The Lone Ranger... Companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful mask 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! Lone Ranger! An Indian scout lay flat on the ground, peering over the crest of a small hill. For some time he remained motionless while distant specks came nearer. He saw four wagons, each drawn by six Missouri mules. Then he saw that these were army wagons, but the men who drove the mules wore uniforms. With this information, the scout hurried to a nearby gully, leaped to the back of his horse, and raced away with the news. An hour later, the army wagons came up the hill. A horde of savages were waiting where the single Indian had been. At a signal, they leaped to the attack. We're ambushed! Get out of my way. I've got to see the commandant right away. Hold on, Hawkins. Never mind all your doggone formalities. Save that for the regular soldiers. You can't come inside the fort without the countersign, and you know it. You hunters and scouts are all alike. Hawkins, you crazy dunder-handed galop. How many times is it going to be told not to ride a horse to lather? Sergeant Griswold. Griswold, this horse is lather because I've got to see the captain right away. Tell this guard to stand aside. He's on my way. He won't give the countersign. What of it? You know he's one of our scouts? Let him in. But, Sergeant, Captain Roberts... Never mind Captain Roberts. Here, guard, hang on to my horse while I'll see the captain. He's me of holding a horse. If he does, maybe he'll get disgusted and get back to West Point with all his notions about army discipline. Come on, Hawkins. There's going to be some court-martials around here. Sure, shoot. Ever since Captain Roberts took charge, we had so doggone much discipline, we ain't got time to run the fort. Clean up, paint up, dress up. It's getting so. No matter what you see, you've got to do something about it. There's something in front of you. Pick it up. If it can't be picked up, paint it. If it moves, salute it. Yeah. Them critters that make the rule should be here in the Indian country. They'd blame soon change things. The captain's over here in that place he fixed up for an office. Now, be sure you call him sir and salute a plenty. Maybe I better bow from the hips at the same time. What'd you see? More Indian work. Four wagons burned. Guards and drivers dead. Boy, wonder he's been waiting for them wagons. They had a new issue of rifles and ammunition. Whatever they had, the Indians have got it now. Same ones? Yep. Old jumping bears tribe. Them buzzard-faced, sneak-thieving, murdering, catamounts. Now, Roberts, I'd better do something more and talk. Huh? Who goes there? Well, for the love of... Don't tell me there's a guard in front of the captain's quarters. Oh, I got orders, Sarge. Who goes there, friend or foe? I blast you for a junkhead. Didn't you win a week's pay for me in the poker game last night? Sarge, please, I... If I were the friend, I'd have shot you for that. Now, stand aside. Hawkins has to see the captain. Sergeant Griswold, I... Hey, Captain Roberts. Sergeant Griswold, you've got to learn to conform to regulations. Yes, sir, Captain Roberts, sir, but Mr. Hawkins has just brought in a report, sir. I've seen four army wagons wiped out by Jumpin' Bear's tribe. What? Well, maybe, sir, you ought to write a note to Jumpin' Bear and say that he's hurt and disappointed you. Maybe them rules you've got in Westport will tell you just what kind of a note to write. Sergeant Griswold... On the other hand, maybe you ought to just shut your eyes for a couple hours and let me and the boys ride out and knock the living daylights out of them cantankerous murdering skunks. Lieutenant. Yes, sir. Please step outside and close the door. Sergeant Griswold, you've been out here fighting Indians for a long time. I know that you resent the fact that I've been made the officer in charge of the fort. I resent seeing our army rid over roughshod by a pack of sleet and redskins. I came here with orders to make peace with the Indians. I also had orders to install military discipline in this fort. I can overlook insubordination in men like Hawkins, who are hired as hunters and scouts, because they're not members of the army. But you can't overlook nothing in an old war horse like me. Is that it, Roberts? Listen, let me tell you something. Twenty years ago, when I was your age, I had the same ideas you got. But in a country like this, there's things more important than spit and polish. Now I reckon I'd better head for the guardhouse. No, Sergeant, I need you. Huh? I need you and your knowledge of this country more than any other man. I wish you'd try to conform a little bit. I don't ask you to respect me. I ask you to respect the commission I hold. Captain Roberts, that's the nearest I ever heard you come to talking like a human being. Hey, look, I near killed a horse to get here fast. Jumping Bear's outfit is camp nearby. Maybe they'll attack. They got all them new rifles that was headed for us. That's where they camped. I'll lead a detachment there. Sir? You may lead me. Now you're talking, how many men are you going to take with you, sir? I propose to take two men. What? I'm going to confer with Jumping Bear. Confer! These people have had hard times. They have little or no food. They've been starving. Perhaps it's hunger that drove them to take desperate measures. Hunger, my eye! It's just plain cussedness. Sir? We'll see. Lieutenant. Yes, sir? Horses are to be saddled for Scott Hawkins, Sergeant Griswold, and me. We're going to ride under a flag of truce to meet Chief Jumping Bear. Miles away from the army post, a masked man rode into a small camp where the Indian Tonto had been waiting. Oh, sir. Oh, boy. Oh. He's right. Plenty fast. Kimo Sabe. He's a big fella. We have a lot of writing ahead of us, Tonto. Oh, you see, Padre? Yes, I saw him. Look at this. A letter? A letter that he received from an old friend, a man he knew in the East. Here, let me read you a part of it. Ah. My son, Captain Roberts, of whom I've been so proud, has been transferred to Fort Vincent. I have apprehensions about his success in a new assignment. You may find that the things he learned in the East cannot be applied to the situation on the frontier. I'll be everlastingly grateful for you, Padre. If you'll advise me if you hear any reports about the captain. You know Captain Roberts? No, Tonto. But I promised the Padre that we'd ride to Fort Vincent, see if we can learn anything. Ah. We know where Fort is, and that bad country. It is? Chief Jumping Bear near Fort. Him plenty bad Indian. Him hate all soldier. Maybe make trouble for a young fella. We'll see. A few days after the young captain had met and conferred with Chief Jumping Bear, Sergeant Griswold came into the office at the fort. They sent me to tell you there's a half a dozen redskins and a wagon load of stuff outside. They were admitted to the fort on the pass you gave them. Good. Is Jumping Bear here? Yeah. He's kept his word. See, Sergeant Griswold? We've made friends with the Indians. Isn't that better than fighting them? I'd sooner wait a while before I make up my mind. I'll go and see the Chief. Care to come with me? Yeah. I still say that you ain't made friends with them, Kitty. You can't make friends by bribing them. I contend, as I have all along, that we can prevent fights by removing the cause. Look at this smirk on Jumping Bear's face. How, Captain? Jumping Bear, hello. I'm happy to see that you've kept your part of the pack. Ah. Here, wagon. Brought all the firearms from your tribe? Ah. Me tell men, take off cover. You see. Una totico. Here. Una totico. You take rifle. You fill wagon with food. That was the agreement. Hey. Look at the rifles he's brought. Old flintlocks and muzzleloaders. Let me see those things. If this ain't a worthless pile of junk, I bet there ain't a rifle in the whole load that can be fired. Aren't the new rifles there? I don't see them. Hey, this is junk that Indians picked up on the plains. Jumping Bear? I told you that there were a lot of new rifles stolen from our wagons. Me not say Indian steel rifle. We know they were stolen by Indians. Maybe other Indian. Not by Jumping Bear Indian. Oh, you better think fast, Captain. Me bring all guns from Indians. How can you prove he's held out the good rifles? You say me bring guns. You give food. Jumping Bear, I'm sure you have more rifles than ammunition. Uh, you come look in Indian village. Crack of good that'll do. I'll have the rifles hidden. Maybe word of soldier not good. Maybe peace treaty not good. You not give Indian plenty food. I... I'll give you food. Unload your wagon. Sooner, Taka. Hey, Captain. Jumping Bear is back again. For what? More grub. He says his tribe's used up when we gave him two days ago. That hondery redskin's sent for more grub. Third time in a week. He can't possibly use all the food we're giving him. He says his people are hungry. And he says you gave your word to feed him in exchange for all the firearms he had. That ungrateful sneaky. Captain Roberts, it looks to me like he's outsmarted him. At this rate, we'll run out of supplies. Maybe that's what Jumping Bear's aiming at. Oh, have the wagon filled. Perhaps this will be the last demand for a little while. It was a few days later when the Lone Ranger and Tonto reached the vicinity of the fort and made camp. They were at their evening meal when Silver showed signs of restlessness. Hey, old boy. What's the trouble? Oh, maybe he'll hear someone close by. I guess he does. What? Take it easy, mister. We don't look for trouble. Sergeant, huh? Griswell's your name. I reckon there's no use asking your name. You wouldn't be masked if you didn't want to keep it secret. Outlaws, huh? Oh, not outlaws. It doesn't matter to us. We don't want reward money. We want meat. You're from Fort Vincent? Yeah. You have a new officer in command, haven't you? Yeah, Captain Roberts. If ever a man made a bad deal, he made it with Jumping Bear. How's that? Let me tell you. Have they come back every couple of days for more grub? We're all on short rations just so we can keep them critics from starting trouble. We know they got all them spanking new rifles. And ammunition. Yeah, and ammunition. It's all hidden somewhere. And as soon as we run out of grub, Jumping Bear will say we broke the pack. And he'll attack us with rifles that are twice as good as anything we got. Why not find out where he hides the rifles and take them away from him? If we could only do that by thunder, he wouldn't be so all fired sure of himself. That'd wipe that smirk and grin off his ugly face. But how can it be done? There's a question. How can it be done? 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. After Sergeant Griswold and the hunter had left the Lone Ranger in Tonto, the masked man sat for some time gazing at the campfire while he thought over what he'd learned. Pleasantly, he turned to Tonto. Otto, I wonder if we can help the captain. I'll mean no about Jumping Bear. Him plenty smart. I'm afraid he's managed to outsmart Captain Roberts. Ah. And if he gets away with it, the career of that young soldier may be ruined. That's right. That mustn't happen. This country needs men with the training that Roberts has had. Ah. And what do we do? That's a question I've been asking myself, Kimo Sabe. In some way, the tables must be turned. You think it better soldier make attack on Jumping Bear? That would be the worst thing that could happen. First place, it would prove to all the soldiers that the old sergeant had the right idea. The young captain was wrong. Ah, that's right. Second place, if Jumping Bear has the army rifles, it might defeat the troopers. You've got I.D.? Well, I've thought of a plan, Tonto. I... I don't know whether it would work or not. We try it? I think it's worth trying. There's, uh, just one trouble. And what that? Dangerous. If it fails, it might cost our lives. Oh. Possibly the lives of a couple of other men. Who them? Sergeant Griswold and that scout named Hawkins. Tonto, I'm going to find Griswold and see if he'll help us. Or him go to Snake Valley to look for games. Yes, I know. Steady, Silver. Wait here, Tonto. I'll be back when I've talked to the sergeant. Uh-huh. Me wait. I wonder if he's big enough to risk his life to help his captain. Steady, big fella. Come on, Silver. That night, the council fire in Jumping Bear's camp burned brightly. Before the pleas, chief, the Brays feasted and danced. Then, when the chanting was at a peak, an Indian crept up to Jumping Bear. You great chief. Huh? Who you? Me. Tonto. You not member of tribe? No. What matter? You sick? No. Me, hungry. Where your people? Many moon travel in here. You give Tonto food? Me, great chief. Me, great leader. Plenty food for people of Jumping Bear. Plenty food come from army. Great chief. Share food, Tonto? Uh, plenty food on all sides. You find, you eat. On all sides, Tonto saw examples of extravagant waste. The Indians had eaten only the choices of the food that had been supplied by the army. The rest had been thrown out for the gorge dogs. He ate of the discarded food. Then, big Jumping Bear let him remain where there was such an abundance. Three days went by, during which the Lone Ranger's companion kept a close watch on all sides. Then, on the third night, Tonto crept in the village and joined the Masked Man. Tonto, have you had time enough to learn about Jumping Bear? Ah. Him take plenty food from Soldier and throw it away. He's throwing food away? That's right. Him see how far army go. I see. What does he plan to do when the army stops giving him food? Then Jumping Bear say, army, break treaty. Then he'll make attack on army. Then he does have the new rifles. That's right. That proves that his people massacred the soldiers in the supply wagons. You know where the rifles are hidden, Tonto? No. Me not know that. Well, that's what we've got to find out. We've got to get those rifles away from the Indians. Ah. You know when the Indians will send another wagon to the fort? Then go there tomorrow morning. All right, Kimo Sabe. We'll make our move tomorrow. You get back to the Indian village. I've got to signal Sergeant Griswold. Hawkins, look over there. You see that fire? Yeah. That's a signal the mass man told us to watch for. Then we've got to go meet him right away. Do you think we can get out of the fort? Yeah. Leave that to me. Sergeant, Jumping Bear is sending a wagon for more food tomorrow morning. Why, that daughter-headed troublemaker. We're on short races as it is. As long as Jumping Bear has those new rifles, he's in a strong position. If we could just get them rifles. If Jumping Bear decides to make war, he'll bring them out. Then we've got to see that he doesn't have a chance to use them. What's the plan? You've got to persuade Captain Roberts to act. You've got to risk court-martial. You'll be risking more than that. Just give me the orders. Half a dozen Indians brought a heavy wagon into the fort early the next morning. They also brought demands from Jumping Bear. More food, huh? All right, I'll take charge of this. You critters wait right here. I'll take the wagon and get her filled up. Get up there. In back of the storehouse, Griswell gave orders that made a couple of privates gasp and surprised. I'll fill that wagon with rocks. Throw them stones in here. What's up? Do what you're told. Here's a good one to start with. Fill her up and throw them hides over the rocks. We'll give them redskins something they can cut their wisdom teeth on. The wagon's loaded. Get aboard and clear out. Now, all the troubles. Walk over to the office with me. I've got to see Captain Roberts. He's going to go right through the roof. He's going to sit right at his desk and listen to me. He's got to. We'll be lucky if you don't stand us before a firing squad. You wait out here. Oh, who goes there? Oh, guard. Oh, you, huh? Sergeant Griswell. Glad you're alone, Captain. Jumping Bear sent another wagon for food. Yes, I saw it come through the gate. Well, they didn't depreciate our ladder, none. Not this time. I took the wagon back to the storehouse and filled it with rocks. You what? Ah, look here, Captain. I gave orders to keep those Indians supplied with food. But you didn't give orders that they was to have food to throw away. Now, listen here, Captain. Griswell, you've gone too far. I was willing to overlook certain laxities because of your years of service. But this insubordination... Captain Roberts, you better listen to what I got to say. Jumping Bear's got a whole ship into the slickest, fastest shooting rifles the Army's ever bought. He's just waiting for an excuse to bring them out of hiding and paste the living daylights out of it. I know that. That's why I've been meeting his demands. I've been giving him everything he asked for, to buy time. What in blazes good has it done us? I've written Washington for more rifles and ammunition. I hoped to stall until they arrived. Now you've given Jumping Bear the excuse he wants to start war. He'll say we broke the agreement. What did you plan to do when you got rifles and ammunition? Then we could meet Jumping Bear's tribe. And shoot it out just like I said we should have done in the first place. Well, I... Now, listen, Captain Roberts. I admit you got the right to court, Marshal Lee. Just let me talk for five minutes. Let me tell you about a man that's risking his life. When the Indians uncovered the wagon load of rocks, Chief Jumping Bear was secretly pleased, but he lifted his voice in simulated anger. Soldiers, break treaty! It's sign of war! Tonto was still in the Indian village. He kept a close watch on Jumping Bear as the war dance began. The Lone Ranger, standing next to Silver on a nearby hill, watched Tonto through binoculars. He waited patiently as the war dance continued. Then he saw Tonto raise one hand high overhead. The signal. That's what we've been waiting for, Silver. Steady, big fella. Come on, Silver! As the Lone Ranger dashed down the hill, Tonto hurried to the end of the Indian village. He leaped to the back of his paint horse and waited for the masked man to join him. Who, Silver? Who, who? Okay, Masabi. Yes. Jumping Bear send three men for army rifle. Did you find out where those rifles are hidden? No, but we follow Indian and Wagon. Wagon over there. Yes, I see it. We follow Wagon, we find rifle. Good. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Scout. As the Lone Ranger and Tonto rode, they saw the Indians in their wagon draw up in front of a cave. Then they knew where the rifles were hidden. Their job was to keep those rifles out of the hands of Jumping Bear's warriors. Hold it, Silver. Hold it, hold it. Hurry up. Get back to you. Just miss me. There, that takes care of the third one. Look at those rifles. Six cases of them and a lot of ammunition. Look over there. All tribes see us come here. Coming this way. They've got to make a stand in the cave. Get the horses moved from that wagon. Working with friends at speed, Tonto sliced the range to free the horses from the Indian wagon while the Lone Ranger took Scout and Silver into the cave. Indian, plenty close. Pull the wagon back a little. We'll block the cave with it. That's it. I'll tip it on the side. That's it. Over with it. The Lone Ranger and Tonto got into the cave an instant before the Indians came close enough to shoot their sharp-pointed war arrows. Hundreds of them hit the upturned wagon. This can't last long, Tonto. We open fire with guns? No, we can't possibly get all those Indians. They've got to use what time we have to destroy these rifles. Indian rush cave plenty soon. Yes, I know it. Get these cases open. Use a stone to knock the lids off. It's a shame to spoil a good rifle. I hoped it wouldn't be necessary, but it is. The Army can't have these weapons. We've got to be sure the Indians don't use them. There's the first case open. We have this one plenty quick. Kimusabe, what you do? Our rifle bullets will ruin these guns beyond repair. That's the quickest way to smash them. The Indians will just hold their attack for a little while. Wait, Kimusabe. Be quiet outside cave. Maybe the shots made the Indians draw back. I'll take a look. Tonto. Look out there. Captain Roberts has brought his men. The soldiers are here. The Indians have thrown down their bows. No fight at all. As soon as we rode in, Jumping Bear surrendered. But it would have been a different story if those critters had had them rifles. It looks as if your captain is giving the chief a stiff talking to. He's a lad that can do it. Here he comes. Sergeant, is this the masked man you told me about? It sure is. Sir, the army is indebted to you. Jumping Bear seems quite repentant, Captain Roberts. He's a different Indian now that he knows he can't depend on firearms. He'll take what food we deem sufficient and he'll behave himself to get it. How about them redskins that wait late to supply train? They'll be punished. I'm happy to say that I can make a report that will show the Indian situation to be well in hand. Your father will be glad to hear that. My father. Come on, Tonto. My father? How do you know him? Go to the left, scout. Sergeant, I wonder who that masked man is. Are you still there? You have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
