A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo, Selver, 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 hoofbeats of the great horse, Selver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Selver! Let's go, big crowd! I'm Selver! Clarabelle Hornblow was busy in her kitchen when the back door opened, and Thunder Martin stuck his head in sheepishly. Hello, Clarabelle. Well, you big lummox, don't stand there with your head stuck through the door. Come on in. Oh, when you see, Clarabelle, I... Thunder Martin, what you been up to now? Come in or get out, one or the other. Sure, I was just about to come in. Who's that with you? I... Thunder Martin, what on earth? Uh, say hello to Aunt Clarabelle, Johnny. Hello, Aunt Clarabelle. Aunt? I'm not your aunt. Oh, sit down, sonny, till I find out something. Yeah. Now, ain't that cute Clarabelle? He sits down just like you told him. Listen here, you overgrown, bold leg, no good... Now, now, Clarabelle, such a way to talk in front of a little kid like Johnny, that ain't no way to... What's he doing here? Where'd you get him? Speak up before I... Now, I can explain everything, Clarabelle. Uh, Johnny, you go out and sit on the back porch of spell till I talk things over with your Aunt Clarabelle. Yes, Uncle Thunder. Now, wasn't that cute, him calling me Uncle Thunder like that? Wasn't it Clarabelle? What's all this aunt and uncle business? Where'd you get that young'un? Well, it was this way, Clarabelle. Well, you know that cabin and bit of land you were selling to Mr. Higgins? You know, over near that canyon on the South Range? Of course I know. Well, I rode over early this morning to the South Range and... Well, hunting the herd, I was passing by that bit of land. Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, in tarnation shooting. And what at? Come from over yonder near Higgins' cabin, seem like. Get that, boy. Easy, boy. It's getting rocky. Hey, there's a cabin, but don't seem to be anybody about. Well, I'll stop by and speak to Higgins. Oh, boy, ho, ho. Higgins! Get inside. They hurt my daddy. Well, I'll be a yellow-livered, bleating sheep herder. Someone hasn't gone... Who did this, Sonny? Two bad men did. I saw them coming and they looked so, so mean and everything. With bandanas over their faces. So I ran and hid out back. Then I heard a shot and they left. So I came in, but... But now, Daddy, he... Yeah, I... I know, kid, but crying won't do no good. I'll gel in, like... Will be my boy. I'll... I'll be your... Sure, that's it. Your Uncle Thunder. But... But I can't leave Daddy. What's your name, Sonny? My name's Johnny. Well, now, Johnny... Your daddy'll... Well, he'll be going away for a spell. I know he'd like for you to come with me to stay. You'll have an aunt, too. An Aunt Clarabelle. I'll teach you to shoot and ride and all that. How about it? Oh, I'd like that. Fine, fine. I'll take you home to your Aunt Clarabelle now. And then I'll have to ride to town for a while. But she'll look after you till I get back. Well, come on, Johnny. I'll show you where you're going to stay. And you'll have lots of fun. So I... I brought the young'un here, Clarabelle, knowing you'd feel just like I do. Well, you got another thing coming, Thunder Martin. First mangy dogs and cats and now a kid. Of all the lop-eared, soft-hearted galoots I ever met, you're the worst. Oh, now, Clarabelle, the poor little youngster, has to have some place to... I'm in the cattle-raising business, Thunder Martin, and I don't aim to switch over to running a nursery. Take that boy to town and turn him over to the preacher. He'll see that the young maverick gets a home somewheres, but it isn't gonna be here. Oh, see here, Clarabelle, if you'd stop bellering like one of them cattle you're in and do a little thinking, maybe you're... Bellering, am I? Why, you addle-headed, thick-skulled, no-goo... Shh, quiet, quiet. How long do I have to wait, Uncle Thunder? Come here, Johnny. Uncle Thunder. Does Aunt Clarabelle always talk so loud? Right, well, most always, Johnny, but don't let that scare you none. This has gone far enough. Get started for town. Don't stay too long, Uncle Thunder. You're going right along with him, youngster. There's no place for you to stay here. Oh, now, Clarabelle, I... If you let me stay, I'll give you everything I have in my pockets. Here's some little yellow stones and a wheel with points on it. Now, now look at that, Clarabelle. Well, all for you. Well, now I... And in my other pocket, of this, too. It was on the porch. Oh, it jumped. A live poach! Get him off me! Get him away! Oh, I got him, Aunt Clarabelle. Well, excuse me, Clarabelle, but you look so funny with guns strapped on your hips and screaming over a little toad. Laugh at me, will you, you old coyote? You and that boy's just alike dragging all sorts of critters in here. Now get out and take him along with you. Go on, get! Yeah, sure. Sure, Clarabelle, we're going. Well, put your stuff back in your pockets, Johnny. All but that toad. We'll drop him outside. Well, come on. Let's get going. Putting little Johnny before him on his horse, Thunder rode away from the Circle K ranch house until he was certain he was out of Clarabelle's sight. Then, circling back, he rode to a cabin set some distance back from the ranch house. It was the cabin he used for living quarters. He took Johnny inside and closed the door. Now look, Sonny, when I'm away during the day, keep a sharp lookout, and if you see anybody coming, especially Aunt Clarabelle, go up that ladder over there to the loft and be real quiet till they leave. Oh, that'll be fun. Like playing hiding. Sure, that's it. You see, Aunt Clarabelle, she comes over here now and then to sort of clean up, so don't let her catch you. Well, now you better scoot up there and take a nap while I go to town. From now on, you're staying right here with me. As the days passed, Johnny's presence in Thunder's cabin was still unknown to Clarabelle. It was a week after his arrival that two men paid a visit to the Circle K Ranch. Oh, oh, there, oh, there. Yes, you know. Well, what can I do for you? Howdy, ma'am. I reckon we're talking to Miss Hornblow. You reckon right, stranger. Who are you? I'm Bill Webb, ma'am, and this is Tex Haven. Pleased to meet you. Mm-hmm. What brings you here? We got some business to talk over with you, ma'am. Mm. Come on in. Now, sit yourselves down and start talking. It's about that land, the Higgins land, which I understand come back to you. Yeah, I own that land. What about it? We want to buy it, ma'am. Who said I wanted to sell it? Nobody exactly said so, ma'am, but it seems how you started to sell it to Higgins, and since he, well, isn't around to finish buying it, we reckon you maybe... Seems to me you reckoned a bit before your eggs was hatched, stranger. I don't think I've a mind to sell it again. Had too much trouble with the Higgins sales. But we're ready to put up the cash. Well, I guess nobody around town told you that when Clarabelle Hornblow says no, that's the way it stands. Now, goodbye. Early that evening, Bill Webb and Tex Haven stood at the bar in the cafe talking. Tex, there must be some way to get that land. I didn't think the old girl would be so tough. If anybody else finds out about that land it'll be too bad for us. Yeah. Well, here's luck. Fill them up again, bartender. Fill them up it is. You've got to think of a way, Bill. That's all there is to it. Sure, but how are we going to do it if she don't... Hi, hi. I'm in. How are you doing at the Circle K's, Hunter? Clarabelle's still raising a ruckus as usual? Yeah! Howdy, boys, howdy! Ha, ha, ha, ha! Well, if the time ever comes when Clarabelle isn't raising a ruckus about something or other you can just bet she up and died just to find a new place to do a little devil raise. Whoa! Bill, here you are, Thunder. You should ought to be strung up by the heels for selling Bill's water like that. Oh, okay. Uh, give me another one. Sure. Well, you're still scrapping with Clarabelle? Uh-huh. Here's your drink. You know, that's the scrappin'est woman in the whole territory, bar none. You know Miss Hornblow, stranger? Do I know Clarabelle Hornblow? Stranger, if I don't know that female better than she knows herself, then I'm a double-died tongue-twisted lizard. I hear she got you in her will for part of the Circle K, Thunder. You ought to marry her and get it all? Then I'd have to kill her off to get it, if she didn't like me to death first. You out at the Circle K? Well, sure. Thunder's formin' out there. Uh-huh. But I spend more time with my mules than I do in Clarabelle's company. Hey, Thunder, I got a couple of mules I'm thinking about selling. You have? Say, maybe we can make a deal. Come on outside, Tex. I want to talk to Robert. What's on your mind, Bill? Got an idea? Sure, and a good one. Listen, that big hombre in there is drinkin' a lot, and he lives at the Circle K. Also, he don't seem to think as much of Miss Hornblow as she does of him. But I don't see what that... Look, he's in her will. He mentioned he'd have to kill her off to get it. Sure, but he was only talkin' low-co for the... It'll seem different later. If she was found dead, and that Thunder hombre blamed for it, the whole ranch would be sold at auction. And we could buy up that bit of land we want. Sure, but he ain't gonna... Listen, we'll see that he gets plenty to drink. And we'll find out where he has his living quarters on the ranch. We'll get somethin' of his as a plant. Somethin' as a plant? What do you mean? Somethin' that people know belongs to him. Then we'll go to the Circle K ranch house ahead of him. Before morning, Thunder will be blamed for Claribel Hornblow's 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. While Bill and Tex discussed their plan outside the cafe, they failed to notice an Indian who stood in the shadows near the corner of the frame building. It was Tonto, Indian companion of the Lone Ranger. And as soon as the two men returned to the bar inside, he mounted his horse and followed the trail to the camp in the hills where the Lone Ranger was waiting. Oh, fella. Oh, fella. Why the hurry, Tonto? Something happened in town? Ah. Well, me hear strange talk. Two men outside cafe. Really? What did they talk about? Them say, them go kill woman at Circle K ranch. Put blame on Thunder Martin. We know Claribel Hornblow owns the Circle K and Thunder Martin is her foreman. Ah. We'll ride to the Circle K right now. Let's hope we get there in time for the event of killing. Here, Silver. Steady boy. You can tell me what else you learn of their plans as we ride. Ah. Let me do it. Move, Silver. Get him up. The trail to the left goes to the Circle K spread. The one to the right leads to town. Ah. The Circle K is just a few miles further. I'll go there alone. Then what do you want me to do, Kimasabi? Ride to town, find the sheriff, and bring him to the Circle K. See if you can find Thunder Martin. Ah. Me do it. Get him up. Scouts. That is. That is. That is. Come on. Sit over. Meantime, Bill and Tex were approaching the Hornblow Ranch. You've got to be careful, Bill, so as not to rouse the rain chains. I found out the bunkhouse is quite a distance from the main house. The old girl won't have any dogs on the place. We'll get along all right. If we're going to the ranch house, we should have turned in back there. We're riding down this way a little further so as we can turn in near the cabin Thunder Martin lives in. It's back a ways behind the ranch house. Oh. Good thing there's enough moonlight to see where we're going. Here's a light trail going in. Must lead to Thunder's hangout. Yeah. You're right on in there. Come on, boy. Come on. Get up there. Come on. Come on, boy. I see the outline of the cabin now. Yeah. That's it, all right. You sure he lives in it alone, Bill? That's what he said, Tex. We'll keep our guns handy, though, when we go in. Just in case. As soon as we pick up something belonging to Thunder, we'll head for the house. We'll have to move cautious like. I hear that hornblow woman's a shooting fool if she gets a chance to draw. She won't be expecting anything like this. We'll get the drop on her before she knows what it's all about. Oh, oh, oh. Better pull your neckerchief up over your face now, Tex. Sure. Might as well be careful. Yeah, this must be Thunder's cabin. Come on. I'll find the lantern and light it. There it is on the table. That's better. Now we can see what we're doing. Old Claire Braille Hornblow sure going to be surprising when we poke a gun in her face. She'll squawk a bit at first. When we leave there, she won't be able to talk anymore. Oh, there's one of those loud neckerchiefs Thunder Martin wears. Yeah, this'll do to leave us evidence. Good. Now let's head for the ranch house. Clarabelle Hornblow was sitting at a table in the living room of the ranch house. Before her on the table were several stacks of money ready to pay off the ranch hands in the morning. She was interrupted by a knock at the door. Must be that hungry mouth Thunder. Want a bit of grub before turning in. Don't make a move or I'll plug you. Now reach. I see here. You, what you mean by... Drop her guns to the floor, Tex. Sure. Now, ma'am, you can back across the room. If you sneaking coyotes think you can get away with... Shut up and keep backing. Tex, pick up them guns from the door. Hey, look at all the money on the table over here. Hey, go get them guns, you fool. You can just stand still now, ma'am. So, you come here to steal my payroll, huh? No, not exactly. But now that we see it, we'll take it along. Say, you're the two hombres who came here to ask about buying that Higgins land. I recognize your voices. Maybe we are and maybe we aren't. That's not here nor there. Well, what you want here if it isn't the payroll? Oh, we're taking the payroll, all right. But that isn't what we came for. I know, stupid. You said it before. Let's plug her now, Bill, and get out of here before somebody comes along. Say, now, wait a minute. What reason you got for killing me? You'll hang for it sooner or later. Wrong again. Your old friend Thunder will be the one to hang. Drop that neckerchief on the floor, Tex. Sure. There it is. You see, ma'am, we got it all figured out. Guess I might as well get it over with. I found a gun on the floor and I can shoot it, too. What? Well, look, Bill. A little kid and he's pointing that gun. I told you to pick him up. Uh, hey, uh, Sonny, put that down before it hurts you, do you hear? That young'un again. Now, will you rob a nurse? Tex, go get that gun from the kid. Sure. No. No, I won't let you. Boy, you little... I heard you say you were going to hurt Aunt Clarabella. I'll shoot you. No! My shoulder! I'll get you for that! No, I won't let you. Now, gun that button down before he can take three steps. No, you don't, you honorary lizard. Wait, Tex. You rouse the ranch hands. I'll settle with the old girl here right now. Then we'll make tracks pronto. Drop that gun! What the... Bill, look out! I'll get her anyway. Oh, my arm! I told you to drop your gun. Good work. Let me get my mitts and my guns again. Got them. You sure come at the right time and welcome, my friend. I'm glad I got here in time. Move over there together, you two. All right, go. Let's tie them up, Clarabelle. With pleasure. Got a lariat hanging on the wall there. And this will hold them. Here, I'll help you. It won't take a minute. Hadn't have been for that kid. We'd have finished the job and got away. Kid? Say, that's right. I don't know how that youngster got here, but I've got to get him back. What youngster are you talking about, Clarabelle? Don, I'm right ashamed to tell you. But it's a little tight that Thunder Martin towed at home here about a week ago. I wanted to keep him, but I wouldn't have it. Now the brave little maverick comes busting in here and helps to save my life. There, that'll do. Yes, that'll hold them. Who's riding up now, I wonder? Must be the sheriff and some of these men. All right, Miss Clarabelle. I'm all right now, Sheriff. Thanks to the masked man and, well, one other. You can take those two sneaking toads out of here and put them behind bars. They come here to kill me. And what's more, they were going to leave that neckerchief here so as Thunder would get the blame. Say, where is that no good Thunder Martin anyhow? He said he had to stop at his cabin for a minute. Don't know it for, though. Here he comes up. Where's that two yellow and a half someone Thunder Martin's got a hankering for? We got him, Thunder. They'll go to prison for this. Ah, Thunder. I just heard what you said. Huh? I darn it all, Thunder Martin. Why do you have to wait till there's a crowd around to say things like that anyway? What? Oh, you mean what I just said. Oh, now, Clarabelle, I didn't mean you. Hey, Johnny, come on in here. Yes, Uncle Thunder? Oh, go ahead and laugh, you bunch of ugly galoos. Go ahead. I know Thunder meant the youngster all the time. Sure I did. Why, that young'un saved my life a while ago and plugged that tech sombre in the arm with one of my guns. Boy, he could hardly hold it out straight, and it kicked itself right out of his hands. And, Clarabelle, you can still have the things I have in my pockets if you want. Here. Well, now. I hate these things, son. That funny little wheel with the points I found in Daddy's cabin. One of the bad men lost it. That's a rowl from a spur. An odd type, too. Yeah, so it is. I noticed one of these killers wore a spur with a missing rowl. Talo, bring him over here. You can't say that's mine. Oh, no. This one and the one in your spur match exactly. A five-pointed rowl with the same stampin' on the side of each. Then, by golly, them two killed Johnny's father. They killed Higgins. No, no, we didn't. That don't prove anything. We'll get the truth from them sooner or later. But why should they... I'll tell you why. Them pellets Johnny dropped on the table are little gold nuggets. Then these coyotes wanted that land because Higgins had found gold and they knew it. That's it. I said I wouldn't give up that land again. But I'm changing my mind. What do you mean, Clarabelle? Why, you big, muddle-headed galoot. You don't want our Johnny to be a pauper, do you? Well, I'll be doggone. I'm giving him that land with the gold that his dad found there. You mean it's all for me? It sure is, Sonny. But you forgot to say something that time. You mean thank you? I mean, well, you didn't call me Aunt Clarabelle. Oh, don't forget it after this. I'll remember Aunt Clarabelle. That's fine, son. That's fine. Now I want to thank the... Say now, where'd they go? Oh, Aunt Clarabelle. The Lone Ranger and Tonto, that's who. I wanted to thank them for what they did. The Lone Ranger? Is that who he was? That's who it was, all right, Johnny. You know, I got a lot of stories to tell you about him. Like that time when I drove camels across the desert. Now, see here, Thunder. Don't go filling the young'un's head with a lot of your tall stories. He's what I want to hear, Aunt Clarabelle. And honest, if they're about the Lone Ranger, I'll believe every one of them. Oh, now, Clarabelle, isn't that cute? Ah. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger, Incorporated.
