 a fiery horse for the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty high old silver, the lone ranger. The Mask Rider of the Plains was one of the great figures in the early history of the Western United States. Fearless in the cause of justice, he fought crime and criminals in the new territory. No one ever knew his name, but no man did more to bring law and order to the frontier, and the memory of his deeds will remain as long as the memory of the early West itself. Return with us now to those thrilling days of the yesteryear, from all of the past of the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse silver. The lone ranger rides again. As our story opens, two men are riding at breakneck speed across a level section of prairie land. Get up there! Get up! He's gaining on us, Steve. Get up there! Get up, my ship! How close is he now? I don't know, but he's moving up faster in all places. Throw some light back at him. Can't shoot good at this speed, anyhow. We gotta make the bridge. It's our only chance. Who's that Mask Rider? I don't know. He should have counted our horses this war out. Get up! Get along there! We'll be safe there. How do you know? I planned it. There's the bridge. Get up there. Come on. Get up there. Get to the bridge. I've never seen a faster horse than that one. That white one. Here's the bridge. Don't stop on it. Keep right on going. Right. Come on, horse. Come on. Look at that bridge. Blow it higher than a kite. Ah, Steve. That was the closest shame we ever had. For a minute, I thought you were loco stopping like this. Tennessee, you ought to be glad you're tied up with a fellow that's as smart as me. I don't overlook nothing. What blows the bridge up? Sam done it. Sam Larkin. There he comes now. Yeah. I figured when we robbed that there bank over to Martinsville, we might have to make a run for it. But I thought there weren't any better horses in the world than the ones we're riding. I like to drop dead when I've seen that white horse overtaken us. I told Sam to stay by the bridge and watch. If he saw we was being chased, to touch off a blast after we was across. Hey, Steve. I done it. You done it just right, Sam. Where's the mask fellow that was chasing us? Well, I seen the cloud of dust he was kicking up and that rider coming behind it. Yeah? So soon as you was across the bridge, I touched off the fuse and run for my life. And when I heard the blast, I looked back and the white horse and the rider weren't nowhere to be seen. Gosh. I'm the bridge when it went up. I reckon so. That sure is fine. I don't reckon they's any sense even hunting for them, is they? I reckon not. That was an awful big charge of powder I used. Not too big to suit me, though. How did you make out in town? Fine. I cleaned out the bank good and proper. Got the cash in our saddlebags. How much? Ain't got around to counting it yet. There's more than 5,000 for each of us. Gosh, thanks. But you don't get your share of the cash till you finish your part of the scheme, Sam. You can count on me, Steve, and all that. You're to go back to town, see? Yeah. No one there got a good look at us, except in that fellow that got blew it up with a bridge. He's the only one who could have described us. And now he can't do it. Sure not. When you get to town, you tell how you seen two horsemen riding away from town like all get-out. And you try to stop them and ask what was wrong. Yeah? They both draw guns and shot at you. Most drills you, then right away. Yeah, and then? You won't give the right description. You'll see to it the law is gunning for men that don't look nothing like me in Tennessee. But where will you boys be? That's the best part of the plan. We'll be right back in Martinsville. We told folks we was riding away in a prospecting trip. We'd come back in two or three days, and we'll go right on as we always have. You sure are slick, Steve. The one place they'd never think of hunting for the bank robbers is right in town. Stick with me, fellas, and you'll all be rich. Now, Sam, you stand up over there. What are you going to do? Your story is that men took shots at you. No, no, Steve, don't. Evidence has to bear out the story. Now, who lasted it? You might have killed me. You wasn't in no danger, Sam. I was just coming close, that's all. There's a hole through your hat and one through your sleeve. Now, get back to town and tell your yarn. I won't be able to go back over the bridge. It's down. That's all right. You're right around. Take me the rest of the afternoon and tonight to make it. I won't be back in town at four morning. Don't get there till afternoon. Say you met us this side of the bridge, savvy? Yeah. Then you won't be asked nothing about the fella that was chasing us. Doggone, he thinks of everything. You better say you was knocked down by us, too. That'll make folks feel more sorry for you. No, I don't. No, I don't reckon I need to knock you down to prove that, Sam. Now you get going. You can camp this side of the ravine tonight and get some sleep. And you'll get to town tomorrow afternoon. I'll do what you say, Steve. You're doing? You'll never have to worry about getting caught. Soon as the robin of the bank dies down, I'll have plans made for another job I got in mind. Tonto, the faithful Indian companion of the Lone Ranger, was waiting for the masked man at their camp. When he didn't come at the appointed time, Tonto wondered what could be detaining him. Hours passed by. Night came, and still the mystery rider did not appear. Tonto listened through the night, but there was no familiar shout, no sound of silver shot hoots. The Indian kept his vigil until dawn, then saddled his horse. Sculpe, fella, our friend, not come. We go find him, huh? Him say him go town. Come back camp soon. Him not come back. We go camp now. Get him up to go. Late afternoon brought Sam Larkin back to Martinsville. He went directly to the sheriff. Sheriff, Sheriff Potsdam. Hey, white Sam Larkin, where you been, Sam? I've been having a hard time, that's what. Look at me. Look at see what I run into. What's happened? Two fellas shot at me. I was most killed. See, there's the bullet holes. Look at my head. Sam, sick. Who was they, Sam? I don't know who they was, but they knocked me down and shot at me. Which way was they going? That way, heading away from town. It was yesterday I seen them dad rat the luck. Yesterday, then that's Sam. Did you get a good look at them two fellas? I sure did. I bet them's the two who stuck up the bank. They cleaned it out, got more than $15,000. No. It's the truth. They was escaping when you seen them. That's what happened. Well, I'll be blasted. What they look like. Can you remember them well enough to tell us? Sure enough, can. One of them was sort of heavy-set and... Never seen nothing like it. Them two robbers got away as slick as a whistle. Yes, sir. That one fell the lid out after him. What of him? Reckon he's the only one got a good sight of him. Maybe he won't be able to say nothing about it. Why? What's up? What's the matter? You heard they went in the direction of the bridge, didn't you? Yeah. Well, some of the boys set out to follow the trail of those three and they found the bridge blowed up. Blowed up? You say the bridge was blowed up, kid? Yep, blowed all of Smithereens. That's what them two did keep them being followed. Must be. They know they leave a clean-cut trail. They know they'd be followed. So they blowed up the bridge to stop us. And stop that other fellow who was following them. The masked fellow with a pure white horse. All these horse silvers, something like that. Yeah. Now, Barkeep, take a look at this mask. Does it look anything like the one the stranger wore? It's all blown up and down. Where'd you find it? Right close by the bridge that was blowed up. Yeah? I figured at first it'd been a drop of one of the thieves. But Reckon was the other fellows. You... You let me... See? They're dangerous. What are you so interested for? That mask. That... That... Well, what's the trouble? That mask of white friends. Him getting caught in blast. I'm afraid that's what happened to him, Injun. But what's it to you? Where'd you come from? Me? Been up top now. White friends. Mask. Sim. What are you, these kids? He sure looked like he was busted up about things, didn't he? Yeah, sure. Boys, boys. I got a description of them robbers. Sam Larkin seen them. They knocked him down, took shots at him. That's right, boys. I see them, and I got a first-class description of them. I'm forming a posse to scour this here county. They crossed the ravine, I know that much. And we won't waste no time hunting this side of the ravine. We'll scour the other side. Who wants to help? I don't care. Then come on. We've been hunting them men since yesterday. Not much chance of finding them now. They had a pretty good start on us. Hey, Sheriff. There comes a couple of riders this way. That's Steve and Tennessee. Oh, sure enough. Maybe they've seen them two outlaws. Hi there, Steve. I want to speak to you two hombres. What's the meaning of the party, Sheriff? Thieves, that's what. What do you mean, thieves? The bank was robbed. Was robbed yesterday, Steve? We thought maybe you and Tennessee had seen them. So, yeah, did you? Well, we did see a couple of men, but they didn't look like thieves. What'd they look like? Let me see, they, uh... It was when we was camped that we'd seen them. They'd been right in dark camp, passed a time of day. What'd they look like? Say, Steve, did they have red shirts on? Yeah, yeah, that's right. Sam, they did. And one of them was heavy set with a black beard, wasn't he? That's right. And the other had a big scar from an old knife wound. Just so. Them was the ones. Now, hold on there. I want you fellas telling me, not Sam telling you. Well, there wasn't much more to tell. What sort of horses did they ride? They... Well, let me think now. Yeah, just like kids there. One of them was, and the other one was like Sam's. That's the kind. And one of the fellas had two fingers missing. Which two fingers? Sam, Tennessee, which one? Well, now it was, uh... Did you notice, Tennessee? These here, too. Them's the men, all right. Which way'd they go? Yonder toward Mariposa. Said they aimed a strike down that way. Mariposa, eh? Oh, uh... How'd you two make on your prospecting trip? Not so bad, Chef. Not so bad. We sure are anxious to get back to town now, though. There ain't any cafes out in the desert, sure. Well, I'll take care of the rain too many in town. We sure will, Chef. We'll be hoping you'll get them, Robbers. Get up there. Get up there. It's all right, boys. Nothing to worry about. I was afraid the Sheriff would catch us giving a different description than the one you gave, Sam. I'd give you the point. You're done all right. You coming with us, Larkin? I'm coming, Chef. When I get back, I'll get my share of the cash, and don't you forget it. We won't. Get up there. The curtain falls on the first act of our throwing an old ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please prevent us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. After what he'd seen and heard in town, Tonto gave up the search for his masked friend and started back for his camp. As he drew near, he saw the Great Horse Silver and then the lone ranger himself. Tonto raced toward the campfire, dismounted and hurried to clasp his friend's hand. Tonto's good friend, man. I knew you were worried, Tonto. But I had to keep out of sight until I learned more about their plan on me. I'm glad you're still alive. Those crooks will pay before we leave here. What we do, huh? First of all, I'll have to disguise myself. You take mask off? Yes. I'll ride little ways east from town and put on other clothes. And I'll have to have a carpet bag of some sort. Tonto, get them. Very well. But I'll go into town and see if those three men don't try to contact me. We'll give them every chance to plan another crooked scheme. Then what do? You'll have to play your part, too. There'll be some risk. Sheriff's men may try to capture you. Tonto will not fray. Then listen carefully and I'll outline a plan. Several days later, a stranger came into town carrying a heavy carpet bag. There were several men sitting in the office of the sheriff when the stranger entered. They all stopped talking to study their new arrival. Sheriff? That's me, stranger. What can I do for you? I'm looking for someone that has a good claim for sale. Yeah, well, I reckon there's plenty of that sort of thing around here. Everyone's got a claim that's willing to sell it. The price is right. Oh, I've got the price all right. Right here. Kind of dangerous, toting it around that way, ain't it? I've never been robbed yet. Don't say you never will be. Better get it in the bank as quick as you can. I heard that your bank was robbed. Now, keep this money right with me. Suit yourself. I'm taking a room at the hotel. I'll be here of anyone that wants to sell. Send them over to see me. All right. But what? Strange, Ambré. Never even give his name. I wonder how much he's got. Must be from the East. He don't talk like us, fellas. Blame fool, that's what. Dratid, I know the robin of that bank could give this place a bad name. Well, I reckon I'll shove on. Maybe Steve and Tennessee would like to sell that claim they got. Steve, Steve. What is it, Sam? What's up? Come on, get Tennessee. I got something to tell. Tennessee ain't home now. He's rid out of ways. What's going on? Listen, there's a stranger here in town with a whole bag full of money that he anchors to buy a claim with. Yeah? He won't put it in the bank. He's stopping at the hotel. How much you got? I know, but it's a plenty. Listen, we've got to do something to get it. We'll think it over and watch that, fella. I'd like to see him. Go on, see him. You can talk about selling your claim. Need where the hoot, he'd never buy it. Sure not. But it'd give you the chance to size him up. Yeah, that's so. That's what I'll do. As soon as we get a plan worked out, we'll figure another slick scheme so we won't never be suspicion. Leave it to you, Steve. You bet. Just leave it to me. Got to get someone to take the blame, though. We'll find someone. Hey, there's an engine been hanging around here for the past week. That'll be perfect. The following evening, Steve, Tennessee, and Sam met in a back room of the cafe on the ground floor of the hotel. There's your drinks, Tents. Anything else now? Not now, Barkeep. Nothing but this here room to ourselves. Right you are. Now, Tennessee, you're the one that's to go to the strangest room. Being you're the same size the engine we got in mind. Yeah. I told that engine we could, he could earn himself some easy money this evening. He's right outside the window there waiting. Good enough. It'll be the word of the three of us again, one red skim. You put on this jacket and talk engine like when you throw your gun on that fella, Savvy. I got it all straight. You went over it before. I mean, good enough. I'll get his jacket. Hey, engine. Uh-huh. Now let's take your jacket. Uh-huh. Here's your jacket. All right. Now get this. My part is going to use it to play a joke, Savvy. Uh-huh. Here, Tennessee. Put this jacket on. Sure. Now listen, engine. He's climbing to the second floor by way of the rear. When he comes down, he'll give you your jacket and a jacket and a jacket. Hey, engine. Uh-huh. Now let's take your jacket. Uh-huh. I'll give you your jacket and a cage. Get started now, Tennessee. I'm going. Let me through this, Steve. What me do next? Wait right here. He comes down. Then get aboard your horse and travel fast. Let me go. Let me fast. Tennessee went to the room on the second floor, and in the darkness held a gun on the tall stranger. You keep still or me shoot. What is this, Indian? A robbery? That what? Me take bag. Very well. Take it. Take it, but don't shoot. You'll keep face to wall. Tennessee backed out of the window and down the side of the house using the notch corner logs for a foothold. Then he hurried to the window of the rear room where his friends were waiting. I got it. Here. Here's your jacket. Uh-huh. And here's the money we promised. Now start out and travel fast. Get going. Get him up. Hey, Steve. Here, take this carpet bag. I got it. Now give me a hand. That's it. There he is, boys. Start shooting. There he goes. There goes the red skin. What's the shooting? An engine on a horse. He went that way. Come right past that window. And we see a carpet bag in his hands, too. Boys, get going. Maybe here's the one that robbed the bank. That's her man, all right. All three of us seen him. Come on, boys. Pop out the window, Sheriff. Get the horse or sundown. We'll get right with you. Get that red skin. He robbed me. Let me take a horse. Take anyone's handy stranger. This is your party. Good luck. Good luck, boys. Good luck, you, Sheriff. Good luck. Bring him back, Sheriff. That's pretty slick work, Air Boys. Slick is a pig's ear, Steve. Worked out just so. Let the engine escape and we're in the clear. Ain't a man alive won't think he's the crook. That's how I got it figured, Tennessee. But what if the red skin gets caught, Steve? What'll happen then? Shucks. Let him get caught. Who is there to believe his story? They'll all think he's hid the cash somewhere. Just so. We ain't a thing to worry about, Tennessee. Good enough. Just one thing more, Steve. We want to be sure and get this carpet bag hidden with the other cash before the riders come back this way. Wait a minute. Let's split the cash here. We ain't the time. The sheriff and their mother fellows may get that engine and come back here. All right. Come on. Let's go. Get up there. Get up. Come on here. What sort of horse is that red skin riding? He's traveling hard. Look at him now. He's slowing up. Bye, ginger sheriff. He's drawn his horse right down to a stop. Maybe it's a trick or some sort. Where's that stranger with the borrowed horse? He's right behind. No, he ain't. He ain't with us. Hold on a second. Oh, hold on. I don't see that stranger. Me neither. Now what's happened to him? The red skin stopped up ahead. Wonder if he figures the drillers. Gosh, I don't know. Well, we're finding out. Get up. Get up. Red skin. Make a fast move and we fire. You come. We're coming. And don't think we won't shoot to kill. There's a friend right where you are now. No, me. Wait. You. Not want me. No, we don't, eh? Well, there's room for argument about that. Oh, there. Get his weapons, kid. Yeah. Me. Not right. Cover. Come on. Get over there. That voice. He's riding down here. That's a voice. Him. Good friend. Get ready to shoot. Cover. Cover. The voice is the same, but that's white horse. That ain't the one he. We got you covered like the red skin. Now you cover. Suppose you listen to me first. Sheriff, I changed my clothes and took the disguise off my face. Clothes? Disguise? I left your horse with the clothes I discarded. Then you're the one who. We borrowed a horse from the one who had that covered back. You mean to say that. You don't want that, Indian. No. Me not right, man. Me help fix crap. Now sit here. If you ain't the right one, who are you? The man you want are the ones who stole that bag. Yeah. And if you'll come with me, I'll lead you to them. How do we know you're on the level? Maybe it's just a trick to free the red skin. Come on. Follow me. Get me out of here. Steve, Sam, and Tennessee went on foot to their hideout. When they reached the shack, Steve lighted a candle. Now we'll open our new carpet bag and see what's inside. Maybe a few more thousands of dollars, eh, Steve? Here's hoping. It'll be a funny one if the engine got shot. He couldn't even say he wasn't a thief then. It's a blame good chance of his being shot, too. Sheriff's awful sore about stealing around here. Hurry up, Steve. Get that bag open. Let's see what she holds. I'm getting there. There. I'll dump it on the floor and we'll all count it. Hey, what's that? That ain't money. Bundles or something. Cut that string. I can bust it. What sort of skin game is this? Nothing but blank paper. We're tricked. We'll double-cross. Who done it? See here, Tennessee. Did you do this to double-cross us? No, of course I didn't. But where's that gin's money? There never was money. Oh, I got the I3 of you. The sheriff. Leave him, Hannah. That masked fellow chased us through the bridge. He ain't dead. Take the guns, kid. Where's the frame up? No frame up about it. You want my thieves? Where's that bank money? Wait, wait, wait. Don't shoot. Don't shoot. I'll tell. Where's it at? Under that bunk there. Take a look, kid. Right. I'll see if he's telling the truth. What's it all mean? Here's the money. Means you three mavericks are headed for jail. That's what. Listen, that engine, he's a... You plenty big fool. No use, man. You're finished. That voice. The clothes ain't the same, but the voice is. Yeah, he's a stranger, all right. When you blow the bridge up, he duck for cover. And let you think the only man that knows you was dead. I knew there was no way to prove you men guilty unless we could find the money. So I invited another robbery. And you fell into the trap nicely. When we followed your trail, you led us to your hiding place. I first got suspicious of you two when Sam was telling you how to describe the fellas that were supposed to have sold the money. You blame fool you, Sam? I planned with that fella. I was right outside your room when you was talking to the engine. Well, we got the bank money and the crooks. You better take that blame carpet bag, too. Make a clean sweep of it. I'll take that. And the fancy dude clothes. I lent that mask right here. You framed us, Sheriff. It was an ordinary trick. You're correct us. Gents, when quitters bust laws, I'm willing to try any tricks to get them. Stranger, let me say this. Yeah, Sheriff? Anytime you'll unmask and let folks see who you really are. Yes. Well, I'll set right out of office and give you my job. Thanks, Sheriff, but not just yet. Come, Tyler. We ride together again, man. Get them three tights. Come on, you coyote. Come on. Uh, it's a blame. Good night's work. That mask right here, done. All right. Let's go. Let's go. All right. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.