 horse with the speed of light, the cloud of dust, and a hardy high old silver, the Lone Ranger. With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early west in the United States. The stories of his strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness have come down to us through the generations, and 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. Come on, Silver. The country has a message for us. Help, Silver! When the dispatches from the west arrived in Washington, they were taken directly to the president. For an hour, the doors of his study were closed. Then the bell above the secretary's desk rang, and he hurried to answer the summons. James. Yes, sir? Where's Miss Barkley? I sent a messenger for her when the dispatches arrived. She's waiting out here. I'll see her at once. Miss Barkley, the president will see you. Oh, thank you. Shall I...? Go right in. Would you be wanting me, sir? Please, both of you. I know what you're going to say. It seems impossible, but we must work day and night to clear up our schedule. There's one vital need in the country today, one battle which must be won. The Lone Ranger can help us with it. As soon as we receive word from him, James, we leave for St. Louis. Word flashed across the country from the capital. To General Fairchild, to Wild Bill Hickock, to Bill Cody, to the pottery and Mustang Mag, every close friend of the masked rider of the planes received the same message. Find the Lone Ranger. Tell him to communicate with Washington at once. A message for the general from the White House. Wild Bill, he's doing tonight. I'll tell him for sure. Oh, sir, this is one message nobody gets to read. I'm taking it to Mag myself. Father, I've read hard from the village. The singing wires have bring you a great command. It was the Padre who enlisted the help of friendly Indians, and the message first sent winging across the continent by science was picked up and carried on by their primitive smoke signals. West of the Pecos, Tonto read and translated the message. Then the Lone Ranger and his Indian companion swung into the saddle and raced across the level range land of the nearest telegraph station. His reply was addressed to a number, not a name. Hours of waiting followed, but at last the answer came, brief with no explanation, but containing a name that called for action. Once more, the Lone Ranger and Tonto hit the trail. He should reach St. Louis tomorrow night, Mr. President. We arrived there in the afternoon. This car will be taken to the same saddle. All the cars, sir. There's no need for anyone but you and me and Miss Buckley to see them. That's been arranged. Your guard has his orders. It isn't that I don't trust my staff, but some of them are small men, wrapped up in the present. Honey, but look ahead. There are none so blind, James. I understand, sir. At nightfall, the President's train was on the siding on the outskirts of St. Louis, almost in the heart of the forest. Guards were posted, and the secretary waited with the ones farthest from the train. At midnight, the Lone Ranger and Tonto neared a clearing. Another sound disturbed the silence of the forest. Only the lights of a distant train shining faintly through the trees relieved the darkness. This is far enough, Kimosabi. I'll leave you here. I don't know how long it will be, but sometime before morning I'll be back. Tonto, wait. You know what I'm hoping. It's going through. It'll be the greatest thing that's ever happened for the West. That's right. Adios. This is a car, but we can't enter from the rear platform. Up these steps. Mr. President, the Lone Ranger. I'm glad to see you again. Come in. Thank you, sir. Shall I? Yes, James. Bring it once. At once. Please take a chair. Thank you. Do you know at the East and the West, we've got to build the railroad. And it's because of that railroad that I sent for you. And that's good news. Yes. You're the man for the job. In three years, in three whole years, only 40 miles of that railroad has been built. Is there any reason for so much delay? The reason lies in human nature. Self-interest. That's a driving force that's hard to defeat. There's been a triple alliance against the railroad. Cattlemen who feel it would mean the end of the open range. The shipping companies and stage lines who feel it would mean an end of their business. The newspapers called the alliance the triangle. They organized, they pulled the resources, and with Henry Wilson in Congress, they fought it to a standstill. Well, that went on for three years. But in spite of everything they could do, the end of the story is this. The triangle is beaten. Henry Wilson has left Washington. And the railroad is going through. I'm glad to hear it, sir. It's easier said than done. It's going to be the most terrific undertaking that has ever been attempted in this country. I don't have to tell you what the natural difficulties are. No, sir. You know the West better than anyone else. You'll be invaluable to the surveyors and the engineers. I'll do anything I can. I only wish that nature were our only opponent. You mean the Indians, yeah? Pashy? We can't forget them, can we? Most of our Indian troubles are caused by white men. Exactly. And that's what I'm leading up to. I said the triangle was beaten. I could have stake my life that Henry Wilson was an honorable man. He exhausted every legal means of opposition. And when he left Washington, I thought he admitted defeat. Perhaps I was wrong, or it may not be Wilson. It may not even be the triangle, but someone is still fighting the railroad. What makes you think that? Delays, accidents that couldn't be accidents, even murder. Murder? Whoever's doing the fighting now isn't staying within the law. Is there a chance it's a triangle? It may be. They're still organized. They still have money in power. There's no proof, though. And that's what I'm asking you to do. Find out who the enemy is, and then bring us the proof to break them. Will you accept the mission? Of course. I knew I could count on you. You work alone, except for one of our government operatives who will... that can wait. I have one suggestion to make. A starting place, nothing more. By the way, do you remember the girl who helped you while you were fighting the Black Arrow? Yes, sir. It was her information that made it possible to round them up. But I... What were you going to say? She never let me see her face. Why was that? It was her own idea. You may understand the reasons when you meet her now. Now? She's waiting outside. At any rate, the time has come when you must know each other. You aren't asking me to take off my mask? No, that won't be necessary. She knows your story. But you're the only one who... You told her? She knew it even before I did. I don't understand. You will when you see her. Come in, Miss Barclay. Barclay? I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. That's quite all right, Mr. President. Joan, this is the Lone Ranger. We've met before. You... You had a brother. I... I had a brother, yes. I understand now. But I'd seen your face... I'd have known. That was my reason. But we never met when Jim was alive. How could you guess that I was alive? Perhaps I can explain that. On the day your fellow rangers met their death and you were so badly wounded, taunt who wasn't the first one to ride into the valley. Joan was. She found you there. She did what she could for you. Then she rode for help. When she returned, taunt who had already taken you away. And there were six graves. I had to tell her you were still alive. You can't imagine what it meant to me. It gave me new courage. You never liked courage? Where the West was concerned I did. I thought I'd never go back there again. Now, now it's my whole life. And mine. And that's why you two have been chosen for this task. What will Miss Barkley do? Colonel Parkman has been made chief engineer in charge of construction. She will be a secretary. From that position she'll be able to give you all the information about the road you need. At first her office will be in Omaha. It will move west with a railhead. I leave for Omaha tomorrow morning. I see. You had a suggestion for me, Mr. President. Telling Miss Barkley. The surveyors? Yes. They were working along the river plant. They were. What's the matter, Joan? Oh, nothing. There, there were six of them. On the morning of May the 1st, they left Fort Kearney without any military escort. They intended to return to the fort that night. It was more of a scouting party than anything else, with an engineer named Philip Bradley in charge. No one has seen them since. They disappeared? Without any trace. Were you near Fort Kearney on May the 1st? No, I was much farther south. There were no Indians in the district. No outlaws had been seen. Two companies of crack troops were detailed to find the party, but they couldn't even discover a clue. My job is to... Do what seems impossible. Find those men. At least find out what happened to them. Have you any other orders? Not now. In the future, you'll get your orders through Miss Barkley. I understand. Then, if there's nothing else... There is. You must be careful. By all means. You're used to danger, but... We don't want to lose you. If we did, we might fail. If we fail, the country fails. It's another war. Another struggle to prove that a nation conceived in liberty can grow and prosper and endure a united. I wonder, will there ever come a time when nothing can assail our unity? We can hope, sir. Not for many years, anyway. Human nature won't change. There'll be other great national trials, but the free spirit of free men will always rise to defend its liberty. Never, this I feel sure of. Never will a tyrant gain the final victory. Never in this country will might make right for long. You... You carry our hope for the future, William, my friend. Thank you. Goodbye, Mr. President. Goodbye. And be. May God be with you. Quickly, Tunnel. Got Scout Saddle. What did Great White Father tell you? There's work to be done. Where we go? West of Fort Kearney. Our first job is to find a ray of light. What that means? The man or men who are fighting against the railroad, the enemy that strikes in the dark. And, Toto, you remember the girl? Ally met her. I saw her face. Her name is Joan Barkley. She's Jim Barkley's sister. Jim Barkley? Him you are. My friend, one of the finest Texas rangers who ever lived and died for justice. We can't fail, Kimusabi. Well, are you ready? Huh? Are you ready? Let me ride, Toto. The railroad must go through. Steady big fella. Whoa, Silver! Get him up, Scout! Get him up! Oh, Silver! Holy! 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. The lone ranger stopped at Fort Kearney and obtained a complete description of the lost surveying party. Then he and Toto scouted the banks of the river for miles to the west. It had been a full month since Phil Bradley and his men had disappeared, and not even the keen eyes of the Indian could find any clue to what happened to them. But on the evening of their third day out of Kearney, the masked man and his companion made camp near the entrance of a wooded ravine. As Toto was gathering firewood, he noticed a small pile of stones. Kimosabi, you look here. What is it, Toto? There's a sign of campfire here. Yes, I see it. Not very recent. Do those stones mean anything? Not like that. Toto moved one stone so, it's the Indian sign for danger, called for help. Do you think one of the surveyors could pile up those stones? Maybe so. Him try to make danger sign, not get it right. I wonder what's at the end of this ravine. And a rough country to south. Let's go on, Kimosabi. This is the first lead we've had. Here, Silver. Yes, Count. A few minutes later, the lone ranger and Toto were in the saddle once more. The moon was bright, but the trail was shadowed. The ravine grew wider, the walls higher, until suddenly the masked man and the Indian rode out of the trees. The trail dropped steeply. Below them was a great valley, silvered by the moonlight. Very silver. What's going on? What's going on? Have you ever seen this valley before, Toto? Ah, long time ago, Toto come here. You look another side of valley. There a mountain star. Bad country. Plenty canyon. Place for outlaw to hide. That looks like a house on the other side of the valley. Ah, light and winder. We'll see who lives there. Come on, Silver. Get him up, scoundrel. Only two horses in the corral. Not right. You have done ready. Me not like this place. Well, it's certainly run down. What? I don't be alarmed. A masked man and a ninja. We aren't outlaws. What's the idea of the guns? We didn't know what kind of a reception you'd give us. Are you all alone here? Here. But I haven't got any money. You're just wasting your time. All we want is information. Information? About what? The party of men come to the valley about a month ago. Not that I know. No, I haven't seen anybody for close on two months. It might have come through at night, Toto. Ah. What you call the engine? Toto. Ah, ah. What do you call that white horse out there? In silver. Tonto and silver. A masked man that don't talk like an outlaw. I know who you are, mister. You're the lone ranger. That's right. Come on inside. My handle's Chris Walden. I'm sure glad to meet up with you. Now, sit down. Make yourself comfortable. Now, we can't stay long. Those men we asked about are crooks. We believe they've either captured or killed a party of surveyors. So that's who they were. What's that? I know the gang you're talking about. And I wondered about those young fellas riding with them. They just didn't seem to belong. You said before that you hadn't. Well, that was before I found out who you were. When you're old and all by yourself, it's a heap safer to mind your own business and keep your mouth shut. You saw the gang then? Sure did. Just about a month ago. That wasn't the first time either. They'd been hiding out in the hills all winter. Can you tell us exactly where? Well, I've got an idea I could show you. We don't want to put you in any danger. Oh, they'll never see us. I'll lead you to the camp. Then you can go back to the fort and bring the soldiers. Can't you just tell us where it is? Maybe. Draw map. Oh, no, no. There's too many signs you've got to watch out for. And man alive, give me some credit. I've been trapping around here for 20 years. I don't know how to keep undercover by now. Well, we'll appreciate your help. Then it's settled. We'll start the first thing in the morning. Would you grub? Yes, we're ready to go. Well, you cleaned up the table, Tonto. You didn't have to do that. All right. I've been watching you saddle your horse, Chris. Went there two horses in the corral last night? Sure was. The other one was a mustang. I've been trying to break. He must have jumped the corral fence and headed for the hills last night. It doesn't seem to bother you. Good riddance. Let's go. How about it, Tonto? You think you can follow the trail from here? Ground pretty soft. They're pretty fine. But we can't follow this trail much longer. They'd be sure to see us. How much farther is the ambush, Chris? What's that? Trap. You're leading us into Steady Silver. The trap? I don't know what you're talking about. They won't argue about it. Let's reach for the sky. You're covered. I get down from that horse. Time up, Tonto. Tonto, do it. And you do what mask friends say. Sure, but he must have gone plumb local. Here I am trying to help you. Chris, there was only one thing you told us last night that was true. I swear. You're working for the gang, all right. Fender, yours came up here last night. Took your other horse to warn the gang and get the ambush ready for us. Your part was to lead us into it. I always heard you was a smart hombre. You've got everything figured out, haven't you? From here, we should be able to find the camp without your help, Chris. And tight, plenty tight now. What are you going to do? Just leave me here? We'll find a safer place away from the trail. There's no place safe for you. And if you want to live, you better hightail it out of here as fast as you can. We'll keep you company until dark and then we'll go on alone. Hey, it didn't show up, Duke. We waited until it started to get dark and we figured we'd better tell you. Maybe the masked man got wise. I knew you wouldn't fool the lone ranger with a trick like that. Russell, let grub and hold your tongue. Maybe something's happened to Chris. Won't you think we ought to ride down to the valley and find out? Yeah, as soon as we eat. How long do you have to keep us tied to these trees? Three or four hours. Can't you loosen the ropes a little? They're cutting into my wrist. That's good. If you don't shut up, I'll gag everyone of you. What was that? Sounded like a bird. I know that's what it sounded like, but was it? You're awful nervous, Joe. Listen, that's somebody riding this way. Sure. Duke must have forgot something. It ain't Duke. They're coming down from the ridge. I see him. A white horse and a paint. A masked man and a lone ranger. Not that good. Not on your life! No! Penny Silver, Penny. Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no. Get his gun totalled. Penny, get it in my hand. You haven't been hurt. Masked man, the Duke and the rest of the boys just rode out of here. They must have heard that shot. They'll come back. There, you're free. I'll take the knife and cut the ropes on the others. I'll tie this crook up. Get him off the couch. Where's the engine going? After your horses. Hey, Duke! Come back! It's a lone ranger! That'll be enough of that. We'll never get out of here in time. The tail's narrow, and I can hold the gang back for a while. Is there any extra guns around? In Duke's tent. Get them. Where are your saddles? Under that tarp. Have them ready. Here comes one of the horses now. I'll take care of the saddles. Get some guns, boys! All the tunnels orders. Penny, come on, Silver. The lone ranger rode a hundred yards down the trail and took cover beside a great boulder. Around the campfire, the surveying crew saddled their horses in frantic haste and jammed their pockets full of cartridges. The sound of firing reached them. At last, they were in the saddle. You pilot hunter, up to Topper Ridge. You're going to leave the lone ranger behind, aren't we? No. Him hold off gang. We circled down mountain, hit trail below outlaw. Then we catch him, tween through fire. You're going to try and capture the whole gang? You're not afraid. Oh, not with a lone ranger on our side. How about it, boys? Come on. I've been aching to get a shot at those coyotes. They're not too many. Lead the way. For nearly 10 minutes, the lone ranger held off the gang, single-handed. They took the cover. It was cover that offered no protection from the lower trail. And when Todd and the surveying crew reached there... Here they are, boys. Spoke them out. There was no way to climb the sheer rock walls and eat this out of the trail. And the advantage of their numbers was canceled by their vulnerable position. But Duke urged them on. We can find our way out. Give it to them. Withering fire from two directions was more than men could face for long. One, two, three of the trucks were out of the fight. These passing moments, convictions, brewing the others, there was no hope, no possible way out. Men in spite of Duke's plea... You're going to cry if you can't give up your can. One after another, they threw down their guns and shouted their surrender. The fight was over. Half an hour later, Duke, Chris, Joe, and all the rest of the gang rode down the trail with their hands tied behind their backs. They had to call them with the Lone Ranger, Tonto, and Phil Bradley. Mr., I never thought I'd get out of that alive. How were you captured, Phil? That's what I can understand. Was there any sign of a struggle around your campfire? They got us too fast. There was no sign of any horses but your own. Well, they came in a boat. A boat? A long boat. Just put it in the shore and before we knew it was happening, they'd taken us prisoner. And then we were loaded in the boat and they pulled it up the stream for about 10 miles. That's where their horses were waiting. We didn't find any boat. Now, it's somewhere in the river. They sunk it. Oh, I see. Maybe you can tell me something. I'll try. Why did they do it? You heard me talking to Duke. Sure. You think somebody hired him to do the job, but why? I'm just a surveyor. Why would they want to kidnap me? You worked for the railroad. Now on, every surveying crew is going to have as large a military escort as the army can manage. You mean to say every outlaw in the west is against the railroad? They're interested in money. The men who are fighting the road have plenty. You have a dangerous job ahead of you, Phil. Men like Duke won't stop at anything. I guess we were lucky to get out of it alive. You certainly were. Oh, if Wilson had gotten there before you... Oh, Silver, whoa, whoa. Oh, Silver, whoa. What was that? What was that name you said? Wilson. They were holding us at the camp until he showed up and had a talk with us. What, Wilson? Are you talking about Henry Wilson? Well, I never heard a mention of first name. It must be the same one. Phil, you and the boys can handle these prisoners, can't you? Oh, sure. Let's turn them over to the sheriff at North Platte. You're leaving us? Oh, we must. You've given me important information. We can't waste any time acting on it. You ready, Tutto? Huh? We're heading for Omaha. Wilson, let's get them out of town. Get them out of the way! Just Heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.