 to the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty high old silver, the lone ranger. When the western United States was first opened to settlers, outlaws and cattle thieves robbed and plundered the honest miners and ranchers. It was many years before law and order was established on the frontier, and from the stories handed down to us by those early pioneers, we know that the masked rider of the plains led the fight for justice. Let us return once more to those thrilling days when the West was young and adventure lay at the end of every trail. The lone ranger rides again. Gold had been discovered near Danville, and the region boasted more than a dozen rich mines, but though the yellow metal brought prosperity, it also brought trouble. The stage carrying the gold to Mill City was held up several times, and the robberies continued in the face of every effort to stop them. As our story opens, we see a group of outlaws taking shelter in a ravine beside the stage trail. They are mounted, and the leader, Matt Klein, is speaking to his right hand man, Squint Porter. You got your mask ready, Squint? Yeah. Now, sleeping on before the stage gets inside, Matt. The next time that mask come right in the white horse runs into the law, he's going to have a heap of explaining to do. He sure will. Of course, that white horse you're riding ain't so big as his, and not near so fast, but no stage driver looking in the business end of a sick shooter is going to pay any mind to details like that. I bet my saddle, he won't. It'd be better yet if we had a red skin working with us like he's good, but this'll do good enough. I wonder where that mask number is now? It's for him to worry about, not us. I'm just thankful we seen him the other day and got the idea to put the blame on him. Hey, Matt, what's that dust over the hill? Ain't that the stage? Most likely. Keep back. Let's start coming down this side. Get that mask on, Squint. That's what I'm doing. When we stop the stage, you act like you're the boss of this gang. You'll make it worse than ever for that mask-ombry. Hi, Savvy. There it is on top of the hill now. Yeah. Quiet, fellas. Come on. Get up there. Get up there. Get up there. Get up there. Pull up now. The guard's going first, gun. Got him right in the shoulder. I'm going faster. Pull up before you get hurt, too. Pull up. Pull up. Pull up. Pull up. Oh, I can't bless you. Anything but blow you to blazes. Well, you want the gold, you're carrying. A mask, fellas. Never mind that. Where's the gold? How did you fellas know we was carrying gold this trip? That's our business. Every time the stage carries gold, you dog-gone-pull-cats-nose-about-it. It don't matter, none house secret. It is yours. Shut your mouth and get busy. Or it'll be the worst for you. Yeah, just a second. Don't get hasty. The gold's right here in these boxes. Hand them down. Yeah. Saves the first one. I'll take it. But you're going to pay for stealing this gold and killing the guard. He ain't killed. He just passed out. Come on with the other boxes. Here it is. There. Now take leather to them horses and get along. I'm getting blotcher. But I'll be remembering that mask you were wearing, that white horse you were riding. No, ain't that too bad. We're going. Get up there. Get up. That masking horse is going to hang the whole bunch of cars. Like I said, just wait until that other masked combray meets up with the law. Jake Faust was not only the agent for the stage company in Mill City, he edited the town's weekly paper and raised fine horses on a ranch not far from town. We see him now shortly after the holdup in the office of Bill Abbott, the sheriff. With them are Ray Davis, a special investigator for the Wells Fargo Company, and Andy Symes, the sheriff's deputy. The sheriff is speaking. Fellers, if something ain't done right soon about these holdups, we're all going to lose our jobs. I'm just hoping nothing happens to that shipment doing today. It's a funny thing you ain't been able to do nothing since Wells Fargo sent you out here, Ray. Yeah? You've been here close under a month. You ain't found out yet how them crooks operate. Look here, I ain't the only one that's been stumped. Now take it easy, Fellers. Sounds like somebody just rode up outside, Sheriff. Well, if it's anybody own business, he can wait. We're here to figure out them holdups and it's got to be done no matter what else happens. Now, this is the way I look at it, Sheriff. Who are you? A masterman. What the? Another outlaw. Careful. Don't shoot. No one will be hurt unless you try to draw. What do you want? I'm here for information. Put down them guns. We ain't given information to no mask on, Ray. I'm not an outlaw. Then what do you wear? I want to help you. Your logo. We ain't fools not to listen to any story like that. Wait. Sheriff, you've been trying for months to find the outlaws who've been robbing the stages. This man here was sent out by Wells Fargo and he's failed. The stage line manager here has failed. There's more gold being stolen now than there was at first. And for all we know, you're the feather that stole it. I'll bet Jake's right. You all right, Davis? Well, what if I am? I've heard about these holdups. The outlaws never touch a stage that doesn't carry gold. But they never miss a stage that does. But what is that? One moment. One moment. Out of those outlaws, get their information. Do you think if we knew that we wouldn't have done something about it? The fellas down at Danville that ships the gold have tried every way they know how to keep them shipment secret. But it just don't do no good. Sheriff, do you know when gold is being shipped? Jake here's the only one of us that knows that. And even he wouldn't. He didn't have to make arrangements for it to be shipped on East from here. Then perhaps the outlaws get their information from Jake. That won't get you nowhere, stranger. Well, Fargo folks thought of that right off. Yes? That's why they sent me out here to look into things. And you learn nothing? Not a blasted thing. Jake, you never knew it, but I trailed you for three weeks steady. There was two stages held up in that time. But if it was you who told them crooks what stages carried gold, you must have done it by magic. Running the stage offage, the paper here in town, and my horse range gives me plenty to do without stealing no gold. And you'll never pin nothing on Jake, stranger. And somebody at Danville is responsible. Chuck's ain't a fellow here or there. We ain't watch close in a hawk. You're asking me for questions for a fellow that claims to be straight, mister. I'm as anxious as any man here to stop these holdups. That sounds likely, don't it? Coming from a nombré that's scared to show his face. You better clear out of here, stranger. There's the stage, Sheriff. Now, why in Duncan is it stopping here instead of the station? Maybe there's been more trouble, Sheriff. I got it. Jake just told us there was gold coming today. Well, come on. Drop them guns, mister. We gotta go outside. Don't any of you move until I'm gone. But I'll see all of you again. I'd give a heap to have a look at that fellow's face. Just the same I ain't as sure as I was at first that he is in our law. He didn't talk like one. Come on, gentlemen. He's gone, Sheriff. Let's see what's wrong with the stage. Yeah. Look. I'll see you in the garden. Sheriff, there he goes. Get after him. What's the matter, driver? Get out of that mask, fella. I'll tell you. He's the one that done it. Done what? He shot Jed here, stole the gold and rode off with his gang. That mask, fella? How could he have done all that and got here ahead of you, driver? He must have cut across country. You sure it was the same fella? Sure. With that mask and that white horse, I'd take my oath on it. Then that's enough. Andy, bring the horses around. We're going after that fever and crook and jail on him. Come on. The sheriff and his posse attempted to pursue the Lone Ranger, but the Great Horse Silver soon carried his master to safety. At his hidden camp, he waited for his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, who joined him finally with news of the latest holdup. Together they determined to visit the scene of the robbery and learn what they could. But now let us flash ahead to the camp of the outlaws. Their leader, Matt Klein, is speaking. You got the gold counted yet, squint? Every darn penny of it. Yeah? How much was it? Over 5,000, boss. And it's not counting the share I put aside. Careful of the name, squint. Sorry, I was forgetting. Ain't nobody around these parts to hear us, but it's just a good idea to get used to not saying that name. One of us might make a slip sometime. If that happened, we wouldn't have nobody to tell us when the gold is going to be shipped. Yeah. Did you send more to town? Uh-huh. We ought to be along soon. Maybe that's him. Yeah, there he is. Got the paper in his hand. Come here with that paper, Mort. Any news? Plenty, Matt. Yeah, let me see that paper myself. Yeah. Let's see. There ain't nothing about the whole of it. Shucks. There wouldn't have had time to print nothing about that. Yeah, I guess that's so. Let me see now. Here we are. Well, now, here's some right interesting news. What's that, Matt? Well, it says that Jake Faust is selling all five of his horses out to his ranch a week from next Tuesday. Yeah? I'll just tear this out for keeping. Maybe we'll want to go to that sale, huh, boys? Yeah. I'll tear it out so as we won't forget. Yeah, remember, we'd better burn the rest of the paper, man. Yeah. Mort take this and put it on the fire. There's a couple more papers around here that ain't been burned, either. Find them and burn them all. All right, boys. That sale's a week from next Tuesday, huh? Yeah, nice. Somebody find it. Look, it's a Ritzke. Boy, blast him. He'll take after him. Hey, fellas. Get your horses. Hurry. Where'd he come from? Looks like the engine we see with the mass company. Oh, go on if it don't. Here we are. There he is. Yeah. The Ritzke's aiming this way again. Come on, we'll get him. Yeah. He's leaving. Ready, fellas? Then come on. We'll get that engine to find out just what he's doing around here. Get up there. Get up there. Get up there. The curtain falls on the first act of our thrilling Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. In spite of every effort to keep secret the date when gold was to be shipped from Danville to Mill City, the outlaws held up the stage whenever a shipment was on board. Matt Klein, leader of the gang, had one of his men wear a mask and ride a white horse, hoping to place the blame on the Lone Ranger. Later, the outlaws were fired upon by Tonto, and they pursued the Indian without success. We see them now as they return to their camp. I got it that easy with sure riding a fast horse. Too fast for us anyhow. What I can't figure is what he was doing around here, and why he fired at us. Maybe him and his mask part found out about us making the stage driver think it was a mask man held up the stage. Uh-huh. Well, I don't like it. There's no harm done, I reckon. He might have heard something. What was there for him to hear? He didn't mention no names, did we? Anyhow, we better make camp somewhere else. We don't want him bringing anybody back. Yeah. Besides, he's like, hey, where's them papers? Huh? I don't see no sign of them papers you told Mort to burn. Well, I'll be. Hey, Mort. What you want, boss? You put those papers on a fire like I told you to? Well, I think I did. You think you did? What do you mean by that? I don't just recollect. And then that engine fired at us and I don't recollect what I did then. You don't remember putting them on a fire? No. But I don't recollect not putting them on a fire neither. Oh, I love all of them. You needn't get upset, Matt. Mort must have burned them. Yeah? They're gone, ain't they? No, but they could have been gone. It's because he was burned up. The engine couldn't have gotten them. We did, why it wouldn't matter none. Well, maybe you're right, squint. But I don't know, I- I don't know, Matt. Who'd figure anything out from a few newspapers? Yeah, that's so. Well, come on, fellas. Get your things together. We're gonna get out of here and make camp where we won't be so easy found next time. It was the night of that same day that Jake Faust, stage line manager, newspaper editor and rancher, worked alone in the office of the Mill City Bugle, editing the news for the next edition. More than 6,000 men in gold was took from the Danville stage early today when a group of outlaws, led by a mass man, struck again in the latest series of Darren robberies. It is still a mystery from what source these outlaws... That you, Sheriff? Who's there? Don't move, Jake. Who? Who are you? It's too dark to see over by the door. We've met before, Jake. A mass man. Right. What you doing here? What do you want? You see these papers? Yeah, but I... You see where each paper has had a story torn from it? Yeah, but... I think I know why that was done. I don't know what you're talking about. These are the papers for the last three weeks. I want copies of those same papers to compare the... No, I... There's a file by your desk. Quick. Don't aim that gun, it means... Hurry. I'll get them. Just a second. Hand them here. We won't see what you want them for. You will soon enough. But I... Thanks. This is the same paper as the first one I have here. You'll find out what story was torn out. You must have gone crazy. Today is Friday. And it says here that you were selling six horses from your ranch today. I did. My foreman sold them. Well, look at the next paper. You advertised ten horses for sale a week ago Saturday. And I sold them. I can prove it. There's one more paper. Three weeks ago, Jake, you advertised eight horses for sale. I can sell horses for one, too, can't I? I mean, the business, ain't I? Don't those dates mean anything else to you? What do you mean? I think you know what I mean as well as I do. This week's paper, the paper that was published today, says you're selling five horses a week from Tuesday. I am. No, you're not. But I did. Pick up your pen. What? Did you hear me? Pick up your pen. I got it. Now, write this. Say that your sale will be held Monday instead of Tuesday. I won't. I don't have to. You won't? I did. Sure. Sure, I will. I didn't mean nothing. Don't point a gun at me like that. Write what I told you. Yeah. Sale will be held Monday instead of Tuesday. There it is. Now, get out of here and leave me be. You're not through yet, Jake. Take another piece of paper. I will. Good. Now, leave a note for your printer telling him you're called out of town suddenly. I can't do that. Now, he's to print this correction you've just written. I guess I got to. You do. And when you finish that, you're coming with me. There, I wrote just what you said. Oh, I see. Now, get up. Whoa, whoa, whoa. What you going to do? I'm taking you alone. Let go of my arm. Come on. Leave on this. Perhaps. I'll pick you. I'm sure it will get you. Open your mouth to yell and I'll shoot. You ain't getting that subtle. Steady, Silver. I'll be young. What is it? I doubt it, Jake. House! The disappearance of Jake Faust from Mill City remained a mystery, despite the note he had left behind. The sheriff asked questions of everyone, but learned nothing. We'll see him now more than a week later, with his deputy Andy and the Wells Fargo investigator, Ray Davis. It's the blamest thing I ever heard tell of. Jake just writes that note and leaves town without a word to nobody. I don't know what to think. Maybe it's all right. I was talking to the printer. He says the note was in Jake's handwriting, sure enough. He told me the same, Ray, but that wasn't no way for Jake to leave. Stage line is liable to fire him for it. I can't help thinking that mask fella we've seen might have had something to do with it. You see that? Well, Jake was mighty free, accusing him of being the stage robber. Shucks. The driver said the same, but the mask fella never done nothing to him. Yeah, but you're forgetting the driver didn't say it where that mask ombre could hear him. Andy, I figure you're plum mistaking. Yeah? The mask fella is the leader of them crooks, all right, but what in blazes? What do you want Jake for? Well... And even if the mask fella did have some reason, he wouldn't... There's the mask fella now. Just outside. I'll be... Come on. Let's get him. Hold on there! He won't get away from us this time. He ain't got a head start ahead of him for it. He's heading down the trail for Danville. Then it's the last trail he'll be riding for a spell. Get up there! Get up there! Get up there! Get up there! The sheriff and his two companions raced in pursuit of the mask man once more, but although the great white horse failed to out distance them, they also failed again. We're keeping him in sight. Get up there boy. Get up. Wonder why I don't leave the trail and come off across country. I don't know, but he's going to wish he had. Get up there! Get up there! Get up there! Almost half the distance to Danville has been covered when the sheriff and his companions saw two horsemen ride out from the side of the trail and join the lone ranger. Who are them two fellas? One's an engine and then... That's by golly the other's Jake. Jake! You can see where his hands are tied to a saddle horn. Then it was the mask fella took him, just like I said. But we're getting back! And when we do, the mask fella will be sitting in jail for the rest of his life. Get up there! Come on boy! In the meantime, ahead of both the masked man and the sheriff, the outlaws led by Matt Klein had leveled their guns at the approaching Danville stagecoach. This time the driver did not defy them, but immediately rained his six horses to a halt. Pull up! Whoa! I said whoa! Bless you! Pull up! Reach for the sky! Come on, we're reaching. Where do you want to go? Where is it? This is the time you blame poor cat's got food. There ain't no gold. You're a lion. Yeah, take a look for yourself. We know Dern well there is. Most likely got it hid someplace. Damn ask yours ain't scaring me none. Have you figured this gold on this stage? Try and find it. That's what we aim to do. Mark! Yeah? Look inside the coach. If the gold ain't there, we'll make this maverick tell us where it's at. I'll have a look, squint. Look all in your Dern, please. And while he's looking, suppose you look at these here shooting arms. If you don't want to get drilled by him, you'll talk when we tell you to. Yeah? You'll either talk now or you will never be able to talk again. Come on! Stay over here! Hey! There's a masked man in the engine again. Shoot him down! I'll get him! Oh, my hand! Oh, my hand! Oh, my hand! Oh, my hand! Oh, my hand! Stay where you are! I got it. That was some shooting stranger. Let us go. They come to share it. Here's your prisoner, Sheriff! These are the men that have been holding up the stages. You don't have to tell us, stranger. We've seen you get them. And they were caught holding up an empty stage. Empty? You could break up the stage and you still wouldn't find gold in it. But the paper said the... You're still, Mac. Just a second! How come you know these fellas, Jake? Well, uh... Mac, the information in the paper was wrong. Jake, you double-crossed us. Keep your mouth shut. You must have sold us out. We'll talk plenty. Hold on! All of you! Now, stranger, what's this all about? What's Jake got to do with the hold-ups? Jake was manager of the stage night at Mill City. He knew when gold was being shipped. Yeah, we shall be that, all right. But Jake also edited the paper and owned a horse ranch. Every time he got word of a gold shipment, he advertised a sale of horses for the same day. The number of horses offered for sale told how many thousands of dollars would be sent. And that's why I couldn't cast Jake Pass and all the information. All right. Sheriff, if you'll check back, you'll find a stage robbery every time Jake had a sale. Right, all right, and think a couple of times. And then he knows. What's that, Sheriff? Jake bought that there ranch just before the hold-up started. He done it a purpose. Sheriff, let me explain. Jake didn't even bother. All he explained and that's needed, the mask fella done already. Stranger's one thing I'd like to know about. Yes? How'd you get all of that trick at Jake's? Tato, my Indian friend, followed the outlaws' trail to their camp. We heard enough to know the newspaper had something to do with their scheme. And while Tato drew them away from their camp, I took the papers they had, and everyone had the notice of a sale torn out. Shucks, if you trailed them outlaws, you ought to have let us know. But you believed I was an outlaw. And this man here in the mask was the reason. Yeah, we figured you to be an outlaw. All right, Stranger. But I reckon you proved that two fellas, both wearing masks and riding white horses, can still be as different as they make them. Hey! Hey, wait! We done what he set out to do, and if he don't want to wait to be thanked, well, I reckon that's his business. All right, you coyotes, you're going to jail and you're going pottoed. What you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.