A hairy horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo silver, the Lone Ranger. In the days of the western United States, many outlaws made their headquarters in the Badlands. They counted on the rough country to stop all pursuit, but the masked rider of the plains was able to follow any trail. His knowledge of the West, his daring and resourcefulness, brought criminal after criminal to justice. It was he more than any other man who made the new territory safe for honest men and women. 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, we're heading for Cedar Grove. Sounders waiting in the trail ahead. Glenn Tolliver had had a great stroke of good fortune, which he was celebrating in Cedar Grove's cafe. Come on, everybody. Ain't no sense in hanging back. Drink up. Drink your fill. I'm setting them up. This party's on me. Hey, barkeep, shove that bottle down here. Here's to you, Lem. Lem's all right. You bet he is. He's a real free spender. What's happened? What's Lem celebrating? Ain't you heard? Lem just come into $5,000. Is that right, Lem? Sure is. Got it right to home now. Come on, join us. Just tell the barkeep what you want. Thanks, I will. Just a second, fellas. Hey, shut up. Lem's got something to say. Quiet down. Let Lem speak his piece. Go ahead, Lem. Well, fellas, all I want to say is this. You all know me, and you know that I ain't such a bad fella, even if I ain't been so well off till now. Sure, we know it. I've always been your friend, ain't I? Ain't nobody in town better liked than you, Lem. Thanks, fellas, thanks. You've all been good friends to me. Some of you lent me cash when I needed it. There's others among you that helped other ways. Now, I aim to show you that I ain't the kind of a gent that forgets favors when he's got a chance to pay them back. No, fellas, I mean it. First off, I'm giving back every dollar I've borrowed. Then I'm going to help out any of you fellas that needs it, just like you've done for me. Now, you there, Hank. Yeah? You was telling me the other day that you wished you had the cash to go back east and see your maw before she passed on. Well, I never... Well, I'm loaning the cash you'll need. Gosh, Lem, you're all right. And you eat. Didn't I hear folks saying there was a Sawbones over to Mill City that could straighten out that busted leg of yours if you had the cash to pay him? No, look, Lem, you don't need to do that. Don't argue with me now. I'm loaning it to you. Uh, Jay, I'm going to loan you the cash to buy that saddle you had your eye on. Uh, Wendy, I'm loaning you the cash you need, too. Now, hold on, fellas. I ain't finished yet. Uh, I reckon you all heard that Injun Pete's due in town today with his medicine show. That's what old man Grundy was saying. He's got a fella that plays the banjo and sings, too. They put on a real good show. Well, tonight I'll meet all you fellas here at the cafe and take you to see it. Uh, Injun Pete sells Osage Oil. Well, I'll buy you all that you need. Well, and when the show's over, we'll come back here and I'll show you what a real party's like. Now, now, what do you say to them? Hey, Lem. Oh, howdy, Sheriff. Lem, ain't you forgetting something? Huh? What? Your wife? What's she gonna say about you getting so free-handed with your cash? I got a notion she ain't gonna like it. What does she know? Well, if... Ain't I the boss to home, ain't I? You know more about that than me. Didn't Emmy try to get me to bank the cash yesterday? And didn't I keep it at home like I said I was? You'd have done better to take her advice. Oh, I'll bank it. But it ain't every day in the week that I get to handle $5,000. Doggone, if I'm gonna let anybody lock it up out of sight before I get used to the feel of it, you wouldn't either. Lamb. Yeah? You ain't forgot the cash I loaned you, have you? I sure ain't. Well, I don't want to rush you any, but... I know what you want. You needn't say another word. That's something I forgot to mention. Uh, fellas, uh... You had enough to drink for now? Well, if you had, come on down to the house with me. I aim to get my debts paid up right now and get the cash I promised to lend you. Everybody I owe money to or needs to lend to some, follow along. Then come on, let's go. The laughing, excited crowd trooped out of the cafe and down the street in the direction of Lem's home. There they waited noisily outside while Lem entered alone. Maybe Lem will loan me some cash. Sure he will. Just ask him. I'm good. I'm gonna ask him for a hundred. So am I. I wonder what's keeping him. Well, he'll be out in a second. Oh, there he is now. Uh, wait, fellas. Hey, what's hailing you, Lem? Something wrong? What's the matter? Well, friends, I... Well, speak up. I hate like the dickens to say this. What is it? Doggone it, fellas. Emmy went and hid the cash and she won't tell where it is. You hid it, you say? She claims she didn't, but I know she did. Well, I'm sorry, fellas. You get your cash. I ain't going back on my word. Only, only you'll have to wait till I make Emmy tell what she done with it. I'll be doggone. Thought you said you was the boss to home, Lem. Yeah. And that's a good end. So, uh, so you see, there ain't no use you hanging around no longer, I reckon. There, you see? You made a fool out of me in front of all my friends. You made a fool out of me. Great day, I tell you, I didn't hide that cash. You did? You must have. I didn't, but I wish I had. I ain't going to stand for this. You tell me right here and now what you're done with it. It was stolen. I don't believe you. Tarnation, can't you get anything through that thick head of yours? Don't you know when I'm telling you the truth? You just bet I do. Well, then why won't... That's why I know doggone well it wasn't stolen. You was, again, my keeping the cash in the house. You tried to make me put it in the bank when we got it yesterday. I should have suspicioned then that you'd be up to something to keep me from getting the use of it. Now, are you going to give me that cash or ain't you... I can't, Lem. I can't... All right, then. I'll show you. Lem, where are you going? I'm leaving. That's what I am. And I ain't coming back till you give me the cash that's rightfully mine. Thoroughly convinced that his wife had hidden his money to prevent his spending it unwisely, Lem returned to the cafe. He was not aware, as he elaborated on Emmy's injustice, that the Lone Ranger disguised with listening at a nearby table. Fill her up again, barkeep. Don't you think you've had about enough, Lem? Enough? I ain't hardly begun yet. Barkeep, where are you? Didn't you hear me? Fill up my glass. So you just up and left home, Lem, huh? Well, wouldn't you? Would you stand for anything like that? Made a fool out of me. That's what she did. Just made me look cheap in front of half the fellas in town. Doggone if I'll go home after a stunt like that. Fellas, I said I was boss to home, and by thunder, I'm going to approve it. Sheriff. Yeah, speaking to me, stranger? I've been listening to that man at the bar. Lem Tolliver? Mighty upset, ain't he? He seems to be. What happened? Mind if I sat down? Go ahead. Lem's just mad because his wife's got more sense than he has. Leave it to Lem, and he'd give away just about everything he owns. He spoke of a sum of money. He doesn't look as though he's very well off. He won't till yesterday. No? You see, somebody that was kin to him back east left him some cash. Five thousand it was. He'd just come in by stage yesterday. I see. So, of course, the first thing Lem gets into his head is that he's going to show everybody in town what a fine fellow he is. Invites half the town up to his place so as he can loan him cash. And when he gets there, Emmy, that's his wife, she won't let him touch it. I thought I heard someone say she claimed the money had been stolen. But Lem, he warned Swallow, no such story as that. And you believe it wasn't? Shuck, stranger. All she was doing was trying to keep Lem from raising the row. I got to hand her to her, though. If she hadn't hid it from him, Lem sure would have gone through a good part of it by now. What if she's telling the truth? Huh? What if the money has been stolen? Sure, you just don't savvy females, mister. She knows where the cash is, don't you worry. And when Lem comes back to his senses, she'll bring it out again. Don't you think you should have investigated? Oh, I looked the place over just to satisfy her. There was no evidence of a robbery? Well, of course, the drawer where Lem had put the cash had been forced. But shucks, I figure she done that herself. You may be right, Sheriff. Sure I am. Just wait and see. Although the sheriff was confident that Lem's wife had hidden the money to prevent her husband spending it foolishly, the Lone Ranger was not wholly convinced. He made further inquiries, then rejoined Tonto, his faithful Indian companion, at their secret camp. He put on his mask, and early that evening again rode into town with Tonto. What do now? I want to see and talk to Mrs. Tulliver, Kimosabe. Oh, I want to judge for myself whether or not she's telling the truth. If she is, she may be able to give me a lead that the sheriff overlooked, because he was certain the money had been hidden, not stolen. That's good idea. We'll circle here, Tonto. We approach the house from the back. We won't run as much danger of being seen. This way, Silver. Come on, boy. Come on, Scout. That's the house ahead there, Tonto. Ah, me see it. There's a light burning. Ah. We'll hope she's alone. May not see horse. I don't believe Lem owns a horse. Till now he's been too poor. I understand he made his living doing odd jobs around town. Uh-huh. This is close enough, Tonto. Won't go. Won't run her. We'll leave the horses here. Come. You wait outside, Tonto. If anyone comes while I'm talking to Mrs. Tulliver, warn me. Don't do that. Wait here. Are you there? Who's there? A friend. Just a second. I, uh... Matt. Don't be frightened, Mrs. Tulliver. Who are you? That doesn't matter. What do you want? You told the sheriff that your husband's money had been stolen. Then you're the crook that took it. You did. You're the lowdown, Coyote. No. What'd you come back for? You got everything you had the first time. Was that enough for you? I didn't steal your money. Your mask. Which proves nothing. I came here to find out for myself whether or not the money actually had been stolen. If you didn't steal it, what's it to you? If it's been stolen, I want to find whoever's responsible and see that the money's returned. I don't believe you. I didn't expect that you would. Is this the drawer that was forced to get out the money? It is. And if you wasn't the crook, how would you know where the cash had been? I heard the sheriff say the drawer had been forced. This is the only one I've noticed. That's marked. You know where... Was the money loose in the drawer or had it been put in a container? Why ask me something you already know? Answer my question. It was in a box, if you have to know. A cash box? Where would we get a cash box? It was just a wooden box we had laying around the house. About a foot long and eight or nine inches wide. How do you know? You can see the outline of it and the dust on the bottom of the drawer here. You're through asking questions? I believe I've got all the information I'll need. Then raise your hands. What? You didn't see this gun, did you? Stand where you are. Stop right now or I'll shoot. Then fire. To the horse's stutter. What? What happened? She thought I was a crook, you must have it. I'll shoot. I wasn't hit. Not good. And I found what I wanted. What's that? Evidence that Lem's money was stolen. Come on, Silver. Get him up. Oh, Silver. Away. 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 and Tonto raced away from Tolliver's home. But when they were beyond sight, the Lone Ranger drew Silver to a stop. Oh, oh, Silver. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, God. Oh, oh. Why? Why are we stopped? We're returning to the Tolliver place, Kimasabi. But I wanted to convince Mrs. Tolliver and anyone who might have seen us that we were leaving for good. Oh. We'll wait here for a moment. There's a disturbance back there. We'll give it a chance to die down. Or make plenty noise. But I don't think we'll be followed. Well, what'd you find out? I'm convinced the money was stolen. She was altogether too sincere to have been acting. Uh-huh. And I've got an idea that when we go back there, we'll find the trail of the thieves. Why do you think that? Whoever stole the money must have ridden away. The money was in a box too large for a person on foot to conceal. And $5,000 in paper money would be too bulky to hide in your pockets, even if the box was discarded. Isn't that right? If a thief or thieves did have horses, they certainly wouldn't have ridden away from the front of the house and taken a chance on being identified. And Lem didn't own a horse. Therefore, if we can find hoof prints other than ours leading away from the rear of the Tolliver place, the chances are nine in ten that they were made by the horses of the men who stole the money. That's why I wish to return to see if there is such a trail. It's hard to find at night. And we'll do the best we can. If we must wait until morning, we will. Ah. I don't hear any sounds of pursuit, Kimo Sabe. We'll ride back slowly. If the place looks quiet, we'll hide out signs of a trail. Ah. Get him up, Scott. Come on, Silver. Brief stir of excitement that followed the masked man's visit to the Tolliver place soon died down. And with Tonto, the Lone Ranger's search for the trail, he was sure must exist. They found it a short distance from the house. The prints of two horses made within the last 24 hours. And with the aid of the moon, they followed the trail until the sun began to rise in the east. I wonder where these fellas were heading, Tonto. I may not know. The country's getting wilder all the time. There's certainly no town or trail ahead of us in this direction. Maybe them hide out. Well, we'll follow it to the end. There, fella. Stop. Right. Oh, oh, cow. Yes, they dismounted here. You can see the footprints. No sign of a campfire, however. Look there. What's that mean? Fresh turned earth. Someone was digging here. Ah. See? They dug out a hole and filled it again. Ah. Hand me that stick there at your feet. Ah. Here. Here. Here's a stick. I'm going to find out why this hole was dug. Brush away the dirt as I loosen it, Kemosabe. Ah, don't have to do that. Don't think it's very deep. Uh-huh. Now, wait a moment. It'll go faster if we both use our hands. Now, me... Let me get it. All right. Tonto, there's something buried here. There. A box. A wooden box. Ah. Nailed shut. Give me that rock. Ah. Here. Here, rock. I'm breaking this box open. Get it? Once more should do it. There. Money. Paper money. Ah. Look there, Tonto. You see it? The trail turns and heads back in the direction from which it came. That's right. The thieves came here and buried the money. Likely planning to leave it here until the excitement died down and then returned to town. That's right. Tonto, we'll bury this money again. And you're staying here out of sight to guard it. And what you do? Calling on the sheriff. Oh. Here, Silver. We found the money. But it doesn't point to the identity of the thieves. Not right. And I've got a plan. And if it works, we'll catch them. Ah. Yep. Put that money back there again. And remember, Tonto, stay out of sight. Tonto, do that. Hurry up, Silver. Racing back to Cedar Grove without attempting to follow the return trail of the thieves, the Lone Ranger headed for the sheriff's office. He approached by a roundabout route and... Sheriff. Sheriff. Don't slap, Leather. A crook. Wait until you've heard what I have to say. Then decide whether I'm a crook or not. Then talk and talk fast. M. Tolliver's money was stolen, not hidden, as you believe. Don't give me that. Then where'd you find out what I said about Lem's cage? That doesn't matter. What does matter is the fact that I can prove what I say. How? I know where the money is. Huh? Say that again. I found the stolen money. I followed the trail of the thieves. They buried it a number of miles from here. You mean that? I do. Uh-huh. Well, if you happen to know so much about the whereabouts of that cage, how do I know you wasn't in on the stealing of it? Would I tell you if I were? Well, I... I'll tell you where the cage is hidden on one condition. Yeah? What condition is that? You keep silent about it for the present. Why should I? If that cage was really stolen, then the sooner I get it back to Lem, the better. Letting the thieves escape? Well... Do as I say, and you'll have the money and the men who stole it. What's your scheme? Injun Pete's in town. The fellow with the medicine show? Right. Well, what about him? Call a deputy and send for him. Have him brought here to your office. Say, you mean you're accusing Pete of stealing that cage? I'm not. I've known Injun Pete for a long time. He's no thief. Then what do you want... But with his help, Sheriff, we'll catch a pair of them. Call your deputy and have Pete brought here at once. The Sheriff did as the Lone Ranger commanded, and to both the lawman and Injun Pete, the masterman outlined his plan. Injun Pete agreed to follow instructions, and before long, word went around town that at the show that evening, a sensational announcement would be made. The whole town was present, and when the usual entertainment was over, I... Now, folks, go quiet a second. Go ahead, Pete. You folks have heard the singing and the dancing and the banjo music, and I've told you all about how I learned the secret of Osage Oil when I was held a captive by the engines. But, folks, you ain't seen nothing yet. Osage Oil is guaranteed to cure everything from rheumatism to fallen hair, whether to it took external or internal. But, but, my friends, that ain't the only secret I learned from the engines when I was a captive. What else did they teach you, Pete? Go on, tell us about it. Come on closer, folks. Step right up here. That's right. Come on, come on. Step right up here. That's it. Tonight, folks, I'm going to give you a demonstration of certain mysterious powers that no one but me knows about. Outside of the great and celebrated Indian medicine man, Red Fang. Folks, first of all, take a look at this here divining rod I'm holding here in my hand. You see it? Take a good look at it. You'll never see another like it as long as you live. What's it for, Pete? Locate water? Ah, taint for water, folks. Taint for water. You know what this here rod does? Maybe you don't believe me. But it's for locating stolen cash. Yes, sirree, folks. Stolen cash. That'll take a heap of proving, Pete. Whoever heard of a thing like that? Wait, wait, hold on. The only reason I'm telling you about this tonight is because my good friend, the sheriff, asked me to. Well, it's been claimed by some persons here in town that Lamb Tolliver had cash stole from him. There's others say it weren't, but that don't matter. If it was stolen, this here rod will point out the place just as sure as you can. All right, let's see you do it. I got ten dollars, says it can. I got fifty, says the same thing. We'll call your plot. Go ahead, Pete. Prove it to us. Quiet, folks. Quiet. Now then, this is something that ain't easy to do. That's why I don't try it very often. First off, you see, I got to kind of know something about which way to look first. We told you you was bluffing. Now, hold on there, fella. Not so fast. I ain't backing out. All I mean to say is that first I got to do some real hard concentrating. Concentrating? What for? Well, that's part of what Red Fang taught me. I got to kind of get a picture in my mind of where the hiding place is. See, I think real hard about it. Then it starts coming to me. Ah, you're a loco. When I get a picture of where it is, I'll describe it to you. Then, if any of you folks know such a place, we'll go to it, and I'll show you how there's your divining rod works. Well, start your thinking if you're so good at it. I'll have to ask all you folks to keep real quiet while I'm doing it. Like I said, it's a pretty hard strain. All right. Quiet now. You're getting it? Hey, just a second. He's just stalling. It's coming, folks. It's coming. Just don't make a fuss. What do you see? There's a picture for me. I can see a lot of rocks. Like the country was real wild thereabouts. And, and yeah. I see a tree that was split by lightning. And a gully running away from the foot of the tree. Huh? Nope. That's all the picture I can get. Now, any of you folks that recognize any such place, just tell me where to go, and we'll see if I ain't right. Spike! Hey, Spike! You hear that, Chris? How one thunder could he do it? I don't know, but he's showing blazes dim. You think that he does? Now, just one thing I'm thinking right now. Huh? We better saddle up and get to where that cash is hid before that medicine man finds it. Come on! Stealing away from the crowd unnoticed, Chris and Spike hastily saddled and sent their mounts out of town over the same route followed earlier in the day by the Lone Ranger and Tonto. They pressed their horses to a gallop, hoping to reach their hiding place, before anyone in the crowd identified it from Injun Pete's description. After several hours of hard riding... There's the blaze! Get up! Get up! Get up! Rain in water! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait now! Give me your hand here! I'm with you. Dig out this dirt. Come on. Oh, Aaron... Oh, here it is. Got it? Yeah, sir. Hey! How in thunder did this box get smashed up like this? We never left it this way. What in blazes been... Somebody's been here! There must have been! I know just as sure as I'm standing here that when we buried this box, it was all right. It was. I know doggone well it was. What in thunder does it mean? If somebody was here, why'd they leave it here? I don't know, but I... We'll tell you. Come on, fellas. Grab them crooks! Watch it! Hey, it's the law! Run for it! That's where you are! You dirty crooks, throw up your hands! You won't get hurt! Stop! Take this! Blaster you! My hand! I'll kill you! I warned you! My hand smashed! You're not hurt. There's your prisoner, Sheriff. I'll handle him. Blast you! You two fellas fell right into our trap. We just took the shortcut, crossed the river, and beat you here. You ain't got a thing on us, Sheriff. Not a doggone thing. We got plenty. Just because we come here... Coming here proves you knew where this stuff was hid, and knowing where it was hid proves you put it there. And if you put it there, it was because you stole it. We got you dead to ride. And all the arguing in the world won't keep you out of jail. You're the fault of this blaster, you chief. Now leave Inch and Pete alone! Anyhow, it's one of my ideas know-how. There's the fella trapped you. See him? He thought the whole scheme of... Hello, sir! The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
