A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high-o'-silver, the Lone Ranger rides again. Mystery rider of the plains, the unknown hero of the greatest legend of the West. His face was masked. No one could guess the inspiration for his life and self-sacrifice, but everyone paid tribute to his strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness. Here was a champion of right against might. The symbol of American justice and American democracy, the Lone Ranger. In a desolate Shawnee country, a heavily laden freight wagon stood beside a smoldering fire. On three sides, the hollow was surrounded by a high wooded ridge. On the fourth side lay a stream. Beside the fire, one man stirred and poked the man next to him. Donner, come on. Now's our chance to wreck this wagon so they can't move the gold. I ain't been waiting for this, Lance. Shorty and Jasper went down to the water. Yeah, it's a good run back. Hey, give me that axe. I'll smash these wheels so the wagon can't roll. You get the horses ready for us to get away. I left a horse a saddle, Lance. They're hobbled right yonder. That's using your head, Donner. Hurry up. I hear Shorty. He must be coming back. Where's that other axe? There it goes. I got this wheel. This doggone wood is tough. Hurry up. Just once more. You know, Lance, that does for the front wheels. They won't move this gold without them. Hey! Hey, what's all the ruckus? Stam, get our horses. I'll handle these two hombres. Remember, Lance, don't shoot. We don't want nobody to figure it was murder. Do like I tell you. Get them car users. I'll be right back with them. Hey, somebody chopping wood? Yeah, I'd sure like to put a bullet in them, but I reckon Donner's got the right swing. Howdy, Lance. Thought you was turned into sleep. Got plenty of work tomorrow. Been down to the water. It's a long way there, too. All downhill. Coming back, it's... Hey. Hey, what's happening to the wagon? Shorty, look. Well, I'll be... The axle broke. Too bad, ain't it? Too bad? How are we going to move this gold? How are we going to get to town? Look at it. Split clean down the... Shorty. That axle didn't break. It was cut. Huh? Look here. Here's an axe. And look at the marks on the wood. Lance, is this your only way of getting even because you think I ain't been a good boss? Well, speak up. We don't want to label you a skunk before we get all the facts straight. Did you do this? Not just me, gents. Me and Donner done it. What? We aim to get this gold for us, Savvy. Why, you reach for your gun. I'm calling you right now. What in blazes? My gun's empty. Any bullet in it? Yeah, gents. Me and Donner slipped the bullets out of your guns a little earlier. But don't move, Savvy. My gun's got plenty of bullets. Come on with them horses, Donner. Get them out of it, Lance. We better travel. Yeah, you pair of polecats. I'll stop if I have to do it by my bare hands. Donner, Donner, get him. I got him. Shorty. Shorty, are you hurt? Come on, Lance. Let's travel. Adios, Jasper. You and Shorty will be seeing us again for these bills. Why, you're side-minded coyotes. I have my guns. You wouldn't be so brave. Shorty. Shorty. Are you all right? Gone is the wagon horses, Donner. We better stampede them far away. Ride at them. Shoot your gun into the air. They'll panic easy. Get up. Get horses. Make tracks. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. What do we do now? Shorty and Jasper won't leave the gold, Donner. They can't be moved, so they'll be here when we get back. You'll get the boys? Last time we was in town, they was told when to come out. They ought to be here mighty soon. Then we take up a ring around them two down below in the hollow and starve them up. My savvy. That way it looks like they run into trouble and just died, huh? Yeah. Then we take that wagon full of gold, savvy. It's for us, then. Lance, you sure got smart ideas. Just one more thing. Yeah? What about Selden? The Wells Fargo age is way down the trail in town. Ain't he expecting Shorty and Jasper to show up sometime with that gold? We'll take care of Sheldon, Donner. We'll see that nobody comes along that Shawnee trail without us knowing it, savvy. I got my plans and nobody stops him. Not even Selden, wherever he is. Open up. I've got to see somebody. Open up the door. Man's sick's alive. Don't you know we've got a sick man here? Hush, I know. What happened to the regiment that was camped yonder? The regiment that was spread along the river? He's gone. Pulled out two days ago. I've got to get him back. Mister, they got important business with border raiders. You couldn't get them know-how. I'm heading for trouble, I know it. Wait a second. I didn't place you in the dark. You're Selden, ain't you? The Wells Fargo age... I got no time for talk, Mag. I figured I'd get a couple of soldiers to go along with me. But I reckon it can't be. What's the trouble? Where you heading? I've been expecting two boys to bring in a freight wagon full of gold, Mag. I heard that they hired two hombres who are just plumb bad medicine. Troublemakers, huh? And the two gents named Lance and Donner. They're poisoned. Shorty and Jasper ought to be warned, so they'll be on their guard. Well, ride out and tell them. Besides, what could happen on a freak trail? This ain't no ordinary trail, Mag. This here's desolate country, empty. There ain't more than two or three people head into it in a month. Mag, it's the Shawnee country. Shawnee country. Oh, well, maybe you better come in, Selden. Maybe you better tell this to the Lone Ranger. And that's about all there is to tell, Maskman. I gotta go out there. But I sure hate to travel by my lonesome. Wait, uh-oh. You not talk yet, Kemosabe. Count was right, Maskman. The army surgeon improved your health aplenty, but don't you overdo it. Yep. He said any time now you'd perk up. Be just as lively as you ever was. But... That's dangerous country I'm going into. If you got any advice to give me about it, I sure... Why you not stay here? I wish I could, Injun. But I regard it as my duty. Tonto. Mag. Listen. What is it, mister? You figured something? Just move your lips, Maskman. Aye. That's it. We'll savvy what you got to tell us that way. You what? What's that? Uh-uh. Me, Sabby, Kemosabe. Yeah, Mag. The Maskman saying that somebody's got to ride out with Selden. Well, there ain't only one of us can do that. As long as it ain't the Lone Ranger himself that's well enough, it's got to be... Me! Huh? Me! I'm the right one to go. I know the trail. I know... Missouri, you old bag of winds, you can't go. Ain't that right, mister? Yes. Yeah, I reckon so. All right, Tonto. You go, not me. Guess I knowed it from the first. Ah. Adioski, Musabe. Tonto, leave right now with Selden. Like you say. Oh, thanks, Injun. You and me, huh? That's right. All right, Tonto. Oh. But I got a funny feeling that only... Will of us is coming back. Tonto and Selden left immediately, striking out into the desolate Shawnee country. Get along! Get along, horse! Get him up, Sherald! Get him up! They saw no signs of trouble as they traveled, but Selden's hunch was right. Ahead of them, at a point where the Shawnee Trail narrowed down, two men sat their horses. The two bad men, Lance and Donner. Nobody coming along the trail yet, Donner. Selden's coming. He ought to show up soon. Maybe we ought to get back to the ridge where the rest of the boys are. No, not yet. They're keeping up a steady fire down on Shorty and Jasper. They're just close enough to make them stay right where they are, but not too close, Sammy. Lance. Huh? Look yonder, down where the trail bends. Can you spot something coming over the rise? Yeah, there's a moon. Well, that must be Selden. He's coming fast. It's a good thing we got that rope strung across the trail. Get your gun lined up on that spot, Donner. As soon as the rope trips a horse, throw bullets into one. Hey, Lance, there's two horses. Huh? Two, I tell you. Can't you hear them? All right, then. We'll get rid of both of them, whoever they are. Here they come. Get them up and score! One of them's an injured. Line your sights up. Any second, they'll be hitting that strung rope. Look out! They're alive! Now! They're laying still. Ain't moving. I reckon we got them if the fall didn't. That engine saw the rope ahead of time. He might have had a chance to fall easy so as he wasn't knocked out. Well, then the bullets got him. But we'll make sure. Come on, we'll have a look-see. The outlaws spurred their horses toward the two still figures lying on the trail next to their horses. A dry wash intervened, and the trail was out of sight for a few moments. And by the time they got there... Hey, the engine's gone. He was here a second ago. Look for yourself. He's gone. Him and his horse, too. You're loco, Lance. He can't be far off. Maybe he rolled down that slope. Yarn. Hey, look. There he is. Look. He's still groggy. Look out. He's getting ready to shoot. We'd better stop him. He's getting on his horse. Shoot. Par it to him. Come on, you manesie. You travel. It's no use, Lance. His horse is too fast for him. Yeah, that paint covers ground. Yeah, we might as well look back into the gang. Yeah, but maybe that engine will talk. Maybe you'll head for town. Don't be loco, Donner. You know how engines are. He won't talk to nobody about nothing. We got Selden. That's all we needed. Besides, that engine must be scared to death. He won't be back. Turn him up. Go. But Tonto did not leave. As soon as he recovered from the shock of the sudden fall, he circled back to the spot on the trail. Oh, oh, Skull. Oh, oh, Donner. Oh. Oh, that heap bad. Selden, him go to happy hunting ground, Scout. Too bad. Him say he got feeling there be trouble. Maybe we go back to Masked Friend now, huh? No, no, that's right, Scout. Masked Friend want to know who do this. We take care of Selden now. Then we go on. An hour later, Tonto rode Scout on the trail of the two bad men. In the moonlight, the Indians trained eye easily picked out the hoof marks left by the outlaw's mouth. They come this way. Get them up, Scout. Hour after hour, across the rough country, Tonto urged the paint horse on until, in the distance... Scout, that sound like rifle fire. We go see. We go see. Then we go back. Tell Masked Friend. It's Tonto. He's come back. He's galloping up right now. Party! Miss Odee. Miss Odee. How, Masked Friend. He's doing fine, Tonto. Doing fine. You hear that, Masked Friend? First thing Tonto asks is how you are. Oh, Tonto, he's glad to see you again. Tonto, what happened? Where's Selden? Oh, Selden, him dead. What? Him dry-gulched by outlaw. I'm sorry. Am that right, Kimosabe? You mean what Selden was concerned about, Tonto? Was it Lansom, Donner? Tonto, follow him. Tonto, see him. I know the Scout had a rope-worn on his leg, Tonto. That how he tripped you up? Where are they now, Tonto? What's going on out there? You listen. Outlaw got ten. Maybe twelve men. They on high ridge all round Little Hollow. Shorty, Jasper, they in Hollow, wagon broken. Surrounded by those thieves and sidewinders. A river on one side, but not close. They gotta have hell. Can't get the soldiers. Can't get the town folk neither. Somebody's sure to blab to some ombre who'll go out and warn them rattlers to finish off Shorty and Jasper fares. Look, Kimosabe, Tonto make map. There, there ridge, and there water. With them poor hombres caught for fair. Masked men, you're studying that map awful close. You got some scheme for us to help Shorty and Jasper? Yes. You have, huh? Here, here. Here's a pencil. You can write most of it out. No need to write. Tonto, got a wagon ready. Huh? A prairie schooner? Mister, you ain't traveling out yourself, are you? I'm going. Now, wait, friend. Even traveling in a wagon, taking it easy, it might not be the best thing for you. You might. Masked friend, him make up mine. Yeah, when the lone ranger makes up his mag, there's no two ways about it, mag. You might just as well stop your arguing. The masked man says he's gone, and that means he's gone. Better get that wagon ready. Adios, mag. Me go on ahead wagon. Now, mag, we'll make out all right. The masked man won't buds out of this wagon until he's got to. He'll sleep most of the way. Friend, be careful, won't you? You've got to help folks, but just be careful for my sake. Don't worry, Meg. Don't worry. All right, Donna, here we go. Silver's right beside the wagon. Get up there. Get up. Shut him up, stout. 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. Shorty and Jasper welcomed the coolness of night. It brought relief from the heat of the day, and they were able to relax their vigilance, though their situation was becoming more desperate with each day that passed. I'll stay awake and watch for a time, Jasper. You get a little sleep. Oh, I'm done with sleeping, Shorty. We ain't ever going to leave this place alive. I don't want to waste the last few hours in sleep. Well, I ain't given up yet. You're foolish to live on hopes. There ain't no hope now. It's clear to me what them pole cats are doing. Starving us. Sure, they could have shot us if they wanted to. They didn't do it, though. Just hightailed away and left us. If we starve, there won't be nothing to show we was murdered. That's their scheme. But maybe the Wells Fargo man will come hunting us. Well, if he's coming, where is he? There ain't nobody worrying about us. I reckon you're right. Doggone them. Jasper, you figure they don't want to shoot us? Not unless they got to do it. Well, we might make a break for the river and fill our canteens. If we done that, they would shoot us. It's their intention to starve us if they can. But they will shoot if need be. I'd sooner live as long as we can. While we're here, we got a chance that something will turn up. No gone slim chance, if you ask me. Well, I ain't asking you. I know it's a slim chance, but once they drop us with hot lead, there ain't no chance at all. Well, if you don't aim to get some shut eye, I think I'll stretch out for an hour or so. You might as well. I don't hanker for sleep. Call me if you do. Get me up at dawn, anyhow. Yeah, I will. Miles away, a prairie schooner moved through the night along a trail that led upstream, but far enough from the river so the outlaw band would not know the mysterious Lone Ranger and his friends were passing their camp. Hello. Take a look in back and see if our friend is riding comfortable. Oh, him all right. Him sleep. Hey, Jiminy, it's great the way he's regaining his strength on this year's trip, ain't it? Lone Ranger, get well soon now. Army doctor, fixin' plenty good. You know, Tonto, the greatest thing a man can hear is that shouting of a Lone Ranger when he's himself and riding high, wide, and handsome. We not hear that for a long time now. Reckon we will be hearing it soon, though, don't you? Oh, Tonto, hope that right. Two, three more day on trail. That right? I'm afeard we can't get the place upstream where the Lone Ranger wants to be in no less time. Um, you wait here. Rain up. Rain up? For what? Tonto, ride to river. Join you later. But what do you gotta ride toward the river for, Tonto? You go right into that nest outlaw you made mention of. I mean, not go that close. Tonto, send message to fellas. Message? Whoa, there. What's sort of message? Tell fellas not lose heart. Get him up, Scout. We ride to river. Join you by and by. Get him up, Scout. Shorty, still got hopes that something will happen like a miracle to save the gold. Jasper looked fondly at his sleeping friend. Then his eyes moved toward the river. Well, I might take a chance of going for water. Shorty never let me take the risk if he was awake. There ain't no reason why I can't make my sneak for water while he's sleeping. I'm gonna try it. I'll get the canteen and say... What the... What, dead ratum? They're using redskins now. Shooting arrows at us. Must have eyes like owls to see me reaching for the canteen in the dark. Drat it. Oh, what's this? A note of some sort fastened to the arrow. Now get a light and see what it is. Don't lose hope. Help it. Why, doggone it. Hey, Shorty. Shorty, you wake up. Hey, stop shaking me. Wake up, Shorty. Wake up and hear what I got to tell you. Jasper, you gone loco? What's the matter with you? Read this note and see if I've gone loco. Read it, Shorty. It says that we'll hang on. We'll do what's told us and there'll be help coming. This note's from the Lone Ranger. Be back, Shorty. Good. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Climb from your saddle to this wagon, Donto. There's something for you to hear. Now, what happened? Listen, our friend has woke up and he's... Thank you, old sabby. Friend. Did you get the message to those ambushed men? Them get it. Them strike match. Read it. Read note. Good. Where's Silver? Oh, him follow behind. Him wait for Master. That's my horse. Him hear your voice there. Donto, I'm going to be able to ride the big white fellow again soon. Jumpin' Juniper, it's great to hear your voice like that. Now, by thunderation, it'll be a bad day for them outlaws when we meet them. Donto, I've lost track of time through sleeping so much. Oh, you need plenty sleep. Yes, but how much longer will it take us to reach that upstream camp I told you about? Maybe one day more. Good. The sooner the better. How long can those men with the gold hold out? Them fellas know you come help. Yes, Tonto, but... How long? Don't you see what Tonto means? Now that them two prospectors know you're on their side, they'll hold out till kingdom come. Come on, then, Missouri. Get up. Get along there. Get to moving. The lone ranger's years of healthy living gave him a vitality that brought strength back rapidly once he was started on the road to full recovery. When Missouri hoarded the prairie schooner beside the river, far upstream from the men in ambush, the masked man found that he could mount his great white horse and ride a bit. Silver gave a mighty cry of happiness. Listen to that, Tonto. Don't Silver know his master's on the men, though? That's it, Silver, old boy. Now, don't you overdo it, mister. You just let the horse walk a few paces with you for a day or so. We'll soon be riding again, Silver. Come on, Tonto. We got a raft to get built, and we won't get her done by standing around. Oh, we fix raft. There's a good tree to knock over first. Where's my axe? Let me at it. Pitching into the task of constructing a large raft, Missouri and Tonto dropped tree after tree, stripped off the branches, and rolled big logs to the water. As each log was in place, it was lashed with ropes from the wagon. After the first day, the lone ranger himself felt strong enough to aid with the lashing. It was a huge undertaking for the three men, but they worked steadily. In an incredibly short time, the raft was ready. Now we can start it down. It will take some time for the raft to reach Shorty and Jasper. All right, mister. I'll cut the line and let her go. Go ahead. There she goes. We'll have to follow along the bank to make sure it doesn't get stuck on rocks or washed ashore. Me and Tonto will attend to that, mister. We'll all attend to it. Ain't it great to see the lone ranger moving about again, Tonto? Plenty good. I'm still hankering to know how this year's scheme is going to work out. I'm counting on those outlaws doing certain things, Missouri. But what if they don't do what you can't do? Then we'll have to shoot it out. But I don't think that will be necessary. Shorty and Jasper followed instructions that were contained in the lone ranger's message. And for the next day or so, were encouraged by new hope of rescue. But then, hunger and thirst assailed them again. It was at night. Jasper, I'm just about licked. Yeah, me too, Shorty. We'd done all we was told to do. Done it under cover of dark. But I don't see no sign of the help that was promised us. The lone ranger promised. Yeah, I kept thinking of that as long as I could. But now, it must be that Lance and Don in their parts have got the lone ranger. I ain't heard no gunfire. No, but if we was to get the help we was promised... He said a raft, didn't he? Yeah, that's what he said. There ain't been no rafts floating downstream. We couldn't have missed it, could we? We'll see how. Hey. Hey, look. Huh? What's that coming? Shorty, it does look like a raft, don't it? It is. You can see it clear now. We're to haul it ashore. Right under the noses of them dry gulches. Well, let's go. If they're gonna shoot, they'll shoot. Come on, head for the water. We'll at least get a drink of it. Shorty and Jasper rushed for the river to capture the raft and bring it to shore. They were clearly visible in the moonlight and could have been easily shot by Lance and Donner. Don't shoot, Donner. None of you boys fire. We'll wait and see what those two are up to. Yeah. Where'd they get that raft anyhow? Well, seem to have come in a doggone convenient way. Something's in the wind, boys. We'll wait and see what. Dragging the raft in close to the shore. Tying it there, ain't they, Donner? Yeah, tying it. Now, watch shot. Don't let them do nothing we don't know about. Not far from the outlaws, the lone ranger and Tonto crouched and watched. It's all right, Tonto. The killers haven't fired. Now we know they aren't going to. I'm plenty lucky. Tonto got rifle ready to shoot first fellow to fire. Signal to Missouri now, Kimosabe. Let him take the horses into Shorty and Jasper. Now, time to go. Give them signal. Donner, they got help. That's the answer. Yeah. Someone is fetching them a couple of horses. Now I savvy. If that ain't playing right into our hands. How's that? Well, don't you see? Somehow or other, they've got word out and help has come for them. They're hitching up to the wagon. They're going to put the wagon on that there raft. That's it. Let's stop them. Let's start shooting. No, no. They'll get away. Nah, they won't get away at all. They'll start the wagon downstream on the raft. All we got to do is follow along the river. Well, for how long? Not for far. Why, this is playing right into our hands. We'll follow along until there's a good place to attack. Then we just... Lance, they got the wagon on the raft. They're climbing aboard. You see them? All right, boys, get your horses saddled. We'll go along with them. And at the first chance, we'll attack them. If we got to shoot them now, we'll shoot them. Then we can tell a story of the raft capsizing, spilling the gold into the river, and Shorty and Jasper along with it. We'll have the empty wagon and the raft to bear out the story we tell. Unload the wagon, huh? Sure, unload her. And move the gold whenever we want it. Get to your hostages as soon as you can, boys. We'll keep that raft in sight. The raft moved downstream with the broken wagon clearly visible in the moonlight. Lance and Donner and their friends moved along the bank until shortly before dawn. Then Lance gave the signal. Boys, I guess, Shorty and Jasper are inside the wagon. But we give them a surprise. This is a good place to tackle them, Lance. Come on, at them. Come on. Shoot the first one that shows his head. Come on, Shorty. Surrender or we'll get you. Get aboard the raft. We'll show them. We're with you, lads. Come on. Hey, this wagon's empty. What? Where's them two? Three of them. The one that fits the horses. There's no one here at all. Where's the gold? Now I get it. Those two galoots fooled us. They unloaded the gold from the wagons, and it's back where they was ambushed. Now I see where the wagon could be moved. All right, then. Go ashore. We're going right back where we come from. No, you're not. Hey, who was that? Look, there on the shore. That man on the white horse. In the prairie schooner. That's the lone ranger. The first man to leave that raft gets shot, unless he comes ashore with his hands over his head. There are several men who are barricaded in the prairie schooner who are ready to shoot. And then just for the chance. We got you all covered, Lance. Just surrender, and we'll let you have it. The gold is going on to where it belongs. And you murderers of the Wells Fargo man are going with it as our prisoners. Yes, sir. Oh, my hand. I just shot your gun away, Lance. The next shot might come from one of the men who'd shoot to kill. He'll win. You got us. Bring them to town, Missouri. I'll ride ahead and take word that they're coming. Go on, lone ranger. Tongo says you're ready to ride again. I owe silver away. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
