for the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hardy Harald Silver, the Lone Ranger. This has come down to us through the generations. And nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice. Days of yesteryear, come out of the past from the thundering hoop beats of the great horse Silver. Long sense sunk behind the towering peaks of sawtooth range. The rich rolling bottom land of Cottonwood Basin was a vast expanse of heavy shadow. It was there that the Lone Ranger and Tonto rained their horses to a sudden halt. Here, Kim Asabi. The curve is a tall steady, big fella. Come on, we can move closer without being seen. Squatting on Diamond D. Cattle Range. Get off the crops and then tell us to get out. Isn't there any law on their comfort? Sure there's a law. You're trespassing on cattle land. We are not. The land's free. We're homesteading here. It belongs to us as much as it does to Anson King or any other cattle rancher. I guess you didn't hear right well. I said this is Diamond D. Range. We don't want you here. And we'll keep on burning your sack till you get out. It ain't fair. You and your cowpunchers have burned everything I own. Now I've got no place to go and with a wife and two kids. Should have thought of that before you come out here. I'm reaching for a gun. I'm watching you. You can't. Isaac, are you hurt bad? It's just my shoulder, but it's bleeding bad. I think I'll plug a couple more of you, sodbusters. Maybe it'll teach you to stay off of it. What if I were you? Max. A masked outlaw siding with the Nestor. Who is he? Who's the masked man? I saw him before. Where'd you dirt scratchers rustle him from? Maybe you'd like a little bit. You think one lucky shot's gonna... I said right. I'm sure grateful. The man who was shot. He'll be all right. That right, Isaac? Blood on the land. And it's just like the good book says. The land can never be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed... Don't mind, Isaac. He's always quoting the Bible. How about the man whose cabin was burnt? Can the rest of you take care of him and his... Like it's not, Vern Pomeroy will make a loan to build another place. He's helped us before. About the best friendless farmers have got... ...for most of the Cottonwood Basin. It was part of Anson King's dream that someday his son Johnny would be as proud of the ranch as he was. In the meantime, Johnny had other interests. Interests that Kelly, the Diamond Deep Foreman, knew about. Hello, Kelly. I was thinking... Howdy, Johnny. Your dad wants to... Say, look at him. What's the matter? Kind of slicked up pretty, ain't you, kid? Going courting? Maybe. Who is it, Johnny? That Afton girl who's nesting down on Clear Creek? You mean Clara? Well, what if it is? Oh, nothing. Except her paws a nester on Diamond Deep Range. That's not her fault. I'm going to talk to Dad about it anyway. Terp Slaughter and some of the boys fired a few nester shacks last night. Yeah, I heard about it. And I heard the Terp got a slug in his hand with a nester sticked a mast outlaw on him. Yeah. Say, uh, did you say Dad wanted to see me? Vern Pomeroy, the land agent's in there talking to him now. You know how that makes the old man feel. Yeah. If Pomeroy's in there, I'll wait a while. You know as well as I do. Those nesters haven't any right to be on my range. They have a legal right, Mr. King. The government says any American citizen can homestead 600 acres and have... A lot of soundbusters, dirt scratchers. And their homesteads are all registered legal and proper in my office, Mr. King. There's nothing I can do about it. Well, as long as there's only six or seven families. They stay down the valley close to Clear Creek. Guess I might as well let them stay. Yeah, good. I'm glad you feel that way. I was... Oh, excuse me, Dad. I thought that... It's all right, honey. Pomeroy and I have finished a business. Yes, of course. Well, I'll be getting along. You're riding toward Cottonwood Canyon this afternoon? Aye, Mike. Why? Well, after what happened last night to some of the nesters, I mean farmers, might... I can take care of myself. Kelly said you wanted to see me, Dad. Yeah. What's this I hear about you courting one of those nester girls? Well, I... I guess you mean Clara Afton. Her pa's a widower. Clara keeps house for him. You'll like her, Dad, even if her pa is a nester. She's... Tony, I believe in young folks living their own lives. But I don't like nesters, and they don't like me. Clara's different. She's a... That where you're heading now, down to Clear Creek? Unless you have something for me to do. No, no. I'm riding out to Cottonwood. Want to make sure no more of those. And before the week's over, I want you to meet Clara. Hello, Johnny. I'm glad you came over. Did you hear about what happened last night? Chris Larkin's cabin was burned in the heat. Yeah, I know. It was Terp Slaughter and some of Dad's line riding crew, wasn't it? I think so. I wasn't there. Oh, Johnny, if there were only some way to make your father and men like him understand... Sure, I know how you feel, Clara. And I agree with you, but Dad's an old-time cattleman. He thinks that... That the world was created especially for his cows. No, it's not that. It's just that, well, cattlemen and farmers have different ways of looking at things. Dad's not nearly as mean and inhuman as you think he is. I'm sure he isn't. But, oh, Johnny, the West is so big, so rich, and so good. There's room enough for everybody. That's going to be part of our job, honey. Making Dad realize that. Say, uh... Would a kiss be out of the question right now? Oh, Johnny. It would be wonderful when everyone learns that this country belongs to the people. No matter what they do. Yeah. They can live together, work together, and there'll be no more blood on the left. You sound like that friend of your pa's who's always quoting the Bible. True, Johnny. And if you and I can just be able to... Why, who's this coming? Don't know. Looks like Kelly. Dad's foreman. Terp's lauder's riding with him. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Well, you gents out riding for your help? No, Johnny. We come after you. What's the matter? Might as well give it to you straight. Your dad's been shot. Ambushed out in Cottonwood Canyon about an hour ago. Dad? Shot? He's not... Yes, he's dead, Johnny. From all the signs, it was a nester's bullet that killed him. Johnny, I'm... Is your father around, ma'am? I... No. Pa's not here. He went hunting. Oh. Went hunting, huh? Clara, I... I'm going back home. I'll see you later. Of course. I'm so sorry, Johnny. Please let me know if I can help in any way. He'll let you know, all right. Come on, kid. That's right. The following afternoon, Johnny returned to a little homestead on Clear Creek. Can I speak to your father, Clara? He isn't here, Johnny. He didn't come home last night. I... I'm so worried. Yesterday, you said he went hunting. Did he say where? Why, out by cotton, would I guess. I see. My dad was murdered yesterday. Murdered by a nester. How can you be sure of that? He was shot in the back. Killed by a round rifle ball from an old-fashioned squirrel rifle. Your pa's got one. Johnny, how can you think that my father... I had a long talk with Kelly and Turpin, the boys at the ranch. We all agreed that every nester on the Diamond D range must be off by tomorrow. Or we'll burn down your shacks. You mean... You heard me. You and your pa are no better than the rest. Johnny, I can hardly believe you're saying this. With no more evidence than you have. When your pa comes back. If he does come back. Remember what I've said. I'm giving you a better break than you deserve. But Johnny, you can't do it. You can't push us off our land. It's my land, nester. We're staying right here. Cowboy. You've got till tomorrow at sundown. Get it, boy. ...camp in a wooded gulch near Cottonwood Canyon. It was late that afternoon when they noticed a small cave not far from their campsite. Water, Tonto. We think. Went back there. ...stacked of our Lone Ranger story. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. To continue our story. Threatened by a rifle in the hands of a man they can hardly see in the cave's darkness, the Lone Ranger and Tonto played for time. Start whispering and scream, because I'll... I just want you to be sure you know who you're killing. That's all. And stay back there. Don't come any closer. You see, without seeing us, you can't... What? Where did that kill you? You got him. Light in your eyes is liable to play tricks on you. Especially when we duck under your rifle sight. An injured? Oh, leg. Watch out, Tonto. He may be injured. Bring him out into the light so we can see. Ah, yes. No, please don't hurt my leg. We won't hurt you. Your leg. I didn't figure that you were... Vance and King's punchers burned Chris Larkin's house. Through the splints you have on... Oh, down the trail. How did you manage to get this far? Isaac Blake found me. Brought me here for a hideout. Why should an injured man hide out? Every puncher in the Diamond D Ranch figures I dry-gulched their boars yesterday. Diamond D? That Vance and King. Is he dead? I guess he is. But I didn't kill him. You're a farmer, aren't you? Name's Sam Afton. I've got a little place down on Clear Creek. I see. And who's Isaac Blake? Don't you remember him? He's the one who got shot. He said the Lord would wreck vengeance for him. Oh, yes, yes. So Anson King has been murdered. All the homesteaders are under suspicion. Yeah, me in particular. Because they say he was killed with a squirrel gun like mine. You're innocent. The law will prove it. You saw what happened to Chris Larkins. Here's a cow puncher with a .45. You can't hide out forever. You need a doctor to take care of that leg. Ike's bringing my daughter up here. She'll fix my leg. And we're going home. Settle this thing once and for all. Oh. Fight fire with fire. Lead with lead. Isaac says it's in the Bible that way. An eye for an eye. No of anything. Listen, mister. We'll be fighting for our homes. Homes are legally ours. And no cow puncher is big enough to stop us. Isaac told me this. Don't worry, Ike. Don't worry. It's the same gent who helped us before. Remember? Sure. What's going on down in the valley? Oh, they burned out four more farms today. Hank, Mercer, Childress, Dan Fisher, and Perry. Dirty sneaking. And Johnny King told me that we had till sundown. Then they'll burn our place. Johnny? He told you? And after the way he's been hanging around our farm for the last three months. Shining up to you. I hate him. Yeah. Two-faced polecat, just like his father. I wish I had killed Anson King. The time has come, Sam, to rally the forces of Gideon. Now, may I ask a question? You've got as much life as anybody else, stranger. If you didn't kill Anson King, who did kill him? What difference does that make? Quite a bit. I wouldn't put it past one of his own punchers. That's exactly what Mr. Pomeroy said when I told him about it today. Mr. Pomeroy? Yeah, Randy. I told you he's the one who loaned us money so we can get our crops planted. I see. Even though you're an outlaw, stranger, you helped us once. Will you lend your guns and your skill again? Not my guns, but I may be able to help. Come on, Father. I wonder who he is. There's no way of telling, Clara. Besides, we've got a war to fight. Help me up. What do we do now, Kimo Sambi? I want you to ride over to the necessary. I'm always glad to see you. Any way I can help? I suppose you know that Diamond D. cowpunchers have burned down the property against the law, Miss Kelly? The farmers are nesting on Diamond D. range. But Anson King was dry ghost yesterday. He points that way. Got an office right next to the... Examines him. I don't know if it'd be exactly legal for me to make sense, but... Oh, come on. I'll let you enter his place. The posse of 50... Johnny King can stop them if we can reach him in time. You and the boys go ahead and do the job. I've decided I don't want any part of Clear Creek. Even to see it burned. Well, you're the boss. Oh, say, Vern Pomeroy's here with us. Got any objections as he goes along? I don't care who goes with you. Just get it over with. Look at the dates. By something like that is... They roll down there. You hurry. You can stop. Come, Sam. I can hear them. Let them. Keep your sights up, boys. We'll get in the first round. Clara. You reload the rifle first and keep down. Out of the line of fire. Oh, your leg is... A game leg don't bother my trigger finger. They're almost here, Sam. Swing open the windows. Rest your guns on the sill. There's young Johnny riding up from the rear. And look, ain't that the masked outlaw riding alongside of him? I thought that kid was on our side. Well, give him the first blast, boys. Let him have it. No! How is he, Isaac? Oh, much better. A few weeks of rest, he'll be as good as new. Why don't you go in and see him, Clara? I am. Johnny. It's all over, Johnny. Several of the men were hurt. No one seriously except you. Oh, I'll be all right. I mean, that masked man, did he... No, he wasn't hurt. It was his shooting that kept it from being a massacre. Oh, I'm so sorry, Clara. I didn't know until... The sheriff explained everything. He arrested Vern Pomeroy, and Pomeroy admitted the murder of your father. I sure made a terrible mistake. So did I. And I kept right on making it until I saw you and the masked man riding in front of all those men trying to stop the shooting. Knew? Knew what, Clara? Farmers can get along with the cattlemen, Johnny. The West belongs to all of us. We can live and work together. Sure we can. There'll be no more fighting. No more... ...obby-righted feature of the Lone Race... ... ...