with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and the hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. Masked Rider of the Plains was the greatest champion of law and order the West ever knew. With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, he fought crime and criminals to the length and breadth of seven states. But justice meant more to him than the letter of the law, and he was always ready to match wits with a man who used legal means to rob 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, Silver! We're having most post-actors! Nate Warren, his work-crippled body resting in an easy chair, watched his wife closely. She was standing at a window on the farther side of the room, and... Hey, is it Matt, honey? I think so, Nate. Wait till he gets a little closer. It's too dark outside. It's hard to see. Uh-huh. It's him, all right. Can you see how he looks? Now, how could I this time of day? What's the use of your upsetting yourself so? I declare, ever since Matt rode into town, you've been acting like you figured Mr. Thorne would tell him no. Wouldn't surprise me none. Why should it? Of course, he'd pay him to. That's why. But if Matt would be able to take up that note... He'd rather Matt couldn't. So he could take over Matt's horses and sell them to the army himself. But I didn't think Mr. Thorne knew about the letter Matt got from Captain Ives. Who's gonna say what Thorne knows and what he don't? All I said was I told Matt to keep still about it. That don't mean Thorne ain't found out. I've known that high binder for quite a spell now. Where there's a chance for a prophet he finds out plenty. But I know you... Shh, quiet. Hello, Ma. Well, Pa. How you feeling tonight? The egg going out of your legs any? Never mind me, son. You know what your ma and me are waiting to hear. How'd you come out? The way you said I would. He turns you down? Yes, sir. Oh, Matt. He wouldn't even give you one more week? No. Not a day even. Fact is, I'd have been better off at ask for a year. Then he likely figured I was just hoping for things to get better. Asking for a week made him suspicious. Everything else being equal, he knew doggone well a week wouldn't be no help. So he guessed I had some kind of deal on the fire. Didn't I tell you about that fellow more? Oh, what a shame. Well, that's that. A week from now and I won't have to worry no more about how to make a horse ranch pay. I won't have any. It'll be thorns. Then when Captain Ive get here, he'll have to buy horses from him for the army. Yep. Oh, it won't be that bad, will it, son? You'll be able to pay off part of the note in cash, won't you? That'll leave you some horses. Oh, I haven't a dime. What, there was 500? It's gone. Gone, Matt. But what did you... Wait at you. Matt, did I hear you right? Did you really say the cash you've been saving is gone? All of it. Where? How? Well, I... Oh, it don't matter none, does it? It's gone. Talking about it won't bring it back. There's been expenses, of course. Doctor's expenses! Now, Pa, I told you... That the doctor you brought to see me didn't cost you none extra. That he was in town visiting from the east. Didn't charge you no more Doc Macklin does. I told you... But if your 500's gone, I'm betting it's cause you sent for that sawbones and had him come special. Now, look, Pa... Ain't that so? Well... Ain't it? All right, it is. But doggone it, when I seen you moping around day in and day out, Pa, when maybe a good doctor from the east might be able to make you well again, why... But it was just for your own good. Now you'll lose everything you own on account of it. Well, if you'd had any sense, you'd have saved enough horses to sell to the army to get started all over again. Let's not talk about it, huh? I just don't feel up to it. I shouldn't think you would! I gotta go out. I ain't unsaddled yet. Oh, nature shouldn't have been cross with him. Why not? He spent that money for you. It shows he's a fool. Oh, but Pa... For the past ten years he's been a fool. What's he mean by wasting good cash for grubbing doctors and such on a stove in old has been like me? Ain't I lived my life? You think all the sawbones in the world can never make me good for anything again? Ah, anybody but a fool would have told me to pack up and get long ago. Oh, Nate. Now, what's the matter with you? For a minute I thought you really were angry with me. Well, I am! I waited till I was flat-bushed for coming here and he proved he didn't have good sense by taking me in. Taking us in? Well, you've kept house and cooked for him. You've earned your keep. But, Pa, he... I never. But I'm gonna. Huh? And, Hattie, you're gonna help me. I'll do anything, Nate. You know I will. Then, first off, get my boots and gun belt. Do what? You heard me! Then find me a horse and help me get aboard it. Nate, you haven't ridden for ten years. It's about time I did. You're not leaving this house. I am! No, you're not. Oh, look, honey. Listen to me. Yes? I'm about done for. No matter what kind of care I took of myself, I ain't got no great time to live. Nate, don't talk that way. Oh, listen. I'm just stating facts. When I say what happens to Matt is more important than anything that happens to me, well, that's a fact, too. So get me my boots and the gun belt, honey. Then put me on that horse. Afterwards, the law can have me. But Thorne won't never collect on that note. Four hours later, a horse slowly entered the outskirts of the town of Stockton. In the saddle was a man who could barely keep his balance. Horse and rider hollered before a dimly lit office and then... Oh, oh, boy. Engine. Hiya there, engine. What? What matter? Speak English, eh? Good. Give me a hand to get down. Reckon I'm some chic here than I figured to be. You get hurt? Nothing like that, engine. Just old and stove in. Here. Just kind of hold me steady while I slide out of this here saddle. Oh. Thanks. Thank you kindly. Wait a second. Nope. I'll never make it by myself, engine. What do you think of an old mossy whore like me that can't even walk by itself without asking help? Wouldn't think a fellow like me was good for much, eh? Where you go? Just inside there, engine. Just far enough to scotch a snake. Don't savvy that, do you? Well, maybe it's just as well you don't. Look, you mind helping me get to the door? Me help? What's your handle? Me name Tonto. All right then, Tonto. Let's go. Ah. Here. No. Hey, don't open it. I can make it inside when I'm ready. Now then, let me see. Yeah. Have a look at my shooting iron first. Uh-huh. All primed. What you do with gun? Engine? You can ask me lots of things, but that ain't one of them. Now, let me give you a word of advice, eh? What that? Make tracks. Because I got a notion the farther you travel inside the next two minutes, the less you're going to have to explain. It was still later that same evening when Matt Warren burst into the parlor where his mother was seated in. Ma, I thought you said Pa turned in. My lands, ain't he? His room's empty. Why, son, you must be mistaken. I ain't. I tell you, I looked. I looked in his room to see if he was sleeping comfortable and he weren't there. Even his bed hadn't been touched. Well, what could have become of him? That's what I'd like to know. You think he'd have been loco enough to try going outside without telling anybody? Why, don't seem like you would. I'll take a look. Maybe. Hey. Yes, Matt? Did you help him do his room? Well, now, that's a silly question to ask. Did you? Of course I did. And helped him to bed, too? Don't I owe a son since your pa's been crippled? Now, I think you better And if you helped him to bed like you say you did, how do you explain his bed and not being touched? What? Ma, you know something about his disappearance. You must. Where'd Pa go? What happened to him? Matt, you're talking fool. No, I'm not. There's only two ways to explain about his bed. Either you never helped him in there, Ma, or you did. Then he left afterwards and you made his bed again when he was gone. Either way, you'd have to know about it. Now, what's this mean? Son, I don't... Carry him in. Say, what the... A mask, man? Oh, Nate. Oh, I've got it, Injun. Why'd you have to do this? Now, watch the blaze in there. One moment. Put Nate in that chair, Kimo Sabe. Dad, dammit. Why couldn't you have let me be, Injun? Why'd you have to go and spoil it anyway? Oh, what's happened? Ain't none of your business. But what will you... I'll explain if your father won't, Matt. He tried to call on Thorne tonight, but luckily for him it was Tonto he asked to help him to the office. He was calling on Mr. Thorne? With a six-gun. Oh, you didn't mean to... What I meant to do is my affair. But look here, you... Matt, he meant to help you, even if he doesn't want to admit it. Tonto stopped him, brought him to me, and I got the story out of him. Oh, he was trying to help me? How? He would have shot Thorne, taken the note he holds, and destroyed it. Did you go crazy? No such thing! Why shouldn't I have drilled this skunk? Don't he mean to put you out of business? But you'd have been jailed. What if I was? You are local. Quit calling me that. I ain't. Would have saved you, wouldn't I? What's the difference between jail and any place else when you're too stove in to get around anyhow? You'd have gone to jail for me. If Tonto hadn't meddled... I don't know what to say. Then don't say nothing. And as for you, Tonto, you too, Mr. Maskman. I wish to heaven... That way you'd stayed out of this, I know. But would you feel better about it if I told you we can help Matt without having to kill to do it? Huh? You'd help me? Yes. What for? What are my troubles to you? Thorne needs a lesson. Perhaps he's within the law this time, but I've heard enough about him to know the law doesn't mean much to him. Inside or out of it, he's a money grabber. And then some! But I... Wait. Matt, as I understand it, an officer is coming here to buy your horses for the army. But he won't get here until after that note's due. Thorne will get my horses for half of what they're worth to make up what I own, and I'll be left with nothing. You have nothing else with which to pay? Not a thing. You see, I lease my land and pay rent for these buildings. The horses I raise are all I own. Thorne couldn't just take your stock without your permission. The sheriff would have to put them up for sale and Thorne take his money out of what they brought in. But there ain't a market for fine stock around here. That's why selling to the army would be my only chance to stay in business so things get better. But now what'll happen is Thorne will bid in them horses himself, dirt cheap. He'll likely end up owning them with me still in debt to him. When is that note due? Four days. And when can Captain Ives get here? Not for a week yet. Very well. Promise me one thing. Hmm? Don't let the sheriff put your horses up for sale until the note is due. I wouldn't have anyhow. Good. Come, Tonto. Hold on. You said you'd help, huh? I will. How can you? Matt, that's something you'd better not know. Good night. What do? I think we'll do what Thorne's done several times. Kimo Sabe. Yep. What that? We'll step outside the law. Ready? Uh-huh. Then let's go. Come on, old fellow. Get off, sir. How silver? How way! 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. Four days passed. The note held by Thorne fell due. And immediately afterwards, the moneylender took steps to seize Matt Warren's stock. Both Thorne and Matt appeared before Judge Luther and... Judge, that note's passed due. Matt owes me a thousand dollars. Can't pay. That's so, Matt. Can't you pay it? Well, I can't now, but I would if Thorne would give me another week. Hmm. Well, Thorne, why don't you? Why should I? Well, I... sure wouldn't say you needed that thousand real bad. I always understood you was right well off. If I am, it wasn't my letting folks owe me money beg off from paying it. No, no, I reckon not. But doggone it, I'm not begging off. I want to pay at my will if you don't... If I let you take your time about it. Well, that's not the way of doing business. No, your way of doing business is to grab a profit no matter who gets hurt by it. That's a lie, Blastje. I won't let you talk about it. Here, here, stop it. Both of you. Now then, any more of that and I'll tell the sheriff to get in the fight. He'll handle you both. Hear that, Sheriff? Sure did, Judge. Remember it. Well, I'm sorry, Judge, but doggone it, you'd be mad too if you was me. The only reason Thorne's making me trouble is because I was idiot enough to ask him for just a week to get that thousand in. That showed him I was figuring to make a deal, so he decided to make it himself. Matt Wright, Thorne? I don't know what he's talking about and neither does he. I suppose if the judge tells the sheriff to auction off my horses, you won't bid them in yourself. I'll have to. I don't know why anybody else would buy them. You'll get them for almost nothing. I'm not in the horse breeding business. They ain't worth much to me. But you've got a darn good notion you'll find out where I figure to sell them, ain't you? I don't know what you... Maybe you'll be able to bid in my stock for less than a thousand. Then while I still owe you the difference, you'd hunt out the bar I had in mind, sell the horses to them, make a big profit and all the time with me still in debt to you. Why, confound you! I'll show you if you said... I wasn't going to say anything. Then don't act like you was. Judge, you aren't going to let my horses be put up for sale, are you? Matt, I'll have to admit I'm kind of... I kind of sympathize with you. Then can't you do something for me? The law's the law. You owe the phone money. You can't pay it. So if he's entitled to get his cash the best way he knows how. But it ain't fair, I tell you! Sheriff. Yeah? I'm authorizing you to seize Matt's horses. Advertise an auction and sell them off. Right. From what you take in, you'll take out whatever the sale costs the county. Plus any taxes maybe Matt owes. Then you'll give Thorne what he's got coming. Or what you can of it. After that, if there's any cash left... There won't be. As I was saying, if there's anything left after that, it belongs to Matt. See that he gets it. Sure. Thank you, Judge. I would like that... Ben! What's the idea of busting here without being told to? Sheriff, see that Ben gets... But I gotta see Matt a second, Judge. It's important. Why, you can't see what Ben wants, Judge. It wouldn't take but just a second and maybe it is important. All right. But then tell him to get out. Thank you. Uh, Judge. Well? About the auction. If it could be real soon, I'd appreciate it. Anxious to get them horses, huh? Not exactly that, but then I... There ain't gonna be no sale. What? You threatening me, Matt? No. Then just what you mean by what you said. Only what I told you. There won't be no sale because there ain't no horses. Ben just brought the word they've been stolen. What? It's a trick. No, I tell you... Judge, if they were stolen, Matt stole them himself. He stole them and cheaped me out of what's rightfully mine. Look here, Thorne. You don't work, Blastya. I'll see that you go to jail for it. You're nothing but a sneaking thief. Thorne left the courtroom and hurried on foot to the cafe a block distant. There he sought out a dark, heavyset man named Fresno and, taking him to a corner table, told him what had just happened. And you figure Matt stole them horses himself, Thorne? Of course he did. Why would he steal what belonged to him in the first place, huh? To keep them horses from being sold to me, you fool. To stop the auction. Oh. But I told him he wouldn't get away with it and he won't. Fresno, I'll have that fella jailed. Uh-huh. I don't blame you. But that'll take care of itself. What's important right now is getting them horses back. Yeah? And in a hurry. The sheriff will hunt for them, won't he? Yes, but so will you. Me? The sheriff and for... Can't you understand they have to be found in a hurry? Can't you get it through your head that I can't wait for the sheriff to take his time finding them? Now, what have you learned about Matt's deal? Nothing. Nothing at all. He ain't talked. Didn't you go out to his place? Sure. But none of them talk. Well, there you are. I know someone must want to buy or Matt would never have asked for extra time to meet my note. If them horses can be put up at auction, I'll get title to them. Whoever that buyer is, he'll come to me. He'll have to. Then what are you worrying about? I'm not worrying because I don't know the buyer. I'm worried because I don't know how soon he'll get here. What if he got here in time to bid against me? Then where'd I be? I couldn't bid more than he does or I'd never be able to sell them to him at a profit. If I bid less, he'd get the horses and I'd just get the amount of the note. And you want more than that, eh? I want every last penny I can make out of this deal. So I'm to look for them horses myself. You're to look for them and find them. You need money? I was born eating it. Then locate that herd and there'll be a hundred dollars in it for you. But find it within two days and there'll be a hundred more. Now get busy. Go out to the Warren place and pick up the trail. For the next few days, the countryside was thoroughly searched for a clue to the disappearance of Matt Warren's horses. Fresno, the sheriff, and Matt himself led parties of expert trailers but with no success. The animals were followed without difficulty until their trail crossed a wide expanse of hardened lava. And there all signs vanished. Tonto, the faithful Indian companion of the Lone Ranger, kept an eye on these searching parties without allowing himself to be seen. Then late one afternoon, he heard himself hailed by the masked man. Tonto! Tonto! Tonto! Tonto! Tonto! Oh, there's Teddy. Oh, where are the search parties? Them over that way. Still investigating those blind canyons off the lava field, huh? Ah. Them not pine horse, though. But they will soon, Tonto. Them pine trail? Not that. I doubt they could find the horses in the next month without a hint. That's right. But it's time they got a hint. What do you mean? Captain Ives is on the Stockton stage. Oh. He'll be in town before nightfall. That's good. So now's the time to carry out the rest of our plans, Hunter. But we'll have to take care of him. Matt's under suspicion. We must be sure the law doesn't become certain he's behind what we've done. Come on, Silver. Get him on, Scott. Hurry, old fellow. Hurry! When the stage arrived at Stockton, Captain Ives, in civilian clothes, descended, inquired the way to the warren place, and arrived there just after dark. Matt's mother opened the door in response to his knock and... Yes? Good evening. This is where Matt Warren lives? Uh-huh. I'm his ma. Step in, won't you? Thanks. I'm Captain Ives. Your son has probably mentioned me. Oh, good evening, sir. Howdy, Cap. Have a chair, won't you? Thank you. I will. Sure. Sit down. Make yourself comfortable. Matt's my son. Right now he's cleaning up. Been in the saddle all day. Call him, won't you, Ma? Uh-huh. He'll be here in a second. But, Cap, I'm afraid you got here too late. Too late? But I thought he understood that I was coming. Oh, he knew when you'd get here, Cap. That ain't it. But surely he hasn't sold his stock without letting me know. It ain't that either. This is him now, Cap. Maybe he'd better tell you about it. This is that army fellow you was expecting, son. Oh, howdy. I wish I could say I was glad to see you. I'm afraid I don't understand. I ain't told him what happened yet, Matt. Oh. Well, Captain, you've made a long trip for nothing. Right now I couldn't sell you a horse if you offered me a whole location in Texas. Cook stole every critter I owned. No. Sorry, but that's the way it is. You can't find no trace of them. It's like they've been swallowed up. That's what I've been doing today, trying to pick up the trail. Well, that is too bad. Maybe you had a long trip all for nothing, Cap, but Matt's flat busted. Is that true? Yep. This cleans me out. But of course, that don't concern you, and I'm right sorry you've had to waste your time. You still have to get horses somewhere, though, I suppose. Yes, we need remounts badly. Well, I'll give you the names of a couple of fellas I know on the stage you might look up. But you'll be staying the night, won't you? You must be right tired. Frankly, I'm tired enough, and I'd like to stay, but I'm afraid I can't. You see, I haven't much time. If you'll give me the names of those men you mentioned, maybe I'll still have a chance to catch tonight's stage. Oh, sure. Let me see. Oh, over near Grover, there's Max Duncan. He's got some mighty fine horses. And Ridge Lawson's got a place over by the... Max, but the horses! What? Matt, outside. They found them. What's that? What's that? It must be them, son. There's all them horses, and I see Mr. Thorne and the Sheriff. That's them now. Well, I'll be a hop-tour. Come in. Hang on, see, in Fresno. Bring him on in here. Right. You found the horses? Howdy, folks. Yep, every one, Matt. My deputies are turning them into your corrals right now. What's it say? And what's more, here's one of the crooks that stole them. Me, not crook. Why, Thunder, it's Tonto. It was me that's seen them and trailed them to the canyon where they'd had the horses hid. Yep. It was Fresno who tipped us off. Likely they was holding the horses till they'd seen their chance to run them across the border. But you got them back. Sheriff, I wish I could tell you how much I'm appreciating this. Shucks, Matt. Not so fast. Huh? I guess you're forgetting that court order, Matt. Them horses are going to be put up at auction. They don't belong to you anymore. As a matter of fact, your guess was right. I'm going to bid them in. Sheriff? Yeah, Thorne? I demand that you hold the auction at the first possible moment. Good. Huh? Who are you? Captain Ives of the United States Army. Commissioned to buy cavalry remounts. You? Then you're the fellow Matt was going to deal with. Yes. I'm willing to pay $5,000 if his stock meets with army specifications. Are you prepared to go over that figure? Well, not. $5,000. Oh, of course he ain't. It was you, Captain. He figured to sell them horses, too. Oh, think of it. $5,000. It'll pay the $1,000 I owe and leave us $4,000 over. Ain't that fine? And you can just bet those horses will be what you're looking for, Captain. You won't find better anyway. This ain't right. He ain't got better. How do you want to, Thorne? But I'm scared them horses were found too late to do you any good. But don't you... But that don't mean you don't owe me $100 for finding them just the same. You'll pay up or I'll take it out of your hide. This ain't legal. I'll see Judge Luther. I'll show you... You shut up or I'll see the judge. What? You told everybody in town I'd stole my own stock. Try to spoil things now and I'll sue you for every dollar you got. And Matt will have a good chance to get it, too. Finding the engine with the horses proves you lied about me. I didn't mean it, Matt. I never meant to call you a thief. You won't sue, will you? Not if you don't meddle. The horses are yours if you want them. But, Redskin, I'll see that you hang as high as a kite. Some other time. What's that? Up with your hands, everyone. Follow outside quickly. That masked man's one of the crooks. Sheriff arrest him. Go after him. He's the one that I... You're welcome to follow, but you won't find us. Adios. Sheriff, why don't you go after him? Oh, those are the two fellas that promised to help me. And instead, they tried to rob me. Well, son, I'm wondering about that. I'm wondering a lot. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
