Don't think that afterwards the law'll get it back for you, neither. Why you... You wanna know why? Because I've worked for you for three years without there ever being a word said again me. Fact is you always bragged me up. The law figure you gave me that old mine. Never suspected to be no good for anything. Found out afterwards it was. Then try to go back on your bargain. Try and talk your way around there. Yellow polecat. Yellow polecat. You callin' it again? You callin' it again? Hey, Miss Hook, no. Hook, you in there? Listen, Hook. Eh? There's an old fella out here, kinda crazy. He got a dunk in a cart and a mess of tinware. Calls himself a potter. What's he want? Well, he says he'd like to see Miss Chandler. He wants to see if she's got any cookin' things to fix, or if maybe she'd like to buy a... Hell, you old fool, it clear out. But I... Hear me? Listen, Hook, I wouldn't do that if I was you. He couldn't do no harm. Anybody able to talk and do his harm? No, I'm telling you, Hook. We gotta play this right. We've kept him from seeing too many folks already. There's gonna be talk for a long. Turn away a crazy old coot like this fella that there ain't no reason for turning away, and you will have talk. Now, look, why don't you do this? Throw a scare into these two. Tell them what'll happen to them if they run off at the mouth. Then let the old fella in. You go away and mention how he's seen them, and folks will forget their suspicions for a while. Huh? Don't you think that makes sense? Just a second. Listen. Yeah? There's a peddler outside. I'm lettin' him in here. While he's here, you can talk with him about the junk he's got for sale. Yeah, I pull, Captain. Ah, forget it, you old fool. Well, like I said, you can talk business with this fella. But I ain't gonna be far away. Don't lower that window there. If you just so much as hint to him what's going on here, he don't leave here alive. We don't want to see him. But Pa, it'd be nice having someone to talk to. You can suit yourself. It'll be all right, Amos. Please. Well, uh... Please. Uh, send him in. Spike. Here? Send him in. Meanwhile, the lone ranger and Tonto had made camp in a grove of trees on the same hill where they'd met Popluck Potter. They'd expected Popluck's early return, but an hour lengthened into two, then three, until finally the afternoon faded into evening and the evening into night. Tonto looked anxiously at his friend. You think there are trouble? I don't like to think so, Tonto. Popluck's been going a long time, but there could easily be an explanation. They might have found a lot of repair work for him to do. Around the ranch house, there would be. He couldn't find an excuse to leave until the work was finished. Maybe that's it. I don't like it, however. If anything happened to that old fellow, I'd blame myself. Him fine fellow? The kind of man who's learned how to get happiness from life. He doesn't ask much, so the little he receives satisfies him. Uh-huh. Did you notice how he'd trained that donkey of his? They pretend to speak to him and get answers. The donkey answered only when Popluck touched him with that stick he held in his hand. Ha-ha-ha. Tonto C. He must have been. There's one thing that makes what we're doing difficult. What that? Amos and his wife were pioneers in this territory. They came here years ago. They're old now, and most of their friends have died. The last ten years, they probably haven't left their home once each six months. Scarcely anyone has called on them. That, right. Add that to the fact that Hook has taken care of most of the business of the ranch for the last couple of years. You can see why a few people would find anything suspicious about the present situation. So, unless we... You hear that? It's donkey. Oh, wait. Come on. Here, Silver. Here, Scout. That sound didn't come from the trail. It come from that way. Which is the last way Popluck would choose of here? We're coming here to meet us. We afraid him hurt. Come on, Silver. Come on, Silver. The curtain falls on the first act of our thrilling Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. Hearing the prey of Popluck Potter's donkey, the Lone Ranger and Tonto raced from camp to determine what was wrong. The masked man was the first to sight Popluck's broken cart overturned and with one wheel gone. Look ahead, Tunnel. Come on, Silver. Popluck may be in it. Me, look. Oh, look, you get the donkey. Tonto do. The equipment is gone at any rate. Probably was scattered when the cart first overturned. Donkey must have dragged it for quite a distance afterwards. Having trouble with him, Tonto? Come on. Nothing here to tell us what happened. Popluck, him not there? No. I didn't really expect to find him. Either he was thrown out of the cart, too, or... What you think? Or he never left the ranch house. I can't imagine Luther here running away of his own accord. Or if he did, that he'd cause all this damage under ordinary circumstances. That's right. Looks to me as though somehow Hook learned Popluck's errand and held him. That heat bad. Donkey was likely whipped. That's what made him run away. Look, here. Yes. See, Welt? Yes, Tonto. That was right. They beat the poor fellow hard to leave Mark's on his hide like that. Now what do? We got Popluck into this. It's up to us to get him out. Which is easier said than done. There's no doubt about what Hook's men are still guarding the house. It'll be no easier to get through their lines now than it was before. We get through. The worst came to worst. We'd try to rush them. There must be a better way. I think... Yes, I've got it, Tonto. Ride ranch house? Soon. But first we return to camp. Come on, Kimosabe. Back to the saddle. In the ranch house, Spike and Hook held guns on Popluck Potter. So you thought you'd sneak a note in here, huh? Thought you could pull a wool over my eyes. Well, you made a bad mistake. The only satisfaction you get out of it is knowing it's the last mistake you'll ever make. Shook's friend and I figured it lived to make heaps of them. Then you figured wrong. I wish I was 40 years younger, I do. Tell her why. Do me a heap of good to give you the lickin' you got comin'. I'm so awful sorry, Mr. Potter. Popluck's my handle, ma'am. And my friends will call me so. There's no need to feel sorry. Ain't nothing's happened yet. It's so bad. Don't rightly expect nothin' will. You ever see a deaf-year-old cootin' him, Hook? Low-core or not, it won't matter for long. I made up a poem about you, friend. Huh? Goes like this. A rappler's mean as poison sin crawls upon his belly but sighed a hook. But gosh, you look a mighty friend. Hey, Tender, you whiskery plague-bitten mealy mouth, rhymin' old poola. What the? Hook, out the window. Look out the window. How'd it catch? How bad's it burnin'? Who's to blame for it? You ever set a fire with arrows? What's that? That's a true hook. You wish I'd burn him out to the roof from back a ways. Get out of my way. Get water from the well. Start a chain of buckets. Make, Jake, Utah. Follow me. Climb. You want the stable, so catch fire. Get a hustle on your breast and slow-moving mavericks. Put out the fire. Having seen the bunkhouse burst into flames as a result of Tonto's carefully placed arrows, the masked man and the Indian raced to their horses and leaped to the saddle. They won't put out that place in a hurry, Tender. Now, I think that for the time being, they'll forget about keeping a guard around the house. What's happened to that fellow we saw stationed near that oak? Him fight fire. Good. The others? Them fight fire, too. And the coast clear. Stop for no one, Kimosami. Fight your way to the ranch house if necessary. They get me, you keep on. Get inside that house and keep hook out. Tonto do. Now, get him up, Silver. Come on, Silver, come on. Not see us yet. Too busy with the fire. Hurry, boy. Get him up. Get him up. Now, pull up. Whoa, whoa, whoa, Silver, pull up. Get going, Silver. Get around the house, old boy. Get up there. Get him up, Scott. Get him up inside. Me, do. There's no time to talk. Hook will be here in a moment. Mericate the doors. Plot lock low. The witness enclose the shutters. Tonto, give me a hand, kid. Pile everything that can be moved against the doors. Will you show him? Mr. Chandler, get behind that table. Faster, Tonto. First, come and get us. But stand clear of that door. They're permitted the low and range in Tonto at the end of the ranch house. He shouted orders to his men. Get away from the doors. I'll tell you, get away. You want to get blasted out of your boots. Spike! Spike, where are you? Right here. Where you been? Never mind. Get that tray over there. Think you can climb it? I'm sure I can. Get up in a hurry. You'll be able to see into the room over the tops of the furniture they pile against the windows. Take your rifle with you and let them have it. Heal what? You talk, bet. Well, you're on us. Go around the back. See if they don't make a break for it. They do don't bother to yell. We'll hear you shooting and come running. Now get. Can we on our way? Arrest you. Listen to me. All right. Scatter. Keep out of each other's line of fire. But rake that room from end to end. Throw lead into there and he ain't got no more. And when you eat, I'll bring you extra, savvy. All right. All right, boys. Let's see you follow orders. With Amos Chandler's sturdy chairs, tables and benches piled up to make barricades as nearly bulletproof as possible, the Lone Ranger directed the resistance to Hook's attack. He found, however, that Hook was not to be underestimated. The latter had placed his men carefully. At the end of a half hour, the Lone Ranger crouched beside a window beckoned to Tonto. What matter? Look at my cartridge belt. Bullets? Gone? I just reloaded my guns and I took the last I had. How are you fixed? Me not got many either. I wonder if Amos has any in the house that we can reach. Take my position here. Watch those bushes across the way. I thought I saw someone moving there a moment ago. I'll see how we stand. Amos. I heard you, stranger. I heard what you and the engine were saying. I reckon we're getting close to the end. You have no cartridges? Ain't kept them in the house for the past ten years. Wish I had now. Well, we'll make the best of what we have. We'll hold our shots until we know they won't be wasted. They've stopped firing, have they? Tonto, keep a close watch. Oh, my. You've been hit something fierce. I'm so sorry. So sorry. You good people had to get in a fix like this just for poor and mean. Don't blame yourself, ma'am. But they're just... Don't you realize you should stay where you were? You were in range of their bullets here. I can't do something to fix you up somehow. I'm not wounded. Just scratched by splinters. These cuts look a great deal worse than they are. Pa, ain't it a shame when we've come so close to living our lives out that Hook couldn't have just got us without taking these other folks along? Don't seem right, Nellie. Forget that kind of talk. We're not beaten yet. Potluck. Or me. Come over here. Sure thing, friend. See the way I let them have it. Reckon Luther had been right proud of me. I think he would have been, Potluck. You two, tunnel. They won't try another rush for a while yet. Oh. Gonna have a council or war, friend? Something of the sort. Bullets all gone. Just about. But I've thought of a plan that might work, Kimosami. Uh-huh. I'll explain it to all of you. But first I want your word that whatever I order, you'll obey without question. Why, sure. I ain't setting myself up to be the leader here. How about the rest of you? We'll do what you say. Well, this time I think we pretty well know how Hook placed his men. Uh-huh. Taddo, you said two men were stationed at the rear door. That's right. You saw no others there? They're just two. In that case, my plan will work. Those two have been placed there just in case we try to leave by the back way. Thinking of overpowering them? No. We're going to take the furniture away from that window directly across from me. I think it can be done without attracting Hook's attention. And then what? When I give the word, Taddo will swing open the shutters. And I'll jump out. And as I cross toward the stables, I'll shout as though I expected the rest of you to follow me. I think Hook and his men will believe for the moment we're all trying to escape by the same way. That will draw them to this side of the house. Hey, just show us Abby then. Don't you see it? While they're looking for you to escape through the window, you'll be leaving by the back way. Silver and Scout shouldn't be far off. Amos, Taddo will help you and your wife. Give them two minutes leeway. And I'll promise you that. And you should get free. Oh, no. No, we could never do that. Lou Luthor, never stand for it. Just a moment. You each gave me your word. You would follow orders. Yes, but... And we won't argue. Let's turn it up again. Now we'll have to work fast. Now we'll start moving that furniture. Me take your place. Move the furniture. Ah, Taddo do. Potluck, give Amos a hand. Friend, what'll I tell Lou Luthor? How am I going to face him again when he knows I'll let you do this for a worthless old coot like me? We won't discuss it. Not ready, Kimosabe? Yes. Get ready. I'll make it, Kimosabe. Don't believe for a moment that I won't. Don't risk the chance of safety just because you fear for me. Me do what you say. Good, fellow. Please. Oh, please listen. It ain't worth it. It ain't. There must be some other way. I thought there would be, ma'am, but firing that bunkhouse didn't work out altogether as I'd hoped. You won't change your mind. Watch me, Taddo. When I drop my hand, open those shutters. The rest of you stand aside. I... The fire did work. Amos had brought your neighbors. Listen, that sounds like the sheriff's force. Taddo, throw open those shutters. They'll be around nothing. We're taking a hand. Look, that way you are. You'll settle with me. So that was one of the reasons the masked man said he had tanto fire at the bunkhouse sheriff. So he spoke to see the fire and ride here. We short, ma'am, but it took a while to make the ride. Honey, where'd that masked man get to? Wasn't he in the red skin around here just now? Look there! Adios, gentlemen. Powerhouse! And them horses see him just fly over the ground. Maybe they'll take me up a poem. Oh, but y'all, how are you going to put in the words a sight like that? It is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.