 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hyo silver! The Lone Ranger! With his faithful Indian companion, Toto, the daring and resourceful Masked 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 hoof beats of the Great Horse Silver! The Lone Ranger rides again! Followed a trail that crossed the great northern plains of Texas and wound into the foothills. As they rode, the Lone Ranger was saying, The air is cold and crisp this morning, Toto. May be snow before long. Snow come when wind change, Kimusabe. Look, girl riding cross range, plenty fast. There's something wrong. The horse run away. Swinging from the trail, the masked man and Indian started out after the runaway. The Great Horse Silver exerted his strong muscles to the utmost to close the gap between him and the galloping horse ahead. Soon he was running alongside. Then the Lone Ranger reached out his arm and grasping the frightened girl around the waist slipped at her from the saddle. Got the reins! The girl reached for the masked man's shoulder and clung to him as he brought Silver to a halt. Yes, I'll put you down now. Your horse is up again. He'll be all right. Easy steady. Silver. You take care from saddle just in time, Kimusabe. That mask. I don't understand if you're outlawed. We're not outlaws. You're safe now. Toto will bring your horse. He'll get it. Come, Skull, come. You saved me from a nasty fall. I might have been killed. I'm glad we were near enough to be of help. So am I. My horse is very skittish. A rabbit suddenly jumped in front of him. The next thing I knew, he had the bit in his teeth and was running away. If you live nearby, perhaps we'd better ride with you to your ranch. I'm Laura Lynn. My father owns a sheep ranch back yonder. Oh, yes. I've heard of Jake Lynn. Oh, Skull, open her. Oh. Here's a girl's horse, Kimusabe. Ah, someone coming. Plenty fast. Oh, that's Bob Pickens. I was on my way to meet him. Oh. You see, well, his father owns the borough ranch. He raises cattle. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Reach both of you. Laura, I saw them chasing you as I came across the ranch. Bob, put away your gun. My horse ran away, and this mask man came to help. He lifted me from the saddle just before my horse fell. Well, that's different. Sorry, Mr. Butts, seeing that mask and all, I didn't know what to think. I reckon I don't need this gun. You have courage, Bob, to face two of us that way. Oh, forget the mask. I thought all our friends. Gosh, Laura might have been killed. And my dad and hers would have been partly to blame, too. Oh, in what way? Dad hates sheep ranches and thinks I should, too. Laura and I have to meet away from the ranches. I thought I heard there was some trouble here. Ah. Perhaps there's some way to settle it. The worst is to grow cattlemen and sheepmen must learn to get along together. That's right. Now that Bob's here, Miss Lynn, I'm sure he'll see that you got home safely. That's right. Thanks, Mr. for what you did. Oh, yes. I'm very grateful to you. We're glad we could help. I don't know how to ride on now, but I'm sure we'll see you both again. Easy, silly big boy. Adios. Good-bye, Mr. Butts. Come on, let's go. The following morning, Jake Lynn, the sheep rancher, and his daughter, Laura, went out on the porch of their ranch house to meet several horsemen who had pulled to a stop out front. Morning, Pickens. What brings you here so early? Those dead blasted sheep of yours, that's what. That's right. What about the sheep this time? Now, listen. Up to now, I've had all I could do to keep my men from running you and your smelly sheepherders out of the territory. But my patience is wearing thin. Sure, Reagan, to sling some hot lead of those sheep-turners of yours. Hey, boys. Pickens, I have a right to raise sheep. There's no need for you and your foreman to come threatening. We try our best to keep the sheep from bothering you cattlemen. Why did you come here this morning, Mr. Pickens? Last night, some of those ordinary critters broke through the fence again onto our reins. Yeah, and a few of them won't come back either. Why, you... Easy, easy, Dad. No use stirring up more trouble. That's mighty sensible advice, Miss Lynn. We're not looking for trouble. But if it comes, we'll be ready for it, Pickens. Maybe so. But if you let any more of your filthy sheep through, I'm going to put my men to work extending the fence all the way to the South Canyon. But you don't realize what that would mean to us. It would mean your sheep would be cut off from the water in the creek, for one thing. Pickens, we're liable to get a north wind bringing low temperatures and snow. We wouldn't be able to drive our flocks into the South Canyon for shelter. Why, Dad would lose half of them on the open range in a snowstorm. Sure. But what I threaten to do still goes. If those mangy critters break through to my reins once more, that fence goes up pronto. All right, let's go, boys. Get up. Dad, if he does put up that fence, we'll be ruined. I know. I'd have the hands drive the flocks into the South Canyon right away. Only I want the sheep to get as much grazing as they can before the snow flies. The only thing to do, Dad, is to keep closer watch so that no more sheep break through to his range. It was early that night. Larry, the foreman from the borough and some of the ranch hands were in the cafe in town. Come on, boys. The refreshments are on me. It says to bring the boys right to the ranch right away. Why, what's up? Some more of them sheep busting through the fence under our range. The boss is fit to be tied. What's the boss figure on doing tonight? Put up that new fence, that's what. He wants every ranch hand to work all night so it'll be up by tomorrow noon. Oh, you sure ought to get the jump on there, Chief Herter. Well, come on, boys. You ought to get back to the borough. We've got plenty of fast work to do. As Larry and the ranch hands left, Tonto, who had been standing at the rear of the cafe, went unobserved through the back door to the place where he had left his horse scout. Easy, fella. Easy. We go to have a lone ranger. What me here? Get him up scout. A short time later, Tonto arrived at the camp he and the lone ranger shared in the hills. He told what he had heard in the cafe. Fence mean plenty trouble for Chief Owner Kimusabi. Him not be able to get sheep to shelter when snow come. I know, Tonto. Yet there's no way to stop Pickens. He has a right to put up that fence since he owns a land. I've heard a lot about Brad Pickens. I've never met him. A him, father, a fella who come to meet girl? Yes, that's right. Pickens may not be as tough as he said to be. But fella and girl say him hate sheepmen. The hands of the borough will all be out on the range tonight, building the fence. We're going to the borough ranch house and talk to Pickens while his men are not around. Maybe we'll be able to make him listen to reason. Here's a little bit. Easy, easy, fella. Come on, sell it there. Let's scout. A short time later, the lone ranger and Tonto rain to a stop in front of the borough ranch house. Here's a little bit. Wait here, Tonto. I'll go talk to Pickens. Yep, I'm Brad Pickens, mister. An outlaw... Hold it! There's no need for gunplay. You're mighty fast on the draw, stranger. If my men were here... I'm not an outlaw, Pickens. I came here to talk to you, that's all. About what? I understand all your men are working tonight putting up a fence. So that's why you're here, huh? That sneaking sheep herder got wind of what I'm having the boys do tonight. So he sent you here? Jake, Glenn didn't send me here. I gave him my own accord. That fence will mean a great loss to Lynn. The sheep will suffer if the cold wind and snow catch them on the open range. Don't do it. When I decide to let a masked armory give the orders around here, I'll send for you. Meantime, get off this spread and stay off. Now, get... You're too handy with that gun. Oh, my wrist, you're hurting. There. Now, I'll keep this until you hear what I've come to say. If you put up that fence, those... Here come some of my hands. Now, mister, I reckon I'll do all the talking. I'll see you again, Pickens. Hey, you have my gun. I'll drop it here on the ground. Hurry, keep us up here. Don't let that armory get away. Gun him down. Easy, silly big fella. Quick, Tutto. Come close. I'm lucky you not used guns. There was no need to return their fire, Tutto. Too bad Pickens wouldn't listen to reason. This stubborn attitude is going to create trouble. Come on, Tutto! Jake Lynn and his few herders were at the far end of the range, rounding up his flock for the drive to South Canyon. Larry, the borrowed foreman, rode to where they were and stopped. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. What are you doing on my ranch? What do you want here? Just rode over to save you a lot of trouble. We finished putting up that fence during the night. So it's no use for you to go round enough to sheep. Finished putting up? Boy, that dirty-sneaking coyote Pickens. If he thinks he's going to keep me from driving my sheep to the cankeys... The fence is up and it stays up. If you have any ideas about breaking it down, just forget them. They'll take the consequences. Don't come here threatening me. You can tell that no good Pickens that I aim to get my sheep through. Yeah. Mister, you better think twice about that. We've got a dozen cow folks riding the range near that fence. And each one of them is just aching to sling led at a sheepherder. Why, Thunder Weaver? You only have six herders now. I'm telling you, if they come messing around that fence, you'll have a darn sight less. Get up. The curtain falls on the first act of our lone ranger adventure. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments to continue. It was two nights later. A strong cold wind blew from the north, bringing with it a fine stinging snow. Brad Pickens was busy in his ranch house going over his accounts when his foreman entered. And after this, whether that sheep ranch over yonder will just about go out of business, hm? That wind sounds cold, all right. Has Jake Lynn come around near the fence we put up? Oh, he and a couple of his men did ride up there way earlier this evening, but we run them off. Oh, good a turd, Nin. Get some sleep. Anything happens out there, the men will let us in. All right. I'll see you in the morning, then. Good night. Night, Larry. Lynn sure will learn a lesson this time. Come in, Bob. Come in. I thought you were asleep by now, and wind kept me awake. Dad, do you really think the Lynn's were losing sheep? Sheep don't take to the cold and snow any too well, I reckon. Then you better let them run through to the canyon. I'm running this ranch, Bob. Don't you go worrying your head about things, son, least of all about sheep. But, Dad... Forget the Lynn's and go to bed. I have some more work to do before I can turn in. Well, what's got into you, son? Didn't you hear me tell you to go on to bed? Yes, Dad, but I will... Not another word from you. I'll get going to bed. You hear? I'm going, Dad. It was still snowing at dawn when the lone ranger and tanto set out from their sheltered camp and rode the trail that skirted the borough spread. If Pickens doesn't get his sheep through to the canyon within the next 24 hours, many of them may die, tanto. Huh? He'd be justified to remove that fence to save his flock, but if he does, it means a range war, with the sheepherders getting the worst of it. If there are other ways to drive sheep into canyon... I would solve the problem. We'll ride across the range toward the canyon on Lynn's land. Perhaps we'll find some other way. Well, that's good idea. Easy, big fella. Easy. What's the matter? Oh, look, Kimosabi. Horse takes shelter by line, shed just ahead. Yes, I see him. Come on, sir. The horse got no feathers. It looks like the roan that belongs to young Bob Pickens. He's been here for some time, tanto. His tracks are entirely covered with snow. I don't see Bob. Could have had to leave the borough long before dawn to... Hmm. Doesn't seem possible he'd come out that early in this weather. Maybe horse run away from ranch, Kimosabi. That doesn't explain the saddle. Come on, fella. We'll take you back to the borough. Oh, he'd briskly go back there. He won't be expecting us, tanto. The hands won't be at the ranch house now. Easy, big fella. Easy, big fella. Come on, fella. Come on, fella. Come on. What's come? Wait here, tanto. Keep your guns handy to cover me in case I run into trouble. Ah! Well, what can I do? You again? I might have known you... Hold it, Pickens. Why'd you come back? If little things... I found your son's horse some distance down the trail. They brought it back. Son's horse? How entarnation... Do I need this gun? Or will you talk to me a few moments? I'll put up your gun, stranger. All right. What I want to know is... First, tell me, is Bob home? My boy's in bed. And how unfunded you know his name. And how did that... You'd better make sure Bob's still in bed. If not, he may need help. Step in a minute. Thanks. I'll see here. I know Bob's in the bedroom. Right over there. If this is some trick... It won't do any harm to make sure. You just stand there a minute then. All right. He isn't here. His bed hasn't been slept in. I'll see you here, you old real. Who'd I get it all now? Lynn Hiredon. Don't be a fool. But if you found his horse on the trail and he left here last night in its storm... Something's happened to him. We've got to find him. Did he have any reason to leave like that? Did you argue last night? Well, not exactly. I remember the foreman came in and we talked about what this weather would do to the sheep. After Larry left, Bob came out and started to ask questions about the sheep. I told him to go back to bed. You must have overheard your talk with the foreman. Yes, he did. But I don't see why... I know why he left. You do? Tell me. Bob likes Lynn's daughter, Laura. They've been meeting secretly because of the trouble between you and Laura's father. And you think... My guess is that Bob left last night and went over to the Lynn range to find out about the sheep. His horse must have thrown him out there. Well, the boy's been out there all night. Maybe by this time... Catch your men together. We'll do what we can to help you find him. All my hands have gone to protect our new fence from Lynn and his men. Larry came in early and said Lynn was fiction to rip it down. I... What do you think we'd better do? First of all, you'd better stop your men from fighting the sheepherders. Then we'll search for Bob. And they've started gunplay. I'll put a stop to it. Get up there. Come on. Stop. Stop. Stop the fighting. Come on. Come on. All right, Mr. Pickens. You're all ready to listen to you. Man, my son Bob, he's been out all night in this cold and snow. He's lost somewhere. It's on Lynn's range. I want you to spread out and hunt. Hunt till we find him. He hasn't got much of a chance. I'll fix things with Jake Lynn right now. Hello, Jake Lynn. Hello, Lynn. Right over here for a talk. I'm calling a truce. Lynn knows your son. He'll let your men through. Listen, Lynn. My boy's lost. Lost somewhere in your sheep range. Your boy lost on my range? That's right. My men are coming over to search. We're declaring a truce till he's found. Come here, boy. We'll be right there. I don't know. All right, will you? All right, men. I'll keep up with those we can get through. Then get to your horses and start looking for Bob. Hurry up now. Get going. Following orders, the men started out and spread across the Lynn range in the search for Bob Pickens. The snowstorm continued unabated as the lone ranger with Toto and Brad Pickens rode over the bleak snow-covered range. The sheep huddled in snow-blanketed groups trying to keep warm. Brad slouched in his saddle. His hat pulled down against the wind-driven snow. His eyes searching for and almost dreading to find the snow-covered mound that might prove to be a son, Bob. After searching for almost an hour, they ring to a halt. I told the others to fire three shots if they found him. Yes, none of them found him yet. These blasted sheep are to blame for... for what happened to Bob. I won't rest until I run every dog on what I'm out of the territory. This is no time to be bitter. Don't overlook the fact that your fight against Lin and his sheep is partly responsible for the trouble, Bob, Jen. Listen. All I hear is the wind, those blasted sheep. Someone's calling from over there. Come on, silver. You sure you heard someone? Yes. There are several sheep huddled together. They're so cold they don't bother getting up to run. Come on, no use bothering with them. Mr. Pickens, come here. Yes, what is it? It's Bob. He's lying among those sheep. Bob, Bob! Oh, thank heaven we found you. We'll help you up, Bob. Easy. What is it, son? What happened? I was riding across the range. My horse reared and threw me when a snow-covered sheep rose in front of him. The horse's front hoof came down on my ankle. I know it's busted. Easy, Bob, easy. I couldn't stand up. The horse wandered away. Knowing I might freeze to death, I shot all my bullets, but I reckon no one heard. The wind was very strong last night. After that, I crawled toward a group of sheep lying nearby. They didn't move, so I huddled down in the midst of them to keep warm. I reckon they saved my life, Dave. But what in tarnation were you doing out here in this sheep range? You might as well know. Laura and I are going to be married, Dave. What? We decided to go over and help a father get the sheep through to the canyon somehow. Well, I'll be jiggered. Bob needs attention as soon as possible. Yes, yes, all right, mister. We'll signal the others that he's found. Then we'll get him to the nearest place where he'll get attended to. I reckon that'd be the Lynn Ranch House. Later at the Lynn Ranch, the cowpokes waited with the herders in the bunkhouse. While Brad Pickens, his foreman Larry and Jake Lynn, stood watching as the Lone Ranger and Totto gave Bob the needed attention assisted by Laura. After Bob was resting comfortably on the living room couch, the Lone Ranger spoke. Totto and I'll go on to town now and send a doctor out here. I'm sure Bob will be all right until then. Gosh, I feel all right now, almost, mister. Good. Dad, put those sheep out there in the range. Son, I owe something to those critters in a way. And since you're set on marrying the sheepman's daughter... Now hold on, Pickens. Don't you say anything about that? Give me a chance to finish, Jake. What I mean to say is we'll just have to get to like sheep. Oh, mister Pickens, do you really mean that? Sure, sure. Larry tell the men to open the fence and help Jake's herders drive the sheep to the canyon. Pronto. All right, boss. I never thought I'd live to see it happen. Well, Brad, all your troubles are over. Totto and I are leaving now, but we may come this way again when the wedding bells ring. We hope you do, mister. I reckon after that happens, there won't be any fences between our ranges, huh, Jake? That suits me fine, Brad. I'm sure that will add to Laura and Bob's happiness. Adios, everybody, and good luck. Adios. Let's go, Totto. Isn't that masked man wonderful? Yes, he sure is. Matter of fact, if it hadn't been for him, most anything might have happened. Well, being busted and all the excitement, I forgot to find out who he is. Well, it seems like it's going to take a sheep rancher to tell you that, Brad. I've heard of a masked man who rides a white stallion and travels with an Indian named Totto. What? Dogcon. Sure, sure, so have I. But I never thought till now, he's the Lone Ranger. This is a feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated, created by George W. Trendle, produced by Trendle Campbell Enterprises, directed by Charles D. Livingston, and edited by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer.