 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo silver! The Lone Ranger! Before this exciting adventure, a word from our sponsor. General Mills, makers of Cheerios, the oat cereal that's ready to eat, Betty Crocker mixes, and Wheaties, the breakfast of champions, present by special recording, The Lone Ranger! On the weather's bad, do you and your friends ever hang around the house wondering what to do? I'll bet it happens lots. Well, you know where you can have the most fun? In the kitchen, with a package of the new Betty Crocker brownie mix. That's right, it's easy as can be to bake up a big batch of luscious chocolatey brownies with Betty Crocker brownie mix. Everything you need is right in the package. Just add one egg if you like the chewy, fudgy kind of brownies. And two eggs if you want them soft and tender like cake. Add nuts too if you like. Either way, Betty Crocker brownies are the gee, I can't eat them fast enough kind. Even if you've never baked before, you'll turn out scrumptious chocolatey perfect brownies the very first time. And what fun you and your gang will have eating brownies that you bake yourselves! Have mom get Betty Crocker brownie mix next time she shops. Then invite your friends over for some fun! With his faithful Indian companion title, the daring and resourceful mask writer of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. Nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice. 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 Silver, let's go, be close! I'm Silver! Shortly before midnight, the Colonel left his tent and climbed to the high ground above the river. He found a rock near a grove of trees and sat down, gazing toward the west, considering his plans for the coming battle. Suddenly he realized that someone was watching him. He turned his head and saw a man standing at the edge of the grove to his left. The moonlight was full on his face. He was wearing a mask. For a moment there was silence, and then the Colonel spoke. I think I know who you are. My crow scouts have seen you. I've talked with some of them. A lone ranger. Why are you here? I want to help you if I may. Oh, sir. I'm convincing you that you should wait for General Turner before you attack the zoo. How do you know anything of my plans? One of your crow scouts told my friend Toto that you march at one o'clock to the west. That can only mean you intend to attack tomorrow. And if we do, you'll be beaten. I doubt that. You must be underestimating sitting bulls' forces. He can't have more than a thousand men. He has at least three times that many. My scouts have given me different information. They may not have been as close to the zoo encampment as Toto and I. Three thousand. At least. Still a surprise attack. You can't hope for any surprise. The zoo know exactly where you are and where Turner is. I'm sure you'll give them too much credit. I read their smoke signals. Sitting bull was warned the moment you started up the rosebud. And General Turner started up the big horn. Then he won't be expecting an attack until we're both in position. He will be surprised. The odds are too great. There's no glory in winning if the odds are in your favor. Is that what you're thinking of? Glory? Is there any other reward for a soldier? Isn't the satisfaction of doing your duties enough? Sir, I salute you. That may be enough for you. It isn't for me. I'm ambitious. I was a general. Now I'm a lieutenant colonel. I would have been relieved of my command if this campaign hadn't been coming up. Simply because I was full enough to get mixed up in politics. I must make the president forget that. I must win back my place in the sun. I ask you to think of your men. They'll share in the credit. And if there's only blame? That will be mine alone. The chance I must take and I confess I like taking chances. With other men's lives. For the sake of your own interests. That's enough. I'm only trying to make you realize that. I realize that I've been wrong in listening to you at all. I should have called the guard and had you taken into custody. Do you intend to do that now? No. I didn't really mean that. If there's any way I can help. You've given me your information. I'll make my own decision as to its value. Feel free to go. Very well. A man must follow his star, sir. Look, up in the sky. A shooting star. If one followed such a star. Good night, sir. Good night, General. The troopers were silent as they mounted and rode into the rough country west of the Rosebud at one o'clock that morning. The trooper was in the lead and the colonel rode beside the captain. Sir, yes, Captain? I talked with a scout just before we left camp. Yes? A mask man, sir. Is that so? He said that he'd already talked with you. He wanted me to pass along some more information about the Indian camp. Information you didn't give him a chance. Very well. What is it? It's located on the west bank of the little big horn just above Madison Creek. The Cheyenne Lodges out of the south pursuit of the north. He suggested that the best place to attack would be to the north. Have you mentioned talking with a lone ranger to anyone else? No, sir. Please don't, Mantle. I won't, sir. The regiment crossed the divide between the Rosebud and the little big horn at dawn and began to follow a creek that flowed through a shallow gully. Shortly after noon, the country became more open and the men could see the three bordered banks of the little big horn. To the north, there was a series of hills along the river and to the south, some low bluffs. Captain Benton. Yes, sir? Take your own troop and troops D and K. Patrol those bluffs to the south. Campus to the north across from those hills, sir. I want to be sure there are no enemy hostiles on the bluffs. When you've completed your mission, return to me. Troops D. Troops D. Troops K. Troops K. C'mon him! C'mon, man! Go, quick! When the main column was still two miles from the river… column halt! A band of 100'sTrew broke out of the grove of Willows at the water's edge. They drew rain in the open, there hideously painted bodies grieving in the sun and shouted insults at the soldiers. It was then the Colonel made his first mistake. Major! Yes, sir? The troops A, M and G are in your command. But here those Indians. What if they cross the river? Follow them. The main force is probably on the other side. Of course. They won't be in the open though. We'll support you with the rest of the regiment when they show them, sir. Yes, sir. Trope! Trope G! Trope M! All in! March, give us. The three troops under the Major's command race toward the river. The Indians melted into the trees. The Major picked the point where there were only a few trees to make his crossing. And the cavalry mounts flashed through the shallow stream with no trouble. On the far side there was a wide valley. And the Indians were heading across it toward a line of wooded hills. The Major and his troops took after them. The lone ranger with Tuttle by his side was watching the action through binoculars. The commander of those troops must be acting under orders, Tuttle. But he must realize the Indians he's following are only a decoy. Ah. Many Indians wait in the hill. The soldiers will have to make a swift retreat to get back to this side of the river before they're cut off. I don't understand the colonel's tactics. You look. Indians come out of hills now. Yes. Now the soldiers will turn back. And not do that. They're stopping. They're going to make a fight of it. Maybe they'll not see all Indians we see. A hundred and fifty soldiers against a thousand Sioux. We must warn them. Ah. Let's go. Cross the river. We'll continue our lone ranger adventure in just a moment. Fullback Bobby is a boy of nine. He can really hit that line. He's the star because he knows. He's got go power from Cheerios. Yes, he's got go power. There he goes. He's feeling his Cheerios. Cheerios. Cheerios. Yes, it's a fact. Cheerios does give you real go power. You see Cheerios is made from oats. And every delicious spoonful of Cheerios and milk is real muscle building food. Each spoonful contains vitamins, minerals and proteins your body needs. Yes, the good things in a Cheerios breakfast do good things for your body. Help you have healthy nerves, good red blood, strong bones and muscles. And Cheerios is so much fun to eat. With its distinctive O shape and its wonderful toasted oat flavor. So tomorrow morning and every morning start the day right with a Cheerios breakfast. Then you'll hear people say. He's feeling his Cheerios. Now to continue. When the Indians swept down from the wooded hillside, the major ordered his men to stand and fight, expecting reinforcements from the Colonel at any minute. He soon realized that the Indians could outflank him and cut off his retreat to the river. He was determined to carry out his orders until the bone ring during the tunnel raced up to the battalion. Hold it, hold it, hold it. A mask man. Well friends, believe me. We've been watching from the high ground. You'll be surrounded in a few minutes. I have my orders. You'll be cut off. We hold our ground here until the support reaches us. There are no more soldiers crossing the river. The rest of your regiment is heading along the far bank toward the north. What? That can't be. We just saw them. And you can't fight any longer here in the open? At least withdraw to that grove of trees by the river. That general promised support. There's none coming. And if you stay here, you'll be wiped out. You're right. Back to the river, men. Take cover in that grove of trees. The Sioux closed in on the troopers as they made their desperate dash for the grove of trees by the river. Half a dozen men were dropped from their saddles. Many more were wounded. One of them was the major. A bullet creased his scalp and he would have fallen to the ground if the lone ranger had not lifted him to Silver's back. Then as the troopers took up their fire from the edge of the woods, the major was lowered to the ground and Tuttle bandaged his head. What happened to the general? I told you, major. He promised support. Perhaps he decided to cross the river to the north of the village. How are things going? The men are holding their own. I'm not able to do that long. Indians creeping to wood soon. Maybe Indian time, maybe, but there are plenty soon. Major, Tuttle's right about the Indians. They'll try to infiltrate these woods. No matter how many men they lose doing it, you better withdraw your troops across the river. Where? There's a line of bluffs on the other side. You can hold out on top of them for a long time. Hit your only chance. I see that. I'll give the order. The major rallied his dwindling force and moth it. Once more, the troopers funded out of the woods and down the bank to the river. On the far side, they urged their tired mounts up the steep slope of the bluffs through a hail of bullets and arrows. The top was reached and they prepared to defend their hard-won citadel. Unaccountably, the Indians withdrew and as they did, another band of troopers rode up the slope. That's Captain Bettenly, isn't it? Yes, he was sent to patrol these bluffs. Over here, Captain. Hello, major. Howdy, mister. Howdy. I know who he is, sir. I was at Fort Connie at the time of the Feterman massacre. Have you had any word from the general? Yes, sir. Sergeant Cook brought me a message. We were ordered to rejoin him. And we heard the firefight across the river and I figured he must be over there. No, he wasn't. We'd no more cross than we saw your battalion breaking from the woods. So we came back here to join you. Where is the general, sir? The mask man says he was heading north. Shouldn't we go after him? Listen, Kimosabi. They're plenty higher into north. Yes. All the Indians across the river are riding in that direction. We must join him. Oh, that's perfectly correct. We must support him. Oh, how we're going to fight our way through thousands of Indians to do this more than I can see. We must try to join him. Then the total miss got his position. We may be able to find a safe route to him. We must start at once. And I'd suggest that you head away from the river for at least half a mile before you start north. That's what we'll do. We're right on the head. Let's go, Toto. The Long Ranger and Toto picked their way north through the rock contrary to the east of the river. As they ruled, the sounds of the battle grew louder and louder, and then suddenly there was no more shooting. Still, the yells of the Indians continued. And finally, the Long Ranger and Toto reached a high ridge, from which they could see a hill that rose from the banks of the little big horn. The hill was swarming with Sue. Their painted bodies brilliant in the light of the setting sun, and on the ground there were hundreds of dead. The dead wore uniforms. The Colonel's command had been wiped out to the last man. Their share in the battle of the little big horn was over. The Colonel had made his last stand. Not a soldier left. No, Kim Sully. The Sue will be going after the Major's men as soon as they've finished here. We must stop the troops, get them back to the block where they can defend themselves. Come on, too. When the Long Ranger stopped the Major's column, the Major refused to turn back at first, but the masked man's grim testimony convinced him at last. And the troops reached the top of the bluff only just in time. All the Sue swept down from the scene of their massacre, and tried to storm the soldier's last stronghold. It was a bitter fight. Even a wound had fought desperately, and one savage charge after another was driven back. Finally, it was night, and the attacks ceased. Indian campfires sprang up all around the bluff, and the Sue celebrated their victory. The Long Ranger and Tuttle risked their lives twice that night. First, it was to bring water to the wounded. Their second mission was more hazardous. Major, as I understand it, General Turner will reach the mouth of the little big horn tomorrow morning. That's right. You'll probably camp there until he gets word from you. That's true enough. There's only some way I could get a message through to him. There is. At least Tuttle and I will try to make it. Are you having a chance? What chance do your men have if relief doesn't reach them soon? They're running out of ammunition. They have no food. They're cut off from the river. Soon their canteens will be empty. How long can they fight under such conditions? We'll fight to the last. We'll try to bring relief in time. Silver and Scott were saddled. Then as the sky clouded over, the lone ranger and Tuttle led them down the slope of the bluff, straight towards a circle of Indian campfires. The fires were over a hundred yards apart, and the lone ranger picked a spot between two of them, where a grove of trees would lend cover. The Untuttle Mountain. Silver and Scott were given their heads. The thunder of hoops was obscured by the Indians' chanting. The light from one of the campfires caught them, just as they were disappearing into the woods. They were seen. A hundred voices shouted the alarm. A hundred warriors sprang to the saddle, and started in pursuit. But the darkness of the night, the rough-wooded country, and Silver and Scott's speed, saved the lone ranger and Tuttle in their brush with sudden death. The pursuit was left behind, and the lone ranger and Tuttle rode all night through the tangled hills. Court morning, they cut back to the banks of the little big horn, and very nearly ran into an ambush. A band of two scouts broke from the cover of a wooded hillside, and opened fire on them. The Indians were nearly out of range, and once more Silver and Scott carried them out of danger. But the lone ranger and Tuttle decided a stray shot had struck home. You must hurry. You hit. Yes. And then we stopped. No. There's a camp just ahead. We'll deliver our message first. One, two, three. The sun was rising as the sentry challenged the masked man and the Indians. Oh! Oh, put him around. Get your hands up or I'll shoot. Hold your fire, Sravi. This is our clock. He's no earth war we've met before. Good morning, General. What brings you here, sir? Bad news. The general, that is, the Colonel is dead. Killed? Inaction. Half of his command has been destroyed. No. The rest of the regiment is surrounded by Sue. They must have relief at once. Is that sound assembly? Yes, sir. Tutu, what's the matter with him? Him wounded. Yes, I'll help you with him. We must see that he's scared. Oh, it would. The general's troops were moving in less than half an hour. The news of their approach reached sitting bull and crazy wolf. And late that afternoon the embattled troopers on the top of the bluff watched the Indians streaming south. They were the victors, but it was to be their last victory. And as the dust cloud raised by their horses faded into the distance, the Sue faded into history. The lone ranger must have gotten through, major. Relief must be on its way. Yes. Shall we go to meet General Turner, sir? No. These men are too exhausted to move. We'll stay here and thank God that we can rest. There were funeral services on the hill above the little big horn the following morning. Of all, he was fired. And as taps were sounding, the general bowed his head over the colonel's grave. He was a hero, wasn't he, General? A hero? That's a strange word. He was a brave man, and I salute his courage. But because of him, many brave men died. I'm thinking of another man who might be called hero. Because of him, many brave men lived. There he is, sir. Where? You were speaking in the mask, man, weren't you? There he is, up in the ridge. Yes. We should be thankful he wasn't badly wounded. Yes, Sergeant, I was referring to the lone ranger. A copyrighted feature of the lone ranger incorporated is produced by Trandall Campbell Muir Incorporated. The part of the lone ranger is played by Brace Beemer, your announcer, Fred Foy. Listen to the lone ranger brought to you by special recording Mondays through Fridays at this same time.