 a horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hay-o-silver, the lone ranger. The latter of the planes fought for justice throughout the early western United States. His strength and courage always on the side of right against might. Outlaws and confidence men learned to fear his daring and resourcefulness. But every honest man and woman who shared his dream of a great new country could depend on his help. Return with us now to those thrilling days when the West was young. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The lone ranger rides again. Two stagecoaches were drawn up, one behind the other in the little village of Freeland. Both were the familiar Concorde type, but there the resemblance ended. One was new and bore the insignia of the Brewer stagecoach lines. The other owned by young Bill Paulson was old and elapidated. The last of its paint had been worn off years before. Bill himself stood in the street beside the new coach and shook his fist at its grinning driver. Can't do this to me, it ain't fair. You tell Dan Brewer to stain his own territory and leave other folks alone. I ain't tried to round his business. Suppose you tell that to Dan yourself and see what good it does you. I'll talk to him. You bet I'll talk to him. Sure, sure. Come on, Lane, let's get going. We've got a schedule to keep. No, you don't. You fellas ain't moving till I'm finished. Now, Bill, you look here. Ain't no use you're getting mad at Sam and me here. This ain't none of our doing. All we know is Dan told us he was starting service being here in South Pass and putting us up to run. As long as he draws wages, he's got to obey his orders. So that's all there is to it. He's just trying to run me out. Maybe, but I don't... At least he could fight fair. He's got a big line built up and all the cash he'll ever need. I'm just starting in. I got just that one stage, coach, and look at it. Yeah, look at it. Ain't hardly fitting the hitchhorses to... Take it easy, Bill. Take it easy when your boss comes into my territory and starts hauling passengers and freight for almost nothing. How can I beat that kind of competition? Take a tip from me. Huh? You can't, so don't try it. Well, I'm not going to let him get up. How can't you all be you no longer? See you next trip. Get up, pal, you critters. Get up! I don't show you, you fellas ain't got me lit yet. What business in the world Dan can want? He comes here to keep me from making a living. I'd like to break him in half. Me talk to you. Huh? Oh, howdy, engine. What do you want? You come. Huh? Friend won't see you. Yeah? Who is he? You come. You see him. Can't you tell me his name? No. Well, if you can't, I'm not interested. That foreign engines I've never seen or fought and strangers I've never heard of before. Him won't help you. Me? Ritzkin, now I know you're joking. Besides, whether I get any passengers or not, I've got a stage to drive. All right, Sandy. Let's get going for the pass. Bill wouldn't listen to you, aunt Anna. All right. Well, you can't blame him. After all, he doesn't know us. Oh. I think we can get all the information we need from another source. Where that is, over? The Barney Baskin. Him, aren't you? One of the wealthiest in the district, he must have been. There's nothing going on around here that he doesn't know about. He didn't talk to you? We met once years ago. If you remember me, he will. Huh? That's good. Let's go. Get him up, scoundrel. Come on, Silver. Come on, old fellow. Come on. It was several hours later that a lone ranger and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, drew rain in front of a large rambling ranch house. Oh, oh, hey, Silver. Don't mind the dogs. Open your hands, you fellas. I've seen you when the dogs started barking. You ain't going to get nothing out of it. Hello, Barney. Well, I land a ghost. Look, who's here? And I was going to drill you. I seen that mask. It's all right, Barney. No harm done. We're here for information. Then you'd better be getting inside before the boys come around, wondering who you are. Thanks. I suppose this is... Tonto, you heard me speak of it. Well, I should smile. I did. Tonto, howdy. Oh. You part ever tell you how him and me chased some rustlers? Clear the kingdom come one time? Oh, him tell them. Well, him and me. Well, Barney, we have much time. We need information. And the quicker we can get it, the better. Sure, friend, sure. I always was one to talk too much. What do you want to know? What's happened to Dan Brewer, huh? I heard quite a bit about Dan the last time I was through here, Barney. And everyone spoke highly of him. But now I'm beginning to wonder. You must have been hearing about him in young Bill Paulson, huh? I have been. Well, now it's a funny thing about Dan. He used to be one of the best-liked fellas in this part of the state. And he isn't, now? Not like he was. When I... Just another fella that's been too successful. Oh. Don't know what else to blame it on. You see, it's like this. As near as I could figure it out. Dan's got a grown daughter named Sally. But just the same, he's still a young man. Can't believe it. Can't be more than 38 or 9. I know that. Well, 10 years ago, he started up his stage line on the shoestring. Now, he's got one of the finest outfits in the state. Makes money, hand over fist. That's one of the reasons I can't understand he's going after Paulson. Wait a second. When Dan was building up his line, he was too busy hustling after business to stop and think what a great fella he was. I see. But once he got to the top, I reckon he set back and on the stage line. But once he got to the top, I reckon he set back and all of a sudden began to realize he was something special. A big head, huh? You could call it that. Others have called it worse, though. Anyhow, he decided he was quite a curly wolf so he began to howl. Turned into a regular driver where he used to be free and easy with the fellas working for him. He began to order him around like he owned a plantation and they were slaves sort of. Asking for trouble. Oh, the boys didn't think much of it. They noted just something. Dan had to get over by himself. They just take it and keep their mouths closed. But in the meantime, what about Bill? Until Bill bought that old coach of his, Dan never ran a stage between Freeland and South Pass. Bill wasn't competition in any sense of the word. In fact, by promoting travel to the pass where his stage met Dan's coaches, he was bringing Dan business. Ha, ha, ha, ha. But that ain't taking Sally into account. Sally? Dan's daughter. I just mentioned her. Bill made the mistake of paying her court. So that's it. Bill's a right fine boy. But I reckon Dan just disapproved on general principles. Like a lot of other parents, he doesn't want to see his child marry and leave him. Exercise of it, I reckon. And that's why he set out to bust Bill. He's going to prove to Sally that cause Bill can't stand up again or Paul. He ain't the man she ought to get hitched to. That sounds like poor logic to me. How could Bill be expected to fight Dan successfully when Bill is starting with nothing and Dan as a large organization? You ask Dan that, not me. I guess he'll have some kind of an answer for you. I will. Huh? Yeah. You mean you are going to face Dan? Where can he be found? Middleburg? That's his headquarters. But since he's troubled with Bill started he and Sally have been staying at South Pass. Both lines run in there and it gives Dan a better chance to keep an eye on things. South Pass. Tell her, why don't you take us a ride there? Maybe eight, nine now. We can get there during the evening. Then come. Hey! I'm going to call on Dan, Barney. I hope to make him see reason. But if he doesn't, he will see us again. Adios! When Bill Paulson reached South Pass with his staid, he stabled his horses and spent the early evening idling about town. But when darkness had fallen he headed for Dan Brewer's home. A tall hedge encircled the house and when Bill reached it he called softly. Sally! Oh, Sally! It's me, Bill. Here you are. Bill, you shouldn't have counted. You expected me, though, didn't you? Well, I... If you hadn't, you wouldn't be here. Would Paul find out? He raised a dick, and sure. But he's got to find us first. Where is he now? In the parlor, I think. He was going over some accounts. Well, as long as he stays there, we shouldn't worry. What did he say to get me? Shucks, it was a time back when he used to act like he caught him to me. That was before we met. That's all that's wrong, Bill. Really, it is. He's just afraid I'll marry and leave him. Well, I know it's silly, but I don't think he even realizes himself that that's how he feels. He just says, I can't think of marrying until I find someone good enough for me. Well, I never claimed to be there. Crazy. But, but, Bill... Yeah? When you'll sell out, then take what you get and start up against somewhere else. Wouldn't that be wiser? If you don't, you may lose everything. I know. Well, then... I don't know. It ain't easy to put in the words, Sally. Well, it's just that I set out to run a stage line between Freeland and South Pass. Not some play sales, but just between them two points. Well, if I quit, I'll always feel as though I'd prove yellow somehow. As though I'd show that I couldn't stand up to a fight. And I wouldn't be good enough for you. I'm not that foolish to think that way, Bill. You can't help what I do. And if I did quit, nor put a sell to your part, you'd think even less of me than it does now. You can't admire our man. You're just down, Sally. Yeah. Yeah, I suppose. I don't know how you look at it, but the main thing with me is proving to your part that I can make you a good husband. Even a stage line don't come up over that. I ain't going to just stop and show him I'm a quitter. Oh, you'll never let up. Yeah, maybe not. I'm going to talk. He says he'll run you out of business if he has to let passengers ride for nothing. Mm-hmm. And it makes me sort of dog-gone mad. Yeah. And I mean, it never ended. Your pa's had to run stages between here and feel until I thought of it. If he'd chosen some other run, that's the run he would have decided he had to have. We'll be all right. You're sneaking coyote. Eatin' Sally on a slide. Hey, what are you... Load it in prime for the skunk. Sally, I'm going to show you just how much gum she needs pulled kids gut. Bill, I'm going to start counting. When I get to 10, I'm lettin' fly. And let's see you travel. If you don't make tracks in an almighty big hurry, you're going to have your britches full of buck shots. Damn, if you think I'm going to run on a kind of that shotgun you're holding there in your hands, your loco is a bug-eyed steer. And I won't even count, aren't ya? You'll drop that gun before I blast it out of your hands. I'll take that gun. There. Leave it on the ground. You can get it when we're gone. Who in turn could you think you are? That doesn't matter. I'm here to ask you just one question. Are you going to give Bill a chance? Or are you going to use your power to break him? I'll break anybody that gets in my way. A bad policy, then. One of these days, you'll meet a man stronger and smarter than you, and you will be broken. Hey, what's the matter? Redskin, ain't you the hombre spoke to me in the morning? Ah, not me. I'm the man who wanted to see you. What for? Then I wanted information. Since then, I got it another place. You're coming with me now to discuss something else. Where's your horse? Just the stage horses back in town. Tyler, go with him. Ah, time to do it. See Billy Saddle's one of those horses and bring him to the place I mentioned when we rode here. I'll meet you there. This is the Lone Ranger's story. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. How to continue our story. The place that the Lone Ranger had pointed out to his faithful Indian companion was an isolated woodside deal for a camp. When Tonto and Bill Paulson had joined him there, he outlined a plan to help the young man. You see, Bill, I think your problem can be solved. You showed Dan you're a better man than he is. If you do as I've suggested, you will. That's one of the slickest stunts I've ever heard of. Then you agree? There wouldn't be a fool not to. I can see no other chance for you. No, but I can't neither. Gosh, if it'll only work, the look Dan will have on his face. It'll be safe. Yes. He'd like you to check up a second time. After I've talked to him, he does that. If he does, we'll just have to find another plan somehow. That's what I'm afraid of. But I'm almost positive he won't. There are several good sound reasons for that. The first place, Dan is already completely confident of his own ability to out-guess anyone he meets in a business way. He's that all right. In fact, he's overconfident. That's one point in your favor. The second is that when he sees how ready you seem to be to quit, his estimation of you will go still lower. I wonder if that's possible. It is. So he'll not only be overestimating himself, but he'll be underestimating you. And Barney Baskham? Barney will work with us, will he? He will. You have my word. Then that's fine. And I still say I want to see Dan's face when he learns how he's been tricked. During the following week, Bill continued to operate his stage line in competition with Dan. One day, on arriving at South Pass, he headed for the local office of the Brewer stage line with two ledges underneath his arm. When he entered the office, Dan looked up but showed no surprise. You, eh? What have you got there? Those are the company books I've been keeping. They show everything. Just how much the company owes, how much it owns, how much it's made and how much it's lost. Everything's there. Here's that. What's that to me? I want you to look them over, Dan. Why? Well, I'll tell you. I've seen the light. You know, you used to me fighting a fellow like you. They can't be licked, so I'm quitting. I've given up selling out. You found me too much for you, eh? I mean, ashamed to admit it. Well, that's the difference between you and me. I would be. Sally! Come out here a second. I want to show you something. Hello, Dan. There's no use in rubbing it in. Can't take it, eh? Hello, Sally. Come here. What is it for? Take a look at them, Sally. There's the fellow you said had the nerve to fight your part of a standstill. Really, something wrong? Your father's just enjoying himself because he knows I've come here to sell out. Sell out? No. I can't help it, Sally. You said yourself the other night to figure there was a thing to do. I know, but I thought we agreed. That'll be about enough of that. You two ain't ever going to agree to nothing. Now, as long as I'm your father selling, I've got some rights over you. Is that all you wanted to tell me? Nope. Just wanted you here to look on while we dig her. Maybe that'll give you some idea if you're just keeping this up, Dan. Give me the right price and I'll sell. I ain't got much equipment. Just the one coach and the horses and the station here and the feeling. But it ought to be worth something. You're not in the position to tell me what I'll pay. I know very well what you're meant to. You're meant to try and hold me up. That wouldn't work. You have to sell, but I don't have to buy. When you figure that out, you'll see where I'm on the driver's seat. Yes, sir. You hear that, Sally? You're fired. We just got tamed down some. Please, boss, stop it. Yeah, I can sadly hear you're feeling. Well, this ain't getting business done. You know what kind of a balance those books show? Well, the way I figured when everything's paid and my company owns, well, there ought to be what amounts to a couple thousand dollars left. That's including rolling stock, of course. So I thought that... Quit thinking. I've overlooked those books myself and see what they say. Likely, if made a mess of them. I had a feeling keeping for me. And then, likely, you don't even serve them. I'll look them over. If I find your company stands about the way you claim, I... I'll give you a couple hundred dollars. But, Dan, that ain't the worst nail what it's worth. No, it'll be cash enough to get you out of town and keep you going here so far you won't get the notion of calling on my daughter again. That's all you'll need. But I won't take it. Then don't. I'll take it over while you're looking at the books. Take it all the time you want, young fella. Don't matter to me. Thank you, Dan. Thank you very much. Well, I'll be saying good day now. Bye, Sally. Bye, Bill. Ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha. Oh, pa, stop it! Stop! And there goes a ring-tailed chair I was supposed to be scared of. Sneaking out of here like a whip-curler. I don't care. What's this? I don't believe it's as bad as it looks. I don't! I don't! When you came right down to it, I'd sort of hope Bill would do better myself. But for all of Bill's apparent ejection when he left Dan Brewer's office, he was cheerful enough two days later. Barney Baskham, the lone ranger and the young stage driver, had met at the ranch's home. And Bill told the story of his conference with Dan. Ha, ha, ha. So he looked at the folks from cover to cover and made me the same offer all over again. Two hundred dollars. And you told him? Well, I still couldn't make up my mind to it and took the ledges and drove them back to Freeland on this stage. You misrepresented nothing? If he buys, it'll be as is. I mean, he'll take the company with what it owes and what it owns at the time I sell. Ha, ha, ha. Young fella, between you and me and the masked fella here, I reckon we'll have Dan Brewer just about where we want him. And it's you two who are doing it. You're giving me the cash, Barney, and it was the masked man's idea. I ain't had nothing to do with it at all. Don't feel that way, Bill. Ain't it so? No, as a matter of fact, it isn't. You had your share on this as well. You had to play it part convincingly. You had to make Dan believe you were thoroughly whipped without letting him suspect you had something up your sleeve. Well, I guess I've done that all right. You've done splendidly. Now, tomorrow, tell him you'll accept his offer. Tell him you'll take his $200. And if he'll go to Freeland, the deal can be finished there. I'll do that. Good luck, young fella. We're going to have ourselves some fun. Bill followed the Lone Ranger's instructions. He called on Dan the following day, accepted his terms, and asked the stage owner to come to Freeland to close the deal. Dan agreed in the next day while Sally and two witnesses looked on. He signed his name to the papers that transferred the ownership of the Paulson stage line. And there. All right, Bill. All that's needed now is your job, Henry. Right at here. Dan, you sure you don't want to go over my books again? Won't you forget those dull-gone books? Just sign this paper. Well, I just thought maybe you... My gosh, six sign! Sure, do you insist? You sound as though you didn't think I knew how to read accounts. No, I never meant that. Yeah, have it in sign. Here's my check. $200. Thank you, Dan. Thank you kindly. You can go, men. You won't be needing any more. All right, Mr. Brewer. Bye. Well, Sally, that should settle things once and for all. You said when it come right down to it, he wouldn't sell for what I offered. But you see, he did. Yes, I see. Sally. Yes, Bill? Is this going to make any difference between us? You going to be all for me because I sold out? No, Bill, of course not. I'm sure you had good reasons. You turned yellow. Don't get your hopes up because of anything my daughter says. If you don't clear out of this part of the country, I'll see that she does. I'll send her east. You can't. That's him, that's him all right. Oh, Sally, ain't seen you since you was me hide or grasshopper. This is the same mask when I sold the other night. Right. What are you doing here? Ask Barney. I'm here at his request. Yeah? Yeah, that's right. Bill, I want that case. Show me. Not by? I came here with a masked man just a minute I heard you were selling out. Either you pay me first, or my part here'll see what you do. Oh, dad. You're not tooting that. I want my $10,000. I am so well off that I can afford to lose it. Bill, you bought $10,000? Mm-hmm. That's all right, Sally. I bought it, but I don't know it. Young father, you got the brass to claim you paid it back. I didn't say so, did I? It wasn't me borrowed that cash, Barney. I mean, it wasn't me for myself. It was for the company. Being president of the company, I had the right. So it's the company owes it to you. And seeing as how the company now belongs to Dan, he owes you. What's that? It's so, Dan. This is a trick. It's fraud. You never showed that debt on your books. And it looked like I kept asking you to. You'd have seen it there as plain as your nose. It wasn't there the other day when you brought them books to South Pass. I hadn't borrowed the cash yet. You know, as you hadn't bought my company yet, and I was still ahead of it, I had the right to do any darn thing I pleased between then and now. You didn't? I did. And you can't claim I cheated you. Because you not only bought my lionesses, but I kept asking you special to look at them books again. Oh, but you wouldn't. You thought you was too darn clever to have them. Oh, boy, you did trick you. It ain't legal. It sounds legal to me. And anyhow, I don't care. If you're the fellow who owes me that cash, Dan, then you pay up right now. It says right on the note it's payable on demand. Yes, but $10,000. $10,000 to the penny. And don't you try and hold back a dime. I won't, eh? I'll have to borrow. Bill, what you do with that cash? Where's it going? Dan, it don't matter where it's going. Whether I burned it up, spent it buying equipment, or just threw it away. What you can't have to... You look at what you're saying, and you'll see you ain't got no hold on me or whatever. I want my money! And I don't see that you get it, Bonnie. Impossible. I have to go to the bank. Give them a mortgage. In one moment. Perhaps there's an acceptable way out of this. You mean so I won't have to pay Barney that cash? Yes. I want my money, and I won't agree to anything that teach me out of it. I want a state here and now. Wait till I finish, Barney. But I can't get it! If Dan were willing to pay you a bonus of $1,000, would you accept the return of your stage line and assume all its obligations? No. But I think... I'll take it back. But Dan will have to do better than that. Uh... I'll name it, Bill. Name it. First I'll take $1,000, like the man suggested. That part's all right. $1,000's easier to lose than $10,000. I'll give it to you. Then besides, you'll have to agree never to run your stages in competition with me over my root. I won't. And finally, you'll have to let me and Sally get hitched. Well, I... You remember what you said, don't you? You said you'd never be satisfied till I met a man as good as you. A whole lot better. You really want to marry this fella, Sally? I think I've said so before. Well, then... It'll be all right again. Then it's a bargain? It's a bargain. I never go back on my words. Barney! Yeah? Here. Here's a check you gave me for $10,000. I never even cashed it. Didn't think you would. Thanks. What? You fella said there's all fixed up between you. You're with a masked man to figure the scheme out. Well, I'll be a... Young fella? Yeah? You're just the gent I want to run my business when I'm... I'm ready to retire. Yeah, I reckon you and me will get along. I reckon we will. Hey, look! The masked man! Him and Todd over clearing out! I don't see a way! So you have just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.