 High of Silver! Need of life, a cloud of dust in a hurry, High of Silver! The lone Ranger! His faithful Indian companion, Toto, the masked rider of the planes, led the fight for law and order in the early western 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 all of the past come the thundering hope beats of the great horse, Silver. The lone Ranger rides again! When railroads began their expansion into the west, each community hoped to be included in the select list of towns that would be served by the iron horse. The town of Chickamoo was no exception. The word came that representatives of a railroad were to visit the town. Enthusiasm blew the lid off not only the town, but the entire county. Chickamoo broke out in funding and noise to give Jason Blodgett and his associate a rousing welcome. Things had been booming all day. When evening came, there were bombs and fireworks to proclaim a rally. Nearly everyone headed for the town hall. Pop Hannibal, however, was unmoved. He sat in front of his gunsmith shop, watching the torchlet crowd with a cynical expression. A pack of fools, edgards, that's what they are, gibber and edgards, squealing like a pack of blindfolded hogs and sours. What matter? Oh, hello there, engine. It's good to see at least one critter that ain't bleating along in the mob like a lamb on the way to get shorn. Look, Alan, jamming into the town hall to listen to Jason Blodgett. Let me see him. What go on in Chickamoo? Blodgett and the slick-talking partner have come to make these jugheads think they're going to get a railroad. Oh, that not true? I'm saying it ain't. Blodgett's like some of these newfangled, fancy guns. All pretty and graven and hand-carbon, but nothing more. Her straight shooting ain't worth a dime. Ah, well, you come here, get gunfixed. Oh, well, leave it under my chair. I'll get to it in the morning. Put it here. Uh, what railroad come here? Blodgett says he represents the Chickamoo Western Railway. Says it's a new line. Gonna be billed if you can get the backing of the people. What a mean by that. He wants the town to vote to buy bonds to help finance the building of the railroad. Well, I'm again it. I say Jason Blodgett's got something up his sleeve. Uh... Better give me your name so I can put it on the gun you'll even prepare it. All right, Tonto. What's wrong with this move, boy? Well, it's like Blodgett teller. Huh? It not shoot straight. Oh, oh, oh, yes, I shall be. Where you going now? Well, me go hear what Blodgett say. He tells you what the railroad can do. It'll open up the country. Draw manufacturers from the east and serve as a magnet for trade. It will give your farmers costable markets. It will add hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of taxable property to the wealth of your county. It will hasten the improvement of landsline fellow and on youth. And it will save you the ruinous expense of teeming all supplies into the district You and your fellow citizens need only vote to the Chikamu and Western bonds to the value of $200,000. A small sum compared to what it'll bring you. How blind must be the man who will vote against it and therefore vote against the affluence both of himself and his neighbors. My friends, that is all. Well, I think that did it, Jay. I reckon it did, Blodgett. $200,000. That's a nice lot of money. Ain't it, though? We'll be far away when these Chikamu fools wake up. I'm sure glad we promised to buy them bonds. Dad, I still don't savvy how the railroad would be such a great thing for Chikamu. You don't? Shucks, everyone knows a railroad is a good thing for a town. We'll settle here because it's easy to reach and easy to ship out cattle. Maybe that's it. On top of that, there'll be factories coming here. Lots of new people will move in and the town will grow. Ask Matilda Hannibal. She'll tell you. Yeah, there she is, coming from the meeting. Hi there, Mrs. Hannibal. Good evening, Jayhan. Good evening, Mrs. Hannibal. I see Pop sitting over there in front of his door. Weren't he at the meeting? No, he never goes to meetings. Sitting over there waiting to belittle Mr. Blodgett. He's the most belittling man I ever knew. Well, I'd better be getting home now. Good night. Good night. Good night. I know what he'll say. He'll say that I just know good. Good to talk. Well, Matilda, I suppose you yipped along with the rest of the fools at the meeting. Tell me just one thing. What's that railroad to cost? It won't cost nothing at all. Then why did Blodgett have to get you to vote for his railroad? Well, we're going to underwrite it. Going to what? The bonds will go on sale tomorrow morning. So everyone will buy bonds, huh? Issued by Mr. Blodgett, I suppose? Of course. Sheep being shorn. Hannibal, don't you talk so. There's nothing of the sort. No skin flints. Blodgett and what's the other one's name? Dinsmore, but he's no skin flint. They peddle a pack of bonds and get the cash and vammals. There's where you're wrong, Hannibal. They can't do any such thing. What's to stop them? Just to show you that they're on the level. Here's how it's to be handled. We buy the bonds at the bank, and the bank holds all the cash and doesn't pay one cent, not one single solitary cent, mind you, over to Blodgett until the first train runs through Chickaloo. Well, you mean they're going to go ahead and build a choo-choo before they get the cash money? Yes. Our railroad will run right up to the main line. People can change there and go all the way east. People from the east can come to Chickamoo without taking the stage from the main line. Something crooked somewhere. During the next few days, the sale of bonds boomed in a manner that brought wide grins of satisfaction to the faces of Blodgett and Dinsmore. The sale also brought deeper lines of frowning to the face of Pop Hannibal. Have you heard the news? These are days there ain't no good news. Rather kind of don't care here. But this is good news. The bonds have all been subscribed. Matilda, go away. Let me get on with my work. Oh, but listen. The work on the railroad's been started. They're already working on the tracks. Where are they? There's men working at the edge of town and other men working a few miles east where the tracks join the bigger railroad. Go away, Matilda. Let me work. Still working on that same gun? Yep. What's the matter? Can't you fix it? Matilda, this gun was in dog-gone, near-perfect shape when that Indian brought it to me. Then why are you fiddling with it? Because a man that owns a gun like this one won't take anything that's dog-gone near-perfect. What? It's got to be 100% perfect. So I'll go away. Let me test his sight. You'll admit you were wrong when we get the railroad. I'll admit I was wrong when the railroad is running regular and you've got back the cash you spent for bonds plus interest on your money. I'm gonna shoot and learn. Have I ever seen you? I guess I can put in a cartridge and test her. That's my gun. Did that engine bring it to you? Mask. Say, what's this? It's easy, Hannibal. This is your gun? It is. It was the mate to prove it. Gosh! I wouldn't have thought there could be two guns like this one. Finest ever saw. Masked or not, mister, you must be all right. Did you get it adjusted? I think so. I was just about to put her in the clamp and make a test. Here, I'll put one of my own cartridges in it. I understand that you don't think much of Blodgett and Dinsmore. I don't. They've persuaded quite a few people to lend money to their railroad. Yes, and if that money ain't paid back, this will be the most dead-broke town you ever saw. People have been morgans in their land and everything else to buy them bond. Yes, I understand. Did anyone check back to see what Blodgett did before he came here? That's a habit that people around here never got into. There's too many of them that'd be embarrassed if their own past was inspected. That's generally the case. They see here. You know anything about Blodgett? He may have reformed, but I doubt it. They say he's starting to work on the railroad. He's started laying tracks. Well, and maybe he's all right. Tracks are being laid right on top of the ground. But what's wrong with that? Ain't that where they're always put? Generally, the ground is level, packed down in a good solid road bed prepared. That's the biggest part of building a railroad. And these critters ain't doing that? Where's your test target? Right over there against that planking. Give me the gun and I'll put it in the clamp. I can test it better this way. Jumping, Jupiter dead center. The gun's right. How much do I owe you? You don't owe me a plug sent. Whenever I get the chance to handle a gun like that, I'm downright happy to do it for free. Say, where's that Indian that brought the gun here? Oh, Tato's working for the railroad. He is? Yes. He's at the construction camp. During the succeeding day is the track increased and linked toward a juncture. Blodgett supervised the work near town. But one day he rode to the other end of the job to meet Dinsmore. Oh, whoa, whoa, there. Hi there, Blodgett. Come inside the shack, Dinsmore. I want to talk to you. Sure thing. Is there anything wrong? Sit down. Thanks. What's wrong? Jake, some talk around town and I don't like it. What kind of talk? About this railroad. You've been telling anyone what it would cost? Me? Course not. I haven't been to town at all. I didn't think you hadn't. What are they saying? People are wondering why we need $200,000. They're saying that the railroad shouldn't cost more than half that. That shows how little they know about costs. They knew anything, they realized they were not spending a quarter of that. Well, no one's spoken to me directly. I've had no chance to deny them. They won't stand in the way of our getting our cash, will they? By no means. Our contract is ironclad and the cash is in the bank. On the first day the first train runs from the main line to Chickamoo. The bank hands the money over to us. Then what? Well, frankly, Jake, I doubt if these tracks will survive more than one trip. We'll have to make that first train a short one and a light one. And after that? Well, we'll not be here. That won't hurt my feelings. I'd be glad to get back to the big city where there's something going on. Jake. What's the matter? Is there an Indian working for you? Yes, why? I didn't hire any Indians. I hired him, bludgeon. We need a new cook here and he came along, so I hired him. Why? He's been standing outside that open window listening to what we said. Oh, God, the founded Redskin. Curious as all get out. I'll skin him. Hey, you, come here. I want to talk to you. Beep away. Come back here. I'll let daylight through you. Beep away. Come on, stop. I found you. I'll show you. 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. was seen as he overheard a conversation between Blodgett and Jake Dinsmore. He fled as Jake fired several shots in his direction. Confounded Redskin? Look at him running away. We can hardly blame him, Jake. Why'd you rush out here waving a gun? He shouldn't have hung around outside the window. Oh, all Indians are curious. All right, boys. Go on back to work. What if it hit the Redskin? I was shooting over his head. Well, let's go back inside. We have a lot to discuss. Tonto maintained a steady pace away from the construction camp. He headed for a woods a few miles distance, where the Lone Ranger was camped. The masked man knew by the way his Indian friend approached that Tonto brought news. Ho, ho, scum, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. Anything new, Tonto? Me here talk between two fellow. Who? Two bosses. Dinsmore and Blodgett? That's right. Them plan to clear out soon as first train crosses new tracks. So our suspicions have been confirmed. And Tonto, we're faced with a usual problem. And what that? We know the truth about cooks. We can't prove it. People in town not believe truth? They've got to make those two men admit that they're cooks. That's the only way that people will believe the truth. Well, how we do that? We wait a few days. The way till the tracks are finished. And there'll be a big celebration when the first train arrives in town. Well, first train, also last train. When the celebration gets underway, we'll try a plan that I hope will get confessions from the cooks. Why wait for work to be finished? Because, Tonto, the celebration is to be part of our plan. The Lone Ranger and Tonto kept watch on the progress of the railroad. The people in town were impressed by the speed of progress. They didn't realize that the work went fast because of its temporary nature. They didn't know that the light rails and undersized ties would break down beneath a heavy load. Neither did they realize that the first frost would break up the roadbed. They knew only what they saw. They saw the railroad nearing completion. You'll eat your words before you're through, Hannibal. You'll see that Mr. Blodgett is a fine man. No one hopes it more night, little material. Sixth of July, you've put all of our savings into that dog-long choo-choo. And we'll get them all back with interest. You wait and see. The tracks are most done, ain't there? Oh, Hannibal, you should see the edge of town. Everyone is there making ready for the laying of the last rails tomorrow. It's going to be a celebration that'll shade Frontier Day and 4th of July put together. Matilda, I don't like to see you disappointed. What's that? Don't count on no railroad. Oh, there you go again, Hannibal. I mean it, honey. I ain't told you why I'm so sure we're up against skin blins. Well, suppose you do tell me. You remember the gun I was working on when the tracks were started? Remember it? How can I forget it? Talked about it night and day, even in your sleep. That gun? Well, a man that owned it wears a mask. I thought it was an engine. An Indian brought it in, but it belonged to a mask man. An outlaw? No, Matilda, he ain't an outlaw. Well, then what? Honey, that man is the lone ranger. The man we've heard about? Yes. And he thinks Blodgett and Dinsmore are crooks. Oh, Hannibal, you're sure? I'm sure of what he thinks because he told me. Then they must be crooks. Hannibal, what have I done? I've put all our money into that scheme. Yeah, I hope. There he is. The mask man. That's him, Matilda. That's the man I told you about. Hannibal, I want to talk to you. I was just telling my wife about you. Yes, I know. Oh, what can we do? Isn't there somewhere we can show those men up as crooks? Yes. You've got to praise Blodgett tomorrow when the first train comes over the tracks into town. You've got to lead everyone to where he is. But why? He'll be in his room at Mrs. Purdy's house. He won't be riding on that first train? No, he'll be in his room. I'll lead everyone there and see that everyone makes a lot of noise. Jake Dinsmore was busy packing his things so he'd lose no time in getting away when Blodgett joined in with the money the next day. He didn't hear the horses that hauled outside the shack in which he lived. He didn't know that anyone was near until he heard a rap on the door. Hello, Dinsmore. Mashed. What do you want, you? Is this a stick up? Not exactly. What do you want? Your extra horse. What's going on here? Do you think Blodgett intends to collect that cash tomorrow and split into you? What do you mean? How do you know about that? Well, you suppose. Blodgett will like all that cash for himself. You mean he sent you to get me? Now wait, listen. Come on, Dinsmore. It's a double-cross, that dirty skewer. Stop struggling. Let me go. Here, rope, ladies and gentlemen. No, no, no. Come on, we've got a horse ready for you. No, wait. Listen to me. Well? What are you going to do? My job is to make sure that you don't get one cent of the $200,000. Help me lift him to the horse tunnel. No! Don't kill me. Don't do that. You don't have to kill me, do you? You'll be all right, tunnel. He's right alongside. Make sure him not fall. All right, steady big flow. Get up now. Get up, please. Don't kill me. The following morning dawned bright and clear. Crowds assembled early to mass at the edge of town to watch for the arrival of the train. It was a festive air and a holiday spirit. True to their promise, Hop Hannibal and his wife called for the people with whom Blodgett had been born. They'd no sooner left the house when a rear door opened and the masked man walked in. He went directly to the front room where Blodgett was dressing with meticulous care. Hello, Blodgett. What's that? Thought I'd reach for a gun. It wouldn't matter to Jake if I killed you. What does this mean? I've got to put a rope on you. No, wait. Don't do this. Make it easy and you may not get hurt. That's a couple of turns of rope should hold you. Why are you doing this? You're out of circulation. Jake can collect that cash, can't he? He sent you to do this? Why, that double crossing? I didn't say he'd sent me. Well, as if you needed a say anymore. What are you going to do, murder me? Oh, I don't think that will be necessary. We'll just stay here until after the train arrives. I'll put you in the chair. So be comfortable. Might be a long way. The morning dragged slowly for both the masked man and his captive. Noon came and went. Then the afternoon was half gone when distant sods of the crowd were heard faintly through the window. Sounds as if the train was arriving. Doesn't it, Blodgett? Listen, mister. Well? Jake hired you to keep me tied up here, didn't he? I didn't say so. Well, there's no use denying it. I know that he double-crossed me. Someone has just rained up and back in the house. I didn't hear anyone. Someone's coming in. Oh, please, please put that gun away. I'm going to be sure you don't get away. If this is someone for you, I'll deal with them. Nick, come, let me fast. Father, come in. What's the matter? There's plenty of excitement. Did the train come in? Train come in. But that's not reason for excitement. Everyone in town come this way. Come to get that, Father. Why are they coming for me? Father, did the rails break down under the train? Maybe that. What wrong? Those people think they've been swindled. Where's Jake? May not see him. Blodgett, you suppose he's taken the money and cleared out? Oh, you know as much as I do. He's a dirty double-crossing snake. He double-crossed anyone, even you. May open that window. You see over yonder? Plenty of big crowd. Coming here. That's right. Father, I've seen a lot of lynch mobs. Lynch mobs? These people won't stand for being swindled. Confire guns? Yes. Well, do something. Do something to stop them. Get the sheriff. Get the marshal. Get help. Be quiet, Blodgett. Let me hear what they're shouting. Do you hear that? What are they saying? We want Blodgett. Well, they're coming to hang me. They'll kill me. I don't give me your knife. Huh. Here. Thanks. Blodgett, I'm going to cut your ropes. I can't let anyone face a lynching without a chance to defend himself. Oh, can't I defend myself? There you are. Take a look outside. Why haven't a chance against a mob like that? Everyone in town is there. What can I do? Where can I hide? You can't hide and you can't escape. Help me. I'll pay anything. Those people haven't heard your story yet. Shift the blame to your partner at your only hope. Get the red window. That's it, Blodgett. Go and talk to the people. Now listen to me, everyone. Now wait. Please listen to me. Why? Why? Why? He prepares to talk. Now you've got to hear my side of it. You've got to listen to me before you lynch me. You can't play me for that job. Jake Dinsmore is the one who insisted that we swindle you. He's the one not me. How do I take you? You're the one who should follow your path. You can't run around on your own. Get him outside door tight. Yeah, come on. If you didn't hear the proof that I'm on the level, don't lynch me. Give me a chance to help you get to Jake Dinsmore. I'll help you get him and get back your money. I swear I will. Hey, he's admitting he swindled all of you. Now what do you make of him? It was Jake Dinsmore's idea in the first place. Please give me a chance. Blodgett, you dirty steaming lion pole cat. Jake. Now listen to me, everyone. Listen to me. Don't believe a word of this swindler's lies. I didn't take your money. Blodgett was going to take it. He's a swindler. You're going to talk to the people of San Jacinto and prove it. He swindle them. Air Force troops. Air Force. Go get them. Now wait. Listen to me. Jake is a liar. Come on, boys. Get the speed. They're coming for us. Don't hang me. Don't string me up. Drag him out that window. No, no. Don't lynch me. Don't hang me. We ain't going to hang you. We're going to throw you slickers in jail. Come on. The two can sweat it out in jail till we all get back our money. Well, you won't lynch us? Oh, you won't be lynched, Blodgett. But by thunder, you'll have to square things around here before you get out. Well, I have money. I'll pay. I'll square everything. You sure will. Or you'll stay in jail from now on. Well, Hannibal, let me ask you one question. Fire away. Didn't anyone know that we planned to skip town with the money? Not at all. And no one realized that the tracks were laid without a roadbed, that they'd break down under a heavy load or a heavy frost? These folks didn't know how a railroad should be made. They thought everything was fine when they saw the first train come in. They didn't even know that you'd borrowed a light work train instead of buying one as you were supposed to. Everyone wanted to shout your name and to cheer you, Blodgett. That's what that crowd went to your place for. You're playing fool. Everything would have been all right if you hadn't started screaming that I was to blame for everything. Well, I thought it was a lynch mob. That masked man gave me the impression. That man sure saved this town of pile of cash. There's one man that I can't say a dog gone thing against. 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