A fiery horse with a speed of light, a clod of dust, and a hearty hi-yo 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. Remember, the Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, still there. Let's go, big foe. I'm still there. When Clyde Conway escaped from prison, it was a great disappointment to the Lone Ranger, who knew him to be innocent of the crime for which he had been convicted and sentenced. To Tonto, his Indian friend, the masked rider explained the folly of Conway's escape as the two rode slowly side by side. If Conway is caught, he'll be sent back to prison, even though we can prove him innocent. Oh, me not savvy. When I sent the evidence to the governor clearing Conway of his crime, I felt sure a pardon would be signed for his release. But Conway knew nothing about my actions. He decided to escape, and he did. Well, Conway make big mistake. That bad. Yes, we've got to find him. The longer he's at large, the worse it will be. He might commit a serious crime to avoid recapture. Oh, that's right. You know where to find him? I have no idea, Tonto. It will take time. I hope we find him before the law does. While the Lone Ranger talked to Tonto, a man they sought was riding a stagecoach bound for the town of Grass Creek. His seat companion was a young woman in her early 20s. What are you going to do in Grass Creek, Mr., um... Clyde's my name. As to what I'm going to do, I'm looking for a job. Thought I might find work there. Can you ride a horse? Never saw many I couldn't, miss. My name's Fulton, best Fulton. Glad to know you, Miss Fulton. Yes, I reckon I can ride about anything on four feet. My father could use a good line rider. The pay's not much, but it would hold you over until you get something better. That's mighty nice of you, Miss Fulton, but... But what? You don't know me. Your father might not like you doing the hiring for him. Oh, father does anything I ask him to do. You need a job, and father has one open. It's up to you, Mr. Clyde. And if he says yes, I'll take it. As far as the Lone Ranger was concerned, Clyde Conway had disappeared in thin air. After several weeks of search, he gave up hope of finding the innocent fugitive. Months later, he was camped a few miles from the town of Grass Creek when Tonto rode in. Oh, sconehole, fella. Easy, sconehole. Easy, fella. Back from town earlier than I expected, Tonto. That right. May not take time to buy supplies. Why not? Missy, fella, named Clyde Conway. Conway? Ah. Are you sure it was he? Me sure. Conway get into Buckboard with plenty supplies. Drive out of town. Me follow him. Where'd he go? Him go to a ranch owned by a girl named Fulton. Fulton Ranch. Yes, I know where it is. Jim Fulton died a few months ago. His daughter inherited the ranch. That right. Well, me go to ranch. Ask for water for Scout. Me talk to cowboys at Correll. Then say fella me follow, named Ben Clyde. Changed his name from Clyde Conway to Ben Clyde. What's he doing on the ranch? Well, him foreman. Men say him fine boss. Him live in small house next to big ranch house. He's going straight, but he's still wanted by the law. Ah. Before he can be cleared, he's got to go back to the prison from which he escaped. Ah. And what you do? I have to think this situation over. In the meantime, I'll have a talk with him. Here's a look. Well, maybe you'll find him in small house next to big ranch house. Now, we go back to town now and get supplies. Very well, Tonto. I'll meet you here later. Steady easy, big Philip. Come on, Tonto. Get him off the town. Meanwhile, Clyde Conway had stacked the newly bought supplies on shelves and had gone to his quarters near the ranch house. He was going over his accounts when the door opened. Hi, Conway. Hmm? What? Red Tyler. Surprised to see me? How'd you find where I was? Followed you out of town a while ago. Foxy Wayne and I saw you when you drove in. We figured you'd rather we wouldn't palaver with you there. So I just waited and came along behind you. Is Foxy with you? No. He was afraid you might be holding a grudge on account of doing time for the job he pulled. He's right about that. If I ever see him, I... You better keep your mouth shut and forget it. Unless you want to go back to jail. You know I didn't pull that job. Why can't you and Foxy leave me alone? We don't want to bother you, Conway. It's all right with us if you want to go straight. Right now, we'd need a little help. I'm sure you won't mind providing it. What do you mean? We need a couple of fresh horses. Good ones. In fact, as good as you got it. I'll not do it. Get away from that drawer. Reach for a gun you'll wish you hadn't. I see. That's better. Now, do I get those horses or do I go have a talk with the boys around the corral? They might be interested in knowing your real name, Mr. Ben Clyde. I'll get the horses for you. You'll swear you'll ride out of here and stay away. Sure, I'll promise that. Come on. Oh, by the way, who was the Indian that rode out here behind you? What Indian? You mean you didn't see him? No, I didn't. I thought maybe he was your bodyguard. I waited till he cleared out before I come to talk to you. I don't know him. Come on. A short time later, Clyde Conway walked into the living room of the ranch house to face Bess Fulton, who knew him only as Ben Clyde. Oh, hello, Ben. Come in. Is anyone around? No. Oh, why? I've come to thank you for all you've done for me, Bess, and to tell you goodbye. Boy, Ben, what are you talking about? I'm leaving, Bess. I won't be back. Ben, you can't mean it. You and I are... The engagement must be broken. It's for the best. What's happened? What is it, Ben? Tell me. I'll understand. You'll find a letter in my quarters. It'll explain everything. I must go now. No, Ben, you can't do that. Please, I... Goodbye, Bess. Ben, come... Bess went as quickly as possible to Clyde's quarters and read the letter that he'd left there. I don't believe it. I'm asked, man. I... Come on, miss. I'm not here to harm you. Get out of here before I call my man. I thought this to be Clyde's quarters. I was told so by a friend. So your friend told you? Why don't you leave Ben alone? I leave him alone. I don't understand. Oh, yes, you do. You're the one who caused all his trouble. Now you want to hound him. Get out of here. Miss Fulton, you're mistaken. I didn't cause his trouble. I'm here to help him. Don't stand there and lie. See this letter? He says he served time in prison for a crime you committed. He says you sent a man named Tyler to get horses here. So don't stand there and pretend such arrogant innocent. You seem quite upset about it. Then why shouldn't I be? You've ruined his life and now you've ruined mine. But you'll pay for it. I'll kill you. I'll take that gun. No, you don't. There. I'm sorry you forced me to do this, Miss Fulton. My range crew must have heard that shot. They'll get you. I'm taking this letter. Are you blackmailer? You'll use it against him. No, I won't. I'll return it. Adios. My men will get you. We'll run your job. Ready, big fella. Easy. Come on, sit in there. Shoot him. Shoot that man. What happened, Miss Fulton? Who is he? He's Foxy Wayne, abandoned. Getting on it at once. We'll pick up his trail. Come on. Where's Clyde? Never mind him. I'll explain that later. Just get to your horse. The Lone Ranger pressed the great horse, Silver, to utmost speed for 20 minutes or so, taking a meandering route through the hills in an effort to delay if not throw his pursuers off his trail. Finally, he slowed the pace. Oh, Silver. Oh, easy, Bigfoot. Easy. I think he'll catch up with us soon. I want to read this letter. Clyde Conway's letter had told Bess Fulton everything. How he had been sent to prison for a robbery committed by Foxy Wayne. How he had escaped from prison and changed his name to Ben Clyde. He also told Bess how he had provided Red Tyler with two good horses, but had left money in his quarters to pay for them. But the Lone Ranger was more interested in the last lines of the letter. I let Red Tyler have the horses because I'm going to trail him and find Foxy Wayne. When I do, I'm going to kill both of them. Now they've found me, they would blackmail me the rest of my life. Silver, old fellow. They've got to stop him before he commits murder. Try to cut his trail. Moncele! Ho! Ho, now. Ho, ho. Well, Red, I see Conway supplied a couple of good nags. Yeah, Foxy. Best he had. What do you have to say? Oh, not much. But he's not fooling me. Yeah? How do you mean? He gave in too easy. He gave me the horses, all right. But if I ever saw murder in a man's eyes, it wasn't his. Which adds up to what? I bet he's riding my trail right now. Why didn't you gun him down after you got the horses? I'd never have gotten away with it. Too many ranch hands close by. Hey. Look way back yonder at the edge of that scrub timber. Well, I'll be swung. It's Conway. He has his eyes glued to the trail of the horses. Quick, Red, get our horses out of sight. We'll grab him as he comes by. Oh, why not shoot him and be done with it? Remember the time I borrowed his clothes to go to a dance? Oh, yeah. And also his horse? Only you didn't go to a dance. You stuck up a stagecoach. But Conway got sent to jail as the man who robbed it. Maybe that trick will work again when we stick up the bank in Grass Creek. Get moving, Forty Caesars. Right. Come on. Come on. Here he comes. Get your rope ready. I'll grab the horse. It's ready and quiet now. There. You got him, Foxy? Grab the horse, Red. Now, Conway, get off that caillou's peaceable like before I drag you off. You, Foxy Wayne. I reckon he out Foxy again, Conway. Get off. Got no other choice, I guess. Now, what are you going to do, Foxy? Same as I did the last time I saw you. Borrow your clothes. So start stripping. 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. The trail Red Tyler had left while leading two horses had been followed by Clyde Conway. The Lone Ranger had little difficulty in finding and following the same trail. He had ridden a mile or so when he heard a horse whinny close by and drew rain to listen. Oh, Silver. Oh, easy. Steady now. There's a horse in that brush over there. It could be an ambush. Steady. I'm going to investigate. Stay there, big fella. There's someone there. Conway, you're tied up. I'll have you free in just a moment. I'll remove the gag first. There. Who are you? Why are you masked? I'm your friend. Don't be afraid. Did Foxy Wayne and Red Tyler do this? I don't know who you are. Why should I give any information to a masked stranger? I've tried to prove that I'm on your side by setting you free. Have you anything to lose by trusting me further? No, I guess not. Did Wayne and Tyler do this? Yes, and they've gone into town to rob the bank. I'm going to try to stop them. Just a minute, Conway. Tell me some details, and I'll help you stop them. I fell into a trap. Foxy Wayne settled. Clyde Conway quickly related how he had fallen into Foxy Wayne's trap and how Wayne had made him exchange clothes. And then he took my horse and left his stake here. He's going to try to pin this crime on me like he did once before when he robbed a stagecoach. He probably planned to come back here after the robbery to get his clothes and horse. All right, take his horse, Conway. We're going after them. Come on. Come here, boy. But you're masked. How do I know this isn't a trick of some kind? I freed you. Can't you trust me? All right, get mounted steady. Easy now. Send me silver. Easy, boy. Come on, silver. Yeah. Oh, there. Oh. We've lost the masked man's trail again, boys. That's right. Well, no use wasting any more time. We'll ride into town and tell the sheriff. He'll organize a posse. What about Ben Clyde, boss? I have to tell the sheriff about him and that his real name is Clyde Conway. Yes, I'll tell him everything. When he's caught, Foxy Wayne and Red Tyler. Come on, boys. Get up. Get up. In the meantime, Foxy Wayne and Red Tyler rode into the main street of Grass Creek and dismounted a short distance from the bank, which they planned to rob. All right, Tyler. You ready? No. Oh, just a minute, Foxy. What are you looking at? See that Indian heading across the street toward the sheriff's office? Yeah, what about him? There's something mighty fishy about this, Foxy. What are you talking about? Remember earlier today when we saw Clyde Conway head toward the ranch and I followed him? Yeah? Well, that same Indian rode out just ahead of me. I thought at the time that he was riding guard on Conway. When I asked Conway, he denied knowing anything about the red skin. And now he shows up in town when we do. And he's heading into the sheriff's office. Yeah, I see what you mean. He's working for Conway, no doubt of it. Yeah. Only one thing puzzles me. What's that? If he has been on my trail since I left the ranch, he'd have found Conway. Maybe not. We had him tied and gagged and hid in the brush. Come on. What are you going to do? I'll show you. Come on and keep out of sight of the sheriff's window. The bank job will have to wait. Come in, Indian. What's your rush? Sheriff, me see Foxy Wayne and Red Tyler ride into town. Who? Foxy Wayne and Red Tyler. Them mighty bad hombres. Oh, yeah. I got a circular on them two. There's a big reward for both of them. That right. Me see them stop horses near bank. You go get them. You bet I will. But I may need your help, Indian. They're a tough pair. I'll get a rifle off the rack. Get away from that rack. Hey, what the... You're covered, Sheriff. One more body, you Indian, and I'll send you the happy hunting ground. Now get them up. Hey, now I get it, Foxy. What do you mean, Red? The Indian's a bounty hunter. That's why he was trailing Clyde Conway this morning. Clyde Conway? Yeah, Sheriff. Only you probably know him better as Ben Clyde. He shortened his handle. It was handier. I can't believe it. I know Ben Clyde. He's an honest man. You'll find him just south of Monument Rock near Elkhorn Trail. When you get out, Sheriff. Out? Of where? Your jail. Red and I have a little job to do, and we don't want any interference. Take his gun and keys, Red. Right. I got him. Now, Injun, I'll take that knife. There. Now start walking down that corridor to the back cell. Oh, me got friend. Him get out, Lord Sheriff. It was noon, and the little town of Grass Creek was enjoying its two-hour siesta, so the street was practically deserted as the Lone Ranger and Clyde Conway approached. Pulling his hat low over his forehead so the mass could not be easily observed, the Lone Ranger rode cautiously toward the big cotton woods near the bank. See their horses yet, Conway? Yes. There they are at the hitch rail under those big trees. They must be in the bank now. What'll we do? We'll stop at the rail. And you dismount and walk to the bank. You see them? Signal me, and I'll join you. But what if they're not there? Warn those in the bank to be ready when they come in. Tell them I'll be on guard outside. Oh, Silver. Oh, oh, oh. Easy. I'll signal you. A few moments later, Clyde Conway returned to the Lone Ranger. They're not inside. And the two clerks tell me they haven't seen him. Good. That will give us a chance to call on the sheriff. His officer's right over there. I'll wait here in case Foxy and Red show up. You go tell the sheriff what you know and bring him here as quickly as possible. I'll have him here pronto. All right, Red. Slam the door and turn the key. You'll not get away with this, Foxy. They'll all run you down and hang you sooner or later. You'll let me worry about that, sheriff. Come on, Red. We're late for that job already. Now me God friend and him get you. Shut up, you bounty hunting Indian. Howdy-ho, sheriff. That Indian's mighty cock sure of himself for some reason. Kind of wish I'd shot him. Well, he sure upset our plan. How do you mean? You went to all the trouble of changing clothes with Conway and riding his horse in town. Just so as we could make it look like he was one of the pair that robbed the bank. Yeah, it's too late to worry about that now. We'll settle with Conway when we get back to him. Get your hands up. Conway. How in thunder did you get loose? Get him up. One move and I'll drop the two of you. Don't shoot. You shouldn't talk so loud, Foxy. I just happened to hear your voice when I walked in here. So I borrowed a rifle off the sheriff's rack and waited for you. So you were going to kill me, huh? Oh, we were just talking for the sheriff's benefit. We didn't mean it, Conway. When I left the range today, I was going to kill you, Foxy. And you too, Red. But you got the best of me for a time. Now it's my time again. No, don't shoot me. We wouldn't have killed you, but... No, no, give us the same break, Conway. All right. I'm going to give you a break. Just one. What's that? You're both marching back down that corridor. When you get back there, you can tell the sheriff who framed me a year ago. And if I don't? What do you think? I'll get you, Conway. Turn around and start walking. One move toward those guns and I'll shoot. At the same time, on the outskirts of town, Bess Fulton signaled her cowhands to rein up. Stop here, boys. What's the matter, boys? Look down yonder under those cottonwoods. See that big fella on the white horse? Oh, yeah. That's Foxy Wayne. But we've caught him napping. He must be standing guard while his friend holds up the bank. Yeah, that's right. Now part of you ride around the back of the bank and come in on the other side of him. Joe and Pete and I are closing from this side. All right. Come on, boys. Get here. We'll wait here until we see them come around on the far side of the bank. Hey, boys, that big fella's looking this way now. He must see it. Yes, you're right. I can't understand that. Our rights, he wouldn't be so calm about it. Maybe he's just a cool customer. He won't be so cool if he starts reaching for those fancy guns he wears. Drop him on the first move, Savvy. All right. There's the boys. They're closing in from the far side. Let's go. Get up. Get up. Get up. The Lone Ranger had seen the approach of Bess Fulton and her range crew and was well aware of the sudden strategy to surround him. But he made no move to escape, knowing that to attempt flight would bring flying lead in his direction. And also, he thought that at any moment, Clyde Conway and the sheriff would appear to explain the situation. Steady, Silver. Easy, big fella. Easy. Cover him, boys. Well, Foxy, I see you decided not to shoot it out with my crew. Miss Fulton, I told you once today I'm not Foxy Wayne. I'm telling you the same thing again. Then who are you? Your friend and Clyde Conway's friend. Our friends don't wear masks and steal letters from women. I have reasons for the mask. I had a reason for taking the letter. Get down off that horse. Come on. Get down off that horse. Very well. Easy, big fella. Keep him covered, boys. I'm going to take a look under that mask. Bess! What? Bess! Hey, boss, there's Clyde. The sheriff and the red skinner with him. They must have seen this capture, Foxy. But I don't understand. Clyde said he was leaving. There you hombres, holster those guns. Get away from that fella. Leave him be. Sheriff, you fool, this is Foxy Wayne. Bess Fulton, Foxy Wayne's in my jail. And so's his pal, Red Todd. Bess, this man is the best friend I ever had. This Indian has just told me all about him. Your best friend? Oh, Clyde, I... Who is he? He's the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger? Oh, what a fool I've been. I mistook him for an outlaw. Now, Conway, you have your own horse and clothing. Are you ready to go back to prison? Yes. I'm going back with the sheriff when he takes Foxy and Red. Everything's in your favor. You went straight when you got out of prison. After what you did today, I'm sure the governor will sign your pardon. I'm going right to the governor myself. It's my guess that Clyde won't have to spend a night behind bars. That's right. Well, Tonto, our work here is done. Let's be going. Adios. Adios, mask man. Bess. Yes, Clyde? If I do get a pardon like the mask man says, will everything be like it was before you knew that I'd done time and escaped from prison? Oh, of course it'll be the same. Then our engagement's not broken after all. Clyde, as far as I was concerned, it never was. I'll do it. Oh! 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.
