 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty high old silver, the lone ranger. With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, 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. Come out of the past, come the thundering hoofbeaks of the great horse, Silver. The lone ranger rides again. The first armored wagon ever used in the West was rolling down the trail from Gold Ledge with a $50,000 shipment of blood and blood. A head lay broken country where road agents often struck. But shorty McGann the driver and the three men who rode shotgun with him felt no concern. The box in which they sat was iron clad. It had gun ports at points of vantage and in its top a hatch that could be opened only from the inside. The lions attached to the eight big horses were manipulated through an opening over which a hinge heel hung ready to drop with a jerk on a chain. To shorty such an arrangement was a grievous handicap. He threatened. How can I sign this four-wheeled armadillo? What's the matter, shorty? Plenty, Jack. Pooked up this away, I can't crack a whip on these lazy plugs, or I can't even cost part of it. Well, suits me, too. No push where I can get at us here. Where are we at, anyhow? Well, yonder's the big butte they call the devil's doorknob. I see it. See? What's that about? A lot of big rocks. Must have been a rock slide. Well, can't get over with this land-going gunboat. Whoa, you hammerhead. Whoa, whoa, whoa. What'll we do? Get out and clear the trail? Not by a juggle. I'm turning back. Those boulders might have been rolled here by a bunch of owl hoots. Hey, the smoke coming from under the wagon. Yeah, Jack, I smell powder smoke. I've got a few. I've got a few. I've got a few. I've got a few. I've got a few. I've got a few. I've got a few. I've got a few. I've got a few. I've got a few. I've got a few. I've got a few. You smell powder smoke. Maybe it's a few. It is a few. We're gonna be blowed up. Get out and let us through! Several weeks later, the lone ranger and tanto stood by their horses surveying the scene of the blast which had wrecked the armored wagon, killed its crew, and delivered a fortune into the hands of unknown bandits. The crime had been discovered long since, but the wagon still lay beside the trail ripped and twisted. The masked man was saying... The tanto, I see nothing here that wasn't in the newspaper stories. If robbers leave any sign had gone long time ago. Yes, hundreds of people have been here. Well, where we go now? To Gold Ledge. Easy city city. Silver. That's where the wagon started this last trip. Now, horses need drink. They'll watch for water. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Silver. Must be water somewhere around this ranch house. It looked like nobody here. It's not to be too sure. I'm going to shoot from the round corner house. Close in on him. Come on, Silver. Count. Get him, Gold. He's only boy. Drop that rifle. He had them all. Winchester Jam. Hold him. I'm still here. Come on. We came looking for water. Why did you shoot at us, boy? I guess I made a mistake. I thought the masked man was someone else. But his voice is different. We made a mistake, too. Miss, your hair is falling out from under your hat. Well, him girl got boy's clothes on. I didn't want you to know. Easy, steady, Silver. Look, young lady. I may be able to help you. I don't know. Suppose you start by telling us your name. I'm Trudy Dawes. I came here from the east a few months ago with my father, John Hammond Dawes. He was an artist. You said was. A week ago, Dad was murdered by a masked man. I saw it happen. It was dark. Dad was in his studio and I'd gone to my room, leaving the door open enough to see out. I heard horses, then the door opened and a man came in. I see. Dad was dead before I realized what was happening. When the sheriff came, he said Dad must have got mixed up in a neighborhood feud over water rights. I take it you remember the gunman's voice, since you said mine wasn't like it. Mister, I'll never forget that, boys. It was flat and deadly. I'd like to see your father's studio. All right. Why are you dressed like that, Miss Dawes? I've been watching and waiting for the murderer to come back. You have a lot of courage. That's the chair where Dad was sitting. There's his easel and paint box. And there's his last landscape. Hello. That's Devil's Doorknob and there's the trail. The exact spot where the armored wagon was blasted is in the background of the painting. You see it. Miss Dawes, when did your father finish this painting? The day before that awful robbery. Did he seem worried afterward? He suddenly quit painting and started going to Gold Ledge every day. I think he saw something while he was painting. Something that made him dangerous to the bandits. I never thought of that. But I believe you're right. Are you known in Gold Ledge? I've never been there. Why do you ask? Because there's a dance hall in the town called the Happyland. Every crook in these parts shows up there sooner or later. I understand. You want me to go there and listen for the killer? I don't ask it, Miss Dawes. You'd be in danger even with Todd and me standing by. I'm not afraid. But how can I get into the place? Can you sing? Can I have a fair voice? Then you can get a job as an entertainer. There are openings for singers all the time. Leave the rest to me. Moisturing miners, gamblers and gunmen packed the Happyland a big two-story building. All eyes were on the open stairway as red-haired Kate, a proprietress, shouted, Sit down, everybody. It's time for the show. As the crowd watched and waited, a lean, thin-lipped man lost cartridge belts and kept his thumbs hooked close to his gun, but swaggered up the case. Where's that new singer I've been hearing about? Take it easy, Flass. She'll be here in a minute. What's her name? Oh, Trudy's something or other. She blew in on the stage a couple of days ago. Her rock fosters are crazy to hear of. Is that her coming down the stairs? Oh, yeah. Here comes our girl. $50 if she sings clementine. A hundred for old Susan. Hurry up, Trudy. What song is it going to be, Kate? The one I picked, girl. I'm Flash Holden. What I say goes around this joint. What's the matter, Trudy? I just feel faint. Don't run a ranny on me, girl. You're going to sing my favorite song. Jesse is going to rest. Just give me a few seconds and I'll be all right. I'll see you here, brother. You trying to jump my claim on the first song? You better back out while you can, I'm praying. I got in the high bid, you pole cat. A pole cat, am I? Hold it, Flash. You ass foot! Guess that did it. Come on, baby. Get up on that platform and sing. Jesse's gone to rest. It was after midnight before Trudy found an opportunity to slip out of the dance hall and keep a pre-arranged rendezvous with a lone ranger. They met in a wooded lot several blocks from the happy land. The girl poured out her story. Mister, I found the man who killed my father. What's his name, Trudy? Flash Holden. Trudy's been watching outside the happy land. Tomorrow night I'll have him go in and take a look at Holden. I'll point him out. Yes, but be careful. Meet me here again and I'll take you back to the ranch. I understand. Now I'd better get back to the dance hall. Goodbye, mister. Adios, mister. Meanwhile, Kate had retired to her private quarters in the happy land. Wither were two of her toughest hirelings, Polk Mason and Lanky Hall. I wonder where Flash is. He snuck out right after that new girl went for a walk. Polk, I wish he hadn't hit that miner. He'll get us into trouble. He might have killed that rock buster. Where'd you put him, Lanky? In the back room. Send him on his way when he comes to. We've got to be careful. That gold's in the cellar. We should have buried it on the mesa. Not safe to bury anything. Seems like there's always someone around to see you. I guess you're right, Lanky. Who'd have supposed that artist fellow would be sitting up on a hill painting pictures when we planted the blast in power at Devil's Doorknob? Never would have known he was a witness if he hadn't had to come snooping around the happy land playing detective on his own. It's lucky for us, he tipped his hand. It's lucky we got him before he went to the cellar. Now, listen to me, you two. Flash has been scouting around for a place to turn that gold into cash. Now, he's found out it's collars against us. So red any government buyer would know it came from the mines here. We'll have to hide the stuff where it'll be safe till things cool off. And that may take a long time. Well, here's Flash now. Where in Tarnation are you being flashed? I followed that new singer when she left here tonight. Oh, yeah? She met a fellow in that crump of cotton woods down the street, a big ombre in a white hat riding a white stallion. And get this. You wore a mask. Boys, we gotta trap that mask, man. You're the boss, Keith. If the girl's a spy and she's reporting to him, he'll likely be at the same place again. Now, we'll lay for him. Somewhere I heard about a fellow like the one you've seen, Flash. They call him the Lone Ranger. Kate and Lanky were waiting inside Trudy's room when she returned. Well, in here. Keep your voice down, Trudy, or I'll let you have this knife in your back. Sit down here with your back to me and answer questions. Don't twist my arm. I'll sit down. Who was that masked man you met tonight? I don't know. You're a little liar. Are you and him after the gold? Lanky. Oh, shut up. What gold? What are you talking about? Never mind that. What'd you tell that fellow? It's none of your business. You talk or I'll break your arm off. I was looking for that. I got my hand over it. Oh, keep it there. She won't talk unless we get tough. Or gag and tire that we get that masked man. Right. And we'll take him both someplace where noise won't matter. The next night, as the Lone Ranger rode into the outskirts of Gold Ledge from his camp in the surrounding hills, Totto galloped up. The masked man was about to pull up when the Indian world scout around and slowed him to Silver's pace. Easy scout. Easy fellow. Easy. Kimus, hubby. Yes? Me on way to camp when we see you. What's wrong, Totto? My girl not sing tonight. Maybe something wrong. Where's her room? Five windows back from front on the west side. We see light there. The west windows overlook a row of one-story buildings. That's right. She may come to our meeting place. I'll go there. You get back to the dance hall and scout her out for a way to get in the upper floor from the outside. Let me go. Get him out of town. Soon after partying with Totto, the Lone Ranger guided Silver into the Cottonwood Grove where Prudy previously had reported to him. Those are easy. As the masked man studied his surroundings in the faint moonlight, he caught a glimpse of something white on the ground nearby. He looked again. It was a woman's form. He swung from his saddle-calling. Miss Dawes, are you hurt? He's off his horse. Get him down. He's coming, Kate. Climb into him. All of you. Get him out of here. We got him. He's down. 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 to our story. Prudy Dawes was a prisoner in the happy land dance hall, and the Lone Ranger had gone down in a tangle of arms and legs as red-haired Kate's gang attacked from ambush. So eager with the desperadoes to take him alive, that they'd paid no heed to Silver, who stood nearby with flattened ears and quivering muscles. Suddenly the great stallion reared and lashed out with his forelegs. Lashing hoops spanned the black hole in his face. He reeled away yelling, That horse, watch out. Then he Silver said, Big Fluff, hold him there. Then he is the Lone Ranger. There goes his hat. His head. He's still in the saddle. Come on, boys, after him. He gave no thought to a minor wound, knowing now that the ambush had been planned and that he sent Silver thundering down the street toward the dance hall. Behind him, red-haired Kate and her henchmen were in their saddles and shouting. The sound of the gunfire carried to the happy land, and its doors opened to erupt gunmen. Come on, kill them. And him, the masked man, scanned the building which front of the wall. Just ahead was the usual village firehouse with its bell rope dangling down where anyone could reach it in an emergency. He kicked that hoops three from his stirrups, grasped the rope and swung himself in the candle, leaving Silver to gallop on. The weight of his body swung the bell. Its flapper struck home. His purpose betrayed. He hoisted himself upward, hand over hand, as his pursuers closed in. Where'd he go? Didn't you hear the bell? He went up the rope. I don't see him. Well, then he's on the roof. What are we doing, Kate? Get the ladders out of the firehouse and go after him. Come on, men. This man made his way across a flat loop concealed by the false front of one of the buildings. He leaked across a narrow space to the one-story general store. Crossing this, he came to the west wall of the dance hall. A lighted window described by Tonto was almost level with a roof on which he stood. He peered through and saw Trudy helplessly bound and gagged. Seconds counted. He could hear the men in the street below and knew that it was just a matter of time when he would be discovered. He tried the window and found it locked. Then he swung a boot. Trudy turned and startled eyes as she saw the masked man leap through the opening and stride to her side. It's all right, Miss Toes. But get rid of that gag first. There. Thank goodness you've come. Now to cut those cords on your hands and feet. There's a guard on the balcony just beyond the door. A fella called Lanky. He must have heard you smash the window. He'll be coming in here. Now your feet. There he is. Drop that gun. You're the masked man. I said drop that gun. I'll show you. You held your fire too long. I should have shot you. Fire! Fire! I can't waste any time with you. I'll get you for that. There's another guy. One more. There are men on the roofs outside. The crowd downstairs will be coming up. I know another way out. At the end of the balcony, there's a stairway down to the alley. All right. Run for it. There's the stairs. We have to be careful about opening this door. I see somebody out there. Yes, there's Talewa Silver. We see what's happening to you, Miss Abby. We wait with Silver. Hold fast, Miss Toes. All right. Up you go. There you are, Steady Silver Easy. Where are you taking me? To our camp. Hello. You watch this place tonight. Morning. Bring out a horse, and the boys outfit for Miss Toes. Miss Abby. One, two, three. It was several hours later. The happy land's doors had been closed to the public, but Kate and her top killers lingered at a table discussing the night's events. Now to top everything else, that minor in the back room is dead. What's the difference? We'll dump him somewhere. Don't forget we've got to get rid of the gold, too. With that masked man on the loose, anything can happen. Yeah. There's no telling how much he knows about us. He may have spies watching the place. We can't just move those ingots out in the chest like we brought him in. I don't see how we can keep from tipping our hands. Poke. Go see who's at the door. Right. It's important to look after these. The chef. What's he after? How we can handle those bads, Toes? Lather your guns and follow my play. All right. Poke, let him in. Howdy, Sheriff. What brings you to town? Bloody kids. I got worried that you were having a run. Not a ride, just a rocket. Some mumbra in a mess kidnapped my singer. Yeah. Yeah. There's something else, Sheriff. Fella just died here. That's different. He was a minor and he picked a fight with Pledge. Yeah, I had to hit him. But I didn't mean to hit him so hard. You gunnies always have to kill a man. It was self-defense. Who was this man? Just John. He had a last name. Nobody knows it. I suppose I'll have to bury him. I'll take care of that myself, Sheriff, if you'll let me. Yes. I feel downright sorry about what happened. Go ahead. I don't object to anything that saves my time and the county's money. I'll give him a nice funeral. Let's take a look at him. Poke, you show the sheriff and his men where he is. Just a second, Sheriff. Yeah? You have any ideas of trying to arrest me for the death of that man? What if I have, Flesh? I just wanted you to know that I can produce a lot of witnesses as to how he got to be hurt. That's right, Sheriff. The critter was just falling for trouble. Flesh hit him when he went for a gun. Like I said, it was self-defense. Yep, I know. He told me self-defense when one of the happy and mean killed someone. Don't worry, Flesh. I know better than to try to make a case against you. At some time, you'll make a mistake. Then maybe things will be different. Where is the dead man? Come on, Sheriff. What was the idea to tell him about that minor? You might have got me into trouble with the sheriff. I told him it's part of a scheme I just thought up. Now, listen to this. The next morning, Tonto was at the Lone Ranger's camp. He had brought not only the things truly needed, but a report of strange activities at Happyland. First, you see Sheriff go into Danthal. After a while, he leaves. Then three fellas come out of the back door with big bundles. Did you follow them? Uh-huh. Me trailing. You see them throw bundles in rivers. Maybe it was the stolen gold. I heard something at the Happyland that makes me think it was there yesterday. They haven't already moved it. They'll soon try to hide it someplace else. They know now that we're after them. Ah, that's right. But bundles not have gold in it. Oh, me see boots stick out. You might have been the man's flash-holder hit with his gun. Well, be here, Sheriff, say that color. Die from wounds. Him say red-haired Kate. Try to square things. Her get-up, big funeral. Hold open house for all manners. Well, she's joined to bury a body that isn't there. What can it mean? It means that red-haired Kate and her killers have outsmarted themselves. You ready, Miss Dawes? We're riding for Boothill. The funeral courtiers move slowly up the mesquite-covered slope of Boothill with a covered wagon and the leaves. Next in line, riding in a bomb bird, where the dancehall musicians followed by red-haired Kate. Curious down-steeple, cowhands and miners made up the rest of the processions. Sheriff Ford and his deputies rode herd on him. The lawman was saying... We'd better keep our eyes peeled, men. This funeral is likely to bust up in the bathroom. Wouldn't surprise me, Sheriff. Hey, the wagon's stopping here. Well, this is going to plant it. Let's cut around and get up close. Get up there. Get up! You're unloading the coffin now, Sheriff. Yes, I see. Well, here we are. Ho, ho, ho. Did he? No. Howdy, kid. That's a mighty stud box you fixed up there for the miner for them. Howdy, Sheriff. I didn't expect you here. Well, I just wanted to see the things went off easily. Hey, watch it, you wanderer. Set it down by the edge of the horde. Easy, fellas. Now, where's the possum? He's not here yet. Somebody's coming over the top of the hill. Look, Sheriff, it's a mass man. He was the intermission to the mass man and wanted the funeral. There's an engine that kid follows. Hey, let's get out of the way, boys. Hold it, hold it. Hold it, everybody. Sheriff, that's the fellow who kidnapped the singer from my place. Stranger, what's the idea of holding up a funeral? You want to let him get away with it, Sheriff? There he is. There's Flash Holden, the man who murdered my father. Watch it. Are you the dog's girl? That dog's father was killed because he'd seen the gang that blew up the armored wagon. Yes. How come you know Holden shot him? I heard the curler's voice that night. I'll swear that it was Flash Holden. What about it, Holden? That's not so. You asked for it, Miss Dog. Oh, you don't? No, I don't. He bust my arm. Rest of me, stay put. Can I find that about this? There's other evidence, Sheriff. Otto, get that coffin open. Mr. You're going too far. What's the man in his body got to do with what you've been telling me? You'll find the body and the river. And what's been coming off here? You don't see. Yeah, I'll take a look. There's the drug gone. What's in it, Sheriff? Go! Go! It's a loot from the armored wagon. Kate! Have a rest. You're going to hold up it. Now go ahead. I know when the gang is up. You duck at these disciples, Miss. What are we doing? Load them into that hearse. We'll haul them to jail in Orville. All right, Miss. Stay a few days now. Look, Sheriff, the mass man and the Indian are gone. Well, I reckon they figured their job was done. Well, they took the best man in the west to hang the dead wood on earth. That's something. Look here, Kate. Do you know who that mass man is? He's the Lone Ranger. Copyrighted feature originated by George W. Trenble and directed by Charles D. Livingston. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beeman.