Fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-o 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. The Lone Ranger and his Indian companion, Tonto, rode the trail toward Eagle Pass in the southwest territory, not far from the border. You not say why we come to Eagle Pass, Kimasabi? You remember the letter I picked up at the post office box in Pecos? Huh? You remember? From a friend of ours, Lolita Juarez. She asked for help. Oh. Why does she need help? Well, she didn't say in the letter, Tonto. Just wrote that her brother was in trouble. I haven't any idea what the trouble is. She asked us to meet her near Eagle Pass. We're here to go to the hotel and bring her out to where we'll be camping. Then she'll explain. Ah. Girl help us catch outlaw once. Yeah, she didn't hesitate to risk her life to help us. That's why I decided we'd go to Eagle Pass to help her brother. Ah. Well, we soon come near Eagle Pass. Yes, I know. We'll find the campsite and you can go get Lolita. She wouldn't have sent for us if it wasn't important. Come on, sir. I'm stuck. Later that day, the Lone Ranger and Tonto pitched camp in the hills outside of Eagle Pass. Tonto rode into town to the hotel and a short time later returned with the girl, Lolita. Well, it's good to see you again, Lolita. How are you? Oh, but I am most healthy, senor. It was so good of you and Tonto to come here. You spoke of trouble in your letter. Something about your brother. Si, si, senor. That is right. I shall tell you about it at once. If you feel that you do not care to help, I shall understand. You know we'll help if we can, Lolita. Ah, let's hear about it. Well, this brother of mine is young and most headstrong, senor. But he is not bad. He has not ever armed anyone. I see. Go on. Over a month ago, my brother Juan, he is meet with a bad hombre here in Eagle Pass at the cafe. This hombre, senor Matley, is a tough outlaw. An outlaw? Si, si, senor. And a most smart one. When he came to the cafe, no one knew who he was. Not even Juan. He's get my brother into a card game. And Juan loses heavily. This Matley threatens to kill him unless he pays the debt. What happened? Juan, he does not have the money. He is much upset. Then Matley tell him, so, he say. Instead of killing you, I will have you join my gang. So it is that Juan has gone off with this outlaw and his gang. How do you know all this, Lolita? Juan, he is given note to pay on a cross river to Eagle Pass. The note, it was brought to me. In it, Juan wrote what happened. And the outlaws need someone who speaks Spanish. They steal many cattle here, which they take a cross into Mexico. It is for Juan to make the deals when they are sold. I see. Now, the law is after the gang. And my brother is one of them. I must help my brother get away from that outlaw gang, senor. That is why I have sinned for you. Since you helped us in the past to capture an outlaw gang, you can count on Taro and me to do all we can to help you. That's right. Gracias, senors. Muchas gracias. I am most grateful for your help. But this outlaw, this Matley, he is most clever, senor. I do not know where to start. There may be a way, but we may have to call on you to help. So it may be risky. Risk, I do not mind, senor. It is only that we must get Juan away from that gang before he is in too deep. That is all that matters. You go back to the hotel and wait, Lolita. When we've made plans, Taro will get in touch with you. Whatever you say, senor. Now that you have come here, Lolita is feeling much better already. Be right back to town with the girl. You are both such good friends. Steady. Adios, senor. Adios. Angle. Get him up to town. After taking Lolita back to the hotel and town, Taro returned to camp. Just before they rolled into their blankets for the night, the Lone Ranger spoke to his companion. Taro, I think I've hit upon a plan to bring that outlaw, Matley, into the open. Oh, what plan, Kimisabi? One that will involve Lolita. I'll tell you about it in the morning. Then I want you to go to her with certain instructions. She'll have to be careful, but we'll do everything we can to protect her. Well, we'd better get some sleep. The following morning, after receiving certain instructions from the Lone Ranger through Taro, Lolita went to the general store, where many of the townsmen whiled away their time. After making a few purchases, she spoke lightly to the storekeeper. Tell me, senor, this outlaw, this Matley, is a most strong and clever hombre, no? From what I've heard, ma'am, I reckon he is. There's a price on the head of that hombre for all the dirty work he's done to that gang of his, I can tell you. So? Such an hombre who is afraid of no one is worth knowing, perhaps. You mean you take up with an outlaw like Matley? Who knows, senor? The heart of a woman is affected much by an hombre of strength and cleverness, no? Great day. What are women coming to these days, I'd like to know? They're like you ought to be ashamed to talk like that about an outlaw. Oh, perhaps I am just talking, no? Then again, perhaps not. Senor Matley, such an hombre. Maybe someday Lolita will meet him. Adios, senor. Did you hear that, man? Sure beats all I ever heard. Yes, sir. Back in the hills near Eagle Pass, Buck Matley and his gang had a hideout in an old prospector's shack. Buck and two of his men were playing cards, while Lolita's brother, Juan, lay on a cot watching. Here's my hand. Let's see if you'll top that. Maybe you think I can't. How's that? Beats me. Yeah, me too. Well, the pot's yours, Lou. Oh, here comes Dave, back from town. Get those supplies? Yeah. I left them in the lead, too. You know, Buck, you're becoming quite popular around town, seems like. What do you mean popular? Every hombre in Eagle Pass has a yen to stretch my neck with a rope. Yeah, maybe so. There's a nice-looking girl in town who thinks you're a real man. He's kidding you, Buck. What's a joke, Dave? It ain't a joke. It's the truth. She was in the store in town talking to the storekeeper about you. Yeah? What'd she say? Well, near as I can remember, she said something about an hombre like you who wasn't afraid of anyone, was worth knowing. And then she said women were affected by an hombre who was strong and clever. Or something like that. Well, what do you know about that? Yeah. You got a female admirer, Buck. Yeah. A girl interests me, Dave. What's she like? Ah, pretty as a picture. Dark hair, black eyes. Speaks with a Spanish accent. She sounds like the type of a girl I'd like to get married to. Did you find out her name? Yeah. She lives at the hotel. Her name's Lolita. I don't know the last name. Lolita, you say, senor? Shut up, Juan. Don't go butting your nose inwards. None of your business. But that girl, he speaks of us, senor. I said shut up. But she is not for you, senor. She is too good for your kind. Don't you just shut your mouth about her. But I'm trying to tell you, senor, he's the cheese. Shut your mouth. Yeah, but that jar is cheese. Yeah. What a sock. Better keep quiet, Juan. Keep quiet now, all right. Dave. Huh? I want you to take a note in the town to the hotel. You mean you're going to write to that girl? Shut up or you'll get what I just gave to Juan. Now get me a pencil and some paper and get ready to go to town like I told you. I think I'm going to like meeting that girl you spoke about. That afternoon, Lolita reigned to a stop at the Lone Ranger's camp. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Eddie. Buenos dias, senorita. How? Buenos dias, senors. I have come to bring a note that I have kept from the outlaw, Matley. Then he fell for a plan. But si, senor. One of his men comes to the hotel with a note for Lolita. Here it is. Let me see. Dear senorita Lolita, I heard you talk nice about me in town this morning, and said you would like to meet me. If you think you still want to meet me, I'll come to the clump of cottonwoods on the south edge of town tonight at 8. I'm sure looking forward to seeing you, Buck Matley. So you see, I have the rendezvous with senor Buck Matley at 8 o'clock tonight. Oh. Somehow this seems to be working out a little too easily. What do you mean, senor? I expected him to try to find out more about you before he agreed to a meeting. But some men are fools, senor, when it comes to dealing with the women, no? Perhaps he is such a one. The risk is great, Lolita. Maybe we'd better leave you out of this from now on. Tonto and I can watch for Matley at the cottonwoods tonight. But no, senor. He will be watching to see if I go there. If I do not, he will become more suspicious. Hmm, maybe her right. Well, all right. You go back to town and wait until the time of your meeting. Then go to the place Matley mentions. I'll be nearby, so don't worry. I shall not worry, senor. I feel most safe when I know you and Tonto are watching. I shall go back now to the hotel and make myself most beautiful for the meeting with senor Buck Matley. Back at their hideout, Buck waited for Dave to return after delivering the note to Lolita. When Buck heard Dave stopping outside, he went out and closed the door. So, Buck, I delivered the note like you told him. Good. The others think I really fell for that girl's chatter, so I'll come out here to talk to you. Stay around and watch like I told you to. Yeah, I did. About five minutes after I gave her the note, the girl left the hotel, got her horse, and rode out the north trail into the hills. Looked like she was in a hurry, too. Huh? I thought so. The way that Juan acted when you told about the girl, I figured it was someone he knew that it might be a trap. Yeah, I guess you figured right, Buck. At first, I thought like the others did that you were going loco over the girl, enough to take chances. Now, I know you're as smart as I always thought you were. Well, I'm smarter than some people give me credit for, I can tell you that. Take time out to unbolt the back door of the hotel? Yeah, I remembered everything you told me. Good. What are you going to do about that meeting you wrote her about? Oh, so you read the note, huh? Well, sure. Why not? I expected you would, so it don't make any difference. Tonight, you and I are going into town. You mean you're really going to meet her? Yeah, I'm going to meet her. Told her I would, didn't I? Well, sure, but what's the... I ain't going to meet her at the Cottonwoods like she thinks. And like maybe some others think. Whoever she went to tell about that, Noda will be waiting there for me to show up. What are you going to do then? You and I will get in town before 8 o'clock. We go in the back way of the hotel and go to Lolita's room. When she answers the door, we make her come out here with us. Then we'll find out just what this is all about. 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. How to continue our story. Unknown to Lolita and the Lone Ranger, but Matt Lee, the outlaw chief, had plans of his own. It was about 7.30 that night when Lolita heard a knock at her hotel room door. What do you want, senors? Yes, you don't recognize me, Lolita. But see, see, you are the man who brought the note, but... Right. And this is the man who wrote it. Meet Buck Matt Lee. Sure is a pleasure to meet you, senorita. You were to meet me at the cottonwoods on the edge of town, senor. Yeah, that's right, but I changed my plans. You know, being an outlaw can't be too careful. But, of course, I understand. You are just as I thought you would be, senor. So big, so strong-looking, no? I'm sure glad you think so, Lolita. Look, there's a friend of mine back at our camp that I want you to meet. He speaks your language. So? Sometime I shall meet him, perhaps. Not sometimes, senorita. You're going to meet him right away, tonight. But that is impossible. I cannot go to your camp with you tonight. Girls in my country, they do not go to a camp where there are only men. I suppose the girls in your country make a habit of making pretty speeches about outlaws, huh, Lolita? It was just talk, senor. Just the chatter of a girl for want of something to say. Please, I must close the door now. That's enough of this make-believe. You're coming along with us to camp to meet that friend that I spoke about. I'm gone. So, you will repay the nice things I say about you by pointing a gun at me, no? I said I wanted you to meet somebody, and that's where you're going. And what's more, we'll be sure that no one else follows along to you, Savvy. Hey, it'll be interesting to see what happens when you two meet. Very interesting. You know, I'm not as stupid as you seem to think, girly. Now, come on. Get going out the back way. Make it quiet and make it fast. Meanwhile, the Lone Ranger and Tonto waited a short distance from the cottonwoods in an arroyo from which, by the light of the bright moon, they could see anyone who might approach the clump of trees. After waiting more than half an hour, the Lone Ranger decided something had gone wrong. He and Tonto went back to the hotel and discovered that Lolita was gone. They saw the partly open back door and the fresh hoof marks just outside. Realizing what must have happened, the Lone Ranger came to a decision. Tonto, I'll follow that trail right now. I want you to go to the sheriff's office. Tell him you think you can lead him and a posse to Matt Lee's hideout. And you follow me with the posse. If I find that place, I'll need help against that gang. Me go for sheriff. Don't waste any time, Tonto. Get them to hurry. You can follow my trail easily enough. That's right. Get them off the count. Easy, big fellow, steady. Come, Silver. Later that night, Buck and Dave arrived at the hideout shack with Lolita. Oh, there, oh. All right, senorita. Go on inside. You will be most sorry for this, senor. Oh, no, you will. Everybody in town knows by this time that you've made nice speeches about me. Said you wanted to meet me. Go on in. Open the door, Dave. Right. He's got the girl, too. You're pretty. Lolita, why have you do this? It is bad enough that your brother is with this gang. Brother, huh? Oh, so that's the tie-in between you two. Si. Si, he is my brother. But what of that? Just this, senorita. Means that you were putting on an act to help him. You expected me to plan to meet you someplace. You had someone watching or I'll eat my hat. But that is such nonsense, senor. Yeah? I want you to tell me who put you up to this trick. Who was it you went to with that note? But there is nothing to tell. Oh, you'll tell, all right. Grab one, Ben. Let me go. Stop struggling, you hip. Stop. Stop eating my brother. I'll scratch out your eyes. You dirty outlaw. Get away from him. Get over there and sit down. I am. You're hurting. I said sit down. You are such a beast. I despise you. Now you're showing your real colors, girlie. Now I know you'll put on an act in town. For this you will all be most sorry. I promise you that. Ah, shut up. Now, Dave, tie up that hombre. Right. And if she don't come through with the information that I want, you and the boys can give them a little working over till she does. No. No, you must not hurt my brother. He is younger than any of you. He is not as strong. It is not fair to treat him so. You heard what I said. Either you tell me who planned that act of yours and who you took that note to, and we'll put on a show that you won't like. Do not tell them anything, Lolita. They will ambush your friends. Do not tell them. Shut up. No. That's good for him, Dave. Now let Lou and Sid have a go at him. That suits me fine. I'm next, Lou. No. Don't, don't. It is cowardly to strike him when he is tied like that. Let him have it, Lou. A good hard sack. No, wait. I will tell you. Anything you ask, I will tell you. Lolita, it is no use. Even should you tell, they will beat you. Go ahead, Lolita. Tell me who helped you plan that act of yours. And who did you show my note to? The Lone Ranger and his Indian friends. Hey, we heard of that, hombre. Yeah. Here, Buck, he said it would be dynamite. So it was the Lone Ranger, huh? I'm glad to know that. Boys, we go up the trail a bit and wait an ambush. If that mask hombre does come snooping, we'll gun him down. And the Indian, too. Now hurry up and let's get going. Riding alone, the Lone Ranger, because of his long experience in following trails, because of his keen sight for picking out signs, was able to keep on the trail left by Buck and Lolita. Since he was trailing them by moonlight, his progress was slower than usual, at times moving at little more than a walk. It was during one of these moments, when Silver was going slowly, that the great stallion pricked up his ears, then whinnied. Steady, fellow. What is it? Who's in the clue? The intelligent Silver had sensed something wrong. His keen sense of smell warned him that men and horses were near, and he knew that might mean danger to his master. Silver pawed the ground gently. Then once more he whinnied. Telling me of something. The breeze is blowing this way. Could be that whatever he senses is around the bend ahead. All right, big fellow, we'll make sure. We'll turn off here and run up the hillside. Come on, Silver. Where Silver had stopped, the trail started around a low hill. The lone ranger turned the great white stallion off the trail and rode up the side of the hill. At the top, he stopped and dismounted. Close it, we'll move, Steady. Leaving Silver ground hitched on the hill, the masked man moved cautiously across the summit and gazed downward in the moonlight. At first, he saw nothing but shadows. Then a movement in the gully below and alongside the trail on the other side of the bend attracted his attention. Hmm, one or more men is in that gully, I'm sure of it. Shadows are thick there, so I can't tell exactly. That looks like the outline of a horse down there. Some men coming along the trail. Might be a ton of the sheriff. Could be some of Matt Lee's men. I'll wait until I'm sure. Then I'll be ready to act. In the gully, Buck and his men were waiting. No one had spoken for some time until Dave broke the silence in a low voice. Hey, did you hear anything, Buck? Like a horse's whinny? Nah. Neither did I. I didn't either. I guess I must be loco. If he's coming, I wish he'd hurry up so we can get this over with. Take it easy, Dave. We got lots of time. Hey, I got hope, Beats. Sounds like more than one. The Indian must be with him. Now, get ready. As soon as they come around the bend, let them have a volley of shots, and we'll be sure not to miss. Right. Hey, there's that whinny again. So what? Get your gun ready and move fast when they get here. Right and ready. The whinny, Dave, at last heard was silver, and it was that whinny that told the Lone Ranger that Tonto was riding nearby on scout. The masked man crept cautiously down the bank of the hill to a position just above the outlaws in the gully. This is around the bend in a minute. As he heard Buck speak, the Lone Ranger drew his guns and waited. Then he saw the outline of Buck's figure as the outlaws stood to fire at the oncoming horseman. There they are. We'll get him. No, you won't. I'm hit. Watch him, Andrew. Oh, Larson, go to you. Hey, we're trapped. Watch him on the trail, and somebody's on the hill. Never mind that. Slink that at him. Don't let him take us. Boys, drop your guns. Come out with your hands up, or we'll gun down all of them. Don't listen to them. Use your guns. Let them have it. Maybe this will stop him. No, I'm shot. Buck's hit. We don't have a chance. We better give up. Come out here, like I said, and do not reach him. Well, they're getting up. Looks like the Matley gang is broken. I'll go down now. There's another one coming down the hill. No, you wait. Him, friend. Looks like we turned the tables on them, Tonto. Great day. It was you, Charlotte, from the side of the hill. You saved us from an ambush, mister. I think this one is Matley. Yeah. So what of it? Where are Juan and Lolita? You can go find out for yourself. You weren't wounded. I'd pound the truth out of you. How far are they? Let go. Let go. It's in the shack right down the trail a bit. Both tied up. Hello. We'll go get them and take them back to town. Here, Silver. Who are you calling? My horse. He's coming down the hillside now. Silver's warning saved me from the ambush and gave me a chance to spot the gang in the gully. All right, let's go, Tonto. Steady, Big Phillip. One, two, uh, Huffstown. I knew that masked man would get the best of us. Yeah, Buck thinks he knows it all. Now he's got us in the hands of the law. He's the strong, clever Buck Matley. That's a hot one, him and his local ideas. Oh, shut up, will you? First you've got to have that one with us. Then you go bringing that girl to the heart out. You all made a mistake by being outlaws to begin with. Me and my man will get you back to town and in jail. The masked man, Indian, will take care of Juan and Lolita. Indian told us about him on the way here. I guess that girl put one over on you after all, Matley. It was because of her that the masked man and the rest of us got to capture. All right, all right. Get me to a doctor and stop yapping. Yeah, while you're nursing that wounded arm in jail, Matley, you'll have plenty of time to think about why no outlaw ought to ever buck up against that masked man. No crook or killer ever got the best of the Lone Ranger yet. No, sir. 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. The Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger in Verbions The Lone Ranger in Verbions
