A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo 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 the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver. Let's go, big fellas. For several days, a steady rain had fallen on Camelback Mountain and the town of Rockville a few miles to the east. Rockville's main road had been turned into a sea of mud that sucked and pulled at Tom Randall's feet as he made his way to the porch of the stage line's office. It's like wading through cold molasses. Howdy, Tom. Sure glad you got here. Sorry I'm late, Mr. Driscoll. Oh, don't mind that. Come on inside the office and get warm. I'm just trying to get some of this mud off my boots. Don't bother about it. You already got mud enough on the floor to grow taters. Go over there by the stove and get warm. I followed the horses at the stable. Be sure they're all right. Are they? Fine. They're tired, but they're all right. I don't know as I ever drove a stage through worse weather. Yeah, the trail's pretty bad, huh? Yeah, deep and slippery. That's why we're behind schedule. I'm sorry for that, Mr. Driscoll. Oh, don't let it worry you. Can't hold to a schedule in weather like this. Those two passengers are pretty sore about being six hours late. They can just get over being sore. Where are they? I sent them over to the cafe to have some drinks at the expense of the stage line. There's dry clothes in the next room, Tom. You better put them on. Oh, thanks, Mr. Driscoll. Well, there's no use changing. I'll be soaked all over again five minutes after we pull out of here. You're not pulling out. What? Well, not till this rain stops. We got mail and passengers to get through to the west. I know that, Tom. But you haven't been driving a stage very long. In weather like this, a trail around Camelback Mountain is pretty dangerous. I'm as good a driver as you got on the line, and you know it. Just because I'm younger than most of them, you needn't think I don't know my job. I can't let you do it, Tom. The Camelback Trail is too dangerous. If the horses slipped on that trail, the whole shebang would fall into the gap. I hate to see our performance record broken, but it can't be helped. Driscoll, I want to talk to you. I'm not too fast, Mr. Fenimore. I don't need your advice, Mr. Carmody. What's the matter, Mr. Fenimore? How much longer are we to be holed up in this place? How long does it take to change horses? Mr. Fenimore, the road ahead is dangerous. What about it? I was just talking to the driver about waiting until the rain stops. Wait here? For how long? Maybe until tomorrow, or maybe next day. Impossible. My time is money. Every minute counts. And that goes for me, too. Camelback Mountain is dangerous in any weather. But the road's slippery like it is now, I don't... Hey, Driscoll. How does the stage leave you? We don't know, Sheriff. Sheriff Boynton, you tell Mr. Driscoll I can get the team around Camelback. If you're the lawyer, I want to talk to you. I bought a ticket... Ah, just a second. Don't all try to talk at once. What's the trouble? We want to get to Carver City. Mr. Driscoll thinks I can't handle the outfit in this weather. You? Uh, Driscoll, what's the matter with Tom's driving? The trail's dangerous, Sheriff. Well, make up your mind. If the stage goes out, there's this box to go on it. Sure enough. I nearly forgot it. You told me to hold it in safekeeping until stage time. Yes, I know. It's a good thing the stage was late. I'd have missed it if it'd been on schedule. Had to ride out in some business. Are we, or are we not going to get on with the trip? Let me go, Mr. Driscoll. Might give you a line to black eye to let weather interfere with your schedule, Driscoll. Sheriff is right. If it was something like Indians, it'd be different. But a little rain... All right, all right. I'll go tell them to put the leather on the best horses we've got. Good, good. I'll go with you. Yeah, give me that box, Sheriff. Thanks for taking care of it. That's all right. You two passengers wait here till we get the stage around. We'll wait. Harris, awful weather. Is the mud in the trail as bad as this? What's a little mud? I'll show you I can handle a team in any weather. Just remember, Tom, if anything happens, you were the one that wanted to shove on. I know. You'd better put this wooden box on the seat between you and the guard. It's mighty valuable. All right. It's a shipment of jewelry and precious stones that's on the way to a jeweler on the coast. You've got to guard it with your life. Yes, sir. And after you get underway, if you find the trail is too slippery, don't be afraid to turn back. One side of the trail around Camelback Mountain ended abruptly in a 40-foot cliff. A solitary, rain-soaked horseman whose face was masked came to a halt at the base of a cliff. Oh, Silver, come on. He's a silly big fella. This was the almost legendary character known as the Lone Ranger and his big white stallion called Silver. Leaving his horse a few yards from the sheer wall, the masked man made his way over a pile of broken rocks to an opening in the cliff. He found himself inside a cave. He thought... The cave is larger than it appeared to be. It may be large enough to shoulder both Silver and me. As he stood there, the Lone Ranger heard the hollow sound of hoofbeats echoing in the cave. Then he realized that the stage trail along the side of Camelback Mountain ran directly over the cave. Get up there! Get along there! Tom, you're driving mighty fast with this trail. Gotta take her fast. If we go slow, we're likely to get stuck in the mud. But it's slippery. Maybe we should do what Dristel said and turn back. You just tend to guard and let me handle the driving. Get up there! This is our last chance to turn back. The trail narrows from here on. We can't turn back. The stage always goes through. I hope you know what you're doing. Well, you don't hear the passengers complaining, do you? Get up there! All right, hang on. We're coming to the narrow place. Hey, Tom, look ahead. The narrow place. The ground seems to slide down toward the drop. I see it. If we start sliding there... Hang on. We've got to keep going. We can't stop here. Get up! Get along there! We're sliding sideways. Get up there! We're sliding. The wheels are at the edge. Hang on. What's the matter? We're going over! We're going over! The ground is breaking our way! We're going! The rain beat down on the wreckage of the stage and the tons of rock and mud that had fallen in front of the entrance to the cave. Silver felt his way toward the sealed-up opening. He knew that his beloved master was somewhere beyond the pile of debris. He poured at the rocks and dirt. He stopped, raised his head, then pawed some more. Silver! Silver, old boy! Get Tonto! You understand me, Silver! Tonto! Get Tonto! Darkness had fallen. The weather showed no signs of clearing. The rain beat down on the trees and on a small lean-to of thatched pine balls. Inside the lean-to, it was snug and dry. Tonto and Dan Reed, the nephew of the Lone Ranger, huddled close to a tiny fire. Tonto, you think the Lone Ranger will try to join us here or camp for the night? Oh, they're in no hurry, Dan. He may be made camp for the night. Golly, I hope he can find a place as comfortable as this. No, he'll pick some sort of shelter. I hope he can. Dan, wait a minute. What's the matter? Maybe hear hoofs. You did? We soon know. I'll open the tarpaulin. Can you hear anything? Ah, me hear him. Hoofs come this way. You sure have good ears. I can... Yes, I can. I hear them. That sound like Silver. And it sound like him come without rider. But Tonto, if he's coming without a rider, then... There he comes. Here, Silver! Don't know Silver, come. Tonto, look. The saddle's empty. Come, Dan. We go see. What is it, Silver? Tonto, he's trying to tell us something. Dan, get horses. Saddle up. Something's happened to the Lone Ranger. We go. We follow Silver. Dan Reed and Tonto rode through the hours of darkness and rain following the Lone Ranger's gallant horse. Dawn brought a lifting of the clouds. The rain stopped and the sun rose with welcome warmth. But the masked man didn't see the sun. He was surrounded by the total darkness of the cave. He worked steadily, moving rocks and digging at the wet dirt with his fingers. Then suddenly, the ground rocked from an explosion. The ground was nearly dry when Silver halted at the pile of dirt and rocks before the cave and the wreckage of the stage nearby. Oh, oh, Victor. Oh, Tonto, we must be somewhere in this mess. Hello there. Tonto, did you hear that? Kimo, Savvy. Tonto. Oh, we're here. Silver, bring us. I'm in the cave. The opening is sealed. We'll have you out in a few minutes. Come on, Tonto. We've got to move these rocks. An hour of hard work cleared an opening. The Lone Ranger wriggled from the cave to the light of day. Jiminy, I'm glad you're all right. Whatever happened here? I was in the cave when that stage went over the ledge. The rock and dirt sealed me in. Oh, it's plenty good that Silver and not Tramp 2. Silver, sure glad to see you. One more debt I owe you, Silver, old fella. Good horse. Good boy. Tonto, did you examine the wreckage? Ah, two feller inside stage. One feller nearby. All dead. How about the horses? They were all dead, too. A me fine footprint on ground. You did? Ah. You see it over there? Someone must have been here since the rain stopped. That's right. He looked all over the place. Didn't you hear anyone? No, but I might have been the same man. Huh? A little while before you came, I heard a blast. It shook the ground. Tonto, look up on the side of the cliff. About 40 feet up. Oh, me not see anything there? I don't see anything. That's the point. There used to be a ledge along the side of the mountain. There's a ledge over to the right. And one to the left. The stage trail in between is gone. Help! Look! Come on, Tonto. I can't... Steady there. I have you. Try it. Stand up. Lie down here. There. There. That's it. And get some water. Right. The stage. Over the ledge. See how bad leaves hurt, Tonto. Were you on the stage? I drove the stage. I saw a man. He set a blast. I... Oh! Here's a canteen. Oh, golly. Is he dead? No. No, he just faint. I wonder what's in this wooden box. Him hang on to box plenty long time. You've got to hear what this fellow has to say. He saw someone destroy the stage trail. 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 young driver of the stage was badly bruised and had a bad cut on his head, but his injuries were not critical. He recovered consciousness with Dan Reed, Tonto, and the Lone Ranger at his side. For several minutes, he looked around. Then his eyes cleared and focused on the Lone Ranger. Mast. Yes, Tom? You know my name? We found some papers in your pocket. Oh. Oh, don't try to sit up just yet. I guess I'm weaker than I thought. Were you driving the stage when I went over the ledge? Yeah. I remember going over. The next thing I knew, I was in a clump of shrubs. It was morning. What about the others? The shrubs must have broken your fall. Well, the guard and two passengers were killed. You were clutching a wooden box. A box? That's right. Where is it? We've taken care of it. There's nothing of value in it. Nothing of value? That jewelry's worth a fortune. Tom, there was no jewelry in the box. Just a few pieces of iron and some stove bolts wrapped in paper. Iron? Stove bolts? It held jewelry. Gold and precious stones. We'll talk about that later on, Tom. You didn't steal the jewelry. I know you didn't. And if you had, you wouldn't have taken care of me. It left me to die. You said something about the explosion. The explosion? Uh-huh. Yeah, I remember it. It was after daybreak. I was in the bushes. Couldn't hardly move. I saw him. He looked all around at the bottom of the ledge. He poured through the dirt and rocks. Yes? Then he made his way back up to the trail, where the stage went over. Maybe you shouldn't try to talk too much for a little while. I gotta talk. I gotta get things straight. He went to the ledge where he'd left his horse. Then he fixed the blast. I saw him doing it. Who did? The branch manager of the stage line. Mr. Driscoll. Oh, golly. Oh, wait. It's all clear to me. I thought that trail looked mighty funny. That scheming polecat. Now I see through his ornery scheme. He intended to kill me along with the others. Who did? Driscoll. But why'd he do that? He was slick. He made it seem as if he didn't want me to take the stage out in this weather. The polecat knew all the time I'd argue when he said I wasn't experienced enough. He intended all along for me to cross the Camelback Trail. So you'd slide off the trail? Yes. He knew the stage would go over. He cut the trail down on the outside so it wasn't level. He fixed it so the stage would be sure to fall. But why? For the jewelry. Where's that box? Right here. We wanted to know why you clung to it through everything. So we opened it while you were unconscious. Yeah, you see? It's consigned to a jeweler on the coast. Driscoll replaced the jewelry with this junk. He may have been looking for you in the box when he came here this morning. Yeah. Why him blow up trails? So no one would see that it'd been tampered with. Are you sure Driscoll was the man you saw? Yeah, I'd swear to it. Now he'll blame the death of the guard and the two passengers on me. He'll tell everyone that he was arguing against letting the stage go on. He'll say I talked him into it. If I could just prove that he's a thieving killer. Later in the morning, a rider brought word of the disaster into town. Driscoll and a group of men rode to the foot of the cliff, made an investigation, then returned to Rockville with the salvaged freight and mail and the bodies of three men. It was mid-afternoon when the sheriff came into Driscoll's office. I just got back in the scene of the accident, Driscoll. Did you find Tom Randall? Nope. And I didn't find that box that you read. I'm going to sit down. Come on out. This accident hits you hard, don't it, Jim? It certainly does. I've been at the stage company for months to lay out a new trail. They wouldn't do anything about it. Well, I guess they'll have to do something about it now. The old trail's gone. It must have washed right away. Uh, Sheriff, do you think that could have been what happened? I don't see how else it could have happened. There's nothing but a straight cliff where the ledge used to be. You say you didn't see anything of Tom? No, we found a lot of tracks around the foot of the cliff, but he... Could you identify any of them? Nope. There were several different men there. Several? Yeah. What's surprising to you? Well, I thought Tom might have survived the fall and wandered away, maybe in a daze or something. But if they were... Sheriff. Did you see the tracks of two people or more than two? Well, I told you several. If there's more than two, there might have been three or four people there. Several horses, too. Horses? Well, nothing to be surprised at, Driscoll. Someone found Tom in the box of jewelry. They made off of both. Hey, look outside. There's another stage. What's that? Nothing is due today. Who's that kid up in the box? I don't know. Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Steady! Whoa! Sheriff! That's the stage that's been in the stable. And those are the horses that came in yesterday. Look who's coming from the stable. Tom Randall. You surprised to see me, Driscoll? Tom! Well, what have you been... Say your question. Tom, put that gun down. Not in your life, Sheriff. I got something to do, and I'm going to do it. Well, you... Don't do it, Sheriff. I mean business. Anyone tries to interfere with me, so help me, I'll shoot. Have you gone loco? Get up on the seat of that stage. Who's that kid? He just brought the stage on while I roped the stable man. All right, get down, Dan. Driscoll and I'll take over. Right. Well, you see here... Keep it. I'm watching you, Sheriff. Any move to your gun and I'll shoot. All right, go on. Driscoll, climb up there. But where are you taking me? You'll find out. I'll handle the rain. Better humor him. You know what he says for the time being, Driscoll. He can't get away with us for very long. You too, Sheriff. Nurse, where'd you come from? I've been at the side of the building. Got aboard the stage. You mean... I mean you. Tom, you've teamed up with Outlaw. Save the talk. Get going, Sheriff. Up on top of the stage, behind the box. Now, she's here. Can't leave you here to start a posse after us. If I get the chance to draw... Just take your gun so you won't be tempted. What's the matter coming this way? Hurry it up, Sheriff. Hey, let go of me. Up you go. Dan, you stay with Tonto? Right. I can get up with that potion. All ready, Tom? Yeah. Get going. Get up there. Get up. Get up there. As the stage pulled out of town, the masked man kept a sharp watch on the Sheriff and Jim Driscoll while Tom held the team to a fast pace. Get up there. Get along. Tom, where are you going? This trail's washed out. You can't go around the Campbellback Mountain. Washed out my eye. You know where the trail's going. You know a lot of things, Driscoll, and you're going to tell them to us. What are you talking about? What happened to that trail? I told you it was washed out. Never mind the lies, Driscoll. Tell the sheriff the truth. The truth? Blasting powder was fired along the trail around Camelback. A section of the ledge was blown away. What's that to say? Blasting powder. Tell us about it, Driscoll. But I... Come on, you ornery double-dealing murderer. You said that, Potter. I saw you do it. What's that? Driscoll, is that true? All right. I did decide to charge a blasting powder. Did you admit it? For a long time, I've been at the company to build a new road so the stages wouldn't have to go over the Campbellback Trail. I knew it was dangerous, especially in wet weather. Tom, you knew how worried I was when you set out yesterday. You acted worried. I was. I rode out on the trail to see if you'd got through all right. Then I saw what had happened. You mean to say you knew the stage had gone over the edge and didn't report it? I went below to see if anything could be done. When I saw that everyone was dead, I swore the same thing would never happen again. You didn't see me with the wreckage? I looked all over for you, Tom. But it was dark and raining cats and dogs. Couldn't find you. Didn't you cut away enough of the trail so the stage would slide over the side? No, no. Then fire the blast to hide what you'd done? I swear I didn't. Why should I do that? You wanted the jewelry. The jewelry? What do you know about the jewelry? I hung on to that wooden box. After the accident, we found there was nothing but scrap iron in it. You took the jewelry out and put junk in its place. Then you wrecked the stage so the theft wouldn't be found out. Tom, you're wrong. Right up here, Tom. Ho! Ho there! Ho! Ho! Ho there! Ho! Hey, there's some horsemen following this. Yes, those are my friends. Tom, Sheriff, you've got to believe me. Let's go. This is the last place where the trail's wide enough to turn. The stage goes on from here. It'll land right where the other one did. I know. You'll have a split second while you're going over the side. Know just how the guard and those two passengers fell as they crashed to their death. No, no. He wouldn't do that. Where's that jewelry? Now, listen, Tom. You better tell the truth, Driscoll. I'm telling the truth. I don't know where the jewelry is. I'm willing to take the blame for what happened and clear out of these parts. But I won't do it for nothing. Tom, that masked man's talked you into this. This ain't like you. Don't listen to him. He's helping me, Driscoll. And he'll share what I get. Tell her where the jewelry is. We'll turn and go back to town. I can't tell you. I don't know. Now, use these ropes. Come here. What are you going to do? I use her. You'll stay where you are. Well, wait. You keep out of this, Sheriff. We're going to leave you on the stage. Whip up the horses so they'll go where the others went. No. No, it's murder. Tom, don't listen to the masked man. I'll tie your feet. No, go on it, Tom. I can't let you and this kiddo do a thing like this. What are you going to do about it? Well, I bet. Now it's your turn, Sheriff. Me. You don't mean to tie me. What's this look like? Let go of my hands. Let me go. Your friends have just rained up. Need any help? No, Tom. There's no need to kill me. I ain't done nothing. We can't let you go back and tell what happened to Driscoll. I won't. I swear I won't. I'll give you a chance to escape. You'd give murderers a chance to escape? What sort of a lawman are you? Please, please, don't send me over the ledge. Tom. Tom, ain't there some way I can convince you I told the truth? I swear I don't know where the jewelry went. That's your hard luck, Driscoll. That'll hold you, Sheriff. Get off the stage, Tom. We'll whip up the horses. No, no, don't kill me. Is that jewelry worth two lives, Driscoll? If I stole it, I'd tell you where it was. Well, so long, Driscoll. Oh, wait. Wait a minute. I'll give you the jewelry. Sheriff. You, Sheriff. What do you know about it? If you get the jewelry, will you let me go? So you're the one who stole it? You dirty thief. How did you get the jewelry? He had the box in his office. You substituted iron for the jewels? Yes. Where's the jewelry now? I've got it at home. Send Driscoll over the ledge. Make everyone think he stole it. You can clear it out with a fortune. No one will ever suspect you. And you're the one who cut the trail away. Yes. You planned for the stage to be crashed. How about it? Cut my ropes. Let me go. Hello. You want help? Yes, let me take your knife. Here. Thanks. That's your stuff. I won't double-cross you. You can count on me to keep my word. Tom, I'm sure I'm disappointed in you. Tough on you, Driscoll. I reckon I can make a tight case against you when I tell how you set a blast and everything. Lean over here. I'll cut those ropes. Yeah, sure. No, not you, Sheriff. I mean, Driscoll. Me? Certainly. You've got to go back with Tom and see that the Sheriff gets what's coming to him. Hold on. This is double-cross. You told me that. You said enough. A little more. There you are. There you are, Driscoll. This is where I leave you, Tom. Take the reins and turn back to town. Gosh, your plan sure worked. We got the truth, but it was different than we expected. Was it? Tom, you and that masked man never intended to steal the jewels. Well, what do you think I am, a thief? Are you ready, Tom? We can come on. Hey, wait. I want to do something for you. Come, Silver. Get off this ground. Doggone, Sheriff. That masked man sure made you squeal. It's a double-cross. Tom, I thought sure I was a goner. Oh, Mr. Driscoll, the masked man wouldn't have set you over the ledge. Why, the Lone Rangers never kill anyone. The Lone Ranger? The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
