 A fiery horse with a speed of light, the cloud of dust and a hardy high old silver, the lone ranger. In the years of unrest that followed the Civil War, a powerful secret organization called the Legion of the Black Arrow sprang up in the western United States. Its members were to be found everywhere, defying the law or using the law for their own purposes, working toward the ultimate goal of revolt and the foundation of a despotic empire. It was the massed rider of the planes who led the fight against this band of outlaws and traitors, and for once his great strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness were taxed to the utmost in the cause of democracy. Run 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. Come on, Silver, run the trail of the Black Arrow, now, Silver, fly! Thunder crashed, jagged streaks of lightning cut across the sky, and a torrential wind-driven rain swept the trail to Fairfield. Nate Bragg and his men had taken cover under an overhang, and they were preparing to make a temporary camp. And suddenly, on one of the brief flashes from the sky, Nate saw a solitary figure on the trail. Did you see him, Al? Yeah, pilgrim. He's no curl, hand. He's wearing a broad-cloth coat. Maybe somebody important. Back in your saddles, boys. Pull your band down and over your faces. Watch out. All right. Don't want to go to make camp. There's easy picking on the trail. Follow me. Get up there. Get up there. The outlaws raced toward their victim. The man rode with head bowed toward the storm, and he was unaware of the approaching danger until a gang had surrounded him. All right, mister, up with your hands. Are you outlaws? Never mind the questions. Hand over your money. Are you hungry? What's that? If you're hungry, I gladly share with you the money I have. If you're not, I won't park with a penny. Well, you listen to that. Grab them, boys. Hang your ground. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. He can arm his servants with a strength of ten. I need the money I carry to build a church in Fairfield. A church? Are you a preacher? I am. A sky-pilot in Fairfield. That's good. Maybe you never heard it, mister, but they say there's no Sunday west of Junction City, and no preaching west of Selina. You're a long way out of your territory. Oh, I'll be forgiving. Never mind that. How can you blaspheme when his power and his majesty are all about you? What's the matter with you? I told you to grab him. Wallace, look who's coming. Look down the trail when the lightning rushes again. Look. A mask man and a ninja. I didn't know that white horse anywhere. It's a lone ranger. Let's get out of here while the gettin' is good. Not before I get this preacher's money. I'll rip open those saddled bags if I have to do it myself. No. Wait and stop me here. Come on, boss. You can't stop here anymore. Get up. Get up. What do you think? He's still alive. He'll shelter over there with a cliff. We'll take him there. Here. Hold him across your saddle tunnel. You got him. What about outlaw? This man's life can be saved if we work fast. That comes first. Come on, son. Get him up the count. Well, the storm's over, Kimosabi. Not right. Moon, come out now. There. He moved. You'll open his eyes in a second. Don't try to get up just yet. What? Your wound isn't serious, but you'll have to be careful for a while. Are you? Are you the man who shot me? No, I'm not. But you're not alone. Oh, I'm not that, either. I remember now. They called you the lone ranger. They were afraid of you. Where were you heading when they stopped you? Do you have any friends around here? No, I'm going to Fairfield. I'm going to build a church there. A church in Fairfield? You don't have to tell me. I know the reputation of the place. As different from its name as it could be. Fairfield. It should be a sleepy country village instead. It's as bad as Dodd City and Abilene. It's worse. There's no real business there. It's only a hangout for outlaws and gunmen. There must be a few decent people. A few, a few ranchers and homesteaders. There are more ranchers and homesteaders coming in all the time, but... But what? I'm not going to try and discourage you. We'll take you to the sheriff's ranch. Matt, not far from here. It'll be a week or two before you're well enough to get around. During that time, you'll learn more about the country. You'll be able to decide better. My mind's made up, Mass Man. I, uh... I'm glad to hear it. It just don't seem right, Mass Man. A preacher in Fairfield. There's nothing wrong about it, is there? I'm thinking about him. He's going to get mighty discouraged. Of course, I'll give him all the protection I can. You know, Sheriff, I have an idea. You won't have to do that. I think Matthew Bartlett is just the man you've been looking for to get the honest people around here behind you. When you do that... No, Mass Man. There's only one way to clean up Fairfield, and that's by fighting. Well, there are different ways of fighting. How don't I won't be gone long, Sheriff, when we come back? Oh, are you leaving, Mass Man? Yes, Mrs. White. But don't you worry none about Mrs. Bartlett. We'll see if he gets the best of care. I'm sure of that. If he don't stay long, I'm awful glad he come. It's going to make a lot of us remember the old days back home when everything was safe and peaceful, and you didn't hear about shooting and killing every day. That sounds like you got a complaint against me. Well, no, Lodge. You do the best you can, Sheriff, but you're one man, and what's one man against a town full of gunmen? They elected you more for a joke than anything else. But just talking to Mr. Bartlett, I got to hoping again. Hoping that someday things would be peaceful here. Maybe we got a fight, but maybe we'll win. That's almost what the Mass Man was saying. Won't be long, Sheriff. Very tunnel. Goodbye. We'll be expecting you. Get him up, scoundrel. A week later, Matthew Bartlett had completely recovered, and although the Sheriff and his wife tried to persuade him to stay with him a little longer, he had only one answer for their arguments. I'm sorry, it's time to let me in my work. Oh, but it just ain't right for you to live in Fairfield. Where'd you stay? You know the woods on the hill above the town, Mrs. White? Yes. I'll build my cabin there, and I'll build the church beside it. Well, who are you going to get to do that? We're right in the middle round up here. I can't spare any of my men. That's the way it is with all the ranches. And you won't find nobody that hankers to work in Fairfield. It won't have to be a large meeting house to start with. Yeah, but I don't... I can build it myself. Oh, that didn't never do Mr. Bartlett. Why not? But, while you're a preacher, you've got to think of your dignity. Well, you do. Chopping down trees and sawn logs and things like that. It's beneath you, that's what it is. It wasn't beneath the dignity of a certain carpenter, I can mention. What? Think, Martha. Oh, well, just the same. Just the same. I'll have the meeting house finished by the time the round up's over. Almost, anyway. And all you ranches can get together and help me raise the roof tree. How's that, Sheriff? Uh-huh. Sounds pretty good to me. But it's too dangerous for you to be up there on that hill all by yourself. Oh, do you want me to stand guard? No, Sheriff. Thought that's what you'd say. Masked man was sure right about you. The Lone Ranger? Yeah. Will he be back here, do you think? He sure will, gave me his word. He'll be back here when we need him. And so, during the summer mornings when all the cafes and fairfield were quiet, the sound of an axe could be heard ringing out from the hill above the town. From his cabin window, Nate Bragg could watch the clearing as it grew in the two rough log buildings that rose out of the green woods. I don't like it, Al. What's the difference? You can't scare him. We get right up there tonight and start shooting? Yeah. What happened the last time you tried that? Well, he come to the door and asked us in for a cup of coffee. Yeah, you can't scare him. And all the ranchers and the homesteaders and the cow punters are getting over being scared, too. Walk right in the town like they own the place. Just to the store and the post office? That's enough. I used to ride 50 miles to Clarksville instead of coming here. I don't like it, Al. I wish I'd finished him out there in the trail. You can still do it. Oh, not now. It all would be in our necks, and there's more than I thought. I've been counting. Oh, why don't you quit worrying? Whittle dirt comes back before you do anything. Maybe he'll figure I should have done something before this. Where'd he go? You know as much about as I do. West, somewhere in the Sierras. He had to meet somebody there. Same place he went before we held up the Clarksville Bank. Yeah, same place, I guess. Getting orders from somebody. But I don't ask no questions, and you hadn't better either. He know. He's going to be sore. Somehow I got to get rid of that preacher and Pronto. Good evening, sir. Howdy, Parson. Let me un-saddle your horse and turn him loose in the crowd. I can't stay. That's what you think. If I let you get away from here half an hour before supper, Martha'd skin me alive. We'll admit the invitation's tempting. Then climb down out of that saddle. Yes, sir. I see you men haven't come back to the bunkhouse yet. They're still camped out on the range. Roundup will be over in a few days, though. How's it going? Fine. All the calves are branded, and we've cut out 500 heads to drive to Clarksville. George Hawkins was up on the hill yesterday. He said there would be one trailhead this year. That's right. Each of us are selling 500 heads. So we're going to drive them all to market one bunch. Then we split what we get, even. Get in there. It's a good idea, sir. You're working together. Yeah. Funny how we never thought of doing that before. Let's mosey along inside. Is that one of your boys running away from the house? What? Well, it can't be. At least, wise, I don't recognize a horse. It's too dark to make out the ready. That's a funny thing. It could be a woman, Sheriff. Yeah, maybe Martha had a caller this afternoon. Miss Abbott or Miss... No, by ginger. I took a look up the house just a few minutes ago, and there wasn't any horse out in front. Listen behind us. That sounds like... No, like about it, Parsson. That was a mass man calling to his horse. He's come back. Two horses. There's a pit. That's Tonto. Hello there! Hi! Good evening, mass man. Good evening. Has anything happened since we left? Nothing much. Roundups most over. The meeting house is almost built. We saw that as we circled the town. I meant, has there been any trouble? No more unusual. Where have you been? To the west. I picked up Dirk Snyder's trail in Laramie, and we followed him back here. Dirk Snyder's back in town? Yes, Sheriff. That's bad. I thought we was ready him for good. You may be shortly. Just say the word. If you've got any evidence against Dirk, I'll slip the handcuffs on him pronto. You wouldn't have said that a month ago. I've got men behind me now, and you believe this or not, three deputies that ain't afraid to act. What's more, there's a new lock on the jail. How long has it been there? A whole week. That's a record. Are you trying out your evidence against Dirk and Halsey? I don't have more evidence yet, but I think they will be soon. He must have been... Yes, hello. There's something white on the door. Look like note. Parsson, that hombre that rode away. What's that? There was someone here just a moment ago. We couldn't be sure if it was a woman or a man. It might be a girl. Better take a look. Does this mean there's going to be trouble, man? The trouble you was expecting before you left here? Yes, Sheriff. Can you see the read? Well, enough. From the girl, all right, Tutto? The girl? What girl? We don't know who she is, but she's helped us before. What's the note say? It wouldn't mean anything to you, Sheriff. You're looking mighty serious. Yes, Sheriff. Dirk Snyder is a member of the Black Arrow. 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. Now to continue our story. On the same night the Lone Ranger received the note from the girl, Dirk Snyder stood at the window in Nate Bragg's cabin, whose lieutenant I decide. You can see, Dirk, that light way up there. That's his cabin. I see it. You've made a fine mess of things here. I told you I shot him out in the trail. Yeah, you told me. We used to own this town lock stuck in Barrow. Just an hour after I got back, I knew everything was changed. The sheriff isn't in his office as a deputy there. The jail's been fixed up. There didn't seem to be any sense in breaking into it. None of our boys are in there. Couldn't you see what was happening? Not at first. A preacher builds himself a cabin up on a hill. Wasn't much to that. You got to admit it. And he starts on the church. A few of the homesteaders give him a hand and some of the ranchers. What of it? You don't have to ask me that now. The site of that church up there has put gumption into the settlers. We've got a tough job ahead of us. Well, we were just waiting until you got back. You give the orders and we'll carry them out. And let them have the town. What's that? Why not? No good to us anymore. You mean hightail it out of here? Run away without a fight? Not yet. How many men have we got? I'd say about 50 we can depend on. All good shots. 50. And that should be enough. Enough of what? Now let me get this straight. The ranchers are sending their cattle to the market in one herd, right? Right. How many head? About 3,000. Got them all together yet? Just about. They're north of the creek on the sheriff's range. Uh-huh. 3,000 head. An abalone, that's $45,000. Now wait a minute. We got 50 men, sure. But stealing a trail herd, it just can't be done. Let me decide about that. We wouldn't sell them in Clarksville. We'd drive north through the pass and head for abalone. Your local, it can't be done. There's no way we could draw all the crews down here. In the town? Yeah. 10 miles from the pass. We could get the herd through before they knew what was up. Don't we take 10 men to drive them on? Don't you figure the ranchers had come after us? Sure I do, but we'd have 40 men waiting in the pass for them. We could wipe them out. Yeah. Sure, there's no better spot in the whole county for an ambush. And that part's easy. Only we've got to think of some way. I've got it. What? They're mighty proud of that church. Up on the hill like it is, you can see it mull over the valley. If it was to catch on fire and they say... All right, at night, see. They'll all come running. Yeah, that does it. A few men with torches. The rest of us beyond the creek. We'll rustle a trail herd and we won't leave a man alive to tell the story. It was nearly 12 o'clock the following night when the lone reindeer in Tonto circled the town as they rode toward the camp. Suddenly the masked man reigned up. Eddie Silver. Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh. Oh. What matter, Kimusavi? I don't know, Tonto. Let's listen. Tonto not hear anything? It's plenty quiet. Just it. Fair feels quiet at midnight. Something's wrong. Oh. You can see the main street from here. It's almost deserted. That right. I can't understand it. Perhaps we made a mistake in riding off the sheriffs tonight. We should have stayed... Kimusavi. What? Up on hill beyond town. That fire. Yes, it's more than a campfire. That church. Church and fire. Come on, Silver. Get him up to count. We're heading straight to the town. No time to lose. Ah, faster, Silver, faster. Mr. Bartlett. Him not around. There he is on the porch. Oh, him hurt. That fire is going to catch you. You look out, he's cold. There. I'll carry you. Yeah, you put him down on town. Over here. Yes, but the tree is far enough away. Yeah. I'll be here to make sound. Him not dead. There's an ugly cow on his head. Something hit him. There. My head. What happened, Mr. Bartlett? This man. What caused the fire? Doesn't look as if it was started by accident. Me and wood torches. I tried to stop them. They hit me. Some of Dirk's gang. There's no doubt about that. How many were there, Parson? Only a few. And where are the rest of them, Tonneau? They saw they weren't in town. That's right. Where's that coming? Oh, it's all right. Tonneau, see Sheriff. I'll get a bandage on that cut. There are plenty men come up here. I can see them now. Ratchews, cowboys, homesteadies. Looks like every man in the valley. Ah. They saw the fire and they'd come to save the church. Even if they don't. To know it means so much to them. That's something. Yeah, that will do for the time. You watch men come up here. Yes. A lot of them. Looks like every man in the valley. That's it. What? They set fire to the church to draw all the men here. They're going to strike someplace else. Strike? Strike where? I don't know. It wouldn't be one of the ranches. They wanted to attack one of them. They wouldn't. Tonneau. Ah. The trail herd. They're going in for the trail herd. Maybe so. Parson, when the sheriff and his men have done everything, they can just save the building. Send them after us. So that's up to you. Tonneau and I are riding on ahead. Here, Silver. Here, Scouts. Don't you meet them on the way down. We're taking the short trail. On the far side. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scouts. Come on, Silver. Hey! The lone ranger and Tonneau raced down the thinly-wooded slope in the far side of the hill. Once leveled ground was reached, the masked man called on Silver for his greatest speed. Scouts fought valiantly to keep up with him. Three, four, five miles. They splashed through the four, then on again. Last they thundered down the gentle slope of the wash, where the herd had been vetted down. Where 3,000 had been grazing its sun down, not a single steer could be seen. We were right, Tonneau. They driven the herd away. Plenty mark and grass. And go that way. Yes, to the north. They're heading for the pass. Not right. Cattle move plenty pass. Not stopped to graze. And they have them on the run. Not long go, though. Will you see the pass when we get to the top of the next rise? Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scouts. When the rise was reached, the lone ranger and Tonneau saw the last of the cattle disappearing into the pass. And at that moment, the dirt was arranging as I'm going. Half an hour later. There comes a sheriff and his men, Tonneau. I'll go on and see us from pass here. We could be a lot closer. The sky's clouded over. There's no moon. It's an old ranger and Tonneau. Rain up! Oh, come on! Well, Max-Man, which way to go? To the north and through the pass. And let's get after him. I want you to split up your men into two parties, Sheriff. Tonneau's found an old trail over on the ridge. What's the matter with the canyon? It'll take us twice as long to climb the ridge. A little safer, though. Half of the posse will stay here with Tonneau, one of your deputies. The other half will follow you and me. United we stand, divided we fall. What's the idea of splitting up? There's a good reason, Sheriff. Now, here's my plan. We're over the ridge, Max-Man. There's no sign of the herd. Yes, there is. That isn't missed up ahead. It's a cloud of dust. Right. Ready with the shooting, Lawrence-Man? There's only a few men with the herd. I don't think we'll have a fight here. Dirk, nothing, Mr. Sheriff. You're under arrest. Up with your hands or we open fire. No, don't shoot. Don't shoot. Round them up, boys. That's it. Robe them good. A few men is right, Max-Man. Can't be more than a dozen. I told you where the others are. Now what do we do? Start the herd milling. Then turn them back toward the pass. All right, Jake. Lefty. Sundown. Up in front. Turn the point. The cowboys followed the sheriff's orders. The point of the herd was turned, and then when the leaders had been headed back for the pass, the rider started shooting and yelling. That's it. That's a moving one. A few minutes and a half while, long horns broke into a run. Faster and faster, like a red flood sweeping off the plain. On they thundered toward the pass. The herd was stampeding. We've got to hold the point, Sheriff. Drive them into the pass. Get up there. Come on, we're still right. In the canyon, the outlaws were still waiting. Getting light, Dirk. The more light the straighter will shoot. What's that? It's cattle. Yeah. You can see them with the far end of the canyon. They're heading this way. That fool, Al. It's a stampede. We've got to get out of here. Into your saddle, man. Back to the valley. It's a stampede. The outlaws burst from the canyon. They found more than a hundred men waiting for them. There was no escape. The guns of the posse ahead, the herd behind them. Desperately, they warned the cowboys in the ranches of the danger. You've got a ride for your life. You ride where we tell you. Swing to left. That goes for you, Dirk. I've got a gun on you. Don't try to get away from us, or I'll pay you full of land. I will come through past now. Oh, sir. That's good. Last friend turned cattle to right. Like him saying. They're gonna rain up now, you bold cats. You saved your ordinary lives, but you'll spend the rest of them in jail. Oh, oh, oh, oh. You not do that. What's the matter, Tonto? And Dirk fell a credit's wall of paper. And Hunter get them. Oh, too many goods. Hunter give them to Lone Ranger. Him right over here with Sheriff now. Yeah. Boys are getting hurt under control now. I guess it's all over. He'll capture them, I see. Yeah, Parson. And you feel all right now? Oh, I'm fine. I've been watching from the rise to think you've managed this without firing a shot. We can thank the mask man for that. He smoked a gang out of their ambush with cattle instead of gunfire. Oh! How's it going, Jerry? We got them all. Good. Now our Fairfield's going to be a town to be proud of. I hope you don't feel too bad about the church, Parson. We can build another. And you won't have to do it alone this time. I'll say you won't. There ain't a man in the valley who doesn't want to help. It's going to be twice as big and twice as pretty as the other. You see, mask man, it wasn't a mistake to come here after all. Of course, if it hadn't been for you. I don't say that. Whether you realize it or not, you had more to do with rounding up these crooks than anyone. You gave the honest men around here courage and hope. You built the army. The Sheriff and I only let it. Eh, Kimosavi, you read this. Report to. Where'd you get this tunnel? From Dirk. We'll have to get there as fast as we can. You're leaving? We have to. This lead may be important. We're riding under Clarksville. We've got something to do with the Black Arrow. Don't worry about it, Sheriff. You're a part of the job. It's to see that Dirk doesn't escape before United States Marshal comes for him. You can depend on it. Let's go then, Tutto. Get him up. Come on, Silver. Come on, Silver! You have just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.