Fiery horse with the speed of light, the cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. The first transcontinental railroad was one of the most important steps in the winning of the West. The railroad was of prime importance to the future of the country, but powerful forces, cattlemen, stagecoach lines, and steamship companies opposed it. Outlaw opposition sprang up, and the Lone Ranger was commissioned by the president to lead the fight against the enemies of progress. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. 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 Telegraph Hill! Hell, Silver! Boiled repeatedly in their attempts to halt the westward progress of the railroad, the members of the Iron Spur decided on a desperate measure. They knew Colonel Parkman, the construction engineer, had left headquarters in Omaha and was riding west on a supply train. And they knew the train would be forced to slow down when it climbed a long hill outside Laramie. This was the key to their murderous plot. Meanwhile, the Colonel and Jeff Barnes, the brakeman, sat beside a tiny stove in the caboose. Jeff, we could use a little more wood on this stove. It's getting chilly. You're right, Colonel. I'll fire up. Yeah, that's where the boys up front in the cab have got it over the brakeman. Never get cold riding with that boiler. Well, it'll work to your advantage during the summer, Jeff. I guess you're right. How come you're making this trip, Colonel? Something special? Trouble again out at the end of track. The Redskins? No. The Indians are our friends. Someone else. Who? There's only one answer to that question. The Iron Spur. Ain't that the bunch of coyotes that's trying to keep the railroad from going through? Yes, and we have... But, Jeff, we're slowing down. Sure. No need to worry. It's pulling up Telegraph Hill. Pretty stiff grade. Oh, yes. I'd forgotten exactly where we were. What about this Iron Spur gang? There's nothing to tell. We know what they do, but we don't know who they are. Can't you get a line on them? What's that noise? I don't know. Who's riding this freight besides us? There's Shorty and Pete in the engine cab. That's 14 cars ahead. I'm sure I heard somebody's swinging a hammer. Sure sounds like it. I'll take a look. If there's no one in this end but out, tell me to me. Colonel! The door! It's locked! It's locked from the outside. Can't be. Hello? Wait. Listen. There's somebody between here and the next car. Jeff, we've stopped. No, not that. But I... I know what's happened. Somebody's hammered out the couplin pen. Then we're... We've got a caboose that's running wild, coasting back down Telegraph Hill. The brake! I've got to get through that door to use it. Oh, maybe this axe handle will do it. Oh, it's no use, Jeff. You couldn't stop this car now with a hundred brakes. Let's turn at the bottom of the hill. We'll never stay on the rails. You mean we're going to... There's no other way! The men had witnessed the deliberate wrecking of a caboose. They waited to stride ponies not over a hundred yards from where the crushed and upturned car was flaming like a funeral pyre. Yeah, Lefty sure did a job of cutting that car loose. Yeah, but I didn't expect it to burn that away. It's got a little wood stove on the inside. Better mosey over there. You know what the boss said. Yeah, yeah. Get up, dear boy. Get up, boy. Get up, here. Oh, oh, oh, oh, boy. Ain't nobody can live in nothing like that. The boss said there'd be two of them. Look, ain't that somebody over there thrown clear? Yeah. Come on, we'll see which one it is. Hey, don't hanker after these kind of jobs very much. You're getting paid, aren't you? Yeah, but... Then shut up. Here he is. Lucky he got thrown this far. Yeah, maybe he ain't so lucky. Hey, wait. This hombre's still alive. At least he's breathing. Which one is it? The brakeman or the... No. It's the one the boss said to bring back if he didn't get killed in the wreck. Come on. Help me pack him over to my horse. How are you going to carry him? Across the saddle. All right, now. Throw him over. He looks pretty bad to me. How about the other one? I guess he's still inside that car. Yeah, let him burn. It's none of our business. Come on. Let's vamoose. Which way are we heading? Back to the ranch. Get up there. Come on. Get up, boys. Get up there. Early next morning, the long supply train pulled into construction camp at the end of track. And Pete, the foreman, was waiting to greet it. Hiya, Pete. Hi, Shorty. Have a good trip? Like a top. This boiler's got plenty of sap. Colonel Parkman with you? Back in the caboose with Jeff. I want to see him. I'll go back. Shorty, the caboose, it isn't there. You must be crazy. Hey, it's not there. Look. Oh, look for yourself. It's got to be. It was riding all right when we left Cheyenne to talk to Jeff Barnes. Are you sure Colonel Parkman was with him? Only place he could ride was back there with Jeff. Then how good? Who's this coming? I can't see. There's a lot of dust. He's riding a white horse. A white? Then it might be the Lone Ranger. Lone Ranger. That means more trouble. Oh, no. Oh, he's our friend. He's wearing a mask. Only Elbow's dressed like that. Oh, Silver's Teddy Boy's Teddy's Teddy Boy. What do you want, stranger? Pete, you know who I am, don't you? I know you're a friend. Did Colonel Parkman come in on this train? No, and the caboose he was riding in has disappeared, too. Who was riding with him? Jeff Barnes, brakeman. How could anything as large as a railroad caboose disappear? Couldn't, unless it was uncoupled. Would you, as an engineer, know if that had happened? Not on a train this long. How about the grades, Shorty? Could you lose a car in one of those? I might. There's a lot of them between here and Cheyenne. Which is the longest one? Telegraph Hill, south of Laramie. Yeah, that doesn't solve anything. It might. I received a telegram from Joan Barkley. She asked me to see that Colonel Parkman arrived here safely. Ready, Silver? Wait! Where are you going? Me, Tonto. Then we're riding east until we find that car. Come on, Silver! Are you sure he ain't an outlaw? If that masked man's an outlaw, I wish there was more of him. Come on, Silver! Come on! The Lone Ranger knew that Joan Barkley would never have telegraphed him. If he hadn't been worried about Colonel Parkman's safety. He also knew that the members of the Iron Spur would consider no crime too great if it interfered with the railroad's progress. How they could have stolen anything as large as a railroad caboose was a mystery. But it was a mystery the masked man intended to solve. He urged his great horse forward and rode hard for several hours. Finally, he reached a prearranged meeting place where his faithful Indian friend, Tonto, was waiting. Oh, Silver! Oh, fellow! Oh! Tonto! Ah? We're heading east. There's no time to lose. How about the railroad? The railway car was lost somewhere between here and Cheyenne. Colonel Parkman was aboard it. Oh, that's plenty bad. We'll follow the rails until we find it. Come on, Silver! Get him up, scout! All that day, the Lone Ranger and Tonto rode eastward, following the steel rails of the Great Central Railroad. Sundown, a great storm blew out of the north. Rain, thunder, and heavy rain. But their pace didn't slacken as they raced on through the starless night. The railroad car was stolen by outlaws. This weather doesn't help us. Ah, rain bad. Wash ground, leave no sign. We're still a long way from Cheyenne. Come on, Silver! Hit him up, scout! Finally, just at daybreak, the rain stopped and the two horsemen reached the foot of Telegraph Hill. Glancing rays of the moaning sunlight brought a tragic picture into sharp relief. Lying on its side in a gully at the bottom of Telegraph Hill was the remains of what had once been a sturdily built railroad car. It was smashed almost beyond recognition, and its fire-charred timbers littered the surrounding ground. The force of the crash had twisted its ironwork into fantastic shapes that bore mute and eloquent testimony of the Iron Spur's latest crime. Oh, Silver! Whoa! Oh, fella! Oh! This is it, Tonto. It's been wrecked and burned, steady big fella. Come on, we'll look it over. Ah! How? How this happened? Evidently coasted backward down the hill. Dumped the track here at the turn. Well, how it come down when the iron horse pulled it up? Look there, Kimosabe. The engineer's guess was probably right. Ah, who'd do that? Something was knocked out. I don't know, Tonto. That's what we've got to find out. Maybe accident. No, I don't think so. Iron Spur? Well, if it is, this is the first time they've tried deliberate murder. Colonel Parkman, a brakeman named Jeff Barnes is somewhere in that wreck. Now, Tonto, look. I'll fire burned when it rained all night. This happened night before last. Here. This one man. Yes. This is Barnes, a brakeman. Ah. Not his fault him die. No, Tonto, it wasn't his fault. Men like Jeff Barnes are giving their lives to help build the West, just as brave as any soldier who dies in battle. Ah. Where's Colonel Parkman? He was riding with Jeff. Oh, Tonto, look. Him not here. He might have been thrown clear when the car smashed. There are no signs of it. Big rain wash ground. He was in the caboose. Joan Barkley telegraphed me to meet him. Where can... Quick, Tonto, behind this rock. That close shot. Where did it come from? Treason Hill. Somebody there. I see now. Maybe I can stop them. Uh-uh. Shoot it, puffer, smoke. But Tonto used rifle. Now, baby, we get him. Yeah, we're shooting blind. The sun's in our eyes. Yeah, trees move. Man there. Hey, hey there. Man, come out. Hold your fire. Keep him covered, Tonto. Might be a trick. Hold on. I'm not aiming to have a gun battle with your kind of shooting. Who are you? Why were you shooting at us? Well, you're an outlaw, aren't you? What if I am? Breach! Both of you! Drop them guns! It was a trick. Another man behind us. I said drop them guns. They have no choice, Tonto. Uh-uh. Oh, that's better. Now, what are you two hombres doing here? I might ask you the same question. But I'm doing the asking. Well, not very sociable critters, are you? All right, Matt. I'll cover them. You get a piece of rawhide and tie their hands. I've got it. Drop your arms. I said drop them. Watch the one with a mask. He might try something. Now, with his flippers tied like this, he won't. Uh, how about the engine? There. Place tighter in a boot. Well, bring over the horses, Matt. All right. Now, you on, Breach. Come on, boy. Get on those nags of yours. We're going to do some riding. Steady, big fella. Where are we going? That's my business. You two, engine. Climb on that paint. Uh-huh. Now, listen. We're heading out of here, see? Matt up in front and me in the rear. If either of you try to break, I'll talk with lead. You understand? We understand. All right, Matt. Head for the ranch. Get out of here. Get out of here. 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 outlaws, with the threat of drawn guns, forced the Lone Ranger and Tonto to ride with them for many miles. Finally, they came to a little ranch house. Oh, oh. Hold it, Matt. Oh, oh. Hold it. Hold it. All right, hit the dirt, you hombres. Nowhere we are, Tonto. Steady, big fella. Tonto, not know. But we've plenty far, Tonto. Put the horses in the corral, man. All right. Come on. Come on. Let's run this. Come on. Snagged a couple outlaws, boss. Poking around where the caboose was wrecked. Outlaws, eh? I don't wear the mask. What's your name? Might be Luke Smith. And it might not. What were you doing around the railroad car? I don't talk much. Sort of expected the boys to pick up somebody down there, but not an outlaw. Who's the redskin? Me, no savvy talk. Dumb, eh? Yeah, the white man's mighty fast with a six-gun, boss. Good shot. Yeah, nailed me at almost 300 yards, and I was using a rifle. So? I can use a good ranch hand that can shoot. Want a job? Doing what? Working for me, Carl Collins. He'll never have a better, boss. Maybe I can locate Colonel Parkman this way, Tonto. Stop jabbering with that engine. I, uh, yes, I might take a job. You can use my Indian friend, too. I ain't sure about him. Now, boss, remember what I told you. This critter's greased lightning with a gun. We'll see. Untie his hands. Oh, but boss. Do what I told you. I want to see for myself how handy he is with a gun. Well, anything you say, but I... Come here, you. Now turn around. There. Now, have me shootin' eyes. Look here, stranger. I'm gonna give you your gun, see? It's just for a little target practice between you and me. Joe here will keep you covered. One false move and, uh... I understand. I ain't such a bad shot myself. If you're even half as good, I might have a job for you. How will we prove it? I'll use my own two guns. You use yours. Matt! Yeah? Throw one of them tin cans up in the air. I'll keep it there. Watch this, stranger. How do you like that? Very good. Now you try it. Matt! Toss up another tin can! No, uh... I'd rather not waste too many bullets on one target. Yeah? I still ain't seen you do any shootin'. Neither is that chicken hawk up there. Chicken hawk? If I ease the fire up, it'd take a rifle to nail him. Not necessarily. Well, I'll be... See, boss, didn't I tell you... Shut up! Just keep your gun on him. Well, that was a good shot, stranger. Might have been luck, though. Like the cigarette Matt's holding in his hand over there? My cigarette! He shot it right... I shot! It's your turn to shoot, Mr. Collins. Yeah. Take his gun away, Joe. Sure, boss. Do I get the job? Come on inside. I want to talk to you. Joe, sit down. It was pretty fancy shootin'. I'm, uh, glad you liked it. I can use a fella like you. That is, if you want to make some money. What's the job? I guess you already figured the railroad car was no accident. You wrecked it? Not exactly. You see, one of my boys jumped that fray when it started up the hill. Then he knocked a coupling pin and the rest was simple. There was a man killed in that wreck. Yeah, I guess so. That's part of the business. But the man I wanted out of it is still alive. Who's that? A fella named Parkman. Boss of the building crew on the railroad. Where is he? That's my business, stranger. What do you want of me? Well, I figured you were a single-handed operator, see? And, uh, you must work a little outside the law or you wouldn't be wearing that mask. Well? Well, this Parkman should be worth a lot of money to somebody. Maybe the railroad. You're holding him for ransom. And I need a smart man to tell the railroad people about it. That's where you come in. You could do it yourself. I'm a little too well-known in some parts. Why do you trust me? I don't. That engine out there is a pretty good pal of yours, ain't he? Yes, he is. We'll put him where Parkman is. You go to the railroad and tell him I won $50,000 for their boss. If you bring back the money, he goes free. So does your engine. The way you put it, I can hardly refuse. That's what I figured. Where's Parkman? Oh, Lord, don't get so anxious. We'll ride up there now. Joe! Yeah, boss? Tell him that to settle the horses. This new man is going to ride up the hills with Matt and me. You clean up here and follow us later. But, boss! You heard me. May I talk to my Indian friend a moment? Tell him about our, uh, business arrangement? Hurry up. We're moving fast. Tonto. Oh, Tonto here. I pretended to join them. He'll take us to Colonel Parkman. All right. You and the engine up ahead. Matt and I'll trade you. Pretty big fella. Where do we go? You'll get directions when the time comes. Let's go. Come on, boys. Get up there, boy. Come on, get up there, boy. The Lone Ranger and Tonto, followed by the outlaws, rode eastward for several hours. Then, at a signal from the outlaw leader, they turned north along an uneven and sandy trail. They bound through ravines and across the bed of a dry river. The Lone Ranger noticed that the prairie's rich topsoil had now given way to hard clay and sun-scorped sand. Finally, they approached a series of steep bluffs that rose sharply from the level land and whose faces were worn smooth by countless years of rain and wind. They were slashed at uneven points by what appeared to be erosion. But closer examination would have proved the cuts to be man-made and that each one concealed a narrow trail just wide enough for a man and horse. It was directly opposite one of these openings that Cal, the outlaw leader, shot at a sharp command. Hold that path on your right, up the center of the bluff. Keep following the path straight ahead. All right, hold up. Far enough. This is it. I'd hit the dirt. Maybe this ain't such a good idea, boy. Shut up. Sit here, big fella. Don't see any signs of a camp. Right behind them trees, follow me. It's pretty slick, ain't it? You just pull these bushes back and you're in a, uh... Okay. Yeah. Where's Parkman? Over there in the corner, tied up. I can't see him. Sir, there's no lamps in this place. He's there all right, tight and gagged. How about the engine, boss? Keep his hands tied. We'll all be here for a while. Now, what do you want me to do? Right up to that railroad camp. There's a foreman there named Pete. Tell him to telegraph the company that'll cost $50,000 if they want to see this hombre alive again. Suppose he won't send a telegram. It's up to you to see that he does. You have my guns. I, uh, might need them. Yeah, you might. You'll find your guns at the bottom of this trail. I, uh, just dropped them down there. Thought I was a regular member of the gang. You are. But I don't trust you with a gun in your hand. You'll wait here until I return. Right here. No harm will come to my Indian friend. Won't touch a head's head if you bring back the money. And I'll go. Good luck. Thanks. Maybe you're the one who'll need the luck. Lone Ranger retrieved his guns and had just reached his horse Silver when he heard the faint echo of approaching his beats. So he hid in the shadows and waited quietly. Oh, oh, boy, boy. Cal! Cal! Stop yelling. You want the whole world to know about this hat? Cal, look at this. What? What is it? Remember when that masked man shot the cigarette out of Matt's hand this morning? Yeah. After you left the ranch, I found the bullet he used. Dug it out of the ground. Who cares? Well, look at it. That ain't no ordinary bullet. It's silver. Silver. You're right. It is. You know what that means, don't you? That masked man you hired. He rides a white horse and uses silver bullets. He's a lone Ranger. That's right. He's the one you sent to collect ransom money. I knew something was wrong when he handled a gun the way he did. Shut up. I've got to do something quick. Yeah, you'll tip off the lawn. Come on, both of you. Cal, you can't. We'll head him off. We'll beat him to it. Get your horses. All right. The engine and the other critter. Never mind them. They're tied up. Let's get guns. Get out of there. Come on. Ranger waited until the outlaws had ridden away. Then he hurried back into the cave. Tonto. Tonto here. It's Colonel Parkman here. Ah, in here. My Tonto. Gagging mouth. Turn around, Tonto. I'll untie your hands. There. Now, Colonel Parkman. Him hurt plenty bad. Yes, I know. If I can get this gank out of his mouth, he can... There. Thank you. Thank you. Untie his hands and feet, Tonto. How do you feel, Colonel? A little shaky. I'm afraid one of my legs is broken. We got you to a doctor. Those men, I think they're the ones who caused the wreck. I know all about it. Do you feel well enough to ride a horse to the railroad camp? Anything to get away from this place. Tonto. You help Colonel Parkman out of here and ride double on your horse. Be very careful. His leg may be injured. Tonto, do it. But where are you going? I'll meet you at the camp. Three men expect to see me there when they arrive. And I'm not going to disappoint them. Here, Silver. We've got a long race ahead. We'll make it. Come on, Silver. Over the rolling plains, through deep ravines, across rivers, and up wooded rocks, through and hills, the Lone Ranger raced on the great horse, Silver. Come on, Silver. Come on, boy. Although he made use of a secret shortcut known only to him, many hours passed before they reached the railroad camp. Oh, Silver. Whoa, boy. Whoa. It's the masked man. The Lone Ranger. Pete. The three men been here. Asked for me. No one asked for it. And it'll come in a very few minutes. I'll wait by the side of the bunkhouse. Now, what are you supposed to eat? Listen. Maybe this is who he's talking about. Three men, all right. Is this a railroad construction camp? Sure is. Seen anything of a masked outlaw? Riding a white horse? Don't know any outlaws. Beat him to it. Listen, mister. I'm right-handed with this gun I've got here. Let's see where the boy's behind me. What do you want? You're going to send a telegram to the headquarters of this outfit you work for. No, Collins. Pete isn't going to send a telegram. You're going to drop that gun. What? Why? It's him, boss. Drop the gun. Why? You shot it right out of my hand. You too, Joe. Matt. Throw down the guns. Now, Pete, let's some rope and tie these men. Keep them covered. I'll tell the sheriff to pick them up. Yeah, but who are they? Murderers and amateur kidnappers. They were holding Colonel Parkman for ransom. Is Colonel Parkman? He's all right, and he's riding here with Tato. Now, can you handle these men until the sheriff gets here? Sure, we can. Be careful. Here, Silver. When Tato comes, tell him to meet me later. But how would you know these crooks were the ones that kidnapped Colonel Parkman? They made the mistake of hiring me, Pete. That's all. Come on, Silver. I can't understand it. It's got me worried. Nothing to worry about as long as the Lone Ranger's around. Who's in the way? The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. Who? The Lone Ranger Nomino Award. Who? Who? Who? Who? The Lone Ranger Lucaquerner.
