Hiyo, Silver! ...heat of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty Hiyo, Silver! The Lone Ranger! His faithful Indian companion, Toto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains, led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. 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 the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse, Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again! Come on, Silver! Let's go, big fellow! I'm Silver! The homesteaders were well established in the fertile country east of Possum River. Their houses were finished, and their land was covered with fine wheat. Under the leadership of Ben Jackson, they'd done well. They'd even made friends with cattlemen and cowboys in the west bank of the river. Those friendships had developed in spite of Big Jim Lockhorn. Lockhorn resented them. He'd done his best to prevent them. He was prepared as he met Shady Martin to go further. I'll get right to the point, Shady. I'll tell you why I brought you here to my home. Must be downright important. It is. It is for those nesters on the east bank. Them farmers ain't a bad source. This is cattle country. They've got to go. You're still holding to that after all this time? Yes. Mr. Lockhorn... I didn't invite you here to discuss the subject. I say the nesters must go. I can see what lies ahead. That's the difference between me and those nincompoops with a couple of hundred head of cattle. I didn't have vision and foresight to be a small rancher like the rest of them. It's my foresight that made me bigger than all the other outfits in Possum County combined. I reckon you're right about that. If we don't move them, they'll move us. I don't think they've got ideas like that. Ah, you fool. Those men homesteaded the land. They've got deeds to it. They own their land. Well? That's more than we can say. You don't own this place? I own the land my house is on. So do the other cattlemen. But how far would we get without the open range? I see. First thing we know, those farmers will cross the Possum River. They'll homestead our rangeland. Then where we dee. I've said all along they'd have to go. And now the time is ripe. Ripe for what, Mr. Lockhole? To drive them out. Everything they've got in the world is in that ground. They put all their cash in seed. The wheat is brown, ready to cut. It's also dry. Ready to burn. Oh, nice, savvy. And when their wheat goes, their buildings will go with it. So with no homes, no cash, and a cold winter ahead, they'll have to clear out. Oh, I'll buy their property. Give them cash enough to buy food and shelter. Somewhere else. Mr. Lockhole, I don't think you can do it. I can do it. But, uh, you'll have to help. I don't see how. What's the matter with you, Shady? Have you lost interest in easy money? Oh, ain't that, Mr. Lockhorn. It's just that I know what the situation is. I get to Possum Center for all the shindigs. I've seen the farmers attending those parties, getting on first rate with the cattlemen. Well, don't tell me you've gone moon-eyed soft on some of those farmer girls. Not me. Some of the boys have. At the first sign of a fire on the east side of the river, every one of the men will rush over and help fight it. Things have certainly changed. Time was when a self-respecting cattleman would shoot a nester on sight. They don't even call them nesters now. Call them farmers. I know a pack of short-sighted fools who wind up losing their age. It's a good thing there's one man that can see ahead and think for the cattlemen. Well, Shady, my plans still go. We burn that wheat. Mr. Lockhorn... Right now, the Possum River is high as it's been in ten years. The water's rushing through the bed like a buffalo stampede. Not one man, a horse, and a thousand can cross that stream. But there's a bridge. A bridge. Look at me, Shady. Do I look like a man that will let farmers overrun the open range like a swarm of locusts just because there's a bridge across the Possum River? For who? Do I? No. No, Mr. Lockhorn, you sure don't. Any bridge that stands in my way goes down. And any man that stands in my way goes six feet down. How are you? What's the matter? Just a minute. Someone's outside the door. Well, Mr. Lockhorn... Snooping, eh? No, sir. Help me out. Please, now. Come in here. We'll see about this. I thought I heard the floor squeak. What have you got there? I could. Mr. Lockhorn, I wasn't a snooping. Honest to me. Don't lie to me, you dried-up old desert rat. I take you in when your flat broke. Feed you. Give you clothes. Give you a job. You repay me by snooping outside the door. No, nothing like that. What did you hear? I didn't hear nothing. Lie up. Give me the truth or I'll let you have a few with my fist instead of an open hand. I was just coming past the door. Honest to walls. You weren't passing when I jerked the door open. You were standing there listening. But I was wondering who was in here with you. That's all? So help me, Mr. Lockhorn. I didn't mean to snoop. I only... Oh, don't. What did you hear? Maybe you'd better let me go to work on the old buzzard. Tatum, are you going to talk or should I let Shady Martin crease your head with the barrel of his gun? Maybe comb your hair with a gun sight. I... He heard something or he wouldn't be afraid to admit it. Get your gun out, Shady. Oh, no. Hold him. Cut. Cut away. There he goes. Stand aside so I can shoot. Get out the back door. I'll get him. Hold it, Shady. Let the old coo go. What if he heard anything? I doubt if he heard very much. He couldn't have been there very long. Maybe we ought to get him anyhow. He squealed... Thank Tatum. That old fool scared stiff. He'll keep going till he's put three counties between behind him. Ah, sit down and we'll work out the tears. Riding along the wooded bank of Possum River, the Lone Ranger and Tonto noticed the unusual force of the stream. It was a rushing tar to tumbling white water that came within a few inches of overflowing the banks. Those banks are usually just about two or three feet above the water, Tonto. That's right. Plenty of rain all summer. That's why water, aye. Rain was a blessing to the farmers, Kemosabe. Look at that stand of wheat. Ah, it's plenty good. We camp here in woods? Yes. I want to spend a few days around here and see if the ranchers and farmers have buried the hatchet. Well, me here is that everything plenty peaceful. Cut over this way, Tonto. We're camping the clearing we used the last time we came through here. Ah. Kemosabe. Yes. Maybe we're too late. Too late? Look like someone already in camp and clearing. Oh. You see fellow in there? Yes, I see him. Him stretched on ground near spring. I wonder if he's hurt. Him not sleep. Him look at us. Trying to get up. How though he is hurt. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scout. Oh, Silver. Oh, Silver. Oh, Scout. Oh, fella. Oh, fella. No, please don't shoot me. Please don't kill me. Very big fella. No one's going to kill you. I know why you followed me. You were sent to kill me, but please, mister, let me live. I swear I won't talk. You can talk your head off. You'll not get hurt any worse than you are right now. What happened to your leg? Running. Running through the woods. I twisted my ankle on a root. Take a look at it, Tonto. See how badly it's hurt. Me take a look. You'll lie back. Lie back. Me look at the ankle. You ain't going to shoot me? No. Lockhorn didn't send you to get me? Lockhorn? You mean the cattleman? Didn't he send you for me? Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh, me sorry to hurt. Oh, that ankle's mighty bad. Tonto, fix it good. Who are you, mister? You might call me a, well, a bridge builder. What? I, uh, I was here some time ago to help build a bridge across Possum River. Then you're, and you're the one that made peace between the ranchers and the farmers. I heard about you. I heard about the mass men that blown range here. Is our, uh, bridge still standing? It's standing, but not for long. I overheard the plans to wreck it. Wreck? What's that? I heard Jim Lockhorn will kill me if he can get me. Lockhorn, huh? For sakes alive, mister. You're needed now worse than you was the first time you come here. Lockhorn was the only man who was unwilling to make peace with the farmers. Everyone else is friendly with the farmers, but Lockhorn is as bitter as he ever was about them. Why is he going to wreck the bridge? Well, I didn't hear enough of the talk to know why he's going to do it. Chances are he figures to keep the farmers from crossing the river onto the cattle land. They've been coming to the town and making friends with the folks on this side. You know, when the bridge is to be wrecked? No. Is Ben Jackson still the leader of the farmers? Yes, he is. And oh, golly, mister, if you can do something. I'm going to call on Lockhorn. How about that ankle, Tom? Well, me fix bandage. It's all right now. Now, you keep off feet for two, three days. Oh, he sure feels he better. What's your name? My name's Tatum. I was the cook at Lockhorn's ranch. I see. Now, just a minute. I'll leave this saddlebag with you. Hey, boy. Easy a minute. You'll find plenty of food in it. Oh, thanks, mister. And wait a minute. Let's undo these. Here's a couple of blankets. Oh, Shakespeare, I have you. We'll be back soon. Keep off that foot. Ready, Tonto? Be ready. Ready, big fella? Come on, silver. Come on, scout. Shady Martin had three men to help him in his work of destruction. They were on the eastern end of the bridge fixing fuses to the carefully placed kegs of gunpowder. Cut this fuse off right about here. Got your knife, Burley? Yeah, right here. We'll make this one little longer than the fuse on our side of the bridge. That'll give us time to light it and cross over and light the other fuse and get back. There, it's cut. Say, Shady. Yeah? Me and Wally got to start fires in that wheat crop. How are we going to get back to your side of the river with the bridge down? You don't need to get back. You two were hired for this one job and nothing else. When the fires are started, you just shove on and keep going. You've got your pay in advance. But remember, you've got to earn that cash. If you let me down and don't fire that wheat, I'll gun you down if it's the last thing I do. Yeah, don't worry. We won't let you down. Get Gorman. Come on, Gorman. That dry wheat will go up like gunpowder. Yeah. It'll go up, all right. But not like this gunpowder, huh, Burley? Should I light this fuse? Yeah. It'll be slick if both ends of the bridge go at once. Yeah. Yeah, it's lit. Let's clear out. Hope we made that fuse long enough to give us a chance to light the other. It's a plenty long. Get a match ready for the second fuse. Got one right here in my hand. Here. Give it to me. Yeah, better let me do it. Your hand's too unstable. Go ahead. Yeah. Hurry it up. The other one's burning down fast. It's lit. Come on. Get over back at that rock where we left the horses. That's where I'm going. Are the other two out of the way? Sure. They're off to the north. They're safe enough. Here we are. I'm winded. Me too. Now watch that bridge go. Hey, Burley. Look. Yeah? Over there. Two horsemen coming this way. Coming toward the bridge. Get down, you fool. We can't let anyone know we set that blast. They'll be blowed up. Hey, one of them's an Indian. Sure enough. And shady. The other's masked. Won't do that. At least they ain't none of Lockhorns, friends. They're on the bridge. There it goes. 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. The Lone Ranger and Tonto missed death by a narrow margin when the bridge across the Possum River was blown up. They raced away from the river while debris fell on all sides. Oh, Silver, boy. Oh, fella. Oh, steady. You all right, Tonto? Me all right. But Silver hurt. Easy. Steady there, old fella. Him hit by a piece of wood. Let's have a look at that cut, Silver. It's not bad. Yeah, about the narrowest escape we've had. That's right. Get him up, mister. What's that? Two fella. We got you covered. We seen the whole thing, your honorary bridge busters. You saw what? We saw you blow that bridge up. Don't make a move or we'll let daylight through you. You saw us blow the bridge? Sure we did. Oh, that's the story you'll tell, huh? Wasn't it convenient that we came along just in time to be accused? Yeah, mighty convenient. And masked at that. I reckon the farmers hired you to destroy that bridge, huh? That's really good. Glad you showed yourselves, because now we know who destroyed the bridge and injured my horse. Take him, Tonto. Look out. No, no. My arm. You shot my arm. You want some more? Just say so. Watch him, Tonto. We'll see about the one you knocked down. He hit him plenty hard. What hit me? Too bad it wasn't a piece of that bridge. Get up on your feet. Don't hit me again, please. My arm's busted. How much did Lockhorn pay you for this job? I can't say nothing. You can say a lot and you're going to. Well, what'd he pay you? Who says he paid anything? You got no proof that we done it. Proof? Who's asking for proof? I know you did it. I know who hired you to do it. But we can't say... I don't have to prove anything. I'll talk. My arm. How would you like to worry about your neck instead of your arm? Who are you, anyhow? I helped build that bridge. I didn't do it for you to blow up. I didn't put those timbers there so a piece of one could bruise the back of my horse. You built it? Shady. Shady, remember what we heard? The mass man, the white horse, the one that made peace. The Lone Ranger. Maybe this fella talking. Don't hit me again. Why did Lockhorn want that bridge destroyed? I... Maybe you can loosen his tongue, Toto. Me knock it loose. I'll tell you. Burley, don't squeal. Lockhorn will kill us. What do you think this Indian will do? Lockhorn's going to fire the wheat. Fire the wheat? That's the plan. He wanted that bridge down so none of the men from this side could fight the fire. You mean to say that the cattlemen would help fight a fire in that wheat? They would if they could get there. Now they can't make it because the bridge is down. Kemosabe, look. Fire already start. Lockhorn going to pay for this. Wheat plenty dry. It burned plenty fast. Yes, and there ain't nothing you can do about it. There ain't a man alive that can cross that river without a bridge. There's another fire started. Toto, guard these two. Ah, and why you go? Pretty big fella. Spread the alarm. Come on, Silver. Hiding like the wind, the masked man dashed to the nearest rand. Oh, Silver, how about it? Fire. There's a fire. Now where is it? The wheat. The farmer's wheat is burning. All your men, get over to fight it. I'll sell the triangle. Come on, Silver. Oh, Silver, how about it? There's a fire in the wheat fields. You've already seen the spot. The boys are getting ready. Go ahead. Good one, Silver. As he called it one after another of the small ranches, the Lone Ranger felt a thrill of gratification when he saw how quickly the cattlemen responded to the needs of the farmers. His work of peacemaking had been well done. Meanwhile, on the other side of the river, the farmers fought desperately to save their wheat. Smoke and searing flames swirled and eddied about the struggling farmers. Theirs was a hopeless fight. There were pitifully few men to fight even one fire, let alone half a dozen in widely scattered places. The farmers fought to the point of exhaustion then kept on fighting. The first fire was brought under control, but there were others, many others. With every moment, the fight became more hopeless. Old Ben Jackson was everywhere, shouting to the men, guiding them, leading them, inspiring them in this superhuman effort. It's all we got. If this goes, our homes, and everything goes with it, Ben. Ben, your hair sins. You've got to get back. Give me that size. I'll show you how to cut wheat. While great clouds of billowing smoke rose from the wheat fields, the cattlemen rushed to the place where the bridge had been. They came on horseback, in wagons, and on foot. They brought everything that could be used to fight a fire, but at the river, they were blocked. We can't cross. The bridge is down. How did this happen? We're stuck here. We can't cross that river. Well, look at that water. What'll we do? How do those cattlemen know who destroyed the bridge? No. They don't know yet. Me not tell them. Where are those two? Me put them back a rock. Tie them up there. Do you use your lasso? No. We use short rope. Good. I'm going to need your lariat. Ah, here. Hey. Here, lasso. And what you do? You've got to get those men across that river. I'll tie our ropes together. Yours and mine will span the river. Plenty of color there. More on the way. They can save that wheat if we can get them to the other side. Oh, that's a big problem. Come on, Toto. Tie this end of the rope to the base of the bridge. Come on, it's over. Get them up, scouts. Come on, boy. The mass man. Hey, how can we cross? The bridge is down. We're stuck here. We can't ford that rapids. I'm going to try to take a rope across that river. If I make it, I'll tie it to the far side. Then you can hang onto the rope and get over to those fires. Ah, don't try. You can't make it. No man can cross that rapids. Come back here. You'll drown. Come on, silver. Come on, silver, old boy. You've got to make it. Come on there, big fella. That's it. Look at that horse, Clyde. He's halfway across. I wonder. I wouldn't have believed it. Go on, mass man. Keep going. Get that rope and cross and we'll join you. Fighting every inch of the way, the mighty silver called on all of his great strength. The foaming water swirled around him, beating against his head. Then he reached the far bank and clambered to firm ground. Hold, silver. Hold. Now come on and fight that fire. Come on, silver. Farmers had reached the end of their endurance. Many had fallen out of sheer exhaustion. Others staggered blindly as they tried to cut paths in the weeds. Ben, I... I can't go on. I can't go on no longer. It's no use. I guess you're right. We're licked. Licked complete. Fast, man. Who is he? Oh, silver. How are I? Oh. You. It's you. Ben, you're through. Steady, big fella. Here, lean on me. I know we're through. Licked. Licked complete. We can't save any of the crops. Steady there, Ben. Easy. We... We fought our best. You won your fight. You kept the fires under control until help reached you. Help? There ain't no help. There is. Look over there. Ben. Ben, am I seeing things? They're fighting the fire. Nearly every man on the west side of the river is here helping you. Why? Why, they... They got one of the fires controlled. And they'll take care of the rest of them. Cattlemen. Yes, your friends. Who's there? Meet him. You decided to come back, eh? Yep. What's that cane for? I twisted my ankle yesterday when I was running away from you. What made you decide to come back? Well, I liked it here and I'm going to stay here as Cookie. I might have something to say about that. I don't like many eavesdrop. I reckon that don't matter much. What? I mean to say it don't matter what you like you ain't going to be here. What are you talking about, you old fool? Maybe them boys can make it clearer. Huh? Hello, Laquan. Ben Jackson. The boys wanted me to head the committee. Well, I... I was sorry about that fire. Fires, you mean? We had a number of them. But the cattlemen put them out in time to save most of our wheat. Well, uh... I suppose you'd like to ask how the cattlemen got across the river. Only you don't like to let on that you know the bridge was blown up. I'll see here. We're giving you a choice, Laquan. You can sell out to the other cattlemen and get. Or you can stay here and hang alongside of Shady Martin and the three that worked with him. Lafayette. They're all in jail and they all talked. Wait, listen to me. No use, Laquan. Farmers and the cattlemen met last night. We decided we'd build a new bridge to replace a temporary one we threw across the river. Then we decided that we'd get rid of you so that bridge would stand for a long, long time. Well, I guess at least I'm not a fool. Well, there's room for doubt about that. At any rate, I know when I'm licked. That's it. Yep. That's what the Lone Ranger figured you'd do. You have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger, Incorporated.
