A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo silver, the Lone Ranger. Before this exciting adventure, a word from our sponsor. General Mills, makers of Cheerios, the ready-to-eat oat cereal that gives you go power, and Wheaties, the breakfast of champions, present by special recording, the Lone Ranger. All over the country, in every direction, how you're, how you're doing is a question, and here's what the happy people have to say, eating our Wheaties, and we're doing okay, okay. You bet we're eating our Wheaties out west, including the champs. Take Eddie Matthews, born in Texarkana, Texas, and a great slugger for the Milwaukee Braves. He got a Texas start and a Wheaties start, been eating them for years. And there's Gene Littler from California, one of the best pro golfers in the game. Listen, how he socks them off the tee. You bet Gene's a Wheaties champ, been eating them since he was seven. A He-Man breakfast for champs and gonna-be champs. Why, there's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties flake. Keep on eating your Wheaties. And you'll eat, you, you, you, and I'll be okay. With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the daring and resourceful mask 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 foe. I am Silver. Get us here. Come on. Lieutenant Parson sat straight in the saddle as he rode alongside an army supply wagon. It was a big wagon, heavily loaded with rifles, ammunition, and uniforms for the quartermaster at Fort Meade. Two guards sat on the high seat with the driver, who guided the powerful team of six horses through Sunset Canyon. Get along here. Come on. As the wagon rounded up then, the soldiers saw a small party of about a dozen Indians. Redskins ahead. They're voting fire. Here they come. Let them have it. Stop the team. Fire. The lieutenant had just drawn his carbine from the scabbard when a bullet caught him in the shoulder. He fell from his horse, but managed to crawl to the protection of a nearby rock. The Indians in the open were easy targets for Lieutenant Parsons. When he shot the leader of the Indians, the four survivors turned to flee. To their dismay, escape was cut off. The masked man and Indian who had heard the gunfire were coming fast and firing from the saddle. The Indians turned again. They rushed toward the rock that concealed Lieutenant Parsons. He was ready with his carbine freshly loaded. That's one. That's two. He was weak from pain and loss of blood, but he gritted his teeth and steadied his rifle. The Indians opened his eyes. He found himself lying on a blanket. He was stripped to the waist. Someone applied a compress to his wound while someone else bathed his face with a wet bandana. I, uh, what? Steady, Lieutenant. You're going to be all right. Oh. Now I, I remember you and the Indian cut off for a treat from their savages. Yes. Yeah. The four left. They turned to run. Then they saw you. They turned back and came toward me. You were ready for them. I, I don't remember much. I shot two of the four. You shot all four. I don't remember the last two. Your wound is a painful one. What, what about the men on the wagon? You're better off than they are. You mean? Yes. They're dead. Oh. We should have had more guards. But, uh, the men couldn't be spared. The wagon doesn't seem to have been damaged. How about the horses? Two have flesh wounds, but they're able to work. Well, but, uh, if you could lift me to the driver's seat, I, I might be able to take the wagon through the Fort Meade. Lieutenant, you wouldn't have a chance. Oh, but I, I must. The soldiers at Meade can wait for their new uniforms. Oh, no, no, in that wagon beneath the uniforms, the new repeating rifles, ones like I used against the Indians. You saw how effective they are. They're badly needed. Help me up, I, oh, oh, oh. Weaker than you thought, aren't you? Oh, it, it, my wound that bad. Lieutenant, Tonto has stopped the flow of blood and given first aid. But a doctor is needed to remove the bullet. You'll be in bed for several days. Bed? Where? I know an old soldier who lives in the town of Maverick Pass. When Tonto has you ready for travel, I'll take you to his home and get a doctor. Very well. Tonto will ride to Fort Meade and tell what happened. Men from the fort can be here by nightfall to get the wagon and the dead. The trip to Maverick Pass was exhausting for a man already weakened. Lieutenant Parsons lost consciousness before the trip was ended. He was still unconscious when the doctor came. While the Lone Ranger and his friend Dave Hanley waited for the doctor to come from the bedroom, the masked man told the old soldier about the fight in the canyon. When he finished, Dave said, It was a six in hand, you say? Yes, Dave. That's the kind of team I used to drive. It was a supply wagon, you say? That's right, Dave. Just like I used to drive. What's it talking? Oh, uniforms, new rifles, and ammunition. New rifles, eh? Repeaters? Yes. Those rifles are humdingers. They'll make renegade redskins sit up and take notice. I sure wish my son's outfit had rifles like that. Dave makes short work of the Flagler gang. The Flagler gang? Are you speaking of Scar Flagler? That's right. You heard of him? Yes. He's one of the worst killers this part of the country has ever known. Great land that goes in that wagon load of rifles is idle in the canyon, where any wandering polecat can help himself. I told you, Dave, if a tonneau's gone to bring men from Fort Meade. Meanwhile, Flagler's gang might find the new shooting irons. Then they'd be worse than ever. You said the horses were all right? Yes. And so am I. I can still handle a six-horse team in a fashion that would make any man sit up and take notice. Oh, but Dave, you... What's more, I'm still a soldier. Still have my cap and jacket over here in the closet. You have a responsibility right here. The lieutenant in the next room will... God's taking care of him. Come on, mister, let's get going. The old soldier was prophetic without knowing it. While he and the Lone Ranger waited for the doctor's report, a band of heavily armed horsemen came through the canyon. It was Flagler and his gang. They had been following the wagon tracks for several hours. When they saw the wagon standing alone, they drew rain. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Hey, Flagler. It's a wagon we've been following. Looks like it would attack the engine. Maybe the Redskins did our work for us. Look inside, see if they've looted the wagon. After studying the scene, Flagler reached a conclusion as to what had happened. Well, Indians attacked and were licked. At least a couple of the soldiers survived to wrap the dead and tie the horses. Probably gone for help. That's about it, boss. Hey, Steve. What's in that wagon? Uniforms and new repeating rifles. Just as we heard, boys. Yeah, it was a good day for us when we had word of this shipment. We can sure use the rifles. And the uniforms. Think of what we can do if we go around the towns and villages posing as soldiers. Yeah, and I hope they have some general's clothes for me to wear. All right, pack the rifles on your horses. Yeah, sure. And take as many uniforms you can carry. We'll set fire to what's left. We'll continue our Lone Ranger adventure in just a moment. When Bill's that fast, the kids all shout. You can't strike that slugger out. He gets a hit because he knows. He's got gold power from Cheerios. Yes, he's got gold power. There he goes. He's feeling his Cheerios. Sure, Cheerios. The cereal that's fun to eat because it's shaped like little letter O's. The only ready-to-eat oat cereal with this fresh toasted oat flavor. And listen, every delicious spoonful of Cheerios and milk is real muscle-building food. Each spoonful contains vitamins, minerals, and proteins your body needs. Yes, the good things in a Cheerios breakfast do good things for your body. Help you have healthy nerves, good red blood, strong bones, and muscles. Yes, Cheerios is made to give you real gold power. So every morning, get going and keep going with Cheerios. Then you'll hear people say... Now to continue. The Lone Ranger and Silver waited in the saddle shed while Dave Hanley saddled his horse. The old soldier's hands trembled with eagerness. Steady now. Steady, you old fighter. I'll have you saddled in no time. I thunder it takes ten years off my age to be wearing my army uniform and getting ready to ride to duty. Will it take long to reach that place where the wagon was left? We'll be there in about an hour, Dave. You'll probably meet Tonto and the men from Fort Meade. I'll wait in the canyon until someone comes for the soldiers who gave their lives. Right. There, I'm all set. Lead the way. All right, he's a bit of a full-up. Montho! Now, get up there. I mean... Come on, Krusty! The army wagon was heavily built, but the wood was dry from years of use and hot sun. Set afire by Flagler's gang, it burned like tinder. By the time the Lone Ranger and the old soldier reached the place, the wagon was reduced to smoldering embers and blackened hardware. Oh, whoa, whoa. Look. Look what's happened. Easy, big fella. Dave, we're too late. Easy, boy. Gone, you called it. These tracks were made by the men who set the wagon on fire. Look at them. Oh, must have been a lot of them. Did you ever see Indians wearing boots with high heels? I think it was white men who came here. White men? Let's look at the remains of the wagon. Do you see any rifles in there? Let me poke around. Oh! Still hot. There are a number of repeating rifles on the wagon. So you said. I don't see anything that looks like them. They've been stolen. I can savvy why a pack of outlaws would steal rifles. But why would they set fire into the wagon? Possibly because they hated everything connected with the army. You said Scar Flagler hated the... Flagler! Great day, that's it. This is his work. The raiders came along the floor of the canyon. They seemed to have been following the wagon tracks. How many of them would you say there were? There were tracks of at least a dozen horses. When they left here, they went that way. Up the canyon wall? There seems to be a narrow trail to the top. Could we follow those tracks? I think so. Wonder why they left the horses that pulled the wagon. Taint like those crooks to leave six strong horses behind. Probably because those horses couldn't climb the side of the canyon. They will follow those tracks. Leave clear signs so Tonto can follow us. With soldiers? I'll arrange a few stones here on the ground. Oh, what's that for? A message to Tonto. You'll know I want him to follow. There, that'll do it. Ready, Dave? Right. I just hope I get Scar Flagler in front of my shooting iron. That's what I hope. The Lone Ranger led the way along a narrow shelf-like trail that led to the rim of Sunset Canyon. Then for over half a mile, the hoof marks of the outlaw's horses could be clearly seen on level table land. After that, the ground became rocky and uneven. And foothills gave way to a jagged mountain. We're getting into high country. And rugged. I bet we've passed a dozen caves and canyons. This is just the sort of mountains a gang like Flagler's would pick for a hideout. Dave, I want you to drop back about 50 yards. Why? We may be getting close to the gang. You figure they'll shoot us on side, is that it? They'd be more likely to shoot you because of your uniform. Well, then let me ride ahead and draw the gunfire. You're a better shot. You're mounted on a better horse. If you drop back, you'll have a chance to duck for cover. Maybe you can turn tail and hit the back trail. Dave, I'm not turning tail. Neither am I. Stop here. Oh, Silver. Oh, you said it'd be called up. Now, we're less than half a mile from the peak of this mountain. Yeah, just about what I'd calculate. I doubt if the gang would camp on the far side. There aren't the hiding places there are on this side. And they're holed up somewhere between us and the ridge. I'm sure of it. Shade your eyes and look carefully. I'll use my binoculars. Look for smoke from a campfire. Chances are they'd use wood that burns with mighty little smoke. While the masked man and old Dave eyed the side of the mountain that lay above, they in turn were being watched. Flagler's men were closer than they realized. The critter with the mask is using binoculars now, boss. Yeah, let me see, Steve. Steve moved aside and Flagler took his place at a narrow gap between two massive boulders. The outlaw's hideout was a place ideally designed by nature for the purpose. It was an area of relatively level ground. From behind a barricade of large rocks, guards could watch the downhill slope of the mountain. On the opposite side of the hideout, the ground slanted upward toward the peak. You know who the soldier is, boss? No, I never saw him before. He's old looking to be wearing a uniform. He's lived too long. I hate soldiers and anyone who travels with them. Give me a rifle. The army sure made a mistake when it threw Flagler out. Plenty of men are paid for that. I said a rifle. Here, boss. Take mine. No, no. Now, one of the new ones. I want to see how these new repeaters work on men in uniform. Here they are. Loaded. You don't know how to use those repeaters, boss. Well, this is a good time to find out. First thumb back the hammer. No, you don't, boss. Don't tell me how to handle a rifle. How can any rifle be fired without drawing back the hammer? Boss, not so loud. They'll hear you. Hey, the duck has recovered. They did hear you. Shoot back. Boss, listen. Before you can find those repeating rifles... Shut up. I'm aiming. Where it didn't fire. Use the lever, boss. You said the rifle was loaded. It is loaded. I tried to tell you, boss. After you load the cartridges into the magazine, you've got to work the lever. That brings the first cartridge into firing position and cocks the rifle at the same time. Let me show you. I can do it. That's it. Now it's ready to fire. You see how the hammer's back? Well, this is a fine time to tell me. Well, you... Shut up. Now those two have gone behind a rock and taken their horses with them. Well, I'll give them something to think about. Get anything? No, but I cut plenty of hunks off the top of that rock. I'll let them know what'll happen if they come with any nearer in this. How'd they get this far? I didn't think anyone could follow our trail with this hideout. Well, maybe just luck on their part. Maybe they didn't follow each trail. Well, if they know someone's holed up here, we can't let them get away. Don't worry. They won't get away. Peter and Dave Hanley, momentarily safe behind the rock, held a brief counsel of war. At least we know where the gang's hiding. Dave, you're going to hit the back trail while I try to cover your retreat. No, sirree. I told you before, I won't turn tail and run. Listen to me, you old fire eater. Tonto is bringing men from Fort Meade. You can meet them on the trail. So tell them about that outlaw hideout. Behind those rocks, the crooks could stand off an army. Not if the army or even a small detachment attacks from the top of the hill. Huh? Say, there's an idea. You go and meet the soldiers. I'll stay here and keep those critters busy. Dave, the officer in charge of the troopers might not pay any attention to a masked man. What if an old soldier like you outlines a military strategy? Yeah. I guess you're right at that. Why don't we both go? We'd be cut down before we went 50 feet. Someone must stay here and fire fast enough to keep the outlaw's heads down. All right, I'll go. Ready? Ready as I'll ever be. When I start firing, ride. The masked man made sure both his guns were fully loaded. Then he leaped from behind the rock and hugged the ground. A rifle cracked from the rocky fortress above. Then the Lone Ranger's gun spoke. The outlaw, watching between the rocks, had fired too fast and missed. The smoke of his rifle gave the Lone Ranger a target. His first shot rocketed through the narrow gap and creased the outlaw's shoulder. His sustained fire sent bullet after silver bullet into the hideout while old Dave rode downhill at breakneck speed. When the masked man's guns were empty, he drew back to the shelter of the rock and hurriedly reloaded. The outlaw's opened fire, but harmlessly, the old soldier was out of sight and the masked man was protected. All right, hold it, Butch. No use wasting cottages. Just as you say, boss. Someone's gone away. I heard the hoopie. Must have been the old soldier. It was the masked man who did the shooting. Well, we'll get him. I'd like to put a bullet to his head to pay him for creasing my shoulder. Just sit tight and stand watch for another hour. Then it'll be dark. Then what, boss? We'll have a couple of boys sneak around and get them from behind. The Lone Ranger knew that his chances for survival were very scant. From time to time during the hour of twilight, he risked quick glances from behind the rock and each time brought a quick shot from the outlaws to show that they were watching constantly. He knew what the strategy would be when darkness gathered. He was fortified on only one side. Killers could and probably would creep close to attack some other side. Soon after dark, Silver sounded a warning. This is it, Silver. The masked man knew the end was near. He expected a death-dealing bullet at any instant from the black night that surrounded him. He was delaying it. There was faint moonlight, but the many shadows of rocks gave ample shelter to the approaching men. Maybe they were told to capture me alive. Flagler had given those orders. He wanted the masked man alive for questioning. There was a slight sound in the deep shadow of a nearby rock. The Lone Ranger turned in that direction. Then someone leaped from behind. I got him! Silver! The Lone Ranger threw off a man who had leaped on his shoulders, but two more men closed in. Then Silver joined the fight, doing what he could with plunging hooks and teeth. I got for the horse and let me club the masked man! With a fight with no holds barred, the masked man swung his fist until his arms were pinned to his side. Then he went down, swaddling. A man on top held a gun upraised as a club, but Silver charged and knocked the man aside. I'll kill that horse! Then gunfire broke out on the higher part of the mountain. There were shots of surprise and cries of dismay with a background of hoofbeats. Then a blow fell hard. It landed flush on the Lone Ranger's head. He felt himself going, going into a pit of unconsciousness. Opened his eyes in lantern light. He saw Tonto at his side. Then an old man in a soldier's uniform. Dave Hanley spoke. Why, he's awake. Gosh, mister, how are you feeling? I'm all right. I think. You all right? You must stop it. If Tonto says so, it must be so. Great day, we've got a lot to tell you. Flagler. It was his gang riding us. He, my son, let the attack on him. Why, here, here's my boy. Oh, hello, Bob. It's great to see you again. Don't try to stand for a time. Oh, I'm all right. Where's Silver? Right over there with the rest of the horses. We're in Flagler's hideout. We corralled the whole gang, got them red-handed with no end of stolen loot and the army uniforms and rifles. Good for you, Dave. We snuck close from the top of the mountain. Me and my son and Tonto went down to where you were fighting while the rest of the detachment took care of things here. Oh, oh, it's been a great great day for the army. Tonto, we're through here. Now, hold on. You sure you're able to ride? Yes, Dave. Adios. Adios? Hey, you soldiers. Listen sharp. I want you to hear something you'll never forget when this masked man rides away. I want you to hear the war cry of a champion. I don't do that. A copyrighted feature of The Lone Ranger, Incorporated, is produced by Trandall Campbell-Muir, Incorporated. The part of The Lone Ranger is played by Bray Steamer, your announcer, Fred Floyd. Listen to The Lone Ranger, brought to you by special recording Mondays through Fridays at this same time. Thank you.
