 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hyosilver, The Lone Ranger! Before this exciting adventure, a word from our sponsor. General Mills, makers of Cheerios, the ready-to-eat oat cereal that gives you go-power, and wheaties, the breakfast of champions, present by special recording, The Lone Ranger! All over the country, in every direction, how you, how you do it is a question, and here once a happy, happy people have to say, Wheaties, let's do, do, do, and okay, okay. This is The Lone Ranger telling you that the mighty popular call out here in the west. At roundup time, you'll hear it on many a ranch at the first streaks of dawn, and you should see those long-legged cowboys roll out of the blankets and head for the chuck wagon. They've got a full back-breaking day in the saddle ahead of them, and they know what they need, a good, substantial breakfast, one that will stick to their ribs and really keep them feeling and doing okay. Take a tip from the folks out west. With his faithful Indian companion, Toto, the daring and resourceful mask rider 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. When the Lone Ranger returned to his camp after a visit with a warden of the state penitentiary, he showed Toto the picture of a bearded cowboy. This man died in prison the other night, but before he died he made a full confession. You've heard of the tarantula, of course. Ah, him worst outlaw in New Mexico territory. This fellow, not him. No. This man's name was Tex Rafferty, but there's a connection. About three months ago he took part in a hold up with three of the tarantula's men. He double crossed them. They were killed and he escaped with all the money. The tarantula swarmed yet even. That gives me an idea. What do you mean? Said he's pictured, Toto. Could you make me look like him? Maybe so. You have to grow beard. I'll have plenty of time to grow one on the way to the territory. That's right. And this dangerous thing you try, Kimusavi. The tarantula's making life dangerous for everyone in the Southwest. I'll me make you look like Tex. The Lone Ranger's beard was grown by the time they reached the territory. And Toto worked a miracle of transformation in his appearance. And what you do now? They'll travel south slowly. I'll let myself be seen in every town we pass through. The next move is up to the tarantula. The following day the Lone Ranger rode into town for supplies as Toto made camp on a wooded ridge above a winding creek. When the Lone Ranger returned from town, he found Toto washing out a pan of gravel on the shores of the stream. Prospecting Toto? Ah, you look. Why, there are at least two houses there. All right. Lenty good. Kimusavi says, you see two men ride up. One of them find Nugget, then them wash out gravel, find more gold. They've made a strike. But this land not belong to them. Them cowboys. Bar G brand on horses. That ranch to North. I wonder who the land does belong to. Them say, Colonel. But them go to boss a bar G and tell him to buy homestead for $200. Then try cheat, Colonel. I see. How long ago did they leave here? Maybe half hour. Don't worry. We won't let the Colonel be cheated. I'll tell him how valuable his land is. And I think we'll stay in this district for a while, Toto. Ah. The news of a gold strike might attract the tarantula. Colonel Ashland had lost everything during the war, and so he had come west with his grandson Teddy, whom he called the Corporal, and Sergeant Crosby, who had been his orderly. When they first settled on the homestead, the Colonel and the Sergeant had marked out the outlines of a cabin and then had dug down in the ground for three feet. Around the excavation, they had built three-foot walls of sod and roofed the cabin with timbers and morsod. Since then, they had built a small barn and stables, but it made no move toward replacing the sod dugout with a more substantial building. As Mike Grady, the owner of the bar gate, grew rain in front of the door, his lips curled and scorned. He threw back the heavy canvas that covered the doorway. Anybody home? Mr. Grady. Yes, indeed, Jack. The Corporal and the Sergeant are out in the barn, and as you see, they're preparing our evening repast. Come in, sir. Oh, I intend to. I have a proposition, Colonel. I'd like to buy you 40 acres. Really, Mr. Grady? Well, I don't wish to sell. As a matter of fact, I'm not in any position to sell. One must homestead for five years, you know. I don't get the deed to the land for another two weeks. I promise to sell will be good enough. I've grown enough to pay for the day. I'm not interested, sir. Well, let me finish. I'll give you $200. That's hardly generous. What's more, I'll give you six mares, blooded stock. You can pick them out for yourself. Six mares. The chestnut with the blaze, the black. Any six you choose. Well, that is handsome, sir. I thought it might appeal to you. All you have to do is sign. Colonel, is that the smartphone horse you ever saw? What's he, Scoper? Run along, Teddy. The Colonel's seen my horse. Oh, I'm not talking about that wall I brought for yours, Mr. Crazy. What? This is a real horse. And who's he? He belongs to a big Texan who just rode up. Come on, Colonel. Here's the pen, Colonel. Come on. As you were, Corporal. You can be court-martialed for laying hands on your superior officer. Will you see him? There. Magnificent, Corporal. I told you. I'm concessioning, sir. I don't believe I've had the honor. Just call me Tex, Colonel. This is a magnificent animal. There's something about his head that reminds me of General Lee's famous traveler. Your horse is much larger, of course. Beautiful conformation. What can I do for you, Tex? Well, sir, I have a guilty conscience. I've been trespassing on your land. Trespassing? I was warlin' silver down at the creek. That's perfectly all right, sir. And the gravel on the bank interested me. I washed out some of it. This gold dust belongs to you. Gold dust? Let me see. Yeah, I'll ready, Tex. You can see for yourself in his bandana. Gold dust? From our creek? Naturally, it belongs to you, Colonel. So I just thought I'd hand it over and be on my way. This year's the most honest man I've ever met in my life. This is the greatest fool. And you, Mr. Grady, are the greatest scoundrel. Yeah? Your last remark, sir, convinces me that you knew there was gold in Rocky Crick when you tried to buy my property. You'd have sold two of this cowpoke hadn't come along. You're lucky, Colonel. But you're just as much of a fool as he is. And a fool in his gold are soon parted. Steady thought. Get out! Well, Tex, this gold dust belongs to you, of course. But I can hardly believe it. Well, I'd like to stay around here for a little while. You're welcome, Tex. You're a friend, Mr. Grady. He thinks an honest man is a fool. He may have to be taught that honesty is the best policy. Ruth and Al were waiting for Mike when he returned to the bar G ranch. Oh, oh, oh! How's it going, boss? Is he signed? Oh, he's here, boy. Come on inside. Anybody see you two down at the creek when you found the nugget? How? You sure? Absolutely, boss. Well, then it was just bad luck. But what was? I was ready to close the deal. Six mayors finished it. I dipped the pen in the ink and was holding it out to the colonel and died. What are you doing with that book you took out of the desk, boss? Looking up the homestead law. No chance of buying the land cheap now. May not have to buy it. That's the way I thought the law read. Land must be lived on and worked for five years for the homestead. It gets tight. Well, you knew that. Homestead rights cannot be assigned or bequeued. In case of death, the land reverts to the public domain. That's what I thought. Boys, it's two weeks before the colonel gets his title. And if he should die before the two weeks are up, well, we'll be the first to know it. I'll file my claim to the land as soon as he's dead. We'll continue our lone ranger adventure in just a moment. Cowboy Tom is a boy of six. He knows all kinds of cowboy tricks. He can rope a steer 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. You bet Cheerios, the old cereal that needs no cooking. 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 besides giving you go power, Cheerios is downright wonderful tasting. That toasted old flavor is really something. And when you add milk and your favorite fruit, say some sliced bananas, you're in for a delicious breakfast treat. Get the whole family off to a good start every morning with Cheerios. Then you'll hear people say, He's feeling his Cheerios. Now to continue. After Mike Grady's unsuccessful attempt to buy the Colonel's homestead, the Lone Ranger stayed on and showed the Colonel, the Sergeant, and the Corporal how to pan gold. Farming was forgotten. And each day as they added to their store of dust, they dreamed of a ranch. Each night they went to bed as soon as supper had been eaten. The Colonel in the dugout, the Sergeant and the Corporal in the barn, and the Lone Ranger, used to sleeping in the open, spread his blankets on the low ridge between the farm buildings and the creek. A week passed. It was the dark of the moon, and shortly after midnight, Silver whinnied sharply. The Lone Ranger stirred, but didn't wake. Silver trotted to his side, lowered his head, and pushed him gently with his nose. What is it, Silver? Silver was looking toward the barn. There was only the light of the stars, but the Lone Ranger could make out two shadowy figures. He pulled on his boots and started down the slope. The figures were heading for the dugout now. Who's there? Before the Lone Ranger reached the bottom of the slope, the two men had disappeared around the barn, and he heard their horses galloping away. During the next week, the Lone Ranger and Tuttle watched the bar gee night and day. Whenever Grady or any of his men headed south toward the Colonel's homestead, they were followed, but none of them went beyond the fence that separated the two properties. Then at dusk on the day before the Colonel would obtain clear title to his land, there was a change in the weather. Purple clouds blotted out the setting sun and spread across the sky. Darkness descended on the rangeland, and thunder rumbled in the west. It began to rain, and the Lone Ranger and Tuttle put on their slickers as they rode close to the bar gee ranch buildings. They stopped close to the corral and watched the blurred lights in the ranch house and the bunk house, listening for any sound. An hour passed. Three men came out of the ranch house. They went to the corral and saddled up. They rode to the south, and the Lone Ranger and Tuttle followed them. The cattle on the south range were milling made spooky by the storm. Mike, Roof and Al rode through the herd and on to the fence. First we pulled down a section of the fence, then we drive the herd through the break and stampede them across the Colonel's land, driving between the barn and the stables, and on to the soft dugout. On and over it. We'll smash it to the ground. With the Colonel inside. Yeah. Won't take much to make these fit his stampede. But after they get moving, we'll have a tough time controlling them. I only got one good arm. Roof and I'll ride the point, Al. All you have to do is keep them on the front. Yeah. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Tear down this section of fence here. As the ring poured down on them, the three men wrenched loose the rails of the fence until there was a sizable break. Then they remounted it and started to round up the herd. Finally, Mike gave the signal. And they drove the cattle toward the opening of the fence. The years terrifying by the thunder and the belching six guns of the men began to run faster and faster. They poured through the break in the fence and out of the Colonel's property. Mike and Roof rode close to the leaders. Even headed straight, driving through the opening between the barn and the stable. Right. When the Colonel's farm buildings loomed ahead, the old mosshorn in the front of the herd tried to turn aside. Roof and Mike refused to let him. Then he saw the open space between the barn and the stables and ran toward it. He thundered past the buildings. A little way beyond the ground rose sharply. A three foot bank, the wall of the salt dugout. The mosshorn scrambled up it and the stairs directly behind him followed blindly. The timbers of the roof clapped beneath their weight and they bawled in terror as the footing gave way. But a second later they recovered themselves and charged on and up onto what was now only a hole in the ground. It was still raining the next morning when Roof and Al pulled up in the woods to the east of the Colonel's barn and stables. Hey Al, who's that coming out of the barn? Where? Climbing into the Surrey. Tex, probably. It is in Tex. It's a Colonel. What? You're right, he's alive. Well how? He couldn't have been in the sod house last night. He gets to town. Silas will hand him the deed. The land will be here. We gotta stop him. There they go. There's only Sarge and the boy with him. That curve in the trail beyond the creek. Come on. Get it, get it, get it. That was at seven o'clock. At nine, Silas Jones, the land commissioner, strolled down the main street of the town and found Mike Grady waiting for him on the steps of the land office. Good morning, Mike. Keep bankers' hours, don't you? Just thought I'd wait for the rain to stop. What's on your mind? Want to file a homestead claim. You do? Yep. Where's the forms I have to fill out? Right here, but Mike, the man has to live on homestead land. He has to build, man. I know the law, just give me the forms. Here you are. Later, the lone ranger stepped out of the sheriff's office. Tonto was waiting for him, standing beside Silver and Scout. You must help me. Yes. Grady at the land office. Good for the sheriff's law. Grady's at the land office, Sheriff. Let's go after him, Tex. When the sheriff and the lone ranger entered the land office, Silas was inspecting Mike Grady's application for the land office. You made a mistake. That's right. The land you described here belongs to the colonel. I've got the deed to it all made out. He's calling for it today. You're wrong. Hello, Sheriff. Hello, Tex. Howdy. Howdy, Silas. You come here to see me? I know. The colonel's a little busy, Silas. He asked me to pick up the deed for his land. Won't you give it to him, Silas? I can't. The colonel must pick it up in person, Tex. And that's impossible. Isn't it? Why is it impossible? Did the colonel sleep in this side house last night? Yes, he did. That's why. You'd better explain, I intend to, to the sheriff. Well? Well, it was a terrible thing, Sheriff. I heard the musteers got spooky last night during the storm. They broke through the fence and stamped it across the colonel's land. We tried to turn him aside, but we couldn't. They crushed the colonel's side house right down into the ground. I don't know what to do with him. They crushed the colonel's side house right down into the ground and him inside it. You know how it was built. The walls made a sod only a few feet above the level of the ground. Charlie was awful. You were heard kill the colonel, and you come here this morning to file a claim on his land? My ride isn't it? He died last night at 10 o'clock. The land wasn't his until today. There's my application filing. Tell the sheriff why you want the land. That's my business. Why? Why, there's no question of murder. You can't accuse me of that. Rufanel testified of what happened. I already have that testimony. Mike, the colonel didn't die last night. He must have. He watched the stampede from the high ground above the creek. He slept in the sod house. Tech saw you heard coming and got him out of there in time. This morning the colonel started out for town with the sergeant and the corporal. They were ambushed on the way. By your men, Rufanel. Now look, I don't know anything about it. I killed the colonel. Look out the window, Mike. Colonel Surin. The sergeant, the corporal and the colonel. Then they didn't... No, Mike. It didn't let me finish. The ambush wasn't a success. When Rufanel stopped the Surin, Tex and an Indian friend of his closed in from behind and took him prisoner. Rufanel are in jail. But they got no orders from me. Not today, perhaps. But according to their testimony, I'll put you in the cell next to them. You can argue it out through the bars. Good morning, colonel. If you'll stand aside please, I'm taking Mike to jail. Get moving now. It's all over. Here's colonel. We delivered Rufanel to the chef and they made a full confession. Trying to put all the blame on Mike, of course. Time to murder you, colonel. For gold, Tex said. There's gold on your land? I'll write over here and I'll give you the paper that says it all belongs to you. I'll be saying goodbye, colonel. I wish you would stay and share our good fortune, Tex. Please, Tex. No, Teddy. Toler's waiting for me and it's time that we were on our way. Let me shake hands with you, colonel. I am deeply indebted to you. And Teddy. Gosh, Tex. Sorry. Goodbye. Goodbye and good luck. Goodbye. Goodbye. Over here, colonel. Why wouldn't Tex stay with us, Garge? It's hard to figure out unless... No, that can't be right. What can't? Tex is just a cowboy who likes to keep on the move. He does call his horse Silver and from the way he's helped us out. It's a crazy idea. Who? What is it? You can go ahead and laugh, Corporal. But I was thinking that if Tex wore a mask, why... why I'd swear he was the Lone Ranger. Lone Ranger, a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated, is produced by Tremble Campbell Muir Incorporated. A part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer, your announcer, Fred Foy. Listen to the Lone Ranger brought to you by Special Recording Mondays through Fridays at this same time.