With a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo, Silver, the Lone Ranger. And 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 hoof beats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on Silver, let's go big foe, I'm Silver, holly! The westbound stage rattled and swayed crazily along the trail toward the town of Copper Butte. The wounded driver found it almost impossible to stay on the swaying seat. He gripped the seat desperately. He'd lost the reins and the horses running wild were wild-eyed and panic-stricken. The lave could do nothing to stop the runaway, nothing but shout, Oh there, drain up, oh you fritters, oh there! People in town saw the stage approaching. They knew that something had gone wrong. They watched the oncoming stage and cried out as they watched. That stage is running wild. Hey, look, lave's been wounded. Get clear, get out of the way. Stay to the side or you'll get trapped. Someone's got to stop them horses! Everyone cried out as the stage drew near, but there was just one individual who took action. It was an Indian who raced toward the side of a building and faulty to the back of a paint horse that stood waiting. Get them up, scouts! Get them up! It was Tuttle, the Indian companion of the Lone Ranger. He dashed in from the side, then swung parallel to the runaway team. Without regard for his own safety, Tuttle leaned far out to the side and clutched the bridle of the lead horse. Oh there! Oh! Oh there! That's an engine! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! There, stop him! Keep out of the engine! Oh! Oh! My thunder engine, you stopped him! You've done it! I expected the stage to spill over most any minute. What happened? Hey, you're wounded, Leif. Tell us about it. Hey, Dave, what's it all about? What made the horses run wild like that, Leif? What happened to you? As the townspeople crowded around the stage, their interest in the driver and the wound in his shoulder overshadowed the interest in Tuttle, who welcomed the chance to draw back and mingle with the crowd. What happened to you? Now hold on, folks. You save your questions for a time. I got nothing to say till I've talked to the sheriff. Where's the sheriff? Hey, sheriff! Leif wants it! Yes, sir, come in. Here, let me through there. All right, sir, come in. What happened, Leif? How'd you get shot? Who did it? Sheriff, there's something I want to know. The critter wore a hood over his thing. A hood? He had the drop on me. I went for my gun and he fired. Dropped the stage? No. Well, if this critter didn't want to rob the stage, why'd he stop you? Get these people back and I'll show you. You heard him? Go on, move back. Give us room. All right, boys, come on. Help me down from here. This room's downright inconvenient. Inconvenient. Just give me your hand, Leif. Wrists ever get back. Back some more. Yeah. I'll come to the door. Open her up and you'll see why the stage was stopped. The banker. Yep. Is he dead? I reckon so. That's why the hooded critter stopped us. I'll tell you just what happened, Sheriff, and you can figure it out for yourself. He's given you two facts. Well, you see, I was just on the other side of the flats when this horseman rode out from behind cover and made me pull up. Waiting for you, eh? Yeah. Must have been. I reined up thinking it was a hole up there. Yeah, yeah. But it wasn't. The hooded man didn't even try to find out what was on the stage. He just rode up to the door beside the banker and shot point blank. I reached for my gun. He snapped a shot my way and emptied the rest of his bullets in a bag of Whipple. Just gunning for Whipple. Right. Yeah. Hey, is Lemme Winters around? Right here, Sheriff. Where's Mike Samuels? I'm here. You want to see me? Yeah, both of you go to my office right away. I'll meet you there. I want you too, Bart. Me, Sheriff? Yes, you. I aim to question all three of you. Toto watched as the Sheriff took the three men into his office. Then the Indian moved to a side window where he could see and hear what went on. Now, boys, I don't intend to waste no time. Bank of Whipple's been shot dead by a hooded man. Well, if you think that I did it, why... You might have been Sheriff instead of me if Bank of Whipple hadn't pulled against you in the last election. Isn't that so? Yes. You vowed you'd make him sorry for beating you. I vowed that, but I didn't mean I'd kill him. Yeah, it's for you, Bart. You can't accuse me of murder. You've had a grudge against the banker because he wouldn't let you and his daughter get married. But that's no cause for me to kill him. I didn't have... Let's take Mike there. If you think I killed him just because he foreclosed a mortgage on me, you better think again. Vince, all I know is that the banker is dead. You three are the only ones I know that had any grudge against him. Now, how do you stand for alibis? You first, Liam. Where were you during the past hour? Well, I, uh... Let me see. I guess I must have been near my south line. I went there to check up the line fence. Did you prove that? I was riding alone. How about you, Mike? You got an alibi? I was in the cafe most all morning, Sheriff. I left about an hour ago to visit Wolf Larson, but he wasn't home. So I came back to town just as a stage commander. Can you prove where you were during the past hour? No, but that's... Your turn, Bart. Where were you? I've been home, and I've been alone. I can't prove I was there, but by thunder I was. Then not one of you got an alibi. But, uh, any one of you might have killed the bad game. Well, I didn't. Nor I. Don't look at me. I didn't do it. You all had a grudge. And that's a motive. Hey, Senator, I think Whipple's killer is right here in this room. And I'm going to find a way to pick him out. The sheriff spent the rest of the day visiting the scene of the murder and studying what meager clues there were. But he found nothing of importance. He went to his office early the next morning. As he was about to unlock the door, he heard his name. Sheriff Conroy. What? Mast. Open your door and go right in. Oh, see, here, mister. We'll talk inside. Sheriff, I came here to talk about yesterday's murder. You, uh, knew something about it? We found the place where the murder was committed. What about it? You saw that, didn't you? Yes. There were a few tracks of oars, but they were soon lost on the lava bed. Tonto and I found some other tracks. Tonto? That's the name of the Indian who stopped the runaway stage team. You, uh, knew Tonto? Yes. He was my friend. Yeah. Go on, mister. Tell me some more. What other tracks did you find? They were the tracks of a horse and some smaller animals. They show that the horseman stopped for some time, a short distance from the scene of the shooting. Sheriff, I think that man saw the murder. Yeah? Furthermore, I think he followed the murderer and found out who he was. How could he follow the killer's tracks if I couldn't do it? Because, uh, he had dogs. Dogs? By golly. Dogs, you say? We saw where he and the dogs moved up to the scene of the murder, then followed the murderous trail. To the lava bed? Yes. We couldn't follow tracks in the lava because it was too hard to show any trail. But dogs could follow the scent. What you've told me is important. Downright important. I thought it might be. Uh, there's, uh, just one man who has a dog pack. Yes? That's Wolf Larson. He's got six dogs that are trained to hunt wolves. Larson lives on bounty. He might be able to name the murderer. Wait, let me think this out. I was wondering about Larson. He never had any cash to spend on drinks for his friends, but last night in the cafe, he was spending money like it was water. He was? I wondered where he got that cash. Now I better know. What you've told me fits right in. Good. Yes, sirree. Wolf saw the murder. Then he used the dogs to track down the killer. He got paid to keep his mouth shut. That's just about the size of it. Where does Wolf Larson live? Well, he's got a shack in the woods about a mile north of town. When are you going to call him? Right now. And I'll go with you. But, uh, look here. You haven't told me who you are. Oh, that's unimportant. Why you must? Because I don't care to show my face. Don't you think it would be wise if we called on Wolf as soon as possible? Well, yes, I guess so. You may as well come on. When the sheriff and the lone ranger entered the woods, they had to slow their horses to a walk. This made it possible to carry on a conversation. And Sheriff Conroy looked as though he wanted to ask questions. But for some time, he kept quiet. For several minutes, the only sounds came from the horse's hoops and the dogs at Larson's cabin. Finally, the lawman turned toward the masked man. Hey, look here, mister. Yeah. I've been doing some thinking during this ride. Have you? I've heard about an Indian named Tonto and a horse called Silver. The man that rides that horse. Hey, tell me one more thing. Are those bullets in your belt made out of silver? Yes, they are. I see. Now I understand things a little better. I couldn't figure out why a masked man would help me solve a murder. But now... Those dogs always make that much noise. Yeah. Wolf figures they work better if they're a little hungry. So they don't feed them much. Oh. There's his shack right over yonder. Well, if you can persuade him to talk, he may solve yesterday's murder. He'll talk all right. I'll see to that. If Larson knows anything, I'll get it out of him. Dogs are quieting down some. Yes, they're watching this. They're downright curious. Lane up here. Right. Oh, Silver. Oh, boy. Don't worry about those dogs. They're pinned up tight. Anything. Oh, I wasn't worried about them. I'm surprised that Wolf hasn't come out to see him. He's here. Maybe he's still sleeping. Hey, Larson. Open the door. Maybe he's not home. Open up, Wolf. It's me, Conroy. It's not. Come on in. Right. Yes. He has old blankets over the window. His bunk's over in this corner. You can see better if we haven't come with one of the windows. Yeah. Pull down the covering on that one. Hey, look. The bunk's empty. The house earlier than you thought. I don't know. I see. The bed's not worn. He hasn't been in it recently. He might have stayed in the cafe all night. Maybe slept there, but it'd be mighty unusual. What's that door? Go to the kitchen. We'll have a look in there. See if he's built up a fire this morning. Sure. He's sleeping on the floor. He sure did have a time last night. Come on, Larson. Rise and shine. New days come and it's near half gone. Wake up, Larson. Just a minute, Sheriff. Wolf Larson is dead. And it looks like the second murder. 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 finding Wolf Larson murdered, the Lone Ranger left Sheriff Conroy and hurried to a small camp where Tonto had been waiting. It took the masked man but a few minutes to tell his Indian friend about the latest development. Then after the sheriff and I compared notes, we came to the conclusion that Wolf Larson knew the murderer and demanded money for silence. The killer gave him some money, which he spent last night in the cafe. That's right. Then the killer realized that he'd probably have to go on paying Wolf Larson. So him kill Wolf? That's probably it. Seemed like a good explanation. That's right. You find any clue to the fellow who killed Larson? No, Tonto. He was careful to hide his tracks. And he's smart. The sheriff told me about three men. Oh, me tell you about three, fella, too. Yes, Tonto. The sheriff named the same men that you did. Lem Winters, Bart Baker, and Mike Samuels. He gave me a few facts about each one. Lem's a small rancher, Bart's a cowhand, and Mike lives in town. He had a ranch but lost it to the bank. All three had grudge against Whipple. As far as the sheriff knows, they're the only ones with a motive for murder. Do you hear it? A wolf. Ah. Plenty wolf around here. Yes. That's why Larson was able to make a living. The cattlemen lose a lot of stock to wolves. They're glad to pay a bounty. Tonto, I have an idea. If one of the three suspects is the murderer, we might be able to trap him. Ah. Trap him like wolf, huh? Yes, Tonto. Just like a wolf. I wonder if it could be done. While the Lone Ranger and Tonto proceeded with their plans, Sheriff Conroy carried on his investigation of the second murder. As in the case of the first, his suspects were restricted to just three men, Mike, Lem, and Bart. That predator, one of you three is lying. We're going to stay right here in my office until I find out which one it is. Sheriff, you've got nothing on any one of us, and you know it. Lem, listen to me a minute. One of you three is guilty. That's a dead sure thing. One of you is guilty. That means that the other two are innocent. Now, I don't want to make a lot of trouble for a couple of innocent men. Listen, why don't the two of you that are innocent try to help me instead of holding back and being antagonistic? Hey, what the... An arrow. It comes through that window. It just missed me. I felt the wind of her. Let me hit the crackle. Can't do that and get away with it. Wait, hold on. There he is. That redskin over here. You're getting his horse. Now, show him. Mike, hold your fire. Like fun, I will. Fire again, Mike. No, no. Fire at me, Mike. You missed him. Hold it, Mike. Stop it. Doggone it. The murdering redskin got away. Put that gun down, you crazy fool. That Indian's name is Tonto. I don't care what his name is. That arrow just missed me. He wasn't firing at you, Mike. Well, he... That's the Indian that stopped the runaway team yesterday. What? He fired that Indian through the window to send me a message. I'm on back inside. You see the message? Fasten the arrow. Let me see what it says. I thought the arrow was fired at me. What is the message, Sheriff? What's it say? Is it anything important? Maybe it is important. It's mighty important. You three stay here in my office for a minute. Where are you going? I've got to go to the back room. I want to see about something back there. Don't do it. You go away. How long have you been here, mister? Just a few minutes, Sheriff. Sorry that Tonto's arrow made such a disturbance, but I had to get word to you to come to this room. That's all right. I didn't want those three men to know that I was here. Sheriff, are you still convinced that one of them is a killer? I sure am. But I'm hanged if I can tell which one it is. All three of them are beginning to act like they thought I was loco. Sheriff, do you remember Larson's kitchen? What about it? The door was standing open. Yeah. There were six eyewitnesses to his death. Six? That was savvy. The dogs. Larson's dogs? I'm sure they must have seen the murderer. But it really doesn't matter whether they did or not. They'll find the killer for you. Oh, now, wait a minute. If they was bloodhounds or something like that, there might be a chance. But those ornery no-account critters can't do nothing but trail wolves. They don't know nothing else. They might start on the trail of a killer, but they'll leave it as soon as the wolf trail crosses it. I think you're wrong. Well, I'm sure willing to be shown I'm wrong. I'd like to clean up those two mothers. Will you do what I say? I'm ready to try anything. Where are the dogs now? My deputy's taking care of them. And Tonto and I can get them from your deputy? Yeah. Halfway between here and Larson's shake. All right. Now, you take those three suspects to Larson's cabin. Leave their horses there and go by foot to the top of the ridge. Is that clear? I can do that, all right. Don't let them know why you're doing it until you reach the ridge. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry. Headless wolf larses, please. We're going to leave our horses here and take a walk to the top of the ridge. Me with my bum feet. At the deputy's house, Tonto and the Lone Ranger stood inside a small enclosure with the six lean dogs milling restlessly about them. Just beyond the pen, the masked man's horse stood ready and waiting for a fast trip to the top of the ridge. Silver's ready whenever we are, Tonto. Ah, it looked like dogs. Plenty ready to go. Yes, they look pretty fierce. I think they'll do all that's necessary. Well, it's just about time to get started. The sheriff and his three suspects should have reached the ridge by now. Ah, you sure to keep ahead of dogs? That's up to Silver. Give me about a 200-yard start, then you can release them. Time to do it. You can follow the dogs. Be savvy. I'll step over the fence and get going. Doc, I'd like to see you leave. We meet again. Now, take it easy, boys. Maybe you'll get fed pretty soon. Now, don't forget your part, Tonto. Ah, me no. Steady there, Silver. I'm traveling now, old fellow. What's the matter? You're angry because I spent some time with those dogs? It's all right, fellow. Don't worry about it. Easy now. Come on, Silver. As the masked man raced away, the six big dogs barked and leaped at the gate as if desperate to take up the pursuit. Tonto waited, watching until the lone ranger had traveled about 200 yards. Then he threw the gate wide open. Now, you fellas, go. Now, Tonto go. Get him up, scoundrel. Despite the complaints of his three companions, Sheriff Conroy didn't pause on the uphill walk until he reached the ridge designated by the lone ranger. There he called a welcome halt. Where are you boys can rest? That sure was a walk for a man that ain't used to using his legs. Oh, my feet are killing me. Sheriff, you better have a mighty good reason for all this. I'm surprised that you can't guess the reason. I'm out to find the one who killed Whipple and Larson. You're aiming to walk our legs off till one of us confesses? I got a hunch that the truth will come out before long. You see, I'm pretty sure that the same hombre killed both men. He might have been safe if he'd quit after the Whipple job. But he had witnesses when he dealt with Larson. Witnesses? That's right, Mike. Larson's dogs. All six of them. Dogs? That's... Ah, dogs. You can scoff about the dogs. But they can do things the best manhunter in the world can't do. They can follow a trail a human can't see. If you're counting on those good-for-nothing mutts that Wolf Larson kept to help the archer... I admit they wouldn't take no prizes for good looks, Bart. I hear hoofs. One, two, three! Someone coming this way fast. Just beyond the ridge. Let me see. There he is. Riding over the same trail we used. I expected him. Hey, he's masked. Yep. Look at him travel. Look at that cloud of dust he's kicking up. Hey, day what a horse. Up hill, too. Who is he? Why is he coming here? Just stand where you are, gents. You'll save the whole thing in a couple of minutes. Who's there? How are you? Hey, everybody. Hey, who are you? What's that mask mean? That big fella. They're coming this way, Sheriff. What's he mean? You sure? They picked up the trail right away. I saw them start out. Yeah, I can hear them. The dogs. Sounds like they're chasing a wolf. I've heard them do that before. This time, they're on a different kind of a trail. You bet they are. They're on the trail of the man who killed their master. Now, listen. This ain't legal. You can't seek dogs on all three of us. The dogs won't go after all three of you. Conroy, who is this stranger? What business is it his? Take it easy, boys. The only man who's got cause to worry is Wolf Larson's murder. The rest of us don't have to be afraid. Those dogs won't make a mistake. Wolf Larson may not have amounted to much, but he meant everything to his dogs. They'll deal with his killer just as they've been trained to deal with wolves killing sheep. They know only one rule. They have only one punishment. That punishment is death. They might get the wrong man. They might go for all of us. This ain't justice. The dogs won't make a mistake. They won't let the murder, spend his life in jail, or get free on some legal angle the way a court of law is likely to do. Sheriff, you lose your job for this. Well, I won't stand for it. When I get back to town and tell about this, they'll break you. The dogs are coming fast. And they're mighty hungry. Get me out of here. Now, fix those dogs. Get your guns, boys. Oh, not that. My hand. Same goes for anyone else who tries to shoot those dogs. They won't attack anyone but the killer. Oh, they'll tear him apart. The killer can have a jury trial if he'll confess. I'll get him away from here on my horse. He's got to squeal mighty quick. I hope he don't squeal. I'd like to see the dogs go to work on the pole cam. Not much time left. No. No, save me. I confess. Take me away from here. You? Why, you dirty murdering car. I got to write you a jury trial. Get me away. Save me. Don't let those dogs get me. You killed a wolf, Larson? Yes, yes. I admit it. He tried to blackmail me. You killed the banker? Yes. Now, take me away from here. In the name of mercy, save me from those dogs. Is that what you want, Sheriff? It sure is. Why aren't you under arrest for murder? Let me make a witness. Yes, yes. But save me by heaven's sake. The dogs won't come any near. You needn't be afraid. What? Hey, look. Stop down yonder. Porn over something on the ground. It's the pill of a wolf that I dragged there behind my saddle. That's what the dogs followed. That's all those dogs know. You tricked me. You dirty. You sure put yourself right in the class with a murder wolf when you figured Larson's dogs was coming after you. But you ornery skunk, you figured to get rid of Whipple, then make another try to marry his daughter and her money. Why in tarnation didn't you squeal down in town and save me this walk with my feet of killing me? City, big fella. I'll send your deputy up here for the dogs, Sheriff. I ought to put deputy badges on them dogs. By thunder, mister, I ought to put a gold deputy badge on you. Moncilla. Sheriff, if that masked man worked out this trick, you sure ought to sign him up as a lawman. Mike, there ain't no one can sign up the Lone Ranger. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
