fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty Pio Silver, the Lone Ranger. The outlaws that roamed the early western United States defied the local sheriffs in some districts and in others managed to elect their own men through bribery and force. The honest settlers were left without any protection until the masked rider of the plane started his great fight for law and order. His strength and courage were always on the side of right against might and in time Hi-Yo Silver became the battle cry of justice on the frontier. 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 the range country! There's going to be trouble! Hi-Yo Silver! Sally Wilson ran to the door of the ranch house as she heard the clattering of hoofs outside. Her husband Jack had returned home after an absence of several days. Jack, you're back at last! Give the horse a good rub down before you turn him to the corral, eh? Right, boss! Sally, it's been a tough trip. First off, tell me, Jack, was it worthwhile? Did you find the Lone Ranger? Yeah, let me get my boots off and stretch. It's good to get home. Have any trouble in the three days I was gone? Well, nothing serious, Jack. You did have trouble. Was it that polecat Larson? Larson did me the honor of calling. Yeah, and what? He said that he was a law around here, and the sooner you and the rest of the men stopped trying to fight him, the better off you'd be. All right, that dirty... Jack, there's no use. You didn't find the Lone Ranger. You'd have said so as soon as you got here. There's no one else in the face of this earth didn't think of any way to fight against Larson. He owns the sheriff and all the deputies. He's running things to suit himself. Anyone else lost cattle to his gang? Johnson's have lost more beef. Of course, there's no use reporting the loss. It'll be the same as every other time. It'll be blamed on Indians. Sally, it ain't right. Larson can't go on forever. Why, he's fixing the taxes around here, collecting the taxes and spending them. He's the only one... You know how useless it is to fight against him, Jack. I'll fight against him. I'll... No use. Well, to get back to the Lone Ranger, I didn't expect to find him. There's no way of telling where to start looking for him. But I thought you... I went to a padre that said to have a way of getting a message to the Lone Ranger. Oh. Told him the whole story. Now, it's just a case of whether or not he can tell it to the Lone Ranger. And even if he does, I don't see what the Lone Ranger can do. Well, he might have some way of fighting crooked schemers like Larson. I don't know, but it seemed like about the only thing we could do. Jack! Hey, boss! Come on in, Hank. Boss, they're coming. Who's coming? Larson. He's riding in here with a couple of his partners. Oh, he is, huh? Yeah. Now, look, boss, I know you'd like nothing more than to drill him or let him have a fist to the chin or something. Yes, I would. But don't. Look, don't do it, Jack. That's all he'd want to have the excuse to throw you in the calaboose. He's got an awful hankering to put you where you can't argue with him no more. There they are. Now, remember, boss, for the love of goodness, don't give him no call to jail you. He's not the sheriff. Oh, he ain't, huh? Well, maybe he don't wear the badge, but... I'm in. Good evening, Jack. What do you want here? You ain't paying me no social call. No, as a matter of fact, I'm not. Come in, boys. Shut the door. We may be here for a time. No longer than it takes to state the reason for your call. Well, as a matter of fact, there are several reasons. You were away from here for a few days. What if I was? Boss, for the love of Pete. Mind telling me where you went? I don't mind telling you, Larson, that where I went is none of your business. That's a matter of opinion. Being sort of in charge of this town and the county around here, murder is in line of my work. Murder? There was a man shot about ten miles east of here. Now, being that you were seen riding off that way, I thought it might be worthwhile to question you. If you want to arrest me on a charge of murder, how about some sort of proof? Oh, proof? Time for that when you're on trial. Of course, if you can tell why you rode that way, where you went and what further... I went more than ten miles east of here, and it was on a personal matter and none of your business. Jack, Daddy... You keep still. Oh, boss. That's bad, Jack. A real bad attitude to have. Well, what are you going to do about it? Well, I don't like to do it, Jack. But if you've got no better story than that, the deputy has a warrant for your arrest. There's no charge... Warrant? You can't arrest Jack. I'm sorry, Mrs. Wilson. It's all legal, though. And if it had been the sheriff, he'd have taken Jack right in without giving him any chance to tell a story. Of course, if you still want to talk... I've got this to say. In the first place, I know you want me out of the way. You don't like the way I've been trying to organize the men to fight you. Fight me? You're afraid of me, Lawson, because I'm one of the few men around here who won't kowtow to you. I'm one of the few that's able to pull stakes and move to new diggings if I don't like these. Most other folks have roots down. They've got to stay and take what comes. They don't dare speak out. They never know who might be reporting to you. It's gotten so a man can't trust his best friends anymore. Now, hold on, Wilson. You're running off at the mouth without making sense. I'm stating facts. Jack, dear, you're only making sense... I'm not afraid of you or anyone like you. You had a hunch that I went out hunting the Lone Ranger. You don't know for sure. That's why you're trying to make me tell where I went. It's no concern of mine where you go as long as you don't commit murder. And as for that murder you spoke of, you know, doggone well I didn't kill anyone. I don't even think there was anyone dead. That's just an excuse to try to get me to tell you things you want to know. Well, I still say that it's none of your business where I went. Very well. Then I'll make it my business where you're going. Take him in, man. I'll go along. Hand me that boot, Sally. But remember, Larson, I'm getting a trial by jury and I'm handling my own defense. None of your court are one of the lawyers for me. I know my rights and I'll defend my own case. Now, you just try and make that charge of murder stick. Come on, Wilson. Wait. Wait, Mr. Larson. Jack, tell him where you went. Sally, you keep quiet. Not a word from you. Hurry up. Lock up with him, boys. Hurry up. Come on. Get him out. All right. Jack. Jack. A stranger appeared in town the morning after Jack Wilson went to jail. Tall, broad-shouldered, his clothes dusty for many hard miles of travel. He made a few inquiries and then presented himself at Larson's office. They told me I should see a man named Larson. I guess you're that man, aren't you? My name's Larson. Who sent you here and what do you want? A job. Yeah. What makes you think I have a job for you? I was told that no one wanted to try and collect the taxes around here. Oh. So you were figuring you'd make a good tax collector, eh? Why not? Ah, yes. Why not? You come back here this afternoon. I'll talk further about it. I'll need authority, of course. Oh, you'll have the authority. But with some of the people around here, the only authority that carries any weight is the authority that comes from the business end of a six-gun. I can handle a gun if that's what you want to know. You come back this afternoon. Meanwhile, I'll have a talk with the sheriff. Well, well. He looked like a fast man with a gun. No use getting my own men shot up trying to collect the taxes. Larson. Come in, Sheriff. I'm just going to send for you. Who's the stranger that just left here? Why, Sheriff, I thought you made it your business to know all about strangers that showed up in town. That's what I'm trying to do. Seeing him here, I'm asking you what you know about him. Only that he looks as if he could handle the pair of guns he wears and wants a job collecting the taxes. Collecting taxes? That's right, Sheriff. Does he savvy the situation around here? He thinks he can make collections where others have failed. I wouldn't go and try to collect some of the taxes now if I could have all I collected. The way some of the ranchers are getting out of line, they'd shoot the next man that shows up trying to make collections. That's why I thought this would be a good man for the job. Doggone right. I'd like to see him drill a couple of those troublemakers that won't get in line with us and stay there. I don't know whether he'll shoot anyone or not, but I'm sure of one thing. What's that? He won't let anyone shoot him without doing something about it. Good. I'll have to give him a deputy badge. Then he can start out. I'll do that. I'll give him a list of the people who are rebellious about the present situation. Good enough. Now what about Jack Wilson? What about him? He's still in jail, isn't he? Yeah, only we can't keep him there for long. He knows enough law to know his rights. Yeah. You know well enough there wasn't any murder that could be blamed on him. You bluff trying to find out where he went and he called you bluff. How long can you keep him jailed? We got to fix a trial day to let him go. There's a limit to what we can get away with, Larson. As long as we make out to follow the laws of the country, we're all right. We can't go too far. No, I know we can't. Sheriff, suppose Wilson broke out of jail. Broke out? Exactly. There'd be every reason to shoot an escaping prisoner, wouldn't there? I reckon so. Now if you had guards around the jail tonight, then if you gave Wilson the chance to get your gun and get the drop on you, and he was seen escaping from the jail... Do you think he'd be likely to bust out? That's up to you. I'm savvy. Well, I reckon maybe I can do some talking to him. I'd like to see Wilson out of the way. He's a natural-born leader, and the man around here that's most likely to make trouble. That's how I figured him. Yeah, that idea of his of bringing the Lone Ranger here. I didn't like that. Me neither. If he's dead, shot as a fugitive, he won't be able to meet or talk to this Lone Ranger if he should come here. Larson, leave it to me. I'll put out guards and have a talk with Wilson tonight. And don't forget to swear the stranger in as a deputy. I'll send him to see you in your office. Right. That afternoon, the stranger was sworn in as a deputy sheriff and supplied with a list of ranchers who had refused to pay their taxes. That night, the sheriff went into the jail and shut the barred door behind him. Wilson, did I come to have a little talk with you? There was a time, Sheriff, when I would have enjoyed to talk with you, because I'd known that it would mean a square deal. That was before you tied up with Larson, though. Now, I don't know if there's anything for the two of us to talk about. Ah, things ain't like what they was, Jack. You bet they're not. And between the two of us, there ain't anyone that feels worse about that fact than me. You? Ooh. That's right, son. You don't think I'm working hand in glove with Larson because I want to, do you? I don't know any other reason. I don't want things the way they are. I ain't happy about it, Jack. You should be. You're getting rich. It ain't so. Larson's the one that's getting rich. Then why don't you stop him? You can send for the Texas Rangers. You can get things cleaned up around here if you want to. I can't. My hands are tied. The Larson outfit knows every move I make. If I resign, he'll put someone else in office that'll be worse than I am. While I'm here, I can at least do something to keep things fair and just, like with you, for example. Well, what about me? That's the point, Jack. I can't see you framed, so you'll hang. I'd sooner let Larson bawl me out for being callous. Aren't you afraid you'll be overheard? Oh, I'm keeping my voice down. The thing is, if you was to grab my gun, force me to open the door and let you out, there wouldn't be much I could do about it. Now, would there? No. I'd decide sooner let you out than risk having you shoot me. Then when I was out, I'd have to go into hiding. Well, if you was to pack and move before daybreak, of course you could tie me with the ropes you'll find on my desk in the other room. Then I couldn't give the alarm till daybreak. By then, you'd be gone. I hate to think of your poor young wife being a widow. She wouldn't have a chance of keeping that cattle you've got on your ranch. Larson would have it in no time. He'd likely persuade her to marry her. Enough of that, Sheriff. Oh, I'm sorry, Jack. It's just that I've been thinking a lot about what a raw deal you've got. Praming you to hang like Larson is doing goes again the grain with me. All right, Sheriff. Heist your hands. That's it, Jack. I'm getting out of here, Sheriff. Unlock that door. 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, when the Sheriff suggested to Jack Wilson that he arrange an escape from jail, the young rancher agreed. The Sheriff allowed him to get possession of his gun, and then... I'll unlock the door, Jack. One second now. Yeah, that's it. There's ropes on the desk there, Jack. Now tie me up so my story'll hold water. I will. Well, not too tight now. No use making me put in a night of misery. I wish I knew how much on the level you were, Sheriff. I can't... Now, Jack, you know I'd be straight as a string if I had the chance. I was always a good lawman till Larson got to be the boss. No reason why he should have been allowed to get started being the boss. Just one minute. What the... Stand back, Wilson, and put down that gun. Marist, who are you? You should know. He wanted me to come here. The Lone Ranger. What's that? The Lone Ranger. Take the ropes off the Sheriff. Now, wait. Let me explain. The less talk there is, the better. Take those ropes off the Sheriff. Shakes alive. I... This afternoon, Sheriff, you were appointed a new deputy. Yes, I done that. What about it? You gave him a list of men who owed tax money. Yeah? What about it? That list included only the men who resented the way things are being run around here. The ones that wouldn't pay their taxes. The ones who wouldn't pay the excessive taxes that Larson was trying to collect. He didn't raise the taxes of his friends, only the ones who wouldn't take orders from him. Well, what about that list? The collector, your new deputy. John Doe. That wasn't his name. Well, that was the only name he'd give me. He met an Indian this afternoon. The Indian took the list of names and called on all of those men. For what? To ask them to come here tonight for a meeting. Here? A meeting? They were to meet the Indian in the woods and back of the jail. I... I don't savvy. You're going there, Sheriff, and announce to those men that you're retiring and appointing Jack Wilson to act as a deputy sheriff. We'll be in charge of the office until the next election. Stranger, you must be just plain loco. I think you'll do what I said, Sheriff. I won't. Jack, give him your hat and coat. Yeah, sure thing. Why? What? Put them on, Sheriff. I won't. Put them on. You're going out that front door wearing Jack Wilson's hat and coat. No, no, no. You can't... The men who are waiting out there will think it's Wilson escaping, and they'll do to you just what you plan to have done to Wilson. What's that? Sheriff, do you mean to say you schemed to ambush me? I don't know nothing about it. I tell you... There's no murder trap set for Wilson. There's no reason why you should hesitate to go out wearing his clothes. Sheriff, you double-crossing polecat. The choice is yours, Sheriff. Out the front door, as I said, or out the rear of the jail to meet the ranchers who are waiting with Tato. Tato? Well, that's your Indian pal. Right. I get it now. Now, I savvy. You're the stranger that got the job of collecting the taxes. All you wanted was that list of the names of the ranchers. I remember what you looked like without that mask. I can't... Sorry to disappoint you, Sheriff, but my face was disguised. Well, what are you going to do? Go out the front door wearing Wilson's clothes, or out to meet the ranchers and put Wilson in charge of your office? I ain't got no choice. Then get going. Hold on just a minute, Long Ranger. Yes, Jack? How did you get here so soon after I went to the Padre? I didn't know you'd gone for him. I'd made a few plans to right the wrongs around here without being sent for. And you... you savored the situation? Yes. Well, after I'm sworn into office, then what am I to do? Tato will tell you. He's with the ranchers? That's right. Good enough. Get going, Sheriff. You got some business to tender. Don't shove. I'm going. I'll see you later, Jack. The Lone Ranger left the office by the front door and crossed to the other side of the street where two men were waiting with loaded rifles. Stay right where you are. May take some time yet. Who are you? Working for Larson. That's so. I recollect the boys. Say, what's the matter over yonder? Why ain't Wilson come out yet? He'll simply have to wait. I figured he'd be making his break for freedom long before now. You two just stay here on the watch. Wilson will make his play for freedom before morning. Well, that's hours away. You mean it might not be till the middle of the night? Might take a lot of waiting. If you don't like your job, go tell Larson. Oh, we ain't making no complaints. All right, then. Stay here and be quiet. A few minutes later, the Lone Ranger rapped on the door of Larson's home with the butt of his gun. Who's there? Open up, Larson. I want to speak to you. What are you doing here at this hour? A masked man. I want to speak to you. But who? What? Your voice. Larson, this is a showdown. What are you talking about? I wonder just what some of the ranchers thought about conditions here and why they didn't act. I found out why. You had the law in your best pocket. What are you talking about? The ranchers who refused to pay the taxes. Well, I don't blame them. It's one thing to pay taxes for honest government, but something very different to pay to make you rich. That's none of your business. What's more, Larson, there are two rates of taxes. The low rate for your friends and the high rate for anyone who objects to you. You've been taking cattle when and where you felt like it. You've run things with a high hand. And you didn't make a slip until tonight. Now you see me. Listen to me. I'll do the talking, Larson. Tonight you planned the murder of Jack Wilson. I don't know what you're talking about. You don't? Then I'll show you. Let go of me. Come on, we're going to a meeting. Let me down. You'll hang for this. Put me down and tell you. I'll put you down when we reach a group of men who are holding a meeting. They'll both ride on my horse. No, you're hurting me. You can't. Come on, Silver. Woods, the sheriff had followed the Lone Ranger's instructions and turned over his authority to Jack Wilson. There. Now you're in charge, Wilson. We order salary. Keep quiet. You remember what masked men say. You'll not make cheer. All fellow here, keep plenty quiet. That's right, men. Now, Sheriff, stay here for time. Jack, you, Sheriff, now. I was told that you'd give me the next move, Tonto. I don't know exactly. That's right. You sign name right here on this paper. What is it? I can't see what it says in the dark. That not matter. Lone Ranger say you sign. Well, if the Lone Ranger says to sign, I'm glad to do it. Then, Tonto, take paper and go away. You wait here. Yeah, there's the name old sign. Ah, Matty, good. Tonto, go now. You wait. All other fellow wait. Steady, stout. Get him up. There's a fine thing, signing a paper, not being able to read. Listen, you snake, I'd sign anything the Lone Ranger says for me to sign. If it hadn't been for him, I'd have been sprawled dead on the ground out in front of the jail right now. Hey, there's another horseman coming. A white horse. That's him coming back. The Lone Ranger. He's got someone on the horse with him. It's Larson. All right, Larson, stand down now. Jack, have you got the Sheriff tied? Can't have in a jiffy. I'll rope the critter to this here tree. You signed the paper, Tonto had? I have, and he lit out like he'd been shot from a cannon with it. Well, well, we're moving into the Sheriff's office then. All of you men keep quiet and follow me. We want to get into the rear of their office, so anyone watching in front of that office won't know we're there. I'd sure like to know what the Sam Hill is going to happen. Keep still and wait, Hank. It's my guess that the Lone Ranger's going to show us a thing or two. The Sheriff was left tied to a tree, while the ranchers, nearly a score of them, followed the Lone Ranger and Larson, Jack, and Hank into the Sheriff's office. The room was crowded. The men kept silent and watched the masked man. He whispered a word to Jack Wilson, and the newly appointed deputy took off his hat and coat and handed them over. All right, Larson. You can put this hat and coat on. On me? Yes. For what? Then go out that front door. By the way, Jack, open some of the windows on the side of the room, will you? Sure thing. Come on, Hank. Give me a hand. Why should I go out wearing that man's hat and coat? You're not afraid to, are you? Why should I be afraid to? Larson, you have a way of answering my questions by asking another question, and we'll get nowhere that way. I'll tell you why these taxpayers are here. Why I wanted a job as tax collector, and what's going to be done. I'll tell you what's going to be done. I'm going to have the law on you and you're going to... Stop wasting your breath in threats that don't mean anything. You've been running the town and the county to suit yourself. He found enough men to help you to give you legal control. The only way any rancher could get justice was to appeal to some higher office than the sheriff. Well, why didn't they do it? Anyone that wasn't satisfied... You know why they didn't do it. Anyone who even threatened to was robbed of cattle and forced to pay triple the taxes. Ah. You were afraid of Jack Wilson. He didn't like the way he went out trying to fight you. You were afraid he couldn't be bullied and frightened into taking orders. So you threw him into jail. You weren't satisfied with that. You planned to kill him. That's a lie. For the benefit of the ranches here, I'll explain that the sheriff was supposed to let Wilson escape. Men across the street, waiting in the shadow of the buildings, were to shoot him. Shoot him? They'd have the excuse that they shot an escaping criminal. That ain't so. No? Well, if that's not the truth, then you surely wouldn't be afraid to wear Wilson's hat and coat and walk out that door, would you? There ain't no reason to. We'll get back to that in a minute. There's another thing first. There is a body of law officers who can put things in order. They're called Texas Rangers. Well, go on. Call him in. I have. Now I know you're bluffing. Let me tell you something about the law. In the first place, the Texas Rangers won't move without being ordered to do so by the governor of the state. In the second place, the governor of the state won't send him out unless he has a request from the sheriff. Now what do you have to say? The governor anticipated the request of the man in charge of the law office and gave the Texas Rangers their instructions. They've been just outside of town waiting. Waiting for what? The governor told them that they could act as soon as they saw the request from the local sheriff. Well, Jack Wilson is the acting sheriff. He ain't no such thing. Oh, yes, I am, Larson. And all these ranchers are witness to that fact. Wilson signed the letter that I'd already written to the governor. Towner took that letter to the waiting Texas Rangers. They've been outside those windows, Larson, waiting. You can come in now, boys. Them here. Them come. There they are. Two of them. You're right over there. What do you got to say, Larson? You got nothing against me. They'll be enough to jail you for life, Larson. As soon as you confess to your scheme to murder Jack Wilson. That scheme was your mistake. Me? Confess? Do you think I'm crazy? No. That's why you'll confess. You're going to get into those clothes and go out that door or admit everything. If you're innocent, you have nothing to fear. Get the clothes, William. This hand of mine is all that's needed to make the killers think he's me. All right. Now out with you, Larson. No, no. If you ain't plotted murder, you need in fear. You can't do this. It ain't legal. It's a killer. Oh, stop. Pardon me. Get the door open. I will. Can't you go now? No, no. Wait. Listen to me. Ain't but one thing for you to say that'll make us listen. Confess to plot and murder. Otherwise, get out. Stop. Wait. I did it. I admit it. Close that door. Don't let them shoot me. Well, as a Texas Ranger, gents, I'd say that's it. We jail this crook. We make him squeal on his paws and jail them. We jail the sheriff. And then it's up to you to elect some honest lawmen. Boys, the Lone Ranger done there. Ain't nothin' left but to pick up them mangy polecats that's waitin' in ambush. Shucks with the Lone Ranger here. We deemed I brought two of us. One would've been a plenty. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
