Fiery horse for the speed of light, the cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo, silver. The Lone Ranger. With his faithful Indian companion, 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 hoofbeats of the great horse, Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver. There's trouble on the trail ahead. Come on, Silver. Ed Galloway was a big, paunchy man with a shock of white hair, heavily-veined face, and a pair of pale, crafty, bloodshot eyes. The place he owned and operated in the town of Mumford was much more than just a cafe and trading store. Ed bought and sold anything. And he wasn't too particular about legal ownership. Renegades riding the outlaw trail knew they had a friend in Galloway, as long as they paid his road agent prices for food, drinks, and protection. Ed was usually very quiet and close-mouthed. But tonight was different. He was auctioning off a horsehair bridle. All right, gents. How much am I offered for this one? Ed Galloway sold horsehair bridles at auction quite frequently. They were made by the convicts at territorial prison. A fancy bridle woven of horsehair and dyed in brilliant colors meant long hours of painstaking labor. The convicts generally disposed of their work by sending it to someone on the outside, usually Ed Galloway, who sold it and then returned the price minus a generous commission. Because the bridles were far too gaudy and fancy for ordinary cowhand work, they were purchased principally as gifts for lady friends. Speak up, gents. This bridle's a special one. The cafe wasn't crowded. Only a few cowpokes seemed interested in Galloway's sales talk. A young puncher with cool gray eyes was among them. But his interest was directed toward the far corner of the room, where a grizzled old man was sleeping with his head pillowed on a table. Galloway noticed this and singled out the young puncher for a direct question. How about you, Jimmy? Want to buy a bridle? No, I don't. Say, have you been selling Grandpa drinks again? Why, Jimmy, you know I wouldn't do anything like that. You'd do it all right, even though I asked you not to. Listen, youngster. I figure old John's old enough to know his own mind. Having a family like your paw in you is enough to drive any man to drink. Let's get on with the auction. How much am I bid for this beautiful handmade bridle? Remember, I said it was a special one. What's the special about it, Ed? Well, boys, I'll tell you. This here bridle was made by one of the town's leading citizens. I mean, used to be leading citizens. Who? John Carter, our former sheriff. Yes, sir, regents. A bridle I hold in my hand was woven by the hands of none other than John Carter. The son of that old coot over in the corner. And the father of this young sprout who's been shooting off his mouth. I don't believe it. Here's a tag right on it, Jimmy. It says, John Carter, number 2117, territorial prison. Let me see it. Sure. Right here. Ain't that right? Well, what if it is? My pa's got a right to make a bridle if he wants to. Sure, sure he has. I'm glad to sell it for him. Even if he did have to rob a bank to get where he is. I didn't rob the bank. You got a powerful short memory, kid. Come on, gents. How much am I bid for a horsehair bridle made by John Carter? $5, $6, $6.50. Come on, come on, gents. Why, you homies know this bridle is worth more than that. Come on, Hopper. As the auction went on, two men reined their horses to a stop in front of the cafe. One of them was tall and wore a black mask. His companion was an Indian. They dismounted, and as they walked to the doorway of Ed Galloway's place, the lone ranger spoke to Tonto. I'm not in favor of patronizing Ed Galloway, Tonto. But we do need a new strip for that saddlebag. This is one place where a man wearing a mask won't be questioned. Come on. What's worth more than that? Bid it up! $20! Jimmy figures his cap, his bridle, is worth $20. Do I hear it? $25? You back there, the gent that just came in. What's a horsehair bridle worth to you? A masked man. And an engine. I don't need a bridle. I came in here to buy a strap for one of my saddlebags. Sure, sure. I'll take care of you, stranger, just as soon as the auction off, there's bridle. Come on, chants. Give me another bid. I'll bid $25. $25! $25! How about it, Jimmy? Remember, it's your pappy's own work. $30, and that's all the money I've got. Now, ain't that too bad. Do I hear another bid? Oh, let the kid have it. Money's all on the family anyway. $30! Going once for $30, twice for $30, and it's sold to Jimmy Carter for $30. Hey, what's going on here? Good evening, Sheriff. Just auctioning off a bridle. Yeah? Uh, you want to make a bid? Now, wait. You've already sold it to me. What kind of a bridle is it? Oh, very special, Sheriff. Handmade by John Carter. John? I'll buy it. At Jimmy's bid $30. I'll pay $50. Oh, you can't. I've already bought it. Sheriff Sam Thorpe bids $50. Do I hear another bid? Shut up, you fool. Give me that bridle. It's mine. Just a minute. I already sold it to the boy. I heard you accept his bid. Oh, a mess, Farmer, eh? Eh, who are you? That has nothing to do with the fairness of this auction. Now, listen, stranger. I don't interfere with any edge customers as long as they mind their own business. I'm the law on this neck of the woods. I'm not disputing that. If I want to buy the bridle, it's selling. I'll do it. Not if it's already been sold to someone else. Where are you, middle... I warn you, Sheriff. Don't draw. Help. Yes? My hand. Did you see that? Chop the gun right out of here. Freeze. All of you. You too, Galloway. I ain't making a move. Now, son. Give him the money and take what you rightfully bought. Well, I mean, yes, sir. Here, here, Galloway. Have you got the bridle? Yes, sir. Good. I'm leaving here now. It might be a good idea if you came with me. Sure. I mean, thanks. Wait till I get old John. He'll have to come, too. Who's that? My grandpa. All right, get him. Come on, old John. We're going home. Oh, come on now. Come here. I'm coming. You don't have to shake my head off. Have you got horses outside? Sure. I'll get on them and ride. My Indian friend and I will follow you, just for safety's sake. Come on, old John. Come on. Hold your horses, son. I guess I won't buy that saddle strap from you, Galloway. I don't like the way you do business. I don't know who you are, stranger, but I do know I'll have a posse on your trail the minute you leave this place. I hope the posse can draw guns quicker than you can, Sheriff. Where are you? All right, follow the lights. The lone ranger and Tonto quickly overtook Jimmy and old John, and the four men rode a shortcut to the Carter Ranch a few miles from town. They reined up their horses before the corral gate. Hold silver. Hold the gun. I sure want to thank you for what you've done. We were glad to help. Getting this bridle meant a lot to me. You see, John, that's my pa, made it. He's up in territorial prison. I see. Yeah, shucks, that ain't the reason you wanted that fancy rig. All you'll do is give it to that red-headed school mom. Well, what if I do? Shucks, she's got you hog-tied with a green ribbon. Who's this coming? Yeah, it's her, the school mom. Oh, boy, whoa. Jimmy. Hello, Della. I was on my way home. I'm glad you came by, Della. Della, I got something for you. Look. Oh, a bridle made of horse hair. Oh, it's lovely. Thank you. Oh, excuse me, Della. These are two friends of mine. I'm afraid I don't know your names. This is Miss Robbins. Her names aren't important. I'm glad to know you. Yes, I must be going now. Thanks again for the bridle, Jimmy. Good night. Get up, boy. Get up there. I'll be over later, Della. Ain't that awful? All that granny talk about a bridle. Well, it is a good one. My pa made it. Yeah, nothing peculiar about your pa making the bridle. All the prisoners make them. I wanted it because I figured pa might send some sort of a message. But he didn't. I wish I'd examined that bridle a little more closely. Shucks. I can show you one just as good. I made it myself. It's in the house. Wait a minute. Don't mind, old John. He feels just as bad about pa as I do, but he hates to show it. I understand. You see, my pa was sheriff. Gunshot. In the house, old John. Steady, Silver. Come on, follow. Old John. Why? Let me see. Shot to the heart. He's dead. What? Who could have done it? Listen. Somebody getting away. Probably the man who did it. Wait. What's this in his hand? That's the bridle he came in here to get. A piece of it, anyway. Your grandfather was murdered by someone who wanted it. And they got away with the biggest part. It was made of horse hair, too. Just like the one you... Where does that girl live? You mean Della? Yes. Well, just over the ridge a piece. Why? There's nothing we can do for your grandfather. But I think we'd better get to her house as quickly as we can. I don't understand. Neither do I. But evidently someone else admires the bridles your father makes as much as you do. Come on. The Lone Ranger, Tonto, and Jimmy Carter rode hard until they reached the small cabin where Della Robbins lived. Who's up? Who's up? They just mounted quickly and hurried to the door. Why, Jimmy, what in the world? Are you all right, Della? Of course I am. Do you still have the bridle Jimmy gave you? It's right here on the table. May we see it? It's all right, Della. Come in. Here. This is an excellent job of weaving and plating. I think it's wonderful. I've never seen a horsehair bridle woven as well as this one. Unless, unless it was made by a... Tell me, Jimmy. Did your father ever do any work like this before he went to prison? No. I know he didn't. He must have learned it up there. Yes. Reach. I'll drill the first one of you that moves. 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. Continue our story. The Lone Ranger, Tonto, Jimmy, and Della recognize the outlaw whose leveled guns didn't waver. It was the man who earlier in the evening had auctioned the bridle, Ed Galloway. Keep your hands up. My finger gets mighty nervous on this trigger. What do you want, Galloway? Well, the way I figure it, Jimmy, you and the Mazd arm right here kind of jumped the gun on me at my place. Throw it over here. Throw what? You know what I'm talking about. A bridle. But I don't have... I'm talking to you, girl. Throw it over. I think you better do what he says. Here. That's better. Now, if you're smart, you won't stick your nose out of this shack until I get away. Might not be healthy. I'll get that low-down streak. No, wait. There may be a better way. He must be the one who killed old John. Killed? Oh, when? Just a little while ago over at the ranch. I think there's someone else connected with this besides Ed Galloway. Who? That's what we've got to find out. But how? First, tell me something about your father. Why is he serving time in prison? A robbery. Ten to twenty-five years. Is he guilty? I don't think so. Don't you know? Of course we know. John couldn't be guilty. And how was he convicted? It all goes back to election night last winter, about six months ago. Election for what? For sheriff. Todd had been sheriff here in Mumford for twenty years, and even though he was getting kind of old, everybody figured he did a first-rate job. Who ran against him? Sam Thorpe. He was Paul's deputy, but he had a hanker to be sheriff himself. What happened? Well, they were counting the ballots in Ed Galloway's place. Quiet, folks. Quiet. Here's the final result. We just finished counting the vote. For Sam Thorpe, three hundred and twenty-three. For John Carter, three hundred and twenty-six. So, folks, meet your new sheriff, the same one we've always had. John Carter. Sam Thorpe wasn't very cheerful about the election, but there wasn't anything he could do. Paul was really excited. In fact, he was almost crying when he pulled me over in the corner away from the crowd. Well, son, I'm still sheriff. For another two years, anyway. Oh, it's great, Paul. There'll be enough money to pay off the ranch mortgage and some for you, so you can marry that schoolmarm you've been shining up to. Oh, no, Paul. I'll get my own money to get married. Oh, where will you get it? I don't know. Something will turn up. That's no way to start married life. I'm an old man's son, and I know. You're not too old to be elected sheriff again. No, not as far as anyone else knows. What do you mean? Oh, nothing. Just talking too much. Now, you go right out and see that schoolmarm and pop the question. She's a fine girl. Oh, sure she is, but I... Go on and do what I say. Come back and tell me what she says, hmm? I'll be in my office. When I came out here to see Della, she wasn't here. So I went back to town. It was getting late, so I left my horse at the livery stable and walked down Main Street to Paul's office. But before I got there, I saw Paul coming up the street on the other side. I don't think he saw me, because right then things began to happen. What? When Paul got right in front of the dropper's bank, there was a big explosion. Like somebody had blown the safe. Then the doors burst open. Three men rushed out. They were wearing masks, and they almost knocked Paul down. Hey, what's this? It's John. The sheriff. Hold her on fire. Get under them guns before he starts blasting. He got you in a coat, kid. Get rid of it and let's get away. Oh, Paul. You. Were you with that crowd? No, I was across the street. Got scared, huh? When I started shooting. No, Paul, it wasn't that I... Pretty dark. But I got hold of somebody's coat in that crowd. Is it yours, Jimmy? Oh, no, no. I thought you were out sparking your girl. Well, she wasn't home, and so I... All right, son. Don't lie anymore. I'm not lying, Paul. I'm just... Take this coat and hightail it out of here. Hang it in my room, and you stay at the ranch till I get home. Understand? Sure, Paul. Hurry. I'll take care of this. Don't leave the ranch till I get home. Paul never came home. Why? Because everybody figured he was in on that bank robbery. They saw him hand me something, but they didn't know who I was. Wasn't there a trial? Sure, but everything that Paul told the jury made it worse for him. How was that? Well, they asked him if he could identify any of the outlaws, and he said no. They asked him how come he let one of them get away, and he wouldn't answer. He convicted him. Were you at the trial? And he sent word that I was to stay away, and old John wouldn't let me leave the ranch. Was any of the stolen money ever recovered? Not a cent. Fifty thousand dollars. All in those new eastern bank notes. Oh. I think I understand part of it. What? Ed Galloway is tied in with the outlaws in some way. He made a mistake in auctioning off that bridle your father sent. What do you mean? Whoever the crooks are, they suddenly realize that maybe John knew where the money had gone, and that he might be sending you a message in the bridle. I figured that too, but there wasn't any message. I'm not so sure of that. Let me ask one more question, Jimmy. Sure. Did your father ever wear glasses? Glasses? Oh, gosh, no. Why? Otto. Uh-huh. Otto, you know where the territorial prison is? Uh-huh. I want you to ride there as fast as you can. Take a message I'm going to write. Uh, do you have a pencil and paper, Miss Robin? Yes, right here on the table. Oh, thanks. Here, Tonto. Take this to the warden of the prison, and wait for an answer. There. Now, here you are. Uh-huh. Tonto. What was that for? May not help, but it's worth a trial. The important thing now is for you to get that coat. Coat? The one John told you to take home and hang in his room. Still there, isn't it? Oh, I guess so. Ride out to the ranch and get it. Meet me at Ed Galloway's place. Galloway's? Won't that be kind of dangerous? The men who robbed the bank are making the rules in this game, Jimmy. All we can do is deal ourselves a hand. Hey, I'm looking for the... Mashed. Who are you? I'm looking for the sheriff. I believe his name is Sam Thorpe. Sam ain't here. And I'd like to see Galloway. Ed ain't here either. I don't believe I got your name, mister. You didn't. You'd be a friend of Ed's, maybe? Maybe. Sorry. Neither of the gents you're asking for is here. Maybe you haven't looked around lately. There's a back room to this place, isn't there? Yeah, but it's private. You can't go back there. And I'll wait here. You might have a long wait. I'll risk it. Now you've really quit, Galloway. How do you figure, Sam? You said it was my fault for letting John's bridle get away. So I went out and fetched it. Yes, to the point of a gun. Well, I brought the bridle back, didn't I? What good is it? We've unbated the whole thing. There's nothing in it. What'd you expect? A message of some kind from John to his kid. He's got that money from the bank hidden somewhere. Yeah, Charlie had it in a pocket of the coat the old man jerked off of. Then he passed it to Jimmy. But where did he hide it? How do I know? You're the new sheriff of this county, Sam. Why don't you find out those things? Shut up! Where'd you get that other bridle you brought in here? That at the Carter Ranch. Had to blast old John to get it. You killed him? He didn't just hand me the bridle, Sam. I don't like this murder business, Ed. When you're playing for keeps, you've got to shoot straight. Charlie, I thought I told you to stay out front in ten bars. I am. But there's an ombre out there who... It wasn't such a long wait, Charlie. The masked man! Where are you? Keep your hands on the table. First one who goes for a gun will taste lead. You've yet to drop. What do you want? Morning, Jimmy. Sure. Oh, Miss Robbins. Yes? We'll be busy here for a few minutes. Will you go out front and watch for Tonto? When he comes, he may have another man with him. Tell them both to come back here. Of course. Now, gentlemen, I thought perhaps one of you might recognize the coat Jimmy's wearing. Sure. It's mine. I wore it... Shut up, Tony. I'm sure I can finish that sentence. You wore it the night the three of you robbed the drover's bank. That's a lie. Now, look here. I'm the sheriff in this town. And if anybody's going to be accused of robbing a bank, it's not... It's not going to be you. That's one of the advantages of being sheriff, Mr. Thorpe. You can cover all your dirty work. Where are you? Remember what I said about reaching for a gun sheriff? You haven't got anything on us. You forget that earlier this evening you tried to kill several people. I'm reasonably sure you're the man who murdered old John. Where are you? Now I'm going to show all of you something I'm sure you didn't know. Come here, Jimmy. Of course, you remember, this was a coat in which Charlie was carrying the stolen banknotes. That's just as I thought. They're still here. What? You mean that money was in here all the time? Well, I'll be. And for your information, Sheriff, this coat's been hanging in John Carter's bedroom at the ranch ever since the robbery. But how did Pa know that? He didn't. No one knew it was there until he sent a message. Me here, Kimasabi. Bring a letter from prison warden. And bring the United States Marshal. What's all this? Good evening, Marshal. Well, here are some prisoners for you. They're the men who robbed the drover's bank. Any evidence? Yes, the stolen money is Galloway. I'll handle them. Take off that sheriff's badge, Thop. You'll be wearing stripes for a good many years to come. Say, you said Pa sent a message. How? The horsehair bridle. But there was no message in the bridle. Yes, there was. Give me that letter from the prison warden, Tonop. Oh. Yeah. I'll read it to you. This may be quite a shock to you, Jimmy. But remember, your father's alive and in good health. That he'll receive a full pardon for the crime he admitted thinking he was protecting you. I can see why Pa did it now. He thought I was a crook. Yes, that's right. But why did he have to do that? He could see that I wasn't with these men that night, that I came from across the street. No, he couldn't, Jimmy. Listen to this letter. It says, In answer to your inquiry regarding the physical condition of John Carter, I submit the following facts. When he was admitted to this institution last November, the prison physician reported Carter to be almost totally blind. At the present time, his eyesight is improving. And under proper treatment, he may regain it completely. Respectfully yours. Blind? My pa, blind. That was his condition on the night of the robbery. Now he's better. Remember, the letter says, under proper treatment. Jimmy, there'll be a reward for recovering all this money. Why not use it to help your father regain his eyesight? How did you know all this? You didn't even know John Carter. Well, you forget the bridle. It told the whole story. But how? I don't understand. Well, as you know, the bridle was made of perfectly matched horsehair. Different parts of it were woven with hair of different sizes and textures. I still don't see how you... With weaving and plating, it's almost impossible to see the slight difference. Only a person with a highly developed sense of touch can do it. Then you knew... That only a blind man would have the sense of touch to weave a bridle like that. Well, I'll be... Are the horses ready, Tonto? Uh-uh. And we'll be going. Adios. All right, you hungry. Stand up. I got a pair of cups for each of you. Oh, gee. Just think, Della. My father's coming home. He's wonderful, Jimmy. But there's something we've forgotten. What? The man with the mask. He helped us, and we don't even know his name. Say, that's right. Who is he? Do you know Marshall? Why, sure. I thought everyone knew him. He's the Lone Ranger. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
