horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hayo silver. The Lone Ranger. The mask rider of the plains fought for justice throughout the early western United States. His strength and courage always on the side of right against might. Outlaws and confidence men learned to fear his daring and resourcefulness. But every honest man and woman who shared his dream of a great new country could depend on his help. Return with us now to those thrilling days when the west was young. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver! We're heading for Freeland! Thomas waiting for us there! Two stagecoaches were drawn up, one behind the other in the little village of Freeland. Both were the familiar Concord type, but there the resemblance ended. One was new and bore the insignia of the Brewer stagecoach lines. The other, owned by young Bill Paulson, was old and dilapidated. The last of its paint had been worn off years before. Bill himself stood in the street beside the new coach and shook his fist at its grinning driver. You can't do this to me, it ain't fair. You tell Dan Brewer to stay in his own territory and leave other folks alone. I ain't tried to round his business. Suppose you tell that to Dan yourself and see what good it does you. I'll talk to him, you bet I'll talk to him. Sure, sure. Come on, Lem, let's get going. We've got a schedule to keep. Uh-huh. No, you don't! You fellas ain't moving till I'm finished. Now, Bill, you look here. Huh? Ain't no use you getting mad at Sam and me here. This ain't none of our doing. All we know is Dan told us he was starting service between here and South Pass and putting us up the run. As long as we draw his wages, we've got to obey his orders. So that's all we're is to it. He's just trying to run me out. Maybe, but I don't... At least he could fight fair. He's got a big line built up and all the cash he'll ever need. I'm just starting in. I got just that one stage, coach, and look at it. Yeah, look at it. Ain't hardly fitting the hitchhorses to. Take it easy, Bill. Take it easy when your boss comes into my territory and starts hauling passengers and freight for almost nothing? How can I beat that kind of competition? Take a tip from me. Yeah? You can't. So don't try to. But I'm not going to let him get him... Now, we can't job with you no longer. See you next trip. Get up, you critter! Get up! I'll show you. You probably ain't got me lit yet. What business in the world Dan can want. He comes here to keep me from making a living. I'd like to break him in half. Me talk to you. Huh? Oh, howdy, Injun. What do you want? You come. Huh? Friend won't see you. Yeah? Who is he? You come. You see him. Can't you tell me his name? No. Well, if you can't, I'm not interested. That following Injun's I've never seen a Ford. I meet strangers I've never heard of before. Him won't help you. Help me? Redskin, now I know you're joking. Besides, whether I got any passengers or not, I got a stage to drive. Aye, Sandy! Let's get going for the pass. Bill wouldn't listen to you, huh, Tender? All right. Well, you can't blame him. After all, he doesn't know us. Oh. I think we can get all the information we need from another source. Where that is, Hoover? Barney Baskin. Him, aren't you? One of the wealthiest in the district, Kemosabe. Harry, there's nothing going on around here that he doesn't know about. Him talk to you? We met once years ago. If he remembers me, he will. That's good. Let's go. Get him up, Scowl. Come on, Silver. Come on, old fellow. Come on. It was several hours later. The Lone Ranger and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, drew rain in front of a large, rambling ranch house. Oh, hold there, Silver. Oh, scowl. Oh, fella. Oh, fella. Ken, don't mind the dogs. Up with your hands, you fellas. I seen you when the dogs started barking. You ain't gonna get nothing. Hello, Barney. Well, I land a ghost and look who's here. And I was gonna drill you. I seen that mask. It's all right, Barney. No harm done. We're here for information. Then you'd better be getting inside before the boys come around wondering who you are. Thanks. I suppose this is... Tonto, you heard me speak of him. Well, I should smile I did. Tonto, howdy. How? You part ever tell you how him and me chased some rustlers clear to kingdom come one time? Oh, him tell them. Well, him and me... Barney, we have much time. We need information, and the quicker we can get it, the better. Sure, friend, sure. I always was one to talk too much. What'd you want to know? What's happened to Dan Brewer, huh? I heard quite a bit about Dan the last time I was through here, Barney. And everyone spoke highly of him. Now I'm beginning to wonder. You must have been hearing about him and young Bill Paulson, huh? I have been. Well, now, it's a funny thing about Dan. He used to be one of the best-liked fellas in this part of the state. And he isn't now? Not like he was. Why not? Just another fella that's been too successful. Oh? Don't know what else to blame it on. You see, it's like this, as near as I can figure it out. Dan's got a grove daughter named Sally. But just the same, he's still a young man. Can't be more than 38 or 9. I know that. Well, 10 years ago, he started up his stage line on the shoestring. Now he's got one of the finest outfits in the state. Makes money hand over fist. That's one of the reasons I can't understand he's going after Paulson. Wait a second. When Dan was building up his line, he was too busy hustling after business to stop and think what a great fella he was. I see. But once he got to the top, I reckon he sat back and all of a sudden began to realize he was something special. A big head, huh? You could call it that. Others have called it worse, though. Anyhow, he decided he was quite a curly wolf, so he began to howl. Turned into a regular driver. Where he used to be free and easy with the fellas working for him, he began to order them around like he owned a plantation and they were slaves, sort of. Asking for trouble. Oh, the boys didn't think much of it. They noted just something Dan would have to get over by himself. They'd just take it and keep their mouths closed. But in the meantime, what about Bill? Until Bill bought that old coach of his, Dan never ran a stage between Freeland and South Pass. Bill wasn't competition in any sense of the word. In fact, by promoting travel to the pass where his stage met Dan's coaches, he was bringing Dan business. But that ain't taking Sally into account. Sally? Dan's daughter. I just mentioned her. Bill made the mistake of paying her court. So that's it. Bill's a right fine boy. But I reckon Dan just disapproved on general principles. Like a lot of other parents, he doesn't want to see his child marry and leave him. That's the size of it, I reckon. And that's why he set out to bust Bill. He's going to prove to Sally that cause Bill can't stand up against her paul, he ain't the man she ought to get hitched to. That sounds like poor logic to me. How could Bill be expected to fight Dan successfully when Bill is starting with nothing, and Dan is a large organization? You ask Dan that, not me. I guess he'll have some kind of an answer for you. I will. Huh? You mean you are going to face Dan? Where can he be found? Middleburg? That's his headquarters. But since his trouble with Bill started, he and Sally have been staying at South Pass. Both lines run in there, and it gives Dan a better chance to keep an eye on things. South Pass. Tell her, how long will it take us to ride there? Maybe eight, nine hours. We can get there during the evening. Then come. Hey! I'm going to see you again. I'm going to call on Dan, Barney. I know. I hope to make him see reason, but if he doesn't, he will see us again. Adios. When Bill Paulson reached South Pass with his stage, he stabled his horses and spent the early evening idling about town. But when darkness had fallen, he headed for Dan Brewer's home. A tall hedge encircled the house, and when Bill reached it, he called softly, Sally. Oh, Sally. It's me, Bill. Bill. Here you are. Bill, you shouldn't have come. You expected me, though, didn't you? Well, I... If you hadn't, you wouldn't be here. Oh, if Paul finds us... He'll raise a dick, and sure. But he's got to find us first. Where is he now? In the parlor, I think. He was going over some accounts. Well, as long as he stays there, we shouldn't worry. Oh, doggone Sally. You ever been able to get him to say why he's so dead set again? Shucks, there was a time back when he used to act like he caught him to me. That was before we met. That's all that's wrong, Bill. Really, it is. He's just afraid I'll marry and leave him. One know what's silly, but I don't think he even realizes himself if that's how he feels. He just says, I can't think of marrying until I find someone good enough for me. Well, I never claimed to be that. Crazy. But, but Bill... Yeah? Why don't you end this fight? Why don't you just go to Pa and tell him you'll sell out, then take what you get and start up again somewhere else? Wouldn't that be wiser? If you don't, you may lose everything. I know. Well, then... Oh, I don't know. It ain't easy to put in the woods, Sally. Well, it's just that I set out to run a stage line between Freeland and South Pass. Not someplace, Sales, but just between them two points. Well, if I quit, I'll always feel as though I'd proved yellow somehow. As though I'd showed I couldn't stand up to a fight. And I wouldn't be good enough for you. But that's foolish to think that way, Bill. I can't help it, I do. But why... And if I did quit and offer to sell to your Pa, he'd think even less of me than he does now. You can't admire our man. You're just down, Sally. Yeah. Yeah, I suppose. I don't know how you look at it, but the main thing with me is proving to your Pa that I can make you a good husband. Even the stage line don't come before that. So I ain't gonna just up and show him I'm a quitter. Oh, you'll never let up. Yeah, maybe not. I've heard him talk. He says he'll run you out of business if he has to let passengers ride for nothing. Mm-hmm. And it makes me sort of doggone mad. Yeah? Well, I mean, it never ended your Pa's head to run stages between here and Freeland until I thought of it. If he'd chosen some other run, that's the run he would have decided he had to have. Yeah. We'll be all right. You're sneaking coyote. Where are you for? Meeting Sally on a slide. You're yelling to come out in the open like a man. Listen, Dan, I... Well, young fella, this time you'll get a lesson you'll be a long time putting out of mind. Hey, what are you... Oh, that shotgun. Loaded and primed for the skunk. Now, wait a minute. Sally, I'm gonna show you just how much gumption this pool kid's got. Bill, I'm gonna start counting. When I get to 10, I'm letting fly. And let's see you travel. If you don't make tracks in an almighty big hurry, you're gonna have your britches full of buckshot. Oh, no. Dan, if you think I'm gonna run on account of that shotgun you're holding there in your hands, you're loco as a bug-eyed steer. And I won't even count, are you? You'll drop that gun before I blast it out of your hands. What's that? Come, Tyler. Bring the horses. What's that? And a redskin. You can't... I'll take that gun. There. Leave it on the ground. You can get it when we're gone. Who in Tunker do you think you are? That doesn't matter. I'm here to ask you just one question. Are you going to give Bill a chance? Or are you going to use your power to break him? I'll break anybody that gets in my way. A bad policy, Dan. One of these days you'll meet a man stronger and smarter than you. And you'll be broken. Say. What's the matter? Redskin? Ain't you the hombre who spoke to me back in Freeland? Ah, not me. I'm the man who wanted to see you. What for? Then I wanted information. Since then, I got it in another place. You're coming with me now to discuss something else. Huh? Where's your horse? What? Well, just the stage horses back in town. Tonto, go with him. Ah, Tonto, do it. See that he saddles one of those horses and bring him to the place I mentioned when we rode here. I'll meet you there. Come on, Silver. Hey, wait! Kyle 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 place that the Lone Ranger had pointed out to his faithful Indian companion was an isolated woods ideal for a camp. When Tonto and Bill Paulson had joined him there, he outlined a plan to help the young man. Well, you see, Bill, I think your problem can be solved. You show Dan you're a better man than he is. If you do as I've suggested, you will. That's one of the slickest stunts I've ever heard of. And you agree? Wouldn't I be a fool not to? I can see no other chance for you. Nope, and I can't neither. Gosh, if it'll only work the look Dan will have on his face. Oh, but say, yes, ain't he likely to check up a second time after I've talked to him? If he does that, if he does, we'll just have to find another plan somehow. That's what I'm afraid of. But I'm almost positive he won't. There are several good sound reasons for that. Yeah? In the first place, Dan is already completely confident of his own ability to outguess anyone he meets in a business way. He's that all right. In fact, he's overconfident. Yeah. That's one point in your favor. The second is that when he sees how ready you seem to be to quit, his estimation of you will go still lower. I wonder if that's possible. It is. So he'll not only be overestimating himself, but he'll be underestimating you. And Barney Bascom? Barney will work with us, will he? He will. You have my word. Then that's fine. And I still say I want to see Dan's face when he learns how he's been tricked. During the following week, Bill continued to operate his stage line in competition with Dan. But one day on arriving at South Pass, he headed for the local office of the Brewer's stage line with two ledgers underneath his arm. When he entered the office, Dan looked up but showed no surprise. You, eh? What have you got there? There. Those are the company books I've been keeping. They show everything. Just how much the company owes, how much it owns, how much it's made and how much it's lost. Everything's there. Here, sir. What's that to me? I want you to look him over, Dan. Why? Well, I'll tell you. I've seen the light. Ain't no use of me fighting a fellow like you. They can't be licked, so I'm quitting. Giving up, selling out. You found me too much for you, eh? Ain't a shame to admit it. No? Well, that's the difference between you and me. I would be. Sally? Yes, Paul? Come out here a second. I want to show you something. Hello, Dan. There's no use in rubbing it in. Can't take it, eh? Oh, hello, Bill. Hello, Sally. Come here. What is it, Paul? Take a look at him, Sally. There's the fellow you said had the nerve to fight your pa to a standstill. What do you mean? Just look at him. Oh, Dan, why can't you let up on the fellow? Is there something wrong? Oh, your pa's just enjoying himself because he knows I've come here to sell out. Sell out? No. Oh, I can't help it, Sally. You said yourself the other night you figured it was a thing to do. Oh, no, but I thought we agreed. I'll be about enough of that. You two ain't ever going to agree to nothing. As long as I'm your pa selling, got some rights over you. Is that all you wanted to tell me? Nope. Just wanted you here to look on while we dig her. Maybe that'll give you some idea why I said this fellow wasn't good enough for you. There's no use keeping this up, Dan. Give me the right price and I'll sell. I ain't got much equipment, just the one coach and the horses and the station here McFreeland. But it ought to be worth something. If you'll get me... Dan, Sally, you're not in the position to tell me what I'll pay. Well, I meant... I know very well what you meant. You meant to try and hold me up. But it won't work. You have to sell, but I don't have to buy. When you figure that out, you'll see where I'm in the driver's seat. Yes, sir. You hear that, Sally? Your fire eaters got tamed down some. Please, boss, stop it. Yeah, I can say how you're feeling. Well, this ain't getting business done. You know what kind of a balance those books show? Well, the way I figured when everything's paid that my company owns, well, there ought to be what amounts to a couple thousand dollars left. That's including rolling stock, of course. Uh-huh. So I thought that... Quit thinking. I'll have a look at those books myself and see what they say. Likely, you've made a mess of them. Oh, I had a fellow at Freeland keep them for me. Yeah, then likely you don't even save him. Now, look him over. If I find your company stands about the way you claim, I, uh... Eh... Well, I'll give you a couple hundred dollars. Oh, Paul! But, Dan, that ain't the worst near what it's worth. No? It'll be cash enough to get you out of town and keep you going until you're so far you won't get the notion of calling on my daughter again. That's all you'll need. But I won't take it. Then don't! I mean, can't I have some time to think it over while you're looking at the books? Take all the time you want, young fella. Don't matter to me. Thank you, Dan. Thank you very much. Well, I'll be saying good day now. Bye, Sally. Bye, Bill. Oh, stop it! Stop it! And there goes the ring-tailed terror I was supposed to be scared of. Sneaking out of here like a whip curve. I don't care. Eh? What's this? I don't believe it's as bad as it looks. I don't! I don't! Look at him! Dad, when you come right down to it, I'd sort of hope Bill would do better myself. But for all of Bill's apparent dejection when he left Dan Brewer's office, he was cheerful enough two days later. Barney Bascom, the lone ranger and the young stage driver had met at the rancher's home and Bill told the story of his conference with Dan. So he looked at the books from cover to cover and made me the same offer all over again. Two hundred dollars. And you told him? Well, that I still couldn't make up my mind to it and took the ledges and drove them back to Freeland on the stage. You misrepresented nothing? If he buys, it'll be as is. I mean, he'll take the company with what it owes and what it owns at the time I sell. Young fella, between you and me and the masked fella here, I reckon we'll have Dan Brewer just about where we want him. Well, it's you two who are doing it. You're giving me the cash, Barney, and it was the masked man's idea. I ain't had nothing to do with it at all. Don't feel that way, Bill. Ain't it so? No, as a matter of fact, it isn't. You had your share in this as well. You had to play a part convincingly. You had to make Dan believe you were thoroughly whipped without letting him suspect you had something up your sleeve. Well, I guess I've done that all right. You've done splendidly. Now, tomorrow, and if he'll go to Freeland, the deal can be finished there. I'll do that. Good luck, young fella. We're gonna have ourselves some fun. Bill followed the Lone Ranger's instructions. He called on Dan the following day, accepted his terms, and asked the stage owner to come to Freeland to close the deal. Dan agreed, and the next day, while Sally and two witnesses looked on, he signed his name to the papers that transferred the ownership of the Paulson stage line. There they are. All right, Bill, all that's needed now is your John Henry. Write it here. Mm-hmm. Dan, you sure you don't want to go for my books again? Won't you forget those doggone books? Just sign this paper. Well, I just thought maybe you'd... For God's sake, sign! Sure, if you insist. You sound as though you didn't think I knew how to read accounts. No, I never meant that. There, Evelyn's sign. Here's my check. Two hundred dollars. Thank you, Dan. Thank you kindly. You can go, men. You won't be needing any more. All right, Mr. Brewer. Bye. Bye. Well, Sally, that should settle things once and for all. You said when it would come right down to it, he wouldn't sell for what I offered. But you see, he did. Yes. Yes, I see. Sally. Yes, Bill? Is this going to make any difference between us? You're going to be off me because I sold out? No, Bill, of course not. I'm sure you had good reasons. You can bet I did. Yeah, you turn yeller. Don't get your hopes up because of anything my daughter says. If you don't clear out of this part of the country, I'll see that she does. I'll send her east. You can't. Barney, is that the fellow? That's him. That's him, all right. Barney, Barney Baskin. Mr. Baskin. Hello, Sally. Ain't seen you since you was me hired or a grasshopper. This is the same masked man I saw the other night. Right. What are you doing here? Ask Barney. I'm here at his request. Yeah, yeah, that's right. Bill, I want that cash you owe me. What, Barney? I came here with a masked man just the minute I heard you were selling out. Either you pay me first or my part here will see what you do. Oh, that. You're darn tootin' that. I want my ten thousand dollars. I ain't so well off that I can afford to lose it. Bill, you borrowed ten thousand dollars? Mm-hmm. But where? That's all right, Sally. I borrowed it, but I don't owe it. Young fella, you got the brash to claim you paid it back? I didn't say so, did I? No, it wasn't me borrowed that cash, Barney. I mean, it wasn't me for myself. It was for the company. Being president of the company, I had the right, so it's the company owes it to you. And seeing as how the company now belongs to Dan, he owes you. What's that? It's so, Dan. This is a trick. It's fraud. You never showed that debt on your books. It'll look like I kept asking it to you. You'd have seen it there as plain as your nose. It wasn't there the other day when you brought them books to South Pass. I hadn't borrowed the cash yet. And as long as you hadn't bought my company yet and I was still ahead of it, I had the right to do any darn thing I pleased between then and now. You didn't? I did. And you can't claim I cheated you. Because you not only bought my line as is, but I kept asking you special to look at them books again. Oh, but you wouldn't. You thought you was too darn clever to have to. Oh, Paul, he did trick it ain't legal. It sounds legal to me. And anyhow, I don't care. If you're the fellow who's me that cash, Dan, then you pay up right now. It says right on the note it's payable on demand. $10,000. $10,000 to the penny. And don't you try and hold back a dime. I won't. I'd have to borrow. Bill, what'd you do with that cash? Where's it going? Dan, it don't matter where it's gone. Whether I burned it up, spent it buying equipment, or just threw it away. But you can't have to... You look at what you signed and you'll see you ain't got no hold on me or whatever. I want my money. And I'll see that you get it, Barney. I don't know what to do. $10,000 is impossible. I have to go to the bank, give him a mortgage. One moment. Perhaps there's an acceptable way out of this. You mean so I won't have to pay Barney that cash? Yes. I want my money and I won't agree to anything that cheats me out of it. I want to stay here and now. Wait, life finished, Barney. But I tell you that... If Dan were willing to pay you a bonus of $1,000, would you accept the return of your stage line and assume all its obligations? No. But I think... I'll take it back, but Dan will have to do better than that. I'll name it, Bill, name it. First, I'll take $1,000 like the masked man suggested. That part's all right. $1,000 is easier to lose and $10,000. I'll give it to you. And besides, you'll have to agree never to run your stages in competition with me over my route. I won't. And finally, you'll have to let me and Sally get hitched. Well, I... You remember what you said, don't you? You said you'd never be satisfied till I met a man as good as you. Well, it looks to me as though Bill's proved he's a whole lot better. You, uh, really want to marry this fellow, Sally? I think I've said so before. Well, then, it'll be all right again. Then it's a bargain? It's a bargain. I never go back on my words. Bonnie! Yeah? Here. Here's the check you gave me for $10,000. I never even cashed it. Didn't think you would. Thanks. You fellas had this all fixed up between you. With a masked man to figure the scheme out. Well, I'll be a... Young fella. Yeah? You're just the gent I want to run my business when I'm... I'm ready to retire. Yeah, reckon you and me will get along. I reckon we will. Hey, look! The masked man! Him and Tonto are clearing out! The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
