 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty hail silver, the lone ranger. With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the masked rider of the planes 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. His strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness were always on the side of right against might. It was he, more than any other man, who brought peace and security to the frontier and finally made possible the winning of the west. 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. Come on Silver, we're heading east to Pecos. I was waiting for us. I was Silver, away! The lone ranger met Tonto on the trail several miles east of Pecos. They held Silver and Scout to a walk until suddenly... Tonto, look at that man. Oh, him travel plenty fast. No horse could maintain that pace very long. Where's he going? He can't keep his horse at that speed all the way to Pecos. Look! Tonto, something's happened to him. He's built from a saddle. Me here, right? Come on Silver! Pardon, wait. What for? We drill Scott off his horse? Let's go and get the paper from him. Look yonder. Who are them? No, they don't know, but they must have seen Scott fall off his horse. Come on then, Bender. We can beat him to Scott. And if they want to shoot it out with us, we'll accommodate them. Maybe get one of them, but the other might get away. Hold it and see what they do. One of them's a red skin. Yeah, and the other is masked. Just keep a watch on them. If they find the paper's own Scott, we'll have to find some way to take him. We'll have to find some way to take the papers from them instead of from Rod Scott. Keep down and watch him. Mad. See if there's anything we can do for him. I'll stand guard in case there's more shooting. Help! Who shoot you? It was... Let me speak to him. Do you know who shot you? Listen, help me. And we'll help you. Tell us who shot you. Come on. Sleep it fast. Never mind. Killing's only one thing. Now let me help you. You're trying to take something from your pocket. Yeah, papers. Now have them. What do you want done with these? Take... take them, girl. Pekos. A girl in Pekos? What's her name? Sarah. Last man's got the papers from Scott. Well, let's get him then. He's gonna keep an eye this way. Rick and he has a hunch we're hit here. Then I've got the answer to that. You miss him. Get down. Keep back in the lock. Look at what you've started. I'll get him with a neck shot. You keep down. Have two or four met at us like it was a rain. The raucous, chippin' and flan like sand. It's death to stick your head up. There goes a fellow on the white horse. Get him. Let him behind. We couldn't fight them, Tutto. They had a rock in front of them and we were in the open. And the pilot of a kill rider. We'll get the killers later when they leave tracks. First we want to take these papers to Pekos. They belong to Sarah Collins. Come on, Silver! Uncle Ben, I was in the general store today. Well, what about it, Sarah? Even there most every day, ain't you? Yes, but today I... Well, I was standing at the counter and heard folks talking. They mentioned my name. Soon as I heard them say Sarah Collins, I was about to turn around. Who was that? I didn't know him. It was two men speaking. I didn't look around right away because of what they said. They said I was either a fool or didn't know what was going on right before my eyes. A fool or what they mean by that? That's what I was wondering when thinking about it ever since. What were they talking about? I don't know, Sarah. When you came here to live after Maude died, I told you about the inheritance, didn't I? I reckon you did make a mention of it, honey. Ford left the map of the gold claim with the lawyer in the east. The lawyer was a senate to me, remember? Sure as you do. He ain't senate yet, though, has he? Well, a letter came on the last stage from the east. He was sending a map and other papers about the claim by a special messenger. Oh, she... Didn't I tell you? Don't reckon you did, sir. I've had so much on my mind of late. I know. It's right hard making ends meet in this ranch. Fact is, it might take a goldmine to keep the place going for another year. Uncle Ben, is it as bad as that? I told you things ain't been going good. Lost a mighty lot of cattle the last few months. Oh, I know. Diseases and rushlers, one thing and another. I haven't paid much attention to the cattle. I told you when I come here that I'd do my best to run the place. But take possible to make any money with the way things are now. Do you suppose that... Oh, I... What were you about to say, Sarah? Maybe I should have kept a better watch on things. I don't like to hear you say that, honey. Sounds like you don't trust your old uncle. It isn't that. Well, maybe you'd do better if you'd hire a top hand to run the ranch. I ain't anxious to stay where I ain't wanted. Uncle Ben, I didn't mean to... Of course, I never claimed to know all I was to know about running the cattle ranch. If your father had stayed here, if they'd have gone east and gotten killed, or if your marge stayed alive to run things, we'd likely have made a pile of cash. Stop it. I'll not have you talk like that, Uncle Ben. I didn't say that I was just satisfied with what you'd been doing. Not seeing what was going on around here. You've been a fool for not firing your old uncle and running the ranch yourself. That's the thanks I get for wearing myself out, trying to do things here the way you want him done. You're being a fool, Uncle Ben. You're making a mountain out of a molehill. I only said... Yes, I heard what you said, Sarah. I heard. Or if I was younger and able to get a job, I'd die and leave in a second. Man gets as old as me and has to depend on the generosity of... I'm not listening anymore. Oh, Uncle Ben. I want you to stay here and run the ranch as well as you can. If you lose cash, it's because everyone else is losing cash, too. It's just a condition. No, the fact that every other ranch around here is losing this season, don't enter into it. I shouldn't be just the average man. I should be heading shoulders above the rest. What's the odds if they lose? We should make money. Who is it? I have something for you, Miss Collins. It's from the East. Oh, come in. Good evening. Your mess. Please don't be alarmed. I'm not an outlaw. Who are you? I saw a man murdered on the trail from the East. He was bringing some papers for Miss Collins. You got the papers? Yes. They're in this envelope. You say a man was murdered? An attempt was made to steal them. I wouldn't worry about it, Miss Collins, but you can guard against another attempt. But who would try to steal them? I don't know. Where did it happen? About 10 miles East. That's bad. I don't like it. I wanted to get here sooner, but I couldn't ride into town until after dark on account of my mask. Wait. What's the matter? I thought I heard something. I'll be back in just a moment. Thought of it. Me here, Nightbird, too. It really is a Nightbird. That's right. I thought it was you signalling to me. No, Tonto not signalling. It's a new signal. Something that won't be mistaken. That's right. I haven't finished telling Sir Collins about the murder of that messenger. Who there with the girl? Mr. Uncle. We were told that he was living there. I'll be with you in a moment. What's the trouble, stranger? No trouble. I just spoke to my friend. You'd better look at these papers, Miss Collins. Make sure they're what you expected. I will. Here's the envelope, honey. The seal's been broken. I did that to find out more about the papers. What business was it of yours? After I leave here, I'm going to try to find the man who killed the messenger. I thought there might be a clue in the envelope or not. Look, what is it? The envelope's empty. Empty? Are you sure? Yes, there's nothing but blank paper here. Let me see. Get your hands up, mister. Hand over them papers now. Papers? I haven't got them. Then where are they? I don't know. Come on, get your hands up and keep them there. I had a hunch that there was something funny about this thing when I seen you mass. Miss Collins, if I had planned a steal of papers, you'd think I'd have brought them here. Well... I'd even have come here at all if I hadn't planned to turn your property over to you. I'll just search you. Don't find no papers. They don't seem to be about you anywhere. What'd you do with them? I think you'll find them somewhere in this house. Likely, story. Now I'm going to search you. You just keep your hands where they belong. You'll not use that gun. My friend is right behind you. He has you covered. No, that's an old one. I ain't turning my... You dropped the gun. An Indian. All right. You've got the drop on me. Go on and search me. Sarah will tell you that I wouldn't steal from her. Take the gun, Donald. I brought the papers into this house in that envelope. They must be here somewhere. If you didn't take them, who did? Well, how'd I know? Maybe while Sarah and me was waiting for you to come back in. Miss Collin. I don't know what to think. Do you mind if we search your house? I'm sure the papers are here. What's the difference if I'm mine or not? You'll search if you want to. You have the drop on us. Watch him, Donald, while I look around. Well, you ain't found nothing, mister. Where have you got to save yourself? Nothing right now. If you had the papers, where are they? I wish I knew. You're responsible for them. You... Oh, I'm sorry. You did try to bring them here. I'm so confused. I don't know what to think. All I can see is that someone slipped in here and stole them while we wasn't looking. You'll probably see us again. You're leaving? Yes. Like fun, you are. You're going to jail. Got it, Donald. I can't imagine what happened to the papers, Donald. I'm sure that uncle of the girls, the one who took them. Him got plenty good hide in place, then. You give house plenty good search. Come around to the side of the house. He might have thrown them out the window. We've heard that sir's uncle is a crook. That's right. He's been taking cattle from the girl for a long time. Selling it and telling her that it had to be disposed of because it was unhealthy. We hear plenty about him. Yeah, look around the ground here. The papers aren't... Get your hands up. What? Shut your trap. Make a sound, I'll shoot. Don't turn. You neither, Indian. Just keep facing the house. Do what he says, Donald. I'll just relieve you of something that's in your pocket. So that's the answer. Clever of you, Ben. Who says I'm Ben? You stuck the papers into my pocket when you pretended to search me. Let me carry them out of the house. That was one way of doing it. I'll just mount up and travel, stranger. You needn't think you can make Sarah believe what you tell. Can't do it, see? I suppose not. Now get going. Show yourself around here again. You'll be jailed, savvy. Mount your horses now. You needn't worry, Ben. I'm not much concerned about you now. Huh? You didn't have a hand in the actual shooting of the messenger. But remember this. When I go out to the men you hired to do the shooting, I'll take care of you as well. Just keep moving and don't look back. I will. Break fast, Tonto. You'll take shots at us. Huh? Get him up scout. I'll silver! Hey! 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. How to continue our story. As the Lone Ranger and Tonto rode away, Ben fired after them. Their speed was too great, however, and he re-entered the house. The papers for the claim in his pocket. What was the shooting, Uncle Ben? Don't go next to her, my hunch was right. He did pick up the papers outside the window. You saw him? Yes. He got clean away. I tried to shoot him, but I missed. I wonder why he came here tall if he wanted to steal those papers. I know why. It's because he shot that messenger and know the messenger'd be found dead. He figured to pass the blame on to some mysterious stranger he was telling about. He seemed like a fine sort of man. That's because you're a girl. I could size him up different. Right from the start, I knew he was a slick crook. But what do we do? I'm not going to let him steal the gold cane. We'll see the sheriff. I'll go see him right now. I'll have a posse out scouring the country before another hour's gone by. You wait right here till I get back. Hadn't mistaken the sound of a real night bird for your signal, Tonto. You wouldn't have had a chance to steal the papers. That not happened again. We'll see that it doesn't. Well, we've got to have a new signal. Tonto make it. What? Tonto got stick a willow. Fix it by moonlight. Make willow whistle. You listen. You did that while I was trying to figure out our next move? Ah. And we'll use that whistle for a signal. Wait. Any fellow make whistle like this. Tonto fix it different. Fix plug in one end. Push plug in, pull plug out. Make different sound. What's that? Tonto show you. You savvy? Very good, Tonto. Here's signal. Good enough, Tonto. Now we'll make use of that signal. Now how we do it? I'll show you, Tonto. I have a scheme to trap Sir Cullen's uncle and his hired killers. Here, Silver. Now where you going? You come with me and bring the whistle. Yep. Come on, Silver. Uncle Ben reported the robbery to the sheriff. Then met two of his friends in the town's café. The sheriff will have a posse out hunting a mask man in the red skin. Well, what good will that do? He won't catch him, I promise you that. I happen to know who that mask man is. Hmm. A lone ranger. You don't see. Hear that, Bender? It was a lone ranger that found Scott dead. I'm going to glad we didn't get into the open and shoot it out with him. Me too. We should have realized who it was when they called that white horse Silver. The point is the lone ranger won't let himself get caught by the law, you see? He wouldn't do it because it means his mask could be took off. But as long as a lawman can hunt for him, Sarah and everyone else will think that he's got the chart and location of the gold claim. That was slick work, Ben. How soon do we shove off and stake a claim in our own names? Not for a time. I've got to wait till I'm sure Sarah don't suspicion me at all. Can't be too soon to suit me. We'll do it in a few days. You wouldn't try to double cross us, would you, Ben? Why? You needn't have no concern about that, boys. I can't handle the thing alone. I'll keep my word and cut each of you in all it. She did you do. We could tell her pretty about the way you sold the cullons long horns and then lied about it. Ah, don't worry, boys. We're all partners. Now I've got to get back to the house. I left Sarah there alone. One thing more, Ben. Well, I think I feared that the girl will overhear something about our cattle game. She did. But I put on the right sort of an act and she was eating right out of my hand. You leave things to me. Of course, if she does get to know too much, she could all this meat with an accident. Oh, I don't want nothing like that. Except for the last resort. Now you stay in town, lay low. I'll let you know when I'm ready for you. All right. See you sometime tomorrow. Good night. Good night, Ben. As Ben drew near the house, a whistle broke the stillness of the night. He paved little attention to it, however. He was more interested in two people who were standing at the open door of the house. Mask man again, talking to Sarah. Without showing himself, Ben crept close enough to overhear the conversation. I can't believe Uncle Ben would do a thing like that. At any rate, it's a good thing you were suspicious of him. If we hadn't been, he might have gotten the real papers. Then he hasn't the real papers? The real ones will be given to you tonight. Now? I didn't miss bringing them with me. Oh. Have you some place to hide them, not in this house? Where? I can find a place to hide them. Where your uncle won't find them? Yes. But I can't believe Uncle Ben... Miss Sarah, do you know where Grover's woods is? Of course. Everyone around here knows that. At the edge of the woods, there's a huge pile of rock. I know where that is. You meet Totto and me there at midnight. Can you arrange that? Yes. I guess so. Step out of the house without letting your uncle see you. I met it late, so he'd be asleep. Very well. If you can't get away without your uncle's knowledge, don't come. We'll make another appointment. I'm sure, stranger, I can be there. I... I call you stranger, but... But I feel it... Well, friend. Thank you. Adios. I'm so worried. Goodbye. I reckon I heard what I wasn't supposed to hear. So the papers was faked him? That's a good thing to know. I'll just hurry back and tell the boys they've got more work to head up tonight. Will you meet me at the woods? Got it straight? Sure, boss. We'll be there. I may be late. I won't dare to leave the house till after Sarah's gone. We don't have anything until you get there. Sure we will, then. I won't be far behind, Sarah. You'll keep out a sightless mask, man. Hands over the real claim papers. All right. And we'll just help ourselves. What would it be seen with you? I'll get my face covered with a bandana. I don't be safest. Just as well as Sarah. Don't know about it. Now, remember. Get hit a little before midnight. We'll be there. I think she got out without me. No, it seemed as weak at night. I hadn't time, Miss Sarah. I had to wait until I thought Uncle Bennett had time enough to get to sleep. Did you find the place to hide the papers and nuts? Well, there's one man who can be trusted. The sheriff. I'll take the papers to him and ask him to lock him in his safe until I can range to take care of things. Good. It's just as well to wait a short time before you do anything about them. Yes. Here, take this envelope. Everything that's required is in it. I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you've done. Please don't thank him. All right, folks. Just get your hands up. Come on. You're too rescue-y. What are you? Will you take charge of that envelope? No, no, you won't. Hand it over. You can't get away with this. Will you take our chances on that, Mr. Just you keep your hands up. I just assume shoot here's not. I don't think you'll shoot. No. No. You keep that envelope, Miss Sarah. These men are cowards. They'll make a big noise about what they'll do, but they don't dare fire at us. Yes, sir. Who's your friend? Can't he talk? Who do you think you'll be? You. Get back. Get away from me. Can I disguise your voice? See what's behind that bandana? You'll get back our future. You should have brought the men who killed Scott. Those men weren't afraid to shoot. Where are the ones that shot him? It won't get you if you don't do what said. I'm still going to see who's behind this court. You will. Uncle Ben. All right. You know about me now. Boys, now you've got to grill that masked man in the red skin. That'll be a pleasure. No. No, Uncle Ben. Don't shoot him. You ain't no position to tell me what to do, Sarah. You devil cousin crook. You've been sitting in cattle ever since you came to live at my house. He double-crossed your own sister, my mother. Save your breath. I'll talk to you later. Martin, Bender, go on fire. One minute. Well? Before you open fire, perhaps you'll give me a chance to speak. Be quick, then. But I won't do you no good. I'm not going to ask you to spare my life. I'm simply going to clear up a few points. Tunnel, have you kept watch on that man? No, Tunnel, watch him. Has he kept the papers in his pocket? Papers still there. Good. The ones you stole. I promise, Sarah, they'd be handed to her tonight. But you... She came here to get them. The ones I gave her didn't mean anything, Ben. What's he talking about? That's still a bit foolish. Try to trick her. No, wait. Let me see them papers, Sarah. Just plain paper. You can see for yourself. You see, Ben, when you came to the house early this evening, Tunnel gave me a signal. While we didn't see you, Sarah and I knew that you were close enough to overhear what was being said. They met a raiment to meet here tonight. Hey, was this hero a frame-up? We had to make you show your hand, Ben. It had been very hard to prove that you were a crook. Sarah wouldn't believe it. Even though I took the claim away from you, Sarah would have given you every chance to steal it again. Oh, we arranged this little meeting. All right. You had your meeting. We also wanted to get your two pals to admit the murder of Scott. And they did that, too. Well, I guess it's time for the sheriff and his men to take charge. Okay, boys. They're off. Shoot it out! You want to fight her? I can't! My hand! This way down, Sarah. He picked him up! What do I tell them? That does it. My hand! My hand is busted! It would have been needed a shot at you instead of a lone ranger to put the bullet through your head, you coyote. Now you got to hang. Let you get on the plate. Let it go. Now you're going, Ben. You're going straight to jail. I've framed the masked man. And done a right-wing job of it, too. Take him away, boys. And take care of Ben. They want to keep him good and healthy long enough to hang him. Oh, I can't believe you. My uncle, uh, a crook. You and me and my wife will have a meeting, Miss Sarah. We got to make plans for your future. Bad-rotted, I was against Ben being in charge of things when he'd come here in the first place. Sarah, you're awfully nice to think about, yeah. But wait a minute, man. I want to thank you. I don't know where! Sure, the lone ranger in...