very horse for the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-oh silver, the Lone Ranger. Canyon 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! Faster, boy, faster! I'm silver! There was no moon. The night was pitch black, lighted only by the square that slanted from the small window in the office of the bank. But a shadow, darker than the night, crept toward that window. The silent figure paused, peered over the sill, and saw the banker bent over his books. He heard the man's voice smumbling. The stealthy figure bent closer. For a few minutes he stood silently watching the banker. Then he slowly raised his hand. Later the same night, the sheriff of El Pass and two deputies rode along the path that led to the little farm of Mrs. Purdy, a lonely widow who lived with her only son, Joe. Well, this is the place. I hate to think this of Joe Purdy. I hope we're wrong. Me too. But there's evidence. If Joe murdered a man, he'll hang. Oh, there. Is there nothing this time of night? Open up, Mrs. Purdy. He's the sheriff. Land's sake, sheriff. What's wrong? What brings you out on a night like this? It's your boy, Joe, Mrs. Purdy. I'd like to speak to Joe. Joe? Joe ain't done nothing. He's a good boy if there was one. Do you mind calling him? Not at all. Joe? Joe, come out here. What do you want, Ma? Hey, who is it? Oh, it's a sheriff. Hello, sheriff. How are you? You ever see this pocket knife, Joe? Mighty pretty in it. What'd you get it, Sheriff? That's my knife. Of course that's Joe's knife. He lost it last week. I'm talking to Joe, ma'am. You got a gun, Joe? Sure I got a gun. I got it hanging out in the woodshed with my jacket. Let's see it. Come along, Sheriff. Joe wouldn't do nothing wrong. I don't see why you're asking all them questions, Sheriff. I don't see why you're so curious, Sheriff. What's happened? Come on in. Here's a gun. It's a right good shooting iron. Hmm. Just as I thought reeks of potty. One shot's been fired. What are you talking about? I haven't had a gun. Joe, where were you at nine o'clock tonight? Nine o'clock? Well, just walking along the creek? Yeah, walking along the creek, eh? That's right, Sheriff. Joe went out for a walk along the creek. Likes to walk along the creek a bit at night. He often does it and thinks things out. Did more than thinking tonight, didn't you, Joe? Let's look at that jacket. Did you wear it while you were doing your thinking? Well, not this jacket. Wish you'd tell straight out what's in your mind, Joe. Well, ma'am. Joe, this ain't good. Look here. New folding money in his pocket. All the five hundred dollars. Money? Joe, where'd you get that? Folding money? I haven't seen any real folding money in months. How did you... How did that get in my pocket? Joe, Ned Jenkins, the banker, was murdered tonight in the bank. Five hundred dollars was took from his safe. Your pocket knife was found right alongside him. Your gun shows one shot was fired. Now we've found new folding money. Five hundred dollars in your pocket. No, Sheriff. Joe didn't do that thing. Joe's a good boy. Besides, he wasn't down to the bank at nine o'clock. He was... He was walking by the creek. He says he was down by the creek. I was. I didn't have that gun. I didn't wear that jacket. I didn't kill Ned Jenkins. What would I kill him for? Sheriff, anyone could have borrowed that gun and put the cash in the pocket. Joe ain't been in the woodshed all evening. Someone's framed him. You weren't very friendly with Ned Jenkins, were you, Joe? Weren't you one of them fellas that had a fight with Jenkins because he wouldn't let you fish in the stream on his property? I think I remember seeing you in that crowd when Jenkins called me in. You're right, Sheriff. But Joe's not mean-minded like that. He wouldn't carry a grudge deep enough to kill you. You're crazy to think that Joe did it. You were on the wrong track. No, I ain't. This is hanging evidence. We're taking him right off to jail. From now on, the jury decides. On a strip of land between the United States and Mexico and the Arizona Territory, an ancient Mayan temple had been made at the headquarters of the most brilliant, most cunning crook. He called himself El Mundo. Science was his ally. Deep inside the labyrinth of passages inside the tunnel, El Mundo sits at a desk. At his side stands his sister Myra. I see. So each time you send one of the cult into the outside world, you inject poison into their veins. It is the only way. The poison is ineffectual for a certain time. Then they do not live to tell what they know. Precisely. What of this lone ranger? I hesitate to move against him, Myra. I find he has a reputation among people. Yes, he has. If it's necessary to take heroic measures and kill him, I will do so. But I would prefer not to. He hasn't interfered too much. My plans have progressed in a manner that is satisfactory. I'm about to get possession of the Purdy ranch. Purdy? Oh, that's the widow. Yes. She refused to sell at the price your representative offered? Yes. Isn't that too bad? Now extreme measures have been taken. After the Purdy ranch, then what? Then there are several others, Myra. And then I will be king. They all ridiculed me as a boy. They thought me small and ineffectual. They said my hands were soft like those of a girl. They laughed. But I'll be more powerful than all of them. His signal. Carlo is expected. Come in. Carlos, report. I kill him. Go on. Tell the rest. Boy, he's in jail. Ivanka are dead. Now help me. Myra, give me that medicine. Soon as Carlo signs a confession, he may have it. Very well. Confession? You will sign here. Anything you say. Just give me that medicine to counteract that other stone. Here you are. Drink it. Thank you. Now go. Really give him an antidote? No. He drank clear water. Why should I save the life of anyone who can testify against me? I see. Now, Myra, let me show you the map. Look here. Here is the disputed territory. It is owned by neither the United States nor Mexico. I know. The ranches we have acquired are marked off, as you see. And these others are the ones you want to acquire. Yes. With the acquisition of those, I will have my wedge between two nations. Then what? Oh, I will extract duty from all who want to cross my land to send goods into Mexico and all who want to cross my land to send goods into the United States. I'll collect a tariff. Think of the riches, the power. Now see here. Let us look at the records on Mrs. Purdy. Here, Myra, I have the records prepared for the greatest detail. I know. I have seen them. Mrs. Purdy's son is now in jail. The jury will hang him. But the woman may save his life. She will relinquish her ranch. I will produce this confession that Carlos signed. Carlos, the one who really killed the banker. Otherwise... But what if she won't sign? Plans are made, my sister. Plans are most carefully made. And the Lone Ranger cannot block those plans. It was later the same night. Sheriff and deputy sat together, each silent and thinking the same thing. The sheriff was the first to speak. Hang it all, I hate it. Huh? Joe being in jail. I can't believe the lad's turned killer. He could have knocked me down with a feather when I found the gun had been fired and the cash in his pocket. Do you think he was framed? Well, the way things have been going around here with that El Mundo outfit, I don't know what to think. Hey, great day in the morning. Sheriff, I want to talk to you. The mass man. The Lone Ranger, come on in. Since the last time we talked about El Mundo, I've learned several things. Yeah? El Mundo must get at least three more ranches to carry out the program he seems to have started. Go on. One of these is the Purdy Ranch. Purdy? What's that about our ranch? Who's in that cell? Joe Purdy. Joe? Yes. It all happens at sundown. The banker was killed and Joe's knife was at the scene. I didn't think Joe would do it, but me and the deputy went to make a routine checkup. Go ahead. What did you find? Joe's gun fired and the stolen cash in his pocket. It's a frame-up, I tell you, Sheriff. Let me tell the Lone Ranger the truth. I was walking the bank of the... What's that? Who on the board? Help. Help me. I'm waiting. He double-crossed me. Take a hold of him. I got him. What poison? He's a mighty sick man. Look at his face. El Mundo. Steady. What did El Mundo do? Hurry, speak. How about it? He's dead, Sheriff. The same way the others went. Poison. And just as he was about to speak. I wonder if this has any connection with the death of the banker. The murder was... It's the hand of El Mundo again. Joe's mother would do anything to save him from hanging. I want your help. I'm going to tell you what I suspect and what I want to do about it. If El Mundo isn't stopped, he'll own the West. 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. The rapid hoofbeat to the Lone Ranger thundered through the night as the masked man approached his camp where Tonto and Dan were waiting. Come on, Silver! The Lone Ranger outlined his plan while Dan Reed, his 14-year-old nephew, and Tonto hung on every word. And Dan, Joe Purdy is just about your size, even though he is considerably older. Folks used to say I was pretty tall for my age. You are. Your father was a tall man. Now, here's what we must do. It's up to you, Dan. You're going to jail. Jail? The sheriff has agreed. Oh, gee, I suppose you're having me put there to be sure I'm out of danger. Dan, you're going to jail to play an important part in our plans. If Joe stays in jail, El Mundo can easily convince his mother that he'll hang. If she knows by seeing that he isn't there, that he isn't likely to hang right away, she'll hold firm and refuse to deal with whomever El Mundo sends to see her. Oh. And what we do? We'll see Mrs. Purdy the first thing in the morning. Tell her what we're doing, then watch for El Mundo's representative. Where'd Joe go? Joe's coming here to our camp. Now, Kimo Sabe, you stay with Joe. Watch him guard him. Ah, me do it. Now, where's Victor, Dan? Right over here. I'll get him ready. Hi there, Victor. We're riding out, old boy. The four of us. We went sober and the lone ranger and I. That study now when I sent you up. There's a stable now pass where you can leave, Victor, Dan. The sheriff will take good care of him. Ah, great. You want help, Dan? Oh, Victor wouldn't let anyone else saddle him, Taro. Ha, ha, ha. No. I'll have him ready to travel in no time. Yeah. Scout ready? Let me go with you, get Joe, huh? All right, Taro. City, big fella. I'm ready. Come on. Get up, Victor. Get him up, scout. Come on, Silver. With Dan Reed in the prison cell in place of Joe Purdy, the lone ranger went early in the morning to the Purdy home. He rapped on the door. A woman with stooping shoulders and a shawl about her head responded. Oh, masked. Are you Mrs. Purdy? Who else did you expect to see here? May I speak to you inside? I reckon so. Step in. Won't you have a chair? No, thank you. Mrs. Purdy, your son was taken to jail last night. Yes, I know. The sheriff is willing to help on a plan. We also need your help. Plan? What sort of a plan? What are you talking about? Have you heard of El Mundo? El Mundo? That's Spanish for the universe. A man who calls himself El Mundo. A man? Mrs. Purdy, there isn't time to go into detail. Please believe me. He's the most dangerous man the West has ever known. Indeed. He's already killed a score of people. He'll kill more. But why? He wants to get control of this entire region. My sakes alive. What for? Why should he want to do that? Because he is ambitious. He hopes to get a kingdom of his own. How in the world did you learn that? He framed your son for murder. He'll come here or send one of his emissaries here to see you. He needs this ranch. Oh. So he framed my son. Have you proof that he did? No, but we'll get proof. He wants to make a deal with you. Offer you the life of your son if you'll turn over your ranch to him. But wouldn't that be worthwhile? Anything to save my boy. Your boy is not in jail. What? Not in jail? There's another lad there in his place. Joe is safe and he'll not hang. You may be sure of that. And by keeping this ranch out of El Mundo's hands, we'll block his game. I think... What is it? You are Mrs. Purdy? Of course I am. I... What's back at that door? What door? I'm going to look. Stand where you are. You're Myra. All right, I am Myra. We have met before Lone Ranger several times. What have you done with Mrs. Purdy? What do you think we have done? She was a fool, a blind, stubborn fool. She thought that if her son was innocent, he would never hang. There was no use talking to her further. I see. Take a look. Well, what can you prove against me? Now your plans will be changed. You may be sure of that. With the woman dead, the boy inherits the ranch. We will deal with him. He will gladly sign away the ranch to save his life. You'll never find Joe Purdy. We will find others. Others? Your own young friend. The one you have placed in prison in place of Joe. Dan, why, you... I don't want to draw a gun. You'll get no chance to draw a gun. I have the drop on you. But it won't be necessary to shoot you. El Mundo's methods are not that crude. You were marked for death the instant you stepped inside this house. I was. I saw you approaching. I prepared things for you. Myra, I... Right now you are feeling giddy. Your senses are reeling. Do you feel the effects of the poison that is seeping through your veins? Poison? A needle so fine that it can penetrate the flesh without sensation. There was one fixed on the latch of the bedroom door. You opened that door. So, that's it. Yes, my friend. That is it. It is a matter of but minutes and death comes. But painlessly, I assure you, the Lone Ranger. The fallen Lone Ranger. Now to remove that mask and see his face so I can tell El Mundo... That's what I hope. I'll take that gun. You! Tell El Mundo his needle wasn't strong enough to penetrate these gloves. Let me go! Yet there are too many questions to be asked. You are marked for death. Nothing can save you or your friends against the mighty power of El Mundo. Struggling won't help you, Myra. You're just hurting yourself. Hurting myself? Death! Hey, I got something important. Sheriff, look out. I'm not caught here. Hey, wait. Look out, Sheriff. That girl is getting away. Come on, never mind her. What I got to say is more important. That's Myra, El Mundo's aide. She's a killer. She murdered Mrs. Purdy. Hey, she stole my horse. I'll catch her. Silver will easily overtake her. Never mind her. Even Sage brushes that boy. Who? Dan, your friend. They're after him. You got a ride to town. Who's after him? I don't know. They busted the jail and took the kid. Which way did they go? I don't know. They came here as fast as they could. They started from the jail? Yeah. Hey, hold on. Wait for me. I got no horse. Come on, Silver. Racing like the wind, the mighty stallion put every ounce of his great strength into the response of the Lone Ranger's urging for more and more speed. In El Pas, the masked man reined up before the jail. He leaped to the ground to study hoof marks that would show the direction taken by Dan's abductors. We'll be underway in just a minute, Silver. Soon as I get... Dan! I'm glad you got here. I've got a lot to tell you. Dan, I'm glad you're safe, boy. The sheriff said that you'd been kidnapped. That's what those crooks thought when he lugged a dummy from the bunk in the cell. Come inside. It's safer. Well, where's the sheriff? He came to Mrs. Purdy's while Myra was there. She killed the old lady. Then she got away on the sheriff's horse. Didn't she have one of her own? Probably hidden, so I wouldn't see it when I went there. But, Dan, you have something to tell me. You bet I have. In the first place, Joe isn't going to be charged with that murder. No? The man that came in here last night and fell dead from El Mundo's poison was the killer. The sheriff matched the boots he wore to the prints outside the bank window. Oh? He said that was all that was needed to clear Joe. Well, what about yourself? Well, I heard the horsemen come up before daybreak. They stopped right outside my window. Well, I was riding toward the Purdy ranch. Yeah. They were talking about kidnapping Joe. That would have meant me. What did you do? Well, I remembered some of the things Tonto told me about you. The tricks you'd pull to save your neck. I just used one of them. Dan, tell me. I took my knife and cut up the mattress on the bunk. I rolled parts of it in a blanket and pinned it with blanket pins. It wasn't much of a dummy. And if those men hadn't been half loco, they'd have made sure they had something alive. But they walked and talked and acted like they were half asleep. The drugs of El Mundo. He uses something that has a hypnotic effect on his slaves. Well, he broke the lock, walked in, rolled up the dummy in a couple of heavy tarpaulins and walked out. They never looked in the dark corner where I was sitting. Dan, I wish your father knew about this. He'd be proud. Maybe he does. That's right. He probably does. He is proud. What about the girl? She got away? Yes, and she knows Joe isn't here. Oh. Myra will get word to El Mundo as soon as she can. I suppose so. I told her enough. I thought she was Mrs. Purdy to make her sure we know El Mundo's plan. El Mundo will be out to get us, Dan. Let him try. He'll try to get you. We'll get to camp. All right. Victor's in the stable. Come on. We'll saddle him in. Dan, look for the east. Yeah, I see him. That's the pack of cutthroats that came after me. They must have found out their mistake. This way we can't... Great guns. Look. Those riders are from El Mundo, too. They've come from both directions. They're shooting at us. Get back inside the place. Hurry. Yeah, but you... I'll join you. Here, Silver. I'm on. Right inside. Hurry. That's it, Silver. Find the door, Dan. Right. Dan, pay attention. They're coming from both sides. We can't get to the stable. We'll have to leave Victor. Oh, no. If I go... I'll come back for Victor. If those men get you, they can force me to do whatever they want. As long as you're safe, I can fight them. Yeah, but Victor, what if they take him? The whole west depends on those crooks not getting you or Joe. Dan, up those stairs and hurry. What about you? I'm coming with you. Go on. They'll have us trapped up in this garret, won't they? We'll see about that. Steady, Silver. Wait there. Those critters move and act like men that are half dead. They don't yell or talk or anything. There's a window over here at the front, Dan. Stand by it. Yes, sir. Look at them. They're surrounding the building. Yeah, they know we're trapped here. They'll shoot on sight. Let's open fire and shoot it out with them. No, not yet. Oh, but we can't go down without firing a shot. We're not going to. Let me try to open this window without attracting attention. There, that does it. Yeah. Must be 20 of them altogether. Just two down there now. The rest have gone around to the sides and back of the building. Those two men are going to bust through the door. We're going to beat them to it. Stand here, Dan, and be ready to jump. What are you going to do? Jump. You all right? Right. What the? Here's one from Joe Purdy. Oh, you. Mundo, Mundo, help. Mundo won't stop this one. Here, Silver. Dan, come on, jump. That's it, Dan. Steady, big fella. There they come. They're shooting wild. Now, grab on. Here we go. Right. I'll see you there. All right. The next amazing episode of The Lone Ranger, the masked man enters a burning bar in an effort to rescue Dan's horse, Victor. Now, hold on to me. The roof. The roof's fallen in. We're trapped. You have just heard is a copyrighted feature of The Lone Ranger, Incorporated. The Lone Ranger, Incorporated.
