 A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver! The Lone Ranger! Before this exciting adventure, a word from our sponsor. General Mills, makers of Cheerios, the oak cereal that's ready to eat, Benny Crocker mixes, and Wheaties, the breakfast of champions! Present by special recording, The Lone Ranger! Sometimes you just don't realize what a good buddy one of your friends is until he's away for a while. Maybe he's home from school with a cold or something. You look at his empty desk in class and gee, you really miss him. Well, here's something realize you can do for him. Take over a big, cheery, Betty Crocker yellow cake. The kind that says, hurry back soon, we think you're great. A cake like this, of course, just has to be perfect. And you can be sure it will be when it's made with Betty Crocker's yellow cake mix. Your mom will love to bake it, or you can be a chef and bake it yourself. Any guy can turn out a perfect cake with this mix. All the special things are right in the package. You just add water and two fresh eggs for a perfect cake every time you bake. Cake after cake after cake. It's guaranteed perfect by Betty Crocker of General Mills Minneapolis. And wait till he tastes that first slice. Mmm, a real he-man, every crumb's delectable Betty Crocker yellow cake. Bake one, it's fun. With his faithful Indian companion, Toto, the daring and resourceful mask writer of the plains 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. 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. Come on, Silver. Let's go, Nicole. I am Silver! Hello! Hank Martin and his wife looked stunned as they sat in the living room of their home in the Oklahoma panhandle country. Facing them sat Lem Garner, president of the bank in the nearby town of Batesville, and Jim West, the sheriff. Hank said, I knew this day was coming. Oh, I'm sorry, Hank. I don't like to foreclose the mortgage on your ranch. It's not Hank's fault that he couldn't pay you, Mr. Garner. He drove all his cattle to Cimarron to get the cash, and he had the cash, but it was stolen from him on the way home. I'm sorry, Marybeth. The banker has no choice, Mrs. Martin. He's got to protect the bank's cash and investment. We understand, Sheriff. How soon do we have to vacate? Well, there's no hurry. I'll list the property for sale. You might as well stay here until there's a new owner who wants possession. Thanks, Mr. Garner. During the next week, Hank and Mary made preparations for moving. They carefully selected the things they would take with them and studied maps and pamphlets, trying to decide where they would go to make a new start. Then, about 10 o'clock one night, thick gentleman then quitey fox rolled toward the ranch house. The house is lighted, Whitey. Reckon Hank is still up. Good. Well, we got a talk to him where his wife came to hear our plan. I tried. Hold, hold, hold. Steady. A wrap on the door. Whitey. Where's Mary? She's asleep in the next room. I'll step outside and she won't hear us talking. Is that Sieg over there with the horses? Yeah, come on over there. There'll be less likelihood of your wife hearing us. I'll never forget the way she laced into us when Sieg and I said we were going to rustle cattle. She still feel the same way? Yes. Hello, Hank. Glad to see you. Hello, Sieg. Well, you heard that the bank had taken away your ranch. Is that true? It's true. We've been packing things, getting ready to leave. Now you know how Sieg and I felt when we lost our ranch three years ago. Yeah, maybe now you're savvy why we felt justified and turned cattle fees to square accounts. Have you two gotten rich by stealing cattle? No, but we've had plenty of money to spend on good times and without much work. We've lived a lot better than you have for the past three years. Maybe so. But my name's not on hand bills in the sheriff's office. Well, you know the law's got a price on our heads. Yes. Well, listen, Hank, I'll tell you why we came here. We've got a big deal lined up. There's one that'll give us enough cash to clear out of the country and set up ranging in Mexico. We want you in on it with us. You want me to turn crook? Now, don't fly off the handle, Hank. We know you've got straight-laced ideas, but you've likewise got a wife to think about. Now, let me give you the best of her life. For what? You'll marry something, Hank. What sort of a job do you fellas have in mind? We'll tell you all about it when the time comes. We'll have to decide right now if you're going to throw in with it. And come with us tonight. But Mary... Leave a note saying that you're going away for a couple of days on a business deal. Tell you'll be back as soon as it's complete. The following morning, Mary read the note with mixed feelings of wonderment, uncertainty, and apprehension. She thought about it while she went about her daily chores. In mid-morning, she heard writers stop in front of the house and hurried to the door. She saw a masked man and an Indian dismounted and examining the ground. Who are you? What do you want? I'd like to talk to you. If you've come to steal, you've made a mistake with nothing. I'm not a thief. But that mask... My friend and I have been trailing two cooks for a long time. They're cattle thieves. But we... They came here. You must be mistaken. No, the tracks are very clear. Both of the men dismounted in front of this house. They must have come here during the night while I was sleeping. Yes, tunnel. What about the tracks? Man from house stand near crook. Oh, maybe talk. Then they go to Carell, get horse, ride north with Sigg and Whitey. With whom did he say Sigg and Whitey? Yes, they're the cattle thieves we're trying to find. Sigg Desmond and Whitey Fox. And my husband has gone away with them. Oh, no! You seem to know Sigg and Whitey. Yes, I do know them. And now I know what my husband meant by the know he left. Did he leave a note? Who are you? You wouldn't be masked if you were a lawman. Why are you trailing those cooks? Who are you? I'm called the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger? I wish I could be sure of that. Why? Because I know you'd find my husband before it's too late. And convincing me that it's far better to lose our ranch than to become a thief. Do you expect to lose your ranch? We've already lost it, Mr. The bank owns it now. I'm sorry. He ain't left a note saying he'd return with money to buy it back. But I don't want him to become a thief. I'd rather see him dead. If I find your husband, Mrs. Martin, I'll tell him what you said. You know my name? I saw it on the gate post. We'll try to find your husband before it's too late. All right, let's go now. You ready? Easy, sir. You ready? Let's go. It's hard until mid-afternoon. Then, Sig said... No, that's enough, Whitey. Put away the card. Is it time to start towards town? Yeah. At first we'll go over the plans once more to be sure Hank understands them. Sig, I've been thinking it over. I don't like the idea, Robin, the bank. Whether you like it or not, that's what we're gonna do. But last night when I agreed to throw in with you, I thought you were gonna rustle cattle. With the law looking for Whitey and me, it'd be too hard to sell stolen cattle and too much risk. Besides, we'd get a lot more cash by robbing the bank. But there might be gunplay. That's why we took you in. We figured we might need three men. Someone might be killed. Yeah, that could happen if anyone gets in our way. Now, here's a set-up. We'll leave our horses near that landmark. Castle Rock. It's about five miles from town. Yeah, we'll walk to town. It'll be dark by the time we get there, so no one's likely to recognize us. We'll pick three fast-looking horses from those that are tied to hitchrails near the bank. The bank stays open till 10 o'clock, so we'll have plenty of time. Right. After the stick-up, we high-tail on the bowed horses to Castle Rock. There we'll take our own horses. They'll be fresh, so we'll have no trouble outriding anyone who's chasing us. Is it all clear? Fig, I didn't figure on robbing the bank or shooting anyone. I don't care what you figure down, Hank. The plans are set. And we're going through with it. Not me. What did you say? I'm not mixing into a deal where someone might be killed. Boy, you... You joined up with us, you can't back out. I'm not going with you. You've got to, you know our plans will not give me a chance to squeal. Now you go with us, or go for your gun. What? My gun? That's what I said. I don't want to shoot you without giving you the chance to draw. Fig, I'm no gun slinger. Well, your gun. All right. Fig's gun barked before Hank Martin's weapon cleared the holster. The impact of the bullet sent the rancher staggering backward over the edge of the level hillhouse. He fell on the steep eastern slope and slid downhill with a mass of shale and small stones, while Fig and Whitey watched. We'll continue our lone ranger adventure in just a moment. Doin' okay? You bet the champs in good ol' New York are. Listen. Now in New York, we wait for days to see a guy called Willie Mays, because Wheaties keeps him leaping high to grab those line drives on the fly. And Yogi Berra's the Wheaties lad whose batting style makes pitchers sad. No matter how they throw the ball, that Yogi belts it through the wall. And look, both Willie Mays and Yogi Berra's the Wheaties lad whose batting style makes pitchers sad. And look, both Willie Mays and Yogi Berra turn to Wheaties for extra energy because there's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheatie's slate. Wheaties, breakfast of champions. Keep party, do your Wheaties. When you do, do, do, do an okay. Now to continue. Some time after the outlaws rolled down the western side of the hill on their way to Cattle Rock, Hank Martin regained consciousness. He saw an Indian and a mask man. The Indian was bathing a wound in his left side. Daddy, take it easy. You're wounded and bruised, but you've escaped serious injury. You're Hank Martin, aren't you? Yes. How'd you know? We trailed two outlaws to your home. Your wife told us about you. Your mask. Another outlaw. Hank, your wife knows we're friends. And she knows you're rode away with Sig and Wheaties. Oh, she...she knows. Yes. And she said she'd rather see you dead than crooked. I knew she'd see that way. Who shot you? Sig Desmond. I intended to turn crooked. So as I could get back to my ranch and if Bank took it. I know about that. When it came to the showdown, I... Oh, me. Sorry. I may try not hurt you. I hope you know what you're doing. That was good at treating you. Now, what were you about to say? I couldn't go along with Sig and Wheatie. I told them so. But they wouldn't let me back out because I knew their plans. They were afraid I'd talk. So Sig shot me. You're lucky to be alive. I want to stop those crooks. If they rob the bank, people will think I was in cahoots. Hank, tell me what you know about their plans. By the time Tatl finished dressing the wound, the Lone Ranger knew how Sig and Wheatie planned to escape from town on stolen horses, changing to their own trash mounds at the landmark known as Castle Rock. He said, Maybe we'll surprise those crooks with some plans of our own. What do you mean? I'll tell you before I leave. At first we'll carry you to a more comfortable place. Tatl will stay with you while I go after Sig and Wheatie. Sig and Wheatie reached town after dark just as they had planned. They were pleased to find the main street practically deserted. At the hitch rail in front of the highway next door to the bank, they loosened the tie ropes of two saddled horses and then went to the bank. This is a sticker. Please. We're shooting anyone who makes a fast move. No, no, don't shoot. Please don't shoot. Then move over against that wall out of here. Face the wall and keep your hands up. Garner, a clerk, and two fighting depositors obeyed Sig's grim command and remained motionless while Wheatie collected all the paper money he could see and stuffed it into a gunny sack. We're all set. Let's go. Anyone who comes after us will stop our bullet. We made a mistake and we're not in the clear yet. We've got to reach Castle Rock ahead of everyone who's chasing us. Hey, that banker in my mind here. He's shooting at us. Let's go. When the stolen horses cruelly taken while he raced across the moonlit plain, the pursuers were nowhere in sight. When the two crooks came within view of a rock about 20 feet in height, the peculiar shape of the rock landmark was like a castle. A moment later, the men threw rain. These horses are sure wore out. That's why it was smart to have fresh ones waiting on the other side of the rock. Too bad we had to pick a moon-like night. Our tracks show up mighty clear. I don't matter. No one will catch us. You got the money? Yeah. Come on in. We'll get our own horses and get out. We'll go fast. Hey, you've met. And armed. You're both covered. Where'd you come from? The other side of Castle Rock. I've been waiting for you. Drop that money and raise your hand. Now, hold on, mister. Drop it. All right. That's it. Lower one hand slowly and unbuckle your gun belt. If you're riding me, I'll hook you. There go your belt. Let them drop and don't make a fast move. Whoever you are, mister, I'm coming. Drop the belt. I'm unbuckling, mind. There. Some drop in mind. I just wanted to tell you there'll be a lot of townsmen heading this way. We'll all be caught. I don't intend to be caught. I don't care what happens to you. Step backward. What are you going to do? First, I'll throw your gun as far as possible. Now, I'll try to throw your pal's gun farther. By the time you've got those weapons, I'll be out of range. You're taking that money? Yes, of course. Listen, mister, I'll hook like us. Gotta stick together. You know you're so lucky that I'm leaving your guns and horses. Our horses? Where you left them? I left mine with them. Hurry up. Whitey, come on. We'll get our guns. Is that ordinary sidewinder? Hold on. There he goes. I see my gun. Mine's just beyond it. We've got fresh horses. We'll go after that masked pole cat. Hey, stop at him. I know you. He's too far away. Let's get the horses. Take a sick look. Come on. Our horses can outrun them. Maybe so, but can our horses catch that white one? The masked man's right. We'll soon find out again. Eddie Wharton, get up. The old ranger set a steady pace that kept him within view of the bank robbers, yet far enough ahead to be out of range of gunshots. He headed toward the hill, and the camp where he had left Tonto and the wounded rancher. Come on. Hank and Tonto were sat on the ground near the foot of a steep hill. They were nearly surrounded by a number of massive boulders, high enough to conceal both the men and their horses. Hank had recovered much of his strength and was wide awake and alert. When Tonto heard the sound of an approaching horn, he peered between two of the rocks. What do you see, Tonto? Masked friend comes. Who's shooting? Two fellas who chase friends. Who are they? Can you see? Not these faces. Them too far away. Well, let me look. Them fellas too far behind masked friends to use guns. Them waste bullets. They're taken whitely. I can tell by the way they ride. They're trying to shoot the man who saved my life. I'd like to get a... No, you've not used gun yet. Leaning low in the saddle and holding the money-filled sack, a lone ranger guided the great horse, Silver, past the boulders. Then grew rain sharply. He swung the stallion through an opening between two of the rocks, and dismounted beside Hank and Tonto. Easy city, big fella. The bank robbers are coming. Then they did rob the bank. Yes, here's the case they stole. I think they're away from them. No wonder they were shooting at you. I'll return their fire. The shooting must have been between rocks. Good. Now do the shooting. Oh, hey. I want to place the bullets carefully. The masked man's first shot drilled the hats of Sig and Whitey. His next ones brushed their shoulders. As the surprised outlaws, less than a hundred feet away, grew rain and dismounted in the hope of finding cover, the lone ranger's guns barked repeatedly. In the moonlight, Sig and Whitey saw the bullets kick up dirt close to their feet, and knew they were at the mercy of the unseen gunman. I can drill you both. Oh, wait a minute. Drop your gun and hold up your hand. With no protection nearby, the outlaws had no choice but to obey. Now walk this way slowly and be careful. All right, all right. We'll do as you say. We know where my legs are. A short time later, the sheriff banked Garner and a number of townsmen who had followed a clearly defined trail, grew rain at the cluster of rocks. Tanks sat on the ground with his gun pointed at Sig and Whitey, whose hands and feet were tightly bound. Hank Martin, where did you come from? That's a long story, Mr. Garner. I reckon this sack holds your stolen money. I've been fined out. Garner, are these two the men who stole it? Yes, yes, I'm sure that. I recognize the clothes. Now hold on. I recognize the boy. He's one of the crooks. I know these two. Sig Desmond and Whitey Park. They wanted for cattle stealing. This is the bank's money, all right, sir. Some of it is still in the bank, right? But they can't prove we stole it. That was a mask, man. I'm stealing the two of you for cattle stealing. We'll take up the bank robbery later. Hank, did you capture these men? No, Mr. Garner. There was a mask man. Yes, the Sig told you. Hank! Hank, you're hurt. Not seriously, Sheriff. Sig tried to kill me when I wouldn't go along in the bank robbery. I might have died if it hadn't been for the mask man. Where is the mask man? He and Toddl rode away when they saw you gents coming through the valley. He said it was my deal for men on. I don't know what he meant. Well, I do. He meant that he wanted you to be credited with a capture of these crooks and the recovery of the money. Well, if Hank's credited with a capture of the crooks he's entitled to the rewards for. I am? Sure thing, Hank. Enough so you can buy back your ranch. Great day. You hear that, Mr. Garner? Yes, Hank. And you'll be in line for another reward. Another reward? That's right. The insurance company has a standard reward for the recovery of stolen money. I'm sure it'll be enough for you to buy cattle and make a new stock. Wait or marry his business. Oh, golly! And as for me, Hank, I want you to know I greatly appreciate what you've done. But I didn't do much. I don't deserve this. A masked man thought you deserved the rewards, and I respect his judgment. Garner, you seem to know the masked man. Hank mentioned his friend and an Indian called Tunnel. That's right, and he called his horse Silver. As far as I'm concerned, that identifies a masked man as the Lone Ranger. Here, a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated is produced by Trenzel Campbell Muir Incorporated. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. Your announcer, Fred Toy. Listen to the Lone Ranger brought to you by Special Recording Mondays through Fridays at this same time.