horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty, hi-yo silver, the Lone Ranger. The law band that roamed the frontier in the early days of the western United States defied the power of the law, and it was not until the masked rider of the plane started his great fight for justice that the lives and property of the honest ranchers became safe. 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. 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 for Hangman's Tree! I am Silver! Away! In the darkness before dawn, the western plain lay shadowed and gray. A woman stumbled and fell, then rose again and fell once more. Two horsemen, a masked man, and an Indian raced toward her. Can you see her, Kimo Sabe? It's plenty dark. She came this way. She must have. No. What's that? Yes, yes, you're right, Tato. It's the woman. Come on, Silver! Get him up, Scout! Jed! Jed, where are you, Jed? Jed, where are you? Take it easy. You're plum worn out. And me, you've got water. No. No, I don't want water. Mister, I don't know who you are, but you've got to save Jed. Your husband? They come and took him off. They went that way across the plains. I'm wore out. Plum tuckered. I can't go another step. Never mind. We're going to help you. Tato brings Scout. I'll me do it. Here, Scout. Tato and I will ride double on Silver. You take Scout and follow after us. It's lynch law. Men with masks. Listen to me. You scout to follow us. We'll go ahead. Here, Silver. Mister, you've got to get there. Get to Hangman's Tree and save Jed. Get up behind me, Tato. Me up. Follow as soon as you can. Come on, Silver. Bless you, Mr. Awful. You hear what she's saying. Men with masks, schema Sammy. Lynch mob. Hershey, Hangman's Tree. My husband has been taken away. It wasn't a long time ago, Tato. It's getting lighter. Get your gun out. And what we do? There may still be a chance to save that man. Faster, Silver. She said Hangman's Tree. Faster. Here, Jed. Drink this. Oh, Jed. Mister, it's a miracle. I never figured on seeing him again. Not alive. We got to him just in time. Friends shoot rope in two. Jed was able to get his hands free. He put one hand under the rope around his neck. That saved his life. Oh, that water. That was good. Well, Tato, how is he? Him be all right. Him strong. You mean it, Injun? You're not just saying it. Oh, him all right. Jed, you feel strong enough to talk? I reckon so, mister. Your wife spoke about a band of masked men. They're the ones who strung you up? Dragged him right out of the house, right under my very eyes. Why? Was it a lynch mob? Well, I... It weren't no lynch mob, mister. It was outlaws. Lydia... It was, Jed Grover. You know it. Lydia, don't you figure you talked enough? Oh. A band of masked outlaws. Mrs. Grover, you called that cottonwood Hangman's Tree, didn't you? I... Yeah. There have been other hangings from that same tree, haven't there? Tato and I noticed the branch had rope burns all along it. There's been hangings aplenty, mister. Lynchings by this band of outlaws? I... Uh-huh. So that's it. A band of outlaws who lynch and terrorize the country. Why? I can't tell you, mister. You've got to. Tato and I want to help. Mister, the answer is no. Maybe you're afraid, huh? I ain't afraid. Not for myself, but... I got Lydia, my wife. Mister, I'm sure grateful to you and the ancient part of yours. I'm alive and I reckon I owe it to you. Let's leave it late. No use following a twisted trail. You're alive, Grover. Why don't you tell me what happened? Oh, no. I can't. Tato and I might put a stop to this outlaw band. They'll get you, mister. This ain't no ordinary band of horse thieves or road agents. These hombres are gunfighters, killers. The worst to them is their leader. His name. Oh. No. No, I ain't saying nothing more. Grover, I'll put it to you once more. You and your wife are pioneers, fearless people who came out to fight the wilderness, to build a new territory for our country. You have courage or you wouldn't have come out here in the first place. This is a new empire out here in the West. It needs courage to conquer it, courage to fight the outlaw bands. Someday all this will be fine country with people living happily with towns and villages. That's as it should be. But, Grover, that will never happen unless you forget your fear. And what about this outlaw band? Who are they and who is the leader? I can't tell you, mister. Then I will. Lydia. Yeah, Jed. The masked man's right. He's right. I know you're keeping quiet because of me, but I'm going to tell. I made up my mind and you can't stop me. Lydia. All right. All right. Tell them. Mister, these outlaws demand pay from all the honest folk around here. They threaten to kill if they ain't paid. Jed stood up to them, so they tried to hang them. Yeah. Go on. Who is the leader? I can show you better than I can tell you. Here, listen to this. Oh. That rattles make sound. Yes, Injun. It's the dried rattles off a rattler. What's that got to do with the outlaw band? Everything, mister. Everything. Them outlaws got a hideout in the hills to the west. Nobody goes into them hills without being watched and questioned. And us folks here in the plains, we got to pay like they say. You can see the hills from here, cutting off them stars to the west. Them big hills. Bad country, Injun. Mighty bad. When you don't pay like we didn't pay, then some night they come riding up on horses. They gallop right up close. And then they ride away again. They leave? Yeah, mister. Because that's just the warning. That means they're coming again to get you. And just so you'll know it's them, they leave that for you to see. So would again the door. The rattle. Yeah, mister. That's what we call the outlaw leader, the rattlesnake, because he warns like a rattler before he strikes. And because this here dried up rattlesnake tail is his sign. And that's what he is, a rattlesnake. A rattlesnake that's a masked outlaw. I can tell what you're thinking, mister. You're thinking of going up into them hills after the rattlesnake. Don't do it, mister. Don't you or your Injun pod go up into them hills. It'll mean you're finished. Early dawn fringed the hills with scarlet the next morning. Toward the west and the shadows that still lay heavy and misty below the hilltops. Rode the Lone Ranger and Tonto. You were all prepared to ride this morning, Kemosabe. Yet I gave no word we would go after the rattlesnake. You heard Jet and his wife last night. They said it would mean our finish. Tonto, no. Friend never turned back. You're a real partner, Tonto. Soon sun come up. We're heading into the hills any minute, Kemosabe. It's bad country. It's the nest of the rattlesnake, Tonto. We've got to wipe him out. Him got plenty bad men. An outlaw band depends on its leader, Tonto. Once we get the rattlesnake himself, the rest of the band will be easy to capture. That easier say than do. You have the rope that was used on Grover? It's right here. You know what you're to do with it? It's plenty dangerous, Tonto. You're willing to take the risk? You good friend to Tonto. What you say, Tonto do. Good. And our trails part here. Adios. Whatever happens, remember Silver and I will be near you. Adios. Come on, Silver. We're going this way. Get him up, Scal. The morning sun crept higher, revealing each hollow and rise of the hills that served as a rattlesnake's hideout. Outside a cave in the rocks, a man kneeled, two guns strapped low on his legs. In one hand, he shook the dried tail of a rattler. It was a rattlesnake himself. He spoke to one of his henchmen. Hey, Pedro. This rattles dried out enough. Put it with the others. We go out again soon, huh? Sure, into the valley again. I reckon after the news gets around that we strung Grover to hang one's tree, there won't be nobody refusing to hand over what cash they got, huh? You won't play tough hombre, rattlesnake. You're best gunfighter in the west. You draw a gun so fast like rattlesnake strikes. See that piece of wood on the rock there, Pedro? Si. Well, watch. Now you don't see it, Savvy. There's nobody so fast with their guns like you. Nobody. Sure. I got this whole territory, Buffalo. Not even a llama can stand up to me. They know I'll blast them down a gun smoke. Or else they'll keep their heels from hangman's tree, huh? Yeah. Yeah, Pedro. Yeah? Who's that? Hey, rattlesnake! Rattlesnake! Swear I give you orders to stay near the pass out of the hills and keep your eye peeled. What are you doing hightailing back to camp? Rattlesnake, there's company coming. Ready? Yeah. Come back to tell you about it. Pedro, get my horse. Get out the men. Si. Alante! Elm race! Rattlesnake, say sign along! I reckon we'll give this company a greeting in gun smokes, boy. How many and who? Just one rider, rattlesnake. He bears lonesome. An engine riding a paint horse. Ride to hill, scout. You good horse. You know we go in ambush, huh? And town to know it, too. But we do like friends say. Get him up. Oh! Oh! Oh! Who drew that? Up your range, sir, Jim. A stand idle for the next bullet ain't missing. Come on, gents. Come on. All right. Hey, engine, what are you staring at? You color wear a mask. You all wear masks. Yeah. And if you want to know who you run into, yeah, listen to this. Oh! You bad man called Rattlesnake. Yeah, engine. We don't like strangers coming into the hills. Tie us your rope over them, Pedro. Si. Wait, you... Wait, nothing. I'll take them guns of yours, engine. See you come into the hills, sir. All right, you're staying in the hills. Take him back to camp, gents. I'll talk to him plenty. You're in Rattlesnake camp now, red man. You stay tied up, like you say. I tell you I come for nothing. I do nothing. Maybe Rattlesnake, he let you go. Maybe not. He's a pretty bad hombre. Engine. What's that, Pedro? Engine, we found this rope around your saddle horn. It's one of mine. I used it yesterday on a jet named Grover. Where'd you get it? Grover. Him not dead. Hey, what a new... What? What's that? Grover ain't done for it? That's right. We didn't get him, huh? All right, engine. We'll deal with you lady. Rattlesnake, where do you go? You're dead, engine, Pedro. I'm going to talk to the boys for a while. Grover's got to be took care of it. All right, stop you, John. Then it's all set. We didn't get through with you. So we're going to ride down out of the hills to his ranch around Don DeMoyne. We're going to cull him out and string him up the hangman's tree once again. And this time we ain't leaving until we know he's done for it. What about the engine, Rattlesnake? We'll handle him, lady. Reckon the engine ain't important. Just wanted into us without knowing where he was hidden. But no matter what, we're getting rid of Grover, Savvy. Now we go... What's that? Rattlesnake, that sounds like Pedro. You are helping in the way. Grab your guns. Come on. Hey, Pedro. What's going on? Rattlesnake, Rattlesnake, he's gone. What's the matter with you, Pedro? What's the shooting for you? Where's your gun? My gun is gone. The masked rider, he shoot it from my hand. And he take the engine and go away. Pronto. Some kid rescued the engine. Why didn't you stop him? I could not. He was fast like the lightning. He come on big white horse. He shoot, he get the engine, he is gone. Poof, it is all over. Mist. Riding a white horse? Pedro, who is this hombre? Who is he? Senor Rattlesnake, I do not know. 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 Lone Ranger's plan worked perfectly. Tonto allowed himself to be captured so that the plans of the outlaw, known as a rattlesnake, could be learned. Then the Lone Ranger with his great horse, Silver, rescued his Indian companion, and they galloped out of the hills. A short time later at Jet Grover's ranch. Lydia, listen, horses, they're heading this way. Where's my gun? Jed, you think it's a rattlesnake? I ain't taking no chances. Get yourself away from the door. It's a rattlesnake. I'll shoot first and ask questions later. Jed, they stopped. Get back. I'm going to open the door and see. Grover! Jed, it ain't a rattlesnake. It's the masked man and the engine. Yeah. Best of your plum lucky. I almost pulled trigger on you. Grover, Tonto and I just came from the hills. Huh? You mean you went up there after we warned you? You didn't see Rattlesnake, did you? We did. No. Rattlesnake, take me prisoner. Now, tie me up. You're drawing the longbow, Injun. If you was took prisoner by Rattlesnake and tied up, then how come you got back here? Tonto got good friend. Mister, you mean you busted right into Rattlesnake's camp and rescued the engine pod? That was our plan, Mrs. Grover. Well, I'll be... Mister, me and Lydia figured you was giving yourself too much to bite off, stand up against that hombre, but if you could pull a stunt like that, I'd take it all back. Mister, from this moment on, we're with you all the way. You'll help? To get rid of that critter, Mister, we sure will. Fine. That's what I wanted to hear. Grover, he's coming down out of the hills. Hmm? I want all of the settlers in the valley to be called. I want them to meet me near Hangman's Tree before dawn. Hangman's Tree? Oh, Mister, that'll take a heap of persuading. I'll do the persuading, Mister. I'll get... No, Jed. I want you to stay here. Can your wife convince the settlers to come? Sure I can. Let me get my bonnet and hitch up a... Yeah, now hold on, Mister. I don't mind doing it, but I ain't sending Liddy out. Not alone. That's how I will go with her. That's right. I go too. Oh, well, that's different. How soon do you figure... The sooner the better, Jed. And that's right now. I've got my bonnet. Come along here, Jed. Oh, me coming. Don't fret none, Jed. I'll be right as rain. Corral's over this way. Bye, Liddy. Mister, what else is there to tend to? Jed, do you have an axe? Sure. How's this one? It's got a sharp edge. Fine, I'm going to need it. Now, understand this, Jed. Rattlesnake's coming out of the hills before dawn. Yeah, I serve you. He's coming for me, huh? Yes. Well, Mister, I reckon with you here, we can put up a good fight. I won't be here. Huh? I won't be here. I'm leaving now. And you won't put up the slightest bit of resistance, Jed. Mister, you mean... You won't even reach for your gun. But, Mister, it's Rattlesnake. Him and his arm race will pull guns on me. They won't shoot you. What they'll do will be much worse. They'll make me... Take me to hang Miss Tree and string me up. They'll string me up, that's why. Exactly, Jed. They'll take you to hangman's tree. And you're not going to stop them. Rattlesnake. The horses are impatient. We go, yeah? Shut up, Pedro. I give the signal here. See? Rattlesnake. Well? This redskin, the one of which took away from our camp... I get it. I see. Or perhaps the other one. The mask one of the white horse. Perhaps he and the Indian mean trouble, huh? Pedro, if they mean trouble, they'll get it fed to him in large doses, Savvy. I got this whole section scared. Do you think him and this Indian part are any different? They may be still making tracks. Forget him. That white horse. Oh, he much horse, Rattlesnake. Meaning what? If you should meet the mask one alone, his horse might... You can stop right there. First off, I won't be running from him, Savvy. I'll be going after him. And second, there ain't no horse faster than my horse poison. No horse. I hope so. And we're going into that valley and get Grover, just like a scheme. Savvy that too, Pedro. Yeah, Rattlesnake. Yeah, I heard it. Coyote. That means Don ain't far off. On your horses, Prado. Oh. Follow me. Get traveling, horse. We'll go to Grover's ranch and get him out of bed. See anything yet, Jed? Strain in my eyes, Lydia. Only chance we'll get to spot him is when he and his band tops will rise. White side of him against the sky. You didn't have no trouble? Oh, nary a lick. The engine of me roused everybody out. I wish that mess fellow was here. Kind of gives you a safe feeling, don't he, Jed? Just borrowed the axe and said it'd be going. You went. You can trust him, Jed. Lydia, he said I shouldn't put up no fight. Yeah. He said I should let Rattlesnake walk right up to me and grab me. Yeah. Gosh, how can you be so off-fired calm? Rattlesnake's come to string me up again and you don't even get alarmed. I ain't. Why not? The masked hombre makes you feel you can trust him, but still I'm kind of skittish inside. I ain't, Jed. I know who that masked man is. Hmm? You heard me. I said I know who he is. The engine told me. Who is he? And when I tell you, you won't worry none either. Lydia, if you don't... Jed, that masked man is the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger? Well, I... Well, then let Rattlesnake come. Let him come any time. I reckon you got your wish, Jed. Huh? Hear them horses? Lydia, it's Sam. Back in the house. Lone Ranger said not to use your gun, Jed. I won't. You gotta act like you're scared, Lydia. I reckon that won't be so hard to do. They're stopping. Someone coming to the door. Don't forget. Act like a frightened, clean silly. I sure hope nothing goes wrong. Shh. That girl will come for you again, Ed. Oh, my God. See, it is coming. You're ready and wait. Oh, don't. Don't shoot me. They strung you up once, Grover. We aim to do it again. No, you can't take my husband away. I'll pay you, Rattlesnake. I'll pay you anything. Too late for that, Grover. You had your chance. No, no, no. Don't go. Jed, I can't. Pedro, where's that horse you brought for Grover? Here's the horse. Get on it. Pronto. Rattlesnake, listen. On that horse. Yeah. Jed, Rattlesnake, don't do this to Jed. Let go, Mr. Turner. You can't. You are the gents. Some decent feelings. You ain't going to do this. That's enough, Clever. Grover, if you've got any ideas about running for it, you might as well forget him. My horse, Porzing, could catch up before you're going 10 feet. Wait. At least let me go with my husband. He ain't waiting. Get up. That's right. Lead Grover's horse, Pedro. Rattles. Well, Grover, I reckon you ain't ever going to see the sun no more. I got a rope all ready for you. And this time, nobody's going to save you. Mister, how long are we going to wait here? I want you men to lie down on the ground. You won't be seen against the sky that way. We put our horses back a ways like you said. Why don't you do the same with your horse? Because Silver won't winnie or stamp his hooves. You sure Rattlesnake's going to do like you said? Just look to your guns. If you do as I say, that band of outlaws is finished. There's a rider coming. They'll reach for your guns. That should be Tonto. Rattlesnake's coming, Tonto? Not right. Me wait. Me hear him come. Good. We'll wait here. How soon? Maybe 10 minutes. You men know what you're to do. Sure, sure. So watch your shots. Remember, Rattlesnake has Jed Grover with him. I'll fire a shot into the air. That'll be your signal to jump up and close in toward Hangman's tree. Now spread out so you'll be in a circle. Yeah. Mister, that hombre sure is going to get a surprise when he looks for that tree, ain't he? He'll find Hangman's tree, Jenkins. But it won't be the way he left it the last time he brought Jed Grover. We'll be there pretty soon, eh? Shut up and ride. Rattlesnake. Shit goes for you, Grover. Can't you wait till sunrise? I'd still like to see another morning. Shut up. Here there. Just over the hill, Pedro. Here there. Rattlesnake. I don't see the tree. Too dark. No, I don't see... A lot of it right here. Slow down. I had figured. We couldn't go wrong. We've been here plenty of times before. There must be some place. What the... Look, Rattlesnake. Will I be a... It's been cut down. Somebody chopped down Hangman's tree. It was a lone ranger. What? What was that? What was that you said, Grover? Did you say the lone ranger? Head row, it's an ambush. They come from all sides. No, you can't. Let them have it. Rattlesnake. We can't stop them. There's a whole crowd on the middle from the valley. All right, get out of here. This way, mister. This way, Jenkins. Come on, you fellas. You got them surrounded. Come on and give them away. Rattlesnake. I got this hungry. Him, sir. He got that, man. Rattlesnake, help me, Mr. Lone Ranger. Drop that gun. First I drop you, help me. Don't shoot again. Don't. I give up. Everybody give up. Drop your guns. The next man who makes the move will get a bullet. We give up. You got this all. Mister, we sure have. It's the biggest roundup of outlaws since the lawman cleaned up tombstones. Hold on there. Where's the Lone Ranger? Ted, what is it? It's so dark, one of them slipped away. You ain't got them all. Rattlesnake's gone. Ah, him right. Look there. I'm healed. He's trying to load up his gun. He's got a way. You'll never catch him. He's got a horse that can't be beat. There's one horse that can catch him. Stay here. Silver will bring him back. Come on, Silver. After him, old boy. There he goes. Like a gray ghost in the darkness before dawn, the great horse Silver streaked after the racing bad man, but every stride Silver gained on the outlaw. The rattlesnake heard the thunder of hoofs behind him. Quit there. I got somebody trailing me. My guns ain't loaded. Ah, there ain't no horse can catch poison. Get up there. He's getting. He's getting on me like I was standing still. Come on, you wager caillus. Get away from here. Get moving. The outlaw used weapons spur on his willing horse, but it was no use. Closer and closer came the drumming of Silver's hoofs. Until, just as the outlaw reloaded his gun. Too late to use your gun now, rattlesnake. I've got you. And you're going back with me. Turn around. Come on, Silver. And a short time later, as the sun spread light across the plains, the lone ranger and Silver stood once more beside the fallen trees. The masked man spoke to the settlers. Rattlesnake is captured. So is his whole outlaw band. Thanks to you, mister. They've murdered and robbed and looted. What are you going to do with them? What are we going to do with them? Well, mister, what we ought to do is string them up every land at once. No, Jenkins. No. Listen to me. Listen to me, all of you. Hangman's tree is gone. Chopped down. That means everything it stood for is gone, too. No lynching. Not anymore. Promise me you'll give these men a fair trial. Mister, if you say it, that's what they'll get. A fair trial. Yes, sir. Like you say, from now on, this territory is law abiding and it's going to stay that way. Gentlemen, let's go. Come on. Come on. Look, Jed. There it goes with the engine. The lone ranger. Yeah, Lydia. He does us a good turn and then he leaves. Well, that's his way. But it's sure comfort to know that if we ever run into any more trouble, we can count on the lone ranger to come back and stop it. Just like he always does. There's a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
