A cloud of dust and a hearty hi-yo silver, the Lone Ranger. With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the masked rider of the plains fought crime and criminals throughout the early western United States. No one could match his courage, strength, or daring, and the stories of his deeds have come down to us through the generations. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear and relive one of his most thrilling adventures. The first of the stages, owned by young Jim Plummer, was making a valiant attempt to reach Gold Flats in time to win a government mail franchise. The stage was driven by the Lone Ranger, who not only had disguised himself to look like Wild Bill Riley, the famous stage driver, but had assumed the latter's identity as well. At Paiute Springs, the end of the first leg of the journey, the Lone Ranger brought the stage to a stop. Fresh horses were hurriedly hitched to the coach and then... Get along there! Get up there! Get along there! The stage had begun the second leg of its difficult journey, and the crowd of onlookers it left behind was awake to the drama of the occasion. I will give 10-4-1, they do not make it, eh? I hope they do, they're sure covering ground! Under cover of the excitement, Black Bart Kruger, division manager of the powerful Transcontinental and Pacific Stage and Express line, spoke softly to one of two shifty-eyed companions and... Abe, you sure you've seen Jim turn back for Cooperstown? He pulled out all right. What about the engine was with him? I can't say I lost him. Bart, you find that fellow I sent you over after, Slim? Yeah, that's him standing this side of the cafe, see him? Yeah. What's his name? Curly's what they call him, Curly Keeper. Deputy, huh? Yeah, but he's all right. Uh-huh. You fellas stay here. I'll mosey cross and have a word with him. We'll be waiting. Howdy. Huh? Oh, howdy, stranger. I don't know, man. Should I? Most folks do. I'm Bart Kruger. Or maybe if I said Black Bart, you'd recognize the name sooner. Say, you're from Cooperstown. You're head man with Transcontinental in these parts. That's me. Well, now, I sure am pleased to meet up with you. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Curly. You must have seen your competition pull out for Marysville just now. Reckon it wasn't a sight to set so well, huh? You think Jim Plummer's been smart bucking my outfit? Maybe. But that ain't the word I'd use for it. You talk sensible. I was told the deputy here was a sensible man. I'm wondering just how sensible you are. Sounds like you might be meaning something you ain't made plain yet. I do. Can I talk out? Sure, speak up. I reckon we save each other. Uh-huh, I reckon we do. You ambitious, Curly? As much as most. With a big company like Transcontinental behind him. Uh, an ambitious man could go quite a ways if he was a mind to. For instance? Well, a deputy might find himself a sheriff someday. You sound plumb interesting. Tell me some more. Of course, my company wouldn't want to do favors for anybody that wouldn't turn around and do the same. That couldn't be expected. How fast a horse you got, Curly. There she is, that pin over there. Oh, looks good. She'll travel. Could maybe beat the stage to Marysville. Yeah. Wouldn't surprise me if she could even do that. Provide man is to take a couple of shortcuts. Would you try it? And when I get there, just give a message to the sheriff. Marysville is in the next county, and the sheriff there ain't got nothing to do with you. But coming from one lawman to another, it's more likely to be listened to, Savvy. I reckon. Just tell him this. The fellow driving the gold flat stage ain't the man he pretends to be. He's put out that he's Wild Bill Riley. Well, he ain't. Bill worked for me once. This fellow looks like him and acts like him and talks like him, but it ain't him. Say, is this straight or is this just what you want the Marysville sheriff to think? It's straight. Can I get anything more than promises if I do like you want? How's this? Folding money. Look at it. One hundred dollars. That suit you? Right down to the ground, mister. You savvy what I'm after? I ain't thick, friend. That stage driver gets locked up on suspicion. The stage don't go no further than Marysville. And Jim Plummer don't get that male franchise. Just so. Then consider it done. Adios. It was twelve hours later that Curly Kiefer, alternately walking and galloping his mount, finally brought the almost exhausted animal into Marysville. He dismounted in front of the sheriff's office where he found the sheriff. As he told the story, suggested by Black Bart, he found himself the center of a circle of interested listeners and... So that's the way it is, Sheriff. That hombre better be jailed. Well, nobody ever said it. Didn't do my duty when I seen it. Curly, that hombre's as good as jail right now. Good for you. You there. Dave. Yes, sir. Go to the cafe and find my deputies. Tell them throw some black coffee into their shelves and see to the hardware. Stage will be pulling in for long. We're going to give it a right rousing welcome. In the meantime, urging the horses to their greatest speed, the Lone Ranger was guiding the hurtling stage closer to Marysville. Beside him, jolted by their passage over the rough trail, was the shotgun messenger, Happy Joe Monk. Oh! Nearly threw me off that time. Going too fast for you, Happy? I don't know. Since we left Cooperstown, I ain't had the time to collect my thoughts long enough to decide. There's one thing, sure, though. Yes? We've cut close to 24 hours off the fastest time ever made on this run. And from Marysville, it's just one more stretch to go flats. The first of the month we were supposed to be there. Chuck's wheel beat the deadline by over a full day. We've had good horses. What we've had is real driving. You've taken your turn. Uh-huh. It wasn't when I had the reins that the time was made. No, sirree, Bill, I've rolled shotgun with plenty of drivers. But one and all, you've got them tough. We haven't finished yet. You thinking of Black Bart? Yeah. Well, I ain't saying that Aubrey's give up. But I will say that if he ain't after what you've done to him twice before, then he ain't got the sense of a yearling. You've been cheerful lately, Happy. Recollect when we started out, you said there wasn't but one side to things. That was a bad one. Well, I've changed my notion some since then, Pard. And enjoying myself at Bart's expense is just what's done it. Get along. Keep them sinners hungry. Get along, man. Get along. The sheriff at Marysville posted his men so that they were hidden from sight but ready for any emergency. The sheriff himself chose to await the stage in the shadows next to his office. Curly stood beside him and... I'll look for him right soon, sheriff. You got good eyes. Fair to middling. Why? What's raising that dust down the trail there? Hmm. Hadn't noticed before. Say, sheriff, I'll bet that's a stage coming now. Wouldn't surprise me. From what you said, she ought to be about due. They're moving right along. Come in, lickety-split. All right, boys. That's the stage there. Get ready. Don't fool with him. If he puts up a fight, let him have it. Oh, I don't reckon that'll be necessary. Only a born fool fight with ours like these, I get him. Uh-huh. And maybe that's what he is, a born fool. Well, don't you shoot careless. I'll handle things my own way and my own home reign. No offense, men, sheriff. I wasn't setting up to advise you. Get along, man. Gosh almighty. Look at the dust she's raising. Say, don't he handle them horses neat? You can see it from here. Hardly seems to hold them reigns tight. Well, Bill, or somebody pretending to be him, the fact remains that fellow can drive. Get ready. He's going to pull up. Yeah. Oh, there. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh. Stand back there, folks. Keep clear. All right, boys. Snap that hombre. All right. Come on, Carly. I'm with you. All right there, mister. Keep him elevated. You're surrounded. What's this for? Don't ask questions. Just do like you're told. Hey, what in blazes going on here? What is this? Arresting somebody? What if all these deppies got their shooting irons drawn for us? Don't butt in, Happy. These don't concern you. Who does it concern? You. They're going to jail. Sheriff, you're loco. You can't do this. Happy, I told you to keep shut. But we can't stop to straighten things out, Sheriff. We've got to make tracks. We've got to get to going flats. Talking will just make matters worse, Happy. We better save your breath. But look here. Let me handle this. Sheriff, what's the charge? I'm jailing you on suspicion of murder. Murder? What? Murder of Wild Bill Riley. You're making a mistake. Why, you crazy galoot. This year is Wild Bill. You accusing him of killing himself? This ain't no more Bill Riley than you are the Frisco kid. He's Wild... Sheriff, I'm surrendering. Oh, you can't. It'll mean Jim will lose out. Bill, you just can't. I said I'd handle this, Happy. I don't savvy what you're up to. Hand over them guns of yours and walk in there ahead of me. I'll keep these guns. You'll do like I say. Or what? Did you see that? That's it, Bill. That's it. Jump up in the box while you've got them covered. Hurry up. No, Happy. I said I was surrendering. I'm in it. Surrendering? When you got the drop on them? When if they jailed you, you know we won't get to gold flats in time? Oh, now I know you're loco. Maybe you'll understand later. Lead the way, Sheriff. Follow me. The jail's in behind more of us. I'll follow. And give up my guns when I'm ready. The action of the man he thought to be Wild Bill Riley both puzzled and angered Happy. And in this unpleasant frame of mind, he sauntered over to the cafe. There he stood glowering into a half-empty liquor glass when he was startled to feel a touch on his arm. What? Well, I'll be switched. The engine. You're the engine we met up with at Big Fork River. Yeah, he was with my boss. Not right. What in blazes brings you here? It get dark. Huh? You not drink. You come. Where? Something up? Me show you. Well, I don't know what you want with me, Redskin. But whatever it is, it can't make things no worse than they are already. You got something to show me? Lead on. We go outside. Any place. Don't matter, I guess. Two hours later, a group gathered about a table in the same cafe. So you put it over, Curly. Did a good job, didn't I, Bart? You did that. Which is more than I can say the slimmer Abe here ever done when they had a job to do. Oh, Bart, we just had luck against it. Well, boys, we'll skip that. But the fact remains, Curly here's been more help to me in the last 24 hours than you've been in the last five years. Now look, Curly. Huh? Think you can get us in to see the sheriff's prisoner? Don't see why not. I'm curious about that, fella. Like I said, a fool, he's enough like Wild Bill to be him in a mirror. But just the same, I'll stake anything on it that he ain't. Got any way you can prove it? Well, Bill worked for me for a spell. I could ask this fella some questions. Uh-huh. And besides... I've got it, Curly. By thunder, I've got it. Huh? What's troubling you? A disguise. That's what he's done. Somehow he's disguised himself to look like Bill. Where are you going? Over to the Calibus right this minute. Curly, you come along. Sure. Likely the sheriff wouldn't let you in to see him if I wasn't along. If that hombre's disguised, it won't take long to find it out. It shouldn't. And things are beginning to add up. Just give me one look at that hombre's face. And let's get going. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. Black Bart and Curly left the cafe to take a look at the Lone Ranger, who disguised as wild Bill Riley, the stage driver, was held on suspicion of murder. At the same time, Tonto and Happy were cautiously approaching the window of the Lone Ranger's cell. That's it, ain't it? That window just ahead. Oh, you'll not make noise. See anybody on watch? It's all right. Here we are. Hi, Bill. Bill, can you hear me? Did this Tonto told you Happy? Sure did. Changed horses, looked over the gear, and were ready to pull out whenever you give the word. Good. But how in blazes are you going to get out? Leave that to me. You can't wait much longer. We've lost better than four hours of the time we was ahead already. Even starting right now, it should be cutting pretty thin. I'd hate to think of what would happen if anything more come up to the layers. There come Bart. What's that? Him come down the street. Huh? Yeah. Yeah, there he is. Him and that sneaking deputy with him. And heading for the sheriff's office from the looks of it. That means they'll want to see me. Uh-huh. Head them off. Stop them. Do anything to keep them from coming inside now. But, Bill. I'm waiting to talk to the sheriff, and I've got to do that first. We stop them. You come. See you later, Bill. Hurry. There they are again, Injun. Seen them between those two sheds. Come on. Uh-huh. Hurry. I don't know what Bill has in mind. I don't know how he expects us to keep Bart and Curly from reaching the sheriff. But if that's what he wants us to do, by a thunder, we ain't going to let them down. I'm there, then. I'll talk to them. Howdy, Bart. Evening, Curly. You, uh, you fellas going someplace? Oh, it's you, huh? Howdy. Who's this? It's that same redskin. Ah. You're the engine that's been meddling my business. I've been wanting to see you. I think maybe you'd better tend to your own affairs from now on. May you not scare, Tonto. I'm warned you. Stay clear of me. I won't stand for meddling. The sooner you get that through your head, the better for you. Come on, Curly. Let's get down to the jail. Now, now, hold on. Ain't no rush, are you? Get out of my way. I, uh, just thinking of buying the drinks down the cafe. Hey, huh. Like to join us? Just stand aside. Oh, shucks, Bart. It's been quite a spell since you and me have had any kind of a talk. Come on. Obese talk on unsociable, huh? Let's blabber a little. When I want talk with you, I'll let you know. Right now, I don't. Now, stand aside. You're sure you don't want to talk? No, blast you. Well, Tonto, looks like we've got to get rough. Uh, what? Don't move. Hey there, look out. Just keep still. Oh, what's in places? Just keep your voices down. Can't nobody see these guns stand where we are? And you've just pestered me to the point where I wouldn't mind pulling the trigger. In the meantime, the Lone Ranger heard the sheriff approaching his cell. Here there, said you wanted to see me. Right. You can get here before. I had some things to see to. What's on your mind? Sheriff, I think you savvy. I'll let you jail me. You got the drop on us. But you'd never got away. Perhaps. But the fact remains, I didn't try to get away. Yeah, I've been wondering about that. I had a reason. Yeah? What? I reckon you know me and Happy are trying to get to Gold Flats before the first of the month. To win that mail franchise for the stage line. Yeah, I've heard talk. Bart Kruger's been trying to stop us. It ain't my affair. I didn't jail you to help him. I did it because you got some explaining to do. And franchise or no franchise, you're going to do it. I was telling you why I was willing to go to jail. Go ahead. I wanted this talk with you. Talk? You're going to let me out. You're going to prevent anyone stopping me and Happy from driving on to Gold Flats. You think I'm crazy? You bring my gun belt with you like I ask. Yeah, I got it. Have you looked at it yet? Yeah. Why should I? First, you're going to examine the bullets in it. Then I'll tell you why you let me out. Black Bart and Curly, raging at Tonto and Happy, were taken to an isolated spot at the edge of town where it would not be noted that they were held prisoners. I'll pay you fellas back for this if it's the last thing I do. Quit talking too much, Bart. You'll strain your voice. You blasted foes. Don't you know I'm a deputy? You're crazy enough to set yourselves up against the law? You ain't the law here. This ain't your county. Here in Marysville, that tin badge you're aware of don't give you no more authority than I got. Just wait and see what's going to happen to you. You and the engine will be the sorriest hombres I've ever seen around these parts. Tonto, what do you think? What do you mean? Think we've had the pleasure of these gents' society long enough? Think maybe we could let them go now? Oh, it's all right now. He didn't say how much time he'd need. What's that? Who didn't say? Who put you up to this? You'll have to guess that, Bart. Frit, I ain't got the right to tell you. That ain't hard to guess. That crook in jail put you up to this somehow. Say, come to think of it, when we first seen you, you was coming from the direction of the side of the jail. I'll bet you'd just been talking to him. Maybe. What I want to know is that he's what he's scheming. If you'd done this at his orders, there was a reason. That crook's planning something. Just a second ago, you was hollering your heads off because you had to stay here. Now that you're free to go, you seem to like our company. Bart, come on and quit arguing with him. Well, there is a scheme. The sooner we warn the sheriff to watch out for tricks, the better. We'll warn him. And as for you fellas, you better take my advice. Clear out of here while you're still able. If you don't, they'll be carrying you to boot hill. Thanks, Bart. We'll keep it in mind. You better. Oh, my. Oh, my. Tonto. Ain't they mad at all? Just the same. I wish Bill weren't so doggone closed mouth about what he was planning. Kind of leaves a fellow in the dark as to what to do. You get the stage. The stage? Ah. Leave town soon now. You get ready. Well, I don't know what else I can do. Come on. At the finish of his conversation with his prisoner, the sheriff chuckled him. You know, mister, this is going to put me in an awful bad light. No nose, I'll ever be able to live it down. You can live it down. Hey, sheriff. Where are you? It sounds to me like there's your friends already. I better see what they want before they wake all the folks in town up. We'll see you later. Right. Sheriff, we're in blazes you get to. Hey, sheriff. And now there ain't no use in all that yelling. Oh, there you are. You been back with your prisoner? Sure. You fellas won't. Sheriff, we started here earlier. It was held up by Happy and Oretzky. And we want them arrested. They ought to be made up. Hold on. Hold on. Quit talking all to once. You say you was held up and robbed? We wasn't robbed. Just held up. For some reason or other, they didn't want us to get here before. Now, that's a funny thing. Ain't funny to me. What are you going to do about it? Why, I'll go hunt them out right now, if you ask it. Wait. Oh, but you say it back in. You can keep them for now. You can get them most any time. It was your prisoner who put them up to it. And he's just the same as said so. And that's the hombre we want to talk to right now. Sheriff, us being held up was part of something or other. He's scheming. You watch out for tricks. Oh, it ain't so easy to trick. Unless I got a reason for it. What's that? Oh, just let it go. Didn't mean nothing by it. Shouldn't have said it anyhow. I'll take us back there. Sure. Hey, is Bart Kruger? Oh. Boy, you're still here, boss. Me and Abe got to worrying about you. Didn't figure you'd be gone so long. Yeah? Well, while you and Abe were drinking over the cafe, me and Curly was held up. Gosh, we... Shut up! You're never around when you're needed. And what I pay you wages for, I don't know. But, boss... I said shut up! I've had just about all I can stand without your fool excuses. Go ahead, Sheriff. Take us back to that fella. Let's get this over with. Yeah, sure? You want to see him? Didn't I say so? Well, it's you that's asking for it. Come on. You see, Sheriff Bart's got a hunch he's disguised. Says it don't stand a reason he could look so much like Wild Bill without being him, less than he's fixed himself up some way. And if he's disguised, I aim to see what he really looks like. Well, there's your shell. Who's that, Sheriff? Company for you, Bill. This fella here says you're wearing a disguise. Is that a fact? You think I ain't, Wild Bill Riley? I know blamed well you ain't. Bill worked for me. You could be his twin brother, I'll admit that. But you sure ain't him. Then who do you reckon I am? I got my suspicions. Yeah? You ever hear of a fella that rides a white horse? Well, there's lots of white horses. Men ride them. Uh-huh. But there ain't lots of horses like that one. The horse I'm speaking of is called Silver. Yeah? And the hombre that rides him has a redskin pard. Wait, Bart. No, I get it. That redskin's name is Tonto. I've heard of him. That redskin held us up tonight. He's got the same name. Just so. What of it? Tonight ain't the first time I've met up with that engine. And every time he's been around, it's been somehow on account of you. You're guessing. You just bet I'm guessing. And I'm guessing that you were the Lone Ranger. I've heard of him. Don't try to bluff it out. You better listen before you make a mistake. You ever hear that the Lone Ranger talks like me? No. More like an Easterner, they say. But he could be pretending, couldn't he, Bart? What's to stop him from talking any way he pleases? Curly, you're right. But you just got through mentioning the white horse. I'm driving Jim Plummer's stage. You ever see me with a white horse? You could hide that horse just like you could change your talk. That ain't no kind of proof at all. Sheriff, make that fella come out here. We can blame soon tell whether he's disguised or not. Sorry, gents. Might not have letting prisoners out of their cells. Then unlock the door and let us in. There ain't no danger, Sheriff. There's five of us to just one of him. Well, I could do that. Stay outside. You ain't giving orders. I'll tell you. You'll do nothing. Go ahead, Sheriff. Open up. Uh-huh. Go on in. Now we'll get to the bottom of this, mister. Come over here. You want me and Slim to hold him, boss? We can take him. Hey, Sheriff, watch out. What the? Get back, Sheriff. How then, Rich? He grabbed the Sheriff's gun. You're a blasted fool. Why'd you stand so close to me? I said, Rich. You... Ow! Next man to draw, get the same. Don't you... Stand back. Sheriff, hand me those keys. Now look here. Hand them over. This is going to make me look awful bad. That's your look out. I'll be seeing you again, boss. You. But not until after the stage has reached Gold Flat. Come back here. Let us out. Hey, somebody stop him. It's a jailbreak. Get that fellow. Don't let him get away. Let's get going, Happy. Listen. Get up there. Get along here. They've gone. Happy had the stage waiting and ready to go. Just as though he was waiting for that fellow to get out. Sheriff, this looks blame suspicious to me. Here we are locked in and just cause you stood where that arm break could grab your guns. You'd likely done it a purpose. That'd be a hard thing to prove. If I only had the chance to see if that was a disguise or not. Now we still don't know if that was a lone ranger. But I'm betting anything it is. Wouldn't surprise me none. Huh? Sheriff, you mean to say you suspicioned he was a lone ranger too? Sure. Or maybe with better reason you fellers had. And if you did, why'd you get careless? Ain't you never heard how dangerous that fellow is? Sure I have. And why did you? Now get this straight. I know what's in your minds. You're going out of here and accuse me of conniving at this capable prisoner. Well, it's up to you. You can spread any kind of talk you're a minder. What you can prove, though, is something else again. Sheriff, wait till I finish. I just got one more thing to say. You had me lock that fellow up on suspicion of murder. Well, if he is the lone ranger and I ain't saying one way or another, then he didn't kill nobody. And if you gents are fighting him, then I got a notion there's more reason for you to be behind the bars than him. And when you start to yelling, just think that over. You have just heard as a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
