A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a 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 hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Hank Keeler was a wealthy, hard-working rancher. By sheer determination and force of will, he had made his way where others had failed. Hank had realized in the beginning the necessity and the satisfaction of having a close relationship with his neighbors. But time had changed him. Now that he no longer needed his neighbors, he disregarded them completely. He ran his ranch with an iron fist. And the only one who could soften his heart and bring a smile to his lips was his small son, Jerry. One day, Hank was having his noonday dinner with his wife, Emma, when he glanced out the window and saw ten-year-old Jerry riding in on his pony. There comes Jerry on his pony. He's late for dinner. Small boys can't keep track of time, Hank. And when they're having a good time, they just don't think of eating unless they're really hungry. Tommy Rot. I want Jerry to be on time for his meal, Sammy. Jerry, the trouble with you, Emma, is that you're not firm enough with him. You've got to stop Molly coddling that boy. I reckon if you call letting the boy have a little pleasure once in a while, you can call it my to-contin. But Jerry gets little enough boy's pleasure with all the rules and order he gets all the time. Oh, so you think I'm too hard on the boy, huh? Well, let me tell you, Emma, that boy of mine's going to grow up into a two-fisted hard ride now, if I've got anything to do with it. Remember, he's my son, too, Hank. And I want him to be strong and fearless. But I also want him to be kind to others and respectful of his neighbors. Oh, so I'm not respectful of my neighbors. No. Well, none of them can say I ever cheated anyone out of what's rightfully his, ever. But I don't believe in Molly coddling neighbors any more than I do my son. What I call being kind and considerate, you call Molly coddling, Hank. Someday you'll realize how much you've changed. Now, see here, I won't have you telling... Hi, Dad. Yes, I'm a little late. I already got washed out at the pump. Hello, Mom. Hello, dear. Sit down and eat your dinner. Gosh, I'm sure hungry. Next time you come late like this, son, you'll have to go without till supper. Understand? Yes, Dad. Only I couldn't help it. I don't want any excuses. Either you be here or you don't eat. That's final. Yes, sir. Gee, that stew looks good. Pay attention to what I tell you, Jerry. Yes, Dad. Where were you till now, anyway? Here's your stew, Jerry. Jerry, I asked a question. Answer me. Well... Jerry went over to the Jason's ranch. What? I told him he could go and play with the Jason's boy, Tom. You told him he could go, huh? Haven't I said time and time again I don't want Jerry associating with the neighbors? He's got to have someone his own age to play with, Hank. It's unreasonable to expect the boy to... Oh, so now I'm unreasonable. Well, I don't care what you think or anybody else. What I say goes around here, understand? And from now on, Jerry, you keep away from the neighbors. Yes, Dad. See that you do. And it's up to you, Evan, to make sure Jerry does what I want him to. Golly, Mom. Why is Dad mad at the Jason's? It's not that he's mad at the Jason's, son. It's just that he don't want to have anything to do with any of the nearby ranchers or farmers. Now eat your vittles like a good boy. I have housework to do. That afternoon, Jerry felt lonely and disconsolate. He liked the Jason's, and especially young Tom, their nine-year-old boy. And they had had lots of fun together. Since he had to obey his father, he knew he wouldn't see Tom again. Jerry mounted his pony and rode slowly along the road from the house that led to the main trail beyond. He reined to a halt at the gate just as a lone ranger and Tonto came along the main trail. Whoa, boy. Whoa, sir. Howdy, mister. Hello, son. How? What's your name? Jerry Keeler. Why do you wear that mask? Are you an outlaw, and is he a real Indian? Does he go on the warpath and scout people and steal their cattle? Now, now, now. Wait. Jerry. Not so fast. Me not hurt anyone. Me not steal. I'm not an outlaw, Jerry. I have my reason for wearing the mask. You see, I'll have to trust you and share my secret with you. Oh, golly. I'm hunting someone. Now, remember, I trust you, so you'll have to trust me. I'm counting on you not to tell your father. I won't. Honest. I've heard of Hank Keeler. Not your father's name, isn't it? Yes, sir. My father's name is Hank Keeler. But I never heard him say anything about you. He doesn't know me, Jerry. Say, don't you get lonesome without someone to play with? Yeah, I sure do. I used to play with Tom Jason over at the next ranch. But when Dad found out today, he was awful mad. And said I can't play with Tom anymore. Why not? What's wrong with the Jason boy? Oh, Tom's nice. But Dad doesn't want Mom or me to have anything to do with the other ranchers. That's not good. Did he tell you why, Jerry? Dad says if you mollycoddle the neighbors, they expect too much and take advantage. Whatever that means. Yes, I think I understand. I bet you when I grow up, I'll have lots of neighbors. And I'll go see them and be nice to them like Mom says we should. I hope you remember that when you do grow up, Jerry. Jerry, good neighbors are worth having. I guess I better go back now. Goodbye, mister. Goodbye, Jerry. Goodbye, Indian. Adios. Get up there. Him nice little fella. Him needs someone to play with. Yes, Tonto. I've heard Hank Keeler was like that. Too bad he's trying to bring his boy up with the same ideas he has. Ah, but maybe boy not grow up to be like father. I hope he doesn't. Come on, Sylvie. Get him up, scouts. Two days went by. Once again, Jerry rode his pony out to the main trail and sat staring in the direction of the Jason Ranch. Then he saw a small cloud of dust that gradually grew in size until he was able to discern the figure that caused it. Another boy riding a pony, Tom Jason. Hi, Jerry. Tom, hi. I'm glad to see you. Oh, Bill, why haven't you been over to play with me, Jerry? Well, my dad said I couldn't go to play with you anymore. That's why. Why? What did I do? Why won't he let you come play at my house? Dad doesn't like neighbors, Mom says. Anyway, Tommy, I can't go to any of the neighbors anymore. I sure miss playing with you, Tommy. I miss playing with you, too. But now we can play together. My dad said I could come over. I'll get a licking maybe if Dad knows I played with you. Why? He told you not to come to play with me, didn't he? Yep. Well, you didn't come over to my house. I came over to yours, see? And my dad said it was all right, so I guess it is. Well, Dad won't like it if he sees us together. He'll tell you to go home. But we won't let him see us. But I can't go to your place. He told me not to, you know. I know. Well, we won't stay here, and we won't go to my place. But we'll play together anyway, and you'll still be minding your father. Well, I don't know. Let's ride up there into the hills. We can play like we're hunting wolves and wildcats. Say, that'd be fun. Let's go, then. All right. Long as I'm minding Dad by not going to your ranch. Come on. Let's get started. Get up there. Yeah, Billy. It was after sundown when Hank Keeler entered his ranch house. Hank, where's Jerry? Why, what do you mean, where's Jerry? Isn't he here? Oh, I know. I thought he was with you out on the range. I haven't seen him since noontime when he rode away on his pony. The boys never stayed out after dark before. I'll go to the bunkhouse and ask the hands. Hank, I'm getting worried. Stop worrying. Get supper on the table. All right. Jerry's probably been riding with one of the hands. I'll give him a talking to about getting to the house early after this. I'll find out about him right now. Hank went to the bunkhouse only to learn that no one knew anything about his young son. His anxiety gave way to anger as the sudden thought came to him that Jerry had gone to see Tommy Jason in spite of his orders. Hank mounted his horse and rode to the Jason ranch. By the time he reined to a halt in front of the Jason ranch house, his anger had mounted to the boiling point. Oh, steady. I'll teach that young whippersnapper to obey me. Well, Mr. Keeler. How are you, Hank? Where's my boy? Where's Jerry? Jerry? He hasn't been here for a couple of days. You mean he hasn't been here today? That's right. But Tom went over to your place to see why he wasn't coming around. I guess you'll find a tube at your ranch house. No, Tom ought to be home by this time. I just came from my place and neither one of them is there. Tom hasn't been at the Circle Dot. He started for there at noon. By thunder, then he got Jerry to ride off someplace with him. Now, look here, Hank. My Tom's a good boy. He wouldn't knowingly lead your Jerry into wrongdoing. But Jerry's missing, I tell you. He's got to be found. Something might have happened to him. I'm sorry you're worried about your boy, Hank. But remember, my Tom is missing, too. Well, yeah, yeah, that's right. I'll get my cowpokes together. Then we'll join up with you and your hands and start a search. They must have gone into the hills. There's Indians to worry about and mountain cats, isn't it? I know, I know. We'll need plenty of searching parties, I reckon. You go get your men together. I told my boy to keep away from here. When I do find him, I'll lambaste his hide and he can't sit down. Well, so you told him to stay away, huh? Maybe then you're to blame for the boy's being missing. What? As for talking about lambasting the boy, you better think about changing your ways if you do get him back. Jason, you... I'm beginning to wonder, Hank Keeler, if you was ever a boy yourself or if you was just born an ornery-tempered hombre like you are now. Now, listen here, Jason. No time to argue now. Worried about my boy, too. Get your men together, like I said. I'll get mine started, and then I'll get some help from the other rangers. Like you said, anything can happen if those boys are in the hills all night. See you later. After starting his men out to join the Keeler ranch hands, Jason went to get more help from his neighbors. Who? Hello, Jason. What brings you here? Hank Keeler's boy is lost in the hills. We need help to form searching parties and go... Why should we help Keeler? He wouldn't do anything for us. Well, let me finish. My boy, Tom, is with Jerry Keeler. They're both lost. Oh, your boy, huh? That's different. I'll get my men and start searching right away, Jason. Hank Keeler came to my place to tell me his boy is missing. And what's more... Why should we bother about Keeler? Let him find his own boy. We don't owe him anything. You haven't heard all of it. My boy's missing, too. Both the kids are together somewhere. Well, we'll help you find him, Jason. Sure, you can count on us. Let's get our horses, boys. Come on. 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. In their camp, the Lone Ranger and Tonto found their rations running low. Tonto went to town to replenish the supply. But he hadn't been gone very long when he returned and reigned up hurriedly. Oh, Scott. Oh, my God. You seem to be in a hurry, Tonto. Something wrong. Ah. Me here in town, Keeler boy lost. Another boy gone. Son of Mr. Jason. Jerry Keeler and his friend Tom Jason, huh? That right. Men from other ranches form in searching parties. But I'm not willing to help till I'm here about Jason, boy. I guess they're all bitter against Hank Keeler. Not right. Me think that... Kimisabe, look. The red glow in the sky toward the hills. Tonto, that means fire. A forest fire. Ah. Them say boys right into hills. They've got to help find them. Here, Silver. The boys won't have a chance if they get caught in that fire. Easy, big fella. Easy, Scott. Easy, Scott. Come on, Silver. Get them out, Scout. Lone Ranger and Tonto left camp hurriedly and rode to help find the lost boys. Meantime, others had seen the terrifying glow in the sky. We know they come this way into the hills because of the pony tracks. Now we've lost the trail. The boys must have stopped at the creek to wait a bit. Couldn't have covered their tracks better if they'd been trying to outwhip the law. We've got to try to find where they left the creek. Leaving their ponies or riding them, whichever. But the moon isn't any too bright to see by. The moon was bright when we started. Seems to be a haze drifting over. Wait a minute, everybody. Hank, that haze the men were talking about is smoke. I can smell it. Smoke. It sure is. Look. Look over to the right. That red glow over the next hill. It's fire. A big one. Yeah, a forest fire. Great day. That's bad for the kids. Fire. Come on. We've got to find them before it's too late. If they get caught off by that fire... Don't think about that now. Let's get going. Get them off. Get them off. Meantime, Jerry and Tom had ridden toward the hills. They had dismounted and waded in a creek. Then mounting, they rode their ponies in the water for some distance. Finally, tiring of that, they left the creek and started up a stony trail. Darkness fell before they realized it and found them surrounded by forest and cliffs. Hey, Jerry. It's dark and I'm scared. We can't find the way back. We're lost. I thought this was the way we came up here. But I guess it isn't. What are we going to do? Look, over there just off the trail, it's a cave. A cave? But I don't want to play anymore. I want to go home. So do I. But maybe we better stop a while and sleep in that cave there. I'm awful tired. Oh, my. Let's go to the cave then. Get up. Get up. Over there. We'll take the ponies inside with us. It's dark in there. Not too dark. I'll go first. Come on. Come on. This is a good place. I'm going to lie down. I sure wish Dad was here. I'm not really scared. Well, I am a little bit. Me too. We'll sleep a while and then we'll try to find the way home. The Lone Ranger and Toto followed the trail left by Keeler, Jason and their men. The men from the ranches must have been following the boys' trail, Toto. Ah. Their creek just ahead. Oh, Silver. Oh, he's got a hope, Hunter. Oh, Hunter. The men stop here and then separate. Looked like them loose trail, maybe. The boys must have followed the creek. They'll try to pick up their trail somewhere along the bank. That fire is moving along the ridge up there. We've got to hurry. Come on, Silver. Come up, Scout. The group of ranch hands had spread out and scoured the foothills for some sign of the missing boys. Meantime, the Lone Ranger and Toto had followed the bank of the creek. Dawn was breaking when finally Toto's sharp eyes caught signs that the ranch hands had missed. Oh, Scout. Oh, Feller. Oh, Feller. Look there, Kimo Sabe. Marks on Rocky Ledge near Creek Bank where hoofs scrape. This must be where they left the creek. They must have followed that rocky trail up farther into the hills. Let's go, Toto. Come on, Silver. Let's go, Scout. Later, in the cave, Jerry awoke, coughing. Hey, Tommy, wake up. What? What's the matter? You're making me cough. I smell smoke. I smell it, too. Hey, look outside. It's getting bright. Let's go look. All right. Tom, it's a big fire. A forest fire down there, see? And it's creeping up toward us. I want to go home. I'm scared. We'll be burning. What was that? Jerry, look over there. Coming toward the cave. A mountain lion. This must be his cave. The fire scared him, and he's coming here. He hears the ponies. Tom, run back into the cave quick. No, no. He'll come in after me. Here he comes, help. Here comes an outlaw now. No. No, it isn't an outlaw. It's the masked man I met the other day. Oh, you're welcome. Mountain lion dead, Kimisabi. Good. Jerry, are you all right? Yes. Yes. We want to go. We're scared. Get us away from here. Where are your ponies? In the cave. Get them, Tonto. Me get them. The fire's moving this way fast. We'll have to hurry. Jerry, you can ride with me. Tom can ride with Tonto. We'll lead the ponies. Kimisabi. Good enough. You put Tom on scout, Tonto. Then lead his pony. I'll take Jerry. All right, let's hurry. The fire's pretty. The ponies have slowed us down a bit, Tonto. Ah. The fire seems all around now. It's not good. Will we be burned? Not if we can help it, Jerry. Just sit tight. Tonto, our only hope is a creek. We'll head for it and find a deep spot where we can wait out the fire. Pull, too. Come on, stop. Driven back by the fierce forest fire, Hank Keeler and Jason with the other men had ridden from the hills to safe ground, from which they watched the progress of the flames. It's moved on down the mountain. Yeah, the boys couldn't get out of that alive, Jerry. My son, he's gone. Gone. Hank. Hank, I don't know what to say. We all did our best. I'm sorry about little Jerry. You? You're sorry about Jerry? But what about your boy? He was all ahead, Hank. He was sort of living just for that boy of mine. But I know how strong your feeling was for your Jerry. I know Tommy was a happy boy while he was with me, anyhow. I guess he was much happier than my boy, Jason. That was my fault. My fault. Jerry liked to visit the neighbors and play with Tom. Well, I... Forget it, Hank. Small boys have a way of being happy in spite of what we grown-ups do to them. Let's look at them charred hills. I guess the... Wait. Great day. Look, come in. Look. Mask, Tom, ran an engine. They're leading a couple of animals, looks like. Look. Those animals are the boys' ponies. They must have been responsible for the boys not coming home. They stole the ponies. Now they have the nerve to ride right toward us. I'm going to plug that mask on me right under the saddle right now. Hank, wait. Let go of me. They killed my boy. I'm going to fill him with lead. Let go. That's right. Turn them down. No, let's hang them both. Keep them covered. Let me get out those ordinary yellow streak coyotes. Hold on. Hold on. Dad. Dad. Look. Riding behind the mask, man. It's Jerry. Yeah. And Tom's behind the Indians. It is. It is. On you go, son. Oh, Dad. Son. Oh, Jerry. Jerry, you're alive after all. You get down now, Tom. Daddy. We were almost killed. I know, son. I know. But the good Lord sent you back safe to us. I was praying awful hard, son. Awful hard. Jerry. I guess it's because of your praying that the masked man and Indian saved us from the mountain line and from the fire. Mountain line. Don't see how they got out of the fire. We heard the boys were lost. I don't know. Because I knew Jerry and knew about Tom. Tonto and I just couldn't think of not helping our friends, could we, Jerry? Golly, no. Dad, a mountain lion was going to jump at us when the masked men came and shot it. But then he and Tonto took us to the creek and made us lie down in the water until the fire was passed. And they saved our ponies, too. Mister, I don't know what to say. I was sort of crazy enough to want to gun you down just now. But Jason kept me from it. I don't know why you did what you did, but if there's anything I can give you to make up for it. Mister Keeler, the only way all of us in the far west survive is by helping one another. You should have learned that lesson long ago. Without kind and helpful neighbors, man is lost in the long run. Goodbye, Jerry. Adios, Tom. Bye, mister. We'll drop by to see you both sometime. Let's go, Tonto. One, two, three. Let's go. Jason, what that masked man just said hit me right between the eyes, you might say. Friendly and helpful neighbors did make my ranch what it is today. Guess I sort of forgot. But now, well, if we can just start over. Sure, Hank. Glad to. I guess the boys will be glad, too. Gosh, yes. Now we can play together right on the ranch. Uh, Jerry, I meant to ask, who is that masked friend of yours, anyhow? I know. The Indian told me. The masked man is 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 Fram Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer.
