cloud of dust and a hearty, Hyle Silver, the Lone Ranger. The beautiful 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 come a thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on Silver, let's go big boy. I am Silver, boy. The telegraph operator at Benton Way Station looked up quickly as the stranger entered his office. But if he had any hopes of a pleasant chat with someone who had news to exchange, he was quickly disillusioned. You, mister, I gotta send a wire to Lawrenceville, immediate. Sure, take a chair, stranger. Be with you just as soon as I get through with Santa Fe. Listen, amigo, maybe you didn't understand what I said. I said immediate. That means you're through with Santa Fe right now. You hear me? Can you operate this key, stranger? No, I can't, but I have to... You better put up that six gun and take it easy. I'll be through with Santa Fe in a minute. Take it easy, you say. Take it easy while Big Morris and his gang are escaping. I'm trying to get a message to the sheriff at Lawrenceville. Hey, hey, wait a minute. What did you say about Big Morris? Look, fella, let me tell it to you and Sheriff White at the same time, will you? I'll tell you, it's urgent. You can finish that Santa Fe business later. Sure, sure, you bet. I didn't understand what I wish you'd been. Didn't know it was important, huh? Well, you know now, so let's get busy before them buzzers get clear across the border. Right. What's the message, stranger? Uh, let me see. To Sheriff Jim White, Lawrenceville. Jim White, Lawrenceville. I got it. Head off Big Morris and gang of 30 men escaping south toward Indian... Wait, wait a second. All right. All right, go ahead. Escaping south toward Indian Hills and the border. Border. Go ahead. More than 20,000 total reward for Morris and gang. You can sign that Parker, United States Marshal. Yes, sir. Sign it, Parker, United States Mars... Hey, you ain't peaceful, Parker, are you? Oh, I ain't, huh? Well, you just take more than two seconds to get that telegraph key working and you'll find out whether I am or not. Yes, sir. You bet you, Mr. Park... Uh, Marshal. Golly. You think Sheriff White can head them off? Not if you sit there talking. Now, get busy, will you? Sure, sure. Sheriff White, here, just got a message for you. Big Morris and his gang were escaping. They're just south of here, heading for the border. Well, give me that telegram. Don't you suppose I can read? Yeah. Sheriff Jim White, head off Big Morris and gang and 30 men escaping south towards Indian Hills and the border. 20,000 total reward for Morris and gang. Signed? Parker! What? Hey, Slim! Goin' buzzard huntin'! Boss sea duty for every man in town. You that ain't got a horse here, get one at the livery and step lively. Slim, break out some extra rifles and plenty of ammunition. Come on over, Sheriff. Who are we after? Big Morris and his wolf pack, that's who. Now step lively, you gents. They're south to here right this minute, headed for the border. Hurry it up! Within a matter of moments, every able-bodied man in Lawrenceville was in the saddle, armed and ready to tackle the most dangerous band of outlaws on the frontier. Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! At a signal from the sheriff, the posse swept out of town toward the distant Indian Hills far to the south. And then, a youthful boyish figure raced across the street and leaped into the saddle. The Lone Ranger will want to know about this. Come on, Victor! Ten minutes after the posse had raced southward out of Lawrenceville, a band of horsemen came trotting leisurely in from the north. The men riding these horses kept their hands close to their gun butts, and every man kept his eyes alert, looking for trouble. And the head of the party, the outlaw Big Morris, said briefly, Looks like Mac done a good job sending that telegram that there ain't a man in town strong enough to lift a gun. Sure looks that way, Big. Right up here. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa. You got your orders? Speed, you take ten men and start with the bank. Right. Then the express office. Me and a couple of the boys will take the post office. The rest of you spread out and cover the street both ways. Anything moves, shoot first and ask questions later. Let's go. Get out of here. Come on. Look out. Big Morris. That's the spirit. I'll ride back to him with that man. The looting of Lawrenceville was accomplished in 20 minutes and the outlaws were gone, leaving a dozen dead and wounded people behind. And a few miles to the northwest, young Dan Reed was telling his friend the Lone Ranger what he'd seen and heard in town. The masked man swiftly saddled the great stallion Silver as he listened to the boys' breathless stories. And the telegram was for a peaceful Parker. How many men rode south with the sheriff then? Golly, just about every man that could ride, I guess. There'll be an awful battle, I bet, if they catch up with a gang. I'm afraid that's a big if. You think Tossie'd not catch up with Morris Tuller? Not if they're riding south toward Indian Hills, Tonto. That's where Marshal Parker said they were heading. That telegraph message came from Benton? Yes, sir. Benton is a way station in the Union Pacific, about a hundred miles north of here. Sure, I know, but... I know that peaceful Parker is down on the border, Dan. He's been there for six months. But how could he have sent that message from Benton? He couldn't have. Golly, then who did? Someone who wanted to get Sheriff White out of Lawrenceville, along with all the able-bodied men in town. And that someone might have been Big Morris. The outlaw leader himself. I'm right. They've raided the town by now and gone. Tonto. Uh-uh. There are only two escape routes they could use without meeting the sheriff's posse. One is to the north toward Thunder Mountain, the other to the northwest into the Powder Hills. Then what do we do? Well, we can't stop them. We might find their trail if we hurry. I'll take the hills, you ride for Thunder Mountain. Uh-uh. Then you're going back to Lawrenceville. Find out what's happened and send a complete report by telegraph to Peaceful Parker, United States Marshal of San Antonio. Then head the trail south for Indian Hills and notify the sheriff. Right. Here, Victor. Let's go, Tonto. Uh-huh. Very big fellow. Get him up. Now listen, kid. You trying to josh me? I'm trying to send a telegraph message to Marshal Parker. Oh, yeah, huh? Trying to send a fellow a telegram in San Antonio when he's up in Benton, huh? But he's not in Benton. Oh, no. Course not. You muddlehead. Didn't I receive the message he sent from Benton my own self? Didn't I? But that message was a fake. Didn't I hand it over to the sheriff my own self? Wasn't it me that seen it first? Didn't I wire right back to the marshal at Benton soon as the posse left town? And you call me a muddlehead. Didn't Big Morris and his gang raid the town right after the posse rode off to the south? Sure, sure. Of course they did. I seen that Morris fellow my own self. Seen him with my own two eyes. And they cleaned out the town slick as a whistle. Then if you weren't a muddlehead yourself, you'd know that the message you got was a fake. Why, you sassy little muntah. It was all planned by Morris and his gang to get the sheriff out of town so they could loot the place. Don't you see? What? Say, I'll bet you that's just what happened. Holy mackerel, I'd better send another telegram to the marshal. Yeah, that'd be a dandy idea, mister. Only send it to San Antonio this time, will you? Northward of Lawrenceville where the broad prairie land merged into the foothills of Thunder Mountain, Big Morris signaled a hawk. It was less than an hour since the outlaws had terrorized and robbed the little cattle town. All right. Now, this is where we part company. It'll be some time tomorrow before the sheriff finds out what happened. I'll bet he's going to be one surprise zombie when he gets home. He'll be more surprised when he starts chasing us this way. Now, here's what we gotta do. Separate here, stay in pairs. You fellas all remember where we holed up last winter on the other side of Thunder Mountain? Yeah, yeah. That's where we'll get together tomorrow morning. All about slipping some of that stuff, Big. Yeah. Yeah. What about it, Dusty? Well, ain't we gonna whack up? The loot stays with me and Speed. We're pairing off together. I told you that in the first place. We'll meet up in the night later, like I said. What's the matter, Dusty? You're afraid you won't get what's coming to you? Well, it ain't that, but if anything was to happen to you two fellas, then we'd all be out of luck. Taint as though they were chasing us now. We got plenty of time to whack up right here. And what makes you think anything's going to happen, Dusty? I didn't say I thought so. Only said that... So you're what? What's coming to you, eh? Why, you sniveling buzzard? I was dodging the law when you was dodging a wash rag. But if the law should catch up with you and Speed, they'd get the whole works back. And if we is to get our share now... All right, Dusty. I'll give you your share. Any of the rest of you want your share now? Would you rather take orders like you've been doing? The way that Jasper's been shooting off his face, next thing, he'd be wanting to take charge. Pair off and get going and remember, the law's going to be looking for trails to follow. Leave as many as you know how. Come on, Speed, let's ride. Get up, come on. Using every bit of available cover he could find, the Indian Tonto raced his spotted pony toward Thunder Mountain, the place the lone ranger had asked him to search. The fateful red man stopped his horse on a low ridge to search for signs of the escaping outlaws. He heard the faint muffled explosion of a distant shot. It was the shot which had given the outlaw, Dusty, his share of the robbery. In that moment, the Indian world is pulling and raced away in the direction of the sound. Get up, scum! Oh! I thought you said there wouldn't be nobody chasing us today. What do you see, Speed? Back yonder at the foot of that first slope. But, looks like somebody stirred the fire. Sure, but not to keep warm. Take a look at the way that smoke's rising. That's a signal fire, Big, just as sure as you're a foot high. Signal fire? It's an engine signal. Somebody's trying to tell somebody else he's picked up the trail. Yeah. Let's get on ahead up on them rocks. And you go on ahead with the horses and I'll just wait for that somebody. Plenty hard to pull in here, sir. Bring it up, let's get right where you are. Oh, who's got no fellow? No fellow? Now reach high and step out of that saddle. On this side. 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, facing the outlaw's drawn gun, the Indian Tonto hesitated for a split second. You've never been closer to the happy hunting grounds than you are at this minute. Get off that horse and quick. What you stop me for? You rob Indian? Rob you? Rob you? That's pretty good. Here, give me that shooting iron. Now you can put your hands down. Well, I see you nailed him, all right? Sure. He was so busy following them horse tracks he'd never seen me throw down on him. Now we got him, what are we going to do with him? What do you think? Red skin, you better start spilling the truth. Oh, me not savvy, what you mean? So you don't savvy up. Hey, you'll break his jaw, you keep that up. What do I do? Is that any skin off your nose? Marry a bit. Engine, you better talk while you're still able. What was them smoke signals for? You'll find out plenty soon, outlaw. Yeah. You've been letting somebody know you picked up our trail, huh? Maybe there's engines in these hills, Big. Maybe he was sending signals to his tribe. How about that, fella? Is that what you was doing? Well, answer me. Maybe he wants another taste of your fist, Big. Sure he does, and here it is. How's that taste to you, you sneaking red devil? You want some more? Or do you want to unlimber that tongue of yours? You plenty brave outlaw, but me not afraid of you. I got to make this. You sure cooled him off that time. Now what'll we do? Yeah, he ought to put a slug in his carcass right where he lays. In fact, I think I'll... No, wait. Wait a minute. He might be more useful to us on the hoof. How so? Tie him up and take him along till we find out who he will send them signals to. Then we can really give him a going over. All right. Help me tie him on his pony. Come on, give me a lift here. Sure. Man, you sure did hit him that last time. Diego Francisco Gregorio loved his job very much. It was a quiet, peaceful job in which Don Gregorio was an expert. The job, as far as the Mexican cowboy was concerned, consisted of sleeping most of the day under the benevolent shade of a great cottonwood tree, while the herd of cattle, of which he was in charge, grazed contentedly on a nearby slope. Even the Vicaro's pony liked this sort of work, where the animal stood hip-shot just a few feet away. Dozing and switching flies. Then... Ho, ho, ho, easy, big car. The cowboy's pony leaped sideways, and Don Gregorio awoke violently, petrified with terror. Directly in front of him, a huge white stallion was pawing the air, and on the horse's back sat a tall man, whose features were concealed by a black mask. Ay, el partido. Bozal, vejo, easy. Saludos, amigo. Saludos, senor. Yo voy a rob Diego Francisco Gregorio. Senor, this poor Vicaro has no money, senor. Then I will give you money, senor. Here. Catch. Senor bandido, you make joke. Money is yours, amigo, but you must ride to Lawrenceville and quickly. Por qué, senor? To bring back the lawmen who are there. Go quickly, amigo. You make joke with me, senor. You, the bandido, wish me to bring here help the police. Senor, your own beloved mother would not recognize you without those so beautiful ears. and my knife is sharp. Will you go? Si, senor. I am gone. Hey, come here. Get out. Come on, silver. Leaving a plain trail for the lawmen to follow, the masked rider of justice came to the point where the band of outlaws had separated. He stared at the dead figure of the man called Dusty. Then his eyes narrowed at what he saw and the Lone Ranger spoke softly. Thanks, mister. Easy, big fella. Come on, silver. But, buzzard, I'll make you talk if I have to break you to pieces. That ain't no use, big. You knocked him around so much and now he couldn't talk if he wanted to. We'll see about that. Let's get them bedrolls spread out. It's gonna be dark in a minute. Yeah, but I still aim to find out who this Indian was making them smoke signals to. Leaving tied to that tree were doing, sure. Time his back and arms began to ache, he might change his mind about talking. He'll change his mind before morning or he'll be a dead engine. He'll be a dead engine if he does, so what's the difference? Come on. The lone ranger, following a lead for which he'd muttered thanks to a dead man, moved silently through the night until he came to a camp. He signaled with an imitation of a night bird's call. A faint reply came to him above the noises of night. A moment later, found the masked man at Tonto's side. Tonto. Steady, Tonto. Let me cut those ropes. While the masked man and Tonto moved away from the camp of the outlaws, the Indian told about his capture, the beating he'd endured, and the efforts of Big Morris to learn about the smoke signals. Them too. In camp. Leaders of gang. How many were in on the Lawrenceville robbery, Tonto? Oh, me not know for sure. Maybe 20, 30. And the money they got, what about that? Me hear them talk about robbing bank, post office, express office. Them get much gold. Did they divide the money? No. Good. That gives us a chance to get the rest of the gang. Morris and other fellow hide gold. Tonto, not know where. I see. Now I'm going back, Tonto. What you do, Kim Sabe? I'm going to put one of those outlaws to sleep, much more soundly than he's sleeping now. And then I'll wake up the other one. Me go with you? No. Follow me and bring the horses. Be ready to move quickly when I call you. That's in dreams, my friend. Big Morris turned uneasily in his sleep, then suddenly came fully awake at the sound of a plunging horse racing away in the night. What the blazes? Speed, what's going on? Speed! Swiftly striking a match, the outlaw chief saw that his gang lieutenant's bedroll was empty. On the blanket, he found a crudely scrawled note. Hey, what to do this to you, big? What first come, first served. Why, that dirty double-crossing poor cat, he's going to clean out our hiding place, huh? Try to double-cross big Morris, will he? Can you tell your critter and show him what happens to double-crossers? Get up there! You hear yet? Must have lost his way in the dark, huh? That's the way they want to play this game. I'll play it that way. Just leave it there, Morris. Turn around with your hands up. What? Not yet? That mask, the engine, where'd he come from? He just traded places with your friend. You mean with speed? But I thought he... You thought he double-crossed you and you couldn't get here fast enough. But he was tied and gagged, Morris, not 50 feet away from you when you left in such a hurry. Get his guns, Tuttle. So you're the fellow the Redskin was sending those signals to, huh? But how I... I mean, after we got him, how'd you get on our trail? There must have been a dozen other trails with a bunch split up. Here, I'll take his guns, Tuttle. I'm going to pack this loot in my saddlebags. Then I'm going back up the trail to get the man we left tied there. Ah. Kimasabi, you leave this fellow here, huh? Yes, Tuttle. While I'm gone, why don't you see if you can find out where Morris and his lieutenant were supposed to meet the gang. Go to blazes, both of you. I ain't no squealing rat. You could fool me on that point every time. Ah, perhaps you'd like to tie him to a tree, Tuttle. Ah. The way he tied you. Mm-hmm. No. Tonto, not need ropes. Not need guns. Hey, what, what's he going to do? I think he's going to talk to you, outlaw, in your own language. It was daylight when the masked man returned, leading the captive outlaw gunman stumbling along on foot. Oh, Silver, easy, steady, big fella. As the Lone Ranger dismounted, his friend Tonto pointed to a large group of horsemen approaching from the south. Kimasabi, Sheriff come now. Marshal Parker with him. Yes, Tonto. There's Dan riding in front. Well, Morris, I hope my friend Tonto entertained you in the style you're used to. I should have killed that red devil a minute I laid eyes on him. You'd be better off right now if you hadn't killed some of the people you laid eyes on. Well, it looks like you and Tonto kind of started at the top and worked down. Howdy, Peaceful. Hello, Sheriff. Hi, yourself. Holy jumping Jupiter. Is that big, Morris? Yeah, I reckon it is, Sheriff, but kind of hard to recognize at first glance. What happened to him, mister? He looks like he'd been sorting wildcats. Here, Marshal, you'll find all the Lawrenceville loot in these saddlebags. Thanks a heap. But you ain't answered my question. What happened to him? I couldn't say, Marshal. I wasn't here at the time, but I think he had an argument with Tonto and lost. Was he a squealing rat, Tonto? No, him not squeal like rat. Him bawl like cat. Him say gang meet today and hide out at Squaw Canyon. He would have never found us if the Redskins hadn't been lucky. The Marshal can show you your mistake on the way back to town, outlaw. What are you talking about? What mistake? The man you killed before the gang split up. He did a good job of putting the way for us. He would be dusty, but I drilled him center, knocked him right out of the saddle. A couple of you fellas take this buzzard and his partner here and start back for town. The rest of us will ride up the Squaw Canyon and finish the chore. And pick up that dead owl hooter we passed on the trail. Might even show Mr. Morris what the ranger meant. The ranger? You mean the lone ranger? Yep. Him and the Indian tonto were the first ones to find your friend Dusty sprawled out where you dropped him. Wait till you see how Dusty put the finger of death on you. But how? He just pointed the trail for all of us. Wrote your name out in the dust where he fell and he died pointing to the trail you took. But don't you go feeling sorry for old Dusty outlaw. You're going to be meeting up with him real soon. You have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
