...horse for the speed of light, the cloud of dust, and the hearty, hi-yo, silver, the Lone Ranger. 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 hoop beat to the great horse, silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. I'm still there! Let's go, big fellow! I'm still there! In our last Lone Ranger story, the masked man and Tonto met Johnny Ames. Johnny, recently released from territorial prison, had returned to his hometown of Sorrento to kill George Stratton, the banker whose testimony five years before had branded him an outlaw. Now, while Tonto treats Johnny for a bullet wound, the Lone Ranger visits Matt Dougal, powerful owner of the Diamond S. Cattle Ranch. To you, Johnny Ames. You seem to think so. You might as well take off the mask, Johnny. No need for that sort of thing among friends. Am I among friends? Sure, sure. Am I sorry my son, Foss, and some of his crew went gun crazy down at the Bulls' Head Cafe this afternoon? You disobeyed my orders. That so? What were your orders? I told Foss, I wanted to have a little talk with you, that's all. Talk? About what? Something you and I have in common. I've never met you before, and your son tried to kill me in a gunfight this afternoon. I don't think we have much in common. You're wrong, Johnny. But if you want to talk, you'd better stop signaling to whoever's at that porch window behind my back. I can see a gun barrel reflected in that mirror above your head. You're a loco, there's no idea. Pull it. What the? It went right through my head. You're lucky it wasn't your head. Shut up, Red. You're still yelling. Where's Foss? Down at the corral, I guess. That starting girl rode up a few minutes ago. Find him. Tell me to come to the house right away. Sure. Sure, boss. I'm sorry about this little accident, Johnny. Red, one of my cowpunchers, must have mistaken you for now. It wasn't an accident. I'm sure there was no mistake on Red's part. This is one time he obeyed orders. No, you're wrong. Stop stalling, Dougal. If you have anything to say, start talking. Hey... You all right? It is. I know why you came back to surrender home. You do? Sure. You're going to kill George Stratton. Isn't that right? Maybe. And I don't blame you. Stratton lied and framed you into a five-year prison stretch. He deserves to be murdered. There's one thing I've never been quite sure about. What's that? Just how George Stratton managed that frame up five years ago. Simple. He robbed the bank himself. How do you know? I investigated. Took a lot of time and money, but I have the proof. Why should you investigate if I was framed? Because I started that bank. I set Stratton up in business. It was my idea to loan all you Valley Ranchers money. On trick mortgages. That's right. When I moved into this territory, I decided to own all of it. I almost succeeded. Then Stratton robbed the bank. How did that interfere? Within a month after you were sent to prison, Stratton reported to me that all the ranchers were paying off their loans. And he paid off what he owed me. I see. It gave him control of the bank. And he did all that with stolen money. You said you had proof. I have. Stratton was too smart to pay off the ranchers' mortgages with the same bank notes he'd stolen. So that's why he made the trip back east. To exchange the money? Of course. I hired detectives. They've been working on the case for four years. Now I have the currency and sworn statements to prove that George Stratton handled those bank notes after they were stolen. Supposedly by you. Then why haven't you called in the law? Because I don't trust any law but my own. Is this why you sent for me? Tell me these things before I kill Stratton? I thought you'd be interested. Then I wanted to tell you to hold off until tomorrow. Hold off? My son, Foss, wants to marry the Stratton girl. The wedding will take place tomorrow night. After that, the sooner you'll get the job done, the better. You see, I've let the girl know in a roundabout way that her marriage to my son will make things easier for her father. And I'll forget about the evidence I have. Mm-hmm. I see. Paul, Red said you wanted me to come over. Here's Foss and Miss Linda now. Good evening, Linda. Good evening. I've just been discussing an important matter with you. Excuse me, Johnny. I guess you and Foss have already met. The charming young lady is my future daughter-in-law, Miss Linda Stratton. How do you do? How do you do? This is Johnny Ames. Hey, don't mind that mask he's wearing. It's... Johnny Ames? Why, Paul, you're loco. This mask, I'm bringing his name. I told you I saw Johnny. Talk to him. He's about half the size of this... May I ask you a question, Miss Linda? I... I suppose so. Do you really want to marry this man, Foss Dugall? No, I... I mean, I... I, uh... I thought so. I tell you, Paul, I never saw this mask. Could I have before? He ain't... Isn't your name, Johnny Ames? What do you think? I'm going to know it right now. Here is for the gun, either of you. I've got you covered. You've already seen a sample of my shooting, Mr. Dugall. Hey, he's nothing but a freeboot malhood. But to be on the safe side, I think you'd both better raise your hands. Get them up. No, Mr. Dugall is... I said up. Go ahead, Paul. Don't risk having him. That's good advice. Hey. All right. Now, maybe you'll tell why you're horned in on something because it's none of your business. I'm making it my business. What? That remains to be seen. Red! Hey! Have a running! Good. Now you can't get away. Hey, the boys in the bunkhouse will catch you off. Yeah. That might be true if I intended going out the front way. I'll use a side door here instead. All right, you said it. Side door. All right, Stingy. Maybe all this is just a little joke that Foss and I don't understand. Why don't you use that side door? Get away before there's any unnecessary gunplay. Don't let him get away. The boys will be here. Wait a minute. I agree with you, Mr. Dougal. I'll leave at once. But before I go, I'd like to give Miss Stratton an important bit of advice. What do you mean? Be sure there's good faith on both sides before you make a bargain. I don't understand. Think it over between now and tomorrow night. Adios, gentlemen. I'll have to back down this hallway until I reach the outer door. So don't try to follow me. Foss, that rope on the wall right behind you. You mean the trap door in the hall is still there? Pull it, you fool. Yeah. Oh, he's disappeared. Not exactly disappeared, Linda. That mass meddler is where he belongs. Pull the trap back up, Foss. Yeah. But where did he go? Nothing for you to worry about, my dear. Fortunately, there's a stone cyclone cellar beneath this part of the house. An excellent place for meddling outlaws. Who is he, Paul? Where did he come from? I haven't a slightest idea. I thought he was Johnny Ames. Well, how'd he know that... We'll deal with him later. In the meantime, you better tell Red to staple the white-side law. Sure. I'll be right back, Linda. All right, Foss. Strange experience. A masked outlaw appears out of nowhere and advises me not to... Nothing to worry you about, my dear. Just an accident, that's all. Who is he? You thought he was Johnny Ames, but... I know that isn't true because I met Johnny Ames this afternoon in Dad's office. You did? Well, no matter who this masked outlaw may be, he can't interfere with anything now. Maybe Foss will find something in his saddlebags or gear that'll show who he is. I was kept ready to turn in when I heard you yell. I had to put on my boots, and I had said good thing for him. I didn't need help in a hurry. Trouble? Not now. You've got the trouble all bottled up. What do you mean? Never mind. See that white stallion ground hitched over there? Yeah? Who's he belong to? From here on out, he belongs to the Diamond S. Get the saddle and gear off and put him in the barn. Sure. Better drop the saddlebags right here. I want to look him over. Come on, Cayuse. You're heading for the barn. What the... Stand still, you prodigy. Give me the whip. Don't let me touch him. Maybe a good cut with rawhide across the flight. Hey, Foss. This loco, Cayuse. Whoa. Can't hold him. Hey, hold on. Come here. I'm going to chop. Hold him, you lame-brained idiot. Might as well try to hold a herd of stampeding steers, is that white one. And you're supposed to be a horse wrangler. Can't even hang on to one Cayuse. I bet there ain't nobody else can hang on to that one. He's the spookiest critter. And me with a wounded hand... Forget it. Go on back to the bunkhouse. Yeah. Is that mask armory I told you about still inside, talking to your poor? Not anymore. And what's more, he won't be talking to anybody for a long time to come. It was less than an hour later at the Lone Ranger's camp when Tonto heard the approach of familiar hoofbeats. You hear a horse come plenty fast. That's Silver. Silver? Is that the mount the mask gent rode out of here? Yeah. I still don't see what... Hey, the saddle's empty. There's nobody riding him. Silver. Silver. Where do you leave mask man? What do you think the horse is going to do, Indian? Talk to you? Ah. Hoofprints make plenty talk. Me follow him. Here, Scout. You mean you're going to backtrack the horse and... I'll go with you. No. Better try to ride alone. I don't want to just sit around here and wait. My shoulder feels a lot better now. How better you wait? Tonto. Find mask man and come back. Get him off, Scout. Come on, children. Meanwhile, in a stone-walled underground room at the Diomedes Ranch House, the Lone Ranger listened intently. There's someone walking in that room above me. It doesn't help much. The walls of this cellar are at least 20 feet high. 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. After falling through a trap door in a darkened hallway at the Diomedes Ranch House, the Lone Ranger had landed on a pile of straw. Careful examination proved to the masked man that his underground prison was lined with stone. A lighted match revealed that the trap door through which he had fallen was 20 feet above his head. Out of here. The trap door in the ceiling, which is certain. How I'm going to get up there is a question without an answer. Meanwhile, Tonto, following Silver's back trail, and with the great white stallion pacing his own horse, reached a point not far from the Diomedes. Oh, Scout, oh, oh, Scout. The sign will lead to Ranch House. Maybe Lone Ranger there now. How do they look-see? I think I'd better head for home now, boss. It's getting late. Dad will be worried about me. Anything you say, Linda. I'll ride back to town with you. Uh, wait here with Pa for a minute. I'll bring up the horses. All right. Well, I'm glad you came out this evening, Linda. It's a good thing for an old bachelor house like this to get used to having a woman around. After all, from tomorrow on, he's Fosse's wife. He'll be in charge here. Yes. I suppose so. But I... What's wrong, my dear? Well, nothing. Nothing, Mr. Dugan. You seem nervous. You're not still upset by that mass outlaw who stumbled in here? It isn't that exactly. I suppose outlaws are common enough out here on the range. It's what he said to me. Oh, now, forget the whole thing. There's no accounting for accidents. The trap door that Fosse opened, the outlaw fell through it. But where is he now? I told you, there's an old storage cellar beneath this part of the house. He can't do any harm down there. But what are you going to do? I mean, will you just leave... Leave him there? No, I've told Fosse to tell Sheriff Ed Craig about our visitor. He'll come out and pick him up. I can't get over a strange feeling about... Ready, Linda? Yes, Fosse. Good night, Mr. Dugan. Good night, my dear. It was only a few moments later when Tonto, standing in the deep shadows beside the ranch house, watched Fosse Dugan and Linda ride toward Sorrento. It wasn't until then that the grave-faced Indian moved silently toward the front porch of the house. Inside the house, Matt Dugan sensed rather than heard the door close. What? You rich kid, Harry? No. You rich, for gun, totter, you. You make an engine, Harry. Make up my arm. You make cock. You savvy. You dirty rich kid, you twist my arm. What do you mean? Make talk about what? Masked man, come here. You see him? Masked man. I don't know what you mean. You read trail sign. No, him here. Now, better you tell truth. No, I... Tell truth. Oh. All right, I'll talk. Not good. That master who came in here, tried to pass himself off to somebody else. Where are you now? The storage cellar underneath this room. Use your way plenty fast. That way, in the hall. There's a trap door that... Let go of my arm. You tilt on it quick. This rope here by the wall is hooked up to a trap door. You'll have to let go of my arm so I can pull it. Now, you sneaky rich kid. Now... Kimosabe. Tullo. You all right? A rope, Tullo. Put out a rope. Me bring it. You catch. Got it. Anchor that in, Tullo. I'll pull myself up. Me do it. The silver come to camp. Me backtrack. Good. Where's Matt Dugal forcing the girl? Me not know names. Find Big Father next room. Make him show Tullo this trap door. That's Matt Dugal. Where is he? You may not know. He hit him pretty hard. He'll fall down here. He must have come too. That's where he went. He's rounded up a crew of men from the bunkhouse. Now, what do we do? We'll have to run for it. I wanted to stay here and find out. That'll have to wait till later. Where are the horses, Tullo? Me leave them not far. Side of house. Our only chance is through that window. We'll have to hurry. Come on. Watch out for the glass, Tullo. I'll break it with my gun. Now, follow me. Use your gun if you have to. Get a silver and scout. Good. Send a big fella. That's where camp. Come on, Silver. The monster's count. It was just after sundown on the following day when George Stratton hauled his buggy in front of the Sorrento bank. Who? Who there? Who? You're sure you don't want me to go in with you? No, Linda. You wait there. It'll only take a minute for me to arrange things here in my desk so Bill Macy can... How are you, Mr. Stratton? What? Who are you? How did you get in here? Getting in was easy. Been waiting quite a while, but I was sure you'd stop here before you drove your daughter to her wedding. What? How did you know? What do you want? Is this a robbery? No, it isn't. Sit down for a minute. I want to talk to you. I... All right. What I have to say won't take long. I just want to put two parts of a story together. Two parts of a... What do you mean? Johnny Ames is one part. Matt Dougal is the other. You're the only one who can arrange them in their proper order. Johnny Ames? You're a friend of Johnny's? Then you must be here to... Kill you? No, Mr. Stratton. That's Johnny's idea, not mine. I just want to verify the fact that... Oh, wait. I want to show you something. Well, go on. What is it? It won't be necessary now. You said you wanted to verify something. I don't know who you are or why you're here. I was referring to what happened here five years ago when you robbed your own bank and framed Johnny Ames for doing it. No, I... That's the truth, isn't it? Matt Dougal has the proof. Sworn statements from the men who exchanged the money for you back east. I... What is it to you? I'll pay my debt to Johnny Ames. Pay it in full. That may not be necessary, Mr. Stratton. And everything is explained to Johnny. Explained to the law. Well, what do you mean? Contrary to what some people think. The laws of this country are not enacted or enforced because of spite or vengeance. I don't understand. Well, generally the law carefully considers the motive for a man's crime a mistake. What are you trying to tell me? You robbed your bank to keep Matt Dougal from robbing the small ranches. You made your mistake by framing Johnny Ames. The important thing now is to prevent Johnny Ames from making an even greater mistake than you did. And I think it can be done when he understands everything. Why, you're talking in riddles. Maybe. But it won't be a riddle much longer. I'll meet you at the Diamond S Ranch house in a few minutes, Mr. Stratton. Wait! All right, folks. Time for the wedding. Just a minute. Oh, the masked man. Oh, look. It's that same masked critter who was there before. Red Pete. Throw down on the critter. Gunplay would be a bad mistake in a carded room like this. Don't move, any of you. That's not a holdup. What do you want? A banknote you told me you have in your safe. A holdup, eh? In a way, yes. It's a holdup. I want those banknotes so that I can destroy them. There, you sneaking... My hand! I warned you not to try gunplay. Evidently, it takes a bullet to convince you. Now we'll go into the next room and open your safe. Hey, you dirty... Can't anybody here stop you, somebody? They're not going to try. You see, they've had an object lesson. Move! You wait out here, Toto. See that no one disturbs us. Yeah, me do it. Oh, by the way, Mr. Stratton and Linda, you come with us, too. I... Come on, Dad. I don't know who he is, but I'm sure this masked man can be trusted. And there's one more person who should be with us. Oh, Johnny! Johnny Ames! Yeah, I'm still playing along, mister. But I can't figure it out. By Johnny. Oh, you've been hurt. Nothing important, mister. Just a scratch. Oh, it's important to me. All right. Close the door, Johnny. Sure. You can't get away with this. I'll call the sheriff. That won't be necessary. I've already told Sheriff Craig the whole story. Which story? The one I'm going to burn as soon as you hand me those banknotes. Open the safe and give them to me. Hi. All right. Oh, Mr. Stratton. Are these the banknotes you exchanged in the East? Well, I... Oh, excuse me. One moment. I forgot. What do you mean? Mr. Stratton is blind, or nearly so. Isn't that true, Mr. Stratton? Yes, I... His dad's almost blind, yes. But he does his work just as well as he ever did. I'm sure of that. The only reason I mentioned it was to show Johnny Ames that a handicap doesn't prevent a brave man from trying to rectify a mistake. He was willing to sacrifice his life, Johnny, so that you could even us score. I am. I'm sure sorry I have a son. How did you ever discover all of this? Johnny and Matt Dougal told me most of it. I discovered your father's affliction this afternoon. And he didn't know I was wearing a mask when he found me in his office. All right. What does all this high-handed bet with me? Several things. Miss Linda won't have to marry your son in the mistaken idea that she would be helping her father. Linda. Well, I had no idea you weren't really in love with Foss. I wanted you to marry him. Because I wanted you to have security. And I realized I was going blind. And you, Dougal, because you have no evidence, will forget any idea you have of controlling the smaller ranches here in the valley. Yes. You understand? Yes. All right. Good. Wait. Don't go. Well, I'll be... He's gone. I wonder who he is. Tell me. Now that you know I can't see very well, he mentioned a mask. Is he a tall man wearing a black mask? That's right, Dad. Why? I may be wrong, but I think we've been talking to the Lone Ranger. You've just heard. It's a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. Hmm. What? What? Oh.
