A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud 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. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver. Let's go, big fella. Come on, Silver. The Lone Ranger had been severely wounded. He lay in a small room off the kitchen in the home of his good friend, Clarabelle Hornblow. Fever and infection had weakened him so he could hardly talk, and Tonto, his Indian friend, was worried. Tonto stood near the kitchen stove, while Clarabelle ladled turkey broth into a bowl. Thunder Martin, the top hand of the Hornblow ranch, had gone to town. If you try to get the Lone Ranger to swallow some of this broth, Tonto, it'd be mighty good for him. Me cry. Is he awake? Him awake, but plenty weak. Fever high. There you are. I'll keep the rest of it warm in the back of the stove in case our friend wants some more. Well, me hope him want more. It's our tarnation. Look, there's no doctor inside of 50 miles. But then I reckon Tonto's doing all that can be done. Oh, that man howling like a banshee on a red-hot stove. Hey, Clarabelle! Keep your voice down, Thunder, and don't slam that door. Oh, yeah. Say, Clarabelle, I... I've told you to be quiet around this house. You know, we got a mighty sick man here. Yeah, I know that, Clarabelle, and I'd give all to God if he was somewhere else. Why? Clarabelle, I made an awful mistake. I got to talking in the cafe. Don't tell me you blabbed about the Lone Ranger being here and wounded. Now, Clarabelle, I... You did blab. Oh, you jabbering baboon. You clinker-brain gorilla. What if the word spreads and some of the Lone Ranger's enemies learn he's here and helpless? The word don't have to spread. Tell me the rest. Well, I knew I made a mistake as soon as I told Baldy about the Lone Ranger. Then I looked around to see who else had heard it. Well? Well, there was two men at the end of the bar. They both were grinning at me like they was grateful for what I'd said. Name them. Go ahead, Thunder. Get it over with. Red Kincaid and Trigger Maxim. Kincaid and Maxim? They're killers. You don't say. They did two years in jail because the Lone Ranger caught him in a hole. I remember. He swore they'd get square with the Lone Ranger. Yeah. And now you've given them the chance. You practically invited those killers to come here and kill the Lone Ranger when he can't defend himself. I know. Oh, Thunder, I could brain you. Why, for two cents, I'd disconnect your head and unravel your spine. Yeah, I got it coming, Clarabelle. Oh, Tonto. Close the door and come here. Tonto, I've been a double distilled fool. Me. Hear what you say. Did the Lone Ranger hear it? Not here. Him sleep. Tonto, if you heard me, you'll know our friend's in awful danger. Kincaid and Maxim will come here to kill him as sure as you're born. I know. Hey, say, wait. I got an idea. Huh. You know it's a good idea, Clarabelle. Let me tell it. Well, who's stopping you? All right, then. Listen there. There's a cave in the hillside about 100 yards from this house. You know the place. I ought to. I've been looking at it through my kitchen window for the past 20 years. Have you ever noticed that cave, Tonto? Uh-huh. Me, no. That's a fool question. That black hole in the hill can be seen from any part of this ranch. It shows up like a green patch on the seat of black trousers. Well, we'll take the Lone Ranger there. We'll hide him. Then when those killers come here, they can search the house if they have a mind to it. And they won't find him hiding their hair, the man they come to kill. Thunder, you jughead. Do you remember the time you set fire to the hen house while I was in town? Well, it was an accident, Clarabelle. Well, accident or not, you were plenty scared. When I got back from town, saw the hen house burned and the hens running wild and started looking for you. When I didn't find you in the house, where'd I look? Uh, the cave. And that's where I found you hiding, remember? I'll never forget it. Kincaid and Maxim are likely to figure the same as I did and go look in the cave. Well, maybe not, Clarabelle. Well, maybe they're not as smart as you are. What do you think, Dono? We not move Lone Ranger to cave. Oh. Him to weak. Move him a hundred yards, maybe him die. Oh. That settles it. There's only one thing to do. Where you going? I'm getting my shotgun. We'll keep our eyes peeled and watch for those crooks. If they come around here looking for trouble, we'll accommodate them. Well, that'll mean gunplay. You're doggone right. Say, Clarabelle, I have another idea. I'm going back to town. For what? I'll tell Kincaid and Maxim that I was just bragging and boasting about the Lone Ranger being here. And that it was nothing but a whopping Big Feb. Do you think they'll swallow that? Well, if they don't, I'll talk to the sheriff. Maybe he can lock them up on some kind of a charge or something. Hmm. Well, anyway, it's worth a try. I'll see what I can do. Well, Tonto, looks like we'd better be geared for trouble. Hmm. And what we do if Crook come here? I'd like to shoot them on sight. But, Dad Ratat, I can't do that. I can't shoot until they make the first move toward gunplay. And when they make their move, it'll be too late. Maybe me got ID. When thunder gets ideas, I'm not much interested. But when you say that, Tonto, I'm downright glad to listen. Let's hear your idea. In early evening, Trigger, Maxim, and Red Kincaid occupied a table near the rear wall of the cafe. Maxim was speaking. And after the barbershop, I went to the livery stable. And there, the general store. I asked about a dozen men where I could find the Lone Ranger. No one knew. You think they were telling the truth? Then why wouldn't they? Maybe they were trying to protect the Lone Ranger. Protect him? Yeah. It's generally known that we vowed to get square with him for tracking us down after that robbery in Meatville. But that was two years ago. Even so, Maxim. You're wrong, Kincaid. Maybe one or two men would try to protect the masked man, but not everyone. I wonder if Thunder Martin was lying when he said the Lone Ranger was at the Hornblow Ranch and wounded him. Well, there's only one way to find out. We'll go there. Why not? There's nothing to lose. Kincaid, look who just came in the front door. Thunder Martin. Yeah. I thought he left town hours ago. So did I. Maybe he came back. Hi there. He's waving at us. He's coming this way. I wonder what he wants of us. Well, evening, Batson. Howdy, Kincaid. Hi. Howdy. You mind if I sit down? Go ahead. Thank you. Well, congratulations on getting out of the calaboos. Yeah, thanks. I wanted to speak to the two of you this afternoon when I saw you standing at the bar, but I couldn't take the time. I was in a hurry to get back to the ranch with some flies. I didn't know you even saw us. How are things at the Hornblow Ranch? Oh, just about the same as usual. There's never anything new around that place. No? No. That is, I get mighty fed up with having no one to talk to except Clive Bell. I thought there was a wounded man at the ranch, namely the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger? Yeah. Wounded? At the Hornblow Ranch? That's what I said. Maxim, where'd you get that idea? You said so yourself. I said so. What? Oh, I said to him. You ever heard me having fun with a barkeep, huh? I don't, he'll believe anything I'd tell him. Did you see his eyes go wide when I told him the Lone Ranger was at our place? He never knows when I'm kidding him. You didn't sound like you were kidding. Ah, don't tell me. You two gents thought I was serious. You lying to the barkeep? I reckon you and Kincaid don't know me very well. He's, well, I can tell the biggest gosh awful lies you ever heard. And with a straight face. That doesn't answer my question. One time I told that barkeep I licked 20 redskins single-handed. And he swallowed every word of it. Is the Lone Ranger at your place? My place? The Hornblow Ranch. Kincaid, if that famous man was at the Hornblow Ranch, do you think I'd be here in town? Maybe. Now, that's a fine... Maybe you figured it was a mistake to tell where the Lone Ranger is. Maybe you came back to town to try and correct that mistake. Why in tarnation would I want to keep secret where the Lone Ranger is? Never mind, Thunder. Now, listen, Jansh. I know you were both sore at the Lone Ranger because he capped... Yeah, we got a little debt to square with him. Well, Dad Radditch, you got off easy with only two years in jail. You both killed a few men. You're lucky there wasn't evidence enough to hang you. Now, don't crowd your luck. Maxim, I wonder what he's driving at. You know plain well what I'm driving at. If you come to the ranch looking for the Lone Ranger, there'll be things happen to you that'll make you wish you'd never got out of jail. Just remember what I said. Thunder Martin hurried from the cafe to the home of Sheriff Bates. He told all that had happened and reminded the lawmen of the vow Kincaid and Maxim had made two years previously. And, Sheriff, they meant it when they swore to get the Lone Ranger. Huh? And in spite of all I said, they know the Lone Ranger's a Clarabelle's place and wounded. They're killers, Sheriff. That's never been proved, Thunder. They got a two-year stretch for robbery and they served their time. As far as the law is concerned, they're in the clear. Well, there must be some way you can jail them for 30 days or so. Well, not unless they break the law. Of course, if they go to Clarabelle's and start gunplay... They won't start gunplay until they're sure to get the Lone Ranger. If Kincaid and Maxim shoot anyone, I'll make sure they pay in full. That's not going to help the Lone Ranger. But, Tom... Never mind. What are you going to do? I'll handle it my way. Thunder Martin waited in the darkness between two buildings across the street from the cafe. Presently, he saw Kincaid and Maxim leave the place, mount their horses, and ride out of town in the direction of the Hornblow Ranch. Get up there. The trail followed the winding pattern of the valley. Though the moon was bright, the frequent turns in the many clumps of mesquite made it easy for Thunder to remain out of sight. He thought he was unnoticed by the men ahead. He learned otherwise when Kincaid and Martin, holding guns, stepped from behind a massive boulder. I'll hold it, Martin. Green it. Oh, what in tarnation? You're covered. Take it easy now. Maxim Kincaid. Where are you wondering? Save your breath in this month. Make a pass at your gun and I'll shoot new holes through your head. All right, this month. Yeah, I'm doing it. But that right is right. I'll keep him covered, Maxim. Take his gun. Well, Thunder. You think you were tagging a couple of greenhorns who don't know enough to watch their back trail? Hey, if you murder and pull catch figure on going to the Horton Blue Ranch. Martin, we're going to make sure that it's none of your business where we go or what we do. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger adventure. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue. Thunder Martin's face was distorted with anger and frustration as he stood disarmed with his hands at shoulder level. He faced Kincaid, who held a gun, and Maxim, who had just disarmed him. How about shooting the big galoot with his own gun? Maybe later, but not here. We'll take him to the ranch with us. Now get some rope, we'll tie and gag him. Yeah, there's some short hunks of rope in my saddlebag. Keep him covered. I warned you, poor catch, about crowding your luck, and I meant it. Hey, Maxim. With lightning speed, Thunder slapped aside Kincaid's gun, then closed in with a grip like a grizzly bear. Maxim rushed in with his gun, raised like a club. He brought it down on Thunder's head. Good work, Maxim. We'll tie and gag him before he comes true. At the ranch house, Claribel Hornblow and Tonto had been busy carrying out Tonto's suggestion in the hope of outwitting Kincaid and Maxim. They were awaiting the return of Thunder Martin, without the slightest suspicion that the big man had been captured. When Thunder Martin regained consciousness, he found himself gagged and in a most uncomfortable position. His stomach rested on the saddle, while his feet tied together dangled on one side and his head and shoulders on the other. His hands were tied together at the wrists and hung almost to the ground. Hey, Kincaid, I think the big gents regained cautiousness. That's good. They're right in. Who, who, who, who, who, who, who? Why are we stopping here? It's the Hornblow house straight ahead. I'll go on alone and talk to Claribel. It might be a good idea if I lead Martin's horse over yonder where we'll be out of sight amongst those trees. No, no, stay right here in plain view of the house. I want Claribel to see that we're holding Thunder Martin prisoner. Oh, I'll say. Come on, get him. Kincaid rode confidently to the front of the rambling ranch house about a hundred yards away. Ho, ho, ho. He drew rain, and as he dismounted, he looked toward Maxim and Thunder to make sure they could be seen clearly in the moonlight. Then he rapped on the door. Who's there? The name is Kincaid. I want to talk to Claribel Hornblow. The door's unlocked. Open her up. Claribel stood back from the door and slightly to one side. She held a double-barreled shotgun. Stand right there. You haven't been invited in. What's the idea? You always meet visitors with a shotgun? I use this for rattlesnakes and polecats. Which are you? Huh? Said your name was Kincaid. Well, I've been expecting you. Where's your murdering pal? You've been expecting me? Yeah. Now just keep your hands away from that gun, Kincaid. It'd be legal shooting if I let you have it in self-defense. Why were you expecting me? Thunder Martin said you and Maxim were in town. He thought you'd come here with the mistaken notion that you'd find the man who captured you a couple of years ago. Ah. So Thunder said that, huh? Yeah. Now where's Maxim? He's out front about a hundred yards away. You'll see him if you'll move a little bit to the right. You're blocking the doorway. Just step inside and move slow. Oh, that's far enough. There's someone there with Maxim. I see two horses. You recognize the big horse? That is, it looks like... Thunder Martin's across the saddle, tied and gagged. Why, you ornery murderer... Now take it easy. You can get a bullet in the head if anything happens to me. If you've heard him... He's all right so far. And he'll continue to be all right if you're willing to listen to reason. Listen to reason? And what do you mean? I'm here to swap Thunder Martin for the Lone Ranger. Kincaid, you must be loco. I can't turn the Lone Ranger over to you. Where's his Indian pal? Where's Tonto? You're barking up the wrong tree. Where'd you get the idea that Tonto was around here? Don't try to bluff me, Clarabelle. Why, I'm not trying to bluff anyone. Tonto's not in this house. Why, if you're a jughead enough to think I'm lying, you're free to search the place. Am I? That's what I said. Now listen to me, Kincaid. Thunder Martin's a blabbermouth. He tries to talk big every time he goes to town. When he came here and told me I'd been yapping to the barkeep, I had a hunch we'd be hearing from you. Uh-huh. Now clear out. You turn Thunder Martin loose, and I'll see that he forgets about being captured. I promise he won't try to make trouble for you. Clarabelle, you said something about searching the house. You won't find anyone here. I'll see for myself. That's the same as calling me a liar. Maybe so. Why, you mangy, no help. Be careful how you wave that shotgun. If it goes off accidental, Maxim might think you fired at me. Then he'd shoot Thunder Martin. All right, Kincaid. Go ahead and search the place. Kincaid crossed the living room and went through an open door into the kitchen. Clarabelle followed closely. Why don't you look inside the wood box? Maybe the Lone Ranger and Tonto are hiding there. Or maybe they're in the oven of the stove. Is that door opening outside? Of course it does. Don't you see the window right next to it? That's the back door. What about that door on the side wall? That goes to a small bedroom. I never use it except when someone's visiting. It's dark in here. Would you expect me to have lights going in every room of the house? There's enough moonlight coming through the window to show you the room is empty. See, I... What's the matter? Oh, nothing. I generally keep the curtains on the window closed. Strike a match if you want more light. You'll find a candle on the table. I'll just close each curtain. Just a minute. Say, let go of me. I want to draw the curtains. And I want to look through that window. You saw something out there. Well, no, no. There's nothing to see except the side of a rocky hill. Yeah. And a couple of horses standing at the foot of the hill. Yeah, that's it, Kincaid. That's why I was so surprised. I wondered how a couple of my horses got out of the crowd. One of those could have looked pure white, just like the Lone Ranger's horse. Oh, just the moonlight. And the other seems to be a paint, like Tonto's. Moonlight makes everything look different, Kincaid. You should know that. Many a time I've mistaken a gray horse or a palomino for a white one. Those horses look as if they're standing near the entrance to a cave. What? You know about the cave? I mean to say, what cave? Say, how about going on with the search? Don't you want to see the room upstairs? And the shack where Thunder Martin lives? I reckon there's no need to search the rest of the house. Now take that shotgun. You needn't twist my arm off. Give me back my gun. You might be tempted to use it. Come back here, Kincaid. Where are you going? After the front door slammed, Clarabelle stood motionless until she heard Kincaid ride away from the house. Then she turned quickly, gripped the bed, and pulled it away from the wall to the middle of the room. Then she dropped to her knees beside the lone ranger, who lay on a mattress which had been placed on the floor. The wounded man was too weak to speak, but the moonlight revealed his look of gratitude. Well, he fooled him. He was so sure you were hiding in the cave, he never bothered to finish searching the house. Now, I've got to leave you alone for a spell. You keep up the fight. Everything's going to be all right. Kincaid, full of discovery, rushed to the place where Maxim was waiting beside Thunder Martin. Thunder lay on the ground beside his horse. Oh, oh, oh. Hold on. He was still tied and gagged, but he could hear the conversation. How'd it work out, Kincaid? Is the lone ranger in that house? No, but I know where he's hiding. And Tonto's with him. Yeah, where? In a cave in that hill beyond the house. I don't see anything that looks like a cave. The house is in the way. You can't see it from here. What about Thunder Martin? Leave him where he is. Come on. All right, come on. Get up. Get up here. Come on. The killers rode in a semicircle, passing the house at a distance to discourage any attempt by Clarabelle to open fire. Who? Who? Who? Who done? Easy. They drew rain at the base of the steep slope some distance from the cave. Leading their horses, they proceeded softly on foot. Kincaid still held Clarabelle's shotgun. He led the way, and as he neared the cave and saw the two horses at Ground Hitch, he whispered to Maxson, Yeah. That's the lone ranger's horse, all right enough. Yeah. The other one is Tonto's. I'll never forget those horses. Stop here. I'll peek around the edge of the opening. I hope we get him by surprise. You see anything? Yeah. The cave goes straight back for about 50 feet. Two men are stretched out in blankets at the far end. How could you see them? The moonlight shining right down on them from a big hole in the ceiling. Must be a sort of chimney that comes out in the side of the mountain. Men are sleeping, huh? Yeah, yeah. It looks like it. It must be they didn't hear our horses. Yeah, we'll rush them. I'll use both barrels of this scattergun, and we'll use our six guns. All right. Ready? Yeah, let's go. The killers rushed forward, pouring deadly gunfire into the blanket-wrapped figures. Yeah, we got him. They never knew what hit him. I've always wanted to look at the face of the lone ranger. Yeah, well, here's my chance. I'll make sure we get the Indian for keeps. Hey, Massimo. Kincaid, look under this blanket. Nothing but a log. Same here. It was a trick. They had dummies hit a fool. I'm going back that ranch. What's that? Hey, a blast. Look, the mouth of the cave. Rocks. The outlaw stared as tons of rock slid down from the steep hill and piled up in the mouth of the cave. The blast had been set and fired by Tonto, who was waiting and hiding on the hillside. The Indian stood near Scout and Silver until the rock slide stopped. Then he approached the sealed entrance. You, fella, inside. Let us out. We pull you out through hole in Sealand after Sheriff comes. Are they in there, Tonto? Them inside. Trick worked plenty good. Oh, he'd have been here sooner, but it took a couple of minutes to untie Thunder Martin. Say, you sure those crooks can't dig their way out? Me sure. Some are rocked plenty big. Take three, four men with tools to move them. I'd move you single-handed for the chance to get square with those bombers. The way they treated me, I... Thunder, you ought to let the dog deal with them, Savvy. Oh, now, Clare Bell. They'll get a spell in jail for assaulting you, and another term for trying to kill the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Now, Thunder, you ride to town. Tell the Sheriff what happened. All right, Clare Bell. Steady. Get up there. Well, me stay here on guard until Sheriff comes. No, Tonto. I'll stay here. If I see any chance that those critters are getting the rocks moved away, I'll blast the daylights out of them. That good. Your place is at the side of our friend, the Lone Ranger. This is a feature of the Lone Ranger, Incorporated, created by George W. Trendle, produced by Trendle Campbell Muir, Incorporated, and directed by Charles D. Livingston. Tonight's drama was written by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. Our... We'll be right back.
