A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty how silver, the Lone Ranger. General Gerson, whose wealth reached out to develop the vast resources of the Far West, decided to strike at the heart of the Barbary Coast. In an effort to stamp out the viciousness, Gerson sought for and found the Lone Ranger. This masked rider of mystery, though reluctant to leave the plains and mountains of the cattle country, answered the call and smashed the forces of evil in the Barbary Coast. His work in San Francisco finished, Tonto and the masked man headed north for the gold fields and the land of big timber. 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! The Lone Ranger knew that a syndicate, backed by an unknown man of mystery, was trying to gain control of all the redwood on the West Coast. One man, Danaher, who had set fire to a stand of timber, was in jail. The Lone Ranger and Tonto rode into the county seat and reined up. Oh, Silver! Oh, Scott! Oh, Feller! Steady! Oh, Feller! There's the sheriff's office, Tonto. Ah, me see it. That's where you go, huh? I see there's a telegraph office here, too. I might send a message to Mr. Gerson and let him know where we are and what we're doing. You already sent him a letter. Tell him we hunt for trouble in Redwood. We might have something to report when we finish talking with the sheriff. Steady, big fella. Uh-uh. Now, wait here with the horses, Tonto. Uh-uh. Me wait. Hey! Sheriff! Get your hands up. Heist him! Put your gun away, Sheriff. This mask doesn't mean I'm an outlaw. Hey, Jumpin' Jelly Beans, you're the man! What? You're the one. Hickory Jones was in here telling me about you. Oh, yes. You're the one that saved his timber. He helped the men from the syndicate camp across the Cinnamon River. Is the man who started that fire still in jail? Oh, you bet he is. I just regret that Zeke Vincent ain't here with him. Well, you heard about Zeke? Well, some. He got drowned in the Cinnamon River trying to escape from the lumbermen, didn't he? Yes. And when he died, we lost a good chance for information. Hickory Jones telling me you're out to beat the big schemer. I'm fairly sure there is a schemer in back of the syndicate. Yeah, me too. Did you question Danaher about it? That polecat, I questioned him, but I didn't get far. I'd like to talk to Danaher. Well, go ahead. You're welcome to. But let me tell you something first. What is it? You're in danger. I am? You're doggone right you are. Danaher's been gloating about the way you'd be repaid for having him jailed. He thinks his pals on the outside will get him out before he comes to trial. Oh. He admits he has pals on the outside. Oh, he admits nothing. But he hints in a way that don't leave no room for doubt. I'll talk to him. Remember, there's mighty important money tied up in this game. Don't expose your back. Come on. Well, I'll unlock the door and you can see the rat. I set his grub in a little while ago. He was sleeping then, so I didn't wake him. Looks as if he's still sleeping. No, he can't do that. Can't spend the whole day sleeping. Danaher, wake up. Get awake. Hey, Danaher. He hasn't touched the food you brought in. By thunder, he sure is a sound sleeper. Hey. Let me see him. Feel his wrist. Sheriff, this man is dead. But how can he be? Tonto. Yes, Team Usabi. Come in here. He was alive when I brought him his food last night. Alive and learing at me. Has anyone been near him? No one but me. I didn't do this. Tonto, look at Danaher. What killed him? Uh, me look. Can the Indian tell how he died? He might be able to. Him dead. Long time. How long? Maybe ten, twelve hours. Then he got it during the night. I had two guards in this jail last night. I thought I could trust him. And Mac and Kit were lads that I sure thought I could trust. No sign of injury, Tonto? No. I can't make it out. The guards didn't have a key to the jail room and the window's too small. This fella died of poison. Poison? Where do you get his meals? Well, they're sent in from the cafe. That's where we always get the meals for prisoners. I didn't give him no poison. I tell you... Sheriff, no one is accusing you. Almost anyone who happened to be in the cafe could have sprinkled poison on his plate of food. Oh, you're right. By ginger loan, Ranger, you've got a big job ahead of you. A big job. The more I see of the Redwood business, the more I realize... Sheriff! Sheriff, where in thunder are you? Now, who in blazes... You better go. Come here, Sheriff. Where are you? Tonto and I wait here in the jail cell. Leave the door open. Take it easy. Take it easy. I'm coming. Sheriff, remember me? I'm Joe Turner. Joe Turner. Sure I remember. How are you, Turner? Sheriff, I've got to have you in a posse and I've got to have him fast. Now, slow down, Turner. What do you want lawmen for? I'm being robbed. I'm being robbed like all get out, right under my own nose. You've got timberland up north of the cinnamon, ain't you, Turner? Yes. Up beyond the syndicate lumber camp. A fine stand of Redwood. I did have it, but it's being stolen from me. Who's doing it? That skinflint lawyer. That crooked scheming, sniveling Mr. Smythe. Speaking of me, Turner. Smythe! You oily tongue crook. You bet I'm speaking to you. I saw you come in here, Turner. My office is just across the street, you know. What's he trying to tell me, Smythe? Sheriff, Joe's a good man, but he has a misunderstanding of the law. Maybe we can straighten him out. Misunderstanding, my eye. Now, shut up. Both of you keep still and let me get this from one to a time. Joe, tell me your complaint and make it short. Sheriff, you know where my land is. It's that hill that slopes down to Dipper Creek, and Dipper Creek empties in the Cinnamon River. I know the place. What about it? I bought it from him, that's all. Simple enough, Sheriff. Is that right, Joe? Bought it, he says. I'll tell you how he bought it. Buzzard. The scheming crook come to the shack where I lived and said he wanted to buy my Timberland. Said to name my own price, and if it was all right, he'd buy it. You named your price, and I agreed to it. Yeah, but you said you didn't have the cash all at once. He made up an agreement and paid me 10% down, and the rest was promised in six months. Is there anything wrong with that, Sheriff? I don't know yet. Go on, Turner. If you forgot to bring your copy of the agreement, Joe, I brought mine. It is, Sheriff. Look it over. Yeah. Is it like he said, Joe? He made a down payment, like he said, and he's to pay the rest in six months. That's five months from now. Yes? I moved out of the shack and went to visit my sister. I got back a couple of days ago and went to get some of my things out of the house. Things I wanted to take away with me. And what do I see? There's a whole lumber camp on the hill. What did you expect to see? A cattle ranch? Sheriff, there's lumbermen all over the place. Five times as many as you'd usually see on the same size piece of timber. They've built a flume right down the slope to Dipper Creek. They've already cleared the land to the bottom of the hill. They're working to the top. Right in that agreement, it says that I can take off the timber as soon as the deal is closed. It was closed when he took the down payment and signed his name. Well, what's wrong about it, Joe? Just wait till you hear the rest. The man on the job didn't know who I was. I went to the boss and he thought I was looking for work. He told me he'd pay extra money because they had to clear off all the timber in the next five months. That's the scheme. They're going to take off all the timber before the next payment is due. And Smythe won't make the payment at all. He'll forfeit the land back to me. And I'll have a hill full of stumps. Not even cleared for cultivating. How about that, Smythe? I'm sure I've got an intake in that timber. What does he think I bought the land for? I certainly didn't take it so I could live in that old shack. Do you plan to forfeit the land? Sheriff, you don't expect me to admit such a thing, do you? I'm not a fool. Sure he does. Why else would he have so many men there at extra pay? Joe, doggone it, I can see your point. Tell him he can't do it. He's got to stop it or pay me the rest. You try anything like that, Sheriff, and you'll regret it. Don't tell me the law, Smythe. I know the law. Then we'll have no trouble. He can't swindle me that way. Joe, I'm afraid he's got you. I don't know if there's a thing you can do, but charge it up to a mistake. Mistake? Mistake nothing. Chalk it up to a mistake. I'll get men and guns and take the law into my own hands. That's what I'll do. I wouldn't try that if I were you, Turner. No, tell me. Joe, if you bust the law, I'll have to jail you. Law? Law? What kind of law is it that says a man can steal from me like that conniving crook? There ain't no law. Smythe? Well, the law's on my side. Smythe. What is it, Joe? You're a skunk. I want to see you, Smythe. Hey, who are you? This is the Lone Ranger. I reckon you'd heard of him. Mast. What sort of a law office is it that allows a masked man to walk out of a jail cell? Come back into that cell with me. I want to show you something. Why should I care what you want? Come on. Why don't you... Help me. Take your hands off me. Now. Now, take a look at that corpse. 24 hours ago, it was a man named Danaher. He took orders from the head of the Redwood Monopoly. What about it? You're a cool one, Smythe. Now he's dead. You know why? How could I know him? He was confident that his friends on the outside would release him. He knew they wouldn't leave him in jail to take a prison term for fear he'd tell what he knew about them. Why do you show this to me? Just so you'll remember what happens to the men who fail. I don't know what you mean. Just remember what you've seen. That's all. You done with him now? Yes. Then get out of here, Smythe. After leaving the sheriff's office, the Lone Ranger crossed the street and sent a telegram to Arnold Gerson in San Francisco. The message was delivered to his Knob Hill home, and the wealthy financier read it to his aged mother. Well, what do you think about it, Mother? Well, Arnold, he says he's sure there's some one man that's back of the whole Monopoly in the Redwood Forest. You should be able to find out something to help him. Well, I might try. That is, if he's right. What do you think about it? I'm afraid this is one time the Lone Ranger's wrong, Mother. Wrong? Well, there is a big syndicate that operates a lumber camp on Cinnamon River. As a matter of fact, I have some stock in that syndicate. You have? Yes, and so do a dozen other men. But as for there being a mysterious power in back of the syndicate, well, that would certainly surprise me. Then you're going to tell the Lone Ranger he's barking up the wrong tree, is that it? I think I will. How do you account for what he tells about the death of that Dennehur fellow? Well, I think Hickory Jones murdered him. Hickory Jones? You read about it in the newspaper. Jones owned Redwood land. He lost some trees when Dennehur started the fire. He'd have lost them all if the fire hadn't been extinguished. You think he was bitter about losing the timber and put poison on Dennehur's food, eh? If I was the law up there, I certainly would arrest Jones as a suspect. But it's no business of mine. The Lone Ranger is our business. You're the one that brought him out here in the first place. Well, I'll help him all I can. But I think the best thing he can do is forget the Redwood business and come back to San Francisco. I'll write him. Why not wire him? He'll get it sooner. Yes, I'll do that. Here you are, Sheriff. Masked man said if there was any answer to his telegram to leave it with you. I'll take it. He'll be in for it. Here's your message. Thanks. Gerson says I'm mistaken, Sheriff. Well, Gerson's the man who would know if anyone did. If he says there ain't a monopoly in Redwood, there ain't. That settles it. Probably the best thing would be to take Gerson's advice. Quit this section? Would be wisest, wouldn't it? Eh, probably would. We may meet again, Sheriff. Goodbye. Bye. Doggone it, I'm disappointed. Sheriff, where's your mass friend going? Leaving. That's a good one. The telegraph man said he had a message from Mr. Gerson of San Francisco. Yep. So he's quitting cold. Smythe? Get out of here. I don't want to talk about it. 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, having had a wire from Arnold Gerson, rode slowly out of town with Tonto and appeared to be heading back to San Francisco. The news spread through the town, the county seat, and then into the Redwood lands, where certain men received it with great sighs of relief. It was carried by the lawyer named Smythe to a camp on Dipper Creek. Now you can relax, Brady. Just drive the men hard so we can clear this land. By the end of five months, it will be in the clear. I'm driving the men and paying them well, Smythe. We'll get all the timber off. What's that? Scares you the first time. Now that was just a log shooting down the flume over there. You see, they slide right down that wooden trough that's filled with water from a spring up in the mountains. They go into Dipper Creek, and then they're tied into rafts and floated to the syndicate camp on Cinnamon River. Hey, don't pretend to know much about this part of lumbering. You don't need to. You got your own part of the job. You'll have the land cleared all right then, won't you? Sure. I wouldn't like to fail in this. We better not. You heard what happens to the men who fail. Like Danaher and Zeke? Yes. We won't fail. Uh, by the way, Smythe. Yes? Just who is the boss? I don't know. You mean that? I don't know who he is. I get my orders from a man who signs his name King. It doesn't mean anything. It's just a name he uses. Probably likes to think of himself as the Lumber King. I'd sure like to know who Mr. King is. Why? The way he gets hold of some of the timber land ain't none too square. That's no affair of yours. I know it ain't. But I bet Mr. Mysterious King wouldn't like some of the things he does to be known about. There'd be a nice piece of cash in it for the man who was willing to keep his mouth shut. Wouldn't there, Smythe? Really? The boss would go a long way to keep his cigarette. That's what I figured. He's already gone a long way. These confounded logs... Oh, you get used to them. Now, where do you plan to live while you're visiting the camp? The bunkhouse. Turner's cabin's vacant. It's right by Dipper Creek. You could use that. I'd sooner stay in the bunkhouse. Are you sure the cabin's vacant? Oh, sure it is. Looks to me as if there's smoke coming from the chimney. Huh? Say, so it does. Does Turner come back? Well, not as I know of. Well, I'm going down there and find out. Then I'll go with you. Those logs make quite a splash when they hit the creek, don't they? Yeah. There's a man that's using the cabin. It isn't Turner. Hey, you. What you doing here? Me? Stay there. We want to talk to you. Looks like a drifter. Yeah. What are you doing around here? This is private property. I'm not hurting anything. I'm just looking around, that's all. You want a job? What do you know about lumber camps? Me? Me, job. You look as if you could use them. Sometimes there can be a lot of cash in worn-out clothes. This is the Turner land, isn't it? Yes, why? Just been looking it over. Where is Turner? Hanging around town. But this land is... I've got to see him. You're a mighty mysterious actor. Whose business is it how I act? I've got to find Turner. Baby, did you hear what he said about a lot of cash? You don't talk like an ignorant timber rad. Let's go inside the cabin. Seems to have stayed here only long enough to build a fire in the fireplace. Not much sign of cooking any meals. I wonder why he was so anxious to find Turner. Yeah, look there on the table. There. There you have some dirt. What in the... Parites. That's fool's gold. Yeah. You don't suppose that whiskered old guy thinks he's found gold? Lots of people made that mistake. Well, I'm going to town. I want to find out about him. Hello, Mr. Jennings. Howdy, Mr. Smythe. Didn't often we see you in here. Have a drink? In my business, I've got to keep a clear head. Last time you was here was when someone put poison in the prisoner's food. Remember? I wish I hadn't been here then. That was the first time you'd been in in weeks. Uh, Jennings, who's Joe Turner talking to, that bearded fellow over there? I don't know. Never saw the man before. How long has he been here? First time I saw him was when he drifted in a little while ago and asked for Turner. Showed him Turner sitting at that table in the corner. He went over and sat down and started talking. What was? I don't know, Mr. Smythe. I don't listen in on what folks talk about, especially when they keep their voices down. I figure it might be that he's trying to sell Turner a gold mine or something. What do you think of that? Saw him take something that looked like ore out of his pocket and show it to Joe. Turner still has that piece of cash you gave him as a down payment on that timberland, you know. Maybe the stranger's trying to take it away from him. Maybe. Maybe that's it. Oh, say there, Smythe. Oh, Joe's calling to you. Yes, he is. Smythe, I want to speak to you. What about? Maybe I ain't in the position to ask no favors after what I said in the sheriff's office, but I got to ask a favor just the same. What's the favor? Take a look at this. Mud. Well, not exactly. See that yellow in there? You don't think it's gold, do you? It's varieties. Not so loud, not so loud. What's the matter? I don't want that man over at the table to hear you say that. He thinks it's gold, you see. What about it? He wants to buy the land it come from. What's that got to do with me? Do you want to hire my services as a lawyer to drop a deal? No, not exactly. You see, this comes from the land I owned. The land on Dipper Creek. I own it now. I know you do. But look, Smythe, I've got a chance to get a little cash out of the deal. What do you mean? I can sell some of that land to that man over there. The man with the beard. He thinks there's gold in it. There isn't. I know it's Smythe, but he thinks there is. That's what counts. He's willing to buy the land. Why shouldn't I sell direct to that man? Why should I let you in on it? Oh, you wouldn't cut me out that way. I got the deal lined up. How much cash has he got? Five hundred dollars. Are you sure of that? I saw him count it and put it in his pocket. I'll talk to him. Wait, Smythe. You mean you won't let me in on this deal at all? I'll see. If I get the cash, I might give you some of it. But it ain't right. You're getting most as much for that strip as you paid me for the whole business. You've got a lot more coming. Yeah. If you don't forfeit the land when the timber's cleared. But you will forfeit it. Keep still now. I'll have a talk with that man. But, Smythe. Let me put the deal over and I'll give you something. Well, how about it, Turner? Well, Turner doesn't own the land you're talking about. He sold it to me. My name is Smythe. You remember me? We met a dipper Craigie. Oh, how do you do? You may call me Regner. You found some interesting specimens on the dipper Craig land, huh? I thought they were interesting. You're a lumber man, aren't you? That's right. Every man to his trade, I always say. I'd like to buy this strip nearest dipper Creek. Well, it's for sale at the right price. $5,000. We'll discuss that price. Sit down. All right, then. $3,000. But that's rock bottom. We'll talk some more, Smythe. I can't go one cent into $1,000. I'd be better off to develop the land to sell it for less. We're not sure there's any value there. I'll raise my offer to $400. All right, then. Have you got $500 in cash? Right here. You got the deed? Yes. Then draw up the bill of sale. 100 yards of land measured back from the creek. We'll get the sheriff to witness the deal. The deal was drawn up and witnessed by the sheriff and another responsible man in town. Then arrangements were made for the bewhiskered buyer to go to the property the following day and take possession. Brady and Smythe arrived at the cabin and found Joe Turner sitting in front of the sheriff. Oh, here's Smythe now. Look here, Smythe. You said you'd give me a piece of the cash you got. Hey, is that why you're here? That's one reason. Must be hard up. Well, I didn't say how much I'd give you. Oh, but you... Here's $10. Yeah, I figured you'd be about that way. He's an ordinary cheap cuss, ain't he, sheriff? Downright cheap. I can afford to laugh at what you poor fools think. Smythe, you'd better do all your laughing now. Oh, sheriff, here comes a masked man in the red skin. What's he doing here? The masked man's a lone ranger. He's my friend. Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. What are you doing here? Daddy, big fella. So you remember me, huh, Smythe? Last time I saw you was in the sheriff's office. The last time you saw me was last night. What? You sold me a strip of property along this creek. You? Smythe, what's he mean? I used the name Regner, remember? I resold the property to Joe Turner. To Turner? That's right, Smythe. Joe took the cash you paid him as a down payment and loaned it to me. Then I gave it to you and you gave me this land for it. So I turned the land over to Joe for the $500 he loaned me. Oh, that there flume of yours, Smythe, it crosses my land. The land I sold that man? The land he assigned to me. I don't want that flume there no more, Smythe. He don't want it there. What are you going to do about it, Turner? We can't get the timber off the hill without the flume. That's right, Brady. You can't get the timber off the hill without crossing the strip of land. And Turner owns the strip. Now, hold on. What sort of a skin game is this? You bought the land because you thought there was gold here. I said there was money in this land. There is. You can buy it back from Turner at his price. And it's plenty high. Or you can leave that timber where it stands. Turner, if they can't... Turner can't be sure it's thunder can. And I'm here to see that the flume is torn down. But this is... No, no, you can't... You're beginning to see what'll happen, huh, Smythe? You didn't buy the timber land for yourself. You bought it for someone in San Francisco. The king. When he learned that your greed made you sell this strip, maybe you'll get the same as the last man who failed him. Remember, Danaher? No, no, no. No, please don't. Send it back to me. Please sell it back to me at a price I can pay. Turner will sell it back to you for the balance due on the original deal. He promised me he would. On one condition. What is it? Name the man who is the boss. The big boss. I can't. I don't know him. All I know is that he calls himself king. Honest to goodness, I'm telling the truth. And there won't be no deal. You've got to let me buy this land back. I'll put every cent I've got into it. I'll be killed if we don't get this timber. I can't name the boss. Then name someone else. Name the one who poisoned Danaher. I can't do that either. You know. I can't. Well, I can. Baby. I'll give you the murderer if you'll let us get the timber out. You get the timber out when you pay, Joe. The balance do him. He'll be paid. Baby, listen to me. Shut up. If you fail the king, I'll do what I can to make it good. There's your poisoner, Smythe. You double-close. Shut up. He'll come to in a little while. If you want proof, Sheriff, look in his office desk for the little box of white powder he sprinkled on Danaher's food. Well, Brady, you made yourself a deal. Made he, Joe? Yeah. When I get the balance of my money, I'll sell this land back to Smythe or anyone else that wants it. But hang it all, mister. I'm sorry Smythe couldn't name the head man of the lumber monopoly. Well, you'll have to keep hunting. See you, big fella. Come on, Toto. Be ready. Come on, Silver. Come on, Silver. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. Thank you.
