with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a harny hail Silver, the Lone Ranger. Faithful Indian companion Tonto, the mask 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 and the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver, the Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver! There's danger on the trail ahead! Hail, Silver! Away! It had been nearly six years and in a way that was a long time for a man like Monty Regan to carry fear in his heart. A dull, gnawing fear of the past that threatened to spoil the only happiness Monty had ever known. But it was there constantly and Monty's young wife, Helen, knew it was there. It was late evening and Monty had just finished locking up the store. Well, another day, another dollar, like they say in the army. Oh, Helen, you remember that fellow was in here this afternoon, big husky-looking stranger? Oh, you mean the man who bought the saddle blanket? Uh-huh. Well, if he should come back and start asking you a bunch of questions when I ain't around, just don't tell him nothing, you hear? There's nothing I could tell him, Monty, only that you're my husband, that we've been married four years and that I'm still very much in love with you. Now, that wouldn't be very interesting to a United States Marshal, would it? U.S. Hey, now, whatever gave you the idea that fellow was a badge-toater? Huh? I think I can spot them nearly as well as you, darling. Oh, you're just imagining stuff. No, there's something about a lawman, something he can't ever quite put out of sight. Well, he can hide his badge and change his clothes, but for some reason he can't ever hide his feeling. He knows he's right. He's got the law on his side and the knowledge of rightness in what he's doing. And he can't hide his feeling of confidence any more than... Any more than a fellow like me can hide his fear of the past. Is that what you wanted to say? Yes. I'm not asking you to tell me, Monty. I'll never ask you that. Oh, that makes me feel like two cents, honey. Here you've been trusting me knowing all along something was wrong. And me, I ain't never trusted you enough to tell you what it was. Well? If you'd rather not, I... Oh, now, who in thunder's after something at this time of night? Yeah? Oh, it's you, huh? What do you want, Louie? Awful sick, Monty. Sick? You sick? Come on in. What's the trouble with you? Powerful, big hurting belly. Head hurt. Not feel good. Hmm. Don't go on if you ain't the healthiest looking sick engine I ever seen. Well, let's see what we can find over here. Hmm. What's the matter, Monty? Oh, Louie the half-breed says he's sick. Well, I'll fix him up. Monty, listen. Huh? I thought I heard someone outside. Must have been the wind rattling in the stovepipe or something. Yeah, let's see. You got a sore throat, Louie? Oui, Monty. Throat hurt awful bad. You just hurt all over, don't you? Yeah. Well, maybe, maybe, Monty, you sell Louie a little bit of whiskey, huh? Fix some good. Whiskey? Hey, fella, you know, blame well I don't handle whiskey around here. Even if I did, you couldn't buy any. Monty, I'm terrible sick. No sleep, no eat. Poor Louie feel awful. Whiskey, plenty good medicine. Make him feel better. Yeah, I know it, wouldn't I? You, um, really feel pretty tough, huh, Louie? Oh, Louie feel terrible. Well, now I guess maybe there ain't no harm in fixing you up just this once. After all, when a fella's sick and needs medicine, he, just a minute, Louie, I'll go fetch you a bottle. Monty, what on earth are you going to... Well, you heard Louie say he was sick, didn't you? Well, we can... But Monty, what on earth... May not forget big favor, Monty. You plenty good friend. Feeling better already, huh, Louie? Yeah, there you are. There's your bottle, Louie. That'll be three dollars. Oui, there, you take money. Louie, not forget big favor. Me plenty sick. You help him feel better, huh? Sure, sure, Louie, any time you get sick... Hold it there. I'm Jeff Treanor, a United States Marshal. So you finally slipped up, eh, Regan? Peddling whiskey to Indians. That's bad business. You're mistaken, Mr. Treanor. My husband didn't... Didn't, huh? Wasn't I right outside watching him through the window? Yeah. That's right, Helen. He was outside like he says. Louie, you sneaking rat, why don't you hand over your bottle? Give the Marshal a drink, huh? After all, he's got to be sure what he's doing. Yeah, give me that bottle. Coming in here saying you're sick, begging me for medicine? I'll try this. Yeah, what in the name of... Hey, what the blue blazes is in this bottle? Medicine, Mr. Marshal, like Louie asked for. To be exact, it's castor oil. Good for all kinds of ailments. Castor oil? Yeah, that's right. Now, if you've had enough, hand back the bottle. Monty, you not sell Louie whiskey? Told you once I don't sell whiskey, Louie. Now, here. This will either make you feel better or it'll kill you. Now, you drink her down, Louie. No, Monty, no. Drink, you white-livered coyote. Drink before I pour it down your throat. There. There you are. Now, get out of here, you mangy half-breed. If you don't feel better tomorrow, come on back and I'll sell you another bottle. No, no, Louie, not come back. Louie, never come back. You hadn't better, you rat. Well, now what, Mr. Marshal? The eastern sky reflected a rainbow pattern of color as two horsemen reined up at the bank of Wolf River and allowed the horses to pick their own footing across the shallow gravel bar. In the lead, the lone ranger spoke to his faithful Indian companion, Tonto. About a mile north of Whitewater Junction, Tonto. Ah, village just beyond River Bend. Maybe we... Tonto, look on the river bank. The man's body. Ah, me just see him. Come on, Silver. Get him up, scout. Oh, Silver, hold on, scout him, Tonto. Looks like an Indian. Ah, big Indian settlement near here. Tell him, Dan. No, but he's... All right now, can you sit up, mister? Get him a drink of water, Tonto. No, no, Louie, not drink. Never drink no more anything. Oh, so that's your trouble, huh? Too much fire water? No, Louie, no drink fire water. Louie, drink castor oil. Big bottle. Big, big bottle. Oh, Louie, awful sick. Louie, tell him, look sick. Well, at least he isn't crippled or hurt as we thought. Me, Lou's plenty good friend, too. Monty, him never like Louie no more. Monty? Monty Regan. Him run trading posts. Fella come yesterday, give Louie five dollar. Him say me go buy whiskey at store. Now, Louie got no whiskey, no got five dollar, no got friend Monty, just got bellyache. Tell me, is this Monty Regan a whiskey peddler? Monty no sell whiskey. Me find out. Monty him sell castor oil. What about the man who gave you the five dollars? Friend of yours? No. Him say, you take money, tell Regan fella you sick. Him sell you whiskey. Louie go store, make believe him sick. Now Louie sick, no make believe. I think you'll recover soon enough. Did he, Silver? Let's go, Dotto. Next time, Louie not try tricks on good friend. Get him up, Scout. Come on, Silver. Well, there's a settlement ahead. Judging from the half bridge story, I'd say there must be a lawman around here who was anxious to arrest Monty Regan. Maybe Regan fella too smart, huh? At least he proved himself too smart for Louie. I believe Louie was the most repentant Indian I ever... Oh, Silver, steady big fella. Easy. Listen, Totto. Horse coming up trail plenty fast. Yes. There he is and he's riderless. Otto, there's been trouble up ahead. Now you stop that horse. I'm going to see what's wrong. Come on, Silver, get him up, Scout! Oh, Silver, ho, boy, ho. There he is lying beside the trail. Here. What's wrong, mister? We heard a shot. What happened? I'm a trainer, United States Marshal. Steady. Regan, big holdup, went to prison. Yes? They fixed parole so I could follow him, find hiding place. Slippery devil. Been trailing him six years. Six years? Well, that loot must have amounted to a great deal. Better than hundred thousand dollars. Found Regan running trading post here. tried to trap him. Yes, I know that part of it. Louie told me. Regan suspected who I was, why I was here. Guess he followed me, shot from ambush. You're pretty badly wounded. Sure, I know. Can you tell me what this man Regan looks like? He's, he's, oh, reward notice, description, saddleback. All right, marshal. We'll find that old reward notice. We'll find that in the man who shot you in the back. Here, silver. Steady, boy. Oscar, ho, fellow, ho, fellow, ho. Taro, throw this man's body on that horse. I'll meet you at the trading post. Who dead man? Trainer, United States Marshal. I'll tell you about it later. Come on, silver. Oh, silver, steady, easy. Who are you? What do you want? I'm looking for Monty Regan. What do you want with my husband? Your husband? I, uh, I'd rather tell him personally. Where is he? I'd rather not answer that. You don't have to answer his questions, Helen. Monty. I'll speak for myself, mask man. Don't make any bad moves or this gun will shoot too. The same gun that killed Marshal Trainer? What? Your, uh, surprise is very convincing. Well, it should be. I didn't know Trainer was dead. I found him on the trail, shot in the back. Did you know that he came to Whitewater Junction looking for you and why? Yes, I knew that. And my wife knew too. Monty told me everything after Marshal Trainer left here last night. Now, suppose you tell us just where you fit into this picture. For the time being, I'm taking up where Trainer left off. Oh, well, that's rich. A mask man posing as a marshal. Yes, like a killer posing as a storekeeper, huh, Monty? Drop that gun. Don't move, so help me, I'll let you have it. That's what you think. No! 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. Marshal Jeff Trainer followed Monty Regan's trail for six years and finally found his man running a small trading post in Whitewater Junction. Next morning, Trainer was mysteriously shot from ambush. Before he died, the lawman managed to tell part of the story to the Lone Ranger. Later in the trading post, Regan faced the masked man with gun drawn, then... No! There's a great deal of difference in shooting a man when he's facing you, isn't there, Regan? Monty? Monty, are you hurt? No. I didn't even see him draw. Shot the gun out of my hand before I could pull a trigger. Do you deny that you shot Jeff Trainer? I certainly do. Monty, please. Kimotabi, wait. Who's this Indian? He's a stranger. He rides with me. Tonto brought the Marshal's body to town. Oh, well, and... Did you say Tonto? Yes. I remember hearing that name a long time ago. An Indian who traveled with a masked man. But, Monty, where did you ever... Maybe you know a fellow who traveled with Indian, huh? No. No one knows him. Only that he's a big man and wears a black mask and rides a big horse, a pure white stallion. This man is wearing a black mask and his horse outside... I know. There isn't another horse like him in the West. Sure it fits. This Indian is Tonto. The white horse is silver and the masked man here is the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger? Am I right, mister? I said a moment ago that I was taking up where Marshal Traynor left off. Oh, Monty, tell him. Tell him everything. I'm going to, Helen. And then, who knows? Maybe the world will someday believe that Monty Regan never killed a man, never stole anything, never did anything in his life to be ashamed of. Well, my brother Fred was only a year older than me and the folks couldn't tell us apart. Even in school, the teacher used to take me for him. I looked up to Fred with a son of hero worship. When Dad died, we inherited the Flying W Ranch free of debt. Within six months, Fred spent all our cash and mortgaged the place. One day, the sheriff came and said the Wells Fargo office had been robbed of over $100,000 in gold. Two men had been shot. Before they died, they both accused Fred. He was caught, found guilty, and given a life sentence. I went to see him at the territorial prison. Fred told me where the gold was and wanted me to go and get it. But I didn't want to get mixed up in that robbery. My brother, you turned out to be. You tell the authorities where that gold is, they might lighten your sentence. Go on, kid. You forget there were two men killed in that holdup. Fred, all our lives I've been helping you out of scrapes. Wait a minute, kid. What is it? I wanted to see where that Snoopy guard was. Yeah, I remember, Monty. No one could tell us apart most of the time. That's right. It doesn't seem like... Since we do look alike, fella, you can sit in this cell instead of me. I've got to hurry and change clothes before that guard comes along. When I came to, I had on prison clothes and Fred was gone. I hated him after that. I told the prison officials, but they laughed at me. To convince them, I told them about the hidden gold, but Fred got there first so they didn't find it. I sat in that prison cell five years, hating Fred, hating everyone. Regan, the governor approved your parole. You're leaving today. A free man. Free. But I soon learned it was a trick. A government man was put on my trail hoping I'd lead him to the hidden gold. As time went by, I did my best to lose him, but he never gave up. Then I met Helen. We married four years ago. I didn't tell her about this until last night after the marshal showed up here in Whitewater Junction. Well, you found the lawman's body. If you're taking his place, why don't you get me started back to prison? If you really kill the marshal, I will. But right now, I have other plans. Listen, both of you, and do exactly what I tell you. Your life may depend on it. Half-breed redskin. Maybe I can save me a long ride. Hey there. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. How'd you like to earn yourself a dollar? Hello, Monty. Sure. What you want Louis to do? Junction thinks I'm Monty. Louis, heaps sorry, play trick on friend. You not mad? Huh? Heck no, I ain't mad at you. You make Louis feel plenty good, you bet. Sure, sure. Now, look, Louis, what I wondered was if you'd take a little ride across the mountain for me. I got a message that has to go to the telegraph station at Reedville. You bet Louis do that for good friend Monty. Yeah, yeah, I got it all wrote down. Now, here's a dollar for sending the message and another dollar for yourself. Now, get going. Go, Silver, go, boy. Easy, it's getting it. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Recognize that rider, Tyler? Ah, in the Indian front of we meet on trail this morning. That's your rush, Louis. May go to Reedville. Do a big favor for good friend Monty. Whoa, whoa. Monty, where did you see Monty? Louis just leaving maybe a hour ago on trail. I see. Now, what sort of a favor were you talking about? Me take a message, telegraph man, read. Reedville, huh? Louis not smart, maybe. Maybe you bad fella, huh? Bad fella hide face, huh? You not worry, Louis. Mask man, Wagga-woo, Manitou. Wagga-woo, Manitou? Let me tell him, you lone ranger. Louis, I'd like to see the message you're carrying. Maybe, maybe get friend in trouble again. I think your friend Monty is already in trouble. Perhaps you and I can help him, huh? You not try a trick, Louis. Here. I think you better take Louis' place. Here, take this message to the sheriff at Reedville and hurry. Ah, where may find you? At the trading post. You give Louis back paper. Monty be mad again. I don't think so, Louis. Come on, you can ride with me. Get off the scout. Where we go, huh? We're going to see your good friend Monty Regan. Come on, Silver. Get him on. What's happened? The lone ranger stopped Louis on the trail to Reedville. He was taking this message to the telegraph office. Here. What? Why, it's addressed to the warden at the territorial prison. And it has your name signed to it. I know. Read it. Have just shot and killed Marshal Jeff Traynor in gunfight. Come to Whitewater Junction. We'll tell you where Wells Fargo Express Monty is hidden. But Monty, what does it mean? I think the mask man here can give you the answer. While Monty was in prison, Fred was safe and he knew it. After Monty was paroled and the marshal was assigned to trail him, then Fred started to have trouble. You see, because your husband and his brother resemble each other so much, Traynor had difficulty getting on the right trail. For a while, he was on Monty's trail. Then he came to places where Fred had been. I found a letter in Traynor's saddlebag in the same handwriting as this note. He told Marshal Traynor that Monty Regan could be found in Whitewater Junction. But why? Why would... Oh, he's right. For a hundred thousand dollar robbery is concerned, the government doesn't give up easily. Fred knew this, so he played smart. How? By keeping out of sight, laying low. However, there was one very real danger. As long as the law was trailing Monty, there was a chance that Fred might be recaptured. So? So he tipped off the marshal and I was here. Then when Traynor arrived, Fred was on hand to kill him. Then he sent the message you just read. But how? Surely there are a dozen people who can prove that you had nothing to do with Traynor's death. The lone ranger knows that. You could tell... No. You see, Mrs. Regan, when the prison officers got here after receiving a message they thought was from Monty Regan, they would find him dead. Oh. Fred had things worked out pretty nicely. There would be many people around here to testify that Monty had an argument with Traynor. Louie, the half-breed, would swear that Monty had given him a message to take to the telegraph office at Reedville. Everything would point to the fact that Monty Regan had killed Marshal Traynor and then committed suicide. Oh, then Fred Regan is... My reasoning is correct. He's coming here soon to kill your husband. Oh, Monty. I don't think you need worry, Mrs. Regan. Now, let's get busy with a little reception party. It was nearly midnight. Hiya, Monty. Fred. What do you want here? How did you find me? How'd I find yours up here? Shucks, kid. You ain't smart. You don't ever change your name. There's nothing the matter with my name. Yeah, I know. That's what I come for. Say. There was a United States Marshal killed here this morning. And now you show up. Yeah. Some coincidence, huh? That dumb lawman didn't know half the time whether he was trailing you or me. Well, if he had known the difference, he never would have bothered me. Yeah. Well, kid, it ain't gonna bother you no more. What do you mean? Is this your gun belt hanging up here? Nice-looking shooting, huh? Fred, what are you... What am I planning to do? Fixing to retire, kid, with a hundred thousand simoleons. Just as soon as the law gets here and finds you killed yourself with your own gun. Now, wait, Fred. So long, kid. This gun's empty. This one isn't empty, Regan. Get your hands up. Come on, man. What kind of a trap is this? What's a murder trap, Regan? There's your man, Sheriff. You buzzers ain't taking me. You busted my arm. No, you need that arm to write your confession, killer. I can't figure it out. Now the law got here so fast, we intercepted the message you sent to the warden. It sounded as though you were in a hurry. So we brought the sheriff from Reedville instead. Yeah. Now, if you want to live to see the inside of my jail, you better be careful, mister. Because I ain't fussy how I take you back. Monty. Monty, I heard a shot. Are you all right? Oh. Oh, you bet I'm all right. Everything's all right. Now. Now. You have just heard it is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger, Incorporated. The Lone Ranger, Incorporated. The Lone Ranger, Incorporated. The Lone Ranger, Incorporated.
