With the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-oh silver, the Lone Ranger. The 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, in the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver, the Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver. Hust her, boy. Hust her. Keno Thor was mad. Riding into the busy cattle town of Fort Wagoner with his daughter Molly, the rock and chair boss looked neither to the right nor the left as he reined in his horse and dismounted before the office of Judge Benjamin Trover. Who? Who? You better run along, town boy. Go find yourself something to do while I talk to Trover. Oh, no, you don't. If you and the judge are going to get into a knockdown and drag out affair, I'm going along to watch. Ah, you're a nuisance. Knew I should have left you home in the first place. Well, come on, then. We'll see what the old buzzard's got to say. If it ain't Keno Thor and the prettiest girl I've ever seen in Fort Wagoner, who is she, Keno? Hello, Judge. Who is the beautiful creature, Keno? Shut up, you old reprobate. Don't be talking like that in front of town boy. She's hard enough to get along with as it is. You don't have to make it any worse. Molly, you're getting more girled up and prettier every time I see you. I declare, for having a dad who's ugly and on with your skin, Keno Thor, I don't... Hi. I'm just waiting for you two to get through calling names. Then I'm going to sit back here and watch the real fireworks. Hmm. Someday, young lady, I'm going to get fed up with this fellow Sassanus, see? I'm going to get him thrown into the clink, see? And have him bury the key way out on the... Shut up, you old windbag. We didn't come in here to listen to you waggle your lip. Hmm. Fine way for you to speak to the judge. Well, go on, get it off your chest before you bust a blood vessel. Nah, no. How am I going to stop these sodbusters from moving in on rock and chair range? Hmm. Don't know as you can, stop them, Keno. I know how to stop them, mister. Only, I was hoping to get it done peacefully. You better get it done peacefully. There ain't been no trouble in this country for 10, 15 years. I don't want to see none get started now. Savvy? I tell you, them people are going to be digging up my front yard if someone don't stop them. Yeah? More likely, they'll be digging their own graves if they try it. Eh, Molly? I've always wondered if Daddy's bark wasn't worse than his bite. Oh, Judge, I got 60,000 acres of rangeland under the rock and chair brand. I kind of figured that's something worth fighting for, don't you? It's like I told you before, like I've been telling you for 10 years. You've got 60,000 acres under the rock and chair brand, you figure that's your land. It is my land, every inch of it. Government says it ain't. Not until you file on it legally. Do that, you won't have no trouble with nobody. Trover, you know blame well. Why don't you file on it, Dad? It wouldn't take more than a few minutes at the land office. Tom, boy, you keep out of this. I said I wasn't going to file no claim on what's already mine, and I ain't. And that's all there is to it. There's 10,000 people headed out this way, grabbing at free ground. Pretty soon, there'll be 10,000 more. First thing we know, we'll have 60,000 neighbors instead of 60,000 acres. That's exactly what's going to happen. Judge, ain't there something you can do? Ain't there any way at all you can plan to... You know, the only way you can ever hold legal title to that land is to file on it with the government. Why do I have to file on what's already mine? What kind of law is that anyway? Oh, listen. I don't make the laws. I'm just the fellow that sits here and tries to explain them to a bunch of hard-headed critters like yourself. You come in here crying about homesteaders moving in on the rock and chair range, and you figure the law's going to help you get rid of them. Well, it ain't, and that's that. Maybe the laws we got ain't perfect, but they're made for everybody, not for just one man. All right, you want to figure that way, go ahead. I reckon I can still fight my own battle without no help from you or anyone else. Why, you thick-headed galoot. You come in here asking for free advice and get mad because I give it to you. Who's mad? You're the one that's getting mad. No, I ain't neither. Oh, if you only had the brains of a jackrabbit. Well, fireworks all over. Let's go home, Daddy. Wait a minute. Just a minute, tomboy. Just one more thing I want understood. The rock and chair is mine, see? And when Kino Thor puts his brand on something, he don't let no man take it away from him. Now, you put that in your fancy law book and go set on it, Mr. Trober. For more than an hour, the big mountain lion had lain on the rock ledge, watching the herd of cattle that grazed closer and closer to the cool, inviting shade of the rim rock. On the edge of the herd, a young cat wandered aimlessly about, now and then kicking its heels high into the air and racing about in wild abandon. The big cat tensed his muscles as the cat came closer. Then, suddenly, a tawny streak flashed through pace. In the distance, two horsemen stopped. Oh, Silver. Oh, fella. Oh, fella. Oh, fella. The masked man spoke to his Indian companion. Otto. Ah, you see him? Plenty big mountain lion. Try a quick shot for his body. Plenty far to shoot straight. May try. There he goes. Try again. Ah, him get way? That's too bad. Once they start killing cattle, they never stop. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scout. The cat moved plenty fast, but maybe he'll come back. He will come back. I don't think we should leave the carcass, we'll, Silver. Oh, he's a hole for the hole. Hey, big fella. Well, this baby beef should be good. We'll skin it out. Ah, me fix it plenty good. Later, we can make arrangements to pay the owner for it. Better to do that than leave the carcass for the wolves to destroy. That's right. Me get skinning. You there. Put your hands up and be quick about it. Who's that? Reach high and turn around. Better do as she says, Toto. You're not one to be shot by a girl. Never mind chewing the rag. Get your hands up. Way up. Sure, we can't reach any higher. You just keep trying. Now, suppose you tell me what's the big idea of trying to steal that calf. I, uh, you might be jumping to conclusions. And then again, I might not. First, I hear a rifle shot and ride over to investigate. Then I find a masked man and an Indian taking the hide off a rocking chair beef. What would you like me to think, outlaw? I'd like you to think that we're not outlaws. That we had no intention of stealing this calf. Oh, I, I suppose you were just going to borrow it for a Sunday dinner. My friend and I happened along just as a calf was being attacked by a mountain lion. Toto shot at the lion and missed. Well, of all... We saw no sense of letting the meat be wasted. We meant to use it for food and pay you for it later, when we had the chance. Mister, I've heard my grandfather tell some champion tall stories, but... But compared to you, Grandpa was a piker. Now, both of you, get on those horses and start riding south. And don't stop until you get to the rocking chair ranch house. And if you travel faster than a slow trot, I'll shoot. Mind if I put my hands down long enough to load the calf on my horse? Never mind the calf. Get moving. Well, uh, aren't you going to take our guns? I'm on to you, smart boy. You know I couldn't keep both of you covered with this rifle at close range. No, I'm not falling for that. But at this distance, you'd better keep your hands away from those guns. I'll drop either one of you before you can bat an eye. Steady, Silver. Ready, Toto? Yeah, me ready. Get a move on. Come on, Silver. Get him up, scout. Molly's mother had died when the girl was four years old. Since that time, Kino Thor had raised the girl into a man's world. At the age of 18, Molly could handle a horse or a gun as well as any man on the rocking chair ranch. It was early afternoon when Molly Thor arrived at the rocking chair ranch with her two prisoners, the Lone Ranger and Toto. All right, you two. Pull up there and dismount. Whoa, whoa, whoa, sir. What's that? Big fella. What's that here, tomboy? A pair of beef rustlers, Dad. I caught them taking the hide off a rocking chair calf on the North Range. Uh, it didn't give you no trouble, huh? They knew better. Well, mister? Well, we were skinning a calf when your daughter happened along. And I'll admit that her suspicions were reasonable. However, I'm not a... Listen to this for a tall story. Uh, my friend and I saw the calf killed by a mountain lion. Toto tried to shoot the cat, but it got away into the rocks. You see? They didn't kill the calf. Oh, no. A mountain lion killed it for them. We intended to use the meat rather than leave it there to spoil. We would have been more than willing to pay you a fair price for it. You'll pay for it, all right. Don't worry about that. We got special ways of collecting payment from thieves on this range. We, uh, came here as a matter of courtesy to your daughter. You might be courteous enough to listen to a reasonable explanation. Courtesy? You came because I had a rifle in your back. Main thing wrong with your story is that there ain't a mountain lion within a hundred miles of here. We killed them off complete three or four years ago. You might be surprised how far a mountain lion can travel in three or four years. Yeah. Molly, why didn't you disarm these hombres? I didn't dare get close to them with this rifle. I reckon you're smart at that. Well, Masked Man, are you going to drop those guns in the ground peaceable-like? Or am I going to have to take them myself? Guess you will. Anybody does. Keep them covered, Molly. I'll take them. Like this. Sorry to have to do this, Mr. Thor. Turn me low, shoot. Shoot him down, Molly. Let him have it. I can't, Dad. I'd hit you. There's no need to shoot, young lady. I'm not going to hurt your father. Now, Mr. Thor, walk back over there by your daughter. Why, I never say just what you think you're going to do, Masked Man. Let's be going, Tonto. Are you forgetting me, Mr. Outlaw? I still have a gun, and I know how to use it. I'm sure you do, miss. But I doubt if your father ever taught you how to shoot a man in the back. That requires more than ordinary training. What's that? Steady, big fella. However, if you still think we were stealing your stock or lying to you, that we're outlaws, now's your chance to stop us. Come on, sir. Get him up, Scout. Why, of all the cool customers I've ever seen, that hombre takes the cake. And me, standing here like a dumbbell, letting them both ride away. The man evidently is a better judge of human nature than you are, Dad. And, incidentally, a good deal stronger. Don't I know it? I've never seen anyone move as fast as he did when you reached for his guns. Never mind that. Which makes me wonder. What? What he said about coming here is a matter of courtesy to you. Maybe he... Oh, nonsense. I had the drop on him right from the start. Both of them. Yeah? Well, there ain't no lying rustler alive that can manhandle me and get away with it. And I won't have to shoot him in the back to settle the score, either. Tomboy, you hit the trail for town and tell Judge Trover what's happened. Tell him to round up a posse and meet me here. Can I go along with the posse? Not on your life. You're going to stay here at the ranch while we smoke out that pair of owl hooters. Now, get for town while I get ready to take the war path. I ain't going to rest easy until I yank the mask off that big fellow's face and find out just who he is. All right. Steady, boy. You see? Well, in that case, Daddy, it's liable to be quite a while before you rest easy. Get up, 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. There are a dozen men in the posse headed by Ben Trover and Molly Thor. At the Rock and Chair Ranch, they found Keno Thor with his guns bellied ready to ride into the hills in search of the Masked Man and the Indians. Well, it's my guess they're hiding out someplace on the North Range. Well, you're sure making a terrible fuss over one-year-old calf, ain't you? Oh, I ain't. Stealing is stealing. And it don't matter whether it's just one calf or a whole beef herd. When rustlers start working on my range, I'm going after them right now. Well, from the looks of them storm clouds off to the west, we better get started. Otherwise, we might wind up looking for each other. Yeah, come on. Let's go. Molly, you stay here at the house like I told you. You hear? Have a nice trip, boys. And good hunting. Thank you, Molly. I wouldn't mind taking a look behind that mask myself. And since I was in on the start of this party, I... Well, I might as well go along for the finish. Come on, Pony. We'll cut across the broken mesa and try to get there before they do. Get up, boy. That'll look. Oh, fella. Easy, big fella. There's a carcass of that beef right where we left it, Tonto. Think you'll come back tonight? Oh, maybe. But not a big storm come. Mountain lion, plenty afraid of thunder and lightning. Him go hide and cave, maybe. Well, we'll get out of sight and wait for a while anyway. I'm rather anxious to get the hide off that cat and nail it on Kino's front door. Me not blame you. No man like be called liar. Storm not very far away. Maybe we better... Kemosabe, you look. What is it, brother? Here. Blood spots. You see him? That means that you wounded the mountain lion when you shot at him this morning. Big cat wounded, but him not come back. And we'll follow him if we can. No telling how badly he's wounded nor how far he was able to travel. Mountain lion, plenty dangerous when hurt. I know. Come on. Throughout the lengthening afternoon, the masked men and the Indian trailed their quarry upland through the rocks and boulders. Jagged spillers of lightning shattered the darkened sky as the two men leading their horses pushed further along the blood-stained trail of the mountain lion. In another part of the valley, Molly Thor was having trouble with her horse. Oh, boy. Steady now. Oh, you spooky devil. Whoa. Whoa there. Oh, boy. I should have known better than to start out with a spooky horse, riding alone. If I can just stay on him, it looks like I couldn't. There he goes, and here am I. Ten miles from home and afoot. Well, best thing for me to do is find shelter someplace before it starts to rain. I even lost my gun trying to ride that bunk and bronco. Wait till Daddy finds out about this. I've got to find shelter. There's a cave just ahead. Get in there away from the rain, lightning. Wait for the storm to blow over. If it's a shelter from the storm, I'll just get back in here and be able to... I was telling the truth. Look out. Oh, easy. That trail we're following will soon be washed away. That's right. We think maybe lion head for shelter in rocks ahead. We try there. That's about all we can do if... Otto, that horse, look. Ah, that girl horse. Run away. But where a girl? She's in trouble. Somewhere down that back trail. Uh-uh. And that where wounded mountain lion hide. Big cat, plenty dangerous. Let's go. Come on, Silver. Get him off the scout. Oh, ho, ho. He's got hope on a ho, ho. What we do, Kimosabi? Lorraine has washed away every sign of a trail. There's nothing... Otto, she's in that cave. Steady, big fella. Come on, have your gun ready. Here he comes. Inside, inside, Otto. There he is, Otto. Let him have it. Come on. He's all right now, Miss Thor. Well, mountain lion, plenty dead now. I wonder what kind of opinion you have of me and my father. Well, it's easy sometimes to be deceived by appearances. That lion was wounded. You did shoot at him this morning and hit him. Toto wounded him. We were following his blood trail when we saw your horse running away. We followed the trail until it was washed out. Then, fortunately, we heard you scream. To think that both father and I called you a liar. And then you should be the one to save my life from that. That you certainly got here in the nick of time. Otto, we'd better get the hide off that fellow. It's just possible that Mr. Thor will still want proof. Am I right? Oh, but he'll believe me. We'll still present him with this hide for a souvenir. Come on, Tonto. I'll give you a hand. How can I get back to the ranch house, mister? Oh, we'll get you back. You can ride Tonto's horse. Tonto will ride with me. And on the way, you can answer a few questions for me, if you will. Questions? About what? About the Rocking Chair Ranch and yourself and Kino Thor and Judge Benjamin Trover. But I don't understand. Neither do I, miss. That's why I want to talk with you. Kino Thor, Judge Trover, and the men of the posse had returned to the Rocking Chair Ranch when the store made their search for the Lone Ranger in Tonto seem hopeless. Suddenly, Judge Trover spoke to the elderly rancher. Kino, I thought you told Molly to stay home. Sure I did. Why? Look yonder. Ain't that a pony coming across the field? What? Well, yes, it is. But where's Molly? Looks like she tagged along anyhow. Probably got throwed. Either that or... Or what? Does she run into that outlaw? Well, there comes your daughter, Kino, riding that paint pony. What in the name of... You men, get your guns. That's the masked man and the Indian with her. Both of them on that white horse. Now, what kind of a game was that Jasper up to? I sure don't know, but this time he ain't riding the way scot-free. You can bet on that. Molly! Molly, what's happened? You there, get your hands up and be quick about it. Now, wait a minute, Dad. Better let this man speak before you fly off the handle again. Here's something that might interest you, Mr. Thor. Oh, well, what do you got there? It's the hide-off that mountain lion he was telling you about this morning. Mountain lion? Yes, my horse threw me during the storm. I found shelter in a cave and the cat was in there. Wounded and dangerous. If the Lone Ranger hadn't happened along when he did, well, I... I wouldn't be here now. Now, wait a minute. Do you mean to say that this man is the Lone Ranger? That's exactly what I mean. Well, I... Oh, go on, mister. I... Looks like I owe you an apology for what happened this morning. What I'm interested in knowing is what brings you to this part of the country. I'll be glad to tell you and Mr. Thor privately. Huh? Why, sure. Come on in the house. Wait for me here, Tonto. Huh? What's on your mind? I had quite a talk with your daughter this afternoon. Oh? Among other things, she told me about the trouble you'd been having with the homesteaders. Yes, it's a problem. I wondered why a man ranching 60,000 acres would hesitate to file his land with the government. Confound it all. Why can't Molly be still about things like that? Now, hold on, Keno. You say you wondered why Keno didn't file on this land? At first I wondered. Now I know. You know, don't you, Judge Trover? Huh? What you driving at? A moment ago, you asked what brought me to this part of the country. Well, I'll tell you. I was searching for a man named Thornley. Thornley? Why, what was you hunting him for? This man Thornley used to live in the North Country. Some years ago, he was accused of committing a crime against the government. So? The evidence against him was strong enough to make a conviction seem certain. Rather than face the charge, this man Thornley ran away. I see. So now you're looking for this fellow, huh? Yes. About a month ago, up in Montana, a renegade by the name of John Starr was killed in a gunfight. Before he died, he confessed to the crime which Thornley had been accused of. What? Do you mean to say those old charges against... The charges against Keno Thornley have been wiped out by Starr's confession. I'll be going now. Either of you should ever see this man Thornley. You might let him know that he has nothing to fear from the government any longer. Adios. Trover, did you hear what he said? Did you? I heard him, Keno. Well, come on. I've got to get Molly. We're riding the Fort Wagoner right now. Dad, what's happened? What did the Lone Ranger tell you? Why, you're trembling. Come on, tomboy. I'll tell you all about it on the way to town. But what's all the hurry about getting to town? Got some business to tend to with the United States government. I'm going to file my claim on the Rock and Cheer Ranch right now. Today. I'll sue that. What I've just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What?
