Companion Tonto, the mask 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 hoop beats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver. Let's go, big fellow. The Plateau gang struck, then struck again. Hoofprints of a score of horses left in the small ranch toward the distant plateau. The lawmen were baffled when the tracks disappeared on hard rock. Despite a thorough search of the entire region, no trace of the gang could be found. Then there was another raid. More murders. Another small ranch left in flames. Smoking embers for Sheriff Lawson to inspect when morning came. Careful now. Don't spoil none of the footprints or hoofprints around here, boys. Sheriff, offhand I'd say there was at least 20 horsemen that come here and raided this place. Well, there's a large estimate, Windy. Well, maybe so, but there's at least that many. The Plateau gang again, ain't it? Yeah, Plateau gang is right. Not a survivor to left tell about it. Gosh. Poor Stebbins family. Wiped out. Hallying is too good for the Plateau gang when we finally corral us conks. This makes an even dozen murders to chalk up against them. Sheriff, where in tarnation could a gang that size hide out around here? Don't ask me, Windy. I've thought it over till I'm dizzy. Can't find no answers no how. Come on, Barton. We'll follow the trail while the others get back for town. Deputy Barton is following the trail. Thank you. Good that'll do. The Plateau gang's trail has been followed before, but it always peters out in hard rock somewhere, so it can't be followed. Well, come on. We'll hit for town. Get up. Get on there. The charred remains of the Stebbins ranch house grew cold, and the place was deserted until late afternoon when two horsemen came that way. One was tall and masked. The other was an Indian. Oh, there. Oh, fella. Another raid, Tonto. This one come later. That last one was at least two weeks ago. The grass was growing between the ruins. But this one, I... Well, let Tonto take a look. Let me look under wood. This raid happened a few hours ago, Tonto. That's right. There's so many hoof prints around here now. That's impossible to tell how many men were in the raiding party. Tonto, take a look at hoof prints of horses. I doubt if you can learn much from them, Tonto. You studied the hoof marks at the last raid we saw. Well, you learned one thing there. Did you? Ah. Study silver. Find all big horse. No Mustang. No Indian pony there. And you think that the men who raided and destroyed the place were white men? That's right. But you couldn't tell how many of them. Maybe find that out here. Maybe. Look over there, Tonto. There are tracks leading north from here. Maybe we can follow them. Yeah. We follow them. Come on, then. Be ready. Come on, silver. Get him up, scout. Hours later, just before darkness, the masked men and Tonto saw horsemen coming toward them. Instead of leaving the trail to hide, the Lone Ranger hauled his horse and waited till two deputies came close. Come on, sir. We ain't to talk with you. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. For God's sakes, you're masked. You better get me. Teddy, don't draw your gun. Cover me, are you? That means that you... It means that I don't propose to be taken back to town by you. You're a lawman, aren't you? We are. We're following this trail, led from the remains of a ranch. Stebbins Place. Them dirty coyotes, as known as the Plateau Gang, burned the place down and killed the family. And you've given up trying to trail them? Had to. The trail stops a couple of miles yonder. Stops? Just so. Goes into hard rock that don't show no marks. I see. If it weren't for the fact that you were on the back trail, I'd suspect you would be in part of the Plateau Gang. I thought the Plateau Gang had a score of men. Maybe so. Maybe not. It just struck me that a lot of horse tracks don't prove that all the horses had riders. Keep that thought in mind, deputy. Meanwhile, we'll see if we can follow this trail farther than you did. Now, hold on. I didn't say you could go. I didn't ask you. And don't try for your gun. Come on, Otto. Get up, scout. Come on, sir. Hey, hold on. Oh, wait a minute. Let him go, Joe. We got no proof. In town the following day, everyone talked about the Plateau Gang. All trails had gradually vanished, and Sheriff Lawson, sitting in his office, admitted that he was baffled. Where could that gang hide? That's what I want to know. Sheriff, we searched everywhere. Man and boy, I lived in these parts a darn long time, Wendy. And there ain't a cave, dry gulch, ravine, or place of any other sort that I ain't heard about. And we hunted and all them and found no sign of outlaws. Then there's 20 or more outlaws in the Plateau outfit, and they're hiding around here somewheres. I want every man that can sit a horse and tow the gun to ride out and scour the country again. I can't see no point in it. We have scourged the country, Sheriff, and found nothing. Yeah, but ain't fool them killers couldn't disappear in the thin air, could they? Oh, no. Then don't it stand to reason around here somewheres. Yeah, but... Then hunt them. Anyone here that can't take orders can handle his badge. I've sure hunted till I'm saddled, so. Come on, Gus. You better follow orders. Yeah, I reckon so. Come on, Wendy. We'll travel together. Hey, Sheriff. Sheriff, I got something to ask you. What is it, Barton? When we was following the trail, we run into something on the back trail. Made me start thinking about a new angle on the Plateau gang. Close the door behind you, boys. Get to searching. Sit down, Barton. Yeah. I've been picking on it all night. I maybe got an idea that's worthwhile. Spill it, then. The idea's what we need. We've been hunting for a gang of 20-odd men, ain't we? Lawson, that's where we may have been making a mistake. What? Yeah. I had a hunch on it yesterday. The more I thought over my hunch, the more I thought I might be right. Two men might have been able to do all that's been done. Two men? Barton, have you gone loco? No. How'd two men be able to do all that's been done? They could. That's what I thought at first. But let's study the thing. Hey, no one has lived to tell how many is in the Plateau gang. No. All we've seen is a lot of horses' hooves. More than 20 of them. Yeah. But that don't say that every horse had a rider, does it? Yeah, look here, Barton. What outlaw seemed to attack and kill would go to the trouble leading a pack of extra horses. It's just a notion I had, that's all. Make us look for a gang that don't exist. Oh, forget it. The thing is, Lawson, I think I know the two. You what? I said I think I know... Charlie Barton, so here's where you are. Oh, uh, howdy, honey. Howdy, indeed. Where have you been since yesterday morning? Uh, trailing. Trailing, eh? Mm-hmm. Well, I've got my fill of you out trailing and leaving home for days on end. I ain't seen hiding her hair of you since night four last. I've been working on my deputy job. Well, I've been having all the chores to do. And cows to milk, and wood to chop, and water to lug, and land knows what else. Honey, I... Don't you honey me. Get for home and do the things it needs doing. Deputy work ain't for a married man with a home to tend to. Get for home now and milk the cows. Then chop up some firewood. But Maggie, I... Well, me and Sheriff Lawson was... Come on. The plateau outfit we're trying to catch... I don't give three hoots of a night owl for the plateau outfit or the sheriff or anything else. Except the chores to home. I reckon you'd better go, Barton. I... Yeah, Sheriff Lawson reckon I had. But I wanted to tell you about the... Come on, now, get moving. Oh, all right. Come on. I'll learn you to leave me with everything to do alone. It was that night when Charlie Barton told his wife what he suspected. The more I think about it, the more I think two men could have stayed in those raids. Doggone it all, I wish I'd made more of a try to capture that masked man in the redskin on the trail. What reason you got for thinking it was only two men? Because two was all we meant. The places that have been raided have been pretty small outfits, honey. There ain't been places that could put up much of a fight. Two men could have handled them. If you'll tell me how two men could make tracks enough for 20. Well, it wouldn't be hard if they was to lead a lot of extra horses. Loading themselves down with extra horses just so the law would think there was a gang. Huh. That don't seem smart to me, Charlie. Seems downright smart to me. You told your suspicions to the sheriff? Yeah, I was telling about them when you came in. Charlie, I hear horses outside. Lots of them. So do I. I wonder if that could be the... There, the windows. Oh! Killers! Those who lived near Barton's house heard the first shots and the screams. A moment later, there was a tremendous burst of gunfire. Barton House! Let's go, gang! They struck again. Barton knew too much. Well, get help! Give me a gun! Long before help could assemble, a score of horses dashed away from the Barton House and sped off into the darkness. Those burn. Can't be safe. There's no use fighting that fire. Well, get water on the other building. Anyone after those crooks? Or summon them in to get in the horses. Fight them flames! Get Charlie and his wife out! No chance. Doesn't good save them. Nothing can save the house. Fine thing. Fine lot of lumber you are. You let this plateau gang strike right here in town. It's striking a special deputy at that. Sheriff, we was out riding all over the county looking for that gang. You and Huckley was here in town. All right. Me and the sheriff done our best. We got there too late. Poor Charlie. I feel sorry for him. Yeah. Charlie had a suspicion about that plateau gang. He thought one of the critters was an Indian and the other a masked man he met on the trail. That's it? He thought one was an Indian? Yeah. Didn't he tell you, Sheriff? Well, he said he suspected two men. He didn't get to say any more. His wife came after him. Two men couldn't make all the gunfire. We started Barton's place last night. Not by a jug, fool. You boys go see if you can find them too. Did Barton say any more about them? He said the masked man rode a white horse. Called Silver. Well, you go find him. Bring him here. Huckley, you stay here a minute. Go on without me, boys. What's up, Lawson? Huckley, I thought Barton was pointing at you and me when he said he suspected two men. He wasn't. He meant that masked man, the Indian. Sure, I see. It's just as well he got killed, though. He was pretty sharp. Yeah. I think last night's business right here in town will kill any notions that this gang's got only two men in it. It should. It was shooting enough for an army. You've got to keep your eyes and ears open. I always do. And let me know if there's anyone else that gets any smart ideas. Yeah, sure thing. I don't like the way Barton grabbed on to that idea of there being just two men. Shucks, even if someone does think that, in spite of all the noise last night, they'd have no cause to suspect us. You haven't done it. I don't know. I ain't sure we've covered every angle. You're worried. Needn't try to deny it. There's been something that's got you worrying that we'll be caught. Well, I'll tell you, Huckley. Barton met a mass man in the Redskin. That mass man is a lone ranger. A lone ranger? Sheriff, you sure? Listen. Barton said he rode a snow white horse and called that horse Silver. Now, there couldn't be two mass men riding that sort of horse. Well, even if it is a lone ranger, he'll be shot by any one of the deputies that happens to see him. The lone ranger is trying to find the Plateau Gang, Huckley. That means it's him or us. 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. A number of people were poking around in the ruins of Charlie Barton's home in the morning after the fire. No one paid any attention to the Indian and the tall white man. No one suspected that the tall man was disguised. He generally wore a mask and rode a horse named Silver. Otto, I wonder why that deputy and his wife were murdered. Barton had nothing worth stealing. That's right. No livestock? No money? I wonder if he might have been killed because he knew too much about the Plateau Gang. Maybe that reason. Why was the house burned down? That wasn't necessary. A couple were dead before the fire was started. You sure of that? Yes, I heard what the coroner said. Both people had been shot several times. Maybe burn house to hide clues. That's what I felt when we came here, Tonto. But what clues can there be? Me not know. Yes. Right here is where Barton lay. The floor not burned much here. No. There's another place where the floor wasn't burned very much. That's where Whitefall, huh? Yes, the poor woman. This is a pretty hopeless search. I don't even know what we're looking for. I... What that? I was curious. A little roll of paper. It didn't burn because Barton's body lay on top of it. Oh. I wonder what it is. Mighty tightly rolled. Oh, here. Here one just like it. Let's look at this other unburned place. See any more of those rolls? Ah. Here one. And here's another. I know what they are, Tonto. In fact, I think these may be the answer to the mystery of the Plateau Gang. How? Tonto, if Barton had wanted to protect the one thing that would betray his murderer, he couldn't have done better. Me not savvy. Tonto, the killers found these rolls of paper. They'd do their best to destroy them. We must wait. What is it? Look over there. That'll look plenty close at Silver. That's a man we met yesterday on the trail. Ah. You know that masked man's horse. You'd better get over there. Come on. Hey, Wendy. Yeah? Come here, Wendy. I want to speak to you. Yeah, me right there. Interested in that horse? Huh? Oh, yeah. Is that your horse? What if it is? I know that voice. Get him up. Heist him. Not today. No. Bernie, hold on there. Stay, big fella. Get going, Tonto. Hold on. I'll ask you. Get him up. Come on. Hey, Joe. You hurt? What was that gun play? That critter. The one on the white horse. Joe had the drop on him. He let Joe have it and made off. Joe, you hurt bad? No. I'm all right. That critter sure hit sudden. I seen you holding your gun on him. He's the one me and Barton met yesterday. He is? You sure? I'm dead sure. I thought it was the same horse. And then I recognized a voice in the Indian with him. Gus, get your horse. Come on. We got to get him. Horses are over here. The sheriff wants those, too. They know a plenty. I'll get square for the way he knocked me down. Save your talk and do your work with the guns. Steady, boy. Get up there. Get up. There was no effort for the Lone Ranger and Tonto to out-distance the deputies who pursued them. In a few moments, they'd thrown the lawman completely off the trail. Oh, who's that? Oh, fella. Hey, big fella. The disguise didn't do so much good, did it, Tonto? The disguise, all right. Silver would make trouble. It doesn't matter. We found what we went after. A small roll of paper. Yes. You got him? No, Tonto. I dropped him on the ground when we mounted our horses. You lose him? I dropped him intentionally. I want you to circle back. Get a place to hide and keep an eye on the place where I dropped those clues. Ah. It won't mean a thing to anyone except the men who murdered Barton and his wife. Me, Sammy. See who picks them up and find out what that individual does with them. I'll wait for you in camp. Ah. Me go now. Get him up. Come on, Silver. It was mid-afternoon when Huckley came into the sheriff's office. Several others were there. There is Huckley. You find any leads, Huckley? Oh, is there anything new, Larson? Nothing but more reports of failures. Joe and Wendy got a light on that mash, Mammoth, and let him escape. Oh, it wasn't our fault. He and that redskin had faster horses, that's all. They headed for the plateau, though, as one thing. That don't mean anything. We've searched that plateau a dozen times. There's no hideout up there. Well, there's got to be a hideout somewhere. Twenty men and horses and all the cattle that's been stolen. They can't just disappear. Boys, you work long and hard. I don't hold it against any of them. We ain't got that gang. Yeah, we try. Now, all of you, go on home and get some rest. I'll meet you here in the morning. We'll tackle this mystery all over afresh. All right. You want to see me, Huckley? Yeah, Sheriff. See you in the morning, Sheriff. What? Well, let's have it. You've been squirming like you'd bust. If you didn't get a chance to speak mighty soon. Sheriff, look what I found. Yeah? These little rolls of paper. Do you recognize them? These are the remains of some exploded firecrackies. That's right. Where'd you find them? About ten yards from Barton's house. They couldn't have been blown that far from there. They must have been carried there by someone. Yeah. Confounded, Huckley. I figured the fire would destroy all those things. Well, it didn't destroy these. Who carried them from the embers? You got any idea? No. Unless he could have knew what they meant, he wouldn't have bothered about them. That's the way I figure. Huckley, you better get over to what's left of Barton's house and make sure there ain't any more of these things laying around. All right. Wait a minute. I'll go with you. This is important enough for me to work on personally. I sure did a complete job of Barton's house. Yeah, Sheriff. I don't see how anything could have been left unburned. Confound it all. Why did there have to be a couple of pieces of firecracker? I ain't seen no more of them. No, me neither. Hey. There's Joe over there. Look. What about it? Sheriff, he's looking for something. Is that where you found these things? Yeah. Right there where he's looking. That's where I picked up these bits of firecracker. If that's what Joe is looking for, I... Come on. We'll find out. Hi there, Joe. Oh, hello, Sheriff. Saw you looking over the ruins, but I didn't warn about you. Howdy, Huckley. Howdy. Why didn't you go home like I suggested? You may need all the rest you can get. Yeah, I'm going a little while, Sheriff. You lose something? Yeah. That's where that hombre knocked me down. Huh? You know, Sheriff, the one that Barton and I saw yesterday wearing a mask. Yeah, yeah. I was looking around for something. That's all I can say. Well, how do you like that? I want to know what you was looking for. But I can't tell you, Sheriff. Well, I can't, that's all. She heard you. I don't like to get tough with any of my deputies. But I'm going to know what you're looking for. Sheriff, I'll explain when I can. I can't say no more now. That's all there is to it. Oh, what's the difference, Sheriff? All right, let it go. You better go along, Joe. Get all the rest you can. We might be called out on another raid by that plateau gang before morning. Yeah, thanks, Sheriff. I'll go along. Well, Lawson, what do you make of that? That hombre knows things, Huckley. He knows things and suspects a lot more. Yeah, that's the way he struck me. What are we going to do about it? Joe's got a few head of cattle on his ranch. Sure. Not enough to make it worthwhile raiding this place, but enough to make everyone think the raid was on account of cattle. Yeah. And when is that raid going to be? Tonight, about an hour after dark. Meet me at my place and I'll have everything all set. Then we'll ride over and call on Joe. Keep your gun, Andy. Don't worry. Oh, hello, Sheriff. Yo, I've got to talk to you. You too, huh, Huckley? Looks that way. Come in. What's on your mind? Joe, I didn't like the way you acted this afternoon. When was that, Sheriff? When you said you was looking for something, but you couldn't tell what it was. Let's have it, Joe, on the whole story. What were you looking for? Sheriff, I... I don't know. Well, of all that... You shut up, I'll deal with him. You better think fast, Joe. I don't know Sheriff Lawson, so help me I don't. I'll tell you what happened. Well? That Indian I'd been chasing, the masked man's partner? Yeah. He followed me after I left your office. Got the drop on me. Told me to go where I'd been knocked down and look around on the ground. He didn't tell me what to look for. Why'd he want you to do that? I don't know. He was hidden nearby, holding a gun on me all the time I was talking to you and Huckley. Why, that owner, Redskill... Joe, didn't you and Barton have the same ideas about the Plateau gang? Well, I don't know what you mean. I think you do. That Lone Ranger told you more when you passed on. Lone Ranger? That you had. Great Scott, is that masked man? Gosh, why didn't I think of that before? Look here. What's that? Ever seen these little rolls of red paper before? Well, no. Why? You sure these ain't what you was looking for near Barton's house? I told you I didn't look... Tell you that. You suspected me and Huckley right along. You thought you... Sheriff! You, Huckley! Don't act surprised about it. You're going to find out all about the Plateau gang before another ten minutes has gone by. You don't mean that you and Huckley are... What do you think I mean? You suspected as soon as you found them firecrackers. I didn't know anything about them. I swear that I... Save it. I don't know anything about firecrackers. We threw them in Barton's house to string them to make it sound like a big gang was on hand with a lot of gunfire. Now that you know the truth, you'll get what Barton got. Go ahead, Huckley. No, you don't. Hold on, Porter. Gosh, you're windy. We got you both covered. Boys, where'd you come from? Shoot it out. Let him have it. You want some more? Drop that gun, Sheriff. Don't shoot me, boys. Don't shoot me. My arm's busted. If you think that's bad, wait till the law busts your neck. Get that engine out there. Tonto. This was a trap. You bet it was. Tonto and the masked man baited it with Joe. I didn't know that. You see, Joe, the Lone Ranger learned that Huckley, the sheriff, were the ones that killed Barton and his wife when he found out that they were interested in them pieces of firecrackers. But he had to get proof. So he got me and Wendy to sneak to the back room of your house and wait. Then Tonto made you act like you knew a plenty. And figured these crooks had come for me the way they went for Barton. There he is. There, the Lone Ranger. We got him, mister. Got him cold. I found 18 horses strung together in the gully. They were ready to lay the tracks of the Plateau Gang. Then we got everything except the stolen cattle. You'll find that in the one ranch that was never searched. The sheriff's ranch. I'll lay two to one. You'll lose, Wendy. It's the ranch of the ex-sheriff. Where's you here, Tonto? We go now. Hey, wait for us. Go to town with us and the prisoners. You all need Tonto and me, sir. Come on, Silver. Get him off the count. You got rewards a-comin'. Come on, Silver. You have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger, Incorporated.
