horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty, hi-oh, 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! The Lone Ranger, with his nephew Dan Reed and their faithful Indian companion Tonto, had stopped by the famous wagon wheel ranch to rest their horses and talk with an old friend, genial Dave Adams and his niece Sally. By ginger, I don't know when I've enjoyed myself so much. It's just like old times, darned if it ain't. And to think that I, I of all people never knew that my old Uncle Dave was once a fire-eating, rip-roaring, two-gun marshal. You can take my word for it, Sally. Your uncle brought the letter of the law to a lot of wild and woolly border towns. Here comes Tonto. Yeah, there's an engine for you. Best doggone partner man ever had, eh, masked man? Tonto's a true friend. Oh, look, there's Silver up at the corral gate. Yes, he recognizes Tonto's horse. Sure, and he can't understand why Scout should be out running around while he's shutting the corral. Well, I think he does understand, Dave. At any rate, he's there because he wants to be. Huh? What do you mean? Oh, perhaps I should say he's there because I told him to stay there. Don't worry. If Silver wanted out of that corral, he'd get out. Yeah? Well, let me tell you something, young fella. That corral's built out of five-inch Osage poles, see? And them poles wire double with nine-gauge wire. The ain't a horse alive could break out of there. Silver would come right over the top of those bars if he wanted to. Sure, sure, and I could fly over that barn yonder if I wanted to. Only I don't want it bad enough. Oh, goodness, what an argument. Just for the sake of the argument, Dave, I'm inclined to agree with Dan. What? Hello, Tonto. Oh, Tonto. Now, looky here. I'd be the first one to say that Silver's the greatest horse that ever lived, see? And I reckon I can whip the man that says different. But the top pole on that corral fence lacks just two inches of being seven feet off on the ground. Six feet, ten inches, huh? You darn well betcha. And I'll bet all the tea in China there ain't a horse alive can jump out of there. You're plenty wrong. Corral not hold Silver if him want to get out. What? You too, Tonto? Well, I'll believe it when I see it. All right. Then watch. Look at Silver watching the Lone Ranger. Silver! Here, boy! He's running the other way. Look, now he's galloping straight at the fence. It's not possible. I can't believe it. Oh, Silver. You, you magnificent creature. Good boy, Silver. Well, I've got to sit down. Phew. Could a fella buy that horse for $10,000? You know better than that, Dave. Oh, yeah, sure. You couldn't buy Silver for ten times $10,000. You know, there's a horse running wild on the North Range. You ought to see him. He's just about the size of Silver. He's wild and beautiful. Oh, you talk about red stallion, white star on the forehead. That's the one, Tonto. We've been trying to catch that horse for four years. And it's like, well, it's like trying to throw a rope on your own shadow. Oh, him, plenty fine animal. Well, he ain't to be compared with Silver, I reckon. But what a beauty. That devil's run me ragged. I'll bet he laughs when he sees me coming. You want red stallion? Want him? Why, man, I'd give a year's growth to catch that horse. Tonto, go catch him for you. It can't be done, Tonto. Why, I'll bet you all the tea in China. Careful, careful, Dave. Tonto's just as good at catching wild horses as Silver is at jumping a corral fence. Golly, can I go along, Tonto? You've practically got the wild stallion on your hands, Dave. Oh, Silver. You look, Dan. You see fresh tracks. Stallion not very far. Is this the Box Canyon you had in mind, Tonto? Ah. We build stout fence and gate across Mouth of Canyon. Yeah. But how do you drive the stallion through the gate? I'm not driving, Dan. Yeah. You look. See? Well, that looks like just a piece of red flannel. That's all it is. After we build good stout fence, we take red cloth up the far end of Box Canyon, see? Yeah. Tie red cloth and bush, where wild horse can see it from hills. Huh? Horse get plenty curious. Pretty soon, him come down in Box Canyon. It's an old Indian trick, Dan, that very seldom fails. The animal's curiosity compels him to investigate. Chances are, however, that if our stallion does show up, you'll have a large herd of mares with him. They'll all go in. Oh. One of us will be hidden in the rocks above the canyon entrance with a rope tied to the gate. When the stallion goes in, the quick jerk on the rope slams the gate shut. And then we have plenty wild horse. We don't dare move now. Our wild horses may be close by. Yeah. And they might be a hundred miles away. Yes, that's right. We'll wait until dark and then I'll... Listen. Horses. Sounds like a hundred of them coming right this way. They'll veer off to follow the canyon trail. So, you and I and our horses are safely out of sight. Tondo's hidden in the rocks down there, ready to... There they come. Look. Keep your head down. I'll let them see you. I won't. Look at that stallion. He really is a beauty. See? See how he keeps pushing the mares away from that canyon entrance? He's looking in every direction. He sees the red cloth. Look how he flings his head and prances around. That stallion is burning with curiosity. Yeah. He's going to be burning with a wagon wheel brand on his rump if he... Uh-oh. There he goes. He's inside the gate. Why doesn't Tondo close it? Golly. Tondo's waiting for some of the mares to go in. But why? We only want the red stallion. Well, if the stallion were trapped in there alone, the rest of the herd would run away. And the stallion would either break out or kill himself trying. As long as some of the herd is in there with him, he'll be a lot easier to handle. There's four of them in there now. Five. Six. Tondo's closed the gate. Come on, Dan. Here, Silver. Come on, boy. And look at the rest of the herd go. Oh, boy, are they scared. Steady, boy. Easy, big fella. Come on, Silver. Get up, Victor. With the outlaw stallion plunging and fighting the ropes that bound him, the masked man and his friends delivered their prize to Dave Adams at the wagon wheel. Then, reluctantly, they said goodbye to Dave and Sally. The long summer days passed into weeks. Then, from different directions along the border came rumors of the red horse outlaw. There was little actual description of the outlaw himself, but on one point, the stories all agreed. The man rode a magnificent giant of a horse, a fiery red stallion with a large white star in the center of his forehead. With the speed of disaster, the man appeared and vanished. A dozen traps were sprung, only to find the red horse outlaw racing away, laughing at his pursuers. The only thing that'll stop that devil of a horse is a bullet. I've seen that red stallion run, and I ain't too sure a bullet can catch him. That's the trouble. The red horse outlaw always leaves a plain trail for us to follow. Those blamed well he can outrun anything on legs. In the Lone Ranger's camp, the masked man was reading a letter which Dan Reader just brought from the town of Good Hope. What did Dave fellas say about red stallion? Seems that our suspicions were correct, Tonto. Dave Adams hasn't seen the horse for three months. You mean someone stole him from the wagon wheel? Not exactly, Dan. This letter explains how Dave happened to part with the horse. There wasn't a man and a place could handle that red devil. Finally, we entered him in the rodeo, and he crippled a dozen men. Then one morning, a fellow come walking out of no place, up to the wagon wheel corral. He was carrying a saddle. Dave, look. Huh? Oh, stranger. Wonder what happened to his horse. Howdy, stranger. Howdy, mister. Reckon this be the wagon wheel, right? That's right. Looks like you might have had some trouble. Well, my horse broke a leg. Had to shoot him. Got a horsing cell? Sure, got horses to sell. Or give away. Give away? Right there in the corral. It's the finest piece of horse flesh ever to set foot on the ranch. I'll give him to the man that can ride him. That looks like a mighty fine stallion. Now, what's the matter with him? Outlaw? No, I wouldn't say that. He just don't care to be rode. Now, over here, I got a few horses you can look at. Now, wait, wait, wait a minute. I've seen the horse I want. How much for the stallion? Now, look, partner. You take my word for it. That critter can't be handled. Now, you better pick up... How much? Huh? Oh, you're from Missouri, eh? Well, he's yours if you can ride him. Thanks, old timer. Here, I can pay you that much for him. What? Five hundred dollars? Oh, that's very generous of you, but hadn't you better see if you can ride him first, Mr. Ray? Taylor, Jim Taylor. Don't worry, miss. I'll ride him right now. Someone will give me a hand to throw my saddle on him. Well, by golly, you sure talked like you knowed what you was doing. Oh, come on, Taylor. I'll help you saddle him. Did the stranger ride the stallion? Yes. Dave says the man rode that horse to a standstill. And then, like a flash of fire, the stranger and the red stallion raced away. The next time they were seen, they were leaving a bank robbery in Placer City. Taylor, fella. Him, strange outlaw. Yes, Tonto. He's committed five or six big robberies. All of a different nature and widely scattered places. And now, the strangest thing about the man is that he's never seen to carry a gun. And he, well, he seems to rely entirely upon his own cleverness and the speed of his horse. Well, at least we know the man's name. Yes, and Dave Adams gives a very good description of Jim Taylor in his letter here. Maybe we hit trail a red horse outlaw, huh? We're going after him right now, Tonto. Golly, he might be anywhere within a thousand miles of here. How will we know where to start? We'll start at the beginning by finding out who Jim Taylor is, where he's from, everything about him. It may take time, but sooner or later, we'll cross his trail. Let's get ready to move. Here, Silver. Here, boy. 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. Amos Bradley had been a generous benefactor to the people in his community. When the Big Promise mine had suddenly closed, leaving hundreds of people unemployed, Bradley had appeared on the scene and reopened the Big Promise. His money had brought new life to a despairing community. And now the Big Promise was a rich asset to everyone in the valley. Bradley, listen. Bradley, I'm very busy today. What do you want? Boss, I'm thinking you're going to be busier tomorrow. I was just up the street, see? Old Pete Grenner sitting out in front of the hotel as usual. And I happened to hear something that made me pull up a chair on the porch and listen for a spell. You on? Well, old Pete was talking to a kid. Kid maybe 14, 15 years old. Sure. The reason I got interested is I happened to hear the kid ask old Pete if he'd ever known anyone around these parts by the name of... Kaler. Eh? Did you ever hear that name before, Amos? What, uh, happened barely? Oh, he just sat there chewing the breeze and old Pete was telling the kid about the fellow that used to be in these parts. Where's that kid now? I gotta find out who he is, where he's from, all about him. Yeah, I never let him out of my sight for a minute. He left town riding a right pretty horse, pure white cold. Yes? Naturally, I had a couple of the boys following him. Soon as they get back, we'll know better what to do. Meanwhile, I thought maybe you'd better know about it. Whoa, more major. Whoa, boy. Easy. Why all the hurry, Dan? Did you find out anything important? I found out plenty, sir, but there isn't time to explain right now. Listen, I was followed out of town, two riders. I'm sure it has something to do with the questions I was asking Pete Grenner. Grenner? Who's he? An old prospector. He remembers a man named Kaler, knows a lot about him. Tonto, you and Dan get busy around the camp. Pretend you two are alone here, and let your visitors talk if they care to. Ah, Dan, Tonto won't saddle Victor for you. You'll not watch brush where Lone Ranger hide. Here they come. Hold! Hold! Hold! Hi there! Hello. Great nice camp you got here, ain't it, Roof? Yeah, sure is. Just you and the engine live here, kid? It's just a temporary camping place. What can we do for you? Why, a fellow told me in town you was wanting some information about a man named Keller. Uh, Keeler. Was that the name? Keeler? I was asking about a man named Keeler. Oh, I see. Keeler, huh? Uh, just, uh, what did you want to know, Sonny? I might ask you why you're so interested. Never mind getting sassy, kid. You just answer our question, see? Boy, not answer question. If you'll not want to. Well, now, another country heard from. Listen, Redskin, keep your lip button while we talk to Mr. Nosy here. Now, come on, kid. Tell us why you're so blamed and interested in that Keeler gent. We ain't got a lot... Well, uh, looks like you have company, Dan. Who are these men? A mass mass. I don't know who they are, sir. Oh, no. Perhaps you better get their guns. Don't move you two. Uh, me get them. Now, get out of here, both of you. And hurry. News that there were strangers in town inquiring about a man named Keeler was upsetting to Amos Bradley, and with good reason. It was late at night. The millionaire owner of the Big Promise Mine paced thoughtfully up and down in the library of his home. There must be something behind it. Why would anyone, after all these years, be interested in Keeler? Quiet. Who's that in the other room? I'm one of the men who's interested in Mort Keeler. But, uh... But he's dead. Fifteen years he's been dead. You... What are you wearing a mask for? You sent men to my camp this afternoon for information. That's what I'm after now. I don't... Why are you interested in Keeler? Mainly because of a man who's been seen in this section of the country recently. He's known as an outlaw. Rides a big red stallion. Maybe you're his partner, huh? No. Well, what's the connection between this red horse outlaw and Mort Keeler, who's been dead for fifteen years? Bradley, the red horse outlaw is Mort Keeler's son. Does that mean anything to you? Not especially. Why should it? Because you're his next victim. You're a loco. Am I? For weeks I've been gathering information. Would you like to know what I've learned? Right. You, Eddie. I've learned about a prospector who came into this valley some twenty years ago. He was broke, but on the verge of a great discovery. Though he went to his friends to raise money. They grubstaked him. And for five years this man searched for gold. He located a claim here in the valley. He called it the Big Promise. You on with your fairy tale. About that time, six of the major stockholders in the company this prospector had formed went to the law and declared they'd been swindled. Because they were influential, the prospector was convicted of grand larceny and sentenced to ten years in prison. You on? Then what happened? The man went to prison. He died there within a year. And a short time later, his wife, unable to bear the disgrace, disappeared. He's never been heard from since. Sure. There was a boy left behind. He never believed in his father's guilt. And he was never ashamed of his family name. So he went right on calling himself Jim Kaler. Would you like to see a list of the Red Horse Outlaw's victims? Well, I don't know. Should I? Yes. Here. Take a look, Mr. Bradley. You'll recognize those names. Those men were your partners in railroading Mort Kaler to prison. You can't hear the words you're saying. Perhaps you're right. But I think I can stop Jim Kaler from getting you. Look at that list, Bradley. Those men were robbed of great wealth. And then, without a single exception, the crimes they had committed to gain that wealth were exposed. Can you protect yourself from the Red Horse Outlaw? How can you stop him? The money that you've taken from the Big Promise Mine is rightfully his. At least the largest share of it. Why don't you return half of that money to Jim Kaler and give him the mine you stole from his father? Bradley. Hey, man, you're insane. The Big Promise is worth a million dollars. It won't be worth ten cents to you. Not after the Red Horse Outlaw gets through with you. But if that's the way you feel, I'd better be going. No, no, no. Even if I agree to your fantastic proposal, how would you ever get to him? How could you possibly catch him? I caught Jim Kaler's horse once before. And I think I can do it again. But how will I know if he chooses to accept such an offer? Put it in writing, Bradley. And I'll bring him here. Three days. Four. Then the stalwart Indian Tonto appeared in the Lone Ranger's new camp and announced simply, Tonto Fine Hideout, Red Horse Outlaw. I knew you would. Dan, there's a telegraph station at Fort Andrews. Take this message and see that it goes out immediately after you get there. Yes, sir. Then wait for Tonto and me in Fort Andrews. I'm ready, Tonto. Let's go find Jim Kaler. Up through the rolling foothills, across the high plateau, then into the wild, forbidding country, the masked man in Tonto rode steadily. It was late afternoon when the Indians signaled for a halt. Oh, Silver. Oh, fella. Oh, fella. Oh. There came Usabi. Kaler, fella. Just come in. The Red Stallion. He's seen our horses. Ah. Outlaw moved plenty fast now. Not fast enough to get away from Silver. Otto, meet me in town tonight at Amos Bradley's place. Try to find out who's there. I don't trust him. And a watch house plenty good. Come on, Silver. Responding to his master's command, the great white stallion leaped forward. A moment later, a startled figure in the camp below leaped from the back of the huge red horse and raced away. Come on, boy. We're getting on him. Faster, Silver. Faster. Pull up, Kaler. Lock your horse. Oh, Silver. Oh, easy. Back now. Oh. Ah, it would have to be you. The only man in the world that could catch me. The Lone Ranger. Well, I'm glad you didn't shoot. Thank you. I knew you were unarmed. And I knew you from the girl's description. Girl? What girl? The girl at the wagon wheel. She told me how you caught the Red Stallion. Well, you've got me. Now what? Let's go back to your camp, Kaler. I want to talk to you. And that's where it stands. There you have Bradley's promise in writing. It remains to be seen what you prefer most. Revenge and nothing, or justice and that which is rightfully yours. Amos Bradley deserves to suffer. He will. He'll suffer the shame of defeat for the rest of his life. I couldn't enjoy the money or the property. Not now. Oh, I think you could, Jim. There are only four men who know the identity of the Red Horse Outlaw. Uncle Dave Adams, who's my friend. Amos Bradley. You and myself. Turn the horse loose, Jim. Let him go back to the wild bunch. And then... That sounds wonderful, Masked Man. If only there was someone to share it with. Jim, listen to me. When I was searching for members of the Kaler family, I located your mother. My mother? She's on her way here now. I sent for her after to come. Now, I believe you when you say justice is sweeter than revenge. You'll go. Will that horse carry double? Yes, Jim. All right. Come here, you red rascal. Yeah, let me get my saddle and bridle. And then you can have your freedom. Same as I'll be getting mine. Saddle. Now you're bridle boy. All right. Go on, red horse. Run yourself back to the hills. But don't you get swell-headed. Because you're not the best horse in the world. Only the second best. Go on now. All right, I'm ready. I wish you good luck from the bottom of my heart. You know, I had a plan. When you and the Lone Ranger showed up, I was going to have someone hidden here in the house to kill you both. Think of the reward money I could have collected. But then... Well, it's hard for a man to go against the kind of decency and common sense a masked man offers. Well, the big promise of mine is yours, son. Lock, stock, and barrel. Me? I'm heading for the Argentine. So long and good luck to you. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
