fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo silver, the Lone Ranger. In the early days of the western United States, hold-ups were an everyday occurrence, and it was not until the masked rider of the plains started his great fight for law and order that the trails became safe for honest men and women. Without the Lone Ranger's strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness, the winning of the West might never have been accomplished. 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 heading for Pine Flats! There's going to be trouble! United States Marshal Baldwin rode into Pine Flats and reined up in front of the sheriff's office. Steady boy, steady. Hi there! Ain't you the marshal? It's your Jim Grant you're waiting for. Is that the name of your sheriff? That's right, Mr. Marshal. And I sure hope you can make that critter in the jail tell what he knows. You do, huh? Yes, sirree. Come on, I'll take you to Jim Grant. Right this way, Mr. Baldwin. Jim? Yes, the U.S. Marshal. My name's Baldwin. Glad to know you, Baldwin. Shut the door, Trigger. Yes, sirree. Sit down, Baldwin. I guess you know as much about things as we do. I understand you have a prisoner here. That's right. An ornery polecat that was caught in the act of selling government rifles to the Redskins. Mm-hmm. You knew, of course, there'd been a lot of that sort of thing, Grant. Too doggone much of it. Redskins are plenty hard to handle when they got bows and arrows. Give them shooting irons and they're outright worrisome. Has this prisoner had anything to say? Not yet. But I figure we can make him squeal aplenty when we get together and go to work on him. I don't know where he got the rifles. A lot of them were stolen from a supply train. The government's been trying to locate the head of the gang that stole them. We've already captured two of the gang who were selling the rifles, but we haven't been able to get the big boss. Wait a minute, Baldwin. Hey, Trigger. Ain't you supposed to take some grub to the prisoner about now? By, Jennifer, that's so. I had her sitting right there on the porch, and when Mr. Baldwin come, I forgot all about it. I'll get at it right away. Oh, I don't know what's the matter with me, Dad. Trigger's getting more absent-minded all the time. I'm darned if he ain't. I hope nothing happens to the prisoner before he talks. What do you mean, Baldwin? Well, as I said, there were two other men captured. But before they could name the man higher up, they were murdered. Oh. Yeah, right in their cells. I don't know how it was done. It's been mighty mysterious all the way through. There's a culprit's fodder. Take it into him, then. Uh, by the way, have you a light for my pipe, Trigger? Yes, sir, you bet. I always carry some extra matches. I figure it's a good way to do a man a good turn. Set this grub down now. Here you are, Mr. Baldwin. I'll hold a fire. You been around here long, Trigger? Me? Well, off and on, as you might say. Got your light? It's all right. Thanks, Trigger. All right, thank you. I'll take this grub now and give it to the crib. How well do you know that man, Grant? Trigger? Shucks, I've known him for a long time. Trust him? Sure, I trust him. Mm-hmm. Why? I just wondered, that's all. Look here, Mr. Baldwin. You got any reason to distrust Trigger? Thought I'd seen him somewhere else, that's all. Might have been mistaken, though. Men like him are pretty common around this part of the country. I shoved a plate into him, Grant, and he's eating it. All right, Trigger. I reckon that'll be all for now. Well, I'll stick around in case there's something else to do, Grant. You might want an errand run or something. Why do you want to stick around? Huh? I said, is there any reason why you want to stick around? It's his doggone curiosity, that's all. He's afraid he'll miss something. Maybe you want to know what the prisoner will have to tell. Is that it? Huh? You wait outside, Trigger. If we want you, we'll send for you. Well, all right, but doggone, you think I was suspected of something or other. I'm afraid you're barking up the wrong tree if you suspicion Trigger of anything, Baldwin. In the case of this kind, it doesn't do, Grant, to figure anyone is above suspicion. We know someone engineered a theft of army rifles. Yeah. Sure we do, but, well, Trigger wasn't there at the time. We know there are several men working in this part of the country peddling those rifles to Indians. Hey, boss, Mr. Grant, Mr. Baldwin, look at what I've got. A redskin. Who's that? Who is the Indian? Well, it takes a lie, Jim Grant. Don't tell me you don't tell me who this redskin is. He's the one that was buying the rifle from the prisoner. That's right. Shut that door. Where'd you find him? Oh, sucks. He was sitting right outside on the steps of the porch. What have you got to say for yourself? Me not talk. Is it true that you were approached by a pale face to buy a rifle? That's right. Me say me meet feller in town. Petch him cash. Is that true? Sure it's true. Sure it's true, Mr. Baldwin. That's how it happened, I reckon, Baldwin. Me and a deputy had heard about this business of the Indians buying rifles. The next thing we knowed, here was this one making a deal with Hank Lazarus. Lazarus? That's the name of the prisoner. That's right. Tonto not break law. You can help us a lot, redskin. Just sit down for a while. There ain't much we can do to the redskin, is there, Baldwin? Of course not. He doesn't know the law. We can't blame him for buying a rifle if he has a chance. Look here, redskin. Why'd you figure to meet Lazarus here in town? Didn't you know it was sort of risky? No. Tonto not know. I'll give him a thorough question and when I finish talking to you, Grant, I'll meet him. What? It's Lazarus. What's the matter with him? Come on and see. He's rolling on the floor there. Get the door open. Get that door open, Trigger. I'm doing it, Grant. Just a second now. What's the matter with the man? He looks to me as if we're poisoned or something. Look at his eyes. Shakes alive. Hi, Lazarus, wake up. Look at me. Don't stare that way. Stand aside. Let me look at him. Well, Shakes alive. He was all right when I shoved his grub into him. What about it, Baldwin? What ails him? This is nothing new to me, Grant. Nothing new? Well, I've never seen the like of it before. This man has been poisoned. The same as the other two. Other two? I told you we'd had prisoners before. It's the third time this has happened. Is, uh, is Lazarus done for? The prisoner is dead. That there grub done it. Well, I'll bet a cookie on it. It's your fault, Trigger. You left that food standing on the porch, forgetting all about it. But, Sheriff, but that is I... Any man in town would have had a chance to put some poison on the food. Yes, but I... Maybe you left it there on purpose. For that reason. Me? Craig Shakespeare alive? No, I didn't do nothing like that, Mr. Baldwin. I... Sheriff Grant, I suggest that you put this man in jail and hold him for further questioning. I'll do it by, Ginger. Trigger, if you've been pulling the wool over my eyes all these years, I'll see you hanged if it's the last thing I do. Hey, if you want that redskin, look. Stop, Hage, and wait. Hold on. Get him. Stop or I fire. No, he's getting away. Keep the gun on, Trigger, Baldwin. I'll go after the redskin. Stop that man. Stop that engine. He's wanted by the law. Get him up, Scott. Tonto raced out of town, cut across the plain toward the woods, and plunged among the trees. He found the Lone Ranger waiting for him in a clearing, and told him what had happened in the sheriff's office. Are you sure the man was dead, Tonto? That's right. Tonto, make sure. Poor fellow. He didn't have a chance. Poison in food. Murdered. Poisoned. Ah. Well, perhaps it saved him from hanging. But we're partly to blame for it, Kemosabe. Now, what do? Tonto, we've got to carry on just the same. The law is helpless in this thing. Ah. Look, Tonto. We have one of the frontier model weapons in the saddlebag. An old six-shooter. That's right. Bring it here. I'm going to fix that gun, and then we'll start the next move. Ah. What next move? There's a man in town who still is peddling old army rifles, but he hasn't been suspected by Sheriff Grant. You want Tonto a call on him? His name is Baldy Elephant. He runs a cafe. How you know him sell army rifles? And that's where those Apaches we met last week got their weapons. You know that? I'm certain of it. Here, Gun. And leave it with me, Tonto. I'm going to stay here in camp until after dark. You'll go on back to town. What me do? Call on Sheriff Grant and this man named Baldwin. Offer to help them in exchange for your own freedom. Ah. They'll arrest you as soon as you show up in town. You'll have to do quite a bit of talking to them. I'll tell you just what to say. Ah. Sit down, Kemosabe, and listen carefully to me. It won't do any harm to keep that man you called Trigger in jail anyway, Sheriff Grant. Dad rat at all? I still ain't convinced that he had any notion the grub of the prisoner was going to get poisoned. I'll walk the hotel with you, Baldwin, and see you fixed up for sleeping. Lots of time for that. It won't do any harm to get set just the same. Hold on. Hmm? There's that Redskin. Heist your hands there, Injun. You. You not shoot. Heist him, I say. I want to fall over with you. Come on, Baldwin. Take the Redskin's weapons. Right. You're under arrest, Injun, so step right back inside that office and be quick about it. Oh, me not crook. We'll see about that. I did it before when you was here, but you sure was a fool to come back. Well, I didn't expect to see you here again, Redskin. You don't stay scared, do you? Sit down there, Baldwin. I'll question the coyote. Oh, me not that, Injun. What'd you say your name was? Me, Tonto. Tonto, huh? Well, we're going to arrest you and hold you until we figure what's best to do with you. Um, me come back. Me help. You what? You help? Not right. What do you mean, help? Me, no other Indian. Him get rifle, too. Yeah? From the prisoner that's killed? No. Who from? Now, don't tell me Trigger's been selling rifles, or I'll fetch a crack alongside that head of yours. No. Him not sell. Who then? Oh, me show. Maybe you'll be good friend then. Huh? What do you mean? Do you mean to say you will show us who's been selling army rifles? If we'll be friendly with you? Not right. What's being friendly mean? You let Tonto go free. Not send posse after Tonto. Who is this man you're talking about, Tonto? Tonto show. Tonto buy rifle. You watch. Why, Ginger, the Indian's got a brain in his head. He's got it all figured out for us. He'll buy a rifle from the critter, and we'll watch the sale being made and get the man with the goods right on him. Not right. What's his name? You let Tonto go? We'll see about that later. You can bet your boots we won't let you go if you don't help us. You come cafe tonight. You watch Tonto. You'll be there, huh? Uh-huh. Now, Tonto go? All right. You mosey out in here now, and we'll be watching you at the cafe tonight. Ah. That's good. Poor Redskin. You know, Baldwin, I feel right sorry for him. He seems like a good sort of an engine to me. What do you feel sorry for an Indian for? Why, you see, uh, three men that was ready to talk and help get the big boss of this rifle stealing has already been killed. I wonder if that engine's gonna be number four. More likely he'll lead us to the man that poisoned Lazarus. Right at all. I wish I knew. But I ain't got a hunch that Redskin's gonna die before he can be much help to us. The curtain falls on the first act of tonight's Lone Ranger story. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story, Tonto, working on instructions from the Lone Ranger, agreed to help the sheriff and the United States Marshal prove that Baldi Oliphant was selling rifles to Indians. That evening, Grant and Baldwin waited at the rear of the cafe near an open window end. May as well do what the Redskin said, Baldwin, and wait right here. I'm not used to taking orders from Indians, but then I guess it's... I know. But there's something about this one named Tonto. I don't know what it is, but he sort of makes me feel that he can be counted on to help us. He don't want to be jailed and he's got it all figured out that the best way to stay out in jail is to help the law. Maybe so. Got your shooting iron? Right hand. Yes, sirree. Quiet. The door's swinging open. Is that Oliphant? That's him. Oh. That Indian's with him. Yeah. Quiet now. Before we go any further, Indian, I got to have a look at your cash. Hmm. Tonto got cash. Show me. Oh. Here, cash. Here. Plenty cash. For rifle. Where'd you get that there cash money? Hmm. That's not matter. You didn't steal it from anyone around town, did you? No. Reckon it'll be all right then. Now you show rifle. I don't keep them rifles here. I got to get them from a friend of mine. I'll take this cash and later on I'll have your shooting iron here for you. Tonto will go with you. No, you don't. Can't take the chances. This year a friend of mine wouldn't hand out the rifle if anyone is with me. He's got orders from the man that's his boss to be powerful careful. Now you hang around here and I'll be back by and by and have the rifle for you. Tonto, stay here. Right. Right in this room. Now don't go away. I'll be back inside an hour. Tonto's put it over all right, ain't he, Baldwin? Hmm. So far. I'll have to follow this bartender. You stay here, Grant, and keep an eye on the red skin. If you say so, Marshal Baldwin, but I'd sooner go along with you. You can't take chances on the red skin losing his nerve and hightailing it. Now you watch him. I'll be back when that man Oliphant is. The cafe with the Marshal close behind him. He's heading for that cabin ahead. Maybe he keeps the rifles hidden there. That's where he's going, all right. I'll give him time to... Just a minute. Huh? What's this? Who are you? I'll just take your gun. What's the meaning of this? Who are you? Is that a mask on your face? Yes. Who are you? My name's Baldwin, United States Marshal. And I warn you, stranger, you'll do well to return my gun and get away from here fast. Outlaws don't interfere with me and live to tell about it. So your name is Baldwin, huh? Yes. Ah. That's odd. What's odd about it? You're what I thought you'd be. I suppose you're here to run down the stolen army rifles, huh? What do you know about them? Perhaps I'm here for the same reason. You? Why not? Mask. I don't understand. Go ahead, Baldwin. I'll put your gun back in your holster. But be careful. Careful? Don't let anything happen to Oliphant when you get the goods on him. He'll be able to tell you a lot. Ah. We'll hope so. Now get going. One minute. Just who are you? That needn't concern you. But that mask... Don't hurry, Baldwin. You won't be able to make the arrest you want. Oliphant, there's a light going in the cabin over there. Where are you going? I'll be around. Come with me. You want me to? Yes, of course. Well, come on then. We'll see what Baldi Oliphant is doing over there. Inside the one-room cabin, Baldi Oliphant lifted three or four short rifles from a box in the corner. He studied them and selected one. Ah. Good enough for a red skin. Then he put the rest back in the box and closed the lid. There. Rub your hand. What in? You're covered, Oliphant. Say here, what's the idea of this anyhow? Ain't you the marshal that just got to town? Right. And you're under arrest. Now hold on. There's something mighty wrong here. What'd you figure on arresting me for? You'll find out. But I ain't done nothing. Take your six-gun stranger. Very well. Looks as if you're caught with the goods, Baldi. What goods? I don't say they. Stand where you are. Me? You. Put down that gun. Why do you want to cover me? I'm taking no chances. Very well. I'm standing still. Oliphant, take the stranger's guns from leather and drop them to the floor. If you say so. That's it. I'll drop them. I'll drop yours. Kick them toward me. You're on with the other two. I reckon I'm savvy now. Well, you had to arrest me, being as the masked man was watching, eh? Lazarus told me to count on you. Lazarus? He's the prisoner. Yep. Did Lazarus tell you to sell those rifles? How else would I get to sell them? You'd better shoot, Baldwin, because I already know the answer to things around here. Oh, you know the answer, huh? You are no more Marshal Baldwin than I am. Why? I found the real United States Marshal where you left him. He'd been murdered. His credentials were stolen. Go on, stranger. Tell me some more. This is interesting. Just after you came to town to have a talk with the prisoner, the prisoner died of poison. Yeah? You went to towns where there were other gun peddlers in jail. And in both of these cases, the men died before they could talk. Hold on. Is that true? That's true, Oliphant. I didn't know Lazarus was dead. You were given to understand that Baldwin protected the prisoners, weren't you? Sure. What about it? You through talking? I'm curious about your real name. Use the name of the man you murdered. What's your real name? That's none of your business. I'm right obliged to you for telling me how much you know about me, though. It gives me the chance to get you out of the way. Hey, for the love of Pete, what have you done? You stand still. You shot him in cold blood. Well? You didn't even let him defend himself. Why should I? But, but, sakes alive. Now you got his shooting to account for. We'll account for that between us, Oliphant. Sit down. You and I have some talking to do. Yeah? I can take you back to Sheriff Grant. He'll jail you on my say-so. Yeah, sure he will. Or I can shoot you, just as I did that mask man. Well, you wouldn't do that. That all depends on you. You know about me now, don't you? Well, uh... You can back up what I say, and we'll both be in the clear. I didn't give you the rifles to sell here, but I understand that Lazarus did. What's your ID? You can tell Sheriff Grant that you took on the sale of rifles to help me. That this whole thing, on your part, was part of a scheme to find the man who stole the rifles in the first place. Yeah? Well, we found him, and I shot him. That's simple enough, isn't it? Meaning that hombre? Right. Now come on back with me. Hey, we'll fetch Sheriff Grant and a deputy or two. While we're doing it, I'll get you straight on the story we're to tell. Oh, good enough, Mr., uh... You'll continue to call me Baldwin. Yes, sir, Mr. Baldwin. Should we take that gent along? Leave him there. We'll get Sheriff Grant here, and let him be the one to unmask him. When Baldwin returned to the cabin with the sheriff and his deputies, he told his story of the shooting. So, there he is, Sheriff. Just as he fell when we shot him. Hmm. And you say he's the leader of this gun-selling outfit? Of course. Well, I'm downright glad to know the biggest crook of all is done for. I had to shoot him in self-defense. Didn't die, Baldi. Eh? Oh, I reckon you did. It was either you or him all right enough. That's right. Well, what about Baldi? There's no charge against him, Sheriff. He was helping me all along. I didn't figure Baldi was the sort to be in any crooked dealing. I never was, Sheriff, and I ain't now. That's why I was willing to listen to the proposition to trap the crook that stole them army rifles and hired men like Lazarus to peddle him around redskins. I see. Well, I reckon now's the time to sort of lay our cards face up, ain't it, Baldwin? Sure. First place, Baldi was never crooked. We both know that. The Lone Ranger knowed it, too. Who? The Lone Ranger. He's the friend of that redskin named Tonto. Oh. The Lone Ranger knowed Baldi was really on the level. That's why he asked Baldi to help him out. He figured that Baldi'd get the same as Lazarus and all the rest, so he couldn't tell too much. Well, what are you getting at? Well, the Lone Ranger didn't want no murder, so he stopped you in the woods and took your gun. Instead of giving it back, he gave you back another gun. What? That's right. One that was loaded with blank cartridges. You mean to say that... That shooting iron you got ain't no more harmful than an iron horseshoe. But the masked man... Why'd you look toward the masked man? Huh? You ain't hurt. Do I look like it? I've been tricked. Frame. Put your hands above your shoulders and keep them there. You framed me. You framed me. Baldwin, you're a murdering, scheming, two-faced polecat. See here, I'm not gonna... Don't you start shouting about your rights. You'll get hurt in the court of law. I reckon we'll find some of that poison on you, too. The same poison you put on the grub that Trigger had for Lazarus while Trigger was lighting your pipe. You can't prove anything like that. We got plenty of proof. Me and my boys didn't stay back to the cafe with Tonto. We was right outside this shack while you was fixing your lies with Baldi. And as for the rifles Baldi was handling, they aren't army rifles at all. They belonged to a few of the men around town. Baldi borrowed them to help me with my plans. All right, you're not dead then. No. You've got nothing against me. The shooting of the real Marshal Baldwin will be appointed. Prove it. I know enough law to know where I stand. The murder of Lazarus. You can't prove that either. I don't go off half cocked. Maybe you can throw me in jail, but you'll have to prove a case against me. We got witnesses that heard what you said to Baldi. That'll do your ornery crook. We'll take our chance on proving the other things against you. If you have any trouble proving your case, Sheriff, send for John Larkin. Who? The driver of the supply wagon that the rifles were stolen from. You're bluffing. He's dead. You thought so, Baldwin, or whatever your real name is. But Tonto and I found him still alive. He's recovered from his wound. A what? Larkin will identify you. We followed your trail. It led to the Marshal you murdered. Showed where you'd met Lazarus and Jennings and Conway and the others you were selling rifles for you. We got all we need again, you. Now get to moving. It took some convincing, Baldwin, to prove to Sheriff Grant that you were an imposter. It won't take nearly that much to convince a jury. Even if you live to have a trial. Maybe you'll be lynched before then. Now get going. And thanks, Baldi, for what you done. Oh, don't thank me, Sheriff. Doggone, I'm proud to have helped the Lone Ranger. I'll see you. You have just heard the copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. The Lone Ranger Incorporated. The Lone Ranger Incorporated.
