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 fellow. Are you still there? Hooray! The Circle K was an old ranch, a prosperous ranch, and Baldy Bishop, its foreman, was a fixture on it. Baldy had joined the Circle K long before the war between the states, when, as a lad of 16, he'd hired out to hawk face Sam Kittredge, the Circle K's founder. When Sam had died, he had continued with Larry Kittredge, Sam's eldest son. And now, as our story opens, with Larry dead and his son, young Bob, taking over, Baldy had remained to serve three generations. Bob had been living in the east, but was returning to the family property. And it was a proud moment in Baldy's life when the cars discharged their passengers and he greeted his new boss. Yes, Bob! Mr. Bob! Well, don't, don't, it's good to see you. It's been a long time. It has been, hasn't it, Baldy? Yep. Don't think I've been west for at least ten years. Must be. Well, it's good to see you too, Baldy. I've been with... Oh, yes. Here's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Red Devers, Baldy. Red, you ought to know Baldy pretty well by this time. I've talked about him so much. Reckon I do. I do, Baldy. Howdy, howdy. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Same here, Red, same here. Ah, well, no, you stand in here gawking, I guess. I brought the buckboard, Mr. Bob, if you'll just show me where your bag is. Oh, no, uh, Red can take care of that, Baldy. Go get them, will you, Red? Well, sure thing, boss. Glad to. Now then, Baldy... Wait a minute. Didn't I hear him call you boss, Mr. Bob? He ain't just a friend? He works for you? I met him in Denver. So another cattleman and hired him. Oh. Well, Baldy, that's something I wanted to speak to you about. I appreciate all that you've been to my family and to the Circle K. Without you, I guess the outfit wouldn't be anything like it is today. But, well, you know, I guess you must have known, Baldy, that there comes a time... There's bound to come a time when... You ain't trying to tell me I'm done on the Circle K, are you, Mr. Bob? I wouldn't hardly want to hear you say that. I've been on the ranch so long, it's become a part of me. The best part. Don't misunderstand, Baldy. You can stay on the place as long as you want to. It's just that I feel that the actual work has to be done. You've hired that fellow Red Beaver to take my place. I'll let him finish, Baldy. I've got a lot to... Have you, Mr. Bob? Well, yes, I am. I understand he's a very good man. You'll like him, I'm sure. Oh, yes. And here's something I was almost forgetting, Baldy. A little something I wanted you to have so you'll know I appreciate what you've done. What is that? A check. My personal check for $5,000. I know it doesn't begin to repay you for what you've done. Keep it, Mr. Bob. Oh, any time I have to be bribed to quit, I want to know it. I'll quit without your check, Mr. Bob. And... Well, over there's the buckboard. I reckon you can find your way out to the place, all right? Baldy, come back here. Wait, Baldy. Did you tell him, boss? Yes, I did. And there he goes. Red, I don't know whether I... Never mind. You did your best, boss. What I hear, that place of yours is just about run by a bunch of crippled up old-timers. You got rid of Baldy the best way you could. Now just leave it to me and I'll get rid of the others. Red Deavers was as good as his word. And before three months had gone, he'd discharged the last of the loyal old-timers who had given the best years of their lives to make the Circle K the finest ranch in the territory. In the meantime, Baldy Bishop had left the neighborhood and had wandered alone and far. Lost, confused, embittered, he felt that he had nothing to tie to. And having nothing to tie to went slowly from bad to worse. Look here, old-timer, I'm giving you one more chance. You've been hanging around here all morning. Now pay up what you owe or take what's going to happen. Oh, gosh, I'm sorry about you. I thought I still had some cash on me. Don't seem like I have, though. Could have sworn I had some. All right, that's all I wanted to know. Boy, want to see an old coot do a dance? One-timer, you'll dance for what you owe me. Stand right where you are, Baldy. What? How much does this man owe you, barkeep? Who are you? What's the master? That's my business. I'll ask you what he owes you. Five dollars. There it is. Here's another. What's that, Ray? I don't like the way you collect your bills, barkeep. That second five is to pay you to dance. Huh? You heard me. Get going. Hey, listen, you, you can't... Can't I? Sure. Yeah, maybe you can. Well, you can have what you're willing to pay for, I reckon. I don't mind dancing. Forget it. Huh? That was just to give you an idea of how it feels. All right, come on, Baldy. Let's get out of here. We're riding. Baldy was too astonished by his sudden deliverance to ask questions. He was silent during the ride to the masked man's camp. In camp, he was introduced to an Indian. This is Tonto, Baldy. Hi. How? Hey. Listen, mister, you said you'd been hunting me. Yes, Baldy, for over a month. But why? Because of the Circle K. Strange things have been going on there since you left. I thought if there was anything wrong, you might be able to help us. Strange things been going on, you say? Yes. All your old crew's been fired. They've been replaced by as tough a looking outfit of men as I've ever seen. And in addition, well, Tonto and I rode across Circle K Range not long ago. And I doubt that there's much more than half as many cows on it as there should be. They're disappearing. Rustlers? Perhaps. Or perhaps they're being stolen by the men paid to guard them. Well, big dog gone. How did I mean to investigate? You want to help us? Why should I? That's your old outfit, you know. Sure, it used to be. And look what happened to me. Bob Kittredge made a mistake. Maybe by now he realizes he did. No, that's nothing to me. Oh. Not indulging in self-pity, are you, Baldy? Huh? If you're feeling sorry for yourself because of what happened, Tonto and I won't trouble you. But if you still feel some loyalty to the Circle K, then that's a different matter. Well, you know your feelings better than we do, Baldy. Which is it? Ranger, I... Yes? I didn't hardly know what I was doing, but I was feeling sorry for myself. Yes? But even with what happened to me, I'll be doggone if I want to see the old Circle K ruined by a bunch of crooks. And you're with us, Baldy? I'm with you, friend. And all the way. Bob Kittredge had made a mistake. And as time went by, he had begun to realize it. Finally, his suspicions crystallized into certainty. And one day near the home corrals, when his Circle K hands had returned from their day's riding... Red! Oh, Red! Come here a minute. Yeah? What do you want? Come into the house. I've got your time made out for you. Then you can saddle up and travel. Hey, hold on a second. What's this all about? You've been lying to me, Red. Circle K cows have been disappearing. I took a ride beyond South Pass today and had a look for myself. Hold on, listen to me. That'll be all, Red. I've had enough of your excuses. Come on inside. Not so fast. What? What if I tell you I don't intend to be fired? Oh, that's it, is it? Well, that's soon mended. Jake! Sandy! Yeah? Come over here. What's up? This will make you laugh, Sandy. You think he's firing me? I am firing you. Tex, you get his war bag. Sandy, saddle his horse and get him. I don't reckon I will, mister. Any orders I take come from Red. Then you'll fire, too. Heavens, I'll fire the whole lot of you. You will what? I'll fire the whole bunch of you. You're none of you any good. I'll show you to... You'll take what's coming to you. There. Hit me. Uh-huh. And I'm not finished. Try this one out. You knocked him out, Red. Sure, I meant to. It's time we quit taking orders around here. Jake, you helped Sandy drag him into the house. Right. When he comes around again, I'll explain things to him. From now on, he's taking the orders, and I'm the boss. A few days later, Baldy rolled into the secret camp the Lone Ranger had established on Rocky Creek, which cut the Circle K range. He called at the top of his voice. Hey, mister! I got news! Ho! Ho! News for us, Baldy? Yes, I've been to Prescott and to the Circle K. Do you know what I've seen at Prescott? I know what. Red Devers and some of his sidekicks were driving the Circle K purebreds into town. They had a buyer for them. When they left town, they had pockets full of cash. Well, maybe Bob told them to sell the herd. Oh, no, not by a darn sight. That's a special breed that's never been sold and never intended to be sold. But Baldy, what were you doing at the Circle K? Trying to find Bob and tell him what I've seen. But I couldn't get near him. As soon as his tough hombres seen me, they hazed me away. They did, huh? Here, Silver. Hey, what are you going to do? See if they'll try chasing me away. Easy, steady, big fella. You ride too, Kemosabe? No, you stay here, Tonto. This is a little chore I'll handle alone. Come on, Silver. Come on, Silver. Easy, steady, big fella. Hey, you. Oh, hold on. You can't go in there. I can't, huh? Maybe this will be a ticket. That should do it. All right, stay there, boy. All right, you two. Stand right where you are and keep your hands from your guns. I'm here to see Bob Kittredge. Bring him out. Now, listen, Mr. You're Red Devers. Not going to waste time on you, Red. Find Kittredge. All right. You've got the whip hand. Dan, do you... You want me? You're Bob Kittredge? Yes. Who are you? Why the mask? I have news for you, Bob. I don't think these men want you to hear it. They were seen in Prescott today. They were... They were selling my purebreds. Oh, you knew about it. Certainly I knew about it. How do you think they could have been sold if I hadn't? I'm beginning to wonder... Then do it someplace else. Oh? When I want interference, I'll ask for it. Now get off my place and stay off. All right, Bob. Now get off. Good. But staying off is another matter. I'll be back. 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. Believing that young Bob Kittredge didn't know of the activities of Red Thievers, his foreman, the Lone Ranger fought his way into the Circle K Ranch house, only to discover that the news he brought was already known. But immediately after the masked man left the house, Red turned to Sandy, who had come from a back room. Hey, Sandy. You hear what that masked fella called his horse? I heard. He called it silver. Uh-huh. That's what I thought. That hombre's a Lone Ranger. Yeah? Could be, anyhow. So the sooner we finish up this deal, the better. We got one more play to make. A big one. And we're on our way. Sorry to see us go, Kittredge? You know I'll not be sorry. Talks kind of soft now, don't he, Sandy? Remember how real Purdy was at first? Sure has changed, ain't he? I reckon some of them beatings you've been giving him are beginning to take effect. Yeah. Yeah, they're good medicine for what ails him. Don't you worry, non-Kittredge. We ain't run out of that medicine. Plenty left yet. I don't doubt but what there is. And that you're only waiting for an excuse to use it. That's right. I like beating you up, fella. See that you don't forget it. All right, get back to your room. Very well. You got him trained, haven't I, Sandy? You give me as many beatings as you give him, and you'd even have me trained. Yeah, but look, Red. You said something about one more play to make. A big one. What do you mean? We sell the ranch. The whole works and pocket the cash. Oh. The whole ranch, huh? Sure. But you really think Kittredge will go for that? You'll go for it. It's better than dying, ain't it? Yeah. Yeah. I reckon it is. It's sad. Only thing is, it's kind of funny. How do you mean? When we found our buyer and Kittredge's put his John Henry on the bill of sale. Yeah? He's gonna die anyhow. That's what Mr. Bob really said, huh? That he knew about them purebreds? Said he was to get off the ranch and stay off? Yes, Mollie. I don't get it. Of course, Bob's been east for quite a spell, but I wouldn't have hardly thought he'd lost all his savvies. He hasn't? No. I know why he talked the way he did. All the time I spoke to him, he was covered by a gun held by someone behind the door to his room. What? He had no choice. We hadn't thought of it before, Baldi. But Kittredge is a prisoner on his own ranch. Well, I'll be switched. A bold play by Devers and his men, Baldi, but perfectly possible. They must already have made thousands out of it. Why you not bring him back? Bring Kittredge back with me? That's right. I thought of that, Tonto, and I might have been able to do it, but there was one thing wrong with it. What was that? Kittredge is their prisoner. He may even be made to suffer a bit, but there's one thing sure. As long as he's useful to them, they'll keep him alive. That's right. I still don't see why... One moment, Baldi, please. If I'd rescued young Kittredge, what would have happened? He'd have been safe, but he'd be that for a time anyhow. On the other hand, Devers and his men would have known the game was up. There's no law in this county. By the time we could have brought in law from outside, he and his men would have gone. It would have taken a lot of stolen money with him. Yeah, yeah, that's so. I think I have a better plan. Hmm, what's that? Tonto, I want you to watch the Circle K headquarters and keep me informed of everything that goes on. Ah. And you, Baldi. Yeah? Do you think you could find any of your old crew from the Circle K? Why, sure I could. Almost all of them. I saw old Stumpy and Curly and Prescott just the other day. The left is at the bar CW. Then you could find them. You bet I could. How long would it take you to round them up? Why, a week or ten days? That'd be too long? We'll hope it won't. All right, settle your horse, Baldi. You're going to do some riding. Never in old Baldi Bishop 60-odd years in the saddle did he do such riding as during the next ten days. From the camp on Rocky Creek, he sped directly to Prescott. Stumpy! Hey, Stumpy! Ho, boy, ho! Hi there, boys! Watch out! Get your horse, get your saddle, and come a-flying! Stumpy, we need you! Be right with you! Out of Prescott, Baldi raced with Stumpy beside him. The two went straight to the bar CW. Then from the bar CW to the Flying A. From the Flying A to Sadler's Gulch. And from Sadler's Gulch to a dozen other towns and ranches. Where after each brief pause, at least one horseman, sometimes two, sometimes three, joined the growing band. When Baldi turned again towards Rocky Creek, he was leading a veritable legion. All the men he'd ever known who had worked for the Circle K, a legion of old-timers. Come on, boys! Ain't far now! Use them quirts! Feed them horses steel! Come on! Let's go! Come on, let's go! And a little later at the Lone Ranger's camp, he must have it. Look there! Who's that in the lead? Oh, it's Baldi! Ah! Him get plenty, fella, all right. And with no time to spare. Oh, and plenty old fellas. Deaver's men are young and tough. I think that we can see to it the odds are more even than they look, Tonto. Those old fellows have something coming to them. Baldi! Hello there! Don't dismount, Baldi. We haven't time. Silver here, boy. Baldi's followers looked at the Masked Man in surprise and voiced countless questions. Just listen, boys. I told you the Circle K is in trouble. Mr. Bob needs us. Needs us bad. This Masked Man is going to lead us. Now hold on, Baldi. That there Masked Man... If I can follow his lead, I reckon you galoots can do likewise. He's the Lone Ranger. The showdown's close at hand, men. We've got to move fast. Well, you mean there's real trouble already? Yes. Let's hope we can get there in time to stop it. Easy, steady, Silver. All right, everybody. Follow me. Right here with you. Come on, Silver. It was only a short time later that Red Deavers and young Bob Kittredge faced each other at the Circle K. Bob looked worn and broken. Red was tense, his face grim. Kittredge, Sandy's outside with Simmons right now. As soon as I say the word, he's bringing them in. I just want to make sure you know how to act. Go ahead, Red. I only want to get this over with. Then act like you want to sell a ranch. Wipe that look off your face. Smile a little. I'll manage this, all right. You needn't worry. I don't see the need for all this anyhow. I gave you my power of attorney. Why couldn't you finish all this in town? There's been too much talk there. Baldy started, most likely. Anyway, Simmons said he'd have to do business direct with you. All right, all right. I've told you. Bring him in. I am. One wrong move from you is going to be your last. All right, Sandy. All right, Mr. Simmons. The boss can see you now. You first, Mr. Simmons. Thank you. I'm sorry to bother you like this, Mr. Giffage, but on a deal as big as this one, I thought we should attend to it personally. You don't mind? Not at all, sir. I'm happy to have the chance to meet you. Glad to meet you. I excuse it, but here's the papers all filled out. You've seen them, Mr. Simmons. Yes, of course. Here's a pen, boss. You said you wanted to clear this up as fast as you could. Yes, yes, of course. You brought the money with you, Mr. Simmons? Right in this bag. I'll hand it over as soon as you sign the paper. Right. I sign right here. None there or anywhere else. Who's this? Who's that mask man? Is this a stick-up? Simmons, to no fault of your own, you're being taken in on a crooked deal. What? Kittredge is being forced to sell his ranch against his will. You and he get over against that wall and try to stay out of this. Yes. Hello. Devers and Sandy are your men. Take their guns. Me got them. Now look here, Redskin. Easy, Red. This time you're on the receiving end. Me got guns. Say, how'd you fellas get in here? Through the window. But the fellas, you mean there wasn't anybody out there? Most of your men were in the mess hall eating. We paid them a call before we came here. We collected their guns also. You mean you've tied them up? Oh, not at all, Red. That would be too easy for them. You hear that? Yeah, what is it? Red, it's horsemen. He's brought the law. No, not the law, Sandy, but something just as good. The old Circle K riders. They've got a score to weave in. Them? Them old has-beens? You'll soon have a chance to see whether they're has-beens or not. There they are now. Your men have seen them. Such a crazy fellow's outside. They knocked out Texan, Billy. They're driving the boys inside. Yippee! There's my meat. Hold it. We couldn't get here as fast as you did, Masked Man, but we got here. Now watch the fur fly. All right, fellas, get it. The Circle K old-timers jumped from their saddles as fraily as youngsters of 20 and swarmed into the Circle K headquarters, driving Red Deaver's panicked men before them. Deprived of their guns by the Masked Man, Red's men fought back with their fists. Young, tough, muscular, they should have been more than a match for their attackers. Come back here, you young randy-hands! But the old-timers charged them with all the energy of pent-up fury, finding sudden release. Moreover, the Masked Man and Tonto were on their side. Now here's a walloper for you, Mr. Red Stevers! One down and only a dozen to go! And though the outlaws fought back with all the cruelty born of desperation, the issue was never in doubt. They were beaten before they started. It was only the pleasure the old-timers were getting out of the affair that allowed it to last as long as it did. And exactly 20 minutes after it had started, the fight was over. 20 minutes more and Red and his men, prisoners, were headed for town. The next morning... Marley! Huh? Oh, morning, Mr. Bob. How be here? I was just going to rouse out the boys and give them their orders for the day. You got something special you want them to do? Marley, for all of me, they can stay in their bunks till sundown. And draw full pay for doing it. I reckon you mean that too, Mr. Bob. But I guess you ain't learned about them fellas yet. It ain't pensions they want. It's a chance at honest work. I know that now, Baldy. I was only trying to express my gratitude. Well, then you're telling it to the wrong fella. You ought to be telling it to that mask man who was here, Mr. Bob. I wish I could. Who is he? You mean to say you ain't heard of the Lone Ranger? This is a feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. Created and produced by George W. Trendle. Directed by Charles D. Livingston. And edited by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. Thank you, sir. This one, let's play it. Beamer. Newk. Newk physicals. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk physical. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk. Newk.
