Fiery horse 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 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. There had been many marshals and deputies in the town of Holmesville during the brief years of its existence as a cattle center. Bullets had ended the careers of some, and the threat of bullets sent the others to seek jobs in towns less hectic. When outlaws killed Marshal John Rogers and wounded his two deputies, the town was left without an active peace officer. Todd Lyons, young editor of the Holmesville Clarion and a member of the town council, was selected to find some established lawman of superior courage and integrity, a man who would accept the challenge thrown down by the outlaw element of Holmesville. A week later, Todd Lyons waited at the town's railroad station as the train from Kansas stopped there. Only one passenger alighted, a middle-aged man dressed in clothes as somber as his features. Todd Lyons greeted the man with outstretched hand. Mr. Dunn, you don't remember me, but I'm... Of course I remember you, son. I was a deputy in Rollins when you were a lad, and when your dad ran the newspaper there. You're the spitting image of your father. I hope I become half the newspaper man he was. Judging from the telegrams and letters you sent me, you have the same kind of drive he had. Thanks, Marshal. No, not Marshal yet, Todd. Nobody's hired me for the job. Right now I'm just plain old Pete Dunn, a man looking for a job. You'll be Marshal a minute after the town council meets. I'll call a special meeting for tonight. Who's running the Marshal's office now? No one. Nobody wants the job. They've seen the death list. Well, I want the job. I want to get the side whiners who killed John Rogers. I'll do it, or I'll die in the attempt. Clyde Foster, known as a rancher and businessman, was the brains behind the outlaw gang that threatened the lifeblood of Holmesville. Late in the afternoon on the day of Pete Dunn's arrival in town, he met with his lieutenants, Judd Mowry and Al Hollis. Judd? Al? Yeah? Yeah, bad news. On the day we planned to rob the express office, guess who comes to town to accept the Marshal's job? Well, who, boss? The man who sent you to jail. And the man who shot you, huh? Well, don't say any more. You mean Pete Dunn's here? Yes. Then let's kill him before he's even set in town. We'll go after him now. What? And take the chance of having something go wrong before you do the express job? Don't talk like a fool, Al. Nothing will go wrong, I promise you. Listen, Al, you're not going into town while it's light and take the chance of someone seeing you kill that hombre. Then what are we going to... Let me finish. The Marshal's office has living quarters attached to it. That's where Dunn will be staying. Yeah. Almost directly across the street and the place will be robbing tonight. That's very convenient, Al. Well, because while the rest of the boys are breaking into the express office, you and Judd cross over to the Marshal's place and kill Dunn. It'll be after midnight and the streets will be empty. At that moment, the lone ranger and Toto, who had learned about the situation in Holmesville, arrived in the hills outside the town. The masked man remained who set up camp. Toto continued on into town to learn, if possible, the circumstances surrounding the recent killing of Marshal John Rogers. Get him up, scout! When he arrived in Holmesville, Toto, as instructed by the lone ranger, went directly to the Marshal's office, unaware that Pete Dunn, an old friend, had arrived there but a few hours earlier. Dunn, alone at the time, sprang from his chair as he recognized the Indian who entered. Toto, what a surprise to see you. Me surprised to see you. Well, I arrived only a few hours ago. I'm to be the new Marshal here. That good. Them need good Marshal to find men who killed John Rogers. That's why I took the John. Say, is your friend with you? Ah. We come look for outlaws that kill Rogers. Now, we not have stay. What, because I'm here? Ah. Oh, don't think that way, Toto. I have no deputies and no ideas about what happened here. I need your help if you'll give it to me. A lone ranger not come to town because it's still daylight. Maybe you'll like meet him tonight. I certainly would. I'll be at a town council meeting until 10 o'clock. But if he'll come to the rear door of this building after that time... That night, shortly after 10 o'clock, the lone ranger and Toto left their horses in a grove of trees behind the Marshal's office in Holmesville. They saw a light in the rear window, the new living quarters of Pete Dunn. Marshal Dunn must be back from the meeting, Toto. I'll go inside. Ah. Me go visit cafes, like you tell me. Men talk with loose tongues in the late hours, Toto. Perhaps you'll hear something of interest to Marshal Dunn. Ah. Me go now. I'll be back about midnight. My lovey. Leaving their horses, the men went in separate directions. The lone ranger entered the rear door of Marshal Dunn's quarters, where the lawman greeted him warmly. Toto continued onto the now deserted main street of town and entered the first of the cafes as he was to visit within the next hour and a half. Clyde Foster had come to town and learned that the town council had appointed Pete Dunn, Marshal of Holmesville. It was nearing midnight when seated at a corner table in the Branding Iron Cafe, Foster watched his lieutenant, Judd Mowry, enter from the street. Judd saw his boss, came to the table, and sat down. We're all set, boss. The gang got to town all right? Yeah. Al rode in from the hideout with him. Most of them are new, but they're waiting and clearing behind the express office. What about Dunn? Did you keep an eye on him? Yeah. When he left the meeting, he went to his office. He put out the office light about half past ten. I reckon he's in the living quarters behind the office. Good. Maybe he's asleep by now. Maybe. Not that it matters. We'll get him whether he's asleep or awake. I say, boss, will you be going back to the hideout? No, I'll be at the ranch house just in case they start rounding up volunteers for the posse. Like they always do after we pull the job. Yes, it's a case of the fox hunting with the hounds. What's the matter, boss? Why are you looking like that? Well, nothing. There was an Indian standing over near the doorway. I thought for a minute he was watching us. An Indian? Why would an Indian want to watch us? Forget about it, Judd. I was just imagining things, I guess. He's going now. And I'd better go. Coming, Judd? Yeah. Tonto, on entering the Branding Iron Cafe, had seen a face of a man that seemed to be familiar. It was Judd Mowry sitting at a corner table with a man Tonto did not know. Before the Indian had a chance to make certain of Mowry's identity, the man with Mowry had noticed Tonto, aware of Clyde Foster's gaze, Tonto withdrew quickly into the street. He walked along the alley at the side of the cafe and peered through the window. Judd Mowry and his companion had left their table and were heading for the door. Quickly, Tonto hurried back through the alley and halted in a spot where, from the shadows, he could watch the cafe entrance. As the two men emerged, Tonto saw the younger man's face plainly in the light above the entrance. Oh, that much. He melted deeper into the shadows as the two men neared the hitching post, a few yards from where he stood. Unaware of his presence and careless because the street was deserted, Judd Mowry and Clyde Foster spoke as they mounted their horses. Boss, I'll give you a ten-minute start. All right, Judd. That'll be enough. You want us to bring the money to you? No. Leave it with the rest of the loot at the hideout. I'll manage to get in touch with you and the gang and let you know how things are going at this end. Good, boss. Just be sure you do your usual good job of keeping the vigilantes off our trail once they start looking. Leave that to me. Just you be sure you do a complete job on the marshal. Don't worry about that. Within half an hour, he'll get the same dose we gave John Rogers. When we're finished with done, he'll be done for good. Come on, get up. Get up. Get up. Tonto waited until the men rode away, then stepped into the street and saw their horses heading in opposite directions. He ran toward the marshal's office. Judd Maury had pretended to ride out of town, but at the end of the main street, he circled through the underbrush and made his way back to where the members of the outlaw gang waited. Oh, ho, ho, ho. You boys ready? Yeah. Then you know what to do. Take care of the guard and the rest will be easy. What about us, Judd? We'll leave the boys as soon as they start to enter the express office. Then we'll get our pals done. There they go, up the stairs to the express building. Now, let's move. Right. Get up, boy. Steady, all the horses here. Do you have your gun ready? Yeah. Lead the way. That rear window, there's a light in there somewhere. Let's look through the window. Easy now. That light's from Campbell, Judd. You're right next to the bed. Yeah. He's all huddled up under a blanket. Yeah. Let's shoot through the window. That's what I'm getting ready to do. Judd, make sure you're aimed steady. 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. As the outlaws propped their guns aiming through the window, three men emerged from the underbrush nearby. Marshal Pete Dunn was a few paces ahead of the Lone Ranger as Al and Judd fired. Before the Lone Ranger could hold him, Marshal Dunn rushed toward the crooks. You dirty, filthy rattler. Hey, Al, let's meet Dunn. Marshal and crooks fire together. Dunn's bullet hit Judd Mowry, but his second shot missed Al, and the Marshal fell wounded in the shoulder. Oh! The Lone Ranger's single shot sent Al Hollis crashing to the ground. Otto, get their guns. As Tonto ran and removed the guns from the reach of the badly wounded bandits, the Lone Ranger knelt beside Marshal Dunn. The Marshal, in spite of his wound, mumbled apologies. Oh, I'm sorry. I couldn't hold back. I had to yell. Well, I deserve what I got. Where did they hit you, Marshal? I'll carry you into the house. The Lone Ranger's speech was interrupted by the sound of shots and voices from a building on the other side of the main street. Otto, something's happening on the street. Get there. Find out what it is. What's happening? Easy, Marshal. Easy. Lie there. No matter what's happening, your life is more important. Let me carry you inside where I can examine your wounds. Angry citizens who had rushed from the cafes at the sound of shots and had been sent to cover by the escaping bandit shots were now emerging from cover. They headed for the stables and hitching posts where their horses were tied. By the time they had gathered in force and set out in pursuit of the bandits, the outlaws were more than two miles away. Editor Todd Lyons, who had been working at his newspaper office, saw the bandits right away. They shot the guard on duty and escaped with all the money in the place. Todd, what happened to that marshal you hired tonight? I thought he was going to put an end to this sort of outrage. I don't know what happened to him. Them shoot him. Huh? What's that you say? Them shoot him. Speaking rapidly, Tonto related his story. Todd Lyons sent for a doctor and the men hurried to where Judd Mowry and Al Hollis lay unconscious and then carried them into the building. All right. Their surprise at seeing the masked man with the marshal ended when the revived Pete Dunn said, This man and the Indian Tonto are my friends. They saved my life tonight. Yep. Yeah, Tonto warned me these two hombres were planning to kill me within half an hour. That's why we waited outside for him to show up. They fired at what they thought was Marshal Dunn. But they got me anyway. Marshal, do you mind if we omit the details and learn what that shooting on the street was all about? Hey, maybe you're right. Todd, what did happen? There was a robbery. Todd Lyons told of the robbery and the escaping outlaws. Then prompted by the Lone Ranger, Tonto told of the conversation he had overheard outside the Branding Iron Cafe. Todd Lyons and the men with him were as amazed as they were indignant. Boy, that scurvy side one. Who was he? Oh, me not know. Me only know him say him join posse. Take it on wild chase. Like him always do. Oh, Doug. Whoever he is, I think your outlaw situation in Holmesville centers around him. That's certain after hearing Tonto's story. And those two skunks, Maury and Hollis, were the ones who killed John Rogers. Ah, that's what them say. They'll hang. We can't rest until we find the man they call Boss. He deserves to die with them. Well, let's get him now. How can we if we don't know who he is? While the men you mentioned are chasing the outlaws, why can't you form a band of vigilantes? But Marshal done well enough to appoint deputies. Why should... Sure, I get it. Todd, of course you should form a vigilante committee. Tonto can ride with us. Isn't that the idea? Yes. Me no man when me see him again. And you know he's going to join your vigilante group because he's just waiting for the chance. But of course, you're right, stranger. I'll start getting a vigilante committee at once. Todd Lyons and the men with him rode to the neighboring ranches. They roused owners and cowhands who joined them in a vigilante group that included Tonto. At all times, the Lone Ranger and Marshal Dunn followed at a distance. Near a stream a few miles from town, they met the men who had ridden after the bandits. The pursuers had lost the trail. They crossed the river. After that, we couldn't pick up the tracks. Not in the dark anyway. We'll have to wait till morning. Come with us now. We're not going to wait. Whatever you say, Todd, we want to get them as much as you do. Let's turn around, men. Get out of here. Get out of here. Get out of here. Oh, put it. Oh, put it. Clyde Foster was waiting in the doorway of his ranch house when the horsemen came to a stop there. Before Todd Lyons could speak, Tonto rode up close and whispered, That man, me here, outside cafe, me knowing I'm sure. Todd, incredulous for the moment, hit his amazement and started a conversation along the lines outlined earlier by the Lone Ranger. Foster, sorry to wake you up like this. You didn't wake me. As you see, I'm fully clothed. What's wrong, Todd? Don't tell me there's been trouble in town again. Yes, outlaws robbed the express office and they shot our new marshal, Pete Donner. He isn't with us now. Dead, huh? What do you know about that? And the outlaws escaped? Yes. As you can see, we're forming a vigilante committee. But I've just decided we're wasting time now. We'll start the search in the morning. Todd Lyons overrode the protests of men who sincerely wished to continue. A few minutes later, the group rode away, leaving Clyde Foster with a faint smile on his face. It was 20 minutes later when he heard rapping on the rear door of his house. Puzzled, he opened the door a few inches to peer outside. But the masked man who stood outside pushed his way in before Foster could speak. Boss, they got Judd and Al. Hold on, you. Put your hands up. Huh? All right, they're up, but what's the idea? I see here, boss. Who are you calling boss? Because that's what Judd and Al always call you. Boss, I tell you, they were shot. You lie. Besides, I don't know Judd Moriard. Nobody said Judd's last name, boss. Watch out about that. If Marshal Dunn questions you, you ought to... Marshal Dunn is dead. I know that. No, you don't. The boys did a bad job. They got themselves shot and ended up in jail beside. What are you trying to do? Get out of here before I... Yeah. Where did you get that pearl-handled pistol? You recognize it, don't you? Sure you do. The one Al used to kill John Rogers. Judd was the one who... Never mind. What's that sticking from your pocket? Judd's bandana. Nobody could miss that, could they? Boss, I tell you, I was with them when they were shot. There's blood on that bandana. Look closely and you'll see it. That is blood, isn't it? Fresh blood. It was a few hours ago. Boss, listen to me now, will you? Well, keep your hands high. I'll kill you if you try any tricks. But meanwhile, I'll listen. All right, all right. Judd and Al are in jail. They're wounded, but they're in jail. They think the boys let them down tonight. And unless they're rescued fast, they'll tell Marshall Dunn everything. They couldn't. They wouldn't. No, you'll see. But I know a way to prevent that. How? There's a vigilante committee out here somewhere. There's nothing now. They broke up. They're going to their homes, all of them. Then it'll be easier to free Judd and Al if that's the case. Free them? How? Get the gang, go back into town and shoot up the jail. No one would expect that. You could have them ride back into town again, free Al and Judd, and make sure they get Marshall Dunn this time. Believe me, Dunn's alive. I don't know whether I should believe you or not. Don't believe me. Then see what happens. Mr. Smart Man, I'm going to find out if you're really a member of the gang or not. We'll go to the hideout and face the boys. You ride in front of me. I'll have a gun ported at your back every minute of the time. That's all right with me. Turn around. Walk out through that door. All right, keep moving. All right, stay on your horse. All right, start riding. Come on, big fella. Get up there. The lone ranger followed closely by Foster rode from the grounds and disappeared around a bend in the road. Todd Lyon stepped from behind a tree where he'd been watching. He hurried to the nearby underbrush and called. Come on out, men. It's all right, Marshall. They've gone. Just as Tonto said it would happen. Well, let's ride after them. This may be the end of a long trail. Get up. Get up. All right, Mass Man, here we are, dismount. Walk down to the hideout. Easy, steady, big fella. Whatever you say, boss. But first, give me that gun. The lone ranger leaped forward with lightning speed, knocking Foster off balance and grabbing the crook's gun arm before Foster could shoot. They struggled briefly. Then the masked man's fist crashed on Foster's jaw. I'll take that gun and wait. Marshall, the crooks and his gang are in the cabin down there in the hollow. Foster told me that just before we arrived here. We'll take them unawares. Hey, Foster's coming too. Good. He'll wake up to a terrible surprise. Boss, meet Marshal Dunn. Marshal, here's your outlaw chief. Marshal, stand up, Foster. I'll put these cuffs on you. We have you dead to rights, Foster. I heard everything that was said back there at your ranch house. Then I'll go. Easy, steady, big fella. You ready, Tonto? Keep it happy. Don't you want to come down and help us capture that gang and get the loot back? No, that's the matter for the law now. You're the law on your side. Besides, you have 50 or more men with you. You'll take those crooks easily. But most of all, we'll avenge the death of John Rogers. Good luck. Come on, Silver. Get the monks out. Wait just a minute. Marshal, they're gone. I didn't even find out who they are. The Indian, as you know, is named Tonto. But when you write your story this week, you can say that Holmesville was saved by the Lone Ranger. This is a feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated, created by George W. Trendel, produced by Trendel Campbell Muir Incorporated, directed by Charles D. Livingston, and edited by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer. The Lone Ranger Incorporated
