 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hyosilver, the Lone Ranger. With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the daring and resourceful mask 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. We turn 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. Let's go, big foe. I am Silver! Dan Reed, 14-year-old nephew of the Lone Ranger, was returning to Rock Hill after visiting friends some distance away. He sat in the railroad coach next to a nice-looking girl who was reading to pass away the time. Finally, she put the book down and with a friendly smile spoke to Dan. You seem quite young to be traveling alone. Oh, I'm not going far just to Rock Hill. Really? That's where I get off. I'm Jane Walters. My father and brother run a ranch near Rock Hill. My name's Dan Reed. Did you go east on a visit, Miss Walters? No, not exactly, Dan. Dad sent me to St. Louis six months ago to stay with my aunt. I really didn't want to go. Oh, you didn't? No. You see, there are a few sheep ranches near our place. Well, at first, Dad and Tom, that's my brother, tolerated them, so they didn't like them. Then things began to happen, such as fences torn down, cattle missing, and other happenings that Dad blamed on the sheep ranches. Dolly, then your father didn't want you to be there in case it was open trouble, I guess. Not exactly, Dan. You see, the man I promised to marry, Jim Fletcher, owns a sheep ranch. When I told Dad and Tom about Jim and me, they were furious, and Dad insisted I go to St. Louis at once. I see. He made me promise to stay six months, thinking I'd forget about Jim. Dad doesn't know, of course, that Jim and I have written regularly to each other, and it would feel just the same about things. How about Jim's a nice fella? I think so, Dan. I know you'd like him, and I know very well he's not to blame for what's happened at the ranch. I have Jim's word that none of the other sheep ranches are to blame either. No one can make Dad or Tom believe that. Gosh, then I wonder who is behind it all? No one knows, and things just continue to happen according to Dad's letters to him. I think we're getting into Rock Hill now. I'll get your suitcase down from the rack. Thank you, Dan. That's nice of you. Rock Hill! Rock Hill! Well, here we are. You were right, Dan. As the train came to a stop at the station in Rock Hill, Dan Reed followed Jane from the coach with her suitcase. He said her down was about to leave. When a pleasant-faced, dark-haired man about 25 broke through the crowd and approached Jane. Jane! Gosh, it's good to see you. Jim, I... Uh-oh. Here comes Tom. Hi, Jane. See, we weren't the only ones to get a letter saying you were coming in on this train. Howdy, Tom. Well, listen here, you wanna retire? I... I want you to meet Dan Reed. He was kind enough to carry my suitcase from the train. Glad to meet you, sir. Hi. Thanks for the help, Button. Here's a silver dollar for you. No thanks, sir. I... I didn't do it for pay. Well, have a joy, then. I'm Jim Fletcher, Dan. Sure was mighty nice of you to help Jane like that. I was glad to, Mr. Fletcher. Look, we can forget this kid a minute. Jane, you might as well make up your mind that you can't be seeing this no-good sheep herder. Either Dad or I are gonna stand for it. Tom, please. It's all right, Jane. Sorry, you feel that way about it, Tom, but... I don't reckon there's much you can do about the way we feel concerning each other, Jane and me. We'll do something about it, all right? I'm telling you right now to stay away from Jane, or you'll be plenty sorry. Come on, Jane, I'll take you to the book board. A short time later, after getting his horse Victor from the livery stable, Dan Reed arrived at the camp in the hills which he shared with Tonto and the Lone Ranger. Dan told them of his discussion on the train with Jane Walters and about the meeting at the station. Hmm. I've heard rumors that things weren't going well between the sheep ranchers and the Walters. That's right. I didn't know the happenings Jane spoke about. She was sure the sheep herders weren't to blame. Maybe not. In that case, someone has reason to create bad feeling between the Walters and the sheepmen. Ah, and it's not good. It may be mean range war. Yes, I know. Gosh, I'm sure Jim Fletcher wouldn't do any of those things, like stealing cattle and all. I see. Jim must be a likable fellow, Dan. Oh, he is. I didn't like Jane's brother Tom, though. He looks plenty mean to me. Hmm, him sound mean. He may be all right. The circumstances could make him act that way. Too bad for Jane, though. Golly, yes. I'll know after supper or I'll put on a disguise. Then we'll go into town and visit the cafe. You might hear something more about all this. If something isn't done soon, the Walters may get some cattlemen together and go gunning for the sheep ranchers. Meantime, in the back room of the cafe in town, Jeff Bacchus, the cafe owner, was talking to one of his men. Well, Sid, you said you had something to tell me. What is it? Jeff, I was at the station when the train came in. The Walters' girl got off and both Jim Fletcher and her brother Tom were there to meet her. You mean they went there together to meet her? Heck no. When Tom Walters saw Jim Fletcher there talking to his sister, Tom got sores all get out. Go on. Tom told Fletcher to stay away from the girl or he'd make him plenty sorry. You could see Jim Fletcher didn't like it much being called names and talked to that way in front of folks at the station. But because of the girl, he didn't say anything. He just walked away. Yeah, sure. Bad blood between those two hombres now. Yeah. And that's what gave me an idea. See, I come to talk it over with you. Yeah? What idea? What do you mean? Don't you see the chance it gives us? Hmm. You mean we could... cattle, eh? Yeah, I'm beginning to, Sid. Tom Walters comes in a café nearly every night. I'll be watching for him tonight. And when he comes in, I'll tell him a few things that'll really start the ball rolling. That'll leave the way wide open for us. Good idea. Come on, let's go inside. Right. That evening, the Lone Ranger and Tato stopped and dismounted in the shadows alongside the café. The Lone Ranger was disguised as a call-hand. We'll go stand at the back, Tato. Come on. Something for you, mister? Not right now, thanks. How are you, Tom? How are you? I'm Tom Walters. Yes, I know. Ready for trouble if more of it starts. Hi, Walters. Hello, Sid. I heard somebody say Jim Fletcher was trying to sort about something you said to him in front of folks at the station this afternoon. All he has to do is remember what I said to him. That's all. That is. I heard he was so sorry he said he was going to get eaten with you somehow and soon. Fletcher told you that? No, didn't say it to me. I just heard it as well. So if anything more happens around your ranch, you'll know who to blame for sure. Yeah. Thanks for the tip. He's probably just shooting his mouth off to hear himself talk, anyway. I wouldn't be too sure about that. Well, I got to go get a card game going. I'll see you later. Let's get out of here, Tom. I wonder if Jim Fletcher really did threaten to get eaten with Walters. I don't mean that. No. Well, let's go. Easy, easy. Come on. Get him up the couch. The following morning, Jane Walters, with her father and Tom, had just finished breakfast when the foreman of the ranch came in. Hey, Tom. I just come from the North Range. What about it? Speak up, Hank. Is something happening out there? Not sure enough did, Mr. Walters. There's 20 of our best cattle missing. What? Rustled off the North Range during the night. Oh, Dad, that's too bad. Temptation. This sort of thing has got to stop once and for all. Yeah, Dad. And I'm the one who's going to stop it. This time, I know the honorary coyote is behind that rustling. We're always naming those sheepmen, Tom. We never get any proof. I know for sure Jim Fletcher planned that rustling job, Dad. He was going around town yesterday afternoon, saying he was going to get even with me for showing him up in front of folks at the station. And he said it would be soon, too. Oh, no, Tom. You can't blame Jim. I'm sure he wouldn't do such a thing. You don't see him like we do, Jane. He's just no good. And I'm going to see that this time he gets what's coming to him. What you aiming to do, Tom? I'm going over there and give him the chance to gun it out with me right in his own front yard. If he's got the nerve. No. No, you can't. Dad, don't let him. Nobody's going to stop me. Maybe you better think it over, Tom. Shut up, Dave. I know what I'm doing. Fletcher isn't at his place. I saw him riding the trail toward town when I was going out to the North Range. Then ride to town and tell him I'll be waiting for him when he gets home. If he don't show up, I'll burn down the place with the help of some of our rangehands. I'll go find him. All right, Tom. I'll ride to town right away. Tom, you can't do this. See here, Tom. Till you know for sure that he planned that rustling. I'm going through with it, Dad. This has become a personal matter between that yellow coyote and me. He'll skip the territory most likely. No, no. He won't. I know Jim too well. He'll go to meet you. But since you're my brother, I'm sure he won't draw against you. Tom, you can't do this. You can't. I'm going to get some of the rangehands and then I'm going over to Fletcher's place. See you later. Dad, don't let him go. I can't stop him, Jane. Tom's plenty headstrong. I'll go get my horse and ride along. Maybe he'll change his mind before Jim gets home. You'd better stay here, Jane. No. I'm going to town to find Jim. I don't know what good it'll do, but I can't let Tom force him into a gun battle. Meantime at their camp, the lone ranger, Toto and Dan were saddling their horses in the hidden glade where they had stayed when Toto spoke. Kimusabe, you listen. I don't hear anything, Toto. Yes, I hear hoofbeats coming along the trail. I hear them too now. Ah, someone riding fast and way to town. We see him through trees now. Yes, I wonder who. Toto, that's the man who spoke to Tom Walters in the cafe last night. Ah, that strange, him gambler cafe. Why him coming from that direction so early? That's what I'd like to know. I'm curious enough to try to find out the backtrack on his trail and find out where he came from, Toto. Ah. And maybe Dan go into town and get supplies. Yes. Dan can go into town alone for the supplies. Meet us here later. I'm still disguised as a cowhound, so I won't wear my mask. All right, let's go, Toto. Easy big foot. All yours, Dan. Bye, sir. We'll see you later, Dan. Once again. Come on, stop. 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 continue our story. While Dan rode to town alone, the lone ranger and Toto followed the backtracks of the man whom they had recognized as Sid from the cafe. They rode for several miles, and then the trail led up the side of a ridge. As they reached the top, the lone ranger called a halt. Go away, Toto. What's going on here? Hold on there. Don't need to follow his tracks down the other side of this ridge. Must have left that small herd of cattle we see down there. That's right. Look, Kimusabi. You see two men guarding cattle over to the left. Yes. Strange that gamblers should be interested in that herd. That's right. And what we do? We go back to town and ask a few questions. There's something wrong about all this. All right, let's go. Come on, Toto, let's go. Jim Fletcher had arrived in town and went to the general store. He was still there when Dave the Foreman entered hurriedly. Hi, Dave. What brings you to town so early? You do, Jim. What do you mean I do? Just that. You see, Tom Waller sent me in to find you and give you a message. Well, what's the message? Tom's mad as a hornet, Jim. He's gunning for you. Tom gunning for me? I don't savvy this at all. Well, it seemed that you went around town yesterday shooting off your mouse saying you'd get even with Tom. Now he blames you for some cattle that were stolen last night. Stay now. Wait a minute. I left Tom before he did yesterday and didn't make any threats at all. Somebody lied. And I don't know about the cattle. Maybe so, but Tom's waiting at your place now when he wants to face you with guns if you got the nerve. I see. All right, Dave. I'll ride out there to with you to meet Tom right now. Frankly, I'm sorry about the whole thing, Jim. Just remember, Tom's fasten the draw in a straight shot. I know all that, Dave. If I run out on him, everybody would think I did steal a cattle. Come on. There's no use keeping Tom Waller's waiting. A short time later, Dan Reed bought supplies at the store. As he prepared to mount, he saw Jane riding up the street. Hello, Miss Waller. Dan. You came to town rather early? Yes, Dan. I did. I can't stop to talk. Which way do you go? West on the trail a short distance that I turn off. Then mountain ride as far as the branch trail with me. I'm in quite a hurry. Come on, Victor. You seem upset, Miss Waller. I am very much, Dan. A small herd of our cattle was stolen last night, and Tom, my brother, blames Jim Fletcher. Oh, gosh. I came to town to find Jim. He rode in earlier, but I missed him. That's too bad. Yes, it is. Tom sent our foreman to tell Jim to go to his ranch, and that Tom would be waiting to face him with guns. Jim just won't draw against Tom. I know he won't, and he'll be killed. Dan, what can I do? Callie, I don't know. Maybe if my friends knew they could do something. Your friends? Yes, I haven't time to explain, but maybe if I were to... Then go after them, Dan. Somebody has to do something. I'm going to Jim's place now. I turn off just ahead. Where is Jim's ranch? About six miles up the west trail. Oh, they have to stop, Tom. Somehow they just have to. Goodbye, Dan. Get up there. Goodbye. I'll find my friends and bring them there. Come on, Victor. Whiting at breakneck speed, Dan passed the campsite where they had stayed for the night and continued on the branch trail in hopes of finding the Lone Ranger. After riding about two miles more, he sighted Toto and the Lone Ranger riding toward him. Gosh, there they are. Come on, Victor. Come on. In a few moments, Dan approached the Lone Ranger and Toto and pulled rain. Dan, what happened? We've been riding hard. I met Jane Walters coming out of town. She went to warn Jim Fletcher at least try to stop him from going to face her brother. That doesn't make sense, Dan. Somebody stole a small herd of cattle last night from the Walters. Go on. Tom Walters is waiting at Jim Fletcher's house for Jim to get home from town. He's going to make Jim face him with guns. That's not good. I feel sure now that Jim didn't steal those cattle. That's right, Kimosabi. Jane says Jim won't draw because Tom is her brother. She feels sure of that. Where is the Fletcher place, you know? On the west trail, about six miles from town. We can take shortcut from here, Kimosabi. Hello, let's take that shortcut real fast. We'll do it! A short time later at Jim Fletcher's place, Tom Walters stood waiting surrounded by a small group of ranch hands. His father was talking to him. Tom, I still say call this off. At least until we get some proof that Jim Fletcher took the cattle. Now listen, Dan, the rest of you listen too. I've taken enough from that Jim Fletcher. And I don't need any more proof that he's behind that Ruslan. He's whoring town he'd get even, didn't he? Maybe he did, and maybe he didn't. I don't like the sheepmen any more than you do, Tom, but this is going too far. My fingers went crippled up with rheumatism. I'd be tempted to make you go back home with the point of my gun. I'd take it easy, Dan. This is my idea, and I'm going through with it. Even if I might be the one to take a bullet. Jane says maybe Jim won't slap Fletcher. You'll be in her brother. He'll draw if he isn't yellow. He's lucky I'm going to give him this chance. Hey, here comes Fletcher now with Dave. He sure is riding easy, like. Yeah, don't seem to be upset at all. Oh, he's better. Dave tells me you wanted me to come here. But you were waiting, Tom. I'm waiting and ready. You're sneaking low down, Ruslan. Right. Those are shooting words, Tom. Provided you weren't Jane's brother. You can just forget that. You made a mistake about those cattle. I didn't have anything to do with stealing them. You have my word on that. The word of a sheepherder? You make me laugh, Fletcher. The rest of you just stand back and give us room to face each other with guns. Tom, listen to me. Better stand back with the rest of them, Dave. Here comes Jane. She should have had more sense. But it isn't going to make any difference, Fletcher. Oh, there goes that easy. Jim. Oh, Jim. Jane. Jane, you don't seem much worried about whether your own brother gets a bullet or not. Tom, you know very well you're one of the best shots around here. And you know that Jim might not even... Tom, please, forget this crazy notion of yours. I know Jim didn't take the cattle. That's right, Jane. I didn't. I'm warning you, Jane. Get back with the others. Come along, Jane. No way to stop, Tom. It's gone kind of local about this. Come along. Oh, Dan. Why doesn't somebody do something? Ready, Fletcher? Since you're forcing me into this, I... I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be, Tom. Then I'm walking away ten paces and turning. And we shoot when one of us sees the other go to make a draw. And you better be prepared to draw fast. All right, Fletcher. I'm ready. Oh, Dan, Jim won't draw when Tom does. Hey, look, we're now on the big white horse and an Indian coming in here. Wait, wait a minute, Dan. Who are you? What did you come here for? I heard what was taking place here. I came to tell you, Tom Walters, you're making a big mistake. What brought you here, mister? A friend of your daughter's told us what was going on. Dan sent you? That's right. Jim Fletcher didn't steal your cattle. Those cattle are hidden right now. Go with my friend, Tato, and you can capture the two men that are guarding them. I'll see here. How do I know you want... That's enough, Tom. It's only fair to find out what's the truth. That's right, Tom. Well... All right. But it better be the truth or... Or what? Nothing. Hit like a man. Jim Fletcher, you come with me. I think you'll be able to get the man who planned all this. Oh, Jim, go with you. Sure. Easy, boy. I'm ready, mister. I'll see you in town later, Tato. Maybe there. And we bring rustlers. Let's go, Jim. Come on, sir! Swinging back to the branch trail with Jim, the Lone Ranger picked up Sid's trail and followed it to the back door of the cafe. He and Jim dismounted quietly and approached the closed door. I'm in the owner's office. Yeah, and how do we get there? I'll listen to it. Yeah, your plan works, Sid. You've made plenty so far, by keeping those sheep herders and cattle living in each other's rooms. Hey, look, Caleb, you got last night. We'll be running across the border tonight. That's right. By that time, Fletcher will be dead. He can't stand up against Walters. As we've heard enough, come on. Reach, both of you! Hey, what the fuck? I'll get you! No, you won't! No! Hey, what's your idea? You're going to the sheriff. Both of you. Yeah, we overheard you say you stole Walters' cattle. By now, Walters' men have captured your guards out there where we saw the cattle hidden. Hold it! That settles him. All right, let's get them to the sheriff. Later at the sheriff's office, the others had gathered after bringing in the two rustlers they had captured with Tato's help. Mr. Walters turned to Jim Fletcher and spoke. Well, Jim, now that we know the sheep herders went behind any of those happenings, I reckon we can manage to get along as sort of friends, eh? We sure can, Mr. Walters. Uh, now, about Jane... Well, I reckon that's between you and her, don't you think? Oh, guys, that's fine. Tom, I... I hope that we can forget and be friends. How about it? Look, Fletcher, maybe sometime we can. But right now, I still feel unfriendly to sheep men. Of course, if Jane wants to go ahead with her plans, it's all right with me. It'll take a while yet before I feel different. Come on. Tom's still hard-headed as all get-out. I'm sorry he feels that way. Oh, don't expect him to be all milk and honey right away. He don't change that quick. The fact that he don't care if you and Jane go together has plenty enough change for one day. I'd sure like to know who that ombre was who was responsible for bringing things out right. The one on the big white stallion who came to town with me and caught Jeff Bacchus and Sid. You mean he didn't tell you who he was? Nope, he didn't, Dave. And I'd sure like to know. Well, the Indian told us who that ombre is, and believe me, it almost knocked me right out of the saddle to hear that he's the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger. This is a feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated, created and produced by George W. Trendle, directed by Charles D. Livingston, and edited by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Bracebeamer.