 Fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hardy high old 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. 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 hoofbeats of the great horse Silver, the Lone Ranger rides again. Jim Blake, a bounty hunter, rode into Mountain City with a chip on his shoulder. He rained up viciously at the hitch rail. Entered the handiest café and yelled the man behind the bar. We're getting so many laws around here a man don't know where to turn. Send him up barkeep. Look mad enough to chew up a couple horseshoe nails. Hell I am. Why don't they let the bounty hunters know if they're going to change the laws? I never heard of any changes. Well, there's been some. Here's how. Drink her down. All the years I've hunted wolves and lions and the like for the bounty on them, all I had to do was turn in the ears and get paid off. And now it's changed. How's that? Got to turn in the whole pelt now. Fine thing. A man's loaded down in no time if he has to bring in the whole hide to get his bounty. Can't totem enough to make it pay. Well, maybe there's reason for the law. There can't be a reason. It makes good sense. If you've got the ears, it's proof the critter is dead. Maybe so. Well, sure it's proof. What more do they want? Where'd you hear about the new law? Up north they hear Sam Peters' place. He always took the bounty critters off my hands at a discount. That saved me lugging them into town. Now Sam says the ears don't count. You've got to have the whole pelt. I never heard of that ruling, but the chances are you're right. Well, I know what Sam Peters told me. Well, I can see why they'd make a law like that. I'd like to know why. It's the Webster fur offense. Webster? Sure. Webster fur is getting so powerful, they can just about tell the lawmakers what to do and count on it being done. But what's to be gained? Webster outfit wants furs. That's the main thing. But the hides of wools in the like are no good. No, but the point is this, Jim. While you're hunting a wolf for bounty, you could just as well hunt down a critter that's got good fur. Webster'd like to discourage bounty hunts so as the hunters would spend their time and bring an invaluable fur. For the prices the Webster outfit pays, oh, no, not me. I'll go hungry first. Here comes Tom Turner. He's one of the head men on the Webster outfit. Maybe he can answer your questions. Howdy, Mr. Turner. Howdy? I thought I heard complaints from this end of the bar. Yeah, if you mean me, you're sure dead. So you're one of the Webster outfit, huh? That's right. Just about to run this town, don't you? I? No, I don't run the town. We got Marshall John Meekland for that. Why? I don't run the town. We got Marshall John Meekland for that. Why? I'd like to know about this new rule for the bounty hunters. Got to turn in all of the hide instead of the ears. I suppose you come with me and I'll try to explain it. What did you say your name was? I didn't say, but it's Jim Blake. And I've been making my living by hunting for bounty. I see. You can make a better living hunting worthwhile animals, couldn't you? Step over this way where we can talk. I could make a better living on the Webster outfit and pay the right prices for furs. Not satisfied, huh? No. Sit down, Blake. We won't be bothered here in this corner. Say, the last time I heard about the Webster fur outfit, there was a gent named Sedley in charge. Sedley went crooked. Wonder where he got that idea. Blake, is there a point to that remark? Maybe there is, if you look for it. I've heard plenty about this Webster outfit. Chances are that the things you heard came from the Great Western Warehouse. They've been trying to compete with the Webster organization and can't do it. Great Western men are spreading all manner of stories about it. No, Great Western isn't the outfit that's put through this new rule about bounty hunting. Yeah, maybe not. What's more, I understand Great Western aims to pay a fair price for furs from now on. But what's there to that? They can't pay more than we do and stay in business. Now, why don't you hunt and just sell to us and stay in line like everybody else does? I'll be hanged, if I will. Blake, every so often, some gent like you gets the idea in an organization. And then he finds out that he's not. Now, you'll only waste your time trying to be independent. When I can't be independent, I'll clear out of here. I see. And I intend to know more about this new law regarding bounty hunting. Weren't you told it was a law? Yes, but I want to... Don't that satisfy you? No. I'm going to see John Maclin and find out about it. You suit yourself. I always suit myself, Turner. Good evening. Independent, huh? You signal for me, Turner? You saw the man that I was talking to? Yeah. I'll get this butch and get it straight. He's going to find out about the new rules on bounty hunting. He is, sir. I've issued that rule for all the men that are scattered on the plains paying off the bounty hunters. Sure. There's no real law that says a whole animal has to be turned in to get paid off. But most bounty hunters accept what's told them and let it go at that. Jim Blake isn't taking it that way. A troublemaker, huh? He's going to question John Maclin. So you'd better do something about it. No. Right now. I'll get going. Catch him before he gets to Maiden's house. You know where to take him. The following day, Tonto was in town. He stood watching a man tack a sign on the big sidewall of a Webster warehouse. What that sign? Hey, did you read it? Oh, you read it, didn't you? Uh, me, indeed. Well, this is a notice to everyone that's got furries to sell them. I reckon some of your friends will be glad to hear about this. What it say? Well, the Webster's going to pay a lot more for furries than they've paid in the past. Why him do that? Oh, I guess a great Western outfit has been paying a little more than we have. So we're going to weigh ahead of them. Hey there, you! Well, howdy, Mark Collins. Don't you howdy, me. Tell me where you get the prices you're paying for furries on a new schedule. You'll have to ask Mr. Webster about that. Webster? You know Doggone well, he never shows up around here. Far as I know, he's just a name. Then call on Tom Turner. He's a boy's name. You mean to say what I heard about your new prices? There's a truth? There's a schedule. Just tack it up. Well, it can't be right. For a federation, nobody can pay those prices and stay in business. You started raising prices yourself, Mark. I paid fair prices from the start. Great Western has always paid fair prices, and it always will as long as I run the outfit. When I'm gone and my daughter takes over, she'll pay fair prices, same as I do. But those prices are yours. Don't talk to me about them. Talk to Tom Turner. He's a boy's... Well, by Juniper O'Wheel, I'll do it right away. I know what the market price is, Turner, and I know you can't pay prices like those new ones and stay in business. I reckon we can for a very long, Mark Collins, but we can pay them long enough. Yeah. Just long enough to break me. Is that it? That's about it. Why, you're money-grabbing coyote. You wait. Wait till I tell Madge about this. Must be something we can do, Madge. I don't know what it would be, Mom. Webster can pay whatever they want to get the furs from the trappers. But there's new high prices. We can't pay them. Of course we can't. We'd lose money on every hide we bought. And if we don't pay, we won't get any furs. So that's that. We're licked. Yep. Webster Furr can afford to lose cash for a time, and they'll break us by doing it. After we're out of here, they can cut their price down to nothing, and the trappers and hunters will have to take it. There won't be anyone else to sell to. I suppose there'd be no use going to John Maitland. I don't see what good that'd do. Oh, if only Webster himself had come out here, that dirty scheming snake-a-fuckin' only see Webster himself. Hey, Mark Collins. Well? I can't let you have no more furs. I've got to sell to the Webster outfit now. Well, go on, sell to him. Well, I'm sorry, Mark. Forget all about the fact that Great Western paid you higher prices up till now. Go on, sell to Webster. No, you can't blame Hank for that. I'm sorry, Mark Collins, but we've got to get the best price we can. If you want to meet the Webster's price... No, I don't. I always paid a fair price, and I always will. But I won't lose all I got trying to compete with Webster. Well, it's too bad then. I reckon you won't get many more furs this season. After dark, Tonto rode into a small, well-concealed camp in the woods, where he reported to the Lone Ranger. It's not even fair that Webster outfit, Tonto. Mark Collins and her daughter have had their little trading post here for a long time. Oh, that's right. Webster has warehouses all over the fur country. This is only one of his offices. Everyone sells fur to Webster now. Yes, he ought to stop old competition, and he'll have things his own way. But Tonto... Ah. What about Jim Blake? Did you find him? I'd like to know more about the new rule for bounty hunters. No, me not find him. Did you ask about him? Ah, me ask two, three fella. Him go to cafe last night. Then what? Then him get plenty mad. Him mad at Webster fur. But hasn't anyone seen him since? No, no one see him. Did he leave the cafe? Ah, him leave. I wouldn't say him go see Marshall, but Marshall not see him. I wonder if Jim's disappearance has anything to do with the sudden rays and the Webster price of furs. Ah, me not know that. Wait, Kim, I'll stop you. What is it, Tonto? You hear wagon close by. Yes, I heard too. Bloody silver, old boy. Trying to take a wagon through this wood from the regular trail to town is so much easier. Keep down and we'll see what we can find out. A buck board loaded down with the hides of animals slowly through the dark woods. At the edge of the woods near town, the driver reigned up and the man stepped forward from the shop. Right on time. They wouldn't see you coming through the woods. No, but it was hard going. Here, here, that's what counts. You drive straight ahead to the back of the warehouse. The boys will have the door open so you can drive right in. Good. Climb aboard. I made sure there was no one between here and the warehouse to spot you. Get up there. Butch. The man named Jim Blake, a bounty hunter, coming to town. Yeah. That critter's going to make trouble and my name's not Sam Peters. He wouldn't bring me the hold of the pelt to collect the bounty. He met up with Blake. He said he'd be hanged if he turned in more in the years. It's all right. There's plenty of bounty hunters that did turn in more in the years. They got a good loot here. Sure, but what about Blake? If he starts investigating. They won't. They've got him where he'll be out of the way. The door's open. You drive right in. Good. Get up there. Anyone around, boys? Right here. We're closing doors behind you. Oh, there. Oh, steady. Oh, who there? Bring out those clothes, boys. We'll light a lantern here. Gosh, this is sure a sizable warehouse. Even bigger than we take over the business of the Great Wissian. Hurry up now, boys. Load those wall skins and load the wagon up with our air price first. And I'll toss them down here. What's this? Grab them. No, don't. Don't fix it. Don't go fast. Hit him. Let me at him. I didn't know there was someone hit under the pelt. Scream this way. We'll see. Hit him. They got him. We'll put it in and then we'll find out more about him. Don't hit him again, boys. He's out cold. We're not finishing off. Don't need to. We'll treat him the same as we did Jim Blake and let him go together. It'll work out just right. 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. When the Lone Ranger was in camp, he heard a wagon. Wondering why it was being driven through the woods instead of over the much easier trail on the plains, he crept through the darkness to investigate. Finding the wagon piled high with furs, he climbed aboard and concealed himself. Sam Peters drove the load of furs through a rear door of the Webster Warehouse. There, the masked man was discovered and overpowered by the odds against him. Take him away in the corner near Jim Blake. Broke him tight and leading there. I've got his guns. There you have the hood. I got him. Maybe credit? Everything looks. We'll have to work fast, boys. The load's coming in between now and the time we start the fire. Just leave him there and hurry back. We will. I don't know when he got aboard my wagon. Probably in the woods. This'll be all right. Put him down here low-cetted, Jim Blake. Is Blake conscious? Sure, but he's gagged. I put a gag on this one, too. Just to be sure he don't holler for help. Need any help? I can handle it alone. What a who he is. I don't know. We haven't got time to find out. That'll do for a gag. Come on, Sam. We'll help the others unload your wagon and load it again. Right. The lone ranger recovered consciousness, only to find himself bound and gagged. But he knew the taunter was still free and waited patiently in the darkness. The hours passed while Tom Turner, Butch, and other men unloaded and loaded many wagons, which came into the warehouse with cheap or worthless skins and left with ones that were valuable. Finally, an hour before daybreak. There. I just managed to get the gag out of my mouth. One minute and I'll see if I can get my teeth in. Not that hold yours in place. Hold still now. Yep. Since we get this rig loaded, we're through. Open the front door so there'll be a good draft in here. What about those clothes over there? Now won't be time for it. They're tied so they can't get out. There. Now can you talk? That's right. Don't make too much noise. I can talk. I had the gag loose when they first came in, but they spotted me and put it on tight again. You're Jim Blake. Right. I don't think I'll be able to do much with her. I hope she holds her hands. I can't get at them. I don't know who you are. A friend of yours. You must be or you wouldn't be here like this. Do you know what Turner and Butcher are doing? Yes, they're bringing in wolf and mountain lion skins. Yeah. And taking out the good pills that would bring a nice price to the men that got them. Why are they doing that? They're going to set fire to this place. There they are. They're going to burn us with the rest of it. The crooks have the slickest scheme I ever heard. Yeah, they've raised the price on furs. Sure. They got a lot of them here because of it. All day yesterday they were buying them faster and they could pile them up in here. Only they didn't pay for them yet. When do they pay for the furs? According to the agreement, they store the furs here at the risk of the ones that sells them. And then when the furs are shipped east, they're paid for at the price agreed on. If something happens to them while they're here, the Webster company doesn't lose a cent. No. So that's the scheme. And the fire is burned out. There will be evidence that furs have been destroyed. But no one can tell what kind of fur. The owners will find the ruins of wolf skins and think they're valuable furs were destroyed. Sure, that's a scheme. That's why these critters have been demanding all of the hide from bounty hunters. That's why they're getting all those no-good pelts. Webster must have all the men who deal with bounty hunters under his thumb. Well, Webster's got Doggone near everyone under his thumb. He'll bust a great Western company before he's done. How are they going to explain the fire? That's why I'm here. Everyone heard me say something about the Webster outfit when I was in the cafe. They've seen to it that, well, that there's been a lot of talk about me as the Webster company. I'll be blamed for starting the fire. Now that I'm here... Oh, they'll just say I had a helper. They'll spread the story that we got trapped in her own fire. No, their slick one's all right. The scheme they got worked out is foolproof. Oh, but for one thing... What's that? We won't burn. Oh, what's to help us? I can't budge my hands, can you? No, but I've got a friend on the outside. Yeah? Then there's a chance for us to get out of here? Yes, we can count on Tonto. Hey, I smell smoke. Yes, they started the fire. I never noticed them leaving. Look, there's the flames over there. Look to your left. More flames. But the pro-cats even left the doors open so the fire would burn good. But they started fires in two places. Three at least. Look out the front. Keep your face close to the floor. The smoke isn't as bad there. Don't have much time. This wood building will go like tinder. Look at those flames leaving. Keep close to the floor. The main street of Mountain City was deserted in the gray light of dawn. The clouds of smoke from the warehouse mingled with the morning mist. Suddenly a vivid orange tongue devoured the dusk. Almost at once the town sprang to life. The first shot of fire had hardly died away when the street became crowded with townspeople and the trappers whose furs were inside the warehouse. The flames and with them the clamor of the frantic men rose to the skies. Mark Holland's and her daughter Madge roused in their beds dressed in haste and ran from their home toward the scene of the excitement. Mom, look. The wedged warehouse is on fire. She's alive. Come on, Madge. Come on, we'll see it. The flames are in there. I'll lose my friends. Look at that fire. Those flames are busting through the roof. That's good, Blake. Remember what he said. Don't change the fight. Never mind the bucket of grain. We can't save that building. Who started that? Who started it? How'd that fire start? Hey, Turner, what about my friends? What about the warehouse? What did Webster say about that? Well, we can't save it. The furs will all be lost. I've got five hundred dollars worth of furs in there. It serves your right, Hank. You wanted to do business with the Webster Company? You mark, Holland. I'm going to make you prove you didn't do this because we're robust in your business. I don't need to fight that way, Tom Turner, and you know it. Look at it all. Flames as high as the sky. The flames increased in fury, and the scorching heat drove the crowd back some distance. Tom Turner made believe he was very much concerned about the loss of the warehouse. But inwardly, he gloated the thought of the fortune and furs which the Webster Company could have for nothing. He whispered to Butch. We can build a new warehouse with a tenth of what the furs would bring. Webster would give us a nice cutterless job. Then suddenly two horses broke through the crowd, an Indian on one of them. There he comes. There he is. There he is. Come on. Look at that Indian. He's our red skin. Get those horses back. All right. Let him stay here. Don't let that Indian go in there. You can't save the furs. Let me go. No, you don't. We won't let you burn to death in that fire. All of them in have lost furs, Indian. You're no worse off than the rest. Let me go. Not in your life. You're a dyptic when they're... That's right. Hang on, Webster. Put the Indian back. Do it what she said. You let me go. Get to nowhere, Indian. You let me go too. You see here you tell a loop. Now me go fast. I'll stop them. Wait, Turner. Shooting him won't help. Here. Give me a hand with these horses. He's gone right into the warehouse. He hasn't got a chance. We're supposed to put you up because I tried to stop him. Those horses want to go after it. It's the first time I saw horses so eager to run into a burning building. He does come out of square with him for knocking me down. Yeah, me too. Poor red skin. He likely went local when he saw that his furs was going up in smoke. And who wouldn't? Six months of my hunting is in those flames. It's about to cave. Oh, merciful. Of course, isn't there some way to get that engine out? There goes the roof. The roof of the warehouse caved in, a twisted column of spark shot upward. The fire seemed to gather itself for one last surge of energy, a final blaze of glory to herald its own death. The flames died out. The smoke still billowed from the blackened timbers. The sun rose, blood red, but not a face was turned to the east or lifted to the sky. The crowd now almost silent and watched the ruins. Well, that's that. Now I guess it'll burn out slow. Roof and walls are flat. Oh, that poor red skin. Oh, Marwan, I think of that poor Indian. Well, Reagan, we may as well go home. Nothing more to stick around here for. There's more men coming. Too late to see the excitement, though. Marwan, look. That looks like the same Indian. Marge, you kid. And the other one. He's mad. Watch it. It's a red skin. And the man's man. It can't be Tom. It can't be. There you are, Turner. Steady, Silver. All right, boy. What is the Indian? But that man's man. Look how that white horse is acting. And there's Jim Blake. Good boy, Silver. Here's what I want. He's got his rope. I want you, Turner. Wait, wait. Let me have this rope. Help me, Butch. It's ropey, too. Get that red skin. He's the one who started the fire. It's too thin for anyone to believe Butch. Which one of those two have my guns? Oh, wait. Hey, Turner. Good. Here they are. Now, where's the marshal? How'd that red skin get out of that fire? He went out the back way. Before he left, he cut the ropes that held Jim Blake and me. We were supposed to burn in there the same as the wolf hides did. Wolf hide? Marshal, you can't listen to our mask, man. Make him let me out of this rope. You get out in just a minute. Marshal, all of you men who had hides stored in there. Listen to me. Go ahead. Turner started the fire. The good skins were taken out during the night. They were replaced by worthless hides. That's why the Webster Company could offer such high prices. They had no intention of ever paying for the skins. They were going to make everyone think they were destroyed. Well, they're not. Where are they? Where are they? In the woods. Sam Peters is there, tied by Tano. You'll all find your furs in the woods. Turner and Butch plan to take them away secretly. Now they've got to pay for them. And at the price they agreed to pay. There's one thing more in the agreement. They've got to store those skins until the train takes them east. Now wait. Let me talk. You'll have your chance when you come to trial for burning the warehouse. What were you saying about storing the hides? The agreement states that the men will not be paid for the fur until it's shipped. It also says that the Webster Company will store the fur as free of charge until it is. That means, Turner, you've got to have a warehouse. It means you will have to use the only warehouse that's available. You mean my warehouse? Yes, Mrs. Collins. Ma, that's right. I know he's right. Your dog gone right. He's right. Bad ginger, Turner. You've got to put our furs into the Great Western warehouse. And being martial, I might add that Ma Collins can charge any pricey dog on pleases for the stolen of those skins. No, no. She'll break us. You're broken already, Turner. So is your pardon of butchery. But we... I tell you... A shield for both of you. Webstream self, don't press that charge of arsenic in you. Then it's because Webster's in this deal with you. Then we'll file charges of attempted murder against all of you. As for that lone ranger... Ma, did you say the lone ranger? Sure. John Maiklin's right. It was a lone ranger that was here. Where is he now? Hey, he's gone away. He and that Indian, they're moving off. Hey, lone ranger! Wait a minute! I also... Get it up, scoundrel! Get it up! They'll sell it away! You have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the lone ranger incorporated.