 A fiery horse for the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty hi-yo silver, the Lone Ranger. When the wagon trains first pushed their way into the western United States, the settlers found rich grazing land in Texas, gold and silver in the hill country, and fertile soil ideal for farming on the Great Plains. Hard work brought the pioneers a good living, but not peace and security. Outlaws, gunmen and swindlers roamed the west. Law and order might never have been established if it had not been for the masked rider of the plains. With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, he fought crime and criminals throughout the territory, and the memory of his deeds will remain as long as the memory of the frontier itself. 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. Come on! Stay over there! We're heading north! Continued drought threatened one of the biggest sections of wheat in the entire west. Clem Barker, who was known as the leader of the wheat-raising community, saw disaster threatening. The lack of rain gave promise of drying up the crop to such an extent that there wouldn't even be seed for the following year. He called a meeting of his friends and... I thought, boys, if we were to get our heads together, we might figure out some way to save a little of the wheat crop. Ain't nothing but water can save it, Clem. And there ain't no water. It's reached the point where we ain't likely to have even have enough water for drinking. That's going pretty far, Leif. Well, it's the truth. The spring on my place is most gone dry. I'm figuring on hauling water from the hill if it gets much worse. I'm willing to listen to any suggestions anyone has. Glad to hear that, Jim. You'll be an owner of the land to join in mine. I look to you to help me put an idea across. You've got an idea, Clem? Reckon so. What's your scheme? We can't save all the wheat, but we can maybe save one crop. Maybe save part of mine, the north side. I know that! I know that! Dad Ratatoll, he's figuring on the pack of us leaving our own fields and pitching in to help him save his. Why, you selfish old brother? I'll take it easy. Wait till you hear my idea. Go on, Clem. Never mind what Leif is saying. We've got to get seed. If we all pitch in together and save my crop, get the seed, split it up, we'll all be fixed for another year. Dad Ratatoll, that sounds good. Sure it sounds good. It's the only thing to do. First class good sense. Maybe so. Why, sure I'll get my share of the seed. You will get your share all right. We'll see to that. We'll pack it up in equal parts. But he ain't said yet how he figures on saving his crop. By hauling water from the mountains, Mud River. Hauling water? By its underration now I know your local. Ain't so. We all got teams and buckboards. We can put barrels on the buckboards, drive to Mud River, and haul barrels full of water down to spread over that one section. You're sure you can get men to help us, Clem? I don't blame well again. Why shucks towns full of men right now. Men that ain't no crops left to work on on the count of the drought. All they need is cash. I got about $500 saved. I'll start the pool with that. You know where I stand, Clem. I'll give you all I got, but that ain't much. Whatever it is, it'll help. I got a couple hundred cash money. Well, that'll be $700. I figure we ought to have close to a thousand. That'll hire all the men we need. To save your wheat. Dad, Ratty, Dave, it ain't to save my wheat. It's to save your seed. Well, I'll chip in what I got. Me too. That's the talk, boys. By thunder we ain't licked yet. Now you just leave it to me. By tomorrow morning I'll have men and horses and wagons here and we'll start moving Mud River. Clem didn't know that word of his plans had gone ahead of him and that the fashionably dressed man with a beaver hat, gaudy vest and long frock coat, was schemer Kincaid who'd swindled people in all parts of the west. Kincaid was talking to Lorimer, the one who had brought the news of the plan for saving wheat and he ought to be here most any minute now, Kincaid. That's fine, my friend. That's fine. Fine and dandy. Yes, indeed. A bartender set up another drink for my friend Lorimer. You're right, generous, Mr. Kincaid. Don't forget what we rehearsed. There he comes. That's the fellow Clem Barker. Like a sheep to be shown. He ain't no fool now. Don't get that notion. He ain't to be took in easy. My friend, you're looking at an expert. Smarter men than him have listened to me and regretted it. You better start talking. He's close enough to hear. You start. Mr. Kincaid, that rain-making gun of yours certainly did the trick for my cousin over in Dakota. Yes, yes. I've yet to know what to fail. Yes, sir, E. The way he wrote about you in his letter, why couldn't believe it? He spoke highly of my ability, eh? Yes, sir. He said it was the greatest invention he'd ever seen. Why, he's told everyone he's seen about how you went up there when it wasn't a sign of rain. Not even the best engines could see a sign of rain coming, not for weeks. My invention defies all the laws of nature. He told me they was having your rainmaker and gun tested out in Washington. Oh, yes, yes. I hope to sell the invention to the government. Change the weather. Turn deserts into fertile fields. Bring warm rain to the Arctic. Make arid plateaus rich grazing. Lush grass waving in a soft warm breeze. Gosh. Well, that's what my cousin said. He said that for a couple thousand dollars, you saved a whole blame state from starving. How many times did he have to use the gun? Not many. First shot he fired made the sky get sort of black. And when it echoed, it sounded like the distant thunder. And the second shot? At the second shot, the sky clouded up some more. Shucks. After the third shot, it was raining bucketfuls. Three shots. Hmm. I think the gun needs a little adjusting. Claims listening. Close. Keep talking. How soon do you reckon you'll be ready to market it? Not until next season. I hear rains needed mighty bad here in Kansas. I've only got one working model left. I'd sell it. I sold one to your cousin. Pardon me, Mr. My name's Tim Barker. Oh, yes, yes. Mr. Barker. I couldn't help hearing you talk about that there rain gun. He's a spy, Kincaid. He's trying to steal your idea. No, I ain't. I own a wheat farm around here. How does this gun work anyway? I think the details would be too much for you, but I'll tell you the principle, Mr. Barker. It's a unique idea, a wonderful idea. Science claims that there are always rain clouds passing overhead. That there isn't enough disturbance to burst them open so the rain will fall. My gun is designed to break these clouds. It can't fail. Gosh. Our crops are bad this year, and we need rain. Say, Kincaid, it's too bad you can't bring your work and model out here. Oh, I ain't. I'll let you in on a secret lormor. My working model is out here. Listen, I've got an idea. Well? I'd like to use that gun of yours. You just stop off to my place for a week or so, and we can pay you for the time. You don't seem to realize what my time is worth, my good fellow. Just fix the price. Let me see. If you were sure this rain-making gun of yours would work, I'd go as high as $1,000 worth. For the good of the country to save your crops, I might let you rent it. Yes, I think I should. And the powder. You'll have to have the powder for the gun. I will supply it. Then it's a deal. Great. The boys will be glad. Why, we won't just save my crop. We'll save everyone's wheat. While Clem Barker enthused about the rental of the swindler's machine, one man, a tall stranger, slipped unnoticed from the cafe and circled the big wooden building to reach his horse, tethered in the woods. At the side of the big white stallion, the stranger paused to replace his worn black hat with a white one hanging on the saddle pommel. He slipped a mask over his eyes, then leaped to the saddle. Come on, sit over! A few moments of hard riding brought him to a secluded camp where he reigned in. Oh, that's over! Oh, boy! Taddo! You come in big hurry. Yes. I overheard something in the town, Taddo. I was waiting in the cafe to talk to Clem Barker about the wheat crops. You see him? I saw him, but I didn't get the chance to speak. There was another man there, a swindler named Kin Cade. What him do? He talked to Barker. He rented him a rain-making gun. Oh, that no good. Of course it isn't. But Clem paid $1,000 for the gun. Kin Cade made him think he was sure to get rain by using it. The only way to make him realize the gun's a fake is to let him try it. But crooks, wait. You said, Kimosabe, that there wouldn't be rain for many more days. Not right. And as a weather prophet, you'll never fail. Rain not coming long time. Very well. Then we're sure Kin Cade can't be lucky enough to have rain come after they start firing the gun. They'll know it's a fake. We'll let them find it out for themselves, then act. Two shots. Dad ratted it all. The sky ain't showing no sign of power. Oh, Pa, I'm afraid you've been swindled. You can hear the men grumbling, Pa. They've been poking fun at you all day. Here, Jim. Here, give me your hand. I'll help you all, I can, Clem. But I'm afraid it ain't no use. Fire that contraption again. Let's see that rain you promised us. They're getting awful angry, Pa. Get her loaded, Jim. Tamp that powder down good and firm this time. I'll try. Clem. Now, take it easy. Take it easy, Jim. Give me a chance. Maybe I learned how to use this thing right yet. You're working the only way it can be worked. Putting powder in, lighting the fuse, and let it roar. Ain't no good. It's a fake. That's what I've been saying. That's what I said when you first fetched it over here. That thing's an ordinary fake. And that critter Kin Cade's nothing but a first-class winner. Now, boys, give me a chance. Spent all our money. Spent all our money for that dog-gone thing instead of doing as you promised, and hiring men to tote the water in bails from the hill. We got plenty powder here. We'll just keep a firing and hope for the best. It's ready to fire again. Stand back, Pa. Stand back. I'll light the fuse. Maybe this time we'll fetch the rain. I ain't holding no hope at all. We'll just speak that's all. And it's my idea that you took that case and kept it yourself. This is just a click of yours to get our money. Don't you say that about Pa. I said it, and I stand by it. Pa ain't no swindler. He ain't no crook. Then let him give back our cash. Yeah, like my money back, too. I ain't got it. I spent it. I give it to that man who rent this gun. If it don't work, you will get it back. He said so. Yeah, give it back. Where is he at? How can he give it back if he ain't here? Well, you said he'd be back. Yeah, we've seen the last of him. You can bet your shirt on that. Get back. The fuse is lighted. Maybe this time we'll do it. Well, if it don't rain, we ain't gonna let you fire it no more. You're scaring what few printers we got to the pint where they're going to bust out in the corral. Now look sharp. See if you don't see some clouds blowing up. Well, I... Oh, I'm afraid we ain't gonna get no rain, Clem. Oh, Pa, it ain't no use. Ain't a doggone bit of use. And you ain't gonna fire that can of no more. We've heard enough of its roarin' round here, scaring cows and chickens, makin' horses bust the fences. That settles it. Don't worry about the cash I paid you, Clem. You can worry about my cash. I want it back and I aim to get it. If you ain't got the cash, I'll take what you owe me and livestock. I'll pay up. I'll give you back your cash. The regular ain't nothin' else to do. I'm just late. Lick complete. Oh, Pa, you should've known better. You can't make rain by firein' a gun that way. I reckon I found it out, Betty, but it's too late. Now everything's gone. The wheat. And what cash we had as well. The Kirkland Falls on the first act of our thrilling known ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. When Clem Barker had fired the cannon several times with no success, he realized that he had been the victim of a swindle. Evening found him in his home with Betty, his daughter, and Jim, the neighboring farmer. I wouldn't mind losing the cash I had. It's losing your money, Jim. That's what hurts me. Why have I got to be such a dog-gone old fool? It wasn't your fault, Clem. The chances are that any one of us would've done the same thing. All I thought was that we could save all the wheat by gettin' rain. Be a downside better in hiring men to lug water. Save just enough for seed. Don't take it so hard, Pa. If we only had some cash left, we could maybe import seed for next year's plan. But we ain't a dime. See who's there, will you, Betty? Of course. Likely one of the men to tell you what he thinks all over again. Oh, good evening. Clem, I thought I'd better drop over here. Oh, well, go on, have your say. Attain so much me, it's...it's late. He's bound to determine you're going to pay back what he gave you. I told him he could take livestock and call it square. And he'll do it. Oh, you got the door wide open for me. You come to collect, huh? Sure as thunder did. Thunder ain't so sure these days. I'll take your horses back with me, Barker. Now leave. You heard me. You owe me cash and I'm collecting. I don't need more horses to hold my belongings in new fields. I ain't staying here to starve. I'm pulling stakes. Just a minute. What do you want me to speak to you? Mask, man. Another scheming outlaw looking for cash from you. I'm not an outlaw. What's the mask for? Wait a minute, Barker. I want to speak to all of you men. A man packing guns like them on your bell stranger can speak all he likes. Thanks. You weren't ready for rain yet. What do you mean by that? If you do get rain, it'll gather in low places. And most of your crop will be as dry as it is right now. Ain't no rain in sight. We'll get ready for it. Are you Roco too? You've got to plow your field. Plow deep furrow so the rain will fill them and soak into the ground. Then your wheat will get the water it needs. I've heard enough of these fool motions. You haven't heard all you're going to hear. I don't see much sense in plowing the ground. Just a lot more hard work to go for nothing. You've spent a thousand dollars for that gun. Why not spend a couple of days of work so you'll get the wheat you've already paid for? Get those furrows plowed. Then see what happens. Wait! Get him back. I want to speak to him. I'll call him. He's Roco. Listen. Did you hear that? Silver. Who is he? Clem, he called that horse silver. And had two guns. And a mask. What are you talking about? You know him? That's one man I listen to. Jim, we're going to do what he says. We'll start plowing furrows in the morning. There's still some hope. He wouldn't have told us that if there wasn't a chance for us. Well, who is he? Now, who is that mask critter that you listen to like this? You dog-gone fool, Leif Larkin. You do what he said. You plow. Plow them furrows. That man is the Lone Ranger. The next day, Clem started early in the morning plowing deep furrows through the wheat fields as the mask man had instructed him to do. I'll get up there. Get along. In a nearby field, his friends plowed, following his example. Leif had forgotten his intention to take Clem Barker's horses, as he himself, impressed by all the stories he'd heard about the Lone Ranger, plowed furrow after furrow through the sun-parched wheat. And then about noon, Betty came to meet her father, carrying some food done up in a napkin. Oh, there, boys. Oh. Clowns are coming, Pa. Oh, it's coming along. It's your hard work under this blister in the sun, though. I brought you your lunch so you wouldn't have to take time out to come back to the house. That's right. Thoughtful of you, girl. I wonder how Jim's making out. I got another package of lunch. I'm going to take it over to his place. I sure hope we ain't making a mistake. Even Leif Larkin's plowing the field. We're all counting on that Lone Ranger. I don't know what he's going to do. I don't see how he can make rain, if nothing else can. He's got a scheme of some sort. I'm staking everything on it. If he ain't, just more hard work gone for nothing. Well, here's your lunch. Oh, Pa. There's something peculiar. What is that? You left that old cannon you bought and the keg of powder for it in the tool shed. Yeah. Every time I look at it, it'll remind me of the fool I made of myself. Listening to a swindlin' coyote like Kincaidfeller. You didn't move the powder, did you? No, it was there last evening. Why? Well, it's gone. Gone? Yep. I went out to see if it was covered so the sparks from the chimney wouldn't land on it and blow it up. And it wasn't there. Well, it's got to be there. I left it there. Well, there was a mark on the floor where the keg had been standing. But the keg was gone. Oh, but Dad ratted who's been stealing that powder anyway. It's no good to anybody unless they want to make a lot of trouble with it. It's a dangerous stuff. Wonder who's taken it. Look, I found these where the keg had been standing. Bullets. That's a warning of some sort. But Pa, look at these bullets. I've never seen the like of them. Huh? Let me see, girl. Let me see them. They look like silver. Dog gone if they ain't. Silver betty, silver bullets. That's it. That tells me where the powder is. But Dog gone, what's he doing with it? Keep plowing, Clem. Keep plowing. Hey, there he is. That mask man again. He's right behind that gullet. We'll meet again, Clem. Powerful silver, go away! By nightfall, Clem's field was plowed and the tired old man turned in with fervent hopes and prayers that his labor wouldn't be in vain. He didn't know that the lone ranger was riding, riding through the night toward a distant town where Tonto said Kincaid and Lorimer were staying. Come on, silver! He arrived there and soon located the two schemers in the cafe. He waited and one day left. Good night, boys. We'll see you tomorrow. Who is interested in Kincaid? Travel around with you. Yes, yes, my friend. There's never a dull minute with Professor Kincaid. Professor now. My ginger, you've got more schemes than a man can shake a stick at. One minute. What's this? I want to talk to you, Kincaid. You know me. You stole a thousand dollars from Clem Barker. Very did nothing of the sort. It's a case of mistaken identity, a grave error. Your accusations are the truth. The men there are looking for you. You sold them an old cannon and a few dollars were the powder. They want to keep the powder and they'll pay what it's worth. But you're buying back the gun. Get your saddles and we'll start. But wait, you can't start it. Don't shab me. Sorry. Let's talk it on your way. We can look for it. You having the cash? You'll be taking your last ride right now. Panic stricken the two had no choice but to obey the masked man's sharp commands. They rode through the night trying to persuade the lone ranger to take the cash and let them go. It was a futile effort. Kincaid, for the first time in his scheming, misspent life, was really frightened. He'd met one man who would not be persuaded by his glib tongue. Morning found Clem Barker fuming with fury when he stepped from his home to see another cloudless sky without a sign of rain. Food again blasted all. All that plowing for nothing. No, Pa, I was... You wish I'd stopped listening to folks. Now the men will be furious. All the work they'd done yesterday thinking it would rain today. Just because that masked man told us to. Well, I'm done. I ain't listening no more. Oh, there's Jim riding over. Well, you may as well get set to hear some hard talk, Panic. Oh, Pa, there. Oh, I... Good morning, Jim. Well, I hope you're satisfied now, Clem. I... I didn't think the lone ranger would fool us, Jim. Well, I hate to think what their mothers will say. After all, Pa, the lone ranger didn't promise there'd be rain. They give us that understanding, though. Here they come. The rest of them in. No, it takes a life. I wish I'd never listened to nobody. Hey, what's that coming from the west? It's the masked man. Hey, that is the three of us. Who are the others? Kincaid. Kincaid and Laura. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Just a minute, Clem. String them up. Let me see one's got R.K. Make them give back the money. Quiet, all of you. Don't you hold that gun on me. Shoot them. Shoot all three of you. No, no, gentlemen, don't shoot. Don't shoot. Please give us a chance to talk. Swindler's, eh? Where's my money? Where's all our money? Thank you. It was you who had us plowing all day yesterday. When you keep quiet long enough to listen? Yes, gentlemen. Gentlemen, we didn't swindle you. Eh, my invention must have failed. You knew Dog Gun, well, it would fail. Dad got his oldest carted army gun. Jim, you seem to have a level head. Well, it's Dog Gun upset right now. Here, here's a package of powder. Enough to fire that gun once more. Go and load the gun and fire it. Don't you listen to more of them, fool notion. Take the powder and do what I tell you. Well, maybe you didn't fire it enough. The disgruntled farmers resented the interference of the lone ranger, but no one tried to stop Jim as he loaded the cannon. Finally, with everything in readiness, the masked man gave the order to fire. We still don't see no rain. You don't care where the water comes from as long as you're getting it, do you? Anywhere's all right if we get it. Look up at the mountain. There's water. A regular river. Mount River has changed its course. Do you see it? It's coming right down this way. It looks as if there was a blast on the way up on the mountain. What's that water? What's the furrows you plowed? There's your water. There's your water. Now are you satisfied? It's coming right down into the furrows. It's filling up the furrows in the field. Will it do the shame to my field? All your fields will be flooded. Your furrows filled. The weed will get enough water to carry it along for several weeks. By that time, you'll have rain. Now are you satisfied? You see, your gun brought water. Leaping catfish. Then I didn't make a bad buy after all. There's your water. There's the salvation of all our wheat fields. Not just enough wheat for seed, but wheat for eaten, wheat for flour, wheat for all of us. Yippee! Look at that water! Now maybe you'll have some faith in the next man that comes through this way. I always said it wasn't a good thing for a man to lose his faith in human nature. And I was right. Look at that. Look at that water. Aided a sight to see. On your way, King Kate. Come on, Lorimer. Let's get out while the kittens get up there. Get up there. I'm going back. See how my own fields look. You'll find them filling with water. Come on, Sam. Let's go see you. Get up there. Get up there. Oh, you done it, stranger. You sure enough done it. But wait a minute, Pa. That cannon didn't bring that water. It was fire. Simply to save you from being laughed at by everyone, Clam was the man who bought the rain-making gun. But I don't savvy. Most of the powder was fixed in a blast high up on the mountain side. A blast that opened a new channel for Mud River. So it would flow down here and water your fields. And you fixed that blast? My friend fixed it. Kincaid wanted a chance to get out of here alive so he could make good of things. He'd done it in other places. And I gave him that chance. I begin to understand why folks talk so about you, stranger. Here's a thousand dollars. You can give back the money the men loaned you. It's from Kincaid. The water. The water. And all the wheat saved. And the cash back. Funderation, this is more than I can savvy. Ha ha ha. Dark on it, I wasn't such a big fool after all. Pa, don't you take no credit? What if I hadn't bought that powder? If you hadn't, I bet the masked man would have found some other way to save us. I reckon you're right, Betty. I reckon you're right at that. The Lone Ranger always finds a way. Hail, Silver! Hail, Lone Boy! This Indian trouble to the West! Hail, Silver! I've just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.