A force with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo silver. The Lone Ranger. 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. One silver. Let's go, big fella. I'm still there. Buck Miles and his four followers sat at a table in a cafe in Rock Point. The five men stopped in the small town for noonday dinner. One of them was saying, We've done a lot of riding since Las Vegas, Buck. How much further is it to Oakford? Oh, about 20 miles, Joe. Well, I hope things work out the way you expect. We're all running out of cash here. Stop worrying, will you? You know, as well as I do, the law was getting too hot for us up in New Mexico territory. I figured it'd be a good idea to take advantage of the fact my young brother and his wife own a hotel in Oakford where we can make our headquarters and get plenty of easy cash. How do you know he let us stay there, Buck? He let us stay, all right. Roy always was easygoing and respectable. He left home after Mom died and he found out Pop and I joined a gang. I lost track of Roy a few months ago when I found out he was married and owned the hotel in Oakford. Seems he's quite a respectable citizen there. Well, in that case, he's not going to welcome you and your friends, Buck. Of course he will. He's not looking for trouble. He's not going to want folks to know his brother's an outlaw. I'll tell him I've reformed. I'm just passing through with some friends. Once we're settled, what can he do? Well, maybe it'll be all right. Ah, stop worrying. We'll use this hotel as headquarters while we'll grab some easy cash around the territory. Knowing I'm Roy's brother, Phelps and Oakford aren't going to suspect I'm leader of an outlaw gang. Your brother might turn on us, because it's wise, Buck. We're taking a big chance. Leave thanks to me. I know how to handle Roy. And let's get out of here. I'm anxious to get to Oakford. Come on. Buck convinced his brother, Roy, that he and his friends were in Oakford on business. But during the weeks that followed, the territory near Oakford was terrorized by frequent robberies and killings. The gang's operations were the main topic of conversation in the cafe. I hear the stage from Vegas was held up and robbed again yesterday morning. Seems like every time I come into town, I hear of another robbery. The law hasn't been able to get a line on the outlaws. The gang sure has a smart leader. That's right. See, the sheriff and his men are plum-tuggered out trying to track the gang. I've gone out with several of the posses, but it seems useless riding around, worrying yourself out and getting nowhere. Well, I know how you feel, but something has to be done. We're doing all we can. And I, for one, will keep on until those ornery outlaws are caught. The following day, the lone ranger and his Indian companion, Tonto, rode into the territory. As they moved leisurely along the trail toward Oakford, the masked man was saying, It's strange that outlaws have terrorized this territory for weeks, yet no one has been able to find them. They seem to know when and where to strike. That might mean the leader is someone living in or near Oakford. That right. We'll find a convenient campsite, then we'll try to find that gang's trail. Come on, Silver. That afternoon, Buck Miles sat smoking and listening as his brother Roy walked the floor of his personal quarters in the hotel. Roy was talking heatedly. Buck, I'm sure you and those friends of yours are the ones responsible for what's been going on around here. Don't say something you can't prove, Roy. Maybe I can prove it. I've noticed every time you and those men are away from the hotel for any length of time, there's a robbery. I hoped you'd changed, but it's evident that you haven't. I want you and those men to leave the hotel. I wouldn't talk like that if I were you, Roy. It isn't healthy. Before you came here, I was a respected citizen of Oakford. You still are, aren't you? How long would it last if they found out my own brother is the leader of the outlaw gang the whole town's talking about? If they do find out, Roy, maybe you'll go to jail for harboring criminals or something like that. Then it's true. What you said just now proves you and those men are the outlaws. Don't get so excited. I have a good mind to go to the sheriff. Go ahead. That wife of yours will make a mighty pretty widow, Roy. Now just keep your mouth shut or take the consequences. We won't hang around much longer. Then you can rest easy. I'm going to the cafe a while. Remember, keep your mouth shut. Later that evening, Buck and four of his men gathered in Buck's room adjoining his brother's quarters. Joe asked... Where's Blinky? I sent him to the next town to try to line up something for us. He'll be back for long. Joe, tell the others what you've lined up. Well, the mining officer is sending the payroll out of here tomorrow. It goes at noon. Well, if it's going by stage, it'll be well guarded. The manager of the office has to share for a deputy to act as guard. He's taken the payroll by buckboard. Now they most likely figure no one will suspect them of carrying a large payroll on a buckboard. It'll be easy for us to grab that cash. He said. Yeah, that must be Blinky. Open the door, Joe. Yeah, all right. Hello, Ben. What took you so long, Blinky? I did a bit of spying on a couple of Arbres, Buck. I knew you'd be interested in them. Yeah, who are they? Wait, I'll get to that. You see, I was coming over a rise back along the south trail when I spotted a couple of Arbres turning toward a clump of cottonwoods about a mile from here. Well? One of them wears a mask. The other's an Indian. They ride a white stallion and a paint. That don't mean anything to me. Hold on, Joe. Maybe those Arbres are the Lone Ranger and his Indian friend. That's right, Buck. Hey, I have heard of them. Buck, we better forget that robbery tomorrow if those two are so close. No, no, no. We'll grab that cash while we're planning. Oh, no, Buck. Don't pull any jobs with them around. Listen, all of you. Even if the Lone Ranger and the Indian are in the neighborhood, they don't have any idea we know it. Maybe not. Hey, wait a minute. I just thought. That buckboard deal might be a trap. The sheriff might be watching for us. And then with that masked man around, who might be... Look, the sheriff is mighty interested in getting a line on the outlaws, isn't he? Sure, of course. Yeah. We've always been careful to mask our faces so nobody could get wise to us. Now, if Blinky goes to the sheriff and tells him he saw a mask outlaw in an Indian camp on a mile out of town, we'll be safe enough. I don't say. I figured the sheriff and his men will go out there right away to try to capture those two hombres. And then what? The masked man and Indian are plenty smart. They won't let the men get close enough to capture them. Instead, they'll beat it. Then the sheriff and the posse will start trailing them. While they're out trying to catch the Lone Ranger and his Indian friend, we'll move in and grab that payroll, Seppi. Hey, good to me. Now, Blinky, go tell the sheriff about the two outlaws, you sir. Blinky left to tell the sheriff, and the others followed him from the hotel. They were just in time to see a familiar figure ride hurriedly away from the hitch rack. Hey, Buck, that looked like your brother. He's heading for the South Trail, too. He must have been in the next room and overheard what we said. He should have heard of the Lone Ranger. I figure he's going to warn him. Sure. Joe, you and I'll follow him. All right. We'll meet you three at the cafe when we get back. Sure. Come on, Joe. Yeah. All right, steady there. Get up. Come on. Get up there. Get up. The moon was shining brightly, and as the two outlaws, Buck and Joe, rode around a bend, they saw Roy riding a short distance ahead, where the trail followed the edge of a bluff overlooking a river. There he is, Buck. He must be getting close to the Cottonwoods. We've come almost a mile. I'll stop that double-crossing squealer right now. You hit him, Buck. He fell from his horse and went over the edge into the river. He deserved it. Come on. Get up there. Get up. Go ahead. Go ahead. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. There's his horse. Yeah. I'll look over the edge. You see him down there? No. I'll go down to the riverbank, have a look. We want to be sure he's done for. Buck quickly made his way down a narrow path through the riverbank. Seeing no sign of his brother, he quickly returned to the bluff where Joe waited with the horses. Well, I was looking down at the water. Didn't see him come up. No sign of him along the riverbank. He's done for. Yeah, we'll go back to town now. Good. Steady. Get him back. Come on. Get him. Meanwhile, at their camp, the lone ranger and Tonto, who had been searching the hills for some trace of the gang, returned to the clump of cottonwoods just in time to hear the two distant shots. They immediately set out to investigate. Easy, steady, big fella. Easy, fella. Come on, settle there. Come on. Count. Hold over. Hold. Easy, steady, big fella. Easy, steady, big fella. Here's a horse with an empty saddle. Help. Someone down there, Kemosabe. Tonto, I think I see a figure lying in that narrow stretch of beach. To the left of the bluff, near the bend. Come on. Quickly, the masked man and the Indian left the bluff and hurried to the place the lone ranger had indicated. They approached the figure lying there. He's still alive. He's been in the water. He shot me. Fell into the river. Managed to swim underwater. Hide among the reeds beyond the bluff. When they left, I... Easy, easy. Take it easy, fella. Tonto, here's a shoulder wound. It... It's not bad. You... You're the masked man. I came to... Now, please, don't. Don't try to talk now. We'll take you to our camp and bandage your shoulder. You'll be safe there. A short time later, they reached camp and bandaged Roy's shoulder. He told them what he had overheard and about his brother being the gang leader. When he finished, the lone ranger asked, Roy, why didn't you tell the sheriff about your brother? Buck threatened to kill me, and I didn't have proof. I came to warn you about the sheriff coming here. Oh, thanks. I heard of you and knew you could help. The gang can be caught red-handed tomorrow when they hold up the buckboard with the payroll. Kimo Sabe. Yes. Look. Forcemen come over rise. Back along trail. Must be the sheriff and the posse. We have planned to give them a good reception. 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. The sheriff with a small posse of six men soon approached the campsite. Go forward on foot to the clearing among the trees. Now be quiet. Come on. There's the camp. It ought to be easy to grab them. Every gun's ready. All right. The moon's just plenty of light. But it's bright enough to see there's nobody around, Sheriff. Yeah, you're right. Come on. The sheriff led the group into the center of the clearing. It looks like they got away from us. Maybe the hombre who reported them made a mistake, Sheriff. No, I don't think so. Somebody was camping here. The fire's still smoking. There's a lead-to over yonder. Let's look for that track, Sheriff. Yeah, we'll trade them. We might be wasting time, Sheriff. They might not be outlaws. From what that fellow Blinky told me, I'd say they are. You're wrong, Sheriff. We're not members of that outlaw gang. Who said that was? Where is he? I'm covering you from behind this big tree over here. You're also covered from across the clearing. Now reach, everybody. Six of us to two of them, Sheriff. We can't see them, but they can see us. Also, they have the drop on us. You better reach, men. Walk over this way, Sheriff. I'll walk to meet you. Keep your hands up or my friends will fire. I want to talk to you. Reagan, I might as well. Thanks, Sheriff. You aren't going to get away with this, Missy. We had to do it this way for our own safety. We could have shot you as you came into the clearing. Yeah, that's right. We've learned you were coming here, so we took our horses back among the trees. Here's the little scout. The big white stallion in the paint, eh? Where's the rest of the gang? There's no gang. I have two friends across the clearing. Now, have your men drop their guns, and I'll let you see them. Better drop your guns, men. All right, sir. The Sheriff and his men reluctantly dropped their guns. Then the Lone Ranger called. Tonto, you and the young man step into the clearing. The Sheriff and the others watched as Tonto and Roy, each holding guns, stepped into the bright moonlight at the opposite end of the clearing. Say, that's Roy Miles. Roy and Tonto slowly approached, keeping their guns in readiness. Hello, Sheriff. You are hurt. Roy, what's the meaning of this? How come you... Don't get excited, Sheriff. These two men are friends, not outlaws. You ought to know who they are, especially the masked man. Maybe so, but... Look closely. Masked man, the white stallion named Silver, an Indian named Tonto. In fact, the reason I'm here is because I wanted to warn the Lone Ranger... Hold on. Did you say the Lone Ranger? That's right. Well, doggone, I should have known. Hey, man, this hombre's a friend. I know all about him. Thanks, Sheriff. We'll host our guns now. What's this all about? How come Roy's wounded and here with you? I'll explain all that to you, Sheriff. Then I'll discuss a plan to capture the outlaws you've been hunting. I'm certain we'll be able to catch them red-handed. The Lone Ranger and Roy explain what had happened to the Sheriff and his men. And that's the story, Sheriff. Now you know that Roy's brother and his friends are the outlaws who have been active in this territory. Great day. And I think your own brother tried to kill you, Roy. He's my brother in name only as far as I'm concerned, Sheriff. Buck has always been outside the law. I found out right after my mother died. Then I left home. Never expected to see him again. But when he turned up in town, why didn't you say something to me about it? At first he told me he was going straight and I wanted to believe him. Then I realized what was going on. When I faced him about it, he threatened to kill me if I said anything. The ornery poor catch. I overheard their discussion about the Lone Ranger and decided to tell him their plans against him. And at the same time, ask his help. Yes, and you risked your life to get to us. Say, mister, you said something about having a plan. Roy's already told you that Buck and his men intend to hold up the man carrying the mining payroll tomorrow. Yeah, but they might not go through with it now, especially if they see us riding back to town. Don't go back to town tonight, Sheriff. Let them think they succeeded in getting you and the posse to trail us. But they don't say, man. Send your deputy back to town to pass around the word that you think Roy is dead. And you're following Toto and me as a killer. Say, that's a good idea. Buck and his men will go through with the hold up if they think you and your men are away, Sheriff. That's right. They'll attempt the hold up. But we'll be near to see if they don't succeed and to capture them red-handed. Hey, send him, mister. That's a good plan. Later that same night, Buck Miles was at a table with Joe and Blinky in the cafe when the deputy entered. Hey, look, Buck. There's the sheriff's deputy. The posse must have come back to town already. Yeah, he's heading his way. I'll do the talking. I've been looking for you, Mr. Miles. Oh, what for? I brought bad news. Go on. It's about your brother, Roy. We found his horse on the trail along the river. We figured something must have happened to him. No. Poor Roy. The sheriff thinks the mass man and engine are responsible. Their camp was nearby. Did you catch those pole kits? No, but the sheriff says to tell you he'll keep the posse after them until they are caught. Good. They ought to be hanged when they are caught. It was nice of you to come all the way back to bring the news. Why, I was coming into town anyway. I have a very important job to do in the morning. I'm sure sorry about you, brother. Thanks. It's hard to believe. Somebody has to tell Roy's wife. Oh, I already told her. She's staying with the sheriff's wife tonight. Oh. Let's get back to the hotel, men. Great news about poor Roy kind of suffering. Things are working out all right for us, boys. That deputy came back to ride his guard on the buckboard tomorrow with the payroll. Yeah. And it's a stroke of luck that the mass man and engine are getting the blame for what happened to Roy. Well, we'll grab that cash without any trouble. And we'll leave Oakford for good. The following day, the mining office manager and the deputy rode the buckboard along the trail from town. Get up there, boy. Get up. It shouldn't take you as very long to reach the mine. The sooner the better. I'll be mighty relieved if we get the payroll there safely. Nobody in town is supposed to know you're carrying the payroll. That's right, but... Look. Horsemen come from behind those big boulders ahead. Hey, they're outlaws. No use shooting it or draw their fire into too many boys. I was afraid this would happen. Better stop. They're known to be killers. Oh, there. Oh. Hey, reach. Oh, here. Yeah, what do we do? Do as he says, quick. All right, we're reaching, mister. Kick that black satchel. Lay under your feet. Show it off the buckboard and hurry. Black satchel? Sure. I'll get the satchel, man. Hey, look, a posse. All right, let him have it. We can't. We'll have to fight him off. For a few moments, the outlaws fought back furiously. The men of the posse spread out and rolled forward in a semicircle. Buck shouted encouragement to his men. Drive them back. Blast them, man. Then the crook saw a masked man and Indian forging ahead of the posse with guns blazing. Oh, my elbow. Joe yelled with pain as a bullet struck his arm. One, two, three. Better get me. Silver, away, Buck. Wait for me. The man on the big roan is leaving. I'll get him. Come on, Silver. The great white stallion, Silver, knew he must catch the big roan ahead, and he exerted every effort to close the gap between them. Come on, Silver. Fast the big fella. Three more shots rang out, and the bullets whined uncomfortably close to the masked man. But his galloping horse had spoiled Buck's aim. The lone ranger now realized Buck's gun was empty. He swung his lariat above his head. Then, with unerring aim, threw it so that the noose fell over the shoulders of the man on the road. Hold, Silver. Hold, back. The intelligent Silver stopped quickly and braced himself to hold the rope taut. Easy, steady, big fella. And a fall of my horse hurt my shoulder. Don't shoot. No need wasting bullets on you. A rope will do when the proper time comes. Now, get up. Well, we got them all, mister. All are wounded but that with me. Some of her, I mean, are wounded, too, but nothing serious. We'll take care of them before we head back to town. They're lucky we weren't shooting to kill. Yes, that's right. I noticed the one you cut still wears that makeshift mask. I'll take it off now. Hey, that's War Mile's brother. Yeah, and he was a lead in that gang. I found it out last night. The mask man told me. How did he know? I see my friend Tonto riding this way with someone who will explain. No. What? Roy. I thought he was dead. Roy is dead. This is a trick, bud. It's no trick. Sure you thought I was dead because you and Buck tried to kill me last night. The mask man and Indian found me and helped me. You low-down sneak. You were going to go to their camp and tell them what you heard us saying. That's right. I told you I didn't want you to stay in Oakwood. You never were any good. You're a disgrace to the name of Miles. Roy Miles and his wife are alike to lot in town, and the fact that his brother is a crook and a killer won't be held against him. He did the right thing in helping us catch each other. Oh, up there. Thanks for saving the payroll, Sheriff. You showed up just in time. Well, we planned it that way, Mr. Lewis. We knew the hold-up was going to happen. You knew about it? Uh-huh. I warned the deputy to make sure you didn't do anything to get him riled until we got there. I figured they wouldn't hurt you unless you and the guard resisted. You see, we wanted to catch him red-handed. Roy showed a lot of courage in doing what he did. He knew he was risking his life. Roy deserves a vote of thanks from all of us. Sheriff, I'll see you again sometime. We're heading west now to Pecos. Adios. Adios, everybody. Adios. Man alive, he sure is great. Yep, he sure is, Roy. One of the greatest. But who is that masked man? Why'd you let him right away? I'd hate to try to stop him if he didn't want to be stopped, Mr. Lewis. Yes, sir, there goes one of the greatest hombres in the West. He's the Lone Ranger. This is a feature of the Lone Ranger, Incorporated, created by George W. Trendle, produced by Trendle Campbell Muir, Incorporated, directed by Charles D. Livingston, and edited by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. And he's the only right. He's the only one. The devil. And he's the one.
