 a horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. Western United States, when the settlers had planted their feet on the road to civilization, there were still many obstacles in their way. Cookehead promoters and confidence men took the place of the old outlaws. It was an era of speculation, and they reaped a golden harvest. But finally the masked rat of the plane declared war on them, and drove them from the country. Return with us now to those thrilling days when the West was young. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the Great Horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Cornered table in the cafe at Clearwater. Well Bowers, we can't be heard here. What'd you send for me for? Got something up your sleeve? Vogel, how'd you like to be a banker? What? Sure. The big iron safe in your name painted on the window and everything. How's it sound, eh? Vogel, banker. You're crazy. You think so? Look, Bowers, I've traveled almost a thousand miles to get here after I read your letter. You said you had a scheme worth thousands. Well, either you have or you haven't. If you have, quit the joking and get down to business. What makes you think I'm nuts? But I'm a banker. I'm back east now, Vogel. Well, I know, but I... This is the new territory. You know, they say the first two buildings to go up in every new town are a bank and a saloon. I'm telling it to you straight. There ain't a thing between here and the border to stop us from being bankers. But how'd we get charters? You don't have to. Huh? You know, I was talking to a gent a couple of weeks ago. He's a banker. I asked him how he got started. Well, he told me he had an empty store in his hands and didn't know what to do with it. So he painted bank on the front of it. Well, pretty soon the fellow moseyed in, deposited a couple hundred in cash. Next day, a couple more fellas come in, deposited some more. Now, sir, you know what he told me? What? He said less than a week went by before he got enough confidence in that their bank to put in $50 of his own. Well, dog on. It sounds like a joke, Donut. But sure as I'm sitting here, it really happened. All right. We start a bank. Then what? Skip out with the funds? Well, then how do you... Be piker money. Now, I've got a better scheme. You have? What? We start two banks. Huh? I'll start one here. Desert Wells is about a hundred miles west of here. That's where you start. I don't get it. Then we put out paper money. We can do that? Sure. As much as we can pay to have printed. Now, wait a minute, Bowers. Wait a minute. We put out that money, and then what happens when someone brings it in to get silver or gold? If they come to your place... Yeah? You take back your paper money and give them mine. And if they go to you? I give them yours. And we can get away with that. Oh, why not? That's the worst being done every day. Bowers? Well... I don't believe it. You don't? But dog on, if I don't give it a try. It is, sir. What can I do for you? I saw him a place a couple days ago. Oh, yes. I had to take in some of your paper money to make the deal. Oh? It's good, ain't it? No way. Certainly. Then here it is. I'm turning it in for redemption. Ah. $2,000. Yes, sir. One moment. Of course I'll redeem it. Ah, yes, sir. $2,000. Hope I can serve you again. The Bank of Desert Wells. Hey, what kind of money is this? You mean to say you don't know where Desert Wells is? Sure. Sure, but I meant to... Money is as good as gold. The Water Bank said your money was as good as gold, mister. So I thought... Yes, yes, one moment. $1950, $1990, $2,000. There you are. Count it for yourself, please. Sure. I always... Bye, son. Mister, what's going on here? Going on. Great. I don't understand. No. Well, you listen to me. I took Clearwater money to their bank and they give me yours. Yeah. And I come clear over here to you. And you give me Clearwater cash right back again. Oh, I certainly. Just what's a big idea? Did you want to be cheated? You better don't. That's what I'm getting at. Then don't complain. I've paid you off with the soundest currency in the district. Well, can't I ever change this for gold? Are you trying to say the Clearwater Bank can't be trusted? No, no, but I... Good. I advise you not to. Such a charge is a very serious matter, sir. As I promise you'd learn if I reported it to my friend, Mr. Bowers. Barkie, fill these up. Well, Bowers, it's working like a charm. Didn't I tell you it would? Yes, but I couldn't believe it. I've had $10,000 more printed. I'm having the same. I can't see now. How much does that make gold hold? Almost $50,000, doesn't it? Sure it must. 50,000 will think of it. We've only just begun. This can't go on forever, though. Of course not. We'll go on and play long enough to suit me. We'll convert our securities into gold whenever we're able. Keep the gold handy. And when it looks like the bubble's ready to break... We'll amuse, eh? Exactly. Then we disappear. Boogaloo, our careers as beggars may not be long. But you can take it from me. They'll be prosperous. Where's the barkie for those drinks? That calls for a toast. It was a month later that the Lone Ranger and Tonto were riding along the trail, not far from Clearwater. Oh, oh, there's a little bit. Hold on. Hold on. We'll camp here, Tana. Not right on. I've changed my mind. We're staying in the district. What we do? When we caught up with Scar and turned him over to the sheriff, did you notice the paper money he had in his money belt? Uh, him have plenty. Him steal it. Of course. But that isn't what I meant. No? Most of it had been issued by a bank at Clearwater. Oh, I mean not see that. There's no reason why you should have. Unless you understood the situation, it wouldn't mean anything to you. Oh, what matter? He must have it. No new territory can be opened up successfully without banks to extend credit to the settlers. Yeah. But those same banks without proper regulation can do the territory far more harm than good. Not right. And under present conditions, that's exactly what's happening. Banks are springing up everywhere, some with charters and some without. Most of them are issuing bank notes against the securities they hold without permission from the legislature. Money no good? Much of it isn't. Some is worth only about 10% of its face value. Now there's more. I'll wager not one bank in five of all those issuing bank notes. There's enough assets to redeem those notes in gold or silver on demand. That's why we stay? Yes, Tata. When I saw those bank notes, the sheriff took them scar. I began wondering, what is this Clearwater bank? Who's behind it? Oh, me not know. No, and what's more, I haven't a doubt that few around here do. This section's building up rapidly. Everyone's talking about the new towns that'll spring up, about the increase in land values. They're certain will come. Ah. Those towns will be built, Kimosabe, and values will rise. That'd be good. But what it's taking the soldiers, pioneers, and the trailbreakers years to create, a money panic could destroy in one short week. Tata, the people of this district won't do, we shall. What that? Ask if you've pointed. What's that? You hear? Shots to the saddle, Tata. Ah. It came from beyond that hill. Follow me. Come on, sir. Get him up, scoundrel. Hurry, boy. Hurry. If I find you fellas on my place again, I won't waste time shooting over your heads. I'll put lead where it'll do the most good. Now get going. Forget what I mean when I say. Poor troublemakers. Come on inside, Helen. Bob, do you think they'll come back? I reckon not. Their kind only makes trouble when you show you're afraid of them. Stand up to them and they'll leave you alone. You were wonderful. I did all right at that, didn't I? I was so frightened. Well, I don't blame you. I thought it was a hold up myself at first. Drunken hoodlums. I think because they pack guns and herd cattle for a living, they can pick on homesteaders whenever they want to. Well, guess I showed them. Bob. Huh? They weren't crooks, of course, but they might have been, and if they had... What do you mean? Bob, I suppose you'll just laugh at me again, but I was thinking of our savings. The house just isn't the place to keep money. We're so far from town, and if somebody did hold us out... Oh, it started on that again, huh? Well, I don't care. The place to keep our money's in the bank. Mm-mm. Not for me. But, Bob, don't you see... Not these banks, Helen. We're not in the East now. We're out West. What do we know about these banks? No. Now, that money stays where it is. But if you'd only see... Hey, what the... What's going on here? What's the trouble? Mass, man. Why are you... Don't, Bob. Don't. He'll shoot you. No, please, no. There's no need to reach for that gun, young fella. They get this mask. I'm no crook. Then what do you want? Tell them I heard shots from this direction. It sounded like trouble. We came to investigate. You don't mean to rob us? Of course not. Golly. I thought this time it was a hold up for sure. Well, thanks for getting here, but we weren't in trouble. Not bad trouble, anyhow. No? We just had a little set to with some cowboys. They stopped to order their horses and then started acting up. Thought they'd give us a scare, I guess, but, well, I sent them on their way. I'm glad to hear it was nothing worse. You... You say you're not an outlaw? I'm not. But that mask... Now, now, don't ask questions, Ellen. Oh, I just meant... Well, that's all right. The mask doesn't mean what it seems to mean. You're new to the West, aren't you? I haven't been here more than a month. Well, you may learn before you're here much longer that sometimes there's need for others besides crooks to hide their identities. I'll leave you. But if you do have trouble, fire three shots. We can't close enough to hear them. Oh, say, listen, stranger. I'll be switched. Bob, who could he be? Gosh, I couldn't even make a guess. Do you think... Huh? He said others besides crooks sometimes had to hide their identities. Yes, that's it. It must be. Must be what? He's a vigilante. They wear masks. Oh, she thinks so? Of course. Hey, maybe you're right. Well, how could he be if he's not an outlaw? Well, I don't know, but vigilante or not, that was one too many scares for me. Bob, what are you... Now, where's the box we put that money in? You mean... I guess you were right. Oh, here it is. Try my hat, will you? Are you going out? This money's going to the Clearwater Bank. Oh, thank goodness. You may not be so safe, but it can't help being safer than here. 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. For a week, the Lone Ranger and Tonto quietly pursued their investigation of the Clearwater Bank. And then one evening, they turned their mounts toward the cabin belonging to the young couple from the east. We'll soon be there, Tonto. I think Bob's a man to help us. He hasn't been in the district long, but he seems to have made a good many friends. Hmm, good fellow. And people trust him, which would make him ideal for our purpose. All right. Bob, for sure, is yet that Bowers is a crook. In spite of appearances, his bank at Clearwater may be sound, but we'll know more about that when we see how he acts after that fellow when Desert Wells gets the letter I sent him. Uh, how about our name, Bogle? That's the one, Kimusabe. More like and gather, he and Bowers seem to be rather closely connected. Each is established a bank. Bogle at Desert Wells and Bowers at Clearwater. Both banks were started at about the same time. And each without authority to do so is printed in circulated bank notes. Um, print plenty cash. Yes, that's another point. People don't realize how much of that money is in circulation around here. They did, they might begin to wonder how banks their size could possibly have the backing to issue those amounts. But the most suspicious circumstance is that neither bank, unless you absolutely insist, will redeem its paper money in gold. They do so only when they must to avoid trouble. The rest of the time, they pay out only paper money. Them crooks all right. Well, I'll be surprised if we find a yarns. There's the cabin, Tender. Uh, come to see it. There's the light, they're home. Uh-huh. This'll do. They'll rain up. Those'll be home. Oh, God. Helen, it's them. It's them, Joe. I didn't think you'd ever show up. I was beginning to think you hadn't heard them shots. Shots? Well, there's been trouble. You mean you didn't hear them? Well, you've been to Desert Wells. We just came back. Oh. What's happened? Why did you signal us? Well, I don't know, stranger. Maybe I was just foolish. It wasn't trouble like your man, I guess. No. Maybe I shouldn't even bother you with it. What's that in, Bob? He might know what we can do. Go ahead. Well, stranger, it's like this. The day after we met you that time, Helen and I got to talking it over, and we decided we'd like to buy that ADA because just west of our place. Yes. So I went to the bank and drew out the money for it and took the stage for Ridgeville. Well, that's where the fellow lives who owns that piece. Go on. Well, he wanted to sell all right, but when I got there, he wouldn't take my money. And we just about had to have that land, or we won't have enough to make a living on until we get the rest of ours clear at all. He wouldn't take your money? Why? Well, it was paper money put out by the bank in town. He just laughed at me. Said whenever he sold land, it would be for gold and not for shin plasters put out by some no good wildcat bank. And then? I took the money back to the bank and asked for gold instead. But Mr. Bowers, a fellow who runs it, wouldn't give me gold. He's just been putting me off. Says the money's perfectly all right, but I'll have to wait a while. I see. What would we do? We must have that land. You'd attempted to buy it from anyone else. The money you offered most likely would have been accepted. It was just your misfortune to find the land owned by a man shrewd enough to realize that paper money can never be worth more than the bank behind it. And the bank isn't any good? I'm sorry, Bob. I'm afraid it isn't. Oh, well, that would mean a... a savings. Everything we have, what do we do? That's what Tonto and I wrote here to tell you. Huh? I have a plan that calls for your help. You have? Now that your own savings are threatened, you should be willing to give it. It's a plan that'll give me back real money. You and all the others, Bowers, is victimized. You hear that, Helen? Spangier, if you've got a plan like that, I'll do any doggone thing you say. Good, and you won't have to wait long. No? I wrote a letter which I didn't sign to a man named Bogle at Desert Wells. What do you mean? I suspect that he and Bowers are in this thing together. They are? Bogle should get that letter tomorrow. I'll leave in a couple of days after that, Bogle will arrive in Clearwater. And then things will begin to happen. Whoa, boy, whoa! Over there, whoa! Who could have found out? If I knew who wrote this, it'll Bowers sees it. Bowers! Hey, Bowers, where the dickens are you? Plenty. What? Somebody's found out about us. Here, look here. I mean, fool some of my command. But I want you... Get inside my office. We'll close the door. What's wrong? Take it, read it. Letter? Can't you read? You're getting a little excited. Calm down. Calm down. Go ahead, read that. Then let's see how much you calm down. Be quiet for a moment. I will read it. What the... Bogle, when'd you get this? The day before yesterday. And you've just let me know? You think a man travels a hundred miles in a couple of minutes? You think I didn't let you know as soon as I could? Do you understand what this means? Just as much as you do. We're finished. I knew that. I wish I know who'd written this. I must have come here from the east and recognized this. Oh, for a rough nose. No, you're crying about that now. The same things happen to others. You can't never go so far that nobody recognizes you someplace, sometime. Yeah. But what we've got to do is decide what we're going to do now. Whoever the fella is, he said he's going after the United States Marshal. When he gets back... There'll be an investigation. We'll be lucky if we don't end up being lynched. No, wait. What? The only Marshal is clear at the other end of the territory. Well... He can't be brought here in less than a week. Then what? Bogle, get back to Desert Wells just as fast as you can. Yeah? You've turned everything into gold? Sure. And ship it out by stage for the east. When the stage reaches clear water, I'll put mine with it. And then? We'll wait just long enough to avoid suspicion. Then clear out and follow. Right. Get going. Bowers, I'm on my way. When you get back... Redskin. What's the fun of you doing in here? Me, no sabby. Bowers, you must have heard us. Just a second. Engine, you speak white man's tongue, huh? You savvy pale-faced lingo? Me, no sabby. You want something? Me, no sabby. I don't need to worry about him, Bogle. You did just wander in here for a place to loathe. Fool, Redskin. I'll keep him out of term. Go on, Bogle. Get started. I'll be back, Bowers. Before you know it. So they're getting their gold ready for shipment east, huh, Tender? That's right. That's exactly what I wanted them to do. Tender, ride for Bob's place. Tell them the men, if Bowers sends a shipment east, he's to go into action. I'll meet you at camp. That's right. Get him up, Scout. Get him up. All right, old fellow. Let's go. Come on, old boy. You go back and tell that mess, man. I'll keep an eye on things. Not good. When Bowers sends that gold, I'll start talking. And before he and that crooked sight of yours can leave town, there'll be the biggest run on that clearwater bank that any bank ever seen. Bowers returned to Desert Wells, sent his gold east by stage, then hurried back to Clearwater to rejoin his partner. Bowers shipped the gold in his possession by the same stage. And when this had been done, the two partners breathed a sigh of relief. That night, however, as the stage creamed over the rocky trail, Get along, you critters. Get up there. Get up there. Up. Man, hold up. Hold there. Hold back. Hold. Listen, you fellas, don't make it a mistake. I ain't carrying anything worth the stealin'. Don't give us that. I tell ya. They're carrying two strong boxes. Throw them down. Oh, stop, lad. On the following day, Vogel and Bowers started a methodical destruction of all the records of the bank. Bowers, what about this stuff? What is it? The letters we wrote each other before I came here. Eh, I'll throw them in the stove. Ah, that's best. I wish I could figure out. Figure out what? Didn't you say when you came down to open up this morning, you found the back door had been broken open? I did. But we got rid of everything worth stealing, so what of it? I just wish we knew who was in here. You reported to the sheriff? I'd have the sheriff nosing around in here where we don't want him. Yeah, yeah, I didn't think of that. Just some crook. What do we care who he was? Well, I guess it don't matter. Of course it doesn't. Come on, let's finish up here. Uh-huh. Hey, there's someone out front. Yeah, I'll see what he wants. Yes? Mister, come here and give me some money. I'm going out every dog gone penny a foot in here. Good word, you won't waste time talking. I want that cash before the others get here. Dog gone in here, they come now. Mister, you hurry up. Well, girl, anybody come out here. I'll be glad to give you your money, sir. How much did you have coming? Oh, no you don't. You ain't paying me off in paper money this time. You're giving me gold. This is just... Hey, if this bank is going to go bust, I want my savings. Please don't leave, sir. I got my slip all made out. Yeah, give me my cash. If somebody around here is going to get thrilled. Hey, wait. Hey, wait. There's nothing wrong with this bank. There's no need to get excited. Go home, think it over, and then... We've thought it over. And we want our money in gold who will bust this place wide open. Yeah. Here's some of your paper cash. Give me gold for that. I got some, too. I want my savings. Where's mine, you dirty crook? Quiet, please, quiet. Please. Just listen a minute. Now hold it. Let's see what they got to see. No bank can pay off everyone in gold under manned. You want to know that? And... And what? Well, there's been holdups. We've sent our securities east for safekeeping. You'll take a little time to get them bagged. If you just wait... And maybe you fellas time to sneak away? Nothing doing. We don't believe a word of it. You pay us off now or get lynched. But we can't, man. I swear we can. You're asking me impossibly. Don't listen to the men. They have gold here in spite of what they say. A masked man? Who's that? Look in that door and look there in that storeroom. Come on, fellas. Maybe the masked fellow knows what he's talking about. Come on, yeah. Come on, yeah. There's the door, he means. There's nothing in there. You can look all you want. But we're telling you the truth. We haven't got anything. Hey, look here. Yeah, that's it. There it is. Two strong boxes. And they're not locked. Come on, look them along. Oh, you did lie to us. I bet you didn't have no gold on hand. And you had it hidden away all the time. He was going to cheat it. That proves your crooks. No, no, no. What do we do with gents like them? Bob, whatever they get, they'll deserve. And stranger, they'll get plenty. They hadn't been crooked. They wouldn't have been alarmed when they received my letter. I said only that I was going to prevent their swindling people out here the same way they had in the east. And knowing they were guilty, they were scared sick. Then you and Tano brought the gold back here last night. Bob, you'll have to take care of that. Huh? Find the sheriff. Get him to take charge. That gold should cover most of the obligations of both banks. And the sheriff will see it's distributed fairly. Here comes Hutter. Stranger. Yes? I know you won't be back to thank, so I'm thanking you for the whole town. Adios, Bob. Yes, sir. I've just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.