 a fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and the hearty high old silver, the lone ranger. With a new life and a new country as our goal, thousands of wagon trains set out from the east during the years that immediately followed the civil war. These hearty pioneers faced many dangers, but they found one man whose sole purpose was to bring them safely to their destination. The massed rider of the plane shared their vision of the future, and it was the inspiration of his leadership which made possible the winning of the west. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past on the thundering hoof beats the great horse silver, the lone ranger rides again. A hundred covered wagons formed a great circle on the open prairie. A line of hills rimmed the horizon to the west. As the light of day faded from the sky, fires were lighted and the men and women of the train began to prepare their evening meal. Young Idaho Jones, who had been hired as a guide, walked toward one of the gleaming campfires. Oh, howdy, Miss June. Where's your paw? Oh, Idaho. Paw? Well, I should be around. Yes, there he is. Over there toward Mr. Lindsay and Mr. Newland. Ah, those fellas, huh? Want to see Paw about something? He sent for me. Oh. And something tells me it means trouble. Just between you and me, Miss June. I got an ocean noodle and Lindsay has been giving your paw some more of their free advice. I hate them. Well, I ain't never exactly caught in tune with myself. Well, I reckon I'd better mosey over there and see what's up. Idaho. Yes, Miss June. Please, promise me you'll not let them get you mad, get you into a fight. I don't know. I reckon if they want to fight, I ought to oblige. But then, Paw, let you go. Does that make a difference to you, Miss June? I... Well, don't worry about it. If there is a fight, you can bet your boots, they'll have to be the ones that started. And I don't figure your paw'd over the guinea-pella for just defending itself. No, but just... Well, you just leave it to me. Good evening. That too, Mr. Daggett. Now, pick my word for it. That's fine, Mr. Daggett. If he knows what he's talking about, you listen to him and you'll be all right. Evening, Mr. Daggett. I heard you wanted to see me. I do, Idaho. Well, here I am. Evening, James. Howdy. Howdy. It don't sound glad to see me. Well, Mr. Daggett, what's up? Idaho, these men tell me we're making a mistake. Yeah? They say we ought to head south and get through the hills far on Sioux Valley instead of head north. They tell me the canyon trail's been swept out by a landslide for a month now. But here's. I never heard of it. Very good, young fellow. It seems to me there's a lot of things she ain't heard about. You think so, Lindsay? Reckon you could do a better job of it? I know I could. So could I. You too, Nolan, huh? Well, I'll tell you. The way I was told that you, Gents, joined this party so you wouldn't have to travel through Indian country alone. I never heard there was any other reason for you being along. Now, wait a second till I finish. You're just passengers, you might say. But I was hired for guide. Now, if Mr. Daggett ain't satisfied and figures you, Gents, could do better, that's all right. All he's got to do is pay me off and I'll pull my freight. Hugh Gents can go on to please yourselves. But till that happens, I still reckon I'll choose what trail we take. You stubborn idiot. Mr. Daggett, I say to head north. I hope you know what you're doing, Idaho. I figure to. If you are wrong and the trail's gone, it means wasting two weeks or more going south again to Sioux Valley. If that happens, I'll hold you to account for it. Sure, I'd expect it to. That's all in. Daggett, you mean you're going to take this fellow's word for it? Till he's proved he don't know his business. Yeah. Prove it? You can tell it by looking at him. Well, you're the boss. Just remember, you find we was right. Don't come around claiming you wasn't warned. It was five days later that the Lone Ranger and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, stopped to examine the cold ashes of a campfire beside the trail. One glance was enough and the masked rider swung to his saddle once more. Yep. We're gaining on skirt, Hunter. That fire couldn't have been more than two days old. Huh? That's right. And he's still taking his gang westward. I wish there was some way for us to tell him what they're up to. Huh. Come on, Silverhead. Get him up, Scout. The law was after them, I can understand it. They've naturally had for the hills to hide out. Huh. But I doubt that the law even suspects they're in the district, which makes it more puzzling than ever. I don't know of anything west of us that would draw them. Me not, no. Yet they're certainly not riding this way just for the sake of the trip. So they're just one thing for us to do. Follow them until we can learn what they've got in mind. Be on hand to prevent it if we can. That's right. The horseman, Tonto. Pull up. Oh, Silverhead. Go. Oh, my. I want to talk to you. Hello, stranger. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Ah. Go on your man. We're not out, Lone. You're not out. So you've got nothing to fear. You said you wanted to talk to us. What about? Well, I'm guiding the wagon train. And I was told something I didn't believe. So I rode ahead to see if maybe I couldn't meet somebody that had come from that way. What way? Well, from the west and through the hills by way of the canyon trail. What about it? Well, you couldn't tell me, Mr. You ain't from the west. You're head in west. I'll have to ask somebody that's been there. We came over that trail two weeks ago. Huh? Tonto and I together. Over the canyon trail? Yes. Inside the last two weeks? We did. Why? Then how could you fellas be here if the trail had been wiped out by a slide? We couldn't be. Just what I thought. Them skunks didn't even know what they were talking about. You mind explaining what this is all about? Oh, it's nothing much stranger. It's just the two fellas, along with the train, claimed the trail had been gone for over a month. Tried to get our party to head south instead and follow Sue Valley. I told them they was crazy. And if you've been over that trail inside the past two weeks, that proves it. You can take our word for it. We have. Fine. It kind of got me worried. Thought maybe they might have heard something I hadn't. If that was so, the folks on guide wouldn't like it so well if they had to waste a couple of weeks going south again. And they could have headed there in the first place. Tell them the trail was clear when we rode it. Stranger, thanks a million. I'll do that same and just as quick as I can get back. Adios. Adios. Get up, boy. Get up there. Come on, Kimosami. This car keeps on the way he's going. We'll be crossing the canyon trail again ourselves. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scott. Reassured by the information given him by the Lone Ranger, Idaho repeated it to Daggett. And the wagon train continued toward the north. Two days later, the immigrants made camp on the plains for the last time. Early the following morning, they headed their wagon in a single file up the winding trail that led ever higher into the hills. But suddenly, Saul Daggett, who was driving the lead wagon, pulled his team to a stop. Oh, there, oh, there, oh. Paul, what is it? What's the matter? Look ahead. Trail clean wiped out. Climb down and make sure everybody pulls up behind us. Then tell Idaho to come here. But Paul. Go ahead. Get him. Yes, Paul. What's the matter? Why'd you pull up, Saul? Just look up ahead, folks. Ain't no more chance of us getting through on this trail than there is of us flying. Well, what do you think? Now what do you think? Hope you ain't forget me a Newland Orange of this. And you wouldn't listen. You had to take Idaho's word for it instead. Oh, gone and all. What else could I do? Wasn't he hired for guys? Wasn't he supposed to know his business? Now we'll have to turn around and head south and be another two weeks getting through the hills when we could have been way beyond. Idaho will answer for this. Oh, so there you are, Idaho. Come here. Gosh, Mr. Daggett. You see what you've done? But I was sure it was right. And I was rigid enough to listen to you. What even them fellas I met on the trail told me we could get through. What are you laughing at, Lindsey? I was just wondering something. Eh? What? Well, I just wonder if you did meet up with anybody like you claimed. You were so set on it, you was right. I wonder if you didn't just make them fellas there to prove your point. That's a lie. Hold it, both of you. But he said... Quiet! You don't matter none now whether you made them fellas up or you did meet them and they was mistaken. All that matters now is you've cost us over two weeks of time. But I don't know... So you can pack your things and get. You're all through guiding this wagon train. Huh? You heard me. You mean you're going to keep on without a guide? No guide at all is better than one that don't know his business. But Mr. Dan... And for the matter of that, Lindsey and Newlin here seem to know what's what. I reckon we can make out with them. The Lone Ranger in Tonto had been watching the wagon train from a distant rise. Finally the Masked Man raised his hand and pointed. Hello, huh? The fellow riding alone back down the trail. Isn't that the young fellow we met the other day? Oh, not him. Imagine he wonders why we told him what we did. Maybe him be heap mad. I wouldn't be surprised. And if he is, I can't blame him. Although when we spoke to him, I was sure nothing had happened to the trail. What we do now, right? Wait. You'll have to pass close to us in a moment, Heather. I want to talk with him. Oh. And here he comes. Oh, let me see him. He'll pass just below us. Come down that bank to the trail. Get him up, Scout. Come on, old fellow. Easy, boy. Steady there, boy. Right up. Blast your lion-hide. You said the trail was clear when it wasn't. I told you we'd followed it within the past two weeks. Now, there was nothing wrong with the trail at that time. There wasn't. You're a lion. Careful. And you lost me in my job. I ought to break. You'll do nothing, except come with us. What? We're going to make camp and have a talk. Oh, no, we're not. I have talked with you once too often already. You can follow us. Hey, let go of that pride. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scout. Hey, let go of it. Idaho was forced to ride with the Lone Ranger and Tonto until they found a place to make camp. When they had stopped and dismounted, a few words from the masked man were enough to change the young Scout's attitude. Strange to you, mean that trail was really clear when you came over? It was. What possible motive could I have had for attempting to mislead you? Gosh, none, I guess. But I can't figure this out. What's bothering you? Well, look here. Lindsay and Nolan claimed the trail was gone, and they was right. But they claimed it had been gone for weeks. Now, you say it couldn't have been that long ago. Don't you understand what that means? There's just one possible explanation. What's that? The trail wasn't gone when they said it was. But they must have known it was going to be. In other words, it wasn't the landslide that wiped it out. It must have been destroyed with blasting powder. Oh, savvy. No one can tell ahead of time when to expect a landslide, can he? No, I reckon not. But you say Lindsay and Nolan were certain. The only way they could have been certain was to be informed beforehand that the trail would be blasted. Who by? I've got a good idea. Yeah? Scar rankin' and his gang. They were here just ahead of us. You mean Lindsay and Nolan was in with them crooks? Yes. And all this was done on purpose? I do. But why? What were they gained by it? I don't know. That's what we'll have to find out. 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. When they had rested their horses, the Lone Ranger and Tonto once more picked up the trail of Scar and his gang. But this time, Idaho Jones rode with them. Trail, head south. Right, Tonto. Keep it a trough. I think I know where it'll take us, but we don't want to lose it. Oh. Sprazer, you say you think you know where them fellas was headed? It wouldn't surprise me if we found they were on the way to Sioux Valley. Why do you figure that? They seemed to be in with Lindsay and Newlin. For some reason, those two were anxious for the wagon train to take the Sioux Valley trail. Yeah, that's right. You know that country? Oh, sure. Been through it a dozen times. Remember anything in particular about Sioux Valley? Remember anything? No, can't say that I do. Then you don't recall it was once the outlet for Sioux Lake. My gosh, it was. Up till about 15 years back, ain't that right? It is. What made you mention that? Possibility just occurred to me. Yeah? That was a large wagon train you were leading. Mm-hmm. Over 100 wagons in it. Scar is probably five or six men in his gang, counting Lindsay and Newlin, seven or eight. Hey, I guess so. In other words, if Scar wanted to raid that wagon train, he'd never dare attack it directly. He'd be outnumbered a dozen to one. You figure that's what he got in mind? I don't see what else could have led him to plan all this. But if he can't attack the train now, how can he do any better when he gets to the valley? I mentioned the lake. Mm-hmm. And once it drained by way of the valley, the soldiers built an earth dam, however, and closed that outlet, diverting the flow further south toward the settlements. Yeah, that's right. But we know that Scar has blasting powder with him, and blasting powder will destroy any dam that's ever been built. You mean... That it's my guess, Scar will plant blasting powder against the dam, wait until the wagon train is in the valley, then blow the dam up. Well, I'll be... The whole lake would flood the valley. The wagons wouldn't have a chance. Some would be crushed. They'd all be scattered. When the water had gone down, Scar and his cutthroats could loot those wagons at their leisure. Well, they're rotten skunks. Well, that's the case. You'll see that Lindsay and Newlin make some kind of an excuse to leave the wagon train once it reaches the valley. Daggett will have to be warned. He wouldn't believe us. But he's got... And what I've suggested is still just a guess. We might be wrong. I don't believe it. It fits too fast. We'll make sure, however. But... Then there'll be time enough to act. The wagon train turned back to the plains and headed south for Sioux Valley. June Daggett rode beside her father. Her liking for the young guy had not been affected by his mistake. Nor did she think any more of Lindsay and Newlin because they had been proved right. Keep moving there. Get along with ya. Get along. Oh, god, the lazy horses. I'll take the reins for a while if you want me, Paul. No, thanks. Paul? Huh? Oh, I was just thinking. Huh? Thinkin' about what's going on. Oh, you need an act like that? You liked him before you know you did. You hadn't. You wouldn't have hired him. It's his fault we're still where we are instead of being where we ought to be. I don't think you were fair to him. Oh, you don't, eh? No, I don't. And what's more, I... I don't think you should believe everything Mr. Newlin and Mr. Lindsay tells you neither. Why not? Well, I don't like them. Well, now, there's a woman's answer for you. Oh, neither one of them ever dares to look you in the eye. Huh. Find a lot of difference that makes. They know the district, which is something that Idaho fella didn't. And they're savin' us the expenses of a guide. That's something to be considered too. You know, Paul... I think they're up to something. Something crooked. Yeah, just like it. You and Honey, you're letting your imagination run away with you. Forget them cool notions before they get you in trouble. You wait and see. Get along there. Oh, you can think it's funny if you want. But just the same, I'm going to watch them. Almost a week passed. The Lone Ranger and his two companions had not been idle. And one night, the masked man and Idaho Jones stood in the shadow of the dam that held back the water of Sioux Lake. Tense and expectant. They waited for Tonto. Oh, God, why don't he come? Take it easy, Idaho. He'll be along. They might have caught him. They had. We'd have heard them. Did I tell you that today I've seen the wagon train camp just a few miles north of here? You did? We'll be in the valley tomorrow. We just can't let anything go wrong. Nothing will, Idaho. Wait. I thought I heard something. Yes, it's Tonto. Thank heavens. Tonto? Did you have any trouble? Did you do what I told you? Me do it. No trouble. Now, let's get out of here. We'll be on your shop. The following morning, the wagon train got underway before dawn. And as the sun rose behind it, the mouth of Sioux Valley came into sight. By noon, the train was well inside the valley itself. Saul Daggett was mending a piece of harness during the brief rest period when Lindsay and Newlin rode up to him. Howdy. Where'd you gents think you're going? I thought we tried a bit of hunting, Daggett. I just thought you ought to know. Going hunting? Now? Why would we be starting up again in just 10 minutes or so? You see some buffalo off to the south just outside the valley, Daggett? Yeah, but I don't see why you're... Don't worry about us, Daggett. We'll make out all right. If you get him right ahead of us, it won't matter. We'll catch up again after sundown. But ain't the danger of engines? We'll keep our eyes peeled. Then we can use some fresh meat. Well, it's up to you, gents, of course. Only if I was you, I think I'd hanker to stay where I'd know I was safe. Tell you what. If we catch up to them buffalo, we'll get a share for you. Well, that'd be mighty tasty. That's a promise. We'll bring you all you can use. You and your daughter too. Mm-hmm. Then on them terms, if I want to stop you. Then with his leg. Oh, sure. Good hunt. Thanks. Come on, Newlin. Here, get up. Oh, go, Nidgits. Sure must hanker pretty bad after fresh meat and wander off by themselves in this year country. I certainly... Oh, Pa! Hey, that's you, June. Where have you been? Have they gone, Pa? Huh? Is who gone? In Ze Newlin. Quick, Pa, have they? Sure. That's them there, heading for the mouth of the valley. Going to do some hunting. They're not. What's that, you... It's a lie. I heard everything they said back by their wagon. I was spying on them. You was what? Well, I was. Now, I'm not sorry for it either. They're crooks, Pa. Crooks just like I said they was. They're going to join the crooked friends. And then they're going to blow out the dam, and all the water will come flooding the valley, and maybe some of us will get drowned. Girl, what are you talking about? I heard what? I just told you that they're in with crooks. They're going to blow out the dam so they can rob us. Are you telling the truth? I am, Pa. I swear I am. You know what this means, don't you? If you're accusing folks of something that ain't so... I know, of course I know, and I'm telling the truth. But Pa, do something. We'll have to do something quick. Good dog. Gone right we will. Hi there. Get to the wagons and turn them around. Get back out of this valley as fast as you can. The dam's going to go out. Dagger's shot of warning spread confusion through the camp. Frightened men and women leaped to the seats of their wagons and whipped their plunging horses. Frantically they tried to turn and head back for the mouth of the valley. High on a ridge, a lone ranger, Tonto and Idaho Jones were watching. Suddenly the masked man realized what was happening, and... Look there. They're turning back. Well, I'll bet. Bad. Dog, go on. What's got into them? I don't know, but I do know this. Now that they're in the valley, they'll have to stay there or they won't stay unless we stop them. Come on, Ryan, as you never wrote before. Come on, Silver, get up! But scars men on the far side of the dam were also watching the settlers desperate attempt to escape from the valley. Blast them. Somebody must have put them wise. Nolan, did you and Lindy let out what we were scheming? We didn't. And why are they pushing that wreck to turn back? Gosh, I don't know. We just got time. Spike, hide! Light them fuses and get a move on. Light them right now. Saul Daggett himself headed the mad rush to the entrance. His whip cracked as he urged his team to greater speed. Come on there. Get up there. Come on, dog, on your...get up. Pa, we'll turn over. Just hang on and hope for the best, honey. We can't stop now. Come on, get up there. Get along there. What in the world is he doing? He's in with them crooks. Get up. Get up there. Get out of our way. We ain't stoppin' for nobody. You watcha what. We're keepin' on. Pa, don't! I'll show you how that whip blasts you. Don't Pa, don't. You hurt him with that. That's just what I mean to do. Hey, let go of my arm. You can't leave the valley. The valley's the only place it's safe. Think neither. The dam's gonna be blown up. When it is, we'll all get drowned. You won't. You're in with them crooks. That's what. You don't want us to get away. You were sent to stop us. Take a chance on getting drowned ourselves? Talk, sense man. But don't chew those. Keep those fellows covered, Tando. I only want them. Idaho, come here. Right. Daggett won't believe me when I tell him the valley's the only place it's safe here. Tell him yourself. Hey, tell Mr. Daggett. Hey, leave that gun there. I'll show ya. Now get back. You're covered. I got you all covered. You. Take the reins and whip up the horses. Maybe we still got time. Don't move. You try to stop us now and I'll drill ya. I warned you. You. Oh, my hand. You're not hurt, but you're not leaving either. Rush him, fellas. They can't stand you up for long. Rush him. Hurry! Stand back! I don't understand. I don't understand. The dam's still standing. That's what I was trying to tell you, Daggett. It was a mess man's idea, Mr. Daggett. Yet Tando changed the blasting powder last night when them crooks were sleeping. When they lit those fuses, they did to themselves. But they planned to do to you. Huh? Look there. That dry wash over there. The water's flowing out the other side. There's fellas floating in it. Scarring his gang. Now Tando and I will be able to handle them as long as we can. You give them a dose of their own medicine. Right. And Idaho. You helped. You helped. Even though I'd fired you on the say so of a couple of crooks. You think they'd keep me from doing what it could for these folks, Mr. Daggett? Do you want to be guide again? You want me back? You just bet I do. And I'm apologizing for what I said to you before. Then, Mr. Daggett, you've hired yourself a hand. Come, Tando. Oh, see what I've done. I've just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.