 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty high old silver, the lone ranger. With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the masked rider of the planes fought crime and criminals throughout the early western United States. It was his strength and courage, his unselfish devotion to the cause of right against might and made possible the winning of the West. No greater champion of justice can be found in the pages of history. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. Come out of the past come the thundering hoof beats the great horse Silver, the lone ranger rides again. Three men had just finished eating in Tex Dolan's cafe at Plainfield. Two of the three were brothers, still in their early twenties. The companion, however, was middle-aged, a well-dressed man with shrewd, kindly features. He turned to Tex who stood beside him and, Now Mr. Bio, you Tex, for the three, Mr. Morley, three dollars you ate the special. Wait, let me get it, Mr. Morley. I owe a small bill here anyhow. Here, Tex, take this. It's a five. That just makes it square. Do you want anything else? That'll be all. Well, if you change your mind, holler. Well, you shouldn't have done that. You and Curl need your money. Oh, that's all right. Shucks, Mr. Morley. We couldn't begin to pay you back for all the times you used to treat even if we tried. Yeah, very well. What's the matter, Ralph? He was looking at Tex like he was aching to paste him one. Maybe someday I will. What is it? Trouble between you two? You recollect when the sheriff closes his place for a while, don't you, Mr. Morley? Yes, I do. Well, it's on account of Ralph. Him and Tex ain't had no use for each other since. You, Ralph? I understood Tex was closed because he'd been found selling whiskey to the Red Skiers. Yeah, but it was me that seen him. There's any kind of anombry I hate. It's one that'll take cash from engines for poison that sets him crazy. So I told the sheriff. Tex had to pay a thousand fine before he could open up again. I'm just sorry it wasn't ten thousand. You deserve the skunk right. Ralph, listen to me. Be careful. Tex is dangerous. If he is a grudge against you, you'll not forget it until it's paid off. You take my advice and watch out for him. And in the meantime, don't make matters worse by quarreling. Oh, I won't start nothing unless he does. You'd better not. By the way, have you boys had time to find out how your affairs stand now? Did your father leave much? Not much, Mr. Morley. Hardly anything but the house and town where we're staying. I'm sorry, but I was afraid of that. I knew he'd lost a great deal this past year. How about the bank? Anything there? Oh, not a dime. Nope, the only money he left us was in his cash box. I opened it yesterday. It was just a couple of hundred. I see. Well, that's the way things go. You never know what to expect. Don't feel too badly about it. You both got your health. I'm not sure that too much money is good for young men anyhow. It's nice to have all the same. Well, maybe I can help you in that direction. Oh, we wouldn't want to borrow anything. Oh, I didn't mean that. No, Ralph had something else in mind. Really, that's why I wanted to see you today. Oh, yeah. Don't quite know how to get the point. You see, I can use one of you. The wages will be good. There's a trouble I can't use your boat. I'll give it to Ralph then, Mr. Morley. I can make out all right. I ain't worried. No reason why you can make out any better than I can. Look, Mr. Morley, take car. There you see. Well, what kind of work is it? Maybe it'd fit one of us better than the one the other. Yeah. No, I don't think it would. I think either one of you can handle it. Don't get the idea. It's easy, though. It isn't. I can tell you. That's why I hesitate. You'd call for a cool head and plenty of courage. I can't afford to make a mistake. Sounds like something interesting. It is. Well, of course, you know that I've opened up production again on the old one to mine. I'll reduce the ore at the smelter there. I'll send a coach to pick up the bullion as needed. The stage will take it directly to the railroad. That'll mean you'll have to watch out for hold-up. Exactly the thing I have in mind. Now, two guards are going to ride that coach besides the driver. One of them will be furnished by the stage company. The other, I've agreed to furnish myself. That's the job I meant. It'll be dangerous. The man I hire will be in charge. You'll have a great deal of responsibility. We ain't afraid of that. I know you aren't. But that still doesn't settle my problem. What? I mean, of course, if the job peels to you. What? It'd be fun. Sure, I'd like it myself. But you better take Ralph, Mr. Morley, like I said. Talk on it, Carl. I don't need any looking after it. We won't quarrel about it. Let me tell you something. Don't be too anxious to give this job away. I won't forget the man who makes good of it. You never can tell. Maybe before he's finished, you'll find himself in a much better position. Just keep that in mind. He has to be Ralph. Didn't you know he was planning to get hitched? Steady job like that and just do him fine. Was that so, Ralph? Are you getting married? Well, I have been kind of figuring on it. Well, we should have told me that before. There won't be so much danger that a married man shouldn't take it. And he's likely to be steadier. Carl, you don't present that, do you? Oh, my shucks, no. If you give it to Ralph, that's what I said to do from the first. Good. Well, Ralph, what do you say? Carl, you wouldn't be mad? I know. Well, then, Mr. Morley, I'd be glad to work for you. Just a second here. What does it take? We're busy. Well, I got business here, too. What do you buy? I don't concern you, Carl. It's with your brother. Look here, take a look at this. This ability you just paid me with? No, you don't. Keep your hands off it till you said whether it's yours or not. You ought to be able to tell. Let me see that one corner there. Where'd you get it? Well, you're going to claim you don't know. Well, of course I know. I know. I'll just bet you do. You heard that, didn't you, Mr. Morley? You heard him admit it was his. Don't be a fool, man. Of course I did. Now, I'd suggest that you explain yourself. You just listen. I recollect a year ago when some crook robbed Old Man Vily south of town the day before he was going to pay off his crew. Yes, I remember. And you recollect why the sheriff said that the fellow that took it wouldn't dare spend it? Well, he used to mark his cash just in case it was stolen. Each payday he marked it different. That time he had put a circle on each bill and red ink. Everybody in the county was looking for somebody to try to spend cash with their markings. But what's in it? Didn't just look here. A red circle. You're a dog going right. Why, you polecat, you trying to claim I stole that money? Can you tell where you got it? I told you I could, didn't I? I found it just yesterday when I... Well, I... I don't know. I guess somebody must have just given it to me when I wasn't noticing. That's a good one. You never notice. When it's got markings on it so big you can't miss. And with greenbacks in this part of the country it scares his hands, teeth. Sure not. You just didn't notice. Or don't you dare own up? Tex, don't you dare call my brother a crook. Then why don't he talk? You heard him say he knew where he got it. If he got it from somebody else, where'd you get that kind of a notion? I ain't trying to protect nobody. Then explain where the money come from. I... I just can't, Mr. Morley. Honest, I can't. I see. Mr. Morley, you don't think... Well, I've certainly never known you to do anything that was dishonest. But until this is cleared up... Huh? I think we'd better postpone any further discussion of that job I offered you. Good day. I'll be getting on. Please let me know. Wait, Mr. Morley. I'd like to break your neck. I bet you would. But you won't. All your time is going to be took up explaining to the sheriff. It was later in the week that the Lone Ranger learned what had happened in the cafe and told Tonto the story when he returned to their secret camp. Tex Dirland's saying to that, he's practically accusing young Walker of that old robbery. I've seen the boy, that he's a thief. Well, if he is, Kimosabe, then I'll never again attempt to judge anyone. We help him. At least I'd like to get to the bottom of this. If he is guilty, then of course he should be punished. But if he isn't, he shouldn't be made to suffer from suspicion. His name should be cleared once and for all. There's one thing I heard that may have a bearing on this. What about that? Tex hated him. Ralph once said Tex fine for selling liquor to the Indians. Tex had threatened to get even. You think him get even this way? Perhaps. And Tex feller crook? Well, here's the trouble, Tyler. We know that Tex wanted revenge and framing Ralph might have been his way of getting it. He might even have been the man who robbed Billy. It's more logical that he did than Ralph did. Oh, that? He could have taken the bank without marking it immediately. So Ralph would scarcely have stolen money he knew he couldn't spend. Not right. But on the other hand, Tex came to Plainfield just a short while before the robbery. He might not have known of Billy's habit. In that case, he wouldn't have discovered until after the robbery that the money was useless to him. He'd have had to hide it someplace. And he could have used one of the bills to frame Ralph. Maybe that's what him do. I'd like to believe it, as I started to say, here's the trouble. Here's the trouble, Tex. He recognized it as his own. How could Tex have made a substitution? You may not know. That can't be explained, Tyler. Wait. What matter? I thought it was something he must have been. And if it works, what that? Here's the trouble. I won't explain now, Tyler. It's a chance. The chance too thin to build hope on. Where'd you go? To town. Stay here. In town, the affair was rapidly approaching a crisis. When Tex Dolan openly accused his brother in the robbery, Carl forced Ralph to accompany him to the cafe. Carl, don't wait. Shut up. We're calling that loud mouth ombre. Tex! Howdy, Carl. Catch your brother along, huh? We were just talking about him, wasn't we, Mr. Morley? You were. And I know Doggone well what you were saying. Tex, you've been shooting off your mouth too frequently. We don't like it. No? So what? You gonna do your brother's fighting for him? I don't need to. No, wait, Carl. He can do his own fighting. That's what we came here for. He's gonna make you take back everything you've been saying around town, or he's gonna knock them big buck teeth of yours down your throat. Better let him make his own promises. You tell it right, young fella? You think you're big enough to make me take back anything that you said? Go on, Ralph. Show the polecat. Bust him one. Look, Carl, there's been too much fuss made over this already. What good's fighting gonna do? Look, and teach him not to tell lies about you, can't it? Now listen, Carl, I told you in the first place, I didn't want to come here. We'll just let the whole thing drop. Ralph, you mean you're not gonna do a thing? There's no sense in it, Carl. Well, I'll be switched. Carl, you better take your brother out of here. He's such a desperate rip snorting character. I'm just scared to death to be around him. Ralph, come on. One moment. What is it, Mr. Moore? About that job we discussed. I think it'd be best if you forgot it entirely. Rebs you forgotten. But I thought I'd made it clear it would take a man with courage. 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. Leaving the cafe, the two brothers melted and rode toward their home in silence. Ralph was thoughtful. Carl was too angry to talk. But finally... Dog gone at all, Ralph. Were you really scared to call Tex downed? You think I was, Carl? You sure acted like it. I just done what I thought was best. Best? I don't just savvy, it just made yourself look yieldier than ever. How do you figure that? You stood right there in front of all them fellas and a fellow that was innocent would want to make all the talk he could. The more talk, maybe the sooner folks would find out the truth and the sooner it'd be cleared. But your acting like you figured you was guilty. I'll bet when all this started there weren't one fella in a hundred around here that thought for one second you'd stole that cash from old man Bailey. And now? There's as many think you did as think you didn't. It's all in your fault. We wasn't brothers. Going by the way you act, Ralph, you know I don't. But you've been making me so almighty mad. I'm right sorry for that, Carl. No, forget it. I don't count, but what about Morley? You heard what he said back there. And there's a fellow that's always been our friend. He had to give you a good job, but even he's off here. You take that job, Carl. No, and you need it to get hitched to Mary? If I can't get it, no, I will. Let's not talk about it. There's a house. Let's get some sleep. Maybe you'll think over what I've said. Maybe tomorrow you'll decide to explain to folks why you've been acting so funny. I can't do anything different from what I have been. Then let's quit talking about it. Oh boy, who are they? Alan Salla. You stand right there. Mast. Ralph, you're going to answer some questions. I look here, mister. Who do you think you are? What's your game? This a hold up? Answer my questions if I have to use force. That's a promise. Don't make trouble. That depends. What do you want to know? Ralph, I'm here as your friend. You? I don't expect you to believe that, so I won't insist on it. But you can answer my questions with no harm to yourself. First of all, I want to know exactly how you identified that Mark $5 bill as the one you would give in Tex Dolens. Hey, why are you... Well, Ralph? You heard about that? I didn't hear your story. Well, the bill I gave Tex to pay for the grub that day had a corner torn off it. I couldn't mistake it. But you hadn't noticed it was marked with ink? No. No, I hadn't. Think carefully before you answer this. Tex is your enemy. Is there any way in which he might have slipped that bill into your pocket before you paid him? I mean, could he have planted it on you so we'd have the chance to accuse you later? By golly Ralph, that's so... Sorry, Carl, but it ain't. You ought to know that yourself. He wasn't even around. He didn't come in until later. He never came near where we were sitting until he came to collect. The barkeep? The same goes for him. He never came near us at all. I see. At one moment. Was there anything else besides the torn corner that made you recognize that bill? Nope. Why should there have been? Impossibly. Now, suppose you tell us what this is all about. How do you know where the circles are? And just where were they placed? Well, for sire, they were just about as big as a dime. Yes? And he'd draw them right square in the center, one circle in the center of each bill. Good. That's just what I wanted to know. Here, old fellow. Before I leave, I'll tell you this, Ralph. If you're innocent, the information you give me is going to help prove it. But I don't see what I... Adios! Come on, sir. I'll sell them back away! Oh, door gone. You're a horse? Didn't you hear what he called him, and didn't that mask mean nothing to you? What do you mean? That was a lone ranger. Before the lone ranger returned to camp, he stopped at a second house near Plainfield. Oh, oh, this'll be over. Oh, this won't take for the moment, old boy. Now wait here. A friend, Mawney, open up an outlaw. Inside, Mawney. You're going to help me bring a feat to justice. As the sun was setting, a stranger arrived in Plainfield. He made his way directly to the café owned by Tex Dolan, and stood at one end of the bar, some distance away from the other customers. It was a lone ranger without his mask, but cleverly disguised. Tex, come here. You called me Tex? I did. I don't seem to please you. We met before. Does that matter? Well, you called me by name, maybe we have mutual friends who told me about you. Hey, where are you from? Never mind that, rather than I'd say, this is maybe you'd rather I didn't mention the friends who sent me to you. Keep your voice down. Don't worry, we can't be heard. What do you want? I may buy some supplies. Is that all? Then I can sell you most anything you want. They're not so fast. You may not want to sell. What do you mean? Money. Don't talk foolish. Danger don't take anybody's money. We got the cash to pay just name what you want and I'll see that you get it pronto. I didn't work for this money, Tex. You didn't work? All right, Savvy. Well, who cares? And it may not be easy for you to pass it again. No. You see, it's smart. But on the other hand, you can have it for ten cents on the dollar. That means if I buy ten dollars for the supplies, I pay you a hundred. Before you turn me down, remember you'll be getting money worth on its face ten times what I'll ask. You're in a better position to get rid of it than I am. You can pass it off on strangers. If it's ever discovered, you can always claim you received it here during the course of business. You wouldn't even have to explain who'd given it to you. You're crowded here. No one could expect you to remember. You think I'm a crook? Answer me, stranger. Tex, maybe I know you're a crook. Maybe I learned it from our mutual friends. Maybe that's why they sent me here. That's a loud stranger. That's what's all going loud. That's better. Well, what do you say? Let me see that cash. It's paper money. I'll show you one of the bills. It's a five. Look it over. A red circle. Mister, just where did you get this? What? I fire. Put that guy away. I guess not. No one can see it. It stays where it is until I know you're not going to betray me. Look, stranger, I couldn't never pass this. I wouldn't have a chance in the world. I'd get caught. You better take that cash somewhere else. But I... Just go away and leave me alone. I'll go, Tex. But I'll be back. Well, I'm gone. The dirty lowdown. Bill, you watch after the bar. I've got to leave for a bit. Tex ran out of the cafe, leaped into the saddle, and rode for his home at the edge of town. When he threw open the door, he yelled for his negro handyman. Toby! Why'd you come home this time of day? Who's been in here? Yeah, why nobody, sir. Just nobody at all. I ain't seen a single soul in a time you all left or just now. Don't lie to me, you old fool. I was telling the truth, Mr. Tex. Get out. You left this house alone when I told you not to. No, hey, Mr. Tex. Get out of my way. And that's funny. What's the matter, Mr. Tex? What's for you all wanting that old drunk? Get out of here. Get out, you hear me? Go on outside. Get out and don't come back in again until I tell you you can. Sure, Mr. Tex. You really as mad as you all look. Yeah, get out. Cheese. How many chickens did he get that cash? Looks like it was touched. Here's a box. The money's there, Tex. You'll find all of it's there. You, then you were here. I marked a bill just like one of the bills you'd stolen from Veely. To make you think I'd stolen it again from you. I knew if you were the thief you'd do exactly this. Correct me. But you won't. Morley. Mr. Morley. Yeah, and we're here too, you dirty skunk. It was you that stole the money and you knew I wasn't guilty. Wait, man, listen, I can explain. You framed Ralph because he'd reported your liquor sales to the Indians. I tell you, I can explain. This was your crooked way of getting even. Don't make a move. You'll never reach that door alive. Don't you? Don't please? Then be careful. Well, Morley, he had Veely's money in his trunk. Is that clear, Ralph? It most certainly does. You hear that, Ralph? Now just let somebody try and hint you're a crook. I don't know what to think, what to say. He was waiting for a chance at revenge. No doubt he knew just what he'd do when he got the opportunity. You gave me his opportunity. That day you paid for food at his place. Huh? How? You paid him with a torn bill. He took that bill and kept it. Then he took another $5 bill from those he'd stolen from Veely. Tore off a corner just like the corner of your bill had been torn and showed it to you. Of course, you identified it. You didn't have the slightest reason in the world for suspecting his trick. And once you'd identified the stolen $5 bill as the one you'd given him, you were trapped. Stranger, how'd you find that out? It's the only way this substitution could have been made. But I wasn't sure until just now that Tex was guilty. If he hadn't led us to the money, I'd have had to believe you were guilty after all. He did, however, and confessed his own guilt. Blast you! What, Ralph? There's one thing I don't understand. I confess I misjudged you. But why, if you weren't guilty, did you behave as though you were? Why didn't you shut Tex up? Mr. Morley, the money I paid with that day came from Pa's cash box. You see, I thought I'd given Tex a marked bill. And to clear myself, I would have had to tell where it'd come from. That would have made it look suspicious for Pa, even though I knew Doggone well, he'd never been a thief. So that's why you did it? I just didn't have no choice. I had a heap brother that posted suspicion me than him, so I had to keep still. You called him a coward, Morley. Yes, yes, I remember. Seems to me he showed more true courage by silence than he could have done had he fought Tex a hundred times. Ralph, I apologize for that. Sharks, Mr. Morley, don't think nothing about that. I understand, all right. You, uh, still want to work for me? Gosh, can I? Boys, this time, both of you can. Carl, you're getting a job as guard in a stage. But you promised Ralph. Don't worry about your brother, young fella. I'll find him work. I'll find him work that pays twice as much. I've just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.