A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Yo Silver, the Lone Ranger. A powerful 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! We're heading for Mustang Mags! Hi-Yo Silver! As the three horsemen rode through Trigger Bend, the lanky, sunburned Texans who thronged the town's main street stopped and stared curiously. They saw a tall man who wore a black mask and silver-mounted six guns sitting easily astride a powerful white stallion. His companions were an Indian and a boy. Soon, the three riders reached the outskirts of the town and headed for Grand Pass. They were the Lone Ranger, Tonto, and Dan, the masked man's 14-year-old nephew. Oh, Silver! Oh, boy! Oh, scout! Oh, fella! Dan, do you remember me telling you about Mustang Mag? She lives in that house near the creek. She called Ranch Lazy Jay. Oh, yeah, I see it. How do I have a surprise waiting for you there? A surprise? Gosh, what is it? Tell me now. You'll find out plenty soon. Oh, come on. Let's ride. Get up there, boy. Dan in big hurry now. Get him up, scout! Come on, Silver! On her valley ranch, Mustang Mag, the blunt and seemingly hard-bitten lady whose generous heart was as familiar to her neighbors as her salty tongue, chuckled at the antics of a colt in the corral. High-spirited and unbroken, he was a handsome stripling with alert, intelligent eyes, sturdy legs, and a striking coat of all white. Beginning to feel his oats. Oh, bless his little heart. Pretty soon them fences won't be strong enough to hold him. Ah, he's getting to be just like his pa, a-rearing and a-rearing to go. Somebody coming. Oh, this ornery son so strong a body can't hardly see. Oh, Silver, hold on. Oh, hold, Count. Well, howdy, lone ranger. Howdy, Count. Hello there, Meg. Good to see you. How, Mr. Tang Mag? Well. Hey there, Silver. Wait a minute. Silver, see, cold. Oh, him plenty glad. Great guns. Look at Silver and that young horse. Hold on, Silver. I'll get off steady. All right, old fella. Go ahead and see your son. Look at the way he took that fence. Ah, two plenty fine horse. Let's look at them, Dan. See the way those horses are greeting each other? Yeah. Golly. Well, that smaller white horse is the son of Silver. That's the surprise you had for me? Yes, Dan. Well, friends, welcome to the Lazy Jay. Bye, Juniper. It's sure good to see you back. Say, it's been a long time since you come here and left that coat. So, uh, how'd you like the way he looks? Fine, Meg. I knew you'd have the best of care at your ranch. Oh, uh, this is my friend, Dan Reed. Dan, this is one of our best friends, Mustang May. I'm glad to know you, ma'am. Sir, a friend of the Lone Ranger is a friend of mine. Uh, son, how do you like that white coat? Oh, he's great. You think you could ride him, Dan? I don't know. Go over to the fence. Uh, him plenty lively. Need plenty good rider. Gee, I'd sure like to try. Steady, boy. Steady now. Oh, he's scampered away before I could even get close. He don't cotton to strangers none, son. You know, a wild colt's as ornery and skittish as a woman when it comes to getting acquainted. You gotta use a firm hand and show him who's boss. He sure is some horse. Look at him run. Dan, unsaddle silver and let the colt see that you're a friend. Get acquainted. All right. Come on into the house and rest yourselves. Reckon some cool milk would sit mighty well after your long ride. Well, here comes Missouri. Oh, the sun duration. I thought I recognized that old scarecrow. He's riding so fast you think his horse is on fire. How's he getting along as sheriff? Well, he did ride smart up to a month or so ago. Now, there's trouble aplenty in the valley and, well, some of the folks have gone so far as to demand his star. Oh? It ain't really Missouri's fault. The old coot's doing all he can to keep it. Oh, oh, put up there, you four-legged galoot. Hello, masked man. Howdy, town old. How are you, Missouri? How, Missouri? Well, you must have been stung in the seat of your pants by a bee, Missouri. Never saw you move so fast in all my born days. That's a dead, ratted lie, Mag, and you know it. Chasing crooks always keeps me hopping faster than a horned toad. Why, you pompous old pole catch ain't caught no crook, can't you? Save your wind. I didn't come all the way out here to palaver with a petticoat. I've got important things to discuss with a lone ranger. Who are you calling a petticoat, you spabbing, strobing, bowling maverick? No, ma'am. Now, what do you mean, peering for a lady with your face half full of whiskers and shaving soap anyhow? Well... Why, your hair ain't curried neither. It's sticking up all over your head like the bristles on a porcupine. I declare you're the sorriest sight for company I ever seen. Oh, go on and shut up and give me a chance to speak my piece. Now, I was sitting in the barber's chair when I see the lone ranger ride, but... What a great day. Hey, who hogtied you to get you in a barber's chair? Oh, dead ratty, that's the last straw. Here I go to the trouble of sprucing up for your birthday. My... my birthday? Well, the old coot, I didn't think you'd remember. Yeah, that ain't important now. Me and the lone ranger have things to talk about. Well, come inside while I put the tea kettle on and... Hey, just a minute. George, is that you I smell? Huh? Well, darned if it ain't. Now, no man alive's gonna smell up my parlor with that... old, differous axle grease you put on your hair. Now, you'll stay outside Missouri and do your talking through the window. But what I got to say is about the trouble you're in. Then I'll do the talking. Oh, man. And if I as much as hear a peep out of you, I'll bounce the tea kettle off your head of the old hedge. Come along, lone ranger. While Mustang Mag revealed the nature of her trouble to the lone ranger, Tonto and Dan, at her ranch... ...two men conferred in a private office of the bank in Trigger Bend. One was the banker, Jarvis Matthews. The other was a hard-faced gunman named Smoke. Here, have a cigar, Smoke. Had them sent space from San Antonio. You must be feeling good, Matthews. You never offered me one of these before. Sure, I feel good. Why not? I've got a fortune on a string, and tomorrow I'll wrap it around my finger. Our finger? You'll get your share. So would Red. You've both carried out my orders to the letter. The boys have got to be paid off, too. Can't that them orders call for plenty of gunslingers? They'll be taken care of. We owe them plenty for burning the crops and rustling the cattle of half the ranches in the valley. After which you posed as a good Samaritan and loaned the cattlemen cash to tie them over... ...in exchange for a note on the ranch. None of them notes was ever paid off, thanks to you and the boys. We bought almost the whole strip of that valley land for practically nothing. There's talk around town that you're behind the crop burning and cattle stealing. Let the old mosshorns talk. They can't prove anything. They never will, as long as that tongue-wagging old fool of Missouri is, Sheriff. Yeah, I reckon you're right about that. Missouri's going to be mighty sore when you'll foreclose on Mag's note tomorrow. Them two are as thick as burrs. Mustang Mag's is the last ranch in the valley strip. As soon as we own that, we can sit back and name our price and the railroad will have to meet it with hard cash. Funny nobody in town but us knows about the railroad's plan to extend a line through the valley. Bankers have a way of finding out about business deals before other folks. And smart bankers know how to capitalize on them. Lucky for me and the boys, you're a smart banker, eh, Matthews? There's, uh, just one thing. What? Suppose the railroad refuses to meet your fancy price on the valley bottom. What if they decide to route their rails along the slope instead? They won't. They've got to come through Grand Pass, and that leads into the valley floor. To construct a line along one of the slopes, they'd have to clear a path through the boulders and brush. That would cost them a fortune. Nice, sir. Take out of sight, Smoke. If you're seen here... Too late. If it's anybody who'll talk, I'll gun them down. Red! Matthews, I... Uh, what's this? You nearly stopped to slug, you fool. You had orders to stay away from the bank. Close the door. Now, what do you mean by coming here? I'm telling you straight. If we don't want the railroad deal to blow up in our faces, we've got to move fast. Let's have it, Red. I've just come for Mustang Mag's. Some hombre's arriving from the county seat tomorrow with the cash to pay off the note on a ranch. Who is he? I don't know, but he's being fetched by the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger? When did he get here? Today. I saw him passing through town and trailed him out to the ranch. Then I listened at one of the windows and heard him tell the old lady he'd bring a friend with the money to pay you, Matthews. Bless that nice man if he upsets our plans. He will if we let him. That hombre makes it his business to meddle in other people's affairs. Remember how he got Missouri elected Sheriff, Red? Yeah. And that ain't all I remembered. He's the one who handed my brother over to the sheriff and a hang noose. I aim to get him for that. That comes later, Red. First, we've got to prevent Mustang Mag from paying off that note. Now, listen. While the schemers made their lawless plans, the Lone Ranger talked soft and convincingly in the office of a man named Carter in a town nearby. You've got to help, Carter. I don't know of any other way. Oh, I don't know. It's a mighty big risk. The banker here would help you. If your scheme goes wrong, we'll never be able to pay back. Carter. I know, I know. I suppose I should know enough to trust you. I... I'll see what can be done. Boys, your horses, I'm coming. Well, howdy, stranger. What can I do for you? I'm Mr. Carter. The Lone Ranger said you were expecting me. Expecting you? Well, if we've been on pins and needles for fear, you wouldn't get here. Well, come on in. Make yourself to home. Thank you. I understand there's a note due today on your ranch in the amount of $10,000. Well, this will take care of the note. Then you won't owe Jarvis Matthews anything. There are $10,000 in bills in this envelope. Oh, $10,000. Sakes of life. Well, how come you toss off money like this? I don't know as I can take this cash. Remember the Lone Ranger sent me. Glory be, Missouri. It's a great day. It sure is, man. Well, if the Lone Ranger sent him, it's all right. We can take the money. We'll take that cash. What? Drop through the window, Smoke. I'll keep them covered. Missouri, don't stand there like a compounded idiot. You're the sheriff. I'll drill them. Doggone tootin' I will. I'll riddle them. Say, where's my guns? Well, I'll be a jumpin' horned toad. I went and removed my gun belt when I sat in at their rocker. Oh, you headlheaded old fool. Looks like I'll have to get a gun and shoot them myself. No, you don't. Give me the chance, Coyote. I got it, Red. Keep them covered. You yellow-legged coyotes. If I had my shootin' eyes up. Get up for our sandwich, you burkey. All right, Red. Head for the horses. Hey, hey. Let me get my guns. Blasted hyenas. My thunder. I ain't been so humiliated in all my born days. Oh, they're gone and the money with them. Oh, if the Lone Ranger'd only been here. Now we lost the ranch, Missouri. We lost the ranch. The curtain falls on the first act of tonight's Lone Ranger story. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. Racing their horses toward town, the outlaws reined in before the bank made their way through a back entrance to Jarvis Matthews' office. Concealed by a clump of trees, the Lone Ranger and Tonto waited until the gunman entered the building, then crept stealthily toward an open window. Careful, Tonto. Uh. We'll soon know if our plan was successful. Uh. We listen. Hear outlaws tell a story. Then we know. If you hadn't detected Red eavesdropping at the ranch, we might not have had a chance to save it, Kimo Sabe. Here, winder. Cash? Yeah. Ten thousand and folding money. What is it? We were wondering what you aimed to do with it, Matthews. Being as we lifted the cash, we hankered for a three-way split. It'll be split when the time comes, Red. You'll both get a fair share. Let's see the cash. Yeah. Brand new, huh? Thinking you won't have any trouble recognizing this currency when the time comes for the divium? Say, that's so. Never thought of that, huh, Smoke? No. Looks like Carter did us a favor in more ways than one. I'll put it in the vault for safekeeping. Yeah. It's all that stood between us and a fortune in railroad cash, boys. Mustang Mag will never raise another ten thousand to pay off the note before six o'clock today. That's when it's due, huh? Yep. And I'm foreclosing promptly on time. Looks like it's all over, but they're shouting. There'll be plenty of that, too, Red. When the railroad company finds we've bought up the whole bottom land, they'll shout themselves blue in the face trying to beat our price down. I've been a party to plenty of holdups, Matthews. Nary a one as slick as is. Hang on, boys. We're on the bandwagon, and it's just beginning to roll. Well, that's our game. Why them swindled ranchers in Valley? The ranchers don't know about the railroad, Tonto. Not right. Mustang Mag don't know either. Come on. Oh. Hmm. What do we do now? We ride to the ranch, Kimosabe. We've only a few hours before Matthews forecloses. Ah. Then Mustang Mag lose ranch. We can't let that happen. Here, Silver. Come, Scout. Say, big fella. We ride fast. Get him up, Scout. Come on, Silver. Go, Silver. Go, Scout. Go, Scout. Go, Scout. Hello, Ranger and Tonto. They're back. Thank goodness. I was beginning to think they'd never get here. I got bad news for you, Pod. Nothing but trouble from the minute you left. Outlaws. Got away with a whole plumb 10,000 cash. Your friend here, Mr. Carter, was loaded, Mag. Wore handkerchiefs to hide their faces, the pole cats. But I can smell their breed a mile away. And when I... Oh, shut your mouth, Missouri. You're a disgrace to that star you wear. Huh? Standing by like a weak-kneed calf while them two coyotes rustle the cash. By thunder, I always expected you wasn't more than half a man. Now I'm convinced I overrated you. Now wait a minute, Mag. You know doggone well I wasn't wearing my guns when them two outlaws... Well, why wasn't you wearing them? If you thought more about doing your duty and less about resting that ugly old carcass of yours, we might get some law and order around here. Thunder-ration! A man can't even set for a spell without reflecting on his duty. Mr. Carter and I have planned for the outlaws to take that money, Missouri. What's that? You mean that that hold-up was arranged? Yes. I reckon I'm getting thick with it. I don't savvy this at all. Me neither, Mag. Now there isn't time to explain. But if our plan is successful, it'll prove that the man responsible for the trouble the ranchers have been having is Jarvis Matthews. Ah. Him higher outlaw. Are you sure? Yes. Tonto and I learned all we had to know about him before we came here. Why, he's the president of the bank, too. Well, folks have suspected Matthews was crooked ever since he started foreclosing on the ranchers in the valley. But what's his game, Pod? He's learned that the railroad plans to construct a line to the valley. By buying the ranches for next to nothing, he can sell the land to the railroad at a tremendous profit. So that's the polecat scheme of them crooks. And to get their greedy fingers on some railroad cash, they force folks all along the valley out of their homes. By ginger, I'll clap the whole kit and caboodle up in the hoose gown. Oh, Missouri, you're a loud-talking old fool. You can't arrest Matthews or any of them coyotes without proof. And if you don't get that same four or six o'clock, I won't even have a roof over my head. There's a way we can get that proof. Huh? If we work together. Well, six alive, what are we waiting for? You can count on me, Pod. Me too. All right, listen carefully. Sometime later, while Mustang Mag, Missouri, Tonto, and Carter watched from a place of concealment nearby, the Lone Ranger entered the bank in Trigger Bend and made his way toward Jarvis Matthews' office. He was dressed, however, in the clothes of an Easterner. And in place of his mask, he wore a clever disguise affected by a secret mixture of mysterious herbs. I want to talk with you, Matthews. I see here. This is a private office. What do you mean by bringing in unannounced? I'll... You listen. Easterner, ain't you? Thought I hadn't seen you in these parts before. Maybe if you stay west long enough, you'll learn some manners. What do you want with me, anyway? I understand you sell land. That's right. The bank owns a lot of choice property. You interested in buying? I might be. The location is right. Well, here's a map where the property's marked out. Look them over and see if there's anything you'd like. I, uh, I don't see any properties marked off in the valley. The bank don't own any valley property. But you do. Whatever. I might be interested in buying a ranch there. The valley land ain't for sale. Not even for, uh, $50,000? $50,000? You're talking chicken feed, mister. That land'll bring me three times that. What makes you so sure? Aye, I... Say, what business is it of yours, anyway? I'm interested in a ranch called the Lazy J. I, uh, think you hold a mortgage on it. I am foreclosing it today. I see. But it isn't for sale. The only land for sale is marked on that map. You can take it or leave it. What's the meaning of this? What's in your lip? I got something to say to you, Matthews, and I'm aiming to speak my piece without any interruptions from you. Aye, I... I'm warning you, Matthews. What do you want? You're a slick, scheming, smooth-talking, poor cat. And nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see that pasty face of yours behind bars. Aye, you grabbed up most all the bottom land in the valley, one way or another, and now you're figuring to take over the Lazy J. Aye, I see. Sending your gunman to steal the $10,000 I borrowed to pay off your note was just a kind of an ordinary low-down trick. I should have expected from a yellow-libered hyena like you. You can't prove that I set the... I ain't saying whether I can or can't. I'm just telling you, you'll never own the Lazy J. We'll see about that at six o'clock. You've got less than an hour to pay off that note, Mag. $10,000. Can you get the cash? What makes you think I can't? A wagging old woman to listen to her you'd think I... The Lazy J, huh? What's that? Mustang Mag's Ranch is the only piece of valley property you don't own, Matthews. What are you getting at? She seems inclined to sell it. You don't mean you'll buy it? Why not? It's a bad investment. The soil is bedded with rocks. It's no good for either crops or grazing. I'm not interested in the soil, Matthews. Time is getting short. Perhaps I'd better talk with the owner of the ranch. No, no, wait. $10,000 isn't much to pay for land the railroad needs. You know? Yes. You'd lose out altogether if you wanted to sell your valley land to the railroad and I refused to sell the Lazy J. Wouldn't you, man? You don't need that ranch. I'll make it worth your while not to buy it. Oh. Maybe we can do business. Money talks. Oh, I've got cash. Just a minute. Here. Take a look at these. I'll take charge of those bells. What the... You slipped up this time, Matthews. He made big mistakes. What is this? I don't understand. You're under arrest, Matthews. Arrest? You've got nothing against me. You're wrong. This envelope with $10,000 was stolen from Mustang Mag this afternoon. The fact that you have it proves you're responsible. Those bills are mine. I don't know anything about the money stolen from Mustang Mag. These are the stolen bills, Matthews. I have positive proof. You're loco. They look just like any other bills. Every one of those bills are marked in green ink and here are my initials. What? I borrowed them from the bank at the suggestion of the Lone Ranger. Ah, this fellow are a United States Marshal. You're... You're the Marshal? Yes. I heard about your activities from the Lone Ranger here and it was his plan to trap you. The Lone Ranger. Him wearing disguise. Sakes alive, the Lone Ranger and Mr. Carter had you and me fooled, Missouri. Just as bad as this stammering weasel Matthews. Speak for yourself, Mag. I had a sneaking suspicion them two erupt of something like this all the time. Why, you spabbin' stove-in-bolegged maverick. You couldn't have been more in the dark if you'd lost your head and doggone if I don't think sometimes you have. That ratted Mag. Run now. Watch Matthews, Tonto. Matthews read me a dissent. What the... Smoke, this Mustang Mag in the armory we stole the cash from. He's a Marshal, Red. And the stranger over there, he's a Lone Ranger. You shut up. A Lone Ranger, huh? I've got a debt to settle with that armory and I'm settling it now. Not that gun. Cut it for you, mister. Oh! You asked for it. Fill him smoke. Get him, Tonto. Get him. I'll take charge of these armories. From now on they'll be seen in the town from behind bars. And as soon as they're tilled, Sheriff, we'll take steps to return the valley ranches to the rightful owners. Make sure them coyotes don't steal your star on the way to the hoose cow, Missouri. Dusk laid purple fingers across the prairie as the Lone Ranger and Tonto rode up to the corral where Dan was absorbed in the graceful antics of the handsome white colt. For a moment, the youth's attention was so rapidly engaged by the stripling that he failed to notice their presence. Steady now. Steady, boy. Dan. Golly, I didn't hear you two ride up. You think a lot of that, Colt, don't you? You bet. Gosh, I've been spending all my time here at the corral trying to get better acquainted. That's what Mustang Mag say. He's more friendly than he was. Golly, I wish he was mine. He is yours, Dan, when you learn to ride him. Silver, son. Golly, he needs to be mine. Did you hear that, Silver? All right, big fella. Come on, Tonto, we've work to do. Come on, Silver. Get him up, scout. Someday, Pard, you and I will be riding with him. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger, Incorporated. Thank you.
