fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty, hi-yo, silver, the Lone Ranger. The western United States, bands of outlaws roamed the southern frontier. They lived by smuggling and cattle rustling. And it was not until the masked rider of the plains started his great fight for law and order that the border country was made safe for honest men and women. It was a Lone Ranger's strength and courage. His daring and resourcefulness had blazed a trail for justice and made possible the winning of the West. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. Come out of the past come the thundering hoofbeach of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver! We're heading south for the border! There's going to be trouble! Hurry up! Jim Hawkins was branded by his father's hanging. He fought against the unspoken verdict that condemned him. At last he was ready to admit defeat. Oh, it's no use, Ma. I can't beat things in this town, no matter how hard I try. Ain't a man in town who'll trust me. I'm getting out. You've done your best, son. Ain't no one knows that any better than I do. Why won't they give me a chance to prove that I ain't a crook? Why should I have to pay for what Pa done? I know it ain't fair, Jim, but... Well, I reckon it's just human nature, that's all. Oh, if only that father of yours had... Ain't no use talking about that now. Apartment, a horse thief? A cattle rustler? Almost anything else I might have been able to live here. But, Ma... I know, Jimmy. I know all about it, my boy. And I... Well, it hurts to admit it, but there's no use trying to go on here. Everybody here knows about your Pa. A smuggler. Smuggling dope into this country. Oh, it makes me... I can't even think of it without hating that man. Other fellas' fathers, well, they can look up to him and learn things from him. Don't think about it, Jim. Don't help none. It just makes you bitter. I know. Well, Ma, the only thing is, what'll you do? Go on living here, Jim. But you'll be alone. Oh, you needn't worry about me. Just you set out for some place where you ain't known. Make a place for yourself. And then let me hear from you. I'll join you when you get settled. If you want me to. Want you to? Oh, Ma, you know, doggone well I do. What the... Hello, Jim. Who are you? Masked. May I come in? No, get out of here. I don't want nothing to do with a masked man. One minute. No, I tell you, get out or I'll... You'll what, Hawkins? Well, I'll throw you out. Perhaps you could. Jim, don't talk so. You'll make the outlaw mad and you'll shoot. I'm not an outlaw, Mrs. Hawkins. I don't care who you are. Now, get out. It's bad enough as it is now. Everyone has me tagged for a crook. They find masked men here. They'll likely hang me on general principles. Why? Huh? Why are you looked on as a crook, Hawkins? None of your business. I am, that's all. Now, you get... I suppose of your father. So you... You know about him. That's why I came here. Are you planning to leave home? What's it look like? It looks as if you are. That fits perfectly into my plans. What are you talking about, mister? Now, won't you calm down, both of you? Listen to me. Ain't no choice but to listen. Oh, you... Jimmy. You sat and listened to the man. Better do that than get shot. You've been facing a pretty stiff battle, haven't you, Jim? Yes, but what's it to you? You're going to leave. I... You're going to leave this town and go out and find something that'll give you a living. Where? When your father was captured, it didn't by any means smash the smuggling ring. You know that, don't you? Pa wasn't the ringleader. No. He was just the man who was caught, that's all. The law blamed him for everything that was done and let it go at that. But the smuggling is still going on. What do I care? You... You don't care? Ain't none of my affair. And I've heard all I want to hear. Now, you get out of... Just a minute. Well? You're going to hear a lot more, Jim. You're going to hear enough to make you hate these men who smuggle drugs across the border just as much as I do. You're going to hear all about their activities, the methods they have of beating the law. You're going to learn to help me. Help you? Well, help you what? Accomplish the purpose I came to this part of the country for. Then when we finish talking, you're going to leave this town just as you had planned. The outlaw camp was well hidden in a dense wood, miles from town and close to the border. A solitary horseman reined up at the edge of the clearing, dismounted and hurried toward the leader of the band. Martin, I've done the best I could of scouting around. I learned a few things. Well, you're still talking that bad. What did you learn? About the Hawkins kid. You know what we suspicioned? Yeah. He was right. Hawkins did have a lot of the cash he took in hid away. Why did that all that turn on us, sir? That's what he done. He went to the hangman's rope without ever squealing on the rest of us. We thought he was first rate for that. But he also went without telling us where the cash he had was hid. That was our cash. Sure it was. There must have been plenty of it, too. Go on, Betty. Listen, Martin. We should have got to Hawkins and had a top. Shut up, Lifty. We couldn't show ourselves that much. The law was waiting for just that. Well, let me talk, will you? Go on, Betty. The kid is fixing to leave home. Do you know why? Why? I got the cash. That's right. He knows where the cash is hid and he's going after it. That gives us a chance to... You sure it ain't a trap of some sort? Well, how can it be a trap? The kid's hated by everyone in town. Him and his mom will pull stakes as soon as he gets his hands on the cash. Hey, how'd you learn this? I got ways of knowing things. Listen, you thick-stown coyote. Mark, let go of me. Don't try to pull any of that know-it-all stuff on me. I ask a question. I want an answer. Don't beat it around the bush. All right, then. Let me go. I'll tell you. Talk. I met a critter. Two of them, in fact. Who? I don't know who. One was a redskin. The other had a mask on his face. Yeah, then what? What'd they say? Well, I seen the mask, and we sort of got to talking and sizing each other up. Get to the point. I'm getting to it. From what he said, I got the idea that he knowed about the cash, and dope old Hawkins hid away. Hawkins must have talked some while he was in jail. This mask, hombre, was after the cash. Did he know where it was? Well, all he knowed was that the kid knowed where it was, and he was figuring on getting the true facts from the kid. How long ago is this? Oh, it was late afternoon. I hightailed here pronto. Figuring we could ride out and maybe do something about it. Come on, farm to your height, Bat. You... Let that load you. Mark, what'd you have to knock me down for? Wasting time. You could have told us that in the first place. We could have been riding. Watch out the horses. All right, boss. Get the horses here. Come on, touch them out, Claude. Throw water on that fire. Hurry it up. Get the fire out so it ain't seen. Every man is riding with us tonight. We ain't taking no chances. What you're waiting for? Get up, Bat. On your feet and quick about it. I am. You most busted my jaw. Shut up. You sure you got your guns and rifles? Hurry up, them horses. We got miles to travel. I'm ready. Mark, up all of you. Hurry it up. We're fetching in some gas. Meet at the shack near Red Rock. Get that? We have to scatter. We'll meet at Red Rock. Now follow me. Oh, yeah, man. Hey, look. Look over there. Them riders. I seen them out. What do they mean to Redskin? I'm crazy. One is. The other is a masked man. I know Jim Hawkins, and that's him all right enough. Fan out. Fan out and surround them. I'll take this way. Take all three of them alive. If they shoot, shoot to wound them, not to kill them. Yeah, all right. Whatever. Whatever. All right there. We want you. Start shooting. We drill you. Oh, there. Hey, what's this mean? Right up there. Make no fast play. Who are you? What's the idea? I'll tell you what the idea is after we get settled. Just shove along with us. We'll talk when we get to where we're going. Where do you think you're taking us? You'll see. Remember me, mister? Oh, you. Yes, I remember you. Never know who you're talking to, do you? Let me introduce my boss, Mart Manners. Manners, huh? That's me. And I'll do the talking. Take the guns, boys. One minute. Well. You want to talk, we'll go along with you and talk. You want to make prisoners of us and take our guns and put ropes on us, we'll argue the point. So that's it, stranger. That's it, Manners. Well, you talk like you're married. Ride along, then. We won't argue no points just yet. Come on. We'll talk when we get to where we're going. Come on, Silver. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Last man in here, shut the door. Come on. There you are, Martin. Couple of minutes outside, go ahead and leave. Yep. I'll get another box to sit on. Never mind. Our guests can stand for the time. Before we start talking, get the boy out of here. Stranger, do you hack it to give me orders? If you want to talk, Manners, you'll do what I say. Get Hawkins upstairs. Send a guard with him. Yeah. Go along, Lefty. Take him up. Now, hold on. I got something to say about this. You have nothing to say at the present time, Hawkins. Get going. Move. All right. You needn't rob me. Hunter. Uh-huh. You sit with your back to the wall in case any of these crooks get notions of jumping me from behind. Uh-huh. Hunter, do it. All right, stranger. You seem to have had your say. I suppose I have mine. I'm not finished yet, Manners. It looks to me as if we're after the same thing. Isn't that it? How'd I know what you were after? Your man told you, didn't he? Mart, I... Shut up, bud. I admit I hate to split with you and your gang. On the other hand, it might not have been possible for me to get what we want alone. I needed help. Well, I don't happen to need no help. How does that strengthen you? You don't need help? No. I'll get the information from the kid. And then, uh, where would you come in? You talk of splitting with me. That's a good one. Laugh. I am. When you get finished, tell me. And I'll tell you something you didn't know. Well? No matter how much Jim Hawkins wanted to, he couldn't tell you where that cash is hidden. What? Neither could he tell you where there's any dope hidden. But have you been... Boss, I told you all. I knowed. There's one man known only to me who can help. Well, of all of them... That man will talk only to Jim Hawkins. Hold on, mister. What are you saying there? Hawkins has to be taken to a certain place to talk to a certain man. That man will give Jim Hawkins information that'll help us. I think you're lying. Well, we'll let it go at that. Go on and talk to Hawkins and see what you gain by it. Hey, Thunder, I will. Boys! Yeah, boss? Keep an eye on this mash mash. One thing matters. Well... If you want help from me, you might get it. But that depends on you. Yeah. You try any torture on the boy, and try to make a prisoner of Tato and me, and I promise you'll never get any help from us. Hey, Sebby, I'm hanged if I don't think you mean what you said at that. Stranger, I sure like your way of talking. Why don't you take off that mask and let's be friends? Why? Well, together we can do plenty. I accomplish what I want, generally, without help. I wouldn't be surprised if you did it. Sit down. Now, what's your suggestion? You sit right there and be comfortable while I have a little talk with Jim Hawkins. Come along, Pat. What are you going to do, Mart? Try a few things on Hawkins and see if that mask man's telling the truth. If the kid knows where the cash is hid, I know ways to make him tell. And if he tells, we can get rid of the mask man and the redskin instead of splitting with him. The curtain falls in the first act of our Lone Ranger story. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. The Lone Ranger waited on the lower floor of the house at Red Rock. Our marked manners went upstairs to the room where Jim Hawkins was being held. The outlaw had planned to force young Hawkins to reveal the hiding place for a large sum of money. Watch out, Mark. Hawkins, am I? Sure. I'll have a talk with him. Come on, Batty. Well, Hawkins. What do you want? Oh, just a little talk. Sit down, Jim. Outstand. By Juniper, you sure look a lot like your old man. Leaner, but the faces are dead ringer. That ain't what you come here to talk about manners. No, you're right, Hawkins. That ain't what I come here to talk about. We aim to find out why you... Shut up. Oh, get to the point, boss. We're wasting time. Yeah. Hawkins, we aim to know where that cash is hidden. I don't know nothing about it. That's just what I figured you'd say. I'll ask you some more and you'll say the same thing. So let's just skip over all the preliminary palaver and get right to the point of things. You got a maw, ain't you? You leave her out of this. That's just what I'd like to do. I'd hate like everything to bring your maw into this. In the first place, she's an old lady. She's had a hard life. She's sure entitled to have some peace and quiet in her old age. She wouldn't have none if we was to get mad at you. Why, you... Get back there. Don't do nothing careless, Jim. Now, we want that cash. Your old man stole it from us and it's ours. I don't know anything about it. Where's it at? I tell you, I don't know... Stop it. You're down to brass tacks. Maybe you don't save it the way I talk. I wasn't coming right off with what I aim to do in so many words. But it looks like straight talk is the only kind you savvy. I'll savvy your talk, all right. It'll be hard to handle, boss. Quite bad. But... Hawkins, get this straight. You'll either tell us where the cash is hid right now... Or I'll send two of my best men out to pay a call on your mother. When they get there... Boss! You skunk! I'll get you for that! Hold it back! Boss! You need help? No! Shut that door! Hawkins... Hitting me like that was just about the biggest mistake you ever made in all your life. I'll do the same again if you mention more. You won't do the same again because I won't be off guard like I was. I ain't going to hit you back. But in just about two minutes, I'm starting Bat out from here. He's heading for town and he's calling at your house with a couple of men. Now, where at is that cash? Listen, Manners, I don't know. I swear I don't know. I'd tell you if I knew where the cash was, wouldn't I? Why shouldn't I tell you? I ain't in with a gang. I don't want none of that cash. All I want is a chance to go straight and make a home for mom. Where's the cash? I swear I don't know. Leave my mom alone. You want me, you can do what you want, but leave her. Come on, Ben. No, no, Mark. Don't do it. Ready to talk? I can't tell what I don't know. Wait, won't you listen to reason? Manners, don't listen to me. Keep him in there. All right, boss. What do you think, Mark? He don't know nothing. He was telling the truth. That's what I figured. He sure had a lot of gall to take a poke at you. Yeah. Well, he'll pay for that before I'm done with him. Reckon we ain't no choice but to take up with the mass man. Take up with him till we learn where the cash is, Mart. And do for him and the redskin. And Jim. Why not? Well, Manners, what did you find out? Hey, look here, stranger. How long will it take to go and see this man you spoke of? Hawkins will have to go with me. Yeah. He ain't the only one who'll go with you. I'll take Tonto along, sir. No, you won't. You'll take me and Bat. Tonto will stay right here where he is. Very well. Have it your way. When are you starting? First thing in the morning. Good enough. We'll all start the first thing in the morning. The following morning, the Lone Ranger, Jim, and the two outlaws rode to a small general store in town. This is the place, huh? This is it, Manners. I'll go into the store with Hawkins. What's the matter with all of us, go on? You think the storekeeper will talk in front of you and Bat? Well, I... He'll know who you two are. He'll know that Jim won't get a cent. What about that mask of yours? Don't worry about the mask. Why not? Because I said so. Don't you think I know what I'm doing? I had everything planned before I met you. Yeah. He's right about that, Mart. Yeah, he said something, mister, about needing me and my men. What did you mean? I have an idea that it'll take you to get out the dope and cash after I find out where it is. Well, go on, then. Get off the horse, Hawkins. Very well. Remember now, stranger, no double-crossing. Me and Bat will be watching you right through the doorway. The first sign of any attempt to get us into trouble will mean plenty of trouble for you. Come on, Hawkins. Oh, hi there, Jim. What do you order? A mask man. Shut up. Is it what's this? Stick up? We aren't going to rob you. Get to the back of the store. What do you think of the setup, Mart? Well, so far, so all right. Well, watch them two inside now. Don't let them put anything over on us. I ain't gonna. They've cooked the storekeeper to the back. I can see them talking over the counter. I got eyes, ain't I? Sure. Look, the mask man's got a gun in his hand. Now, what do you think that means? It means he ain't taking no chances. I'd sure like to have that hombre in our outfit. I wouldn't be smart, though, boss. Why not? There's something about him. Inside of a month's time, he'd be bossing the outfit. What? Now, don't get sore. I don't mean nothing against you. It's just that he sure has a smart style about him. He plays his cards real close and cautious. Hey, boss. You shot the kid, you fool. Get moving. We've got to get out of here now. Hurry. What'd you shoot him for? Get out of here. Stop. Stop them. Yeah. Get out of here. Come on. Get out of here. Why in thunder did you do that? He was squealing on your gang. Why that double-crossing upstart? We've got to move in a hurry. I don't know how much you had a chance to say. I stopped him as fast as I could. Why didn't you stop the storekeeper as well? You'll spread it all over town or no time. We've got to move. Get back to Red Rock and get the gang. Clear under the cut. Little things cool off. And we've got to do that? Of course we do. Take it over. Red Rock, Mark Manners, lost no time in putting his gang to work. Hurry with that stuff. Get it in the saddlebags. We ain't leaving nothing here. Whatever's left might be used as evidence against you. I got my saddlebags loaded, boss. Then turn in and help the others. And which time do you figure we got? I don't know. There's no use figuring in the time. Get packed and moved as fast as you can. If only we didn't have to cross the border. You've no choice. The troopers on this side are anxious to get you and your gang, Manners. Once they get the news that you're around here, they'll make it too hot for you. Didn't the old man tell where the hocking stuff was? No. Hey, Mark, I'm ready to shove off. Keep your horse here and ready, then. There's something important to tell all your men at one time, Manners. Can you get them in the house before we leave? You got something to tell them. Tell me and I'll tell them. I'll tell them if you can persuade them to go inside. Of course, they might not want to waste the time. They might not want it. Say, are you hitting it? They won't do what I say. Well. Hey, all you men. Inside with it. Hurry up for the last of them saddlebags. And inside for something important. We ought to get shoving off, boss. We ought to make the boys. That says inside. Hey, what's the idea? In with you and don't give me no argument. That's it. I'll make this as fast as you can, mister. Well, well. Tonto. Hunter, come. Quiet down, men. The last hombre has something he wants to tell us. All right, stranger. Get going. I happen to be in a position to tell all of you men a few things that you didn't know before. Well, tell them then and let's get going. In the first place, I don't know a thing about any cash or dope that Hawkins held out on by you men. In fact, I don't think there was any such thing. In the second place, his son has had a hard time trying to live down the bad name his father gave him. In fact, the only way for the boy to redeem that name would be to lead in the capture of all of you men. Where do you get in that, stranger? Stop talking about capture. When Jim Hawkins was in the general store in town, he realized it was his big chance. If only he could tell what he had learned and lead the troopers to this place. So he popped off and you shot him. Is that it? If you stop interrupting, I'll be finished much sooner. Yeah, keep still, boss. Let him get done so as we can move. Of course, even if Hawkins did manage to bring the troopers here, he'd have a hard time proving you were the gang that had been engaged in smuggling the dope. The only way he could do that would be to catch you with all of the dope and the cash and the papers you possess. All of those things were buried, well concealed. Hey, they ain't now. We got them all out. But the kid's gone. You shot him, didn't you, stranger? I shot, yes. Now listen to me until I finish. You wondered who I am. Well, this may tell you. Catch it, Mart. What the... I got it. Hey, what's this bullet for? Look it over. Maybe it won't mean anything to you. Maybe it will. What's there to it, boss? This here looks to be made out of silver. That's right. Now before any of you get ideas... The Lone Ranger. What's that? Silver. Are you the Lone Ranger? I was about to say, before you get ideas, look behind you. Soldiers! Troopers! The army! Throw down your currency, we open fire. We've been double-crossed. We got to fight for us. No use fighting. They're all captured. Take the men into custody. Take them into custody. We have everything required to hang every last man of this guy. It's a double-crossed. It's a frame-up. You're doggone right at his manners. I wasn't shot at at all. No, siree. That bullet didn't hit me. It was just to make you rats start packing while I was left where I could bring the army here to get you. Come on, the dirty... I'll save your breath. Jim, remember that your mother's waiting to hear this great news. Wait till I tell Ma. Wait till the town hears. Or the name of Hawkins will mean something now. They'll all be talking about Jim Hawkins and the Lone Ranger. Hail, silver, homie! The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
