fiery horse with the speed of light, the cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo silver, the Lone Ranger. That followed the Civil War, a powerful secret organization called the Legion of the Black Arrow sprang up in the western United States. Its members were to be found everywhere, defying the law or using the law for their own purposes, working toward the ultimate goal of revolt and the foundation of a despotic empire. It was the masked rider of the plains who led the fight against this band of outlaws and traitors, and for once his great strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness, were taxed to the utmost in the cause of democracy. Return with us now to those thrilling days when the West was young. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of a great horse, Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver. We're on the tail of the black arrow. Armed with a secret commission from the President of the United States, the Lone Ranger raced across the plains to the west of St. Louis. His faithful Indian companion, Tonto, rode at his side. Come on, Silver. Get him out, scout. On and on they rode, on toward the hidden stronghold of the Legion of the Black Arrow, on toward danger, guardians of the future of the West. They made camp one night on the banks of the Platte, and as they prepared to mount the following morning, the sun drove away the mist and a range of mountains loomed on the distant horizon. The Rockies, Tonto. Ah. Maybe we pine Black Arrow cave there. They cover a lot of ground from New Mexico to Montana. The hidden valley might be even farther west than the Sierras. That right. Major Connell was drugged and blindfolded when they took him there. He was weak and delirious when he escaped. All we know is that there's a valley and a cave somewhere. It'd take long time to find it. Unless we can find someone to lead us. How will we do that? The members of the Black Arrow must report to headquarters. Ah. We know that every one of them carries the mark of a black arrow on his wrist. Find one of them. Follow him. The first part of our mission has been carried out. Then you not hunt through mountains. It would take us years that way. Plenty long time. The leader of the Legion may stay in the valley. His men don't. They're working all the time. They're working all the time to undermine the government and terrorize the settlers. No matter where we start, we're sure to find one of them. That's the first step. Let's hope we can take it soon. Ah. Hip. Ready, Tonto? Tonto, ready. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scout. But during the next month, a strange quiet descended on the frontier. The most lawless towns became peaceful. There were no Indian uprisings. Road agents disappeared from the trails. The lone ranger rode into Fort Lincoln in the dead of night. And the guard escorted him to General Cartwright, one of the few men the president had suggested he contact. But before the masked man could bring up the subject of his mission, the general asked permission to read a part of his monthly report to the chief of staff. My opinion, the ruling that every post must be fully garrisoned at all times can now be repealed. I recommend that the army return to its previous practice of sponsoring expeditions to study the country and of providing a military escort for any wagon train that desires one. What do you think of that, masked man? I agree, General. It's a wise suggestion. I've written something else, so you won't agree with this. The Secretary of War has been pleased to hint there is some secret and powerful organization at work in the West. I find no evidence of such an organization. The years of bloodshed and violence on the frontier are past. The West is at peace. You wouldn't have written that report a month ago, General. Oh, perhaps not. But I'm writing it now. I hope you're not mistaken. You don't agree. I knew it. Do you know anything more about this secret organization than I do? I respect your judgment, masked man. And if you can give me one tangible piece of evidence, I'll admit I'm wrong. I can't give you any evidence. And my report stands. But I respect your judgment, General. And I'm sure there's something you won't forget. Why? Why, what do you mean? There's often a lull before the storm. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the valley high in the Sierras. The rain poured down, but the great cavern at the far end of the valley gave shelter to hundreds of men. The legion of the Black Arrow had gathered to receive the orders of their leader. He stood before them on the stone dais. The lower half of his face was covered by a black cloth. His eyes reflected the light of the two fires that leaped toward the roof of the cavern on either side of him. His hands met above his head. Behind him appeared the sinister shadow. The shadow of the Black Arrow. The legion of the Black Arrow shall triumph. You've been summoned here from all parts of the West. So far you've done your work well. But the time has come for even greater efforts in the cause of our glorious destiny. Blink, come up here. Tell them what happened in St. Louis. The president sent out word to locate the Lone Ranger. And two months ago they met in St. Louis. They don't know much about us in Washington. Just our name and what we stand for. It's up to the Lone Ranger to find out the rest. He's supposed to find this hideout. Let him try. I just like one crack at that mast. Never make the mistake of underestimating your enemies. That's a lesson you all must learn. I'm telling you now that if anyone can defeat us, it's the Lone Ranger. Tomorrow morning this valley and this cavern will be empty. All of you will be on your way back to your posts. Some of you will receive new ones. You'll receive new instructions from my lieutenants. There's been a month of peace in the West. Tomorrow we declare war again. This time there shall be no pause until the final victory. The Legion of the Black Herald shall triumph. Past shall be ours. Right on the trail. I got a question to ask you. About what? Are you the leader? What makes you ask that? Well, I never saw him except in the cave with that black scarf over his face. But you're just about the same build and you talk something like him. Do I? Yeah, something. No one knows the leader, Flint. Not even you? It isn't wise to ask questions. Sometimes one finds out too much. That's dangerous. Yeah, I guess so. We have a job to do, you and I. Let's concentrate on that until we've finished it. You're the boss. Where are we heading? Fort Lincoln. The Lone Ranger's around there and General Cartwright. He's the best commanding officer the Army's got in the West. Exactly, Flint. Huh? Your first job will be to round up a gang of outlaws. Men that'll do anything for money. They won't be members of the Black Arrow. That won't be necessary. Yeah, then it's easy. I can find plenty. What's next? You're going to re-enlist in the Army. I can't. Under a different name, of course. If they find out I deserted in St. Louis, they'll put me in jail. You're going to jail, Flint. Huh? The charge won't be desertion, however. Now listen, Torlant. Remember your oath. Yeah, I know. But what's the sense of going to jail? It isn't your place to question orders. What good it'll do? I'll tell you that. By going to jail, you'll bring about the disgrace of General Cartwright. He'll be court-martialed. Retired from active duty. The Army will lose its most able commander. I don't see how I can do that. The plan's very simple. Just listen. Halt. Who goes there? A friend. Rain up or I'll shoot. The General's expecting me. A mask. I have a pass. Here. You're a nurse, Law. Reach for the sky. What's going on there? It's a mask man, General. I got him covered. You're new here, aren't you? Yes, sir. What's your name? Everett, sir. If you don't mind, mask man, I'll take that pass. Here you are, General. This was presented to you, wasn't it, Everett? It's too dark to read out here. Besides, I thought it was a trick. Sorry if I did wrong. No, there's no harm done. You'll learn. Yes, sir. Come with me, mask man. I want to talk with you in my quarters. When Tonto rode in here the other day, I... I had to send for you. I had to confess I was wrong. It was the calm before the storm. Yes, General. You don't have to be told, of course. Yes, but there's a wave of crime and violence sweeping over the whole territory. The Indians are becoming a problem again. They won't go on the war path if you can keep the settlers off their reservations. Well, I... I'm doing my best. But just in case, I'd like your advice. What about? The defense of this post. Can a hundred men hold it? Against any force the Indians around here can raise. That's... That's fine. I don't want to discontinue the escort for the wagon trains. But the country's alive without laws. There isn't a gold train that has a chance of getting through without a strong guard. When does the next one leave for the east? I don't know. We have one wagon in the fort now. The owner's anxious to get on. But so far, I've refused to allow it. There'll be others coming soon, and I... I hate to waste detail on one wagon. Who's there? It's Torlock. Well, that's the owner I was talking about. I'll have to see him. It would be better if he didn't see me. You can wait in the other room. Yes, sir. General Cartwright. Coming. Well, Torlock? I'm here to demand my rights. What do you mean? You've held me up here for nearly a week. I won't stand for it any longer. You're free to leave the fort whenever you want to. But I only have a certain number of men, and I can't afford to waste them. I'm leaving here tomorrow morning, General. Tomorrow morning at daybreak. Torlock, you don't realize... I realize that I've stayed here long enough. If I drive out of here without a military escort, Washington will hear of it. Good night, Mr. Torlock. Good night, General. Oh, the fool. Washington shall hear of it. As if they didn't know my problem. Masked man, you can... That's strange. The wind is open. He's gone. Flint. What the... Quiet. Oh, it's you. Are your men all set? Yeah. They've made camp in the hills to the east. Time you left here and joined them. I'm leaving the first thing tomorrow morning. You've got to wait for more wagons. I'm not waiting for anything. Not with a lone ranger around. The general won't give you an escort. Oh, yes, he will. He won't like it, but he won't take any chance of my being ambushed. The only thing I'm worried about is your men. Can you make them attack after they've seen their soldiers with me? They get them so filled up with stories about the gold in your wagon that attack a whole army. Ah, good. Now get out of here and join them. I have to wait until I'm relieved. Look, Torlach. What? Torch over there by the general's quarters. It's a mass man carrying it. Yes. He's getting mounted. Come on, Silver. I can't be seen by you. Look at that horse travel. Coming straight toward me. What's the idea of the torch? Look out there. He's going to throw it. What the... Oh, Silver. 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. When the Lone Ranger raced out of the army post, he headed straight for the camp where Tonto was waiting. There he told his faithful Indian companion of a discovery. I'd never seen the man's face before, but his voice was familiar. Do you remember my telling you about a soldier in St. Louis? Ah. That night you talked with great white father. Him dead close to train. It sounded like the same voice. That's why I threw the torch. Well, it startled him. His right hand was on his rifle. He threw his left one up to protect his face. And what you see? The sign of the black arrow. The fine man you look for? We've found a member of the Legion, yes. The not very important one. You tell, General? Not yet. We don't want this man ever to suspect anything. We'll let him go ahead with his plans if he has any. But keep an eye on him all the time. That's good. You'd better go to the post and stay there. Report to me the moment anything happens. Tonto, do it. Hai! You're back soon, Kimo Sabe. You saddle Silver. Ride. Here, Silver. What's happened, Tonto? Tonto get to fort. Him see man run away from stockade. Go to Hill. Deserter? Maybe so. Was he in uniform? Ah. Do you think you can follow his trail? That easy. There's a wagon leaving the fort at daybreak. If Everett's working with the outlaws around here, he might be trying to get word to them. That's what Tonto thinks. Or it might be someone else. We'll have to find out what he's up to. Steady boy. Gotta tighten the cinch. It's not long till day come. Lighten east now. Yeah, we've got to hurry. Yep. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scout. As the Lone Ranger and Tonto rode away from their sheltered camp, the lighten east grew stronger. And by the time they reached the fort, they could see a great covered wagon starting out with an attachment of soldiers riding alongside. The masked man and the Indian made a wide circle of the fort and picked up the trail of a deserter at the foot of the hills. On they raced until they came to a clearing in a wooded valley. I'm in a camp here, Kimo Sabe. Ah. It's a fresh camp. That's right. I think we were right about outlaws. Our deserter joined up with them. Men ride that way. Yes, to the east. The same way the wagon's heading. How many, Tonto? Maybe ten. The soldiers should be able to handle them, but we'll do what we can to help. Come on, Silver. Get off, Scout. The wagon's coming. Ready with your guns, boys. Wait a minute, Flint. Yeah? You said there wouldn't be any soldiers. There's a half a dozen, anyway. We can take care of them. I don't like it. We'll have them covered before they know what's going on. It's worth taking a chance, Butch. Think of all that gold. Yeah. When I say the word, dig in with your spurs and follow me. Up high with your hands. Somebody behind us. The first man who turns around gets a taste of lead. Up with your hands and ride down onto the trail. Flint. I know that voice. It's the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger. Yeah, we better do what he says. Come on. Get up there. Get up there. Come on. Get up there. Straight down the slope to the trail. You don't have to touch your reins. And keep your hands up. Don't shoot, mister. That's far enough. Gang of up. Soap and fire. No, it's the Lone Ranger. He's touching them. Go on, Blackie. Go on. Detail halt. You're a prisoner, Sergeant. They were planning to rob this wagon. Well, I don't say they would have gotten away with it, masked man. But we sure appreciate what you've done. One of them wore a uniform last night. Everett. Well. Wasn't there an absence without leave reported? We left before inspection. You're right, though. This hombre enlisted about two weeks ago. There's a court-martial waiting for you, mister. Think so? I know. You and your crooked friends are headed for the guardhouse. Just a moment. Does this mean I'll have to turn back? Sure. These prisoners got to be delivered to the general. When will we get started again? Oh, you won't lose many hours. You ought to be mighty grateful to the masked man that you haven't lost your gold. Oh, I am, Sergeant. I'm more grateful than I can say. The outlaws were taken back to the post and thrown in the guardhouse. A few hours later, Torlock drove away with a new escort. And that night, Flint was court-martialed. Is Everett your real name? Why, sure. A lone ranger heard your outlaw friends call you Flint. Well, that's just what I told him. Very well. We'll let that pass. You're charged with desertion and robbery armed. How do you plead? Guilty. And I sentence you to... Just a second, General. I can't go through with it. You can't go through with what? Our scheme. I know you promised you'd protect me, even if we didn't get the gold, but I just... Protect you? Colonel Sumner, all the rest of you gentlemen. This is a court, isn't it? I got a right to speak, haven't I? Order! Order! Just what is it you have to say? I'm going to tell the truth. Swear him in, Sergeant. You swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. Proceed with your testimony. Gentlemen. This hold-up wasn't my idea. General Carter, I'd planned the whole thing. Order! Order! He made the proposition to me quite a while ago, before I joined the army. And all I had to do was get a gang together and tip them off about gold shipments whenever the general passed the word along. He was to get half or whatever we took. General. Yes, Colonel. May I ask a question to the prisoner? You may. I'm sure that I speak for all my brother officers when I say that none of us believes this outrageous charge. I demand that the prisoner give us proof of this accusation or hold his tongue. I have proof right here. This statement is in General Cartwright's handwriting. You can see that for yourself after I finish reading it. I was afraid he might not give me protection, and this was my insurance. Now listen. I, Leonard Cartwright, hereby admit full responsibility for the planning and execution of any and all hold-ups in the vicinity of Fort Lincoln, or any other post where I may be the commandant. And I also promise that... That's what was behind this hold-up, Tonto. It was planned with the sole purpose of disgracing General Cartwright. Do you have an arrow? Right here. Must be black. Well, a little fire will take care of that. And what do you do? Flint has been working under orders from the black arrow. We're going to change his plans. Quick, Tonto. We must go and get everything ready. I also promise that if John Everett is captured during the course of such a raid, I will see that his sentence is suspended at the earliest possible moment. Signed, General Leonard Cartwright. It must be a forgery. If I'd kept quiet, he'd have kept his word. I know him. But I can't go through with it. I want to pay for what I've done, and I want him to pay too. Hand that paper over. Sure. Let him see it. He can't deny it's his handwriting. General, we'll take your word. I never wrote this. That's all we need. Now, wait. You're wrong, gentlemen. Wrong? I know what the general means. You haven't got the right to declare him innocent. This case must be tried in Washington. A charge has been made. It can only be considered by my superiors. But there'll be a scandal. If some newspapers learned of this, they'd start yelling for your scalp. I must face the accusation unless it's withdrawn. I'll never. What the? What? A black arrow. It came from that window. Outside, Sergeant. Find out who shot it. Yes, sir. Come on. There's a note. Let me see. Hand that over. Not to lie. Give me that paper at once. Sure. You're lucky, General. What does it say? Uh, plans changed. Tell the truth. Was this message meant for you? Yep. That's why I said you were lucky. The statements of forgery, gentlemen. I'm withdrawing the charge I made. Go ahead, General. General, I'm ready for my sentence. The sergeant reported that he'd been unable to find anyone outside the building where the court-martial had taken place. A systematic search of the post was ordered by the general, and Flint was returned to the guardhouse. As the general neared his own quarters, the lone ranger and Tonto stepped out of the shadows. General, what? Oh, mask man. I wish you could have been present at the court-martial. It was amazing. First, this Flint, or Everett, or whatever his name is, accused me of being a crook. We heard most of it. Tonto and I were just outside the window. Just out? Well, it couldn't have been you that shot that arrow. It was Tonto. But why? To make Flint tell the truth. Do you realize what it might have meant if he hadn't? I certainly do. Disgrace and the loss to the army of one of its finest soldiers. You're a marked man, General. It's time you learned the meaning of the black arrow. At that moment, Flint heard his name called at the window of his cell. Flint? Torlach. I knew you must be around someplace. I had to come back and find out how you made out. Fine. You told the story just as I rehearsed you? Yeah, yeah, and then I showed everybody the paper. The general sure would have been in plenty of trouble if you hadn't changed your mind. Changed my mind? It was an awful risky thing to do, shooting that arrow into the room. Suppose you had to act fast, though, huh? What happened anyway? You've been warned not to ask questions, Flint. Flint, just to follow orders. That's what it did. As soon as I read the note, I told him the statement was a forgery. That was right, wasn't it? It wasn't I who shot that arrow, Flint. It wasn't? Well, then who was it? Another question. I'm sorry, but you can't blame me for being mixed up. No, I can't blame you. You've finished your work. That's all you have to worry about. Is there any chance of my getting out of jail? Black Arrow never forgets its members. I hope not. Would you like a drink, Flint? Sure. There you are. You can keep the flask. Thanks a lot. I'll have to be going. Drink to the Black Arrow, Flint. I sure will. Good night. So long. The Legion of the Black Arrow shall triumph. Death to our enemies. You stay here, Sergeant. The mask man and I will talk to the prisoner alone. Yes, sir. If he's a member of the Legion, we'll make him tell us where the hideout is. It won't be easy. We'll clean them out. We've got to. This is the cell. Well, Flint? He's asleep. Wake up there. Wait, General. He isn't asleep. He's... Torlach. Torlach! Flint! It's too late, General. The man's dead. Not stay long in the guardhouse, Kimasabi. We're leaving, Tonto. We're going after Torlach. That man who drive wagon? The man who gave Flint his orders. We'll find his trail and follow it to the end. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scout. Oh, Silver! The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
