A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty Hyo Silver, the Lone Ranger. 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. I'm Silver. It was morning and the stagecoach had just arrived in Alkali Bend from the territorial capital. Only one passenger got out, but when he did so, a hush fell over Alkali Bend's single main street as if the new arrival had been disaster itself. It's John Ames. Who'd have thought he'd ever come back here? Hello, John. I never expected to see you back in this town again. Didn't you, Sheriff? You've got a right to do what you want. Well, I thought when your time was up and you got out of jail, you'd have sense enough to stay away from Alkali Bend. What are you here for? Looking for somebody? Yep. Is Todd Bush still around? Now look here, John. I ask you a question, Sheriff. Either he's around or he isn't. You can tell me that, can't you? If you can, I'll ask someone who can. Well, yes, he's around. I thought he might be. What about Bart Clay? Bart's here, too. Good. What about Gow? Sam Gow? He's around, too, I take it. They're all still around, John. What do you want to know for? What's on your... What would you suppose, Sheriff? It was their lies that sent me to jail, wasn't it? Why do you suppose I might want to see them? What are you planning to do, John? What do you think, Sheriff? Your guess is as good as anyone's. You heard the conversation between Ames and the sheriff, huh, Tonto? Ah. I wonder if Ames intends to kill those men. Oh, me not, no. Ames spent seven years in jail, convicted of holding up a stage and killing the driver. Maybe he was innocent and maybe he wasn't. But if he was, he'd likely come out of jail feeling pretty bitter. Do you think him innocent? I... I haven't the slightest idea. That doesn't concern us right now. Hmm. We have something more urgent to do. Here, Silver. We must warn those men Ames has threatened to kill. Well, the sheriff will no doubt do the same. We should be able to reach them ahead of him. Easy, big fella. You ready, Tonto? Uh-huh. Be ready. Good. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Tom. The Lone Ranger's first stop was at the cabin owned by Sam Gow, an eccentric old trapper who lived near the foot of the mountain. Oh, sir. Oh, sir. Oh, sir. Easy, sir. Easy. Easy. This is Gow's place, Tonto. Sam! Sam Gow! You may be afraid of my mask. Come on. Are you in there, Sam? Don't be afraid of my mask. This isn't a holdup. I'm not an outlaw. Answer, or we're coming in there. Not whom? We'll go inside and leave a note for him. He's an old mountain man. He shouldn't object to our entering his cabin in his absence. He... What happened here? I wonder if Ames hasn't been here ahead of us. It looked that way. Plenty big fight here. Yes, furniture smashed, bullet holes, and... What's your pint? Come here, Tonto. What's that? What do you think of this, Tonto? Them bloodstains. Right. As far as Sam's concerned, it looks as if we're too late. Come on, Tonto. You'd better hurry and warn the others. Ah. But when the Lone Ranger and Tonto arrived at Todd Bush's homestead, and later at Barclay's one-man cattle spread, the story was the same. In each cabin, smashed furniture told of a struggle, bullet holes told of a passion for vengeance, and bloodstains told of vengeance achieved. At the end, the Lone Ranger swung silver around and, sighted by Tonto, headed for Alkali Bend at his greatest speed. Mountain! Let's come! At the exact moment when the Lone Ranger and Tonto turned their horses toward Alkali Bend, John Ames was already arriving in town. He didn't enter by way of the main street, as an innocent man might have been expected to do, but circled by roundabout ways till he reached the rear of the hotel where he had engaged a room. There he hid his horse in a clump of trees, entered the hotel by the back way, and climbed to his room by means of the rear stairs. Then he opened the door to his room and suddenly stopped. Oh. Oh, hello. It's you, Sheriff. Hello, John. I've been waiting for you. Might close that door first. I have some questions to ask you. Yeah? Well, I came up here to try to persuade you to forget this revenge business and get out of town before something happens that might make you sorry you'd come here. Yeah. While waiting for you, I watched out the window. I saw the way you came here. Saw you hide your horse in those trees out back. What is all that for, John? Do you have something on your mind that made it necessary for you to sneak back here? If I'd done anything, you'd know about it. Not necessarily. You left town to warn Todd and Yell as I was here, didn't you? No, I sent Bill, my deputy. He's as good at warning as I am. I've just been hanging around to keep my eye on things. You see him plenty, it seems. Well, what are you going to do? Arrest me for coming into the hotel the back way? Nope, nope. I can't arrest a man until I've got reason for it. In your case, I hope I won't have reason. So, getting back to what brought me here, in town. I'm going to. Huh? That's what I'm back for. I changed my mind about things. I'm leaving right now. Well, I'm glad to hear that. You can help me pack if you want. It'd be better if I rode out of town and you set my things on after me. Hey, uh, aren't you in sort of a hurry? Well, I know. Is there more to this than meets the eye? Maybe you should wait until Bill gets back. You've been out of town. You've been making calls you shouldn't have made. You know, it seems to me... Listen, Sheriff, I haven't laid hands on anyone. You've got to believe me. But just the same, I want to leave town. I've got to. Well, nothing to stop you, I reckon. Hey! In here, Bill. Come on in. Oh, there you are. Quite enchanted, Sheriff. I answered. What are you so fretted about, Bill? I see you've already arrested him. Nothing of the sort. Nothing to arrest him for. Uh, what is there? I've already told you there isn't. Oh, there isn't, huh? Well, I'd call murder in three men at once plenty to arrest anybody for. What's that, Bill? Listen, Sheriff. You shut up. Bill, what happened? I called on all three like you told me to, Sheriff. Todd, Bush, Sam, Gar, Bart, Clay. Eh? When they... Well, well. When they asked too late. Ames had been there ahead of me. Furniture was all smashed up. Bloodstains ever played. Ames, you're under arrest. You can talk later. Did you find the bodies, Bill? Oh, he must have hit him someplace thinking we couldn't prove anything without him. Yeah, that's where he's wrong. We'll find him, all right. Don't worry about that. John? What's that outside? Sorry about that, Sheriff, but Jeff Talbot was along with me. I reckon he spread the news. Wait a minute. Yeah, it sounds like he stirred up a lynch, Mom. Then we've got to act fast. Sounds like they're mostly out front, huh? All right, come on, John. Looks like we'll have to get out of here the same way you came in, the back way. Sheriff, I know what you think, but I... If you don't get a hustle on before that mob outside thinks of the back way, you'll soon do most of your running on air. Now, come on, this way. You'll lead the way, Sheriff. I'll stay behind you. Come on in, you stay with me, would you? Don't try to get away. Pass it. Here's the door. Hurry past the blacksmith shop to the jailhouse. No one sees us. Hey, fellas, come on and get us. I'll guess this. We've got to run for it. We can't. Friend, there he is. Oh, stand back, stand back. Let go of me. I got the sheriff. Someone get in. Let's go. I didn't kill anyone. Anything. Riding Scott and Silver, the Lone Ranger and Tuttle rushed toward the mob surrounding John Ames. The masked man saw that most of the men were not armed. Instead of guns, they carried clubs and sticks. Most of these men are without guns, Tuttle. They're taking a chance and trying to rescue Ames. Ames, where are you? Help, help me, got me. Hold on your arms. There, hold on now. One, two, three. As the Lone Ranger, Tuttle, and John Ames left, there were a few scattered shots, but the masked man had guessed correctly. The excited mob milled and jostled a few armed men so that by the time guns were brought into play, Scout and Silver were already out of range. Easy, Silver, easy. Get hit, Ames. I'm all right. I'll get you up there. There. Where are we going? To our camp, where you'll find no lynch mob. Come on, Silver, there. Let's go. An hour later, in a sheltered glade at a safe distance from Alkali Bend. Better get a fire started, Tonto. It's dark and we'll need something to eat. Ah, me think. Now, the names, I want you to understand me. We didn't get you out of town because we think you're innocent. We did it because we want justice to take its rightful course. If you're guilty of those murders, you'll pay for them. I knew it would be this way. I knew it as soon as I saw those cabins. What's that? I'll tell you the truth, mister. I don't expect you to believe me any more than those others would. I was trying to light out of town in a hurry because I, well, I knew I'd be blamed for killing those men. You didn't kill them? I did not. I went out to their cabins and found the furniture all smashed up. Yes, yes, we saw that. We were there ourselves. There's one thing, yes, hard to say. But those cabins seemed as if they'd been dressed up for effect. All of them looked exactly the same. Now, I should think that anyone that was... What's the matter? Who fired a child? You got hit, Kimisabi? No, Toto. James was hit. Ah, him hit bad. Now, one moment. Very bad, Toto. He's dead. 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. John Ames, ex-convict, was threatened by a lynch mob when appearances suggested that he had killed the three men whose testimony had sent him to jail. The Lone Ranger and Toto rescued him and carried him to their camp where bullets fired by a hidden killer struck him down. The masked man pronounced him dead and Toto circled the camp in an effort to pick up the killer's trail. But a little later... Toto, where are you? Me over here. Find anything? No. I have no moon. It's too dark. Maybe we'll wait until sun up. Then maybe find signs. But you're sure whoever fired that shot has cleared out him. That right. Him gone. Good. And I can tell you the truth. Ames is unconscious, but he's not dead. Huh? We'll get him into town to a doctor. Him not dead? Why you say him dead? To let the killer think he'd accomplished his purpose so he wouldn't fire again. Oh. That's a good idea. Give me a hand. We'll take Ames to old Dr. Farrell. By the time we get back here, we'll be light enough to pick up the killer's trail. When the Lone Ranger and Tonto arrived in Alkali Bend with John Ames, it was still dark and they had no difficulty reaching Dr. Farrell's home unobserved. While the masked man explained their errand, Dr. Farrell studied him shrewdly. In the end, he had a good idea who his masked visitor was and made no objection to his requests. You want me to take care of Ames and keep my mouth shut about him being here? Is that it, stranger? Right, Doctor. There's no need for Tonto and me to stay here, is there? No, none at all. Ames should recover, all right. We'll be getting on. We have work to do. Come on, Tonto. Yeah. We'll come back as soon as we finish. Good, good. Adios. Goodbye. Goodbye. Get on, Martha, not to say anything about this. Martha? For the sake of Henry, what's going on at this time of night? First I hear voices, then I hear the door close, then when I look out the window I see a masked man and a redskin riding away. And of course, is that John Ames? Yes, he's wounded. The masked man and the Indian you saw brought him here. Get him out. Get him out of here at once. He'll murder us all. He's unconscious, Martha, and he's unarmed. Oh, gives me goose flesh just to look at him, the ornery killer. We don't know whether he's a killer or not. We assume that he is. But, Martha, there's something I'll have to ask you to promise me. Hmm? What's that? Don't tell anyone John Ames is here. Me? Yes, you. Why, Henry, of all things to say, when did I ever talk when I shouldn't? Why, if anyone can keep a secret, I can. You ought to know that. Now, if it was some women I know, you might have caused to say that. But if there's any one thing I can do, I can keep a secret. What I told him, Sarah, I told him, if anyone can keep a secret, I can. Why, my lender. Martha, my dear, I know you can keep a secret. And John Ames is at your house, you say? Yes. He was wounded. But you won't tell anyone, will you, Sarah? Why, Martha, the idea. I can keep a secret just as well as you can. And that's just what I told her, Mrs. Pincus. I can keep a secret just as well as she can. The idea hinting that I might tell anyone. Who cares if John Ames is sick at her house? That's not so much of a secret, I shouldn't think. We ought to do something about it. Jack can promise what he wants. We didn't promise anything. If Ames deserved to hang yesterday, then he deserves it just as much today. Let's go get him. All right. All right, all of you. We heard from the women that Ames is at the doctor's house. Ames is a killer. There's no use putting the law to the expense of hanging him when we can do it ourselves. We ought to string him up before that masked man butts in again. Come on, follow me. We'll go to Doc's house. If Doc tries to stop us so much the worse for him. For the second time, mistakenly believing themselves to be serving the ends of justice, the townspeople set out to seize John Ames. The sheriff had been taken out of town on an errand and there was no one to stop the mob except old Doc Farrell himself. Open up. Come on. Open up. Here, what's the meaning of this? We've come for John Ames. Better get out of the way, Doc. This time, we're going to get him. Stand aside, Doc, before you get hurt. Now hold on a minute. We're going inside. Come on, man. Stand back. This is my home. You have no right to come in here. Get back. Get out of here. This way, boys. Ames is in the front room. Come on. Let's get him in here. Wait, heaven, what's the meaning of this? Where'd these men come from, Henry? This is your fault, Martha. Mine? Wait, Henry, what are you saying? If you hadn't talked when I told you not to. Talk me? Drag him out of bed. Come on, you dirty killer. This time, your number's up. Wait, wait, please. Listen to me. I didn't kill anyone. You don't understand. If you didn't kill him, who did? I don't know. We're not listening to you. Come on, fellas, pick him up. I've got a horse and a rope for him outside. Let's go. Let's get this over with. The sheriff will be getting back soon and we want this skunk hanging before he gets here. It's the masked man again. Watch out. He's drawn his guns. Let me get out of this. Out of my way. Doctor, how did this happen? Who told these men Ames was here? I thought you promised me his presence would be kept a secret. I'm sorry, stranger. I made the mistake other men have made. I trusted my wife not to talk. Henry. You shut up, Martha. You've talked once too often. From now on, I'm the boss around this house and if you don't like it, I'll buy your ticket back to Ohio right away and put you on the stage myself. You understand that? I... Do you? Yes, Henry. I'm sorry, Henry. You ought to be. I was afraid something like this might happen. That's why I came ahead of Tonto and hurried back here as soon as possible. I have news for you men. Todd Bush, Bart Clay, and Sam Gow are not dead. They made it look as if they'd been killed in order to get rid of John Ames. It nearly happened. One of them, Sam Gow, discovered our camp and shot Ames. This morning, we picked up his trail and followed him to their hideout. They were hiding out in an old cabin in the mountains. They're on their way here now. How do we know they are? Because I tell you, my friend is bringing them here. How soon will they get here? In about an hour. You expect us to believe that? You don't have to believe it. Wait an hour or so and you'll see the truth for yourself. Wait, how? What for? The sheriff can get back and save this bullcat's hide? Is that what you're up to? Just stolen for time? You don't believe me, huh? No, by the eternal, I don't. What did the rest of you say? It's only a trick. He took Ames away from us once before. He's trying to do it again. Don't let him get away with it. It's a trick. That's what I say. Come on. What's the matter, Jeff? Change your mind? Here. You got them guns pointed right at my son. Tomic. That's right, Jeff. Now, try and imagine what would happen if they went off. You. You won't pull them triggers. You wouldn't dare. Then, what are you waiting for? Ames is right behind me. Come and get him. Hi. Didn't you hear me? Come and get him. Don't feel up to it, huh? All right. Then we'll wait till the tonneau arrives. One move from anyone in this room, you'll be the first to regret it. The situation in Doc Farrell's crowded living room was tense. For the moment, the Lone Ranger was safe. He was one against 20, but his opponents knew or thought they knew that if they made a move to take the man he was protecting, at least one of their number would die, perhaps more. And so the situation remained for a half hour. Then whispers pitched to prevent the masked man from hearing began to circulate through the crowd. He says he's the Lone Ranger. He's bluffing. He won't shoot. It's the Lone Ranger. The whispers increased. The looks cast his way alerted the Lone Ranger for danger. Then suddenly, the mob surged forward. The Lone Ranger fired two warning shots. When he saw that the mob would not be stopped, he backed into a corner to use his guns against his crotch. He fought heroically as the men pushed in. He disposed of several of his opponents, but others surged forward. The masked man approached the end of his strength. In another moment, he would be down. Another moment, and the crowd would have dragged Ames from the house to his hanging. But then... You stop! Stop! Let me shoot! It's the Redskins! Talks with him! And so is Bart! There she is! Now! Here! Here, men, you say, John Ames killed. Him not dead. The masked man was telling the truth. Quiet! Everyone, quiet down. Tonto, you got here just in time. I was afraid something might have gone wrong. And me come past as me could. Not able to travel past. No, of course not. It wasn't your fault, Tonto. Well, here are the men you claimed Ames murdered. Now do you believe I wasn't lying? We gotta believe you, mister. Can't disbelieve what we see with our own eyes. We're sorry for what almost happened. Yes. You should be. Justice is for the law, not for mob. Maybe so. But are these three skunks pulled a stunt like this just to get Ames killed? It seems to me they ought to be strained. All right! Well, do you three hear that? Listen, mister, we got a right to a trial. You'll get a trial on one condition. What's that? Ames claimed that he went to jail for a stagecoach robbery and a murder he didn't commit. He claims you three were guilty. and testified against him so the case would be closed with his conviction and you'd be safe. Is that true? No! No, it's not. All right, Jeff. Take them. No need to hold them for the sheriff after all. Oh, wait. Now don't turn us over to them fellas, mister. They'll hang us. Isn't that what you deserve? Unless you tell the truth. All right, we did it. We'll admit it. Just don't let them hang us. There you are, Sheriff. You just got back to town in time to receive these prisoners. It'll be a pleasure. I've been listening to most of this from the outside. Much more, I've taken these three to jail peaceable. There'll be no more lynch talk around this town as long as I'm sure. The fellow should've learned a lesson. Sheriff, wait. Where's the mask, man? He slipped out. I wanted to thank him. You got as much chance of that, John, as getting off that bed and flying. You hear that? You don't wait to be thanked. He's 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 Beard.
