 horse with the speed of light, the plot of dust in a hearty high of silver, the Lone Ranger. In the years following the gold rush, many men in California rose to fabulous heights of wealth and power. One of these was Arnold Gerson, who's wealth reached out to develop the vast resources of the far west. Unlike the thousands of gold seekers, adventurers, and parasites who sought to grab only what they could hold in their hands, Arnold Gerson was in the far west to stay. Gerson saw the growing influx of the disreputable element and knew that they could and would destroy what he and others like him had rested from this land of promise. He decided to strike at the heart, the infamous Barbary Coast. In an effort to stamp out the viciousness, Gerson sought for and found the Lone Ranger. This mask rider of mystery, though reluctant to leave the plains and mountains of the cattle country, answered the call and soon found himself fighting a new type of criminal in the Barbary Coast. 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. I'm Silver, master big fellow. I'm Silver! Bob Gerson came home from school to spend a few days with his father. It was about a week after Dreg Rayburn met his end in the waters off the coast. Gerson and Bob were discussing it in the library. It's probably just as well he went that way. A man like Dreg Rayburn lived by violence. Now he'd seem to be dead than spend the rest of his life in prison. But dad, are the authorities sure he's dead? Well, it's fairly well established. Sure was great the way the Lone Ranger smashed those crooks. Dolly, I wish I could have been here to see it. How do you like the Lone Ranger's friend? Dan Reed? Oh, I liked him a lot. Yes, I too. I thought he had the right stuff in him from the first time I saw him. How's he doing in school? He was doing great until he had to leave. Leave? Oh, I didn't know he'd left. What was the trouble? Oh, no trouble at all. The Lone Ranger finished his job here and planned to return to the plains, so he took Dan with him. Well, this is news to me. I thought Dan was to remain in school. That's what Dan and I thought until the man came with a message. What man? What message? He was nearly a week ago. Came for Dan and Dan left. He didn't have time to say goodbye. He left a note for me. Do you still have the note? Yes, sir. Here it is. I've had it in my pocket ever since. When was this? Nearly a week ago. I expected to hear from Dan again. I left a lot of his things at school. I expected him to send for them. Well, I saw the Lone Ranger yesterday. You did? Seems to me that he'd have mentioned it if he'd taken Dan from school. Well, I should think so. Bob, I'm going to have the tower lamp lighted. That's a signal to the Lone Ranger. He sees it. He'll come here. I want to tell him about this. Meanwhile, as night gathered in the hills across the bay, Dan Reed made a snug camp, employing those things he'd learned from the Lone Ranger and Tonto. The man who watched him at work had a mean face in a surly manner. Yet he showed approval. I guess I knew what I was doing when I brought you along. You sure are a handy kid to have around. There's nothing to make in a camp. Not if you know how to go at it. Now, me, I don't know how. I've never camped in the woods in my life. Is that the only reason you got me? Yes, or don't worry, kid. If you behave and don't make me no trouble, I'll let you go as soon as I'm through with you. Look here, mister. Well? Just who are you? That needn't concern you. Well, you won't get away with this. Sooner or later, the Lone Ranger will find out about it. Then I guess you know what'll happen. Whatever happens, kid, you'll be the first to be hurt. Remember that. This mask-pally yours better not press me too hard. You can't get away with it, mister. Let me put you straight. I've gotten away with so much already that I ain't worried. There was a crook named Raven. He thought he was too strong to be trapped, but he wasn't. Tell me more about him. The Lone Ranger got him. He drowned in a bay trying to escape. What if he hadn't drowned in the bay? He'd have been caught. And there's enough proof against him to hang him. I understood that Raven had to run because a pack of seamen were after him. That's right. But the Lord didn't have anything on him. There's plenty on him now. A lot of evidence turned up after he was dead. That's interesting. Don't see what there is to laugh about. Well, and I'll tell you, Raven ain't dead. No? Someone else was dragged out of the water, not Raven. Oh. I begin to understand. I'm... Drag Raven. That accounts for a lot of things. Yeah. I'm Drag Raven and they can't hang me more than once. If anyone comes pressing me too close, you know what'll happen, don't you? I can guess. The first one to stop a bullet. I'll finish up with this camp and then I'll put the ropes on you for the night. Look here, Raven. I know you have to tie me so I won't escape, but you needn't rope my horse so tightly. Victor won't leave without me. I take no chances. How long do you expect me to travel with you? I get far enough away so that I don't worry about being trailed. And maybe I'll let you go. Maybe. Yeah, maybe. And maybe not. That all depends. You won't let me go, you don't dare. You know what I'll do. I'm the only one who knows you're still alive. I might get soft-hearted. No, I don't count on that. I guess I've made enough camps in the last few days. Now you can make your own camp. Figure it out for yourself just how to live in the woods. Oh, so you're going to mutiny, huh? Call it that. Well, I know how to stop that. See this stick? Go ahead. Lay it on me and see how much good it'll get you. On you? Oh, no. That ain't my plan. I'll lay it on your horse. Watch. No. Oh, put that down. Well, how about it? You follow my orders or do I beat your horse? Don't hit Victor. All right, then. Get to work. Don't try making any more threats of mutiny. As the evening advanced, Bob and his father remained in the library of the Gerson home discussing the manner in which Dan read it left school and wondering if the Lone Ranger would see the signal light. The signal? Bob, open that window. Our friend has arrived. I saw the signal, Gerson. It's a masked man. Hello, Bob. Come in, please. Come in. It's urgent. Is there a letter from Dan Reed? No, but I have a note to show you. Oh. What is it? Let me explain, Bob. Yes, sir. A few days ago, my son received this note from your young friend. Dan left the school. Well, this is Dan's writing. He thought he was being taken to meet you. When did you receive this? It was last Monday. Two days after Raven's disappearance. The day after he was taken from the bay. Yes. The day after we thought he was taken from the bay. Yes. The identification was none too complete. I know it. A lot had to be assumed. Do you think Raven is still alive? If he is... Do you think Dreg Raven is the one who came to the school for Dan Reed? I don't know. Bob, did Dan take all of his things with him? No, sir. But he took Victor as horse. Did you see the man who called for him? No. And you have no idea what he looks like? No, sir. Did Dan leave any other messages? Not with me. I don't think he said anything to anyone else. You can see where he asked me to explain it to the head of the school. In view of the fact that I saw you yesterday and you said nothing about Dan, I thought this might be a surprise to you. It is. What are you going to do? Gerson, Raven, know that he could reach me through you. Yes, he knows of the way we work together. There's been no word from him. No threats, no propositions. Nothing. And he didn't take Dan to help him make a deal for his freedom. But why did he kidnap him? I don't know. Bob, you said that Dan took Victor with him. Yes, sir. I talked to the stable boy. He said that Dan told him to saddle Victor. He said he saw a man waiting for Dan, but he didn't remember what he looked like. He didn't see him close. Did he say whether or not the man had a horse? He did have. What kind? A paint. It was like Thanos. That's all I could find out from him. He might have stolen a horse from somewhere nearby. He might have. He planned to travel by horse. He must have been planning to head inland, away from the coast. That's right. Which means the hills. If Thanos and I start at once, we can be at the school by sunrise. We'll try and find a clue when we get there. If there's anything I can do, I can have the whole police department at your disposal. By the time being, you can help most by saying nothing to anyone about this. Whatever you say. Hello. We're traveling a long, hard trail city big fella. Are you ready? Come on, Silver. Get him up. Sunrise found the Lone Ranger and Tato at a small stream near the town where Dan's school was located. While the horses rusted and drank from the cool mountain-fed brook, the masked man expressed many of the things that had been running through his mind during the night ride. On one side of us is a coast. Raven wouldn't have gone in that direction. No. He might have got boat. They wouldn't have taken horses. On north of here, they'd get to San Francisco. The one place Raven wants to avoid. That's right. If you were going to try to hide from the law, Tato, which of the remaining directions would you take? He'd go that way. Why? Well, because law figured me go to Hills. Raven wouldn't figure as you. He's not a woodsman. He's not an outdoor man. He'd think the best place to hide would be found there. Maybe that's right. And he has Dan with him. Dan's learned enough woodcraft to make a comfortable place to live in the wilderness. That's right. Dan wouldn't have to travel very far before he found that Raven wasn't taking him to meet us. In that case, Dan would know that he'd been abducted. He'd do something about it. Him try plenty hard, leave trail for us to follow. We can just get started on that trail. Wait. What is it? He put here to ground. He'd think me here, host the horses. Are you? Several horses come this way. Come at Trump. It's early for men to be in the saddle around here. No ranches or... Look, that way. Oh, yes. One, two, three. Six men. Ah. Then see us. Then stop there. I'll look at him with the binoculars. What you see? Strange. One of them is looking at us with binoculars. Who fell there? You know him? Can't quite make out. They're coming this way. Ah. They have guns in their hands. I don't know. One of them wears a sheriff's badge. A lawman. Maybe posse, huh? Don't get your gun. I'll be ready for a fast getaway. Better amount of... Me ready. Raven just smart enough to have made plans that would hinder our search for him. What'd him do? Oh, wait, I know. It's your hand's hanging that way. That's a sheriff. What do you want on us? This is another county. That sheriff doesn't know us. That's right. Hey, gotcha, man. You're in the boys. He was leaving. Here I am. And there's my horse. You're a pleasure to steal my good paint horse, will you? By thunder? It's not your horse. Here, then. You take that man's gold. Let me see what you look like. One minute, sheriff. Keep him covered, boys. That's my paint horse. That engine stole it from me. You heard what Lim said. But it's not true. Chill, sir. That horse was stole about a week ago. We've been scouring these hills ever since. This horse named Scout. Him, my horse. This Mount Otter. Well, Steven's man business, we see. When it's done by a man, it's been in the rich. You say this is your horse? That's right. Then mount up and prove it. All right. That man is coming. If you want the mask off, take it off. Good dog going right away. Hey, watch yourself, sheriff. Don't get close to him till he's disarmed. I've seen some of the tricks men like that can pull. They're horse. You mount them. Watch me. There, sheriff. See how this horse lets me mount up? This is the one who was stole from me. Now take those horse thieves to jail. 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 to continue our story. When the Lone Ranger and Tonto paused near the school from which Greg Graven had taken Dan, a sheriff's posse approached with a surprising accusation that Tonto was riding a stolen horse. The man who claimed the horse climbed to the saddle while Tonto held Scout's head. See, sheriff? See how this paint lets me sit and stride him? Sheriff, that horse is called Scout. He's belonged to Tonto for a long time. Either this man is mistaken or he's willing to identify any horse so he can replace the one that was stolen from him. They've looted him a long time. Scout's let him mount because Tonto held him. Now if Tonto releases him, Lamb or nobody else can stay in that saddle. That ain't so. Let him go, Tonto. Steady, Scout. Steady first. Steady. Quiet, butter, quiet. Oh, sure, a base of Redskin. You know how a Redskin can train a horse, Sheriff? In the time he's had this paint, the Indians taught him no tricks. That's why he tries to throw me. If we stayed here long enough, it would be simple to prove that Tonto has owned that horse for a long time. But we can't stay here. Hey, Thunder, you sure are going to stay? Now, boys, disarm him, take off that mask. Sheriff, remember the evidence we found in the stable? That engine belt? I said at the time that better Redskin was a thief. Well, what are you waiting for, boys? Disarm him. Oh, hang it all, Sheriff. The first man that gets close will be in a pack of trouble. Sheriff, you've been searching for a week. Yes, Red. In that direction? Yep. Did you search the hills over there? Nope. We figured if a thief and critter went that way, he could go on forever. We knew there'd be no use going that way. We found you right here where the horse was stored. Ready, Tonto? You ready? Lamb, I'm sorry you lost a horse. Maybe we'll find it for you. Hey, let me go. Let me go. Here, Sheriff. Catch him. Heading into the hills, the lone ranger and Tonto soon put the shouts' posse out of sight. Then they rained out. Raven did his work well, Tonto. He left an engine belt to make sure the lawman would suspect the first engine they found was trying to paint horse. That's right. Sheriff said he'd already searched in the other direction. If Raven and Dan had gone that way, he'd have found some sign of them. Now, Raven not know how to hide tracks. Him not Woodland. And Dan wouldn't show him. I'm sure Dan would do all he can to leave a trail. We'll write a straight line between the school and the foothills. Somewhere on that line, we'll cross the route that Dan took. Ah, come on, Silver. Get him up the scout. It was a short time after sunrise in the woods. Drake Raven had awakened at the first faint gray light of dawn. And had made sure Dan Reid was well tied before leaving the camp for a short tour of inspection of the land surrounding the clearing. He broke through a dense underbrush, careful not to go too far from camp. Then he came upon a scene that at first puzzled him. Now, what do you make of this? Someone sure has been here. He studied the place. Then his eyes glowed with suppressed rage. What the... Why that little double-crosser? He jerked out a clasp knife and opened the blade. With clean slices, he cut through the ropes that bound Dan's arms and legs. The boy stirred, opened his eyes, and saw the cruel face of Drake Raven looking down at him. Yeah, what is... I want to talk to you. Get on your feet. All right, I'm up, Raven. What's the matter? Come over here. I want to show you something. What's the matter? You'll find out soon enough what's the matter. I've outwitted some of the smartest men in California and I don't figure on being fooled by a kid like you. Where are we going? Right over here. It ain't far. Found it when I was looking around here at daybreak, waiting for the sun to come up so as I could see what direction it was in. If you go very far, you'll lose our camp. We ain't going far enough for that. I just stepped through there to that clear and you'll see what I mean. Very well. Now, take a look there. It looked to you like someone's made a camp there. Yeah, there was a camp here. Don't it look familiar to you? What do you mean? You know what I mean. Listen, Reed, you've been leading me in a circle. This here is one of our own camps. There's where you made a lean-to-sheller. There's where you set up stones for a fireplace now, ain't it? It's pretty hard to avoid circling in the woods. Why, I brought you along. You traveled with that masked man in Indian. You know how to travel through the woods without circling, don't you? If you don't like the way I'm guiding you, why don't you set your own course? Dad, I'll do no more of that lippy talk. You figure on leading me in circles till someone catches up to us, you better think again. Do you know why? Yeah. Oh, you do know why, huh? Well, then you tell me. If someone catches up to us, you make sure that I'm the first one to be shot. That's it exactly. That's just right. I'll get back to the camp. We're starting out right now. The fact that you tried to be smart with me means you'd start without having time to eat breakfast. I won't put up with none of your smart electrics. Do you understand? I understand. One thing more. Maybe you think it'd be real smart if you risk your own neck to turn me over to the law. Maybe you wouldn't mind it so much if I did shoot you if you thought I'd get caught. My life doesn't mean much. You get that idea out of your head. Let me tell you what'll happen if someone overtakes us. What'll happen? You and your horse will make a first-class shield. Now, figure the Lone Ranger won't try to shoot me if he's got to shoot through you to get me. The Lone Ranger's always taught me that our lives aren't important when I compare to bigger things. I'll stake my freedom on the fact that the Lone Ranger won't shoot you to get me. I'll break camp and get started. Greg Raven drove Dan hard all morning, but the boy's courage never faltered. He took every opportunity to leave tracks that could be clearly followed. He used all the lore that Tonto and the Lone Ranger had taught him to make the course devious without letting the outlaw know what he was doing. The sun reached the zenith. Then, as afternoon progressed, the two pushed through the woods. In late afternoon, Raven suddenly called... Now, wait. Hold on there. Listen to me, you little double-crosser. What's the matter? We're going to have a showdown right now. I've stood all I'm going to stand from you. You've took me for a fool. Any time you don't like the way I break... I can do something about it. Yes, and that's what I'm doing right now. I've learned a lot in these past days, and maybe I don't need you anymore. Look at that sun. Well, what about it? It was on my face when we started out this morning. Well? And it's on my face now. It should be in back of me. You've took me in another circle, now, ain't you? Yeah, it seems that way. Yeah, it does seem that way. Come here. Raven, you might as well get it through your head. Nothing you can do will scare me. I said, come here. Get off that horse. You can't get away, Raven. No matter how far you go, the Lone Ranger will find you. That's the one reason why I don't shoot you and leave you for him. He'll find you whether you shoot me or not. Yes, and if he comes, you're my shield, you savvy? We had that out before. Stand still, and I'll let you wear ropes all the time instead of just at night. Now, and I'll decide where we're going. I gave you the chance to help me out to save your life, but doing it, you didn't appreciate it. There. Maybe that rope's tight enough to hurt, huh? You can't hurt me. I'll make it tight enough so as you don't get out of it in a hurry. You can't hurt me. Now, I'll decide where we go. Son of my back in the morning and face all afternoon. Raven, it's about time you learned something. Yeah, you're the one to teach me. You've been traveling for a week. How far do you think you've gone? I'll go a lot further during the next week. You'd be surprised if you knew how near the school you are right now. You confound it a little. But you don't believe anything I say. You don't know the woods. You don't know which way to travel. Well, you might start out and run right into the hands of the man that are looking for you. You keep on and you'll run into... We have led you in a great big circle. To the schools in an entirely different direction than you think. Why, you might break out of the woods at almost any point. All of a sudden what? You'll see. What was that? Victor, did you hear that? Come here. That's a friend of yours. Here! You... Shut your teeth. I know that horse. It's silver. Well, let him come. This is a showdown. Come on and get me. Come on and see what you're finding. This way! Yeah, this way. We'll have a showdown right now. Struggle to get free and I'll knock you out. I'll show you. Well, come on. Come on and get me. Raven stood with his back against a giant tree. With one arm he held Dan Reid as a shield. Tired as he was, the boy was unable to struggle. Raven held one gun on his hand and another was in a holster with additional cartridges. The lone ranger and Toto quickly saw the situation. Take cover. Down here, Toto. Ah, crook. Him get back a Dan. We can't risk killing Dan. Well, why don't you come and... That's four shots, Toto. He has two more in that gun. That's right. Then he's got to reload or change guns. Me give him target. Maybe you shoot his hand when he fires. It's too risky for Dan. If Dan would only do one thing... Dan, plenty smart. Him lead Raven in big circle. Dan did all he could. Toto, go to your right. I'll move to my left. We'll come in on him from two sides. That's not good. That's him, too. Surrender before I count three or this kid gets a bullet. Oh, God, him got us. We can't let him shoot Dan. I'm starting to count opportunity. All right, Raven. Here I am. This is the showdown, isn't it? I'm very close against me. You overlook one thing. I don't overlook anything. You stole the horse you've been riding. The sheriff and a posse are hunting for you. I don't use... What? Toto. Let me fix him. You got his gun, man. You got him right here. Let me fix the gun. No, wait. Let me fix you. Toto, what a wallop. Come here, sheriff. Here's the horse and the thief. You can't rope very quick now. There, Dan. You're free. Crooks your head. I'm tight. Your voice is weak. Hey, there's my paint horse. That's the one. Are you sure which horse is yours? Grim, you confounded fool. You call every horse yours. But this one is, sheriff. Looks like we came just in time, eh? Sheriff, this man is wanted in San Francisco. I think you'll get some rewards when you turn him in. Well, you captured him. They saved the whole thing now. I should have known sooner, but it wasn't for you left that you called your horse silver. Let me take your paint and apologize to Toto. Yeah, yeah. I'm sure sorry. He needs for the reward. You had this credit, but the boy here had him. Not me. The reward and the prisoner are both yours, sheriff. Toto and I just want Dan. Golly. Sure, I'm glad you came. I tried to keep him circling. You did great work, Dan. You kept him within a few hours of his starting point. Not up now. You're going back to school. Ah, school will be swell after these last few days. Come on, Victor. Get him up. You have just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.