 With his faithful Indian companion Toto, the mask 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 a thundering hoop beat to the great horse, Silver. But on Ranger rides again! Silver! Jonathan Steele was hundreds of miles away when his bank in Baker City failed. All but a few of those who had trusted the banker were wiped out. Some, in desperation, took their own lives. Others courageously sought a new start in life. Everyone blamed Jonathan Steele for the catastrophe. When Steele returned to Baker City several weeks after the bank's failure, he found a lynch mob waiting a season to discuss some of the prank. First he was bewildered. Then as he realized the mob's grim purpose, he shouted for his friend. Cardigan! He called for the jewel, a man of wealth. Granger! Where's Benjamin Granger? Granger and Cardigan can't save you. The Granger was one of the directors of the bank. Drag him along, boys. You know where to find the Hangman Street. No, no one on the name of mercy waits. Let me speak. We listen to you when we trusted you with our cash. Come, Beatsley. Beatsley can save me. Beatsley can explain everything. Now, where is he? Someone go and get the manager of my bank. Forget it. He'll tell you you're making a big mistake. There's no mistake. We trusted you, Jonathan Steele. Trusted you and went broke. You lost all our money for us. No, no. I tell you you're all wrong. Now, please listen to me. Please find my frame. There's a horse all set for him. Might as well strike that horse. Cardigan! Granger! Beatsley! Someone get my frame. Here! Here! Here! Here! That'll do it. I'll fix the nose. Oh, wait. Wait a minute. Here comes Beatsley. Just a minute, man. Hold it a minute. Beatsley. Beatsley. Thank heaven you're here. I'll hold everything, boys. No use, Beatsley. We've decided what should be done with a banker that busts it. A condemned man is entitled to a last word. You can't deny that. We had a meeting. We had a regular trial before Steele came back here. The sentence has been passed. Just give me a chance to speak. All right, Steele. You can speak your peace while we adjust the noose. Now, boys, you won't need a noose. I see Cardigan and Granger coming. When you heard my story, you changed your mind about hanging me. Now, let me just... You're right on that board. As soon as your crew's speaking, we'll snap him out for Monday. I'm not worried now that Cardigan, Granger, and Beatsley are here. Now, boys, I didn't mean for any of you to lose your money. I've arranged for all of you to get back what you've lost. I'm surprised that you haven't been paid already. What do you aim to pay us with? Beatsley, why didn't you follow my orders? What orders, Mr. Steele? Why, I... I wrote you a letter. I told you to take the bonds and jewelry from my private vault and convert them into cash to pay our depositors. There was nearly a million dollars. What are you talking about, Jonathan? You haven't any private fortune in the vault. What? And you didn't write any letter to me. Beatsley! Beatsley! Well, what are you... Why are you lying? Granger will prove you're a liar. I wrote you a letter, too, Granger. Now, tell these people what I said. Jonathan, if you had a million dollars worth of bonds and jewelry, I would certainly know it as the director of your bank. You know you're not telling the truth. In the name of mercy, all of you turning against me, Cardigan. Cardigan, you're not connected with the bank. You, at least, will tell the truth. Of course I will, Jonathan. I'll tell the people about the letter I sent you. What letter? My Cardigan. Cardigan, I sent you a package of jewelry that I happened to have with me. I told you that Beatsley and Granger would bring jewels for my vault. I asked you to cover everything with cash, so those who trusted me would be given their money. Well, I'm sorry, Jonathan. I saw neither jewels or letters. What? You, too, Cardigan. That's all still you had to say. Are you? You false friends. You fiends. You devils. You'll pay. You'll pay for murder, Cardigan. And you, too, Granger. And you, too, Beatsley. Therefore, you'll pay. You wait and see. Yeah. Jonathan Steele's last words were a warning, but no one took him seriously. He had, however, been on his grave for less than a month when Cardigan the jeweler was found on his luxurious library with a bullet in his brain. I came as soon as I heard the terrible news, Sheriff. Yeah, I see you did, Mr. Granger. Very clear. Do you know who killed Cardigan? Yep. You do? I know, but it's mighty hard to believe it. You see, the murderer sent Cardigan a note. Signed? Well, here it is, signed by Betty Steele. Jonathan Steele's daughter. But she was at school with me? Well, maybe she was. This looks like she's come back to Baker City. You and Beatsley, it better keep your eyes open, Granger. Sure, if you don't think... Granger? I don't know what to think. Dead. I can't believe it, Sheriff. Believe it or not, Mr. Beatsley, there he is, sprawled on the floor just like Cardigan was. It's incredible. Funny thing, just two days ago, I warned Granger to keep his eyes open. First, Cardigan, now Granger. Sheriff, Betty Steele isn't capable of this. Here's the note I found on Granger's desk, Mr. Beatsley. It's the same as the one with Cardigan. But a beautiful young lady like Betty Steele. Let me read you her note. She says, signed, Betty Steele. Sheriff, has anyone seen the girl recently? No, I've had men looking for her ever since Cardigan's death. No one has seen her. Well, this is her handwriting. Then I was going to ask you about that, Mr. Beatsley. I figured that you, as manager of the bank, would know Betty Steele. Oh, I know it as well as I do my own. Then there ain't no doubt about her writing the note to Cardigan and Granger. There's not the slightest doubt. Mr. Beatsley, if you get one of these notes, you'd better let me know about it, pronto. Why should I receive a note like this? Weren't you one of the three men that Jonathan Steele called on to save his life? Well, I... You, Granger, and Cardigan. Ain't that right? The other two are dead. Beatsley lived in one of the oldest mansions in the city. It was a huge three-story house set well back from the road amid a cluster of trees. A high wall surrounded the property. Two men stood near the gate in the darkness. It was the lone ranger and tonto who peered from the shadows near the wall at three moonless figures on horseback. The horseman was kind of this way. Moonlight and a piece of girls. Yes. Betty Steele. They were the horses' tonto. It's meant to see what that girl has to say. Hey, look there! Hold it! You've got two guns. Man! Rain up, boy! Oh, oh, oh, oh! I want to talk to you. So Beatsley has guards on duty. How long since the sheriff's men have worn masks? Well, if it isn't Skinner Meek and... I thought you could find your activities to gambling and swindling. I don't care what you've got. We came to see Beatsley. Take it to him. And drag Richard. Who are you? How do you know me? Have you graduated from sneak-severy drag? I didn't think you had courage enough for anything else. At least I ain't afraid to show my face. You are. Oh, yes, Meekin. I'm terribly afraid. Look here. I said in Beatsley a note. Betty, you admit that? Well, I shouldn't, I admit it. I told him I'd call him. If he's afraid of me, you may accompany us with your gun. You enter that house, you'll be shot on sight. I shouldn't want that to happen. Shot? By whom? Beatsley has guards inside the house. The sheriff's men would hardly shoot me. Beatsley didn't tell the sheriff about your note. Steady hired gunmen to protect him. He gave them orders to shoot on sight. They'll do it too. They're real gunmen. Not petty crooks like your companions. How you see here... Be quiet, Meekin. Take me to Beatsley. He can't have me murdered and get away with it. If you have what's happened, I think he can. What do you mean? No one would blame him for trying to escape the fate of Cardigan and Granger. What? What happened to them? You don't know that they're dead? Oh, no. You were supposed to have killed them. No, not that. He seems to know a lot about it, mister. Maybe he killed them too, Meekin. He's trying to frame Miss Betty. You chose a bad line of procedure, Betty. But I had no... A very poor specimen to help you. Perhaps Dragon Meekin took matters out of your hand. You can't put that lame on us. You must have looked under stones and rotten logs to find creatures like these, too. You wouldn't talk, though, free if you didn't hold guns on it. Please forgive me. I forgot I was holding them. There. Now they're hosted. Are you happy? Of course they're only two of you. You'd hardly resent anything, I'd say. I'll be hanged if you can talk to me like that. You should be hanged. Come on, drag it. You don't fix it. Great. I hope you try. No, no, don't fight. Now, hand him, Greg. Get back on your horses. I'll fix it. You will. I got one of his arms. Greg, get behind him. Hang on, Meekin. Come on, fix it. Thanks for coming. Hold still. Meekin. The only hell of one arm. Greg, come here. No, no, wait. Sorry. Get up, boy. I hope that wasn't for nothing. Can you move out of here? Yes. Girl, get away. We've had silver. We'll follow her. Come on, Silver. Get out of the house. Hey, Mr. Beasley. Those two men we found there, the gate have got conscious. They have. What do they have to say, Drexel? Nothing much. If you find out who you heard riding away, we ain't questioned them yet. I told the other boys to stay with them till I got to you. I thought you'd want to be on hand. Well, take me to them. They're right here in the next room. We didn't do anything. Honestly, didn't. There they are, Mr. Beasley. Make a look. The killer Drexel. Drexel, what are you doing here? Yes, Mr. Beasley. Drexel and these other men are here to protect me. They heard a commotion near the gate. They went to investigate and found you two lying on the ground, unconscious. Drexel, do you know those men? Yeah. This one's name is Meakin. The other's Drag Richards. They're a couple of tin-horned crooky yellow all the way through. Find out why they came here. Right. You two heard what Mr. Beasley said, didn't you? Yeah. Well, sure. We wanted the truth back. Why were you hanging around the gate? Who was to knock you out? Who did we hear right in the way? Well, I'll tell what happened. Go ahead, Drexel. You tell it. Well, Meakin and me were out near Conway Creek when we saw Jonathan Steele's daughter. You saw Betty Steele? Yeah. She was near a fishing cabin, saddling a horse. Well, that's where she's been hiding. We knew the law wanted her, so we kept out of sight and watched. When she rolled away, we followed her. She met a masked man near your gate. A masked man? Tell me about him. It was dark. We didn't see much of him. He spotted us and got the drop on us. Then he grabbed us and knocked us down. That's all we know. It must have been them we heard right in the way. Now, look here, drag. Why did you and Meakin follow the girl? We figured we might earn ourselves a reward. The law wanted her. Maybe you can earn a reward. I want Betty Steele and that masked man brought here. I don't know about the masked man, but we might find the girl at that camp. Go and see. Drexel sent two of your men with him. You're right. Mark and Jake, you two go. Pay handsomely to get the masked man and Betty here, where Drexel can deal with them. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger story. Before the next exciting scene, please submit us a pause for just a few moments. To continue our story, Betty Steele, accused of killing two men, landed a candle in the little fishing cabin near Conway Creek. Then with fratty case, she began packing her saddlebags. She didn't hear the horses that were rained up some distance from the cabin. Now the soft footsteps of the men who approached the partly open door. She was aware of no one until the Lone Ranger spoke. Betty, I believe don't be alarmed. Thank you. Betty, you won't need a gun. Next one. There. I'll return this gun in a few minutes. You followed me here. Yes. You left Beasley's gate before we finished our conversation. You seem surprised to learn that Cardigan and Granger had been murdered. What of it? I was equally surprised. Thought you'd taken justice into your own hands. Glad to learn that this wasn't the case. Why don't you leave me alone? If you hadn't interfered, I'd have had a showdown with Beasley. You'd have been shot. Beasley would have pleaded self-defense. When did Cardigan and Granger die? Cardigan was shot four nights ago. Granger was shot two nights later. I was in Riverport on Monday and Newton on Wednesday. Can you prove that? Easily. How about Meakin and Drag Richards? They too have an alibi. I hired them yesterday in Little Falls. You made a poor choice. I didn't ask for your opinion. No, it wasn't necessary to ask. Who are you anyway? Why don't you mind your own business and let me mind mine? The other in this case we're both interested in clearing your father's name. You are? Yes. I started for Baker City as soon as I heard what had happened to your father. Why? Because I knew that he was the victim of three faithless friends. You knew? I knew that he sent jewelry and letters here in the hope of keeping faith for the people who had money in the bank. You knew that? I also knew that Beasley received the jewelry in his letter. I'm sure Cardigan and Granger received theirs. How do you know? You see, Betty, I brought the letters to Baker City. I handed the jewels to Beasley. Then my father must have trusted you. Yes. Will you? Are you telling me the truth? I needn't ask. I know you are. Betty, tell me, why did you hire a couple of crooks like Drag and Meakin? I don't know. I knew that my father's friends had betrayed him. I sent letters to all three. I guess I must have intended to frighten them. My plan was to call on them with a couple of men who knew how to use guns. But I might get confessions from Cardigan, Granger, and Beasley. Do you think Cardigan and Granger killed themselves because they feared exposure? No. Then who do you think did it? We'd better get after Beasley. If he dies, there will be no hope of clearing your father. Take a look. I'll let you have it. Now, you've found reinforcements. Now, Meakin. Look that way, don't it? We got a store to settle with you. Now, uh, now whose side are you on, Drag? Beasley. Why, you double croak! I made a mistake in leaving you two. Didn't I? You made a mistake hitting us in the first place. We ain't forgot that. We aim to get square. Save it. You two can talk while you want. We get back to Beasley. Me and Jake will cover while you take the gents' guns. Take the mask off while you're at it. Let's see who he is. Just one minute. Huh? An hour ago, you found that odds of two to one weren't good enough for you. Haven't you learned your lesson? Big talk, eh? Let me remind you that the odds have changed. They're four to one now. To say nothing of the fact that we've got the drop on you. No, four to two, Drag. You see, four to two is the same as two to one. Four to two. Yeah, listen to him, Bart. He's counting the girls. Cut that car and take his guns. I'm counting, Miss Steel. I'm counting my friend who stands at the door behind you. Huh? You stand still. Red skin. Oh, fiction. Good shooting, Tato. Now I'll drop you. I'll give Drag and Meakin some further personal attention. No, no. Wait, wait a minute. Odds of two to one, Drag. Just as before. Oh, wait. Please, wait a minute. Let me explain. You tell him, Miss Betty. Tell him we're on your side. You worms. I miss some of the life performance by riding away. I'm looking forward to a repeat performance. As a matter of fact, so am I. Don't hit me again. Don't do it, please. We give up. You've got the drop off us. Perhaps you'll answer a few questions to avoid a beating up. What do you want to know, Barnaby? Got a little cat. Call me names if you want to. But you don't know how he can hit. Who is with Beasley? A killer named Drexel and two other guys. Squealer. Any servants in the house? I didn't see any. Did you meet him? I heard he sent them all away a few days ago. And there are just four men in that house. Drexel and his two men and Beasley. I guess that's right. We'll tie these men together. No, no time. Betty, you might finish packing your saddlebags. What are you going to do? You sent Beasley a note. You promised to call him. Well, we're going to keep that promise. And they've been gone over two hours, Drexel. Those men should be back. Make it easy, Beasley. Maybe the girl didn't go straight to the cabin. Maybe the boys are waiting for her to show up. Yeah, that's possible. You can word a good man. We can count on him. I hope so. He'll be back pretty soon. They'll have that masked man and the girl with him. It'll mean a great deal to me to get it. Hold it. What's the matter, Drexel? I thought I heard something. The next room. Someone is moving around in there. We're ready. Don't move. Let's get that boy. Get up. Pull him down. Hang on to him. Get him down. Yeah. Came through that window. Yeah. Me not talk. Oh, you won't. And we got ways to change in your mind. Who sent you here? Me not talk. You'll see how soon you can change your mind. I'll just put this poker in the fire and get it red hot. No, no. You'll not do that. No? Well, maybe you're ready to answer questions. Me talk. You let me go. We've got nothing against you, Redskins. You treat us right and we'll do the same for you. Now tell me, who sent you here? Tell her with mask and girl. Those two. Why? Why did they send you? They come here, start fire and house. Fire? Then say, I make plenty big fire. Except the house of fire? They wanted to start a fire, so I'd rush out with certain items. Well, they were waiting outside. It would have been a smart scheme if it had worked. Make that Indian tell where we can find those two. Engine? We're going to give you a chance to save your neck. No. Me not want any trouble. You said that a mask man and a girl sent you here. They waiting outside the house? Not right. Climb over wall to get near house. Then wait at southeast corner house. You heard that, Drexel? Go get them. We'll have to leave you alone for a few minutes. I'll be all right. Can you guard this Redskins? Of course I can. He's tightly bound, isn't he? He sure is. Come on, boys. We'll sneak up on those two outside. Don't be long, Drexel. Don't worry. We'll go up this door. You were going to set fire to my house, eh? You savage. I ought to teach you a lesson. I think I will. You plenty brave fellow. What's that? Me tight tight, so you plenty brave. Hold it. Who got that gun, big lady? Drop it. Cut that rope. You reach it now. Yes. How did you get in there? Don't you, Beasley? I brought you a letter from Jonathan Steele. I also brought some jewels. I never saw you before. We both know that's a lie, Beasley. Not only kept those jewels, you and two other men whom Steele trusted stole everything he had in his vault. Hand it over. Why, I don't know what you're talking about. Beasley don't stall for time. It won't help. But he Steele's watching. She'll signal that Drexel and his pals return. That ending was part of a trick to get Drexel out of the house. Too bad for your sake that you didn't realize it sooner. Now, away with me. If Drexel returns before I'm through with you, there'll be gunplay. You can probably guess who'll stop the first bullet. Now where are the jewels and bond you stole from Jonathan Steele? I, uh... You suppose I keep valuables in this house? You don't. You'll certainly wish you hadn't. Oh, wait, King of Sully. I'm going to seek a red hot poker to make Hunter talk. Good idea, Tutto. Uh, me put poker in fire. What? You'll get off easy, Beasley. You have to do no more than hand over the stolen property. You should hang. No. You should hang for the murder of Cardigan and Granger. Betty Steele, perhaps with your help, kill them. The letters she wrote gave the sheriff that impression, didn't they? Of course. You heard the proposition. If the girl has the jewels, she'll leave Baker City. She doesn't get them. She'll take her alibi to the sheriff. I'll make up your mind and be quick. Uh, I'll get the stuff. It's right here. I have a secret panel in my wall. Clever hiding place. Here's the package, just as you handed it to me. There were jewels and bonds in the bank vault. What about those? Ah, very well. Now, I know when I'm licked. Here you are. Is this all? Yes. Cardigan and Granger had a share of the loot. Did you get their shares when you killed them? Yes, I've given you everything. Thanks. Come on, Tutto. Get far. I'll drop you before you're 10 yards from the house. Careless of them to miss seeing this wife. Put that right for now. What? There's our man. Take him, boys. Sheriff, listen, I've been wronged. David, BC, we came into the house as soon as we captured Drexel and his pal. You what? Miss Betty and the masked man suggested I come here with him. They figured you might admit a couple of murders. You're under arrest for the murder of Granger and Cardigan. Well, you... You've tricked me. A bullet. But I won't be taken. Stop him! Oh, good work. You shot me. I'm hurt. You'll live long enough to meet the hangman, Beasley. Maybe you'll see Miss Betty reopen the bank before you hang.