a cloud of dust and a hearty, hi-oh, silver, the Lone Ranger. The beautiful 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 danger on the trail ahead. I will see... Two heavyset men, one wearing the badge of a sheriff and the other that of a deputy, opened the door of Sheriff Gilpin's office in Gunnison. Sheriff Gilpin? Come in, gents, come in. I guess you're expecting me, Sheriff. Is that so? Well, have a seat, both of you. I wrote to you from Larimer about two weeks ago. Told you I'd be over to get that critter Sam Weaver you're holding. Weaver? Oh, then you must be Sheriff Reardon from Corrie County. That's right. And this is Judd, my deputy. Well, howdy, Judd. I'm glad to know you, Sheriff. Still got Weaver under lock and key, ain't you, Sheriff? Why, sure. When a crook lands in the Gunnison jail, he lands hard. Yeah, I figured that way. Oh, uh, here's my credentialed, Sheriff. In case you want to look them over. I guess so. Yeah, they look all right. Never been much of a hand for papers and things like that. Yeah? But these are in order. You and your deputy look like lawmen, Reardon. That's good enough for me. First time I ever knew we had law written all over a sheriff. Yeah. Sure, I guess all of us gents that line up on the law side kind of look alike. I never thought of it before, but you may be right. Well, when do you want Weaver? Tomorrow sometime? Oh, we'll take him now. What? We're heading right back. Without even resting up? It's a long ride from here to Lambert. Yeah, but, well, if we wait over, we're liable to run into trouble. What do you mean? Oh, it ain't no secret. Might as well tell you. Sheriff, how'd you like to pick yourself up some reward money? Reward? Why, sure. How? Catch Bart Lynch, the outlaw. Lynch? Oh, ain't no chance of me running down an hombre like that. Might be. He's operating in this territory. I know. And as eight to five, he'll be calling on you before long. No. Now, what reason would there be... We'd walk right into this office. If Judd and me tricked him like I figured we did. I don't understand. Bart Lynch tried to dry-gulch me and the sheriff. What's that you're saying? It's the truth. Lynch spotted us on the way over here, down by Rock Canyon. Him and some of his gang. But he didn't get away with it. What happened? We ducked his lead and winged one of the hombres he had with him. So you had to run in with Bart Lynch. What's he look like? Well, he's short, round-faced, and toe-headed. I've heard a lot about the buzzard, but I've never seen him. You will. What makes you think he'll show up here? Well, I told you we winged one of his gang. And that hombre talked a lot before he cashed in. Yeah? You see, Sheriff, this Sam Weaver you're holding for me is one of Bart's gang. And Bart is on his way here to bust Weaver out of jail. Oh, so that's what you meant when you said I could pick up some reward money. Sure. Well, thanks, Sheriff. I'll sure be primed and waiting for the buzzard to... Don't let him fool you. Oh, you're wasting your breath, Judd. I guess Sheriff Gilpin here knows his job. Even if Crookett's been dodging the law, as long as Bart Lynch ain't liable to fool him. I can spot them varmints a mile away. Well, Sheriff, I guess Judd and me will be moving on. Bring out that Weaver critter, will you? Yeah, sure. You just wait a minute. I'll get him. As Sheriff Gilpin walked out of his office to bring back his prisoner, the two men with whom he'd been talking exchanged a meaningful glance, a glance that bespoke more than words. This was going to be much easier than they'd expected. So the badge-toter thinks he can spot a crook a mile away. Shut up. We ain't out of this thing yet. Yeah, but I... Shut up. Thanks. Bart! Bart Lynch! What? I thought you said you were turning me over to Sheriff Reardon from Laramont. He is. You better come along quiet. This ain't Sheriff Reardon. This is Bart Lynch. These critters always try to squirm out of it even when they're in the hands of the law. Yeah. You better throw the cuffs on them, Judd. Sure. No. Sheriff Gilpin, don't let them do this. They're crooks. Bart Lynch and Judd Moley. I ought to know. I was in their gang. Well, that proves how loco he is. He admits he's part of Lynch's gang. Well, if I was Lynch, he wouldn't likely to be say so, would he? I know. Sheriff Gilpin, I'm not really one of Lynch's men. I'm a United States Marshal. I was traveling with Lynch to get evidence on him. Hmm. I've had you locked up for three days, and this is the first time you've mentioned it. I was waiting for Sheriff Reardon. He knows all about it. These crooks never stop bluffing. Boy, you... Please, Sheriff Gilpin, believe me. Seems to me, young fellow, if you were a United States Marshal, you'd have told me so before now. You can't expect me to believe it. I had to keep quiet. It was all a part of a plan. Sheriff Reardon and I worked out. Take him outside, Jud, and tie him onto that extra horse we brought along. Yeah. Come on, we're... Please, Sheriff. I tell you... If he's on squawking, Jud, gag him. I'll keep him quiet. Sometimes, Sheriff, I wonder if being a lawman is worth all the trouble. That critter's slippery. You better watch him. Don't worry. We will. Well, Sheriff, thanks for your cooperation. Glad to help. Keep your eye peeled for that varmint Bart Lynch. I hope he does show up here. I can use some of that reward money. You will get it. So long, Sheriff. I'll be seeing you again. Yeah, so long. The Lone Ranger, Tonto, and Dan Reed had been camped for several days near a small stream in the mountains surrounding Gunnison. They'd spent their time fishing, hunting, and overhauling their saddle gear. Toward noon, on the day Sheriff Gilpin delivered Sam Weaver to the men he thought were lawmen from Larimer, Tonto and Dan set out from their campsite for a ride to Gunnison. The Lone Ranger had given them a list of supplies which they intended to purchase in the town. As they guided their horses along a little used and remote back trail, Dan was surprised to see his Indian friend suddenly raise his arm as a silent signal to halt. Oh, oh, Victor. Oh, Scout, hold on. Oh, oh, oh. Watch your signal to stop, Tonto. Look. Trail ahead. Two men. Wave arms and make noise. Golly, you're right. I didn't see them. You think maybe they're in trouble? We know. Plenty quick. Get them up, Scout. Come on, Victor. Ealing their horses and sensing that the two men on the trail ahead were in trouble, Dan, Reed, and Tonto urged their mounts to even greater speed. The loose shale and grapple that covered the rough trail struck sparks from the flying iron-shot hooves of Victor and Scout. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh. Hello there, kid. Hello. After climbing this trail on foot for the last five or six hours, we're sure glad to see you. Anybody. Even a kid and a redskin. You both live around here? We're from Larimer. Golly. That's almost a hundred miles east. Yeah. You couldn't have walked clear from there. Where are your horses? Lost them. A couple of Oslo's ambushed us about noontime. Gee, my name's Reardon, sheriff of Corey County. This is my deputy, Slim Baxter. We need your help. You mean to get back to Larimer? Oh, to Gunnison. Which way are you riding? We're camped about three miles north. Like it's not, Bart Lynch has already fooled the sheriff of Gunnison and made him hand over Sam Weaver, but... Bart Lynch, the outlaw? Was he the one who stole your horses? Him and another hombre, one of his gang. Will you and the engine take Slim and me into Gunnison? They gotta get there. Well, what should we do, Tonto? Ah, we help lawmen. Sheriff ride it to you. Tonto helps Slim. All right. Come on. Oh, thanks. You climb up with the engine, Slim. Sure. Double loads like this ain't so good for your horses. Ah, don't worry. We've been in tight spots before. Come on, Victor. Get him up, Scout. Carrying double weight over a trail as rough and steep as Rock Canyon would have been an almost impossible task for ordinary horses. And although it taxed the strength and endurance of Scout and Victor, they reached the town of Gunnison without incident. Right over there, son. That must be the sheriff's office. Sure. Oh, go, Victor. Go, Scout. Go, fella. Go. Come on, Slim. Yeah. Well, you've been a big help to us, son. Slim and me sure appreciate it. Well, that's all right. Guess I've been too busy to ask your name. I'm Dan Reed. My friend's name is Tonto. Oh, Dan and Tonto, huh? Well, thanks again to both of you. If you ever come over Larimer way, look me up. We will. You want us to wait for you? No, we'll manage all right. Guess the sheriff here will lend us a couple of horses to get home. All right. Come on, Slim. Maybe we'd better wait just a few minutes anyway, Tonto. After leaving Sheriff Reardon and Slim Baxter at the local sheriff's office, Dan and Tonto visited a general store and purchased their supplies. Then, because Tonto sensed the possibility of something wrong, they returned to the street in front of the sheriff's office and waited quietly. In the meantime, Sheriff Reardon and his deputy had identified themselves. Uh, Gilpin? Sheriff Gilpin? Who are you? Reardon from Corey County. Hey, this is Baxter, my deputy. Yeah? I've been expecting a critter that answers your description. I had a little trouble on the trail. Tangled with Bart Lynch and one of his gunslingers. That's why we're late. Is that so? You're still holding Sam Weaver, ain't you? If you're a lawman, let me see your badge and credentials. If I'm a law... Sheriff, I just told you who I am. I can't... Don't you want to identify yourself? Why, I told you we tangled with Bart Lynch. He got the drop on us, took our guns, badges and everything. Mighty interesting. Hey, look here, Sheriff. I wrote you a letter only last week about the prisoner you're holding, Sam Weaver. I know all about that, but I don't know whether you're who you say you are. But you can't... So, Lynch has been here. He beat us here. You didn't turn Weaver over to him, did you? This trouble you say you had in the trail, did you lose your guns, too? Oh, we lost everything. Lynch and his sidewinder part took all our belongings... That's all I wanted to know. Reach, both of you. Sheriff, I... Reach! Lynch, this is one spot you can't bluff yourself out of. Lynch? You think I'm Bart Lynch? I know it. Just kept talking till I could figure what kind of play you'd make. He's loco, Sheriff. Now, listen, Gilpin, you can't... I know a crook when I see one, no matter how slick they are. Now, you keep your hands up and stand right there. But we're not... You might as well know I've got the place surrounded. You see, I've been waiting for you two hombres. Now I'll call my deputies. Saunders! Cleary! Yeah? I've got both of them covered under a cold drop. You mean Bart Lynch? Yeah, they're trying to pass themselves off as Sheriff Reardon and his deputy. And I guess this is the first time the varmints have ever been outsmarted. Hockey thing you turned that Weaver critter over to the real sheriff. No luck to it. Just brains, that's all. You and Cleary come in here. We'll lock these critters up until I can write a letter to Texas where they... Golly! Did you hear that, Tonto? Ah, crook beat lawman here. Sheriff think him smart. Him plenty dumb. Yeah, but the Sam Weaver, whoever he is... Gee, this is something a Lone Ranger ought to know about. That's right. Come on, Victor. Get him up, scout. 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... To continue our story. Dan Reed and Tonto weren't exactly sure what was wrong at the Gunnison Jail. But they did know that the men they'd helped on the trail and brought into town were in trouble. Dan had long ago learned that the best thing to do in an emergency... Was to reach the Lone Ranger and give him all the facts as soon as possible. Consequently, he and Tonto lost no time. They urged their mounts forward with all possible speed... And arrived at the Lone Ranger's camp a short time later. Hold, Victor. Hold on. Oh, scout. Hold on. Hold. I thought you two were going to spend the day hunting. Change your mind? Somebody else changed it for us. That's right. What do you mean? We met some men on the way at Rock Creek Canyon. They'd been waylaid and had their horses stolen by Bart Lynch, the outlaw. I've heard that Lynch was in this territory. The men were Sheriff Reardon and his deputy from Larimer. They were on their way to Gunnison to get a prisoner. Is that so? Tonto and I took them over. Good. I'm afraid it's not so good. They ran into trouble. How? The sheriff in Gunnison thinks that Sheriff Reardon and his deputy are Bart Lynch and one of his gang. At least I guess that's what happened. He put them in jail. I've seen Sheriff Reardon and Larimer several times. Couldn't he identify himself? Golly. Maybe Tonto and I were fooled, too. What did he look like? The man who said he was Sheriff Reardon. Short and round face and light-colored hair. That was Sheriff Reardon, all right. I guess he was sort of afraid something would happen. He was worried because Bart Lynch had stolen his badge and credentials. Who was the prisoner he was going to bring back from Gunnison? Gunnison, you know? A man named Sam Weaver. Weaver? Why, he's a United States Marshal. He's probably a prisoner of Bart Lynch by now because they evidently fooled the sheriff at Gunnison. I see. And if Lynch and one of his gang took the marshal away, they probably had an extra horse. What'd you say? Otto. Uh-huh. There's only one trail through Rock Canyon. If Lynch left Gunnison with a prisoner, he would probably head for a hideout somewhere in the hills west of the canyon. Uh-huh. If you get over there before sunset, you may be able to pick up a sign. Well, let me start now. Yeah, the sooner the better. I don't know why Weaver was being held in the Gunnison jail, but I do know that if he's a prisoner of Bart Lynch, his life's in danger. Isn't that right? Here, Scout. Golly. Suppose Tonto does trail those outlaws. That's still a career in a Gunnison jail. You and I'll take care of that, Dan. Well, me find outlaw camp, then come back, Timozabi. There may not be time for that, Tonto. Dan and I will ride to Gunnison shortly after sundown. If possible, send a signal fire someplace in the canyon. Uh-huh. Me do it. Get him up, Scout. Gee, I guess I should be used to it now after being around you and Tonto all this time. But I still don't see how he does it. What's that, Dan? How Tonto can expect to pick up a trail of three men he's never seen? Tonto's an Indian, then. Yeah, I know that, but... He reads the signs of a trail as easily as you read the page of a book. Gee. The condition of the ground and its relation to the weather, the position of stones, grass, plant life. They all tell him a story, just as plainly as though they could speak. Ah, golly. I wonder if I'll ever be able to read a trail like that. Of course you will. Stay close to Tonto and ask questions. Come on, we'll feed and water the horses now. We may have a long trip ahead of us tonight. How are you going to convince the sheriff at Gunnison that he's made a mistake? It's a bigger problem than that, Dan. We need that sheriff's help. We may have to break the law to get it. The jail in Gunnison was strong and well-guarded. However, as an extra precaution, and because he expected a visit from Bart Lynch, the notorious outlaw, Sheriff Gilpin had posted additional armed guards. A deputy was stationed at each corner of the building. The sheriff waited in his private office, which was situated not far from the iron-barred cell where the prisoners were kept. It was a quiet night, and as hour after hour went by with no sign of the outlaw, Bart Lynch, Sheriff Gilpin dozed in his chair. He was surprised and a little provoked when the rear door of the jail opened suddenly and one of his deputies stood on the threshold. Thunders, I thought I told you to stay outside and keep your eyes open. Got to see you a minute, Sheriff. Well, what's the matter? Come here. It's real important, Sheriff. I wouldn't ask you. Nothing's more important than for you boys to stand guard out there and... Sheriff, I want you to know this happened before I knew what was going on. What's wrong with you? What are you talking about? There's a man wearing a mask standing right behind me with a gun in my back. What? It ain't my fault. He made me call you and... Take it easy, Sheriff. Sheriff, I mean business. An outlaw? How could he ever get close enough to... I don't know. Well, at once he was here behind me. Close the door and step in here. Do it quietly. I'm not going to... There's another gun in this hand, Sheriff. So don't reach for your holster. I... First, I'll take your gun. I'll walk up there to that cell and unlock it. Part of Bart Lynch's gang. A jailbreak. Maybe. You'd better move faster or I'll... Might have known you old hoots would... And keep in plain sight. Unless you want to stop a bullet. Oh. I... If I may change your mind... Walk this way, Reardon. You too, Slim. Masked. What the... You ought to know, Lynch. Part of your own gang, ain't it? I don't understand. Now, when we step outside, Sheriff, you call your other guards. Tell them everything's all right. Understand? What else can I do? Good. What's this all about? Better save the question, Sheriff Reardon... Until we get away from here. All right, let's go. Mine is waiting over here to the horses. You old hoots won't get away with this. I'll have a posse on your trail inside of ten minutes. I'll be disappointed if you don't, Sheriff. Hey, Sheriff. Remember what I said. It's all right, Joe. Nothing to worry about. That's all right, Reardon. Slim, there are your horses. They don't understand this, but it's better than being penned up in jail by a bullheaded sheriff. A lot better. Let's get going, city big fella. I'm sorry, but I'll have to keep your gun for the present, Sheriff Gilpin. I'll return it later. I'm going to trail you, old hoochip. It's the last thing I ever do. I hope so. Come on, let's ride. Hurry, Victor. Get up there. Get up there. Get up there. True to his word, Sheriff Gilpin lost no time in forming a posse to trail the jailbreakers. They're heading for Rock Canyon. Line up that way, boys. We'll run them down. All right, Sheriff. All right, dig in your spurs. Of course, the Gunnison Sheriff had no way of knowing that he was doing exactly what the Lone Ranger had planned, or that the masked man had explained everything to Sheriff Reardon, that they'd sighted Tonto's signal fire high up on a mountain slope. There's a signal over to the left. You think it's Tonto? I'm sure it is. The three of you lead the posse there. I'll take this side trail and come in from the other direction. Come on, sit a little there. Tonto's signal fire had been the result of many hours of painstaking work for the stalwart Indian. For just a few minutes before he'd reached the place where it was now burning, Bart Lynch had threatened his helpless captive. All right, Weaver. You might as well start talking now. I've got nothing to say, Lynch. Bring him up, Bart. Let's get moving. Oh, not yet. Come on. I want to pry a little information out of that double-crossing skunk. You're a United States Marshal, ain't you? Joined up with my gang so you could tip off a lawman. You seem to know all the answers. Sure I do. Now, who have you been reporting to? Nobody. Yes, you have. And after that bank job in Gunnison, you let yourself get caught. Because you knew your friend the sheriff from Larimer would come over and get you out. If you're so sure of it, why ask me? Well, I'm sure of one thing. In about two minutes, I'm going to see a United States Marshal get his neck stretched. Bring over the rope, boys. Hey, Bart. Ah, what's wrong with you? Look, there's a tree caught a fire about 50 feet down the slope. I wonder how that happened. Oh, one of you hombres must have pitched a cigarette down there. Come on, let's get this lawman strung up and then ride out of here. Yeah, Bart, but let's get out. Oh, what's the matter? Listen. Ah, somebody coming. Better hold up for a minute, man. Lawman! Look at the posse! Burning tree must have been a signal. Get to the horses. We'll ride. It is the law. We can ride out the other way. Not now. They've got us stopped on four sides. Put up your hands. We've got you covered. Only one thing to do, boys. Try to shoot our way out. As the sheriff's posse moved in to surround and capture the outlaw gang, heavy gunfire echoed and re-echoed throughout the canyon. Spurts of orange flame laced the darkness of the night. The occasional hoarse cry of a frightened outlaw told that another lawman's bullet had found its mark. Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. The outlaws who survived huddled in a small group. Their empty guns on the ground, their hands in the air. A few moments later, they were bound and tied. Well, Sheriff, I guess we just about cleaned them out. Bart Lynch is dead and your men have the rest of them all tied up. Yeah, you're right, Sheriff. And I've got a lot of apologizing to do. I sure made a big mistake. Well, we all make mistakes. I don't know how I could have been so dumb. Must have been thinking too much about the reward money instead of using common sense. Well, we broke up the Bart Lynch gang. That's the most important thing. Say, where's that deputy of yours? You mean Slim? No, no, not him. The one who wore a mask, so I think he was an outlaw. That was a pretty slick stunt. I never saw that man before. What? I was just going to ask you if you knew anything about him. Well, I'll be here. And the boy who rode with him. He and the man with the mask seem to know all about Sam Weaver and everything else. How'd he know I had Weaver in jail? Or you and your deputy? Well, the boy's name was Dan Reed. He and an Indian helped Slim and me get to Gunnison. But that doesn't explain the big fella. It beats all how he just appeared all of a sudden. You know, he's disappeared just as quick. Saved Weaver from getting killed and broke up the Lynch gang. Oh, queer, ain't it? We owe him so much and we don't even know his name. You have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. We'll be right back. Good. Goodatif. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. What come on? Here we go. Good. Good. Good. Good.
