horse for the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty Hi-Yo Silver, the Lone Ranger. The early settlers in the western United States became discouraged by the hardships they faced. The lawlessness in the new territory was the mask rider of the plains who brought back their confidence in the future. He fought crime through the length and breadth of seven states and blazed the trail for progress. It was he more than any other man who made possible the winning of the West. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past can the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on Silver! We're heading for the range country! Hi-Yo Silver! Ho-Way! Old Sam Catlett stood helplessly by while his brother-in-law sat at Sam's desk and began going through his papers. Hattie, Sam's wife, gazed upon her brother with approval. I just know you'll find Sam's got everything in a terrible mess, Homer. Uh-huh. I guess it's lucky I came to visit. Doggone it, Homer, you look here. I'm glad you come. You're welcome to stay with us just as long as you please. But don't you go tell me how to run my ranch. Thirty years I have done it, but I'm not going to... I'm ashamed of you. Apologize to Homer this minute. Oh, Hattie! Didn't you hear me? Apologize this very minute. Uh, Homer, I didn't just mean that I... Oh, that's all right, Sam. We'll get along together all right, just as soon as we're used to each other. And now let me see. According to this here receipt, Sam, you sold some two-year-olds last month for just under five dollars a head. Uh-huh. Sold them to some drovers. They only wanted to pay four, but I made them meet my price. You should have got six. Huh? You lost almost a thousand dollars in that deal right there. Now, here I see where you... Hey, now, hold on a second. How was I to hold out for six when two-year-olds ain't getting a price like that anywhere in Texas? I could have got it for you. Like blazer, you could. You'd have spoiled a wholesale. Sam, don't act like a baby just because you ain't the business man Homer is. But, Hattie, don't... Haven't I told you you ain't been running this ranch the way you should? Blast it all. What's the matter with the way I've been running it? I'd say almost everything. Yeah? Well, I've made the place pay, ain't I? What'd you do with your place? Ha! Lost everything you own. Well, that's beside the point. Poor Homer just had bad luck. All right, maybe he did. But why in Tunker should his having bad luck make him know more about how to run my ranch than I do? Well, if that's the way you feel, Sam... Now, now, Homer, don't let Sam get you mad. He'll be grateful afterwards. Well... Just sit down again and go through the rest of the papers. Now, please, Homer. Very well. As long as you ask me, Hattie. Thank you. There, Sam, you see what you nearly did? You nearly kept Homer from helping you. Oh! And after him being kind enough to come all the way here to visit us. It ain't cost me nothing, is it? And after losing his place, where else could he come but here? That's enough. But, Hattie, I... I've stood for just about all I'm going to from you. Oh! And if you don't... Well, of all things... Huh? Homer, what is it? Sam, did you pay out good cash for this junk? Did I pay out... Hey, careful of that. That's my land script. Land script. It ain't worth the papers printed on. Sam, I've never seen these before. You've been hiding things from me. Homer, what are they? Land certificates. The state government issues them. For each one you hold, you're entitled to claim a section of state-owned land. There's 640 acres in each section. Sam, how much was you local enough to pay for these things? I got most of them for 3 cents on the acre, and I ain't loco. I'm not sure I understand, Homer. Now, how can the state... Well, it's this way, Hattie. Over half of Texas still ain't settled. When it joined the union, it kept title all that vacant land. So they printed these certificates to hand out to fellas crazy enough to take them in place of cash. If Sam paid 3 cents an acre for them, he got cheated. Can't you get the land with it? Oh, it's easy enough to claim the land. All you gotta do is have it surveyed and recorded. That ain't the point. 3 cents an acre is just 3 cents more than it's worth. That's where you're crazy. Ask anybody, Hattie. Or, uh, ask Sam why he hid this script instead of showing it to you. Tim, what have you got to say? Why do I have to say anything? I bought that script because I figured it was worth it. Then why didn't you tell me about it? Well, I, uh, I... Hattie, he knew if it ever got out, he'd be the laughingstock of the county. You mean nobody else would buy this printing? Not one fellow in a thousand. How many of them certificates you find there? I ain't counted them, but I'll bet there's three or four hundred. How much would that come to? Land or cash. Cash. Well, I'd have to figure it first to tell you exactly. But anyhow, this must have cost Sam six or seven thousand dollars. Six or seven thousand dollars? No, I haven't. So that's how you've been throwing our money away. I tell you, I ain't thrown it away. I got that land cheap. Someday it's gonna be worth plenty. That there land script is gonna make us rich. That settles it. Huh? It's a wonder to me we've got a roof over our heads. Homer, I'd never get through thanking Providence that you came when you did. I just hope you won't take offense at anything Sam says and it'll stay on to help us in our need. Well, things are pretty bad, Hattie, but I'll do the best I can. Ain't I got nothing to say about this? No. But why am I? If you had less to say in the past, we'd be better off today. Better off? We've got cash enough in the bank to last till we die. We've got the finest ranch in the district. And you talk about being better off. You did that well without knowing anything about business and Homer could do twice as good. But doggone it all had it from your... We're all through talking about it. When you're disturbing Homer, you'd better leave. You bet I will. And you can both think I was loco for buying that script if you're a mind to. But you mark my words that day'll come when folks will buy Texas line at ten cents an acre and be glad to get it. Poor Sam, ten cents an acre. Where's he get such notions? Homer, these certificates. Think you could sell them and get that cash back? Not from anybody in his right mind, Addie. But I'll try. Doggone things I've heard tell of. Coming into my house running high hand like that, taking my stuff and running all progress. Boss, boss, you look mad enough to chaw nails. What's the matter? Pete, let me tell you something. Yes? If you ever get hitched, you pick out a female that ain't got a family. I, Savvy, had a run-in with Homer. He's inside there going through my papers. Figures to run my ranch. Your wife, Savas? Just so. Why don't you stand up to her? Huh? Stand up to Addie? Gosh, I wouldn't dare. A week later, Homer was standing at the bar of the cafe in Wellington. A well-dressed fringer elbowed his way in beside him. One side, Injun. Ah. Thanks. Howdy, mister. Howdy. Ain't you Homer Larkins? Uh-huh, that's me. My handle's Ike Slater. Did I buy you a drink? Oh, thanks, but I reckon I've had enough. Well, I ain't anxious for any either. Uh, hey, tell me you've got some land script you'd like to sell. I've got some belongs to my brother-in-law, if that's what you mean. Why? You want to buy it? Do I look that simple? Then why'd you mention it? When I seen you here, I thought I might be able to do you a favor. Huh? A favor? Uh, how about stepping down to that end of the bar? There ain't so many around. Sure, why not? Now, what's this about doing me a favor? Well, what I meant was maybe I could do us both a favor. Yeah? You ain't had much luck finding buyers for that script, have you? I can't find anybody loco enough to buy. So I heard. And that being the case, I guess if a fella come along that could tell you where you could sell that script, it'd be worth something to you, hmm? Just what do you mean? I'll tell you. For part of what you get, I'll put you on to the fella that's buying all he can lay hands on. Yeah? Who? Well, that's what you find out if we make a deal. How much will he pay? How much you've got? A script for 400 sections. 400, eh? Hmm. Well, Larkins, you know and I know that script ain't worth a red cent. But I'll just about guarantee this fella would pay a couple thousand for what you've got. Promise to give me 500 of that after you've made the sale and I'll lead you to him. Yeah, 500 out of 2,000. Well, that'd only leave 1,500. Which is that much more and you're likely to get anyplace else, ain't it? Well, I... I don't get the idea I'm trying to persuade you to anything you'd rather not. Nothing like that at all. The only reason I spoke my piece was because I figured you'd be smart enough to grab your chance when you've seen it. Do I have to decide right now? Well, can't you? Well, I'd rather talk it over with my sister first if you could wait. She wants to sell, don't she? Oh, sure, yeah. Well, how soon could you let me know? This same time tomorrow? Well, all right tomorrow then. But this ain't my home range. After that, maybe I won't be around. Oh, Slater, wait till I talk to Hattie and I can almost promise it'll be a deal. Homer returned to the ranch, reported to Hattie, and then brother and sister demanded that Sam accept the offer. Hattie, you and Homer can't do this to me. I paid for that script and it's mine. I won't sell for $2,000, I won't sell for $4,000, I won't sell for twice that much. Sam, hush up. You say you'll have to give this man Slater $500 or he won't tell you who wants to buy it. Well, that's it, Hattie. Is it worth it? Well, I didn't let on to Slater, but if he hadn't mentioned less and it'd been up to me, I'd have offered twice as much just to get rid of the stuff. Yeah, you don't have to pay him anything before you make the sale, do you? Not a pity. Well, it's a shame that we can't get more than $1,500 for what cost over $7,000, but that's Sam's fault, not I. You ought to be grateful to get anything back at all. Doggone, didn't you hear me when I said I wouldn't sell? What you say don't count? Homer, tell Slater we'll do business with him. Right. And, uh, who's there? Come in! Howdy, ma'am. Afternoon, Mr. Larkin. Hey, boss, could you come here a second? Huh? Step outside here. What for? The fellow wants to see you. He sent me after you. Come along. Who is he? I couldn't tell you for sure, boss, but I got a doggone good idea. Where in Tunkett are you taking me to? Just the other side of the cookhouse there. But why are you taking me out? Do you mind if I tell you something before you meet this fellow? Tell me what? Well, like I said, I got a good notion who he is. If I'm right, he can be trusted. Maybe he's here to do you a good turn. So don't let his mask set you against him. What's that? This fellow's mask? Sure. But what in the world you've got... He's right around the corner here. Pete, if you're up to something you shouldn't be, I'm not... I'm not, Sam. Buy Sunday arm mask. Forget my mask. But what are you doing here? And listen to what I tell you. Don't sell your land script to Ike Slater. You had Pete fetch me out here to tell me that. In part. Then you had him get the wrong party. Stranger, you're looking at a fellow that owns a ranch but ain't allowed the right to run it. Your man here said something about that. Nevertheless, that script can't be sold without your permission. Small comfort that, Ed. That's not my entire reason for talking to you. No? A friend of mine was in the cafe when Slater spoke to your brother-in-law. He recognized him. Knew him to be a well-known confidence man and followed him afterwards. What about it? When Slater left the cafe, he joined a fellow he's worked with before. A fellow as crooked as he is. Yeah? This man is calling himself Owens. His real name is Link Mead. What town have overheard Mead and Owens are buying this script together? And I think I know why they want it. Yeah? It's been rumored that Coke will be elected governor. If that's true, it means the end of the Reconstruction government in the state. If that's true, Texas will see the greatest boom in its history. It won't be long until land is worth ten and twenty times what it is today. You sure of that? No one can be sure until the vote is announced. But I think it's almost certain. But you are sure Slater's a crook, huh? He is. Though I can't tell you whether or not he's wanted by the law. Oh, I knew there was a hitch in it. Oh? How am I gonna tell Hattie I won't let that trip be sold because the masked fella told me Slater was crooked. Well, that's up to you. At least you know the facts. Here, Silver. Doggone, I reckon there never was a critter as spineless as me. I've heard about you, Sam. People say you let everyone run over you. It's about time you asserted yourself. To Hattie? Stranger it's plain to see you never met my wife. Well, I've told you all I can. The rest is up to you. Adios. I am Silver. I forgot to ask. Who do you figure that hombre is? Yeah, I bet you wouldn't believe me if I told you. No, but I'd bet my bottom dollar that's the Lone Ranger. 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. Leaving old Sam Catlett, the Lone Ranger returned to the well-hidden camp he shared with his faithful Indian companion, Tonto. Oh, oh, there's Silver. Oh, boy. Tonto, saddle scout. Here, scout. You see, fella. I did, Kemosabe. And I'm not certain it'll do any good. That bad. He's given in to his wife too many years. I'm afraid it'll be too late for him to change. So if he can't protect himself, it's up to us to do it for him. What we do? Slater and Meade are usually clever enough to sidestep the law. But you can't go crooked without making a mistake sometime, somewhere. Not right. And I doubt that Slater and Meade are exceptions. Perhaps they've outrun their mistakes, but I'll wager they exist. Steady, fella. Steady. That's why, Tonto, you and I are going to do a little back trailing. And what you mean? We know Slater and Meade were in the panhandle for several months before they came here. We'll see what they were up to there. If we find nothing, we'll trace them back to the place before that. And good idea. Somewhere along the line, they must have got on the wrong side of the law. And if they have, we'll teach them you can outrun mistakes for a while, but not for always. Ready, Tonto? Now me ready. Then come. Get him up. Come on, Silver. Come on. The following day, Homer and Hattie had just made Sam's land certificates into a neat package when Sam himself entered the room. What do you got there? What do you suppose? You got my land script in this here package? I have. What do you think you're gonna do with it? Sell it, of course. Go on, Homer. You said you'd meet that man. He won't want to be kept waiting. Show him how much we got, find out who wants to buy it, then bring them both back out here. Very well, sister. Hey, not so fast. What? You come back here. Sam, don't be interfering. Homer's got an appointment he's got to keep. To sell what's mine. You don't have to tell me. Well, he ain't gonna do it. Sam, if you'll just listen to me. I ain't in the mood for listening. Put them certificates back. Sam, don't behave like a fool. I ain't. We're just trying to save some of the cash you threw away, Sam. That's all. You're trying to give my script away to a couple of crooks for almost nothing. Sam, what in thunder are you talking about? Guess this. Slater's a crook. And the fellow he's gonna have you meet is a crook. And the two of them want that script because they know before long it's gonna be worth plenty. But they ain't gonna get it. Ridiculous. Would you be willing to say that to Mr. Slater to his face? Sure, why not? Then you got proof of it. Sure I got proof. Well, no, not exactly. This is a thought. Sam, you're just making yourself small. If you can't get your own stubborn way without slandering a man that ain't harmed you, you ought to keep shut. Just because I can't show proof don't mean it ain't so. Homer, go on. I will, sister. No, you don't. But if you meet Slater and tell him you got authority to sell them certificates, you'll be wasting your time. But, Sam, I... I ain't give you no such authority and I ain't gonna. And you still can't make no sale without I put my name to it. So what are you gonna do about that? Sam. Well? If you just dare to meddle now, I'll never speak to you again as long as I live. Then don't. I ain't so sure that wouldn't be a good thing. Sam, come here. You come back here right now. If you want me, you know where to find me. I ain't like Homer with relatives to live off of. I got work to do. Did you go through with it, boss? Did you? Pete, I did. Hooray! I don't know how I got the nerve, but I sure told him. Then doggone you hold to it. I don't know, Pete. You have to. Well, I'll try. But if something don't happen soon to prove I was right, I'm afraid I'm a goner. This didn't settle nothing. They'll just keep on pestering me. Then tell them to go to blazes. Show them who's boss. Oh, it ain't me. And I don't know how long I can keep them from finding it out. Mead, it's Ike Slater. You there? Get in here. I thought I told you to stay away from the hotel. You're supposed to be putting Larkins on to a fellow that don't know any better than to buy a landstrip. If he gets out that we're friendly, he'll be getting suspicious. But I had to see you. It's him I come about. Is he ready to sell? He can't. Eh? But I thought you said... Sure, I said Larkins was brother to Catlett's wife. And she gives the old man his orders. But something's gone wrong. What has? The old fellow's got stubborn. And the deals fell through? I don't know. Larkins says not. What do you mean? Well, something's made old Catlett stop the sale. But Larkins says it can't last. He and his sister will keep after him. He says if we'll wait one of these days, Catlett will have to give in. How'd he sound? Like he meant it? Seemed to. I thought we couldn't do ourselves any good or it'd clear out. I think we'd be foolish too. Yeah? Everybody in the county knows how old Catlett's wife bosses him. I'd lay odd she'll get her own way yet. Maybe. There ain't no place else we'll get script so cheap. I know. Them syndicates in the north are grabbing it up as fast and as quiet as they can. If this fellow Coke gets elected to governor, maybe even the Texans will wake up to what they've been missing. Then we won't be able to buy script at any price. Well, I suppose we'd better stay. There's nothing else to do. But Slater. Yeah? You keep in touch with Larkins. Keep pressing him. Let him think the bar you spoke of is losing interest. Convince him he'd better see to it that sale is made quick or the chance he'll be gone for good. You leave it to me. Convince him and he'll convince his sister. And if she don't make life miserable for that old coach he married, then all we've heard about her must have been lies. Mead, I've seen her. Old Cat little wish he'd never been born. The prophecy made by Slater and Mead came true. Day after day, week after week, Hattie condemned the error of her husband's ways. Can't you leave me be, Hattie? I don't want to sell. You won't. Just leave me be, that's all I ask. Just leave me be. Sell. I won't. You will. No, I won't. I won't. I won't. Three weeks. For three weeks I ain't had one minute apiece. I can't stand it. Then don't be a fool. Sell. Sell. Sell. All right, all right, I will. Have it your own way. I've listened for as long as I'm going to. If I heard just one more word, I'd go crazy. About time you came to your senses. Just leave me alone, won't you? If Mr. Slater brings that man here, you'll sell. Ain't that what I said? I just wanted to make sure. Did you hear him, Homer? I did, Hattie. Then get to town, find Mr. Slater. Tell him to get that buyer and bring him here. Sure. Sam, I know how you're feeling, but wait. One of these days you'll be thanking us on your bended knees. Will I? Will I doubt it? Nobody's convinced me I wasn't right. I only give in because if I hadn't, I'd have gone loco. We've been that for some time. Oh! Don't just stand there, Homer. Saddle up and get to town. Slater. Oh, howdy, Larkins. What's up? He'll sell. He said he'd sell. He will? Uh-huh. Now, where's the fellow who wants to buy? I'll take you and him out of the house. And if he pays $2,000, I'm still to get my $500? Of course. You wait right here. I'll have him here in a jiffy. Me, grab your coat and hat. We've put it over. Yeah. The capital will sell. And Larkins is waiting at the cafe to take us out to his place. I think this happened just about in time. Don't I know it. I talked to a fellow this morning and just came from the capital. The legislature's counting the vote and Koch's way in the lead. Once the word gets around, things will help. And come on, before Larkins hears it. Homer Larkins escorted Slater and Meade to Sam Catlett's ranch house, where they received a warm welcome from Hattie, but none at all from Sam. Well, I'm pleased to meet you. Won't you men sit down? Sam, stand up. Let Homer have your chair. Oh! There's no need for anybody to get up. This won't take us long. Well, you've got the certificates already, ain't you? They're right here. Uh-huh. Well, that's fine. You said you'd pay $2,000 for them, didn't you, Mr. Owens? I will. You've got the cash with you? I'll turn it over just as soon as I've looked at the script. Go ahead, Mr. Owens. Don't bother. What the? Mask? Slater. Look who's with him. Davis, Williams, go ahead in. You too, Sheriff. Hey, let me out of here. I'll run for it. Hold those fellas. Try to follow Russia. Get his gun. I got it. Stand where you are, Meade, or you'll get the same. Don't you, don't. Come here. You don't need them guns. I gave up. Did you call this fella Meade? He told us his name was Owen. Then he lied to you, ma'am. He's Link Meade. The masked fella told me all about him. Yeah, and about his partner here, too. They're both of them crooks and I'm here now putting them under arrest. You can't arrest us. We're not crooks. We're Davis and Williams. We'll swear otherwise, Meade. I brought them here from the panhandle. Do you recognize them or have you forgotten already? I, I never seen either one of them before. I neither. That's a blasted lie. You're the two fellas that got me drinking and then tricked me into signing my name to a check for $5,000. And you sold me a gold mine you never had title to. I don't know. I banked on the fact you'd gone too far at some time or other and you had. You'll pay for it now. No, no, Weade. Shut up. Mission, you too. Save your talking for your trial. They ought to be hung for what they did to me. They will hang if I got anything you say about it. I've got news for you, too, Sam. Yeah? Coke was elected. The Reconstruction government is out. Texas is free. And if I'm any judge, the boom is on its way. Yippee! You hear that, Homer? You hear it, Hattie? Now how much of an idiot to think I was. I was right all the time. But I thought... Well, I was sure that... What you thought was that you'd find yourself a soft snap running my ranch and living at my expense. Well, you run your own into the ground. But this one you ain't. I'll wait, Sam. For what? I've just been hoping I'd be proved right so as I could do what I've been hankering to do ever since you got here. Huh? Order you out. Now get. Pack your duds and get off my place before you feel the toe of my boot. That's telling him, boss. And if you don't want to go well, then I'll toss him out for you. You've insulted me. I wouldn't stay here anyhow. Goodbye. And don't never come back. Sam. All right. What you got to say? You can't order Homer out of my house without... Your house? Woman, it's about time you learned this is my house and my ranch and that I'm boss of both. You took your turn at Boston and come close to losing me a fortune by it. Keep still. But I... I said keep still. Yes, Sam. And don't never question my judgment again. No, Sam. And get out in the kitchen and fix me something special good to eat. I ain't had nothing but leftovers since your fool brother come here and I'm tired of it. Sam, I... Go on! Yes, Sam. You're sure a fire eater, Sam, when you get started. Well, if you'd had the chance to prove somebody wasn't so smart after you'd been told for years how dumb you was beside him, well, you'd let off a little steam, too. Yeah, I reckon I would. I'm the boss again thanks to the mask man. I'm the boss and I know I'm the boss. And it sure feels good. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger, Incorporated.
