horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hail Silver, the Lone Ranger. With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, 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 a thundering hoop beats of the great horse Silver, the Lone Ranger rides again. Come on Silver, let's go Big Hull. For years, Bart Walker and Deke Bowman had been friends and neighbors. They frequently visited each other's ranches and shared a profitable contract to supply the government troops with beef. I want that contract. You want it or something? Yeah. And Wolf, I guess you know that I generally get what I want in one way or another. Yeah, you sure do. How do you figure to take the contract away from Walker and Bowman? I've got it all worked out. You will handle all details. Bart Walker is herding his cattle. I want it stampeded. Bart Walker's men were going about their business when they heard gunfire in the distance. Without warning, masked men riding hard swept down on the range with their guns blazing. What's this mean? It's ruffles. It's stampeding the cattle. Cut them off. Close in on the left. Stop them. The walker's men, heavily outnumbered, had no chance to protect the cattle. Before they realized what was happening, the herd was hopelessly stampeded. The frightened beasts raced across the plains, scattered in all directions. Stampede of my cattle, eh? My thunderdick is going to pay for this. After posers, my friend, he'd even think he'd get away with anything as double-coursing as this. Give me my guns. I'll corner Dick Bowman in the cafe and call for a showdown. Bart Walker, followed by several of his men, went into town and approached the cafe. They were grim-faced and wore their guns low, ready for fast action. Just a second, boys. Wait a minute. I want to put you straight before we go inside. Straight on what, boss? This is my fight, Savvy. I don't want none of you in a fan. But, boss... You had me, Vic. You just see that no one else butts in. When we get inside, spread out and keep an eye on things. If any of Dick's men slap leather, they're your meat. But Dick is for me. And don't forget it. All right, boss. All right, come on. Evening, gents. Howdy, Bart. Yes, stay behind you, Bart, Wolf. I've got something personal to settle with Dick Bowman. Now, Bart, don't stay troubled, Michael, pray. There he is, boss. Across the room there. Yeah, you see him. Spread out like I told you. Sure. Dick Bowman. Howdy, Bart. Come on over and have a drink. I'm particular about my drinking partners. I might drink with a pole cap if not with you. Hey, Bart, you trying to start something? Seems like you started it. I'm here to finish it. Now, stand aside, folks. Anybody getting between me and Dick is likely to get hurt. What's got into you, Bart? You going loco? You and me have been sharing the contract for Governor Beef. Sure, Bart. What about it? Maybe you want to be big and important. Maybe you'd like to have that contract all for yourself. Is that it? What do you mean? I know who stampeded my trail herd before I could make delivery. I'd lost near all of them. I got a warning from the agent. One more failure to make delivery and my part of the contract's canceled. You think I stampeded your cow? I got proof. I'll draw you poo, kid. Right. Hey, Barkeep. Light some candles. We can't see a thing. Light over it. What are you saying candles going, Barkeep? There, Wolf. There they are. Hey, where's Bart? What's happened to Dick? Hey, boss, where are you? Hey, where's Bart? Who saw Bart? And Dick, they're both gone. They disappeared while the lights was out. Where'd they got to? There, it's a doggone funny thing. It beats me. Dick, maybe they went outside to settle a fight. You better take a look. Yeah, I reckon I better. Excitement's over, gents. There's nothing more to worry about. Line up for the bar and name your poison. The barkeep will take care of you. Drinks are on the house. You there, Dick? Yeah, Wolf. Come with me. Thorn will be waiting in my office. Get inside. Wolf. What's going on out there? What went wrong? I still ain't sure what happened. Who fired them shots? I don't know. It wasn't Bart and Dick. It was a masked man, Wolf. I seen him just for a second when he stepped inside. A masked man, huh? Yeah. I don't know how it happened. Everything was set. That moon fellow stampede Walker's cows, making it look as though Bowman was the cause of it. When Walker come in here gunning for Bowman, Jake was all set to drill them both from cover while they were shooting it out. Doggone thorn, you couldn't ask for a better plan than that. Didn't work, did it? No, but... And I do ask for a better plan. Look here, Wolf. I want that government beef contract. I can't get it till Walker and Bowman lose out. I hired you to see that the job was done right. But if you can't handle it, I'll get somebody else. Well, I'll figure out some... You don't even know where they are. For all you know, they might be together right now, comparing notes. If they do that, they're going to put two and two together. Begin getting the facts straight. Well, I'll do it. You'll find them, fellas, and show me some action. I'll do some. You'd better. Look, that's the one. That's the mash man. Betty. Wolf, that's the same fella that shot out the lights. Is that so? Yes, it is. Who are you? Thorne, you're smart enough to know that that's a foolish question. Don't reach for that gun. Let's talk first. You heard the one that shot out the lights? Oh, I had some help. You made off with Bart and Deke? Yes. What was the idea? Maybe I wanted to cut myself in on this game. You... What are you talking about? Game? We ain't got no game. No? Didn't those men stand between Thorne and the contract to supply beef for the army? I... Jake, weren't you instructed to shoot both men? Making it look as though they'd killed each other? How'd you find out all that? See, I know the facts. Where have you got walking, Bowman? Just outside town. When I leave here, I'm taking them to my camp. Then you're welcome to look for them as much as you want. What are you putting in for? This ain't no concern of yours. I'm making it mine. What for? Thorne's paying you well, isn't he, Wolf? Oh, so that's it. You're after cash too, huh? Perhaps. You figure I'll pay you to turn those two fellas over to me. That it? Would you, Thorne? Are you... Quiet. Go and listen to me. Wish you'd take that mask off. Do you think you could get away with murder? Until Walker's herd was stampeded, he and Bowman had always been good friends. People would remember that. Now, look here. But still, Wolf, maybe this hombre's talking sense. Go ahead, stranger. And you overlooked another fact. Yeah? You made Walker believe Bowman wanted that contract for himself. Walker didn't stop to reason things out. If he had, he'd realize that Bowman couldn't handle the entire contract. He had enough cattle. Nobody bothered to think that out? I'd swear you're mistaken. When they did, they'd realize that you, Thorne, benefited by the killings. Why would they? Somebody'd have to take over the beef contract, wouldn't they? That wouldn't be reason for suspicion in Thorne. Thorne, however, is the only rancher in the district who could take over the contract. He's the only rancher with a large enough herd. But yes, stranger, I'm beginning to think it's lucky we met up. Letting Wolf have his way, I might have gotten in real trouble. Exactly. You for hire? I might be. Supposing I hired you, what would you suggest? Well, I'd suggest that instead of killing Walker and Bowman, you'd drive them out. Yeah? Yeah, throw a scare into them. Make them believe that they have their choice between giving up their contract or losing their lives. But you just now said that killing wasn't safe. I didn't suggest killing. I suggested making them believe their lives are in danger. There's a difference. They'd still suspicion who was behind it? Let them suspect all they want to. If you did it cleverly, they'd have no proof. How do you mean? You can handle that to suit yourself. We come to terms. I'll deliver both men to you tomorrow night. They'll be blindfolded so they can't recognize you. How much is this going to cost me? Well, what will you pay? Five hundred. Good enough. What time will we get them? And whereabouts? Midnight tomorrow. Beside Eagle Rock. Eagle Rock ain't convenient. That's making... I said Eagle Rock. Take it or leave it. Seems like I ain't got no choice. You haven't? Torn, you're loco. How do you know this fella ain't up to some trick? He tries anything. He don't get paid. Can it settle? Sure, stranger. I'll be on my way then. Remember, midnight tomorrow at Eagle Rock. I'd like to catch a fella who left that back door unlocked. What's so funny, Torn? That mask man, Wolf. I don't see nothing funny about it. Oh, that ain't it. Well? What struck me funny was that mask fella trying to make me think he's a crook. Huh? Why, you blame Nidget. Didn't you guess who he was? How could I with him wearing that mask? That was the Lone Ranger. No. You sure? I'm willing to bet on it. Hey, we'd better watch our step. Wolf, this is one time the Lone Ranger gets fooled. Yeah? He's savvy as scheme. Why he was so blamed and anxious for us to meet him at Eagle Rock. I don't know. So he'd have the law planted there to get evidence against us. Yeah, just so. Yeah. Only it ain't gonna work out that way. No, we'll stay away. But how'll we get a hold of Walken Bowman? If that fella's a Lone Ranger, give him warning. That won't matter. Why won't it? Because that mask fella ain't no fool. He knows doggone well we won't go near Eagle Rock unless we see him bring those ranchers there. Yeah, I suppose. If he's gonna have the law waiting... Let him, let him. We'll get Walker and Bowman. Only we'll get them before they reach Eagle Rock. We'll get them on their way there from the mask fella's camp. But you don't know where his camp is. We'll find out. Where's that engine you hired last week? The one you said could follow a trail when his eyes closed. Red elk? Yeah. Get him in here. Yeah, go ahead, Jake. Engine's in the bar room. Bring him in here? Yeah. You're figuring on the Redskin trailer in the mask, man, huh? Right. Maybe he won't be able to. If he ain't as good a trailer as he claims to be, it's time you was finding him out so as you can save his wages. Well, it's worth trying. Here he is. Get in there, Redskin. Boss wants to talk to you. Red elk, you been telling me how good you could follow a sign. Me, heap good. Could you follow the trail of a horse at night? Oh, me do. Then that's what you're going to do right now. Ah. And where trail? There was a fellow in here just now. He come in the back way. So he must have had his horse waiting out back. You can pick up his trail from there. Ah. Oh, Jake. Yeah? You go along with the engine. I want somebody with him I can trust. And if we find a mass fellow's camp? Just get back as fast as you can and let us know where it is. Don't let him know you found it, neither. Yeah, we won't. Now get on with you. Right. Come along, engine. Ah. Well, that's it. Now, Wolf, if that redskin finds a masked man's hideout, we've got things all our own way. 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. When the Lone Ranger left the Last Chance Cafe, he returned to the edge of town where Bart Walker and Deke Bowman securely tied awaited him. Placing his two prisoners on extra horses, he led the way across country to his well-hidden camp in a small wood. Oh, Silver, hold on, hold on. Hold on. All right, out of the saddle. Here, your hands are tied. I'll help you. Now you. I bless you. This is a stunt you and Bart fixed up between you. It isn't. It's me and the match may have fixed up. I dread your hide, Deke. If anybody planned this, it was you. Both of you. Keep still. Can I tell you that? I'll do the talking. You'll both remain tired until I'm finished. Well, hurry up. What is it? If I hadn't interfered, you men would be dead. Deke would. Quiet. Bart, you let yourself be tricked. Deke had nothing to do with the stampeding of your trailhead. That ain't so. My crew saw one of Deke's men. Which one? Tex Healy. Tex is really in the pay of Wolf Snyder. What? Yeah, I'd like to know what this is all about. Bart's saying I was after the whole beef contract for myself, and you saying Tex is a crook. He is. You got proof of that? I'll tell you the facts and you can judge for yourself. In the first place, for the last month, there have been rumored at the fort that Thorne was going to take over the beef contract. Thorne? Yes. No one seemed to know why or how. So I came here to investigate. Go on. Deke, Tex gambles quite a lot at Wolf's place, doesn't he? What of it? He's been winning. Did it ever occur to you that Wolf might be letting him win? You know, Wolf's games are crooked. Why would he? To pay Tex for selling you out. Tex let himself be seen when Bart's herd was stampeded, so Bart naturally suspected you were behind it. Stranger, this sounds interesting. How do you know all these things? You'll learn that later. Now, do you believe what I've told you? Well, it did seem funny that after me and Dick being friends for so long he'd try to break me. Only I was so mad I didn't stop to think. You don't have to believe me. Tomorrow night I'll give you proof. It was nearly dawn when Jake and Tonto reined up at Wolf's office. Wolf and Thorne had been up all night waiting. Well? The engine done it. Is that right, engine? You find that mass fellas came? Uh, me find them. Over in that woods beyond the creek. Beyond the creek? That's the other side of Eagle Rock. You're gonna come in handy, Redskin. Well, Thorne, what do you think? Jake, how close did you get to the mass fellas' camp? Close enough to learn you had things figured right. Yeah? You hear him talking? Just so. What'd he say? Said he'd struck a bargain with you to deliver them fellas at Eagle Rock for cash. Said when he'd done that same it was going to jail you. Jailers, huh? I reckon not. What have you got in mind? Well, Jake, Wolf, look here. Yeah? Say this is Eagle Rock, Savvy. Huh? Well, that'll make it just about halfway between here and where Jake says the mass fellas' camp is. That's right. All right. Now, the creek is about halfway again from the rock to the camp. Meaning? Meaning there's plenty of cover near the creek. Plenty of cover, Wolf, for, say, about four or five of your men. And then? The mask fella will set out from his camp with Walker and Bowman. He thinks we'll meet him at Eagle Rock. So that's where he'll have the law waiting. I get it. Only he don't reach Eagle Rock, huh? Just so. Your men will be waiting for him or he ain't expecting it at the creek before he gets to the rock and out of gunshot of where the law will be hiding. Good enough. Ain't you going with us, Thorne? Nope. Neither is Wolf. We're staying in town so as we'll have alibis. Sure. You fellas will stay in town. Then if anything goes wrong, it's us who gets the blame while you stay in the creek. Don't be a fool, Jake. Get the blame anyhow. Even if we was along, wouldn't you? You ought to take the same chance as the rest of us. I'm paying for this job. What's more, if you fellas should slip up and you've still got me and Wolf free to look out for you, what good would it do to have us all jailed? Well. Besides, nothing's going wrong. Don't worry about it. I ain't. It was you that seemed to be doing all the worrying. That'll be enough of that, Jake. Thorne's the boss here. Well, Thorne, what do you want me to tell the boys? Should they drill them two ranchers or take them prisoner? You get all the men together, Wolf. Meet me right here tonight before you start out. A number of hard-faced men, heavily armed and well-mounted, were ready to ride for Thorne that night. Even the bartender, anxious to make easy money, was with the group. It's no use passing up a chance to make a few dollars. That's what I say. What time is it, Jake? I got eight o'clock. Yeah, about time for the boss to show up. Here he comes, hanging along as usual. Everyone here? How do those boys look to you, Thorne? I'll judge by the results. Hey, Jake, where's the engine? Right here. Good. Now, boys, pay attention to me. You ready? Just to make sure there's no misunderstanding, I'll go over the plans so you'll all know just what's to be done. I already told them things. I'll tell them. Then I'll know they got their orders straight. Boys, the gents you're going to gun is a man that's put a lot of your friends in a calaboose. He's generally known as the Lone Ranger. He thinks he's going to spring a trap that'll land me in jail. He don't know that I'm wise to his plans. Instead of going into his trap at Eagle Rock, you boys are going to make this masked man and the two that'll be with him before he gets to Eagle Rock. I'd walk her and dig boom when the ones will be with him. That's right. And I don't want either of them killed. I want them captured and brought right here to me. I'll deal with them personally. That clear? Yeah. Put as many slugs as you want in the masked man, but bring Walker and Bowman here to me. I'll get going. Jake knows where you'll lie and wait. Good luck to you. The horseman led by Jake made a wide detour around Eagle Rock, then pushed on toward the creek that had to be crossed for the masked man on his way to keep the appointment. Arriving at the stream, they urged their horses into a dense thicket where they would be effectively concealed. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. What time you got, Jake? Just a little after 11. We ain't too late. Hey, engine. Uh-huh. You keeping a sharp watch on the trail and the masked man will come? Uh-huh. You watch. Well, see that you do. There's a hill the other side of the creek. Top it, you ought to be able to see him again in the sky. Uh-huh. Just drill the masked fella? Yeah, I'll take him. Huh. We ought to drill Bowman and Walker, too. Well, Funk Thorne said not to. And the idea is just to give them ranchers a scare, huh? Right. One that'll stick. One that'll persuade them they don't want that beef contract no longer and convince them they'd better do no loose talking afterwards. You people. Yeah? You're a good roper. You take the one closest to you. Check. Squintle take the other. If either one of you misses, the others will lend a hand. There's a lot of doing it. Them come. Yeah. They're just top in the rise. Not so loud, you fool. Huh? Now get this, fellas. Get it straight. Because there ain't much time left for talking. Yeah. Well, your rope's ready. See, they don't catch on to nothing. Let them cross to this side of the creek. Then wait till I give the word. I'll drill the mass man. You fellas rope Bowman and Walker and pull them back through the creek. That's straight now. Yeah, sure. Look, Jake. You can just make them out. Bowman and Walker are blindfolded, all right. The mass fella put gunny sack in over their heads. So much the better. Now keep quiet. They're almost to the creek. Closer. All right, get them. Get up there. I'm killing the mass fella. He slipped. Come on, hold on. Miss, blast your threads skin above me. You spoiled my aim. I rope one of them. I got the other. Then pull them from their saddles. Drag them through the creek. Get up there. Get up there. Get up there. Get up, men. We ain't to kill them. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Come on. We'll pick them up. The mass man will be coming back with the law. He's got to ride the Eagle Rock first. There's time enough. Look at them fellas. Ain't they a sight? See the path they made when they was dragged up the bank? They made a furrow like they was plows. Hey. Huh? What's the matter? There's something wrong. These fellas are there. Can't be nothing wrong. There is. Neither Bowman or Walker's as tall or hefty as these fellas. By thunderstruck. What did I tell you? Get the gunny saggings off quick. Pete. Who does Jake think that we've got? Golly, squirter. I don't know. There. Golly. Wolf. And Thorne. Get those gags off. Wolf. You fools. You blessed idiots. You're no good handle-headed mavericks. We ought to knock your heads off. You'd like to kill us. But Wolf. Mr. Thorne. How was we to know? We thought you was Bowman and Walker. We never meant... Hold us out of the saddle. Better drag us through the creek. I'll show you. Oh. There. No, Wolf. Don't hit me, please. You skunk. Now then. Talk up where you get the same as they gave Jake. Which one of you told the masked fella about our scheme? Which one of you let him know so he could come to town and take me and Thorne prisoner? Speak up, bastard. The masked fella knew the whole thing. He made exchange clothes with them ranchers. He put that gunny sack in over our heads just so it couldn't be told who we was. Talk. I'll give every one of you just what I give Jake. Oh, Wolf. Oh, you're coming to her. Maybe you need some more. No, wait, Wolf. The engine. What about the engine? When I shot at the masked man, he bumped me. I thought it was accidental, but maybe he'd done it a purpose. Redskin? What about that? Yeah, the engine. It was him that was such a good trailer that he could follow the masked man right to his camp. By a thunder, he knew where that camp was all the time. It was him that sold us out. Oh, my hand. We'll do nothing, Thorne. Come on, Marshal. Then we'll do it. Up with your hands, all of you. The United States Marshal. Yes, and here's Bowman and Walker to see you crooks' jail. And a good riddance to the lot of you. We never harm nobody. You tried, and we heard enough to prove it. Wolf, Tonto joined your gang just for this. Tell me your plans and make sure they failed. Go on, Tonto. Oh, me come. Shucks, Thorne. The trap you and Wolf fixed up worked all right, but thanks to Tonto and the Masked Man, you were the ones that caught. I'm still there. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
