To the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty, hi-yo, silver, the Lone Ranger. His faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the masked rider of the plains, fought crime and criminals through the length and breadth of seven states. No one could match his courage, his strength, and his resourcefulness. Justice meant more to him than the letter of the law, and if a man deserved a second chance, he could always count on the masked rider's help. Return with us now those thrilling days when the West was young, from out of the past come the thundering hoop beats of the great horse, Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver! We're heading for the hill country! Hi-yo, Silver! The train from Colfax, drawn by a snorting wood-burning engine, rattled past the last spur of the Blue Sage Hills and settled down to the final 30 miles of windswept prairie that lay between it and its destination, River Junction, to Deputy United States Marshal Sandy Clifford, inside the baggage car. The journey had a special significance. River Junction meant fame and possible promotion because seated opposite him with manacled hands was Slim Rafferty, the most notorious outlaw known to the territory. Well, you're looking so nervous about, kid. You scared of me? Of course I ain't. Then quit squeezing the butts of them shooting irons like they was going to fly away from you. I just ain't taking no chances, that's all. I ain't armed. And look, look at these, your cuffs you put on my paws. What can I do with them in my way? I said I ain't taking chances. Bound to get me to River Junction, right side up, spite of the devil itself, ain't you? If you got away, it wouldn't be the first time you've given the law the slip. Yeah, I have got away a few times before this, haven't I? Never kept count exactly. This time ought to make about a dozen, though, as near as I can figure. This time? What do you mean, this time? Why, shucks, kid. You really been thinking you was going to get me to jail? I sure am. Whereabouts are we? Past the hills. Just padden. That means it won't be long now till you and me part company. Huh? Sure. I got a horse waiting for me somewhere along this stretch. All right, good'n. Say what? Now, kid, take it easy. Don't get excited. Why, you shouldn't feel bad about losing me. Older hands at the law game than you ain't done no better. Why, I recollect the time that I was... Blast you? What are you trying to do? What are you up to? No, no, didn't I say to take it easy? You make one move you shouldn't and I'll drill you. Why, you shouldn't do that. Who's that? Time for the conductor, ain't it? Didn't he say he'd look in on you before we got to the junction? Don't you move. I'll stay like I was hitched, kid. I'm telling the conductor what you just told me. Think you're breaking loose, do you? The conductor of this armbrace says... Reach! What? Reach! Blast you or take it? What the heck? Back up! Keep reaching. You... Where did you get that uniform? You can ask the conductor when he comes to. You see, kid, didn't I tell you? There ain't no use of you feeling bad. You just couldn't help yourself. Blast you... Shut up! Blame, we got to hurry. Won't be long. We come to the grade. If we ain't ready by then, we can't get off. That's where Jeff's waiting with the horses. Yeah. Can you get this hombre's guns with some cuffs on? Ah, sure. Don't try nothing, fella. There's one. There's the other. All right. Give me the keys to them cuffs. You can go straight. Ah, kid, don't act foolish. Sky means business. You do like he says. He ain't good-natured like I am. He's right mean. Ah, that's better. Put out your hands, Slim. Get him? Yeah. Now get a hustle on. Uh-huh. There. I'm set. Come on, fella. You're walking to the door with us. Don't want you to try reaching them guns. I'm going to lose my badge for this. Are you, kid? You know, blame well I am. Six weeks that failed you. Shot it out with you. Caught you. Now you just walk off like I was nuts. Oh, gone. I'm sorry. Give him a word I am. You sure come close to having something to brag about, didn't you? You need to make fun of me. I ain't, kid. I ain't. I savvy just how you feel. But you wouldn't expect me to go to jail just for the sake of your feelings, would you? Now, would you? Cut out this fool palaver and come on. The train's slowing up. We're on the grade. Sure, Scar. Sure. Be right with you. Well, so long, kid. No hard feelings. Go to blaze. All right, if that's the way you feel. Let's go, Scar. I'll jump first. Fine. Adios. Yeah. Say, kid. Huh? Honest. I kind of like your style. Sure do. Don't reckon I'll ever be jailed. But if I am, well, I'd rather it was you that done it. I figured this would make it through, Marshal. Can't help it, Sandy. You fell down on the job. Thunder rations, son. Didn't you hear them down at the depot when the train come in and they found out Slim had got away? If I kept going, I'd never hear the last of it. Uh-huh. I guess so. Well, that was my badge. I'll be seeing you sometime. Hey, where are you going? What are you going to do? Do? Marshal, I'm going to hunt down Slim Rafferty if it takes me the next ten years. And when I've got them, I'm bringing them here. And when I've brought them here, I'm taking back that badge. Goodbye. On the afternoon of the following day, the Lone Ranger and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, made camp midway between River Junction and the woods that began several miles to the west. Tonto, who had been seated cross-legged, mending his bridle, suddenly raised his head. He stared at the tall grass that bordered a small creek several rods away. When he finally turned to his companion, he spoke so that only the masked man could hear. You look. What is it, Tonto? Watch. Grass. It moved. There's no wind. Maybe we wait. I saw something then, Gimusabe. Just for a moment. Like a man's shirt. Wait here. Act as though nothing were wrong. I'm going to walk toward Silver. If he doesn't suspect what I'm up to, we'll have him almost between us. Not right. Don't shoot unless he wants to make a fight of it. Keep working at that bridle. Tonto do that. Thirsty old fellow? Ready for water, are you? Well, maybe you'd better graze a little longer, Silver. Steady there, boy. Steady. All right there, fellow. Come out with your hands in the air. What the hell? Oh, that's a warning. Come over here. Oh, how'd you know I was here? You gave yourself away. What were you sneaking around our camp for? What are you up to? I reckon you know without being told. Gosh. What's the matter? I... Want Tonto time? Wait, Kimisabi. Well? You... You ain't, Scar. Scar Liggett? You was hit out. You look to be about the same build from back a ways. I thought... You thought I was Scar Liggett? Yeah. What did you want with him? You one of his parts? I'm not. How do I know that? Me know this fellow. Huh? You fellow named Sandy. You lawman. What you mean is I was a lawman. That's right. You're Sandy Clifford? Yeah. But on account of Slim Rafferty and Scar... Never mind. I've heard the story. You captured Slim and Scar helped him escape. Now you're trying to cut their trail. And even if you ain't gonna keep me from it... You still haven't recognized me? You must be wanted or you wouldn't be wearing that mask. So I don't know you, I reckon. They can't place you right off. We're not outlaws, Sandy. And I think we can help you. Help me? Two men helped Slim escape. Scar and Jeff Swan. Jeff was the fellow who met them with horses along the right of way. Correct? As I know it is. None of them is far from here. You mean... They've hidden out in the woods. Donald and I have been looking for them also. We've trailed them that far. And before we're finished, we'll locate their hideout. What are you hunting them for? Because Scar and Jeff have dodged justice too long. And Slim blasted him. I just assumed Slim escaped. Then you are part of his. He's the worst of the three. You mean he's the best known. Doesn't that prove that... All it proves is that Slim has a reputation. He has. But he isn't an outlaw. If he ain't, why is there a price on his head? Because seven years ago, he sided with the nesters against the cattlemen in the Mason County War. The cattlemen went out. They had the money and power behind them. They gave orders to the law in Mason County. The law put out a wanted notice for Slim. But he was guilty of just one thing. Being on the losing side. He's been on the dodge. He had to be. If he's ever returned to Mason County, he'll be hung. If he ain't a crook, why is he hanging out with crooks? What else could he do with a price on his head? There ain't a man in the territory that the law would sooner catch. I said Slim has a reputation. He got most of it because he's always been clever enough to escape when he's been caught. Each escape adds to the talk about him. He's been blamed for a lot of things, Sandy. But there's never been an eyewitness who could testify that Slim ever actually stepped outside the law. I know what I'm talking about. If Slim were really a criminal, I'd be as anxious as anyone for him to be captured. Fine talk. Only I ain't so easy fool, mister. No? When a masked man starts talking about bringing justice to crooks, he's up to something. You got the best of me now, sure. But I'll tell you this. I'm getting Slim rafferty. He lost me my deputy's badge and he's going to pay for it. But in the meantime... You look... What? Look at wood. Say, it looks kind of foggy over that way. Fire. Huh? A forest fire. Good God. You need to handle a horse? There's no time for it. That fire gets a real start. It'll clean out everything all the way to the hills. We'll ride the horses as they are. I'll ride the town. Get them in to help. You ride with us. We can't do much alone. We can do something. They'll see it in town almost as soon as we do. Maybe they've seen it already. There's no one needed to call them out. They'll come by themselves. Get your horse, Sandy. Tell a cold scout, let's get going. Riding without saddles, the Lone Ranger and Tonto led the way toward the forest, while young Sandy Clifford followed close behind. Come on, Gilbert. Come on, boy. Come on, man. As they neared the forest, they saw that the fire was rapidly gaining ground. Smoke billowed into the air, scattering sparks. Suddenly, hearing their approach, a man on foot ran toward them, shouting as he came. Rain up! Whoa! Whoa, Gilbert! Don't come up! Don't come up! You fellas gotta help me. You gotta. What's the matter, stranger? My horse bulldog won't have seen the fire. My wife and young'un are in there. They ain't got horses. There's no way to get out. If they try and on foot, the fire will catch them. Where are they? At my cabin. We can make it a four, the fire and horseback. It's almost three miles from here, near Whitlow Gap. Whitlow Gap? That's just the direction the fire's heading. But Emmy and the young'un, you gotta help me get to them. Here, climb in in front of me. You'll do it? Honest, you will? We'll ride to your cabin. If we can, we'll build a backfire. If we can't, we'll see to it. Let your wife and child get away, if it's possible. Thank you, Kevin. Up with you. There. Tonto, Sandy, circle to the left. Cut into the woods beyond that gully ahead. It's our only chance. We do that. Follow me. Come on, Silver. Oh, Silver. 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. Now to continue our story. The Lone Ranger, Tonto, and Sandy were met at the edge of the forest by a man who told them his wife and child were trapped inside the woods. The masked man and his companions circled the blaze and raced ahead of the fire in a desperate attempt to beat it to the cabin. In the meantime, Slim and his two companions, Jeff and Scar, were in their hideout scarcely a half mile beyond the cabin. The smoke of the distant blaze was hidden from them, but they were startled by crashing sounds in the underbrush and... We've been followed. Hold on. Look there. Oh, I'll be. That was an elk just raced by. Listen to them birds. There's a panther. Look at them cottontails racing. Good and thunder's going on. Like every doggone critter in these here woods is hightailing it for the hills. Something skeered him. Hey, maybe there's a posse heading this way. Wait. Now, what do you want? Smell anything? Do you? My gosh, I do. And so do I. Something burning. Them critters running by must... It's on fire. That's what it is. And come in this way. Come on. We've got to clear out. The horses are scared. They smell it, too. Hey, what about our gear? Let it go, you idiot. We ain't got no time to waste. Hold still there. Ride away them critters around it. For the hills. We will not. But I tell you... That's just the worst thing we could do. Fire will follow all the way. It'll catch us before we got halfway there. Then we're trapped. Now, don't you follow me? Which way? Past that woodcutter's cabin and down the gap. I figure we can just make it. Then what are we waiting for? Come on. Get up. Get up. At the woodcutter's cabin, there was a scene of quiet heroism. The woman, realizing that escape was impossible on foot, tried to comfort her frightened child. There, darling. There. Don't cry. Daddy will get here. You'll see. There. There's someone now. Is it Daddy, Mama? I don't know. Don't leave me, Mama. Hush. There's a cabin. Stop. Say, don't you know there's a fire coming this way? You'd better take that young and make tracks out of here. No, we can't. What are you talking about? Dad ain't here and he's got our only horse. Blast you, Slim. Come on. We ain't got no time for palavering. Let the woman and kid look out for themselves. They ain't nothing to us. Why, doggone your hide. Oh, Jay, but won't you take us with you? Why, sure we will, ma'am. Don't you pay no attention to what they said. They didn't mean it. We'll help you. Get the young and on Jeff's horse. You fool, look it over there. Look at that smoke. I ain't waiting for nobody. Neither am I going to slow myself down, carry no brat. I ain't neither. Come on or stay behind. You'll help these folks. Both of you blast your eye on. You do what? Put down that gun. Yeah, you can. I said put down that gun. You asked for it. Oh, get going, Jeff. Get up. Come on up there. Oh, little cats. You're wounded. That ain't nothing. Well, it is. Your shoulder, it's bleeding. There's more important things than a flesh wound to think about now, ma'am. Them yellow skunks lit out. Now, what in blazes are we going to do? Your horse. We wouldn't have a chance, ma'am. Not carrying the three of us. I got you into this. Now, forget it. Hey, look there. The fire's closer. And come in a rare-in. Ain't you got nothing we could hitch up? A buggy or a wagon or something that'll do for all of us? There's nothing. You take Timmy and ride on. I'll stay and... Nothing of the sort, ma'am. We ain't leaving you behind. Maybe we can... Horseman. My husband. My husband was that mad man. Hi. Hurry. Well, I'll be doggone if that young deputy ain't with him. Hey. Hey, you fellas gonna get these folks out? You gonna take them with you? There isn't time. But don't you see that. The fire spread to the south of us. We're cut off. Scar and Jeff just went through. Perhaps they made it and perhaps they didn't. We never would. Then what'll we do? We've got to do something and do it blamed fast. There, fire. You can see it. Now, the racks are here. I've got four of them. I've been cutting ties to the railroad. Pass them out. Cut a clearing around the cabin. Start a backfire. Hurry. There isn't a minute to spare. Obeying the Lone Ranger's orders, the men worked desperately to control the fire. The underbrush was swiftly cut away. Brands were lighted and applied to dry timber on the side of the cabin that faced the onrushing forest fire. Fire that timber over there, Tunnel. Slim, cut away this brush. Put your backs into it. Now's the time we know whether we win or lose. Slowly at first, but with increasing momentum, the backfire spread and raced to meet the flames that had already laid waste several miles of timber. The masked man and his companions watched anxiously. Either the forest fire would leap the charred clearing between it and the cabin, or the backfire would conquer. The flames met, wavered, and then the woodcutter shot it. Emmy! We won! We won! The fire's going around it. It's circling. Well, that's the closest thing I ever aimed to see. The cabin's safe. We can't stop the fire. We'll have to burn itself out when it reaches the hills. But at least we have nothing more to worry about. And unless there are hunters back there, no one lives further in. Stranger? Yes? I don't know how to thank you properly. I reckon me and Emmy and the young'un and, well, all of us, we'd have burnt for sure if you hadn't know just what to do. The day ain't just over. No use talking about what might have happened. This man here, he stayed on to help when he could have got away with the men he came with. He tried to make them stay too, but they shot him and got away. That must have been scar on Jeff. That's who it was, stranger. I noticed your wound, Slim, but we were too busy to no stop before. You'd better have that looked after. Tonto. Uh-huh? See what you can do for Slim. And me help him. Just a second. Well? Sandy come along with you. He ain't said much yet. He'd had the chance, but I reckon I got a good notion what he come here for. Been on my trail, ain't you, son? I... Well, ain't you? Doggone it, Slim. What else could I do after you got away from me the way you did? Lose your badge like you said you might. Uh-huh. And figured that getting me back would get back your badge at the same time, huh? Yeah. That's what I figured. Well, I'll tell you how it is, son. You got the best of me. You've caught me again just like you said you would. But I don't hanker to be jailed anymore than I did before. So I'm warning you. I'll get loose again if I get the chance. Blast it all, Slim. I can't jail you now. Huh? After you staying behind when you could have got away with them other fellas, after you stayed risking your life to help these folks, I just couldn't do it. You... You mean I'm free? For all of me, yeah. By thunder, Sandy, you're square. You shouldn't... But right now, I'm afraid it's out of Sandy's hands. Huh? What do you mean, out of my hands? I told you the fire would bring the men from town. Look there. The marshal's with him. And there's Scar. And Jeff. We're going to find you folks alive. We're all safe, marshal. For them fellas, marshal. Where'd you get them? Jeff and Scar here? Yeah. Why, shucks. We figured we'd have to ride for the gap just like you folks done. And these pool cats come riding right into our hands, coming out of the gap. Easiest capture ever made. So they might just as well have stayed on and helped to fight the fire for all the good it done, huh? You're Slim Rafferty, huh? That's me. Been hoping to get you for quite a spell. You trailed him, huh, Sandy? Look here, marshal. Slim stayed on to help these folks when it looked like he had a chance to get away and go clear. He done it without nobody making him either. You can't arrest him after all that. The law's the law, Sandy. But... One moment. Yeah? You should be acquainted with Slim's record, marshal. If you are, you know why. There's a price on his head. You know it isn't deserved. That ain't for me to judge. You're gonna jail Slim after all? What do you think I ought to do? Let him go. Give him a chance for it. I thought you said a heap of store on that deputy's badge, son. I do. You said you was gonna bring this hombre in and make me give you that badge again. Sure, I want the badge, but if it comes down to a choice, I'd a heap rather you let Slim go. Now look here, Sandy. Don't be a fool. Of course, I don't hanker for jail. I'll get away. I'll get away too if I can. Why do you want to put yourself in bed? I don't mean nothing to you. You don't need it. The blazers were there. I told you how I stood and I mean it. Badge or no badge. Hide him! Go on. You fellas heard me. Keep him in the air. You gone loco, Sandy? I've just got sent. What in thunder are you doing? Giving Slim his chance. No man that done what he done is ever going to be jailed when I'm around. Go on, Slim. Get on your boat. I said go on. You're crazy, but I sure don't aim to be hung. You keep him covered and I'll hightail. Come on, Tuttle. Hey, you letting them fellas go too? You letting a masked man get away? They can do what they're a mind to. They're all right. Nobody's going to jail them neither. You have gone loco. I'll take what's coming to me afterwards. But right now I'm running things. Don't get foolish and make no fool motions. Sandy. Well? Remember this. If you do get into trouble, Tonto and I'll be back to help you. Thanks, mister. But I doubt that you will. Huh? Come on, Silver. Get them up. Get them down. Go on, Silver. Just hold it a second, fellas. They ain't clear yet. Huh? What's the matter with you? You can put down that gun now. I got a good start. Uh-huh. And they can keep it. Suppose I'm under arrest now. You blame fool. You sure got a plenty to learn. But I reckon you will in time, all right. I don't savvy. You heard what the masked man said, didn't you? That he figured you wouldn't get in no more trouble. Yeah, but I don't see... Me and that masked, Andre, have met before. He knew doggone well, I'd recollect him. You know him? That fella's the lone ranger. The what? And I reckon he knew me well enough to know I was just testing you out. Sandy, there's times to jail a man and times not to. It takes a good lawman to savvy which is which. Huh? If you'd arrested Slim after what happened here, you'd never have got your badge back again if you lived to be a hundred. Say, you mean... I mean you're a deputy again. And you won your badge not by jailing Slim, but by letting him go. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. for the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
