A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-ho silver, the Lone Ranger. 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 fellow. I'll silver. Hooray! Jed Robbins and his wife, Mary, sat in the living room of their ranch house. Jed, with one leg propped up on a chair before him, looked anxiously at Mary, whose face looked tired and strained. Set down a spell, Mary. You've done too much today. I will. First I'll put this pitcher of cold milk beside you. There, now. I'll get my mending and sit here in the rocking chair. I wish this darn leg would heal. Ever since I broke it, you've been nigh unto killing yourself, trying to do everything. Fred's no help to you at all. Fred's just a grown boy. We've got to remember he's just turned 17 and he ain't up to a man's work yet. Well, we've always made excuses for him, Mary. Guess we've got to admit we raised him wrong. I'm more to blame than you are. You ain't to blame at all. Losing Jim is what did it. Fred, the only one left, it's natural we should spoil him some. He's got good blood in him, though. He'll turn out all right. You wait and see. Being laid up with this broken leg has shown me a lot. Fred is spoiled, plum rotten. He ought to be out taking my place with the ranch hands instead of gallivanting around in town every night with who knows what and sleeping half the day. Here he comes. Don't be too harsh with him. You're not going out again tonight, are you, son? Oh, I certainly am. Don't think I want to sit around this old place all the time, do you? You've been out every night this week, Fred. Well, what of it? Got to have a little excitement, don't I? There's plenty of excitement around this ranch if you take time to find out instead of sleeping half the day. Oh, work, work, work. That's all you people ever think of. Go to bed as soon as it's dark and get up with the chickens. You make me sick. Fred, I won't have you talking to us like that. Yeah? Well, what are you going to do about it? I'm going out tonight and nobody's going to stop him. Fred, come back here. It's no use, Jed. If it weren't for this leg, I'd catch him and give him the whipping of his life. I'm worried about him, Jed. He never used to act like this. Maybe he's getting into bad company. He's no good, that's what. Maybe he ain't well. He looked so pale today. And he seemed nervous. He was drunk last night, that's why. I heard him come stumbling in. I didn't want to worry you, but we've got to do something about him before he gets in trouble. When Fred Robbins arrived in town, he headed straight for the Palace Cafe. It was noisy and filled with smoke. He looked around as he entered, then called to the bartender. Hey, Bill. Mike Wilts around? He's in the back room, but I don't think he wants to be bothered. He's expecting me. Told me to meet him here. Go on back, then. Seems to me you're kind of young to be teaming up with Mike's gang. Fred Robbins, Mike. Who? Oh, yeah. Oh, kid, come on in. Didn't know whether you'd show up or not. Gee, Mike, you know I wouldn't go back on my word to you. Who's this proud, Mike? Boys, this is Fred Robbins. He wants to join up with us. Here's Butch and Curly, Fred. Hello. That's a big idea, Mike. Think we're running a kindergarten? He ain't even dry behind the ears. Why, you big ox? I'm just as much of a man as you are. Stay there, kid. Pull up a chair and sit. The little whiff is going to hit me. You want to be careful, sonny. You'd break your little paw on a chin like mine. Now, shut up, Butch. Let the kid alone. We need a fourth man on this job. We're pulling the kid's game. We need four men, not three and a half. I said shut up. That goes for you, too, Curly. Gosh, Mike, I'll do anything for you. I don't care what they say. Sure, kid. I know you will. So that's it. You're his hero. You're taking him on so as you can always have someone tell you how wonderful you are. One more crack out of you, Butch, and I'll break every yellow tooth in your face. Sit down, Fred. You ready to take off with us tonight? Sure. Got everything in my saddlebag. Do your folks know you're going? No, I did just what you said. Didn't even leave a note saying I was running away. Good. Now, here's the plan. We leave here tonight for Plainville. You should get there in about three days. Mike, you aiming to let the kid in on the gold shipment deal? Yeah. Any objections? You're crazy. I'm running this show, Butch. And I say the kid is in. The outlaws were camped about five miles outside of Plainville. It was evening a few days later, and they sat around the campfire. Well, it's a blast of a bacon. It's about time your young friend showed up with our supplies, Mike. Here, get here. Hope you got some information about the stage. Well, this was sure a good idea, Mike. Letting the kids stay in town like this. I still don't like it, young smart aleck. Makes me sick to my stomach, the way he swaggers around. He's going to get us into trouble. I suppose you could have thought of a better idea. Maybe you could have figured a way for us to keep out of sight of everybody. Get our information and supplies with nobody ever seeing us. And after we robbed the stage, then what? We got a wet nurse, that kid, all across the country. It pretty near killed him riding for three days in a row. And that's nothing to what he's going to have to do when we make our getaway. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We need him now. Didn't say we was going to keep him with us afterwards. Yeah, but he's liable to squeal if we don't. He won't be able to squeal if I decide we're not taking him along. Here he comes now. What you said is the first time you made sense. Ho, ho, ho there, ho. Oh, well, hi, boys. Boys, why the hell... Oh, kid, bring the supplies. Yeah, I got everything you told me to do. You got the information you wanted me to get. Good. Curly, get those supplies while I talk to Fred. Right? Sit down here, kid. Tell us what you found out. They're bringing gold in just the way you said, Mike. And a kind of railroad development comes in regular to pay off the men. Expect another shipment in about five days. Good. That's what I thought. How do you know he ain't making all this up? How could he find out? You mean to say I'm lying while you... Calm down, kid. How'd you work it? I did just like you told me, Mike. Buy people drinks and hang around the bar listening to them talk. I need some more money, though. I told them my father died and left me lots of money. I didn't have to work. Just being a big gun. Do they give you your liquor and a nursing bottle? That's the last crack I'm taking from you, Butch. I'll beat your face in. I wanted to give you a spanking for a long time. I warned you, Butch. Gosh, Mike. You sure socked him. Now, get up, Butch. Told you to let the kid alone. My hand. My fingers. Hey, what's the matter? Fall on your hand? Let's see. I'm afraid they're broke. Oh, my fingers. They ain't broke, but they sprained a little. Now he's gunned hands. He did it when he fell. All the rotten luck. Now Curly and I are the only ones who can shoot. Why don't you keep your big mouth shut, Butch? I can shoot, Mike. You forgot about me. You'll get back to town before we get into more trouble. Maybe his finger will get better by the time we need him. He's the best shot in the crowd. Tonto and Dan had come to Plainville for supplies as they walked down the main street. They heard the loud voice of Fred as he stood with a group of men. You're all a bunch of sisters, Exo. Come on, you. I'll buy you a drink. Go ahead, kid. I don't like to drink in the morning. Talk about a past. He's the worst show off I ever saw. Boy, make loud talk. Him too young to drink. I wonder who he is. Yeah, here's someone I ain't seen before. Hey, you, kid. Come on, I'll buy you a drink. No, thanks. I don't drink. Oh, so the little sissy don't drink, huh? Say, who's that with you? Your Indian nursemaid? Get out of the way. We'd like to get by. And who says I'm going to let you? Come on, Mama's boy. Or do I have to slap you? If you're looking for a fight, say so. Well, look who's talking. Poke him in the nose. He's nothing but a pest. You're going to fight me now, whether you want to or not. What are you? Don't hold these packages. All right, I'll fight you if that's what you want. Yeah, this is going to be simple. Give it to him. Shock him, kid. He's nothing but a smart hand. Go ahead. That strange kid can box. Yay! That was something. Looks like he's knocked out. Dan, you hurt? No, I'm afraid he is. We go. I think we'd better take care of him, Tom. Who is this boy? Oh, he's just a loafer around town. Thinks he's a he-man. Goes swaggering around trying to play grown-up. Leave him there, he'll come too. Maybe that'll be a lesson to him. Come on, boy. Got what was coming to him, I'd say. You knock him out good. I shouldn't have hit him so hard. Gee, there isn't anybody to take care of him. We can't leave him here. Too bad. Him so young. Maybe he hasn't any place to stay. Do you think we could take him to camp and you could fix that cut over his eye? Ah, me go get horses. You stay quiet, head get better. How do you feel now? I'm all right. Gee, I'm glad. I was worried. My name's Dan Reed and this is Tonto. Who's the big man in the mask? He's my, uh, my friend. What's your name? Fred. Except I'm, uh, changing it to Trigger. Trigger? Why? Well, uh, just like you, I'm tying up with some pretty tough hombres. Fred sounds too sissy. Oh, I see. Hey, uh, will it be all right for me to stay here for the night, you think? Uh, I'm feeling kind of weak. Sure, that's what we want you to do. I got a horse in town. He's at the livery stable. Tonto and I have to go back for our supplies. We didn't get them all. I could bring your horse back here. Well, that'll be fine. I just asked for a Trigger Robbins horse. I'll stay here with your masked friend. I'd like to talk to him anyway. We'll bring your horse back in a couple of hours. Say, it's sure a wonderful white horse over there. He blowing the masked man? Yes. He's the fastest horse on the plains. Gee, with a horse like that, you could do about anything. We'll see you later, Fred. Come on, Tonto. I'm ready. I'm ready. We'll see you later. Come on, Victor. Get off the couch. How are you, Fred? Uh, no. My head's a lot better. Have you been an outlaw very long? No, I... I haven't. How about you? Well, I just joined this gang about a week ago. Do you, uh, live around here? I used to live in Belleville. My dad has a ranch just outside of town. Are you his only son? Yeah. I had a brother, but he died. Couldn't stand that old ranch. Dad ought to sell it and move to the city. He's losing money on it. Thought he'd make some this year, but he broke his leg and now the thing's going to pieces. Drives around the buckboard trying to run it. It sounds as if he had a lot of courage. Ah, keeps preaching at me all the time. Don't want me to fight or have any fun. Well, there are different kinds of fighting. One kind takes more courage than another. That's a nice horse you got there. Yes, he is. Say, uh, I wonder if you get me a drink of water. I'm kind of thirsty. Sure. I'll, uh, get you some fresh water from the spring. I'll be right back. Yeah, but you won't find me. When you get back, me and that nice white horse will be missing. 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. As the Lone Ranger disappeared over the top of the hill on which they were camped, Fred rose quietly and walked towards Silver. The big horse raised his head. Steady there, you. Getting out of here before he gets back of that water. What's wrong with you, ugly critter? Hold still. Stop. Hey, get out. Hey! That horsey. It threw me. Lie still. Don't move. Don't shoot me. I was just going to... I wasn't shooting at you. Look there beside you. Near that rock. What? It's dead. I killed it. What? It's a rattlesnake. Yes. There's no danger now. Let me help you up. You... He shot his head off. Are you hurt? I don't know. I... He scared me. When you get up. Well, I... Oh! Oh, my leg. It hurts. Lie down. Let me look at it. Is it broken? Wait a minute. No, it's not broken. You probably sprained it. Better lie right where you are. I'll get a blanket for your head. All right. Turn over a little bit. There. What are you going to do to me? I'm going to get that water for you now. You mean you're not going to shoot me for trying to steal your horse? I knew you were going to try that. You just went off on purpose? You have a lot to learn, Fred. I'm afraid you're the kind who has to learn the hard way. See, Silver won't let anyone ride him except me. Then you shot that snake and... It saved my life. Lie back and rest now. I'll go and get that water for you. It was later that evening. Dan and Tonto had returned with Fred's horse. Fred lay beside the campfire, talking to Dan, who sat beside him. I never saw such shooting in my life. He didn't have time to aim, but bang, off went that snake's head the first shot. That's nothing for him. He's the best shot in the West. I hope my leg gets better fast. I know someone who could use that masked man. You do? I'll tell you a secret. You ever hear of Mike Welch? No, I don't think so. Of course you haven't. That's just the name he's using now. But when I tell you his real name, I'll bet your eyes will pop. What is it? Maybe you think this masked man's tough. What would you say if I told you I was tied up with Killer Nelson? Killer Nelson? Boy, you couldn't be. He's the one who murdered all those people in that stagecoach two months ago. Yeah, I know. He's wanted by every sheriff in the country. But Killer Nelson wouldn't be bothered by taking kids. Like us, I mean. There's just two of them in this gang. They're all wanted by the law. Now, in a little jerkwater town like the one I live in, there isn't any sheriff, so he could come there. But Plainville's different. They got pictures of him in the post office with a reward notice. He needed someone to get information and supplies for him from the town. Someone who wasn't known. That's why he let me join the gang. I see. Now, even though you did knock me out yesterday, I guess you gotta admit I'm tougher than you are. Maybe. Now, here's what I've been thinking. The other night, Killer knocked Butch down because he was sassy to me. Butch fell on his gun hand and hurt his fingers. We're pulling off a big job day after tomorrow. And Killer may need a gunman. Yes? I'm taking him supplies tomorrow night and I'll ask him about it. If he does need one, I'd recommend your mass friend here and cut him in on the deal. I think he'd be very interested. Well, I owe it to him for saving my life. Where is Killer camp? Oh, I can't tell you that. I guess I shouldn't have told you as much as I did. He may not want to hire your friend at all. But after I talk to him tomorrow night, I'll come back here and get the mass man. Because the job we'll pull in this day after tomorrow. And if he doesn't want to hire him? Well, then I guess you won't see me again. Maybe you will. It was noon the following day when Fred got on his horse to leave the camp of the Lone Ranger. Let me help you up on that horse, Fred. Your leg isn't much better. Oh, I can make it. Okay. There. Well, goodbye, Fred. Hope I'll see you again. He may see me tonight. Goodbye. Get up there. Goodbye. Hello. Oh, Kimasabi. Follow him. I'll let him out of your sight all day. But don't let him see you. He'll be waiting for you beside Horsehead Rock on the trail west of town. As soon as you know which trail he takes out of town tonight, come and get us and we'll follow him. There. He's going around the bend. Good luck, Tonto. The black shadow of Horsehead Rock over Dan and the Lone Ranger as they waited for Tonto later that evening. Soon they heard Scout's hoofbeats. There comes Tonto now. Hope he didn't lose sight of Fred. You'll know where he went. Oh, Scout. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Keep track of Fred, Tonto. Kim, take supplies. Leave on trail north now. Good work, Tonto. Come on, Dan. Steady, big fella. Steady, boy. Steady, boy. Are we going to catch him? No. We'll follow him and creep up on killer's camp. All right, big fella. Come on, Silver. Come on, big fella. You're not sharp. The small campfire of the outlaws was well hidden in a nest of big rocks. Mike Welch, better known as Killer Nelson, watched Butch as he fingered his gun. You sure your hand is all right, Butch? Yeah. I can handle a gun as good as ever. It wasn't a bad sprain. Well, now, you both got everything straight about tomorrow. Stage gets to Red Canyon sometime just past noon. You've been over it about ten times, Mike. We know what we're going to do. I'm on the right-hand side of the trail, and you and Butch on the left. I just don't want anything to go wrong. That kid would just get here with the supplies. He'll be here. We'll take enough supplies with us, so we won't have to stop anywhere this side of the border. Nobody will even see us. That kid worries me. Someone's bound to start looking for him. They can look for him all they want to after the night. They won't find him. We're leaving him right under that rock over there. What? You'd have saved a lot of arguing if you'd have told us your plans in the first place, instead of letting us think we was taking the kid with us. We might have let something slip and scared him out. Good practice for that gun hand of yours tonight, Butch. I hate killing kids. Killing this one will be a pleasure to Butch. I hate the little coyote. Dwight, that's him now. Remember, wait till we get the supplies and any more information he has. Then, Butch, you know what to do. Ho, ho there, ho, ho. Hello, Mike. Hello, everybody. How are you, kid? Got the supplies? Yeah, I got everything you told me to. I checked on the stage, too. He'll be pulling out of Plainville at noon tomorrow. Good. Hey, how's Butch's hand? Is it still sprained? My hand's all right. Can you shoot with it all right? If you can... He can shoot with it. I thought maybe you'd need somebody to take his place if he couldn't use it. Well, Fred, we don't need you. Not anymore. Well, I didn't mean that I could take his place. The other things I'll have to do, I suppose, but I... There ain't going to be anything for you to do, kid. Not after tonight. This ain't a Sunday school picnic. He's starting again, Mike. You told him to stop it. Butch is right, Fred. This here's where you get off. What do you mean? Mike, you don't mean you ain't going to let me go with you tomorrow. You ain't going to send me home now, are you? No, baby. We ain't going to send you home. In fact, you ain't going no place. Mike. What's he mean? What's he talking about? All right, Butch. Get it over with him. Quit talking. I'm kind of enjoying this. Mike, you don't... You ain't going to let him shoot me. I got to find out about my finger some way. It was on the kind of you they got sprained, remember? Mike. Mike, you got to stop him, Mike. Ah, quit your blabbering. Should have had brains enough to know I wouldn't take on a sniff-nosed kid like you. Now, take him over there, Butch, and hurry. Why, you coward, you plan all the time to murder me. Quit squawking. Get over there beside that rock. I won't. Curly, won't you help me? Don't make any difference. Stay right where you are. Please, don't shoot me. I'll do anything. I promise. Goodbye, crybaby. Up your hands, all of you. Why, you... Oh, my hand. Did anybody else try that? A mask man. Where'd you come from? Hold on. Hold those men up. Hold on. And you help him. I'll keep them covered. Yes, sir. Who are you? The urge killer Nelson. The brave outlaw who murders people in cold blood. I don't know who you are, but if you didn't have the drop on me, I'd show you a few things. Fred? Take his gun from him. Yes, sir. All right. There it is. Well, I want you to hold mine. What are you going to do? I'm going to show you what a man like Killer is made of. Come on, Killer, or Mike, or whatever your name is. Let's see how much of a fighter you are. Don't fight him with your bare hands. He'll kill you. You'll see. Why, you... What a sock. And look out, he's got a rock. Oh, good. Killer's down. Get up, Killer. No, don't, don't. Don't hit me again. Get up, I say. No, no. I'll do anything you say. Don't hit me again, please. Oh, he's yellow. He's afraid. All right, Killer. Get over there with your pals. Right. Fred, take them to town with Dan and Toto. The sheriff will be very glad to see them. A few days later, a group of horsemen neared the Robbins' ranch. Fred rode beside the Lone Ranger with Dan and Toto close behind them. There's the ranch. I wish he'd come in and meet Mom and Dad. We're having time now, Fred. Someday I'll meet them. And here, I think you'd better take this package with you. That's the reward money. I can't take that. You're the one who captured Killer Nelson. We don't need it, Fred, and your father does. We'll help him get his ranch going again. Well, gee, I don't know what to say. I've been such a fool. Everyone makes mistakes at times. You don't have to act tough to be brave. Your values were wrong, that's all. Gee, you're just about the finest man I ever saw. I think I thought Killer Nelson was a hero. Here, take this money, Fred. Well, thank you, sir. I wish I could tell you how... Is that your mother there in the doorway? Yeah. Gee, I'll be glad to see her. Well, here's where we leave you, Fred. Adios. Oh, I can't thank you enough. Goodbye, sir. Goodbye, Dan and Tano. We'll see you again, Fred. Good luck. Goodbye. Oh, Tano. Come on, Victor. Get up and shout. Oh, my son. We've been so long. Oh, oh, boy. Oh, Mom. I'm so glad to be home, Mom. Are you... You're all right? Who were those men? Who was the man in the mask? The man in the mask? He's the kind of a man you'd want me to be, Mom. I'm going to try. He's the Lone Ranger. 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