 of the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. Music When the great wave of emigration swept into the west after the Civil War, many of the wagon trains were attacked and destroyed by hostile Indians, and many more might never have reached their destination if it had not been for the masked rider of the planes. Astrid his great horse Silver, he acted as guide and guardian for the pioneers and blazed the trail toward the new frontier. Return with us now those thrilling days of yesteryear when adventure lay at the end of every trail, the Lone Ranger rides again. Two wagons flanked by a small body of horsemen were laboriously making their way over the rough trail to Fort Stevens. On either side of the trail stretched the wild broken boulders strewn wilderness that made up the Pipestone Hills. The air was still, the sun warm, the silence undisturbed except for the wagons and their escort. But suddenly without warning there rose high, savage yells, the thunder of hoops and the sharp vibration of gunfire. And in the space of seconds the hills were alive with painted men wearing feathered headbands. It's a patchy! Go for your guns! Fight it off! Save the children! Give us the rescues boys! I don't have a poor lead to them! Boss, I've got one of the wagons. They're two to our warm, what do we do? There's only one thing to do. Fight for your lives! Come on boys! The attackers, however, not to be beaten off swarmed into the two wagons and redoubled the intensity of their fire. The whites on horseback held firm for a while but finally wavered, fell back, then obeyed the command of their leader. Fight for it boys! Clear up! The wagons gone and we can't do nothing but try and save our own hides. Come on fellas, let's go! Get up now! Come on! It was a week later that a masked figure mounted upon a splendid white stallion guided his horse across the open plains toward the distant town of Lake Falls. Beside him rode an Indian holding himself erect in the saddle of his powerful paint horse. There they are, Tuddu. See? They're just topping that rise ahead of us. We've catch up to them in plenty of time. What do we do? We've got to see that they don't meet the fate of that party that tried to get through the hills to Fort Stevens last week. After what you've told me, I'm afraid the danger is worse than I had thought. No, plenty danger. Everyone knows Geronimo's braves are trying to keep whites out of the hills. That's bad enough in itself. But if outlaws are using the Apaches to cover their own raids, then the danger is doubled. That's right. Are you sure Apaches didn't attack those wagons a week ago? How to talk to ancient. Him say Apaches not do it. I'm not surprised. It fits in with some information I learned. What's that? You remember Baldi Gorman? Well, he's gotten together some men and has made his headquarters in Lake Falls. Troops stationed there can't spare the men or time to escort all the parties that wished to cross the hills. So Baldi and his men have been hiring out his guards to anyone with a price to pay them. Me not know of that. It was a good idea. An organization like that could do a lot of good. No one could object to paying men who risked their lives to offer protection. I wouldn't have questioned it if I hadn't known something of Baldi's past before he came to this section. The people up north seem to think so. The law couldn't touch them. They took matters in their own hands and ran them out. It was Baldi's group that escorted the wagons that were destroyed last week. Not heaps strange. I don't know. The fact remains that one of the settlers survived and reported that Baldi put up quite a fight until he was forced to ride off. The survivor seemed convinced that none of his men would be blamed for the tragedy. I'd like to give Baldi the benefit of the doubt, but I don't know. What do you think? There are two suspicious facts. One, several parties escorted by his band have been attacked. Twice the attacks resulted in what were practically massacres. Yet, as far as I can learn, Baldi has yet to lose a man. Oh. Of course, many of the parties his men have escorted have reached Fort Stephen safely. I've learned that few of them possessed much money, however. Those that were attacked did. Why, other fellow, not to ask questions. Why should they suspect him? I wouldn't have myself if I hadn't heard of them in the North. These people ahead of us, I happen to know, are comparatively wealthy. They're Lige Cook, his married sister, and his brother-in-law, Matt Lowell. They intend to settle beyond Fort Stephen's by a Mexican cattle and start ranching. There, wagon. Now that we're getting close, you remember our old camp this side of town just below Copper Ridge? Huh? You'd better ride ahead, circle these people and wait for me there. But the feeling against Indians, what it is, they might suspect my purpose if we were seen together. Me, ride to camp and wait. Good. I won't be long. Get them up, scoundrel. Get them up. Simple, old fellow. I can't tell these people what I suspect about Bowley because I have no proof. But I think I can persuade them not to hire him. Come on, old boy. Come on, Silver. Come on, fellow. Hold on there. Come on, Silver. Hello. Whoa. Whoa, Silver. Whoa, boy. I'm not an outlaw. Then what's a mask for? A word for reasons of my own. But you must be an outlaw. I'm here to give you some advice and some news I think will help you. News about the engines? Not exactly. I don't like this. I think you'd better get on your way, stranger. I don't reckon we need no mask on Bray's advice. You're still convinced I'm an outlaw? You didn't think we'd just take you say so about it, did you? And I'll prove I'm nothing. I'll prove. What? You know what? Don't shoot, stranger. Don't shoot. I have you covered. You're carrying several thousand dollars with you. No. Listen to me. I know I'd take that money, but I'm not going to. You can see for yourself. I'll host to my guns again. There. All right. You can cover me with that shotgun next to you, if you wish. You ain't taking the cash. I've told you I'm not. Matt, a crook would have helped himself to everything we got. I reckon that's so all right. Mr., that was the right convincing argument you put up. As far as I'm concerned, you ain't a crook. What's the idea of the mask, then? Well, you'll not discuss that. We didn't mean to be over-curious. You said you had some news first. The news and some advice. What news? Tomorrow, a detachment of soldiers is taking a wagonload of ammunition through the hills to Fort Stevens. Yeah? How does that concern us? You can make lake falls before nightfall. I'm sure if you look up Major Hyde when you get there, he'll give you permission to accompany the soldiers. That should mean you're safe passage to the force. Oh, that'd be fine. It'd be fine if we needed the soldiers, but I've made different arrangements. Yes? Uh-huh. Of course, I didn't have no way of knowing there'd be soldiers making the trip, so I sort of fixed it up with that fellow Baldy Gorman to take us in the escort. Has anything been definitely settled? Have you paid him yet? Well, no, not exactly, but just sort of agreed between us, that's all. In that case, I'd advise you to go with the soldiers instead. What's the difference? You would save your money for one thing. Baldy wasn't going to charge us much. The most important reason is that the Apache seldom attacks soldiers. They prefer to attack civilians. Yeah, but after what I promised Baldy, I... You have your wife to consider, Matt, and you owe Baldy nothing. I don't know, but what the mask man's got the right of it, Matt. You think so, Lodge? Well, I think it's just plain sense come to look at it. That trail to the fort through the hills is plum dangerous. We'd be sort of foolish not to go along with soldiers if we got the chance. I think it'd be wisest, honey. Hmm. You think in the major it'd be agreeable, mister? Of course. He'd be glad to furnish escorts for everyone traveling that route if he had the men. In this case, he's sending troopers anyhow. And I reckon that's what we better do. I'm glad you made that decision. We may meet again. Come on, Silver. Wait! No use trying to hold back that fellow, I guess. Well, let's be getting into town. Get up there, you critters. Get along with ya. Get along there. Get along. Arriving in Lake Falls late in the afternoon, Matt followed the Lone Ranger's advice. Leaving his wife and brother-in-law to watch the wagon, he sought out Major Hyde. He found the officer in conversation with a group of men in front of the post office and led him to one side where he stated his request. Of course, Major. If it ain't convenient why we can make other arrangements. Nothing of the kind. Then it's all right with you? I'm returning to the barracks in just a few minutes. Lieutenant Done will be in command of the detail for the fort. I'll explain the circumstances to him and give orders if you're to be picked up when he's prepared to leave. By golly, that'll be swell. The details start quite early. Anytime will be all right with us. Very well. You understand, of course, that during the escort, you will be expected to follow Lieutenant Done's orders. Oh, sure. That's for your own protection. I doubt that there'll be trouble, but if there is, the Lieutenant must have the authority to deal with it in his own way. Shucks, that'll suit us just fine. You can tell the Lieutenant he won't have no trouble with us. Say, Major, just how bad are them apaches acting up now? As bad as they say? They're a pesky nuisance. Doesn't plenty of killing, huh? Yes, and they'll continue to do so. As long as Geronimo's at large. Well, you boys will get him one of these days. And we're trying. And by the way, where's your wagon? Just outside town. Right beside the trail as you head for the hills. There ain't no decent place in town to stay overnight, so we're making camp there. Then the detail will meet you there. You can expect them shortly after dawn. We'll be ready. Well, you'll excuse me. I'll be returning to the barracks. Good luck. You bet. And thanks a heap. That's quite all right. You, Mr. Lowell. Huh? Oh, howdy. Yeah, that's my handle. Lowell, Matt Lowell. Uh-huh. Thought you was. The boss seen you over here and asked me to ask you if you wanted to step over to his office now and fix everything up for your escort. Huh? Escort? Oh, you're one of Baldy Gorman's men. Is that it? It's right. You coming? Gosh, I'm sorry, but... You're busy now. The boss will be around all evening. That ain't just what I meant. What do you mean? Well, the fact is, you see, I kind of got things fixed up with the soldiers. You mean you ain't planning to hire us? I, uh... Well, there was no set agreement. Back and down in a bargain, ain't you? I said there was nothing set for sure. Baldy seemed to figure there was. I didn't know about this. I kind of hate to go back and tell him maybe he won't take it so good. Gosh, I'm down right sorry if I put him out any. You ain't changing your mind any, huh? No, not as long as the soldiers are willing. Well, it's your tough luck, I guess, mister. Ain't nothing for me to worry about. Afternoon. Hey, what was that you said? You just said it was your tough luck. Tough luck? You said? When Baldy makes a bargain, he expects to stick to it. Anybody backing out on him's likely to find he's got ways of making him sorry. Hey, look here, you... Don't say I didn't tell you. Gus, a member of Baldy Gorman's band who has spoken to Matt Lowell, hastened back to the office of his employer to report Matt's change of plan. Of course. The foolage had backed out. He's made plans to travel with the soldiers tomorrow. At least ways he says he has. But you just give me the word and I'll go back and change his mind for him. You will not. But you said he was carrying at least $10,000. You want us to lose out on all that cash? Just what was you figuring to do? Well, a gun whipping wouldn't hurt none. And what had happened to us when the soldiers found out about it? And you got the sense to see that the only way we can get by is to keep folks from suspicion in us? Blast that old boy. Shut up. I only want to go. You only started out to tell me what to do. Well, don't do it. I'm the boss here. I'll do the thinking, give the orders, and take care of what talking has to be done. The less the rest you have to say, the better off we'll be. Trigger. Yeah, boss? You're going to get in touch tonight with the rest of the boys. Tell them to get their engine fixed and ready to you just like we planned. Sure. You still plan on having them attack just as if we was along? Sounded that way, didn't it? But you can't. The soldiers will be there. The boys can't get away with no raids on troopers. There won't be more than a dozen. Yeah, but even so... And the soldiers ain't going to get far trying to keep us from the cash if they ain't got bullets to fire at us, are they? If they ain't got bullets. Gosh, Paulie, they're taking a whole wagon load along. Sure. And right now that wagon is all loaded and ready to go down to the barn. You got some kind of a scheme? Ever see me when I didn't? What is it? Shucks, when I heard Matt Lowell and Lodge was getting here today, I figured right off that they'd be likely to go with the soldiers instead of hiring us. Yeah? So I thought up a plan. You mind telling us, boss? Sure. Why not? You recollect that soldier owes me all that cash. Yeah, come with his name is. Uh-huh. Well, he's on guard duty tonight down with that wagon load of ammunition. Meaning? Meaning that Krummet will do as I say. And meaning that when them soldier boys find themselves in a tough spot with a certain bunch of lapatches up in the hills, maybe they won't have quite so much ammunition for a fight as they figured on. Nope. I got a notion them soldiers is headed for a great big surprise. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. It was late afternoon when Bully outlined his plans to Gus. And that evening, the Lone Ranger and Tonto were in their camp below Copper Ridge, just a few miles from town. Although I wonder if Matt and his wife and Lodge Cook are safe. I'm all right. I'm right with soldier. But not until tomorrow. Not right. In the meantime, if our suspicions of Bully are correct, he may act. And what do you think? Those people are carrying a lot of money with him. Too much for traveling this kind of country. Not right. They camped outside town too. It wouldn't be difficult to steal that cash. You think Bully do it? Frankly, I don't. He's got a good thing here. He'd be foolish to risk anything near town. He's as clever as he's supposed to be. Nothing will ever be stolen by his gang, except where apaches can be blamed. On the other hand, the cash Lone and Cook are carrying would be quite a temptation. Especially if Bully should have reason to think that his game couldn't continue much longer. He might take the risk for a quick clean up and escape. You got it. Land? I think we should keep our eye on both parties. I could watch over Matt's camp until I was sure his group was safely with the soldiers. What counter-do? You can enter town and keep track of Aldi. I'll counter-do that. And I think we'd better not waste time. Here's the scout. If anything is planned for tonight, one of us should get wind of it. Not right. Steady, silver. Yep. And if that happens, he should get in touch with the other at once. But if nothing happens, Kemosabe, return here when the soldiers start for Fort Stevens. I'll do the same. Let's go. Hit him up, scout. Silver, forward! It was later that same evening that a small group of horsemen slowly approached an immense barn outside Lake Falls that had once been used as a terminal for freight wagons. That was now employed by the army. With a low word of command from their leader, they halted their mounts. Hold up, fellas. Oh, you've taken chances. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. This thing at the left, we can keep in a shadows, boys. Yeah. Ready, fellas? How are you, Wally? Then come along. If anybody but Krummet's on duty, we're just walking by, Savvy. But if it's him like it ought to be, we're all right. Lead the way, boys. You think we ought to do this? Blast it, keep still. Now you're all the time yelling at me. And for good reason. Now, Wally, don't open your mouth to see a dog on word. All right. Move over there. Hold up, fellas. Is that you, Krummet? All of you. Yeah. I'm gonna follow your guard with you. Just the four of us you see here. Everything clear? Anybody around? I guess not. Actually, Wally, I don't like this none. What you like don't matter. You're gonna get me any heap of trouble. We'll clear you some way. But I... But if you turn yellow now, we'll show you what real trouble is like. Get that? I can be court-martialed for this. Uh-huh. You can be shot in the backs of night when he ain't expecting it to. Which ain't no better than the other, I reckon. Besides, you reckon like what I promised you. And canceling every doubt he owe me from cards. Oh, come on, then. The door to the barn unlocked, soldier? I got the key right here. There we are. Now hurry up and let us in. Just a second. The wagon you want is that one right straight ahead of you. See it? Can we light a lamp? Don't be such an idiot. I think we want to be found out. It's gonna make it awful hard working in here without a light. You ain't got the sense of a chipmunk. I don't know what I put up with you for her. We'll just open up the boxes here. I said there was a place inside here where you could hide the ammunition, didn't you, Krummet? Yeah. There's an old storeroom over in that corner. Nobody ever goes in. I'll show you the way. Good enough. There's gravel and sand in such this outside, the door that we can use for filling the boxes again when they're empty. Trigger. Uh-huh. Climbing to that wagon to start handing them boxes down. All right, boys. What was that? Somebody fell down from overhead. I've seen him. It was one of them boards touched between the rafters and it broke with his weight. Where is he? There he is. Don't make too much noise. You want to wake the whole barracks up? I've got him. Somebody give me a hand to hold him. That you, Gus? Give me a hand. He's slipping loose. You and me. We've got to hold him. Hang on, fellas. We've got to see who this armory is. I guess we're... Here's a match. Take a dog, gun, quick, look. A red skin. You let me go. We're trying to break loose. Come at another match. Hurry it up. You've seen him. I want one more look. If he's the fella I think he is, bless you, come and like that match. There. Recognize him, boss? Just what I thought. Engine, what's your handle? Me not say. Then don't. I know your name without your telling. By thunder, you're Tano. Me not talk. Tano? Who's that? Plain pison. So we can't tell what he's doing. If you do, I'll finish you off. You ain't going to let him go. Don't any of you fellas know what the name Tano means? Seems like I've heard it somewhere before, but I can't recollect right off. A lone ranger's engine sidekick. No. That means that we finished him off that masked armory would be on our trail until he got all of us. What do we got to do? We just can't let him go. Trigger, you're going to take this engine into the hills. We'll tie him up so you won't have no trouble handing him. Take him where? To the hideout to the rest of the gang users. What do you suppose? And then what? And then you're going to hold him there. After this job is over, we'll use him for bait to trap that masked man. If we can do that, we'll get rid of the both of what if the lone ranger ain't trapped? And all I can say is we better scatter. And the farther we get, the safer we'll be. Because if the lone ranger ever catches on to what we've been doing, he'll be after us. And you can bet your bottom dollar he won't stop until he's rounded us up every last one. Matt, his wife, and Lige were up at dawn the following morning, prepared to start on the journey through the hills of the soldiers. They breakfasted, arranged all their belongings, and settled down to wait. But it was only a moment later that Lige pointed down the trail. There's the soldiers, Matt. They coming? Oh, by golly, there they are. Lige, hand me them reins. We ain't going to hold them up for a second. Here you are. My sakes, I'm glad it's the soldiers that's going to see us through them hills. Matt, this is real luck. You bet it is, honey. Hi there. You lieutenant Done? Who? Who? Lowell? That's me. All of you have that army wagon. Hold the pace we set. Right. Here you are, boy. Lige, Ruth. We're on our way to Blazes with Geronimo. And here's hoping we'll soon be stocking a finest range in the whole west. Get up there. Get along, you killers. Get along. The cavalcade, consisting of two wagons and an escort of a dozen troopers, began the ascent to the lesser foothills into the pipe stone hills themselves. The pioneers and the soldiers made good time their first day and when they camped that night, they were near the spot where the wagon train had been ambushed a week before. Well, here we are, honey. A good part of the way already. Matt, it was just a few miles ahead that their mother folks was killed, wasn't it? You ain't worrying, are you? No, why? Honey, if you are, you needn't. We've got good horses, good fighting men, and a whole wagon full of ammunition. The best thing that a patches can do is just lay low. In the morning at dawn, the journey was resumed. It was noon when they passed the scene of the former attack. Two half-burned wagons revealed the site and every man in the party as he wrote by kept a nervous watch upon the surrounding hills. No sign of hostile savages was noted, however, and the wagons and escort continued on. The sun dropped toward the horizon and the trail became a place of strange shadows. How are you feeling, honey? Think you can cook up something pretty soon for a couple of hungry men? I... I guess. Huh? What's ailing you? I... I don't know. Not feeling good? I don't know how to say it. You just think I'm a coward. Nothing of the kind, Ruth. If you've got something on your mind, get it off. Sure, honey. Go ahead. I just feel that... that we won't never reach camp. Fucking nerves. Just nerves. That's all it is. Them and these doggone shadows of rocks thrown down. I don't know. Oh, Matt, I just can't shake the feeling that... Why? It's nothing to be worried about. Oh! Where's Mark? Stop those wagons. Oh, there. Oh, there. Get ready, men. Take aim. Fire! Grab your rifle. This is a real thing, and we're taking that. After the first sudden burst of firing, however, the attackers retreated behind the many bowmen that lined the trail. The soldiers, realizing that their one chance of salvation was to dislodge the enemy, made no effort to conserve their ammunition. Pirate will! Why are the redskins back? You hear my order? Keep on firing, men. Carrying the men and running out of ammunition. And get something to waggon. Hurry, man. You there, cook. Get this fellow a hand. Break out ammunition. See this distributed. Get up up in the wagon, lads. Got one? On the ground with it. Break it up, mister. Lieutenant's in a hurry. Well, I'll be. Hey, there. Pass out nothing in it but travel and sand. Here it comes. There you are. Try this one. Sand again. Howling blazes it. There's an ammunition. Here you are, men. This has got to be done quickly. Thank you, partner. Sir, but just take a look. Good Lord. I don't like that. Coming with sand and rum. It's impossible. It's just the same as so. But this means we're the mercy of those Apache. What will we do, sir? Don't stop shooting. Keep on. Keep shooting. We're out of bullets. Yeah, and them redskins have it wrong with us. Look, they're getting ready to rush. Get over here, honey. The redskins are coming and we can't fight them off. Here they come. Help your guns. Fight them hand to hand. We haven't done it. Listen. Four soldiers. You hear that? It's reinforced. Even the... Them soldiers are being led by that same masked fellow we met riding that white horse. Look at him ride. Sir, how did you know we were in trouble? What brought you here? He left as the masked man to explain that, Lieutenant. Baldi Gorman captured Talow and took him prisoner. Talow's horse led me to the place where he'd been caught. Then it was simply a matter of trailing Talow until I found him. He told me then about the ammunition being stolen and it was clear what was being planned. You sure saved our lives, stranger. And the way you helped round up them engines was something worth seeing. Why, they aren't Indian. How about that over there? Isn't that a die on your prisoners? Ranger, you was right. They ain't apaches at all. They was just made up to look like red skinners. Then they drew this complete surrounder. We got Baldi and the others before we left. This is the rest of the gang. Renegade, White. Stranger, when the firing squad gets through with its work there'll be one band of outlaws that will have ridden upon his last raid. You've just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.