Hail Silver, hoi! For the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty, Hail Silver, the Lone Ranger! With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the mask rider of the plains, led the flight 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! Hail Silver! Shortly before the Republic of Texas was established, a young surveyor was charting a course across the great plains south of the Brazos River. Suddenly, a young Indian astride a painted pony rode over the rise in the prairie and approached carefully. Howl! Howl! Howl! Come on up, Injun! Nobody's gonna hurt ya! Put down gun! You want me to put down the gun, huh? Well, this isn't a gun, Injun, it's a transit! It was several minutes before the young Indian could be persuaded to approach and dismount. He played slight heed to the young surveyor, but centered his attention upon the telescope and tripod. You, Hunter, kill buffalo? No, I'm not a hunter. I'm a surveyor. You no savvy surveyor, do you, Injun? Oh, no savvy. Well, what's your name? Flacco, my name. What's your name? Well, back in Tennessee, where I came from, my name was John C. Hayes. But out here in Texas, I'm just plain Jack Hayes. Savvy Jack Hayes? Oh, me savvy, Jack Hayes. No savvy gun on teepee poles. So this transit and tripod's still bothering you, huh? Oh. Well, what you doing out here, Flacco? You hunting? Hmm. Me hunt buffalo. No fine buffalo. Oh, now that's tough, isn't it, Flacco? How'd you like it if Jack Hayes found some buffalo for Flacco, huh? Flacco, no fine buffalo. Jack Hayes, no fine. Well, we'll see about that. Maybe my medicine's better than Flacco's medicine. Ah. Now take a look over the west there. Over there. Huh? That way. Huh? See any buffalo? No sea buffalo. Come here, Flacco. Take a look through this contraption. Oh, no good. Gun on teepee poles. Oh, no, no. This is no gunning. It's not on teepee poles. This is a surveying transit here. And this thing, see? This is a tripod. Come here. Take a peek through this. Just like this, see? Now you do like I do. Shut that left eye tight and look through this telescope with the other eye. Hmm. Yeah, that's it. It's not going to hurt you. You see? Let me look. Huh. Huh. Huh. Huh. What do you see, Flacco? Flacco see buffalo. Mucho buffalo. Yay! I told you my medicine's better than Indian medicine, Flacco. Huh. Huh. Huh. Well, now what's the matter? Look through gun on teepee pole. See buffalo. No look through gun on teepee pole. No see buffalo. Buffalo go away. Oh, no, Flacco. The buffalo didn't vanish. Now you get on that painted pony of yours and ride about half a sun. You savvy half sun? Huh? You mean half day? Yeah, that's right. That's right. You'll find your buffalo. All you and your tribe can use. In my talk, that herd of buffalo is just about 30 miles from here. You can't see them with the eye. It's too far from here. But they're there, all right. Now you go. You'll find them. Skeptically, the young Indian followed Jack Hayes' advice. And to his amazement, he found the herd of buffalo he'd been able to see only through the transit of the surveyor. Thus was formed a firm friendship between Flacco and a man who was later to become the leader of the most daring and famous band of lawmen the world has ever known. The Texas Rangers. When General Sam Houston began his second term as president of the new Republic of Texas, he called Jack Hayes before him. The Indians of Texas trust you, Jack. Well, they have great regard for you, Mr. President. Well, for that I'm thankful. I hate to say it, but President Lamar undid much of the good work I'd accomplished among the Indians during my first term as president of the Republic. President Lamar hated Indians. It was his policies which inspired white renegades to make trouble and stir up the peaceful tribes. We must start now to remake the peace treaties. They've been broken. The fate of the Republic of Texas depends upon it. Well, renegades, both white and red, are trying to stir up trouble, sir. The Rangers have found plenty of evidence of that. Well, fortunately, there are some tribes which are as anxious for peace as we are. The Lippian tribe, for instance. I have a very good friend among them. A young brave named Flacco. He's soon to be made a chieftain. So I understand. That's why I've sent for you, Captain. Yes, sir. I've prepared a message which I want you to have delivered to young Flacco's father. It promises protection of the Indians' right. Protection for his buffalo herds. Protection against white renegades. Well, the old chief will appreciate it, Mr. President. I'm sure it'll make for a strong alliance between the Lippian Indians and the New Republic. And, uh, Captain. Yes, sir, Mr. President. I'm also promising to visit his tribe within a month. You will go with me. Oh, fine. I'll be glad to accompany the President. Make certain the message gets through. If it should fall in the hands of our enemies... It'll be delivered by a man I trust implicitly. And who knows a country better than, well, than any man in Texas. That is all, Captain. Good day. Good day, sir. Meanwhile, stories about a great buffalo bull called Mucho Grande by Indians and whites alike spread across the far western frontier. Leader of a vast herd of hundreds of buffalo, Mucho Grande cunningly eluded all efforts of the white hunters to slay him. No Indian ever raised a hand against him. I'm telling you, Benzer, it's worth your neck to try killing that buffalo bull. What'll mean trouble with the Indians as well as Jack Hayes Rangers. That's the same, Stinger. I got an idea. A good idea. What is it? Well, Willie, it's something like this. That big bull means something to the Indians. I don't know just what, but one thing is certain. There isn't an engine anywhere that'll kill old Mucho Grande. That's right. And they ain't aiming for nobody else to kill them. Now, get this. I heard the other day that a young buck named Flacco is going to be made a chief of his tribe. Flacco's a friend of Captain Jack Hayes. Hacks is a scout for him sometimes. Did you ever see one of those Lippian chiefs in war finery? Yeah, a long time ago. They wear a whole buffalo head in a robe. Yeah, their head's like a big mask, so as you can't see, the face of the engine wearing it. And the hide covers them up like a big robe. Now, you're getting the idea. Did it ever occur to you that maybe that's why they're saving old Mucho Grande? You mean maybe they're going to make a war bonnet and robe for Flacco when he's made chief? Yeah, that's it. Now, if we could just get the hide and head of old Mucho Grande before Flacco gets it... Benzer, you're a smart man. We could round up a bunch of them renegade reds. I could wear the bonnet and robe. We could raid a white settlement. And Flacco and his tribe would get the blame. The peace treaty between Ellipse and Sam Houston would go up in smoke. And then... Yeah? Then what? There's a fortune in it for us. All that's needed to bust up this new Republic of Texas is just such an incident I'm planning on creating. Benzer, you're a mighty smart man. Many miles away in the village of the Lippian Indian tribe, young Flacco stood before his venerable father and a group of the older men of the tribe. His father spoke solemnly. It is now time, my son, that you know great tribal secret. Secret? For a long time, my son, you have pleaded with me to go forth and slay the great king of the buffaloes, the great bull Mucho Grande. These many moons you have been denied. The great king of the buffalo has been protected against all men who would kill him. Men who have tried to slay Mucho Grande have been slain, both red men and white men. Mucho Grande is great chief of buffaloes. He was quick to send danger in the wind, lead his herd to safety from wild animals and the greedy hunter. Today, you, my son, must set forth to prove yourself worthy to be a chief. Yes, my father. You must go forth and slay the great king of the buffaloes, Mucho Grande. Slay him and return with a great hide and head. There are men in the tribe who will prepare the head as a bonnet and the hide as a robe befitting a great chieftain. That, my son, is the secret of the great king of all the buffaloes, Mucho Grande. Go now. Come not back until you have with your own weapons slain the great king bull Mucho Grande. Clacko obeys command of his father. Clacko will return quickly. The evening sun was fast descending over the range of the low hills when the lone ranger, masked rider of the plains, and his Indian companion, Tonto, drew rain a few miles from the roaring falls of the Brazos River. Oh, silver, oh, silver, oh, silver, oh, silver, oh, silver. Spread before them across the grassy plain was a vast herd of buffalo, grazing leisurely and unafraid. Well, that's the herd Captain Hayes told us about before we left Austin, Tonto. Indian camp nearby, huh? Shouldn't be very far away. Probably near the falls of the Brazos. We can camp here for the night and reach the Indian camp by noon tomorrow. Plenty big buffalo herd, huh? Yeah, one of the biggest I've ever seen. See that big fellow grazing a hundred yards or so from the main herd? Ah, Tonto Noam. You know him? Ah, him mucho grande, king bull of all buffalo. I've heard stories about him. He's protected by the Indians for some reason. Many white hunters try to kill him to get hide. That's the reason we're taking this visit to the Lippian. Well, Tonto not savvy. President Sam Houston is determined to stop the slaughter of buffalo by white hunters. Ah, him much wise man, good Indian, love, love Sam Houston. Yes, Captain Jack Hayes of the Texas Rangers asked me to give a message from President Houston to the chief of the Lippians. President's going to visit the tribe soon. That good. Him make peace between white man, Indian. Look, Tonto, we shall grandly see something. Ah, him get mad, stomp foot. Ah, roar like falls of Brazos. The herd's getting excited, starting to stampede. He's the Indian. Yes, you're right. He's keeping up on the big bull. Ah, him got bull and arrow. Mucha grande is standing his ground. He's going to fight. Indian keep brave. Try shoot big bull with arrow. Arrow not kill, mucha grande kill Indian. He's aiming. Big buffalo charge, Indian. There went the arrow. Look, it got him. Ah, big bull fall, arrow in heart. The Indian yell of victory. Ah, him proud warrior. Very brave. Kimo Sabe, three riders. White hunter. They're trying to kill the Indian. White hunter, one buffalo hide. We've got to stop this, Tonto. Come on, Tonto. Come on, Tonto. Pastry of the great horse, Silver, the lone ranger, followed by Tonto, swept down the mesa, his six guns spitting a deadly fire into the ranks of the startled white hunter. 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. While delivering a message of peace from Sam Houston, president of the Republic of Texas, to the chief of the Olympian tribe of Indians, the lone ranger and his companion Tonto saw three white men trying to kill a young Indian warrior who had just slain Mucho Grande, king bull of a great buffalo herd. The outcome of the incident provided a heated argument late that night in a hunter's camp many miles away. Oh! You don't have to jab that knife so deep into my hide, you clumsy galoon. Well, I do if I'm going to get that bullet out. Well, hurry up. Get it out of Benzer, and then you can start cutting two of them out of me. I'm going to get that owl hoot and his Indian friend that shot us today. It kept us from killing that Indian buck and probably taking that buffalo hide to boot. And that was the hide of old Mucho Grande himself. Hey, you know. Know what? I got a hunch that wasn't no owl hoot. Yeah? Who do you think that hombre is? Oh, when I was down Houston last month, I heard some of Captain Jack Haynes' rangers talking. They're talking about a mysterious galoot who rides a big white stallion and wears a mask. He ain't a regular ranger, it seems, but Jack Haynes puts a lot of stock in him for some reason. Ah, that's a lot of squaw talk. I heard some of that, too. Just a lot of stuff those rangers are spreading around to scare us hunters. I ain't so sure of that, Benzer. There's one sure way of knowing whether there is such a guy or not. Yeah? How so? Yeah. I'll be able to tell. Oh! Just as soon as I get this bullet out of Benzer's shoulder. Hey! Oh! There it is. Take a look at it. Let's see. What? White silver. Silver bullet. That's it. Now, whether you believe it or not, you dumb galoots, the man you tangled with today was a lone ranger. Several weeks later, the lone ranger was camped beside the Brezos River, awaiting the return of Tonto, who had gone to visit the young chieftain Flacco of the Lippian tribe. Oh, son. Oh, son. Oh. Oh, son. Oh. Oh. Kimo Sabe. Yes, what's wrong, Tonto? Much trouble, Kimo Sabe. What is it? Chief Flacco. Him dead. Flacco dead? Ah, him killed. Indian braves find him dead on trail. Shot. Shot? That means he was killed by white men. White hunters. How do you know they were hunters? Them killed Chief Flacco. Take Chief's buffalo bonnet and robe. That means trouble, Tonto. Ah, much trouble. Indians fix now to go on warpath. Kill all white men. Oh, this is serious. President Sam Houston and Captain Hayes of the Rangers are scheduled to visit the Lippian Indians right now. Ah, me no. Indians say them kill Houston and Captain Hayes. Indians say them not keep promise. The President and Hayes did promise to run the white renegade hunters out of Indian territory. I can understand how the Indians feel about it now. Ah, and what we do, Kimo Sabi? If I knew what trail the President and Hayes were taking, I'd go warn them. Ah. If they are captured by the Indians, they won't be killed immediately. The Lippians will want to call in some of the neighboring tribes to see the ceremony. Ah, that's true. We're going to take a desperate chance, Tonto. And what we do? We're going to the spot where Chief Flacco was shot. Maybe we can pick up the trail of the killers. Tonto know where him killed. Here, Silver. Here, Scout. We've got to work fast, Tonto. Silly big fella. Be ready, Kimo Sabi. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scout. Meanwhile, Sam Houston, President of the Texas Republic, and Jack Hayes, Chief of the Rangers, were riding toward the camps of the Lippian Indians. Suddenly, Hayes spoke to the President. Mr. President. Yes, Captain. What is it? You see that cloud of dust over to the west there? Yes, to be sure. Looks like a large body of horsemen. It is. Indian horsemen. Probably coming out to greet us. Remember I sent them a message that I visit them at this time? I remember. I'm afraid you're wrong, Mr. President. You think it's... I don't think. I know. You'll notice that those horsemen are not riding in column. You're right. Oh, boy. Whoa, whoa, whoa. There, whoa. They're riding spread out in battle formation. In battle formation? Mr. President, it's a war party. But this is Lippian territory. You and the young Chief Flacco are friends. I'm dying friends. You see, that's why I'm worried. I have proof that Chief Flacco was killed by buffalo hunters. Ah, hunters in big hurry to get out of Indian territory. Hide buffalo robe of Chief Flacco. Yes, that's right. They knew that if the Indians found them in possession of the Chief's bonneton robe, it'd be scalped on the spot. So they hid it under the overhanging bank of this creek. Ah, but them come back. No doubt that's their plan. Um, we wait and catch them. We haven't time for that. President Houston and Captain Hayes may already be captives. And what we do? We'll take the Chief's robe along with us, and we'll track down the killers. Ah, hunter-trained horses. Come on, Silver. Get him up, scout. Three heavily armed horsemen, their mounts flecked with sweat and breathing hard, pulled into a clump of cottonwood. Oh, oh, oh, oh. For a half an hour, they'd watched with considerable concern a lone rider hang tenaciously to their trail. He's following us, all right. Ain't no accident he's on this trail. Notice anything peculiar about that horse? It's big and it's white. Yeah, you're smart, Willie. That's the mask on me that shot us a few weeks ago. A lone rider. Yeah, that's him, all right. Well, I told you I'd get my chance at him one of these days. Looks like I got it right now. Yeah, he would come riding up just when... Just when what? I see that biggest buffalo bull since that Indian buck killed on Mucho Grandi. Take a look, grazing over there. Golly. That is a big one. Here, let me take a rifle shot. No, you don't. Why not? Ain't you got no brains at all? Here's that mask on me riding right into our camp. You want to start shooting buffalo. The first shot would give our position away to that galoot. I reckon it would at that. Any fool ought to know that. Now, you two get the horses back into the brush out of sight. I'll lay here and cover him as he comes in. You're going to shoot him off his horse as he rides by? Not on your life. He'd never know who shot him. I want him to take a look at me before I let him have it. I'll get going with those horses. Come on. My chance. The one I've been waiting for. Stick him up, you masked armory. Oh, silver, oh boy, boo. Easy now, mask man. Don't reach for them guns. I realize you have me covered. What for? I've been watching you trail me and my partners for the last half hour. Remember me, mask man? Can't say that I do. Take a good look. It's going to be your last. I'm the fellow you shot not long ago when you took the part of that Indian buck with a big buffalo bull. Remember? I'm sorry my marksmanship wasn't as good as it should have been. When my two partners get back here, masked man, we're going to have a little target practice. Wonder what they're doing. Hey, Stinger. Willie. Maybe they're hunting buffalo. What? What'd you say? I said maybe they're hunting buffalo. Maybe you got something there, masked man. Just like them two yellow varmints. Fact is, we just saw a great big bull a few minutes ago. Hey, where is that buffalo bull? Take him, Taro. What? An injun. We've got him. Steady, big fellow. Hold on to him, Taro. We have use for this fellow. Yeah. Me got other two fellas. Where are they? Me tie him up tight to tree. Good. Come on, up on your feet, fella. Where'd that Indian come from? He's the one who was with you before. That's right. As to where he came from, the buffalo you thought you saw was a horse. A horse? Oh, I know a buffalo bull when I see one. This time you didn't. The horse you saw was covered with a buffalo robe. The one you took when you murdered Chief Flacco. You found it? Yes. Knowing you were following this trail, Taro took a shortcut to this clump of cottonwoods. The only shelter for miles around. He covered his horse with a buffalo robe and turned him loose to graze. A sneaking injured coyote? He had you covered all the time. If you'd tried to shoot either his horse or me, he would have killed you. Ah, me wish me kill him. Come on, Taro. Let's round up this bunch. They've got a hard ride ahead of us. Ah, me get prisoners and horses. In the vast camp of the Lippian tribe, Sam Houston, president of the Young Republic of Texas, was a prisoner. Standing resolutely beside him was the young captain of the newly-organized Texas Rangers, Jack Hayes. Sam Houston break promise to keep White Hunter from Indian lands. Jack Hayes break promise, too. White Hunter, come to Indian lands. Kill my son. Indians say you die. Me sorry, great White Father. Me sorry, Jack Hayes. What are they saying, Jack? Something about somebody coming. They're pointing back at us. Maybe war start now. Many men come. Who can it be, Jack? I have no idea. If they're White men, it means plenty of trouble for them. If it's soldiers, war start now. Mullah! He's ordered on his brave to take battle positions to wait until he gives the order to fire. It'll be a massacre. Hold silver, hold it so slow. Mr. President. A masked man. Do you realize your danger? Are you... I'm not a renegade. Jack Hayes can explain. I'll be glad to, Mr. President. Masked man, good friend, my son Flackle. One time saved my son's life. Him, my good friend. Tonto, my good friend. Great chief of all the Lippians, once I brought you the message of peace from the great white father you now hold prisoner. Today I bring three men who would destroy peace between the white man and the Indian. What they do? Those three men tied to their horses are the murderers of your son Flackle. How you know? Tonto! Bring the buffalo bonnet and robe. Me bring it. Buffalo bonnet and robe of great chief Flackle, my son. These men will be punished such as the great white father has promised you he would punish all bad men. Give him buffalo bonnet and robe to me. Uh-uh. Here. Calado! Calado! He's coming towards us, Jack. Yeah. I think I know why. Uh, great white father. Here, you mean... He... He means for you to put it on, Sam. Yeah. Me help him. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. There. That does it. Great white father, keep promise. Good friend of Indian. Good friend. Indian make great white father big chief of Indian. Lippians. Lippians always befriend a white man. Me swear, under sign of Buffalo Head. Uh-huh. That Mask Ranger. He should be the one who... Where'd he go, Jack? No one knows where he goes, Mr. President. Just Heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. . 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