 a fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and the hearty Hio Silver, the Lone Ranger. To the covered wagon to the coming of the railroad, the history of the western United States is a history of progress, and no man did more to bring civilization to the frontier than the masked rider of the plains. It was his courageous fight for law and order against overwhelming odds that made possible the development of the great new country. Return with us now to those thrilling days when the west was young. From out of the past come the thundering hoof beats of the great horse Silver, the Lone Ranger rides again. Jack Fisher just 24 and for the past three months, sole owner of the short line, Goldville, Shawnee, and western railroad, got to his feet as his sweetheart, Alice Blanchard, prepared to leave his office. This hasn't been much of a visit. I have to go Jack. I have so many things to do I don't know where to begin. I just stopped him to see how you were getting along. Well, I guess you've seen. Jack, listen. Well? Do you know what's wrong with you? I'd say everything, after all the full mistakes I've made so far. No, Jack, there's just one thing wrong. Let all? You've got no confidence in yourself. My heaven, Jack, if your mistakes don't mean anything. They've cost me money. But that doesn't count as long as you don't lose more. Really it doesn't. It's just experience. How many men do you think there are who could take over the management of a business without training as you have and do any better? Why not one in a thousand? All you've got to do, Jack, is to tell yourself you can't be beaten and you won't be. Please try. I want so much to be proud of you. No, I haven't given up yet. And you won't either, I'm sure of it. Oh my gracious, two o'clock. I have to rush. Wait, I- Oh, Jack, I can't. I'll see you tonight. Bye. Goodbye. The maintenance cost. How in the dickens can anybody expect me to- Oh, hello. Have you? Don't get up. I wasn't. Don't think I heard you knock either. No. I can explain that, I didn't. That's what I thought. On your dignity, huh? Looks as if owning a jerk water railroad's kind of going to your head. When you're at your office, do you let people walk in on you whenever they please? When I'm at- Oh, recognize me, huh? You're Blake Atwood. Right. What do you want here? What? I don't imagine you came all the way from Milford just to amuse yourself. Oh. Well, I'll tell you, Fisher. I've been meaning to call on you ever since your pod. I had left you this line of yours three months ago. Thought maybe I better warn you off. Warn me off? I've got a wagon outfit that carries freight between here and Milford. I guess you know that. I do. That sort of puts us in the same line of business. We've just got different ways of handling it. That's how I use horses and wagons. You have engines and rails. So I was going to warn you not to build track to Milford. I don't like competition, but I see it won't be needed. What do you mean? I've had a look at you. Huh? From what I can see a sprout as green as you couldn't compete with a town half-wit. Why, you- Sit down, sit down. Fisher, if you wanted a fight, I could handle you with one hand. But, Shucks, what have we got to quarrel about? We're not going to get in each other's way. Anyhow, I reckon you won't get mine. That would take some nerve. You think I haven't any? Oh, now don't get mad. I guess you've got enough gumption for things like... wear, like feeding yourself and going to bed nights without your ma being there to tuck you in, things like that. Would you sure wouldn't try anything to take a man to put a cross, would you? No. Well, Blake, if you finish, you listen to me. Yeah? Maybe this railroad's gonna do some things that'll surprise you. Now, Fisher, don't try to bluff me. I've played too much poker. All right, listen to this. Two weeks ago, I signed contracts with 80 of your best customers in Milford. They came here and told us what they thought of the service you were giving them. They asked us to build a branch to Milford. And those contracts specify that if that branch is completed within six months, every pound of freight they ship will be routed over this line. That's a... Now, what do you think of my nerve? Well, good day. Just one second. You haven't answered my question. Well, maybe your nerve's all right, Fisher. But I sure can't say as much for your head. You crazy fool. You've told me just what I wanted to know. Hey, Blake, come back here. You needn't think... Hello there, Jack. Oh, hello, Spooner. Come on in. Jack, I just seen Blake Atwood going out of here. Do you tell him we planned to build a Milford? Oh, well, I... That is, he said... Then you did. Got me so mad I had to. Don't you know when we signed them contracts with those fellas at Milford, there was penalties fixed to him? Yeah, but... You know what Atwood will do when he finds out what they've done? He'll make them pay plenty to haul their freight. If we ain't built the line to Milford in six months, he can make it so tough for them, they'll just about have to go out of business. That's the reason we agreed to pay him cash, if we weren't ready when we figured. Well, we're going to build, aren't we? We haven't had the chance to buy our right away yet. And let's get at it. After what you've let out to Atwood, that land's going to go sky high. And if we... Lem Dorson owns the land we have to have. You wait and see. This is going to cost us thousands over what it should have. We can't afford it. All right, then if we can't, we won't build. And pay the penalties on them contracts instead? Son, that wouldn't cost us much unless we'd have nothing to show for it. No, they've got us both coming and going. I... I'm sorry, Fred. Well, he got me so mad I just didn't take time to think. That's what he's schemed for. He must have come here at suspicion we was planning something. Just another one of my full mistakes. Jack, I won't say it ain't, but it's your cash you're spending. All I know is, and all the time I was super-intended to this line under your paw, he never made one mistake that was even half so bad. Climb aboard, boss. I'm all set to go if you are. Whip up those horses. Get back and mill for just as you can. Right, boss. Get up! Get up! Get along with you! Need to see young Fisher, boss? I saw him. Find out anything? He talked. Yeah? Got him so mad he didn't know what he was saying. He figures to build. What are you going to do about it? Talk to Lim Dawson before he does. Yeah? Get up! Get up! I thought you and Lim didn't get along. He ain't aim to try and buy his land before the railroad does, are you? He wouldn't sell, not to me, anyhow. Then what's good seeing him going to do? You sell to Fisher. But I don't know... Only when he knows why Fisher wants his land, he'll hold out for plenty. Uh-huh. I happen to know Fisher hasn't any too much reserve capital. When he's bought the land, he'll have just enough money left to build the branch. If he should run into trouble laying track, if it cost him more than he expects it to... He'll go bust, huh? And I think he'll be willing to listen to a reasonable offer. Huh? You'd buy his company? At my price. Boss, what in the land that goes into you do with the railroad? Sell it. I don't serve it. I think the Kansas Pacific could just as soon pick it up as a feeder line if they could buy it reasonably. Then how'd you profit? I'd keep the land Dawson won't sell to me, but will sell to Fisher. So that's your scheme. Get up, you critters. Get up. I'm interested in just one thing, keeping out competition. There's just one approach to Milford that a railroad could use. That's over the land Dawson now owns. He won't sell it to me, so I'll go after it my own way. And once it's mine, there'll be no railroad, Fisher's or any other building to Milford till I'm ready. I'm not an easy fellow to beat, Leif. And I guess young Fisher won't be long finding it out. Get up, you critters. Get up. Several days later, the lone ranger and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, were riding along the edge of a swamp on Lem Dawson's property, halfway between Milford and Goldville. Suddenly, the mach man ranges horse to a stop. Oh, oh, there's a little bit. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. What matter? Here's how to follow me. Come on, boy. Get him up the couch. Oh, boy. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Come here. Oh. Watch it, Tonto. Careful of the swamp. Oh. Can you watch out? What do you see? Take a look at this swamp water. Oh. Here. Now look. Oh, it looked funny. Tonto, remember that old fellow we helped when he lost almost all he's heard of the rustlers some years ago? The old fellow living in the ranch this side of Milford? Him named Dawson. Right. And all this range belongs to him. What you mean? He's a rich man, Kimusabi. Richer than he probably knows. Why that? That's oil floating there. Come on. Back to the horses. You tell him. Just as quickly as we can. Hip. Ready? Come on, silver. Get him up the couch. Hurry, old fellow. Hurry, boy. But as the lone ranger and Tonto raced across country, old Lem Dawson and his wife stood in the doorway of their ranch house, saying goodbye to young Jack Fisher. Well, young fellow, you needn't feel put out cause it held you up the way it did. I reckon you'd have done the same to me if it had been further way around. Well, perhaps you're right, Lem. There's no hard feeling. Now, Lem and we can buy a house and town and take it easy for the rest of our lives, just like we've been wanting to do. I'm glad you can. Fisher, let me give you a word of advice before you leave, will you? Oh, sure. Watch out for Blake Atwood. Huh? I told you, you know, it was through him I found out why you had to have my lamb. Well, he's not gonna just sit by and leave you to build your line in here without doing his best to stop you. And he ain't one to do his fighting fair and square, neither. I won't say no more. That ought to be enough. Thank you. I'll remember that. Well, I have to be going. And bye. Good bye. Good day. Good day, ma'am. Good bye. Good. Get up there, boy. Get up. Oh, Lem, just think of all that money he gave us. He turned the right good deal, didn't he? Well, at the end of our worrying days, I... Oh, Silbert! Who's that? But, Lem, look. Say, ain't that... It's the Long Ranger in Toronto. Well, my gosh. Hi there. Hi. Hello, ma'am. Rain up. Oh, hold this over. Oh, what? Hold this over. Hold this over there. My man, what brought you folks here? Yep. Hello, Mrs. Johnson. Hello. Lem. Yeah? Shadow and I were riding in that swamp at the west edge of your range and discovered something we thought you should know. What you mean, his friend, you found something on what used to be Milan. What's that? See that fellow riding way off there? I do. That's young Jack Fisher, who's a railroad over to Goldville since his poor died. Now he's figuring on building a branch to Milford. You mean that you... He just bought me out before you came. But we paid each other. But what was it you found, did you say? Never mind, Lem. That's news that'll have to wait. 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 minutes now to continue our story. When they had left Dawson and his wife and had made camp not far away, the Lone Ranger explained to Tonto why he had said nothing about the discovery of oil. It wasn't because I feared Lem would be disappointed after having sold his land to Jack Fisher, Tonto. Lem and his wife are getting on in years. The money they received is more than ample to care for them the rest of their lives. And they have no close kin to inherit anything that may be left. And Lem isn't like someone we've known who desired money for its own sake, regardless of whether they can use it wisely or not. But on the other hand, if Jack learned that the land he had purchased was worth a fortune for the oil it contains, he might drop his other plans. His motive for building would be gone. He'd have a fortune without lifting a hand. You want him built? Right. It would mean prosperity and progress. So for the present, we keep what we've discovered a secret between us. Oh, Tonto not talk. Good. Neither shall I. And what do now? You heard Lem mention Blake Atwood. Uh-huh. Atwood will fight Jack. He'll do everything in his power to hold back progress, block the railroad in order to keep his present stranglehold on the freighting business of the district. Not right. Well, we're going to stay on hand and see that he doesn't succeed. Several weeks went by, and then one afternoon a horseman raced into Milford, drew his horse to a sliding stop before Blake Atwood's office, threw himself from the saddle and ran to the door. Mr. Atwood. Uh, you late. What's happening? Fisher started a build. You sure? He's been getting supplies together at Goldville for the past two weeks. He's already had the route surveyed. Now he's hiring crews. They start laying track tomorrow. And Fisher's got the capital to go through with it, eh? I asked around like you told me to. He can just make it, and that's all. Fine. But what are you going to do? Stop him. How? Bribest men. Scare those that won't be bribed. Terrorists track as fast as his lead. Do? I'll stop that fella if it costs me every penny I have to my name. In the weeks that followed, Atwood made good his threat. The difficulties encountered by the Goldville, Shawnee, and Weston became the talk of the territory. Its crews deserted almost as rapidly as they were hired. Gangs are rough next. Everyone knew to be in the pay of Atwood scared those who would not quit voluntarily. Miles of track were laid only to be torn up soon after. And Jack Fisher was in the depths of despair. This can't go on, I tell you. Fred, you know as well as I do what it's costing us. I borrowed every cent my credit's good for. No one's going to loan me another dollar. And track hasn't been laid even halfway to Milford yet. You've been up, Jack. I don't know what to do. Jack, you have to go on. You must. Why, if you quit, now you'll lose everything. I know it. I feel like you do, Miss Blanchard. I want Jack to keep fighting. Maybe it's partly because if you don't, I'll be out of a job. But just the same as no denying, we're up against a tough situation. There must be something you can do. Those gangs. Can't your men fight too? There's just the rub. Sure, they could fight. They could find the fellas to fight with. But I. Excuse me, Miss. Let me make it plain. You see them gangs know where to find our men any time they want. Naturally, our crews have to stick to their business or lay in steel. But that doesn't hold for Atwood's roughnecks. They can choose their time to fight. And it's always when they got us outnumbered. They can cut and run whenever they want. They can hide wherever they want. They say we should fight back just like telling us to beat up on fellas you can't get your hands on. It's a heap easier said than done. Yes, I suppose. But even so. Who's that? I don't know. Expecting someone? No. Come in. Hello. Atwood. Well, Fisher, this time you see I did knock before coming. You've got your nerve shown up here, Atwood. That right? You'd tell them. You'd tell them. Don't start accusing anybody of anything you can't prove. What do you want here? A talk with you. You'll send these people out. They stay here. Jack, we can... No. Anything Atwood has to say to me can be said in front of you and Fred. Or it can't be said at all. Well, Atwood? Well, that's the way you want it. Doesn't make any real difference to me. I'm waiting. I'm here to make you an offer. Huh? From what I've seen and heard, you haven't been having much luck with this branch line you're trying to build. In fact, I've heard you may not be able to complete it. Now, if you care to sell your entire line, I mean with all its assets, I'll buy it. Atwood? Fisher wouldn't sell his line to you if you offered him a minute. Wait, Fred. Atwood, how much are you offering? Two hundred thousand dollars. One half down and remained over a period of two years. What? What kind of an offer do you call that? Think half what the line's worth. In this case, it isn't what it's worth. It's what you can get. You can't get... Don't forget the way things are going. Fisher won't have anything to sell for much longer. He'll belong to his creditors. I'm offering him enough to let him pay his obligations and give him a decent amount over that for himself. And you can take your offer and... Fred. Don't forget I'm the one to decide this. Huh? You mean to say you'd even consider it? Maybe I'd better. You must be out of your head. Well, hasn't he told the truth? Isn't it the fact that we can't go on the way we've been? You can keep on fighting. And end up broke. That wouldn't have scared your poor. He understood this business. He started the gold bill Shawnee and Western. He built it up. Why should I be expected to manage it as well as he did? Then you'll sell? No, you can't. But Alice... If you sell, I'm breaking our engagement. I want a man for a husband, not a coward. It's not being a coward just trying to save what you can. I think it is. But can't you see my side of it? Can't you see if I sell, it's just because I think it's best for us both? No. Well, Fisher, what do you say? I... Well, you'll have to give me some time to make up my mind. Can't give you much. Wait too long and I won't be interested. Then you'll go bust and save nothing. Give me until... Until tomorrow. Tomorrow, huh? Well, I can do that, I guess. Now stay in town tonight. Dropping about this time tomorrow. You'd better have your mind made up. Jack, you... You're not really gonna sell, are you? I don't know whether I am or not. Oh, Fisher, you can do what you please about this. But if you take up Atwood's offer, I won't call it selling, I'll call it quittin'. What matter? Call it scout. Here's scout. Elixir's old Jack may quit after all. I'll let the fight go this far because I thought it best for Jack if he could win it by himself. Now we've got to interfere. Tell Jack about oil? No, we're calling on Lem Dawson. Come on, shall we? Get him up scout, old fellow! Come on! Well, dog gone. That's what you started to tell me the other day when you changed your mind? It is, Lem. But you'd already sold your land, so it couldn't help you to know about the oil. And I had reasons of my own for not wanting Jack Fisher to learn about it yet. That's a funny thing. You know, a fellow from the east once told me there might be oil on my land somewhere, but I never gave it much thought. You can take my word for it, there is. No, I ain't doubting it. And like you figured, I ain't the sorry I missed out on it. After all, me and my wife have got all the cash we'll ever need and some over. But will you do as I've asked you? Sure I will. You helped me once, didn't you? All I'd like to know is why you think it ought to be done this way, instead of going straight to Jack and telling him what he's got. Because what Jack needs more than money even is confidence in himself. I see. Of course he'll know he didn't suspicion there was oil on the land. Maybe and maybe not. It's human nature to tell yourself that when you're lucky, it's due to your shrewdness. Yeah, that's true. And even if he doesn't give himself credit for shrewdness, it will help him a lot to know that other people do. Sure, sure. Well, I'll be there. Good. And you and Tonto? We'll be there too. Adios. So long. Back to Cantetta. Uh-huh. Get him up strong. Kill him, Silver. The following day accompanied by his lawyer, Blake Attwood went to Jack's office. He was confident that the young man's opposition was broken and that the deal was as good as closed. This shouldn't take much of your time, sir. I've made him a flat offer. I'm afraid all the property won't be necessary. You seem madly confident that he's going to sell that, wouldn't you? Yeah, I am. You know when to hear you. Come along. That's Fisher's office there. He's expecting you? Sure. Come in. Oh, yeah. Hey, hey, what have you brought so long for? Naturally, I want to witness my own to this deal. Yeah. Jack hasn't said he'd sell yet. Sure, I know he hasn't, but he's going to. Isn't that right, Fisher? I... Why can't you give him more time to decide? Why should I? He knows he can't go on. You might just as well get out from under an hour's later. Could have beat you if you hadn't tricked him. Tricked him? This is just between us, Alan. I don't care. That isn't going to stop me from telling him what I think of what he did. Yeah? What did I do? You tricked Jack into telling you he planned to build this branch line. You fixed it so that he had to pay five times as much with that land as he would have had to do otherwise. You hadn't made him spend that money he'd have had plenty to fight you with. That's neither here nor there. The fact remains that Jack's beaten. He knows he's beat. You should know it. I said I'd give you until the day to make up your mind. Have you? I... I have. No. No, Jack, no. You... You'll pay me half down? Sure. And the rest of it. Oh, there you are, you rotten crook. Oh, if I was just ten years younger, I'd pick you up and break you in two. Please, Jack, hello. What in thunder's a matter, Mr. Dawson? What's the matter? Why, dog gone you all the time. He was pretending to want my land just for your railroad. You knew there was oil left. What? What's that? Hey, you cheated me out of a fortune. He even used that wood here to do it, making him believe all he was after was right away. Listen, Mr. Dawson. I ain't listening. You're listening to me. Biggie, you're pretty slick, don't you? You tell that wood you're gonna build. That wood tells me. When you come around to buy, I make you pay what I think the land is worth to you for your dog gone railroad. But you knew there was oil there, and you was plenty glad to pay me a little extra, so I'd grab it up without suspicion and nothing else. Jack, how wonderful. Why didn't you tell us? But I... I'll be switched. Your poor bee plenty proud to hear this deal. And it was that wood itself helped you put it across. Listen, I... But it ain't legal, I tell you. I'm gonna have that land back. Sawyer, I'm putting it up to you. Is it right for him to cheat me that way? Hell, Lim, I'm afraid it is. It wasn't up to him to explain why he wanted your land, and you can't claim fraud. If he said it was because he wanted it for a right away, you have to admit he's using it for exactly that purpose. Lim, remember when I bought from you and you said you hoped there'd be no hard feelings because you'd ask me more and you thought the land was worth then? Remember saying it was just business? Oh, yes, sure. Then that should work both ways. Just to say, my... However, if you really feel it was sharp practice, tell me what you think I owe, and if it's fair, maybe we can get together. Well, if you put it like that, maybe you're right. Just forget about it. But I... Hold on a second. Huh? You can't make a fool out of me like this. You heard what Lim said that she used me to trick him. What of it? I won't stand for it. I'll be ruined if your line goes through. You let me spend money to fight you all this time, knowing that you could get enough net oil whenever you need it to bust me. So you admit you've been fighting a railroader? Yes, so you... Well, yes, I know that. No, you'll do that, Wood. A mask man. You've got just what you were asking for. Outside with you. Keep going. Who's that mask man? Where'd he come from? What should matter? He sure hustled that wood out of here in a hurry. I'm so proud of you. Jack, I'll tell you what I like about this deal most of all. Huh? You didn't only prove you could be mighty slick of yourself when you wanted to, but you showed you could keep still about it afterwards. You didn't even tell us what you had up your sleeve. Maybe you folks are giving me credit for more than I deserve. Won't even brag about it, eh? But here's a promise. If anybody quits the next time I've got a fight on my hands, you can bet your bottom dollar. It won't be me. I've just heard of the copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.