 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. Years when great herds of cattle were driven north to the railroad towns from the southern Texas ranches, the Lone Ranger led the fight for law and order in the range country. Rustlers and hostile Indians attacked the honest ranchers constantly and it was only through the strength and courage of the masked rider of the planes that peace and security were brought to the frontier. Return with us now to those thrilling days when the west was young. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Breed Gomez, the Tomahawk foreman, was to be tried. The courtroom in Leadville was crowded. Everyone knew it was the Lone Ranger who had obtained the evidence against him. But so far, Benjamin Steele, who's had said nothing for or against his former employee, will he stand by him or condemn him? The question remained unanswered with a judge wrap for order. Case of Jim Carrey versus Breed Gomez. You got all the witnesses lined up, Sheriff? Your honor, I've checked. Who's that? Benjamin Steele. I hold this trial as illegal. What do you mean by that? Yes, what's the charge? You ought to know that. Poison and a water hose. And who brought the charge? Why, Jim Carrey here. He's got no right to bring charges. The water hose on my land. If I don't want to bring charges, nobody can. Oh, wait a minute there. Breed poisoned my water hole, too. You just figure he did. You've got no proof. Well, he must have. You've got any evidence? No. We caught him at your water hole. But I said it still goes. I am the only one who can bring charges. Your honor, you know how all this happened? Breed was really trying to kill off my cattle. He sent word to me that I could use Steele's waterhole. I got that message after he poisoned. Now, hold on there. Did Breed give you that message himself? It was Ted Bailey brought it. But Breed told him to. You got any proof of that? I got Ted's word. Is that enough, Your Honor? Not unless there was witnesses. Steele's right about the legal part of this case, Kerry. He's the only one who's got the right to bring charges. But I want to tell him here and now it's his duty to do it. I get an answer for that. Well, out with it. Breed's worked for me for a long time. He's a good foreman. And I need him to run the tomahawk. I'll admit he made a mistake, but most of us do every now and then. Not even the lone ranger would stop an honest man from getting a second chance. An honest man? That's what I said. Breed figured you ought to send your land to me for your own good. You've got sort of options about it. He just figured out this little trick to make a change of mind. It was crooked. It was wrong, I'll admit. But I'll answer for him to everybody here in this court room and everybody in the tomahawk basin. But he won't try anything like it again. That's why I'm not bringing charges against him. Your Honor, I'm caught on you to throw this case out of court. Well, rightly speaking, there is no case. Objection overrule. Release the prisoners. Horts adjourned. Well, gracias, señor. You will not be sorry for what you have done today. I know that, Breed. Sure you do. And every small rancher here knows it, too. You think you put one over on us, but you haven't. Breed isn't going to jail, Kerry. The lone ranger didn't accomplish anything by getting him arrested. Oh, yes, he did. He's forced you to put your cards on the table. You can't pretend to be friendly to us anymore. You were trying to drive us all out of the basin. And from now on, it's war. Now on it's war? Yes, Tonto. Kerry told the truth. Uh, tomahawk outfit plenty strong. Strong as all the other outfits put together. Steel is smart. Instead of breaking the law, he'll use it. He'll use his money to force the small ranchers into bankruptcy. He'll try to frame them for wrestling and send them to jail. In plenty bad. But he won't attack them openly until everything else has been tried. He must make sure his plans fail, Kimosabe. Afterwards, when he's turned his back on the law, then we'll have a chance to put him where he belongs. And make him pay. For everything. For every head of cattle. For every ranch he's stolen. Most of all, for something we can't prove. You mean, black arrow? Yes. He'll pay for his treason. What a simple breed. The thing I like about it is that it's legal. Legal? Yes. The other ranchers coming with the rounders. They'll just about start it. And this? It's the same with the tomahawk. We've got to finish first, that's all. You haven't got nearly enough men. Oh, yes, senor, we have plenty. Not for what I'm planning. Let Wynie take charge for a few days and you head down to San Antonio. Hire every man you can find to get back here by the end of the week with a hundred at least. A hundred? At least. And as many more as you can find. He's local, senor. How many men would you need to drive a trailer to $50,000 a market? Well, we will not have $50,000 here. $5,000, maybe, but $50,000, no. $50,000, yes. Senor. What's more, they have to get to market before any other cattle from the basin. You'll have to move fast, Brayden. I am beginning to see. If you sell them $50,000 here, the buyers will have enough. They will offer little or nothing for the other cattle from the basin. I'm hoping it'll be nothing. This will be a bad year for the small ranchers. They won't have enough money to run until next year. They'll have to borrow. And if they can't borrow, they'll have to sell out at my price. It's so simple. You will lose some money yourself, of course. $50,000 here at one time. You cannot hope for a top price. I can afford to lose money to get the land I want. See, I congratulate you. Don't bother to do that yet. We've got to move fast if it's going to work. You get down to San Antonio and hire those men pronto. That's Brayden, Dono. Steel wouldn't have bothered to get him out of jail if he didn't have some work for him. That's right. It's strange that he should be leaving the basin just when the roundup is getting in their way. What do you think, Kimosabi? I don't know. I don't like the looks of it, though. You better follow him, Dono. Maybe him go a long way. Well, it doesn't matter. Follow him wherever he goes. Follow him until you find out what he's up to. How to do that. And when you learn anything. How to come back plenty fast. Good luck, Kimosabi. Get him up scum. One night a week later, the Lone Ranger rained up in front of Jim Carrey's ranch house. A great yellow moon was rising above the western hills that rimmed the basin. The distant lowing of the cattle and an occasional winny from the mustangs in the corral were all that disturbed the silence of the night. The range country seemed at peace. As they climbed the steps of the ranch house, the Lone Ranger's face was grim beneath his mask. Daddy big fella, good evening, Carrey. Well, I'll be dogged. The Lone Ranger. Come on in. Thank you. Too bad Abby and Ted aren't here. They've gone to a shindig at the bar in. I was afraid you might be there too. Nope, I had a lot of figures to go over. Roundup time, I hardly ever leave the home range. Then you don't know what's going on over at the tomahawk. Going on? You mean steals up to some funny business again? Just answer me this. How do you split up your herd during the roundup? Three ways, of course. The cows and the calves that are going to be branded and the ones we're going to drive to market and the others. The tomahawk crew are only splitting their herd in two. That's cutting out the cows and calves. And they aren't doing any branding at all. Only earmarking them, huh? Not even that. They'll have to. Well, they aren't doing it now. It looks to me as if they're getting a trail herd together as fast as they can. Well, what's the sense of it? Carrey will be a trail herd such as the worst has never seen. You know how many headsteel has. Half of them would run the total to nearly 50,000. But they can't drive that many to market. No, not all together. There's no trail crew can handle more than 5,000. They can split it up 10 ways. But that would mean 10 crews. A steal doesn't have that many men. He doesn't know, but he may be able to hire them. Well, not around here. Reed rode south last week. He did? And he rode a long way because Tonneau followed him and he hasn't come back. There are plenty of men in San Antonio. Yeah, but I can't figure it out, though. Who I would steal want to sell 50,000 head. He's got plenty of grass and water. And I doubt if the buyers in Clarksville would. Would what? 50,000. $15 a head we're getting now. You're beginning to realize. That's $750,000. Why a drive like that would break the market wide open? How many were you planning to sell this year? 1,000 head. And all the others in the basin? Outside of steel, you mean? Yes. Well, all together, we'll have about 6,000 head. And you've got to beat steel to Clarksville. Or you won't get anything for them. But we hadn't planned on starting yet. Well, you've got to. Now, most of the small ranchers are over at the bar in the night, aren't they? Yeah, I guess so. Then go there. It'll be hard to convince them steel's up to a trick like that. You aren't sure. That doesn't matter. They'll have to admit there's a chance of my being right. And if there is, it means you have to act. I'll talk to them. I'll give it to them straight. We'll get a part of the herd started tomorrow morning. The sooner the better. Someone just wrote up. Yes. It's Tunnel. You'll have news of Breed. Kim, I'm sorry. Me following your trail from camp. Had a long ride, Tunnel. Ah, and scout plenty tired. What did you find out? Breed go to San Antonio. Him hire many men, maybe 100. You hear that, Kerry? Them get here by morning. All men wear two guns, many killer. That's the sort of men Breed with hire. Did you hear what he told them? Ah, taught to hear. Breed promise them get much money. Are they going to stay at the Tomahawk Ranch? No. Them drive big herd to Clarksville. 100 men, Kerry. Steel has nearly that many working for him already. Do you need any more pills? I sure don't. Can you get all your cattle on the trail tomorrow? We can try. I'll make it to the bar in a half an hour. And when I get there, the party will be over. Now listen to me. I haven't finished. You can't be too careful about this. You can't weed out your cattle the way you usually do. We got to move fast. Now just make up your mind how many heads you want to send. Cut them out tonight and drive them to the flats along Banjo Crick. That's where we start from tomorrow morning. Now don't waste any time and talk. Get into your saddles and head for your home range Proto. Just what I said. I heard a lot of excitement at the bar in Ranch. I heard a party. It was having a party, but there aren't any more. I could hear Jim Kerry talking to him. I saw him start riding away. What did he say? Almost word for word what you told the boys yourself. They suppose they've been blabbering it all over the range. Oh, they haven't. It was a lone ranger who figured it out and passed the word along to Kerry. Besides that, the engine. What's his name? Tondo. He followed Breed to San Antonio. Your new man will be here tomorrow morning. That's fine. It'll be too late. You might as well send them back. Kerry's herd will be on its way. They can start. But I'd like to bet they never get to Clarksville. Huh? Now listen to me. Listen close and get everything straight. Afterwards, you're going to climb aboard that major coyote you call a horse and hide tail for the roundup camp. By sunrise the next morning, the small ranch's herd was taking shape in the flats near Banjo Creek. Hard-riding cowboys hazed the wild longhorns into one great milling mass. Ours passed as they rounded up the strays. But at last, the herd was quieted down. Kerry was about to give the word for the drive to begin when the lone ranger and tonto raced up to him. Steady there, silly boy. We're all set to go. You'll have to wait. What's that? The US 3,000 head moving already. Now reach the pass before you can. Doggone, we'll have to wait until they get through. You can't start your drive until this afternoon. This is going to be bad. One herd in front of us is still sure to start another moving as soon as he can. It's like being between two fires. Yes, Kerry. It's 400 miles to Clarksville. And there'll be trouble every foot of the way. The curtain falls on the first act of our lone ranger's story. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story, he ended up in front of the Tomahawk ranch house with the many at Hyatt and San Antonio. He slipped from the saddle and ran up the steps. Yeah, I'm too late. You think so? It's true. Kerry and the other smaller ranchers, they have the trail her ready to start. We see it in a bunch of creek. Sure, bleed. But we got 3,000 head going through the pass right now. 3,000? It was to be 50,000. Don't get excited. We've had to change our plans. A lone ranger got wise. Oh, the lone ranger. He's smart. You've got to give him credit for that. But I hold all the trumps in this game, and I know how to plan. You will explain, please. I do not understand. It won't take me long. Then you and the boys out there can go to work. Kerry's herd was driven through the pass late that afternoon. The lone ranger had been scouting the trail ahead. Kerry found him waiting on the far side. Oh, oh, oh, oh, boy, oh, there. Well, are two. Yes, Kerry. Yeah, still light. We can cover a couple of more miles before we have to bed the herd down. You can't go any further tonight. Why not? Because steel's herd is less than two miles ahead of you. The crew's made camp. Huh? You mean to say they started before daybreak and didn't get any farther than that? They didn't want to get any farther. Didn't want to? Now they're trying to hold you up. You can't go on, because if your herd ever got mixed up with theirs, now they would take a day to separate them. Well, I know, but what good will it do to hold us up? They'll be just holding themselves up, too. There's more to it than that. I've sent Tonneau back to the pass. I'm afraid he'll be bringing us some bad news before long. Here he comes now. What kind of news? It's simple, Kerry. Steel's going to start another herd as soon as he can. Well, whatever it. He can't move any faster than we do. You'll have to keep back a couple of miles, isn't it? Well, he doesn't. What? He might even stampede this next herd right into yours. Leap in cactus. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. What did you find out, Tonneau? It's like you think. More cattle on way to pass now, and move plenty fast. They're coming through the pass tonight? Yeah. You've got to go on, then. We've got to keep ahead of them. You can't go on. We've got to do something. Yeah, there's one way out. Name it. Drive your cattle to the east for 20 miles and follow the Merrick to Clarksville. That's twice as long. If we do that, we lose. You want your herd to be stampeded? You want to lose most of them? No, but I can. Merrick's your only trail and only chance. If you drive 20 miles a day, you can get to Clarksville first. 20 miles a day? If you stay here or try to drive through or around that herd up ahead, you'll never get there. Doggone, I guess you're right. Boys! Swing that point to the right. We're heading east for the Merrick Trail. Three nights later, steel and breed were camped with one of their trail crews on Spanish Creek. The rancher was in a bad temper. Well, hasn't she got back yet? I don't know, senior. He has gone since last night. I think Dr. Lidville. If he has done that, I will beat him off good. I tell him to look at the carry herd and report back at once. See, it's too bad they slip out of our trap. What did they gain by that? Nothing. The Merrick Trail is too long. We get to Clarksville first, and that is all you want. We're just the same. Just the same what? It's hard to forget the long range that rides with them. He's not a man to be trusted. Give me that copy. See you, senior. Hello! Where's Jake? It's about time. Oh! Oh! Oh, Rossi! Oh! Well, where have you been? It was way like at my breath, and I'll tell you. Why have you taken so long to ride a few miles? A few miles, nothing. I had to ride all the way to the sweetwater before I caught up with them. The sweetwater is not possible. They could not have got that far. They would have to drive 20 miles a day. That's just what they're doing. I never saw a trail herd move so fast. I followed them along the ridge for a while. That masked man was everywhere. You should have seen him. Read. 20 miles a day and they win. Yeah, that is so. You get to stop them. Tomorrow night, you'll take 20 of the best men you got from San Antonio. He's clouded up. There may be storm tomorrow night. That ought to help. Just make sure that herd is scattered so they'll never be able to round it up again. That isn't all. From now on, we drive 20 miles a day ourselves. I'll pass away the long. The carry herd was better down north of the sweetwater. Just before dawn, the lone ranger rode up to the dying campfire. Carry was rolled up in his blanket beside it, sound asleep. Hey, big fella. Carry, carry. Oh, hello there. Isn't five o'clock yet, is it? No, I've just been taking a look at the herd. Don't you ever sleep? I can't be much more asleep for any of us tonight. Something wrong? A storm, huh? Yeah, it'll break any minute. Cattle are getting restless. I can hear them. You're night riders. What are they shouting for? There's no way to quiet cattle? Gunfire. You may have sent some men after us. Here, Silver. Roll out of your blankets, boys. They've got a storm and a parcel of coyotes to deal with. Whoa, Silver! Before the lone ranger reached the herd, the gunfire had stopped. In the flash of lightning, he saw a band of horsemen disappearing over the ridge. There was no time to follow them. The cattle were already milling, and at that moment, the storm broke and all its fury. Almost at once, the longhorns started to run before the driving rain. The lights of lightning cracked toward the earth. Great balls of fire played above the heads of the terrorist-trickin' cattle. On they raced a stampede. You give the orders, man. All we can do is run with them. The storm leaps up. We'll try to turn the leaders... Chino! Come on, Silver! Men for 10 miles before the last of the thunder rumbled away in the distance. And the lone ranger directed the cowboys in the desperate work of getting the herd under control once more. Hour after hour of hard-riding followed. The sky cleared. The sun rose high in the heavens. It was nearly noon when the last of the strays were rounded up, and the herd was started back. 10 miles back to where we left the chuck wagon. We won't get there until dark. The whole day lost. Yes, Kerry. I'd like to lay my hands on the skunks that started this stampede. They're back with their own herds by now. We just can't win, Mass Man. Kerry, they don't like you to give up. They know where we are. They know how far we've gone. That means we'll get along a lot faster themselves. Hello. You and I are riding on to Clarksville. You're leaving us? Yes, Kerry. We'll be back. Meantime, keep driving as hard as you can. Oh, come on, silver. Clarksville at last, Kimosabe. Well, we have three hours before dawn. Are you sure this is John Bennett's house? That's right. His door won't be locked. We'll walk right in. There's a lamp on the table. Okay. You're covered, Bennett. I've got a call for help. What's your idea? Get into your clothes. You're leaving town with us. It was over two weeks later that steel and breed rode into Clarksville at the head of their first herd. There was no sign of Kerry, and the rancher congratulated himself as he walked along the main street toward John Bennett's office. Ha-ha! Yeah, we put it off briefly. Thank you, sir. I can't be pouring it to town all this week. When Kerry shows up, he won't get a dime for his tears. Here, this is the place. Then your Bennett will be surprised when you tell him how many heads are on the way here. Mr. Steel. Hello. Where's your boss? You mean Mr. Bennett? Yeah, where is he? I don't know. Nobody knows. He just disappeared about two weeks ago. Disappeared? Yeah. He left the office one night and went home, and the next day he wasn't anywhere to be found. Sheriff's had a posse looking for him. He must have found some Tracy. No, he didn't. He didn't say anything to anybody about leaving town and we haven't had any word. Well, we don't know what happened to him. Well, I got 3,000 cattle down in the crowds. They want to sell them. There's other buyers in town. I can't do it. I'm big enough to handle this deal. It's better we go to the sheriff, maybe. This deal goes wrong at the last minute just because Bennett takes it into his head. Wait a minute. Somebody stop us. It's Mr. Bennett. What kind of a army are you trying to make me swallow? I told the truth, but look who's with him. A mask man and a ninja. You better get to sheriff's. He's a little ranger. Hello, everybody. What's the meeting of this, Bennett? Where have you been? If you don't mind, mask man, I'd like you in town to stick around a little while in case there's any trouble. Well, you'll be glad to. There won't be any trouble. Now, Steel, what can I do for you? I've been doing a little business trip. I've been to see an old friend of mine. That's a likely story. But he says you've been going two weeks. That's right. Any objections? I want to talk to you alone. No, thanks. You've got anything to say. You better get it off your chest right now. All right. I want to sell some cattle. Uh-huh. About 50,000 head, isn't it? The mask man told you. He's told me a lot of things. Well, will you give me for him? Market price, $15 a head. Have you gone local? No, $15 a head. But only by 10,000. Now, wait. You take the whole 50 if I offer them to you at, uh, let's say five. 10,000's all I can handle. I've already bought six. You what? Here from Jim Carrey. I rode out with a mask man and met him on the trail. That's it. I'll break it for this minute. And how do you plan to do that? I'll tell you how. I'll sell all my cattle and the other buyers around here at $5. I don't care. You'll never be able to get rid of that $6,000. No sale, Steele. I'm talking for all the buyers in town. We'll take 10,000 from you and not one more. There's a double cross. Yes, a double double cross, Brady. Yeah. You'll go bet it. I'm off of your chance to make a fortune. You're turning it down. Don Bennett doesn't figure the same way you do, Steele. I've told him that you're trying to ruin every small rancher in Tomahawk Basin. If that happens, he knows he'll have to deal with you alone. Then I'll be the one to get ruined. No thanks, Steele. We're going to sell those ranchers and we're going to stick together and play along with the small guys. The market price for beef stays where it is. Well, if we only sell 10,000 here, what will we do with all the 40,000? You can rent some range land and win them around here. Well, they sold them in the spring. I wouldn't make a cent. Right, Steele. This drive has cost you a lot of money. Let's go, Tomahawk. So long, master man. I enjoyed the trip. Well, I'm heading back to the basin. We'll meet again. Yes. We'll meet again. And the next time, Breed, I promise you, the tables will be turned. Just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.