Fiery horse with the speed of light, the cloud of dust, and a hearty, Hi-yo, Silver! The Lone Ranger! Manion Tonto, the masked rider of the plains, led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. The stories of his strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness, have come down to us through the generations. And nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeat to the great horse, Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver! There's tarantulas on the trail ahead! I love, Silver! The cell door clanged shut, and the prisoner walked into the larger room, the sheriff's office. He saw the grim-faced sheriff sitting at his desk. He saw the owner of the border city cafe, Texas Jack, in a nearby chair. He hesitated, sat down. Texas Jack's best friend was murdered by the tarantulas. He'll pay Handsome to see the last of the gang wiped out. Now, Dirk, you talk. Well, a year ago I had a letter from Tarantula. What? Well, that's how he signed it. That's all I knew about him. I was told what to do and how to do it. I found out later a lot of other men got letters of the same sort. They, well, they were all... All wanted by the law for something, eh? Yeah. There was a tooth that robbed the folks in Mexico, for example. Well, anyhow, my part was to make friends with Chief Thundercloud. There was instructions how to do it. So you made friends with him, then stole that magic belt of his and used it to win the leadership of the Apache tribe. Yeah. They'd do whatever I said. They thought the belt that glowed in the dark was medicine of a mighty powerful nature. Well, I got all my orders from the tarantula, as well as everything else I needed. I led the Apaches on a lot of raids and did what I was told to do with all loot. What did you do with the loot? Well, let the Redskins keep the worthless junk and put the cash in a cave where the headquarters are supposed to be. I met a couple of the other members of the gang there, but they was always masked like I was. We was ordered not to swap names. Did you ever meet the tarantula himself in that cave? I don't know. Might I? You don't know? No. You might have posed as a member of the gang like I was to make sure I followed orders. Why did you take the loot to this boss instead of keeping it? Well, no one knew the tarantula. You had a way of knowing what went on. A couple of men tried holding out on them. The knives they'd got on their backs were just like those in your desk, Sheriff. Oh, nice, Savvy. The idea was that we'd do as we were told for one year. Some of the members would do lots better than the others, but the agreement was that we'd split even all the way around when the year was up. I don't know about the gang. You don't know any other members of it? No. Is that loot still in the cave? I don't know. Where is the cave? At the Bryant Gap, side of Vulture Mountain, near the line of Stone Rug. Do you know the place, Texas? Yep. The loot is there, Dirk. Maybe the jury will show mercy. But don't count on the tarantula to get you out of jail. I'm not. We were made to understand that if we got captured, we'd have to face the music. Now you can talk about the Lone Ranger. Well, he knew all about me. He tricked me and took that glowing belt away from me. He got it now. Lock him up, Sheriff. We'll go have a look in this cave. But if he's lied by thunder, he'll hang. I've told the truth, honest I have. Every cent of cash redskin stool is in that cave. I can show you where it is. It's a big place. I can show you just where the cash was put. You won't find it without me, especially at night. What do you think, Sheriff? We'll take him. Let's get going. Old Scout, hope on a hole. Hey, keep on the subject. You have news. You come. Me here talk in Sheriff's office. We go to cave, find loot. Bring Scout in with you, Toto. Ah, that good plan. Well, if someone comes along, we don't want them to investigate a couple of horses standing in front of this cave. Cave plenty big. Yes. It'll take a long time to search all of it. That's right. Toto, there are other different tunnels in the sides of this cave. We'll hide in one. Let dirt show where the loot is hidden. Ah, he'll soon be here with Sheriff and Texas Jack. Yeah, there's a good place. Big enough for the horses, too. That's it, Silver. Sit in now, boy. Now, band on your hat shine plenty bright in darkness. So does that headband you're wearing? Ah. Maybe we put two pieces back together. Make belt, then take it back to Thundercloud, huh? There's plenty of time for that, Kemosabe. I don't want to lose time following the trail of this tarantula gang. Ah. Why, Silver? Oh, that's almost come now. Better put these luminous bands beneath our shirts. Ah, I'll pump it to it. See, sir? Here's a big enough for horses to come in. Well, get off the horse and show them where you left that cage. I am. Better like the lantern. How deep in the cave is this hiding place? Oh, that's very deep. You better not leave us any while the goose chase, Dirk, if you don't... What in that, Texas Jack? I've done it so much. I see it right where the cage was. There's a wooden box on the way he's in. There's the lantern. Now, go ahead. He's over the left side of the cave. Right over here. You see the wooden box from here for holding the lantern, huh? You see it over there? From the lantern. It's shot and smashed. Who did that? Full fire! Hand that arm. Don't let him kill me. Don't let him shoot me. Hold it, Texas. You might hit one of us. What was that shot for? What do you want? Look. Look there. The glowing belts, the magic headbands. Shut up. Sheriff, you know me. Yeah, sure I do. You're the lone ranger. What'd you shoot the lantern for? I didn't want it lighted. I'll stand right where you are until I tell you to move. I thought you were on our side. You're helping a crook. We're here to get stolen cash. This is Dirk with us, the one you helped capture. I'm not on any side. I'm playing this my way. You said yourself, Texas, that no one in town could be trusted. I got you. Sheriff, don't make a running dive to get me. My shoulder, my arm. You can't tell where I am. My voice is thrown back from the walls. What's the matter with you, Sheriff? You thought I was wearing the headband, you can see, but I'm not. Both headbands are resting on rocks. There was only some light in here. Don't make any. I'll get you for this even if you are the lone ranger. I'll take the headbands. He's moving them now, Sheriff. Don't try a shot. He'll show me where you are. He's right, Sheriff. Don't fire or he'll blaze away at your gun. Go ahead, Pato. Get out of here now and take the horses. I'll cover your retreat. Well, here you go. Don't take the horses. Leave them for us. Sorry, Sheriff. Stay right there until I say you can make a life. Then we'll talk things over. Oh, we've got to stay here. Shut up, Dirk. Let me talk to him. Now what are you waiting for? Why can't I light this hunk of candle? Why don't you answer? He's still there. That one glowing headband keeps moving around. What are you doing, anyhow? Oh, hang it all. It's a horse. I thought he let our horses out. I heard him. Texas. Texas, we've been tricked. Light a match. This here headband is resting on the palm of my saddle. What? Your horse is here. All three horses are here. That fast-thinking critter let his own and the Redskins horse out while we thought he was here ready to drop us. He's got the box. Look, the money box is gone. That's a good one. I don't see anything so funny about being tricked this way. I wouldn't either if it was anyone but the Lone Ranger. We know he'll take care of the cash that was in that box. He's on the side of the law. What about me? You said if I turn up the cash... You'll go back to jail and take your chance with the jury. Now get going. I'm in no mood to talk. Come on, Silver. The Lone Ranger and Tonto came to a halt in a small camp. They built up enough of a fire to illuminate the contents of the box then lifted the lid. Tonto, there's no money here. Ah, I see. Dirk told the truth. This box has been... Hold on, there's something. What's that? A knife and a note. A tarantula knife. Just like the ones we saw before. What note say? Just a minute. It's to the boss. Says, I've got to haunt the house at Sand Flats as you ordered. And I'll need this cash until I get back. You know the Berry Boys. The Lone Ranger knew where Sand Flats was. It was a level stretch of shore on the Rio Grande where the misnamed river was so shallow that a man could wade across and so muddy that it seemed almost like quicksand. Lem Frisbee and his wife had recently moved into an old shack on the Texas side and struggled bravely to clean and repair the place to serve them as a shelter. Late in the afternoon, the day after the Lone Ranger found the note. Martha, sure isn't much of a place to call home but it's the best I can give you. I'm a bust, I am. Oh, now, Lem, we've had our ups and downs for 50 years or most. This hard time's period will pass away and you'll be on your feet again. I don't know, Martha. I'm getting on in years. You're spry as a man 10 years younger. We'll fix this house up and it'll serve till you hear from your brother in the east. Then you'll have a grub steak again. I was a fool to ever come here. I was a bigger fool to have everything we owned in a town where Apaches could clean us out and burn our house. Lem, did you clean the lamp? It'll be dark in a little while. I got it cleaned as best I can. My sick's alive. I didn't think anyone was near here. Well, howdy, mister. Now, this is sure enough a surprise. Howdy, ma'am. My name is Summers. Well, glad to know you, Summers. I'm Lem Frisby. Right and by, I saw smoke coming from the chimney. I says to myself, the spooks and ghosts are getting active in daylight, which is some strange. I'll just mosey over and have a look. The, the what? The ghosts. You folks look human enough. Well, when'd you get here? Only a few days ago. I don't know about the house. Is it yours? Mine. Land sakes, no. We won't stay here long. We'll pay for the use of the house by doing some fixin'. I'm a, I'm a little handy with tools. Fixin'? Shucks, Frisby. You don't need to do no fixin'. The fact is, I don't suppose a real owner of the place is anywhere around. This shack hasn't had any live people in it for, well, as long as I can remember. Any, any live people? That's what I said. Then there been other kind? Well, I told you the place has a bad name. I don't know of a man around here that'd stay overnight. Oh. Oh. Shucks. Well, there's no such thing as ghosts. There never will be. Well, I reckon I hate to spoil things for you, ma'am, but, well, it's only right that I should tell you that Carter said the same thing. Yeah, eh? He's a cow hand. Tough hombre. He bet $10 that he'd spend the night here. Well, did he win? Well, he won, but he, he never collected. The $10 was given to his widow. What happened? Well, Mrs. Frisbee, there wasn't a mark on him. Not a mark of any sort to show what killed him. Oh. As near as anyone could figure out. And judging from the look on his face, he was, he was just downright scared to death. Nonsense. I won't take stocking stories like that. Oh, ma'am, it ain't for me to tell you you gotta get out. It's up to you. I'll put a bar across that door. Oh, that won't help, mister. It'll keep out any critters that come around. The things that move about at night in this house don't come from outside. They're here all the time. They're in the walls, beneath the floor. They're in the rafters, waiting, waiting for night when they can come out. And men passing half a mile away from here at night can see the lights and hear the, the noises. Noises? I've got to get moving. It'll soon be real dark and I wouldn't be here after dark for a million dollars. Not for ten million. Well, good night to you. I'll stop by in the morning. Martha, what do you think? Oh, stuff of nonsense. He just wants us out of here, that's all. Well, I'll light that lamp that I left over here by the window. And stop being afraid of things that don't exist. Just you try and figure out why that man was so anxious to scare us away. Martha. What's the matter? Look, that man spoke true. Look over there. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger story. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. The Lone Ranger has found a note in the box that was supposed to contain the stolen cash. The note was not signed. But the message was intended to inform one of the tarantula gang that a certain house in the sand flats had to be haunted in order to drive the occupants away. The Lone Ranger and Tonto knew where the house was. And a short time after the masked man's discovery, they pulled up Silver and Scout in the woods a short distance from the house. It was easy to believe that the log cabin might be inhabited by ghosts. Covered with vines and setting in a tangle of heavy underbrush, the house itself looked like a living thing. The windows were broken and the shutters as their hinges rusted away hung at rakish angles to form a hiding place for bats and giant moths. This was the picture that greeted the Lone Ranger and Tonto just as total darkness descended. The two men dismounted. Steady, big fella. That's a house, Tonto, out there near the edge of the river. Ah, may I see it. There's smoke coming from the chimney. But no light in the house. We won't leave the cover of these trees for a minute. Let's watch. Their horse with saddle. Yes, I see it. The man is mounting. Get up there! I wonder who that was. He doesn't know. Now we go to house, huh? That's the house we're looking for, all right. Can't be any question about it. Silver anxious to get to water. Him go ahead. Silver, back here! That shot come from house? Yes, someone smashed a window to shoot at Silver. Uh-huh. Tonto, someone's there ahead of us. Whoever it is, they're not going to let us get close while they know about it. Now what do we do? We'll keep back here among the trees for a while. The evening dragged on with Lem growing increasingly tense as he sat with his rifle across his knees. A small lamp burned low and seemed to make the darkness and dinginess of the room more obvious. The Frisbees were not normally superstitious people. But the man who called himself Summer had told them a weird tale. A cowhand named Carter had been mysteriously killed in the house and there were no marks of violence. And then there were the strange lights and the eerie noises that Summers had told them about. We began to believe that perhaps the house was truly haunted. Finally, Martha Frisbee broke the silence. I don't like it, Lem. I haven't liked it from the start. Dad read it, Martha, I'd sooner spend the night on the bank of the river. What was that shadowy white thing you fired at? A ghost, I tell you. Oh, Lem, I never believed in such things. It must have been. I fired a square at it and it disappeared. Oh, your eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be. They're sharp enough, plenty sharp enough. You think it could have been a horse you shot at? A horse? Here? Of course not. Besides, how many horses as white as that one have you ever seen? Not many of them, I'll admit it. Martha, I wonder what time it's getting to be. I don't know. Why? I've heard that ghosts start out around midnight. I haven't been up as late as that for 20 years, but I don't know as I could sleep if I was to try. I'm not stirring an inch from this box. I'm sitting right here ready to shoot. I don't know what good shooting will do if it is spirits that are around. What do you think that other man saw that scared him to death? Oh, sakes alive, don't talk about it. It's bad enough. I sure wish it was morning. I... M, wait. Wait a minute. Huh? Did you hear something? I don't know. Listen. The door. You better open it. Not for anything. M! There. I fired point blank at that door. You can see where the bullet went through it. You don't know who you shot. It might have been Mr. Summers. He wouldn't tap like that. Oh, lamb, we should look and see what you hit. We were... There it is again. I'm going to have a look. I'm ready, Martha. I've got a bead on the door. Why is no one here? Thunder. We've just been mistaken. That's all. We made a mistake in what we heard. I know I heard ready. Lamb, I'm scared. I'm downright scared. Who was it? Who are you talking to? Mr. Summers, leave what you have. What's this? Lamb. Lamb, that sounds like Mr. Summers. Up there, on the roof. We want you, mister. We got him. Those voices don't belong to no ghost, Martha. You hear him? Open the door. We're bringing in the ghost for you. Get that door open, Martha. Get it open. Hey, now, hold on. Get in there. Mr. Summers. Lamb, Lamb, he's mad. Frisbee, shoot him. You wait. Let me have my... He's taken. Martha, the six gun. Get it. He's got my rifle. One minute. This man was on the roof of the house trying to frighten you two people. He sure done that. Just before that, he had a stone tied to a string. He swung it against the door. So that's it. No, he lies. He's the one who was trying to scare you away, Frisbee. I told you there was someone here. That's what you did, Mr. Summers. I tried to get him, but he roped me from the roof. Now, hold on. That don't check with the yelling we heard you do, Mr. Summers. Sounded like you sliding off the roof after you've been roped. Let me show you something, Frisbee. Here's a note saying that you had to be driven away from this house. You had to be scared away or killed. They couldn't let you stay here. My eyes ain't what they might be. Let me see that note. All right, read it, ma'am. In the meantime, Summers, you're going to signal with a lantern. What do you mean? You're going to stand at the door and give whatever signal was agreed on. I don't know what you're talking about. Then I'll tell you. Frisbee, you can listen to this. On the other side of the river, men are waiting to smuggle drugs into the United States. They have a load on mules all ready to bring here. They're waiting for the signal that the coast is clear. My sakes. So that's what this note means. Summers, you're going to give that signal. Oh, I am, huh? Well, you try and make me. Very well. Tonto, get the crossbow for my saddle. Oh, me get it. What's that, a crossbow? And this is the weapon that's used in it, Summers. It's a knife for the tarantula on the handle. See it? But you, who are you? Martha, there's a white horse. I see it. That's what I fired at. Oh, doggone, I'm all mixed up. The masked man seems on the level and Mr. Summers, he seems crooked. Here, here, crossbow. I suppose you know how this is used, Summers. Oh, you wouldn't dare. No? Well, maybe not. Here, Frisbee, you take the crossbow. There are no smugglers. This crook won't mind signaling with his lantern. There are smugglers waiting for the signal. You know what to do. Hold on, shoot the coyote. Let me have the weapon. How does it work? Handle it the same as a rifle. Just aim and pull the trigger. Now, what about it, Summers? That old man's nervous. Take that thing away from him. Take it away. The lantern, Summers. Maybe you can use this lamp. Here, try it. Do what he says, dog, go on your head. Drug smuggling, eh? I will, I will. But put that weapon down. Well, that's worse than a rifle. The longer you delay, the longer Frisbee will stand there trembling. I'll signal, I'll signal, I'll signal. Now, have him put that down. You lower the crossbow when we hear the smugglers coming over. That's where I've given the signal that they're to come. Then come back here. Yeah, I'm a coming. Take the lantern, Toto. Now, we'll finish the roping job. You can put the crossbow down, Frisbee. It isn't loaded. Not loaded. Trick me. Oh, that rope hurts. Toto gag him. No, no, no. You're not yellow warning. I hear someone coming over the water. The smugglers. Put that man in the corner. I'm not easy. Martha, I like the way those two handle a crook. But those that are coming, I wonder how many of them there are. Toto, stand on that side of the door. Ah, me ready. What about us? There's another room in the back, a sort of woodshed. Get in there. We won't see anything. And you won't get shot. Now, hurry. Come on, Martha. We'd better do like he says. He has a way of following out his orders. Close the door, Kimasabi. Hope they come right in, Toto. Ah, me hold something. Whoa, whoa, whoa. How about it, Summers? All set to pay off? We got the stuff, Summers. Where are you? Which one's on the answer? Come on in. Hey, what's that mask for? Who are you? No, you don't. Leave that gun where it is. What has come up? Are things changed? Who are you? Take the gun's done. Get him. Now, while I... How about you? Don't shoot, don't shoot. I'm not moving. He got gun now. Rope them while I keep them covered. I'll see here. What's this mean? You ain't lawman. No, but you'll meet lawman soon enough. My hand feels like it's busted. My bullet just hit your gun. Get back on your horses. We'll start for town as soon as we got Summers on his horse. What are you figuring to tell? The drugs in those saddlebags and on those mules will tell enough. Come on, Frisbee. We can witness all that went on. Me and Martha Sheen heard it all. What you can tell, Frisbee, there'll be a perfect case against all three of them. Now, let's get going. The two smugglers and their henchmen, Summers, were tightly bound and placed on their horses for the long ride through the woods from the banks of the Rio Grande to the town of Border City in southern Texas. Frisbee and his wife, Martha, were with the party, and the old couple still were not convinced that the house might not be haunted, although they were to appear as witnesses against the ghost himself. The following day, with the prisoners safely locked in the Border City jail, the Lone Ranger talked with the sheriff in his office. Here's a note that was in the box, Sheriff. But hang it on, mister. You're still, Sheriff. Let the Lone Ranger finish. Go on. The note tells about the drug smuggling. The knife ties in with the Tarantula gang. Now, both were in the box, but the cash had been taken. Maybe Summers will tell what he did with the money. No, I didn't touch it. You're lying. We'll sweat the truth from him in jail. The next evidence is represented by the testimony of Lem and Martha Frisbee. The county can pay for their room and meals here in town until the trial is over. I'll pay it. And if they tell enough to convict those three, I'll pay them a reward. My best friend was murdered by one of the Tarantulas. All right, all right. I admit that I was helping these smugglers. I'll admit that much, but you can't pin a murder on me. We'll get into that later. Next, we have these two, who came when Summers signaled. Yep, we've seen them. Their mules are just as they crossed the border. Nothing's been touched. You'll find the smuggled drugs on them. Summers will get you for leading us into this trap. No, I couldn't help it. You were supposed to have cash to pay us. You didn't have. That proves he never intended to pay us. Summers probably meant to murder you both as soon as he had the smuggled drugs. Oh, stop it, Texas. We've got to put these three in the same cell with Dirk. We don't want them eating each other. Is the evidence complete, Sheriff? It sure is. Then there's only one thing more. Yes. Doggone it all. You tricked me into grabbing an armful of doggone hard rock inside that cave. I thought my shoulder was busted. I'm sorry, Sheriff. Now, how about that headband? Well, here it is, my desk. Take it. Well, I reckon you've done about enough for me to call things like a bruised shoulder. Nothing at all. You've certainly done a great thing for me. I offered a reward. The tarantula gang isn't licked yet, Texas. You've got a lot of them. But not the leader. He's the one I'm after. If you'd take a reward... Lem Frisbee needs a grub steak. Oh, now... Well, he'll get it in a good one. I thought I was waiting outside, Sheriff. We want to return this headband to Chief Thundercloud. You don't mind if I leave? No, I hate to see you leave. But I can't keep you. I will meet again. Martha, do you ever see the light of that man? I never. Wait, Sheriff. Before you lock Summers up, let me tell him one thing. Huh? Summers, you listen to me. You didn't scare us one bit. We never believed those lies about ghosts. Did we, Martha? Lem Frisbee. Will you listen to that? I'll see you later. Bye. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
