a horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hell silver, the Lone Ranger. With his faithful 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 and the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver, the Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver! Hurry, big fellow! I'll Silver! Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity, Samuel Morse gave it words, and Edward Creighton spanned the continent with a thin iron wire that the world called Western Union. It was a chain of events with which young red-headed Shane O'Leary was proud to be even the smallest part. Not that his job as telegrapher at Pine Bluff, Wyoming was unimportant. Every man working for Western Union was a vital link in the chain. That's what Mr. Creighton had said when Shane O'Leary was hired. Shane liked his new job. There were several advantages to living in Pine Bluff. First and foremost was a blue-eyed girl named Sue Ryan. Then there was Sue's grandfather, Old Powder Ryan, who drove a freight wagon on the Bozeman Trail and who loafed in the telegraph office on warm summer evenings. Yep, like I was saying, when I first saw this country in 49, it was heaped different than it is now. Yeah, I know. Pa used to tell me about it. No railroads or steam engines or newfangled telegraph. Nothing but buffalo grass and engines. Well, how about the weather, Potter? Are the summers in Wyoming always as hot as this? Not always, Shane. Wyoming weather is funny. Liable to change real sudden life. What do you mean? Well, I mined one year, long about this time. I think it was the summer of 52. Blazing hot it was. So dead burn steaming hot that one day I saw a prairie wolf chasing a rabbit and they was both walking. No, wait a minute. Then right in the middle of all that heat, a real norther came screeching down from Montana. It turned so cold I froze both my ears. And another time... Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. The operator in smoke siding is calling me. Yeah, what's the matter, son? Nothing. Smoke siding is telling me the overland just went through. So we'll be here in a few minutes. I'll have to change the signal. Sure beats all how you fellas can make any sense out of that pesky little contraption clicking all the time. It's easy once you know the code. Hey, uh, Powder, uh, did, uh, did Sue say anything about, uh, bringing my lunch down here tonight? She said an airy word to me. That granddaughter of mine, just like her mother. Well, Sue's beautiful. And I'll bet Mrs. Ryan was just as pretty when she was Sue's age. Yep, but that ain't what I mean. All the Ryan females like to speak their own mind. Real sharp and peppery. Oh, gosh, you don't have to tell me that. I've been trying to get Sue to listen to something I wanted to tell her for the last six months. But she won't... I know exactly what you mean, my boy. Sue ain't no different than... I might have known it. When two men get together, they always gossip. Talking about me, weren't you? Well, uh... Sue, you did bring my lunch, didn't you? Here you are. Mother and I didn't have anything else to do, so we fixed some sandwiches. Well, thanks an awful lot. I didn't expect... Don't tell me you didn't expect it, because I know you did. After all, Mr. O'Leary, you're our starboarder. We have to keep you well-fed so you'll make enough money to pay your rent. Sue, I've just made an important decision. About what? Come over here. Well? Even though Powder's sitting right here staring at us, I'm going to kiss you and then I'm... Oh, no, you're not. Oh, gosh, Sue. I mean, you must know I'm in love with you and I want you to be my wife. I suppose you think I go around kissing strange men. See, no, Sue, but... Well, I'm not strange. I thought maybe someday... Someday? I'll tell you this much, Shane O'Leary. It'll be a cold day in July when I let a fresh red-headed Irishman kiss me. I'm going home, Powder. Are you coming along? Yeah. Yeah. It was almost midnight. I guess it might as well turn in. Oh, wait, Sue. Don't get mad. I... They're all alike, son. Just like I told you. I made some jelly sandwiches for your lunch. I should have used ground glass. Good night. What? Gosh. Hey, what the... This is a .45, this level of you, kid. I mean business. What do you want? Nothing from you, except keep that signal outside set against the overland. Get your mind off that gun in the corner. Oh, a holdup, huh? Something like that. Find out when the overland's due. No, not yet. Start talking, kid. Why, I, uh... The smoke siding reported a two-car special running ahead of the overland. Well, that must be it now. If you just want to stop the overland, I'd better raise a signal and let this special go through. Keep your hands away from that lever. You don't think we believe that lie, do you? Here it comes. You figure the Wells Fargo shipments in the express car? Why, sure it is. Now, let's go. You're going out there with us, kid. Unless you'd rather take a lead slug right in the middle of a lie. Get moving. All right, kid. Get at the guard in the express car. Tell him to open up. No, I'm not going to. I said yeah. I... Hey, anybody inside there? And get your gun. This is a hold-up. Why, you dirty little... I'll show you. Come on, blast. Not as long as I've got six bullets in this peacemaker. What's the trouble? Here's Jules Pitt, the station agent. Well, can't anybody talk around here? What happened, Sheriff? I'm in serious trouble, Mr. Pitt. Train robbers blasted and opened the express car when the overland stopped here. Killed the guard and got away with the Wells Fargo shipment. Shane O'Leary, the brass pounder, tangled with... How come the overland stopped here? Why wasn't the signal raised? Did you stop at O'Leary? At the point of a gun. Two hard-case gents with bandanas over their faces while they busted into the office and threw down on me. And nobody saw these outlaws but you, is that right? Well, I was here all alone, Mr. Pitt. Well, this is a second hold-up between here and Cheyenne within the last month. And it's mighty funny that in both cases, the bandits knew the train was carrying a Wells Fargo gold shipment. I can't figure it out. Yeah? Well, maybe I can. Hey, Mr. Pitt, you're not going to... I'm calling Cheyenne. And this time, Western Union had better send me an honest brass pounder. You mean I... Get out of here, O'Leary. You're through. Why, you... Hey! Good for you, Shane. I came near busting the tritter myself this afternoon when he made me wait an extra day to drive his freighter to Bozeman. Thanks, Potter. I'm going up to the Borden house and pack my stuff. Riding south along the Bozeman trail, the Lone Ranger and Tonto reined up their horses near Madison Springs. Oh, old silver. Old scouts, old fella. Easy, big fella. We're in no hurry, Tonto. We might as well camp here for a couple of days and repair the saddle gear. Ah. It's plenty of good place. Me get wood. Fix fire. Good. I'll take care of the horses. Shane O'Leary, what's this I hear about? A train hold-up. You losing your job. That's right, Mrs. Ryan. Jules Pitt telegraphed Mr. Creighton and Cheyenne to send out another operator. I'm all through with Western Union. I'm packing my stuff. I'm going to head west. Maybe to California. Why, leave. You had no part in the hold-up. But nobody will believe me. Sheriff Hollister and his posse couldn't find any track of the men who did it. Almost everybody in town is believing what Jules Pitt's saying about me. Have you got any idea who the outlaws were? Well, they were masked with bandanas. I don't recognize their voices, but what good's that? Maybe if you stayed here in Pine Bluff, you could help find the murdering thieves. No, no. Mr. Creighton down in Cheyenne will think what everybody else thinks. So I'm going to pull out. Do you hear what he's saying, Susan? Of course I heard. If you've done nothing you're ashamed of, Shane O'Leary, then why skedaddle just like the train robbers? What's that? Sue, you know I didn't have... Then why don't you stay here and make Jules Pitt eat his words? Well, how will staying here help make... You can think of more reasons for not doing what you ought to do. From all I've heard about the robbery, I don't think the outlaws ever left town. Say, you might be right. I never thought of that. But don't let it bother you. Go right ahead and quit. That's what I expect you to do. Where's Powder, Mrs. Ryan? Going down to the wagon yard to hitch up his team. He's freighting a load north. Long about sunup. I'm going down there and talk to him. Tritters, how can I put this on? I said stand still. Oh, hello, Shane. You still up? Be daybreak for long. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Powder, I've been talking to Sue. She thinks maybe the train robbers stayed right here in town instead of hightailing it like everybody thinks. You can't tell. Well, sometimes women folks are good at guessing. Does seem kind of loco to hold up a train right in the middle of a town. Yeah. Not that I think Sue's right, but... Hey, Powder, who's that talking over by the stable? I don't know. You can't see that far when it's pitch black. What are you going to do? I think I recognize one of those voices. Wait a minute. I'll be right back, Powder. The slugs must have creased my arm. You can see us sob bones once we get up north. What's the matter? Somebody's sneaking up alongside that wagon. If you turn real quick, you can slug him. Yeah. The butt end of my gun ought to be. Why, uh... There. I wonder who the sneaking crowd is. Well, it's the kid. The Western Union hombre. Oh, Harvey. He must have had a hunch that you and me were... What do we do with him? Take him along with us. It's a cinch the boss don't want him here. How will we carry him? Some way we're going. Now, come on. Help me heave him in the back of Potter's freight wagon. Yeah. When the old coot ain't looking. All right. It was several hours later when Shane O'Leary returned to a painful consciousness. He was first aware of the stifling heat under the thick canvas of a jolting freight wagon. Bound hand and foot and lying wedged between heavy boxes, it wasn't until he heard the dim echo of old Powder's voice that he knew where he was. Get along there! You need to be critters! He'd been slugged and bound and then thrown into the back end of Powder's freight wagon. The men who did it were the same men who had had the hell left on the overland. Now they were crouched beside him. Gathering all his strength, Shane yelled at the top of his voice. Potter, watch out in the wagon back of you! Wait, what the... What do we do? This ain't the place we figured on. Any place is all right now. Slit the canvas and get out your gun. You murdering skunks, Anguilis? Let him have it. Otto, look. Down there on the trail. The gun fighting that freight wagon. Ah, come on, Silver, get him up, scound. Two other have fired the wagon. They're cutting loose the horses. Ah, faster, Silver, faster. Get him up, scound. 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. Urging their mounts forward, the Lone Ranger and Tonto raced at top speed toward the burning freight wagon. And they were met by a hail of flying lead from the guns of the surprised outlaw. The other side of the wagon, Tonto, we're using for cover. Ah, oh, scound. Oh, scound. Oh, scound. Oh, hold. Look, Pete. A mask, Umbry, and an engine. Kill him. Cut him down. Oh, my leg. Slug through my leg. I ain't trading any more leg with this, Umbry. Come on, let's straddle these horses. Get away if we can. Let's get him. Come on. Let them go, Tonto. There's a driver on the wagon seat. We've got to get him out. Huh? Where am I? You're in a camp near Medicine Springs. But how did I get your mast? And a redskin. How'd I fall in with a couple of owl hoots? No, we're not outlaws. Oh, freight wagon and Powder Ryan. Those crooks. Tonto and I pulled you out of the wagon just in time. If Powder Ryan was the name of the old driver, he's dead. Shot through the back. Boy, those dirty, murdering... The men who did it cut loose the team and used their horses for a getaway. We tried to stop them, and we discovered you, bound in the back of the wagon. I don't know who you ombres are, but I've got to get out of here and trail those back-shooting coyotes. I'm afraid their trail is pretty cold now, unless you know who they are. I'll run them down in a... What do you mean, cold? Well, it's been over a week since Tonto and I pulled you out of the wagon. A week? Well, then where have I... You had a pretty bad cut on your head. It caused a fever, but Tonto's been taking care of you. You'll be all right now. A week? Powder? Where did... We... We buried him there by the trail. The wagon and everything in it was burned. Powder dead and me sick for over a week. Now I'll never find out who it was. Wait, wait. Why don't you tell me who you are and how all of this happened? Why should I tell... Well, everybody in Pine Bluff has got me tagged for an outlaw, so I might as well throw in with one. My name is Shane O'Leary and I work... I mean, I used to work for Western U. Hello, Mrs. Ryan. Where's Shane O'Leary as I live and breathe? Sue! Oh, Susan! Yes, Mother, I... Shane! I'm back, Sue. I came back to... So I see. But you ran away from trouble, just like any other quitter. No, I didn't run away, Sue. Honest, I didn't. I was slugged on the head, kidnapped... You're lying, Shane O'Leary. As if we didn't have trouble enough. Sheriff Hollister looking for you and... Grandpa was ambushed and killed by Indians over a week ago on the Bozeman Trail. You're there now, Sue. The boy wasn't responsible for Powder getting killed. No, Mrs. Ryan, I wasn't responsible. But I was there, tied up in the back of his wagon, when Powder was murdered. You... Some trail drivers brought us the news. Said they found Powder's wagon all burnt and... and a grave beside it. I guess some white man must have come along after the Indians left and... and buried him. No. No, an outlaw buried Powder. A funny kind of outlaw. He wears a black mask and he rides a big white stallion. An Indian named Tano travels with him. They're the ones who pulled me out of the burning wagon. Or I'd be dead now, too. Oh, Shane, I... I know it's a... Well, it's a crazy sounding story and I shouldn't expect you to believe it, but that's... Why did they kill Grandpa and... and kidnap you? Because your hunch was right, Sue. It's part of the gang who held up the overland. I stumbled onto them down in the wagon yard the night I left there. And ten to one, they're back in town right now. Well, we'll tell the sheriff about it. No, no, no, no. If the sheriff arrests those two, it might tip off the rest of the gang. Uh, I'm following the advice of my friend. Friend? The man in the black mask. Might as well stop in here and have a drink, Al. Yeah. That boss is figuring on a caper over in Green River tomorrow night. That means we... Pete! What's wrong? Across the street. Pete, see that redskin walking past the livery stable? Boy, sure, but what... It's the same engine who was siding the mask owl hoot up at Medicine Springs. Yeah. Yeah, that's him, all right. If he ever got to the law with a story... He won't. We're trailing that redskin out into open country. Where a killing don't make so much noise. He can't, Pete. Jules wants us to hang around the railroad station as long as he's there alone every night. You go down and tell him what we stumbled onto. And what we're gonna do about it. I'll keep my eye on the engine till you get back. Now, hurry. Yeah. Jules, me and Pete just spotted the redskin. He's walking up Main Street. What redskin? The one we told you about. He and the mask owl hoot cut in on our fracas with powder rinds. Listen, you dumb hombres didn't think I swallowed that story about a gent with a mask up there at Medicine Springs, did you? Whether you believe it or not, him and his part are the only gents alive who know Pete and me. We're gonna trail this engine and salivate. I don't care what you do as long as you're back here by sundown. Now get out. Oh, Scott, open a hole. Open a hole. Don't work, Toto. Ah. Crook see me. They'm on trail now. Good. Lead them out far enough so I'll have time to get to the telegraph office. I've got to get a message through to Mr. Creighton in Cheyenne. I want Jules Pitt to send it. Ah. You know what to do, Toto. Ah. Get him up, scout. Now, Silver, we'll circle and ride into town from the other way. Come on, Silver. I want to send a telegram to Cheyenne. What the? Mask. This is the Western Union office, isn't it? Yes, but we don't... The message I want to send goes to Mr. Edward Creighton, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Creighton? And this is the message. Come at once. Have important information about train robbers. Sign it, Shane O'Leary. Shane? Why, he's... Dead? How do you know, Mr. Pitt? No mask all hoot can come in here. Are you going to send that message? The only thing I'll send is a... No, you won't. No. Why, Arv? Now, sit down and send that message. Remember, I read Morse code. The engine gave us a slip, Jules. We carried him over the pass and back this way, but... What's the matter with you? Ah, a bullet right through my hand. Who did it? Must be the same hombre you were talking about. Tall with a mask. Well, I'll... That's him. What was he doing here? Made me send a message to Ed Creighton in Cheyenne. I thought you told me that O'Leary scum was dead. He is. The whole wagon burned up. Well, eight to five, he's still alive. And tied in some way with this outlaw. We'd better hightail it. Because if the Western Union gent comes up here and starts getting nosy... Ah, don't worry. It'll just be my word against the kids and I work for the railroad. Well, that don't protect Al and me. I think we... You're going to stay right here and help me figure some way out. It was late the following afternoon when a large crowd gathered at the Pine Bluff station to watch the Cheyenne train come in. Everyone was surprised to see Sheriff Ben Hollister, Sue Ryan, and Shane O'Leary join the crowd. I want to remind you, Shane, that technically you're under arrest. I know. We understand, Sheriff. I don't see where asking Ed Creighton to come up here is going to solve a train robbery. It isn't. But whoever behind all this thinks it is, he'll come out in the open and make a play. Well, maybe so. Number four ought to be here any minute now. Then we'll find out. But Shane O'Leary wasn't the only one who was anxious for the westbound train to arrive. In a little tool shack several hundred yards down the right-of-way, Jewel's pit was giving final instructions. I switched the work engine onto the main line last night. It's just around the bend. Plenty of steam up. What do we do? You pull back the throttle and jump. Nobody can see you from this side of the track. And when it hits a train that's coming in head-on... Ed Creighton never gets to Pine Bluff. All right. Come on, Al. Gee, I hope Mr. Creighton won't think I had a lot of nerve to come... Shane, look. Isn't that... The work engine. It's moving out onto the main line. But they're going to hit head-on. Oh, Shane, what can we do? The switch onto the spur track down there. If I can just... Shane! Shane! Oh, he'll be killed in the... Look. Somebody on a white horse is going to beat him to it. Come on, Silver. Oh, Shane! Oh, the rider's throwing the switch. Oh, good. I never saw anything like it. Who is he? Why, Juniper, if it didn't sound so loco to say it, I'd swear the gent that did that was wearing a mask. Here comes Shane. But who are those three men walking in front of them with their hands up in the air? Well, I'll be... It's Al Spode, Pete Hooker, and Jules Pitt, the station agent. Here they are, Sheriff. All three of them are hiding back at the tool shack. I think they'll talk plenty when you start asking the questions. Oh, you're going to... All right. Now, where's Mr. Creighton? He's the man I want to see. Right here, Shane. Besides saving my life, what other reason did you have for sending for me? I... I want my job back with Western Union. You never lost it, son. I was suspicious of that telegraph from Jules Pitt. I was planning to come up here even before you sent for me. Jeez. Well, thanks, Mr. Creighton. And after what I've seen you do today, I'm sure Western Union will have a better job for you. Maybe a bigger town like Cheyenne. Later on, I'd like it, sir. Right now, I'd rather stay in Pine Bluff. Oh, Shane. Hmm. I... I think I understand. I like Pine Bluff, too. Especially the weather. It's always cool up here. Almost cold for the month of July. That's exactly what I was telling Shane not over two weeks ago. Sue, do you mean... It's a cold day in July. And you're a red-headed Irishman. Sue. Well, Silver, away! The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of The Lone Ranger Incorporated. Oh! Oh! Oh!
