A merry horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo silver. The Lone Ranger, 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, Sylvia. Let's go, big fella. The Lone Ranger and Tonto were filling their canteens from a stream that ran through a gully in the black hills of Dakota when the masked man happened to glance up. He saw an Indian about 50 yards away on the crest of the slope, and the Indian was sighting a rifle over the top of a rock. Look out, Tonto. He pushed Tonto to one side and leaped to the other as the rifle cracked. Kimosabe. The masked man drew a gun and fired. You hit rifle. Him drop it. He's running away. Let's catch him. Loose gravel made it difficult to ascend the steep side of the ravine. By the time the Lone Ranger and Tonto reached the top, where the flat terrain was studded by big boulders, the Indian was out of sight. We trail Indians? No, Tonto. He has too much of a start to be caught on foot. We can't get our horses up that bank. Here. Here, rifle him use. Tonto, let me see that rifle. You never see a rifle like this. It's a bolt-action Enfield. A repeating rifle made in England. It looked like plenty good rifles. It's one of the finest, Tonto. It's operated by pushing this bolt back and forth in the breech. Oh, me savvy. Rifles like this haven't been on the market long. How Indian get rifles like that? I don't know. We'll try to find out. Show this rifle to our friend, Colonel Hardwick at Fort Blanchard. A short time later, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, after showing a military pass, were admitted to post headquarters at Fort Blanchard, where Colonel Hardwick, the commanding officer, welcomed them warmly. After hearing the masked man's story and examining the Enfield rifle, the colonel frowned and said, Frankly, this is the first Enfield I've seen. I don't know how an Indian could have gotten it. This rifle must have come from Canada. Do you think Canadian gunrunners are dealing with a Sioux? No, I doubt it. Indians have no money. Oh, I thought the tribe received money from the government. That's true. The treaty specifies that a yearly payment is made in gold. Each member of the tribe gets a share of it. But the Indians have no money now. They've spent what they received a year ago. Oh? The annual payment is due today. It's here in the fort. I plan to send it to Mr. Vail this afternoon. Mr. Vail? Yes, Oscar Vail. He's in charge of the Indian agency on the reservation. Say, perhaps he could tell you how an Indian got an Enfield rifle. Well, Tottenham will call on him and take the rifle with us. Jury, your mask may cause trouble. I'll go disguised, Colonel. Between Fort Blanchard and the reservation, the masked man and Tonto stopped in the woods where the Lone Ranger removed his mask and riding clothes and disguised himself as a prospector. Meanwhile, two men conferred in the Indian agency less than a mile away. One was Oscar Vail, the agent in charge. The other, a mission-educated Indian named Gray Wolf, who was the sub-chief of the tribe. He said... Vail, my rifle was stolen. What? You mean the sample Enfield those Canadian gunrunners gave you when they were here last month? Yes. Running Deer stole it. He was seen leaving the reservation with it. He returned without it. Where is the rifle? Running Deer won't tell. He says he lost it. He's one of the young braves whose great ambition is to kill a white man. He may have done so. That's bad. Running Deer may have done something to spoil all our plans. Yes. I thought you should know. We will be on guard. How soon do you expect the annual payment of gold? Colonel sent word that we'll have it this afternoon. Oh. Old Chief Kill Buck may want it distributed at once. I'll stole him off. We'll need $10,000 of that money to pay for the 200 Enfield rifles and ammunition Pierre and Jacques are bringing from Canada. The sooner we get the rifles, the better. I expect the gunrunners will deliver them tonight. All the braves lined up for the outbreak? Yes. After the rifles are passed out, they leave the reservation a few at a time and meet us in the woods near August City. Are they enthused about raiding the town? Very. While they're shooting the citizens and burning the buildings, you and I should have no trouble cleaning out the banks and the express office. It should be easy. With the town in flames and people fighting for their lives, no one's going to fight for the banks. We should collect a million dollars. What about the Indians who do the raiding? What about them? Those who are not killed will be captured and hanged. But by that time, you and I will be out of the country with the money. I tell you... Wait a minute. A white man who looks like a prospector and a strange Indian just rode up. They're coming to the door. Let them in. Bale's eyes narrowed as the disguised Lone Ranger, followed by Tonto, stepped into the office. In charge of this office? Yes, I'm Oscar Vail, the agent. This is my assistant, John Graywolf. What are you doing on the reservation with the rifle and sidearms? That's against the law. It's also against the law for an Indian to try to kill a white man. What do you mean? One of your redskins tried to shoot my partner and me. He dropped this newfangled rifle. Let me see it. Take a look. I never saw a rifle like it. I took out the cartridges. You seem to know how to work it. Tell me about the attempt to shoot you. Well, this afternoon... Speaking in a manner that suited his disguise, the Lone Ranger told his story. Vail and Graywolf listened. Then Vail said... Well, you have a right to complain. We'll make an investigation, but I'm sure the Indian doesn't belong to this tribe. Why are you so sure? It's time for the annual government payment, so we took a roll call this morning. Every tribesman was here. Uh, I'd recognize a critter. Do you mind if I look around the reservation and see if I can spot him? That's against the rules. It says here, made in England. The Indian who dropped this rifle must be a renegade from Canada. Looks like you don't aim to do much about it. Uh, I'd better take my complaint to the colonel at the fort. Give me that right. Uh, hold on. You broke the law by carrying arms on the reservation. This Indian agent, I have police power. You're under arrest. Arrest? Holding the empty rifle in one hand, Graywolf reached for his pistol, but before he could draw it, Tonto gripped his arm. You're not a dog gun. Why are you... Struggling with Tonto, Graywolf dropped the rifle. Let me go. Meanwhile, Vail reached for his weapon. Oh! But the Lone Ranger's gun spoke first. Stop my hand. Your hand's all right. It's just your gun that's smashed. Now stand back. You'll pay for this. I'll show you. Let me fix you. Tonto's blow sent Graywolf to the floor. They've got his gun. Now both of you, stay where you are. I took my gun. You'll find it outside after we go. Come on, Tonto. Armed guards at the storehouse a short distance away were alerted by the shot. They saw the Lone Ranger and Tonto come out of the office with guns drawn. Then heard Graywolf shout... Okay! Him tell him to shoot! All right, let's go. Easy, set it up. Okay, brother. Come on, send me! Quickly turning their horses, the Lone Ranger and Tonto put the agency office between themselves and the armed guards. A few minutes later, they dashed off the reservation. The Lone Ranger and Tonto held their horses to a fast gate north for several miles until they reached a shallow stream. Easy, Silver. Easy. Keep them up. To make sure their tracks could not be followed, they rode in the water, following the stream eastward into a woods. Oh, that big fella. Come on. Come on. Reaching a clearing, they guided Scout and Silver out of the stream and drew rain. Oh, Silver. Oh, easy, steady, big fella. Easy, Scout. We'll stop here while I remove this disguise. Ah. What do you think about the Indians? I think Vale and Graywolf knew more than they'd admit about the Enfield rifle. That's what me think. They didn't intend to let us leave and report to the colonel at the fort. Ah. What do we do now? Well, there's little we can do. We return to the fort and tell Colonel Hardwick about the incident. We leave rifle in agency office. Well, that doesn't matter. The colonel has seen it. How will we go back to fort? We'll continue due east through this woods until we reach the old trader's trail. That runs south from Canada. Yes. It'll be easier on the horses to go south on the trail than to return the way we came. That's right. Tonto, will you get my clothes out of the saddlebags while I wash this makeup off my face? Uh-huh. While the Lone Ranger removed his disguise, a heavy wagon moved south along the trader's trail east of the woods. The cart was drawn by oxen and driven by one of the two swarthy men who sat on the seat. Hey, name of a cart. Get along. Two saddled horses were tied behind the wagon which seemed to hold nothing but buffalo hides. The men named Pierre and Jacques were French Canadians who belonged to a colony of smugglers, traders, and trappers across the border. Buying goods from the Hudson's Bay Company, they sold wherever they could make a profit. Jacques, we must be near the reservation. We are near it, Pierre, but first the cave. Here, we make the turn. Oh, there. Oh! The driver turned the oxen off the trail and guided them into a large cave. Oh! Oh! You untie the horses while I free the oxen from their yokes and traces. Yes. Hey, we must ride to the reservation and see how it stands there. If soldiers are nearby, we will have to wait until it is safe to deliver the arrival. Pierre and Jacques tied the oxen to the side of the wagon and a few minutes later rode out of the cavern. Get up! Ah! Oh! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Some time after the gunrunners left the cavern, the Lone Ranger and Tonto rode south on the trader's trail. They had noticed the fresh tracks of the heavily loaded ox-drawn wagon and when they reached the place where the wagon left the trail, they followed the tracks of the wagon through a tangle of brushwood and the masked man and Indian soon discovered the cave. Oh, easy, that big fella. They entered cautiously and saw the wagon with the oxen tied to its side. After making sure no one was hiding in the cave, the Lone Ranger said, The man who brought that wagon here rode south. That how tracks look. Let's see what the wagon holds. Looked like buffalo hides. There's something beneath the hides. Ah, wooden case. Several of them. He got hatchet and belt. Maybe open case. Yes, let's see what's inside. Ah. Using the blade of his hatchet, Tonto quickly pried up the top of the nearest case. The Lone Ranger looked inside and exclaimed, Rifles. Tonto, these are new Enfield rifles. You're not sabby. What's this mean? Tonto, it looks like the work of gunrunners. Ah. Rifle come from other side border. Yes. Maybe on way to army. If this were a legitimate cargo, there'd be no reason to conceal the cases under buffalo hides. I think these weapons are on the way to the Indians. Then what we do? Tonto, look here. This bolt slides right out of the rifle. Without the bolt, the weapon is useless. Ah. We'll take the bolts out of all the rifles and hide them. Then we'll nail down the lids of the boxes and cover them with the hides. Ah. What good that do? The buyer of these rifles will think he's been cheated. Oh, that'd make him plenty mad, huh? Yes. Then we'll see what happens. Open the rest of the boxes while I start removing these bolts. Ah. 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. By the time darkness closed in, the loaded wagon looked as if it had never been disturbed. But the rifles in the cases beneath the buffalo hides were utterly useless. The Lone Ranger and Tonto hid the bolts in brushwood near the mouth of the cave. Easy, steady big fella. Then mounted their horses and started south. Monty! Let's come! Presently, in the moonlight, they saw two horsemen in the distance and drew off the trail. Go, go, go, go. Concealed in brushwood, they watched the horsemen ride past. They didn't see us, Tonto. Oh, that good. Did you notice how they were dressed? Ah. I'm sure they're French-Canadians. You know, Sabi, them fellas who bring rifles from Canada. Yes, we'll wait right here and see if they return with the wagon. In less than an hour, the Lone Ranger and Tonto heard the slow walk of oxen and the creaking of a heavy wagon. Peering through the screen of brushwood, they saw the load of rifles moving south. The same men are riding on the wagon. Ah. Horses tied behind wagon. We'll follow at a distance. We'll get at the boundary of the reservation. Later that night, Oscar Vail unlocked the strong box that the army had delivered to his office. He lifted the lid and removed two canvas sacks, each one filled with gold coins, and placed them on his desk. As he closed the strong box, Jacques and Pierre came from an adjoining room. Ah, my friend, I see you have our money ready. Not so fast, Jacques. But the rifles and ammunition are delivered? They are in the other room. Grey Wolf's opening the cases, isn't he? Me. You get the money when he says everything's all right. You do not trust us. This is business. All I know, the cases could be filled with junk. What? Ah, there is Grey Wolf. You double-trushers. I ought to kill you. What's wrong, Grey Wolf? Wrong. Not one of the rifles is any good. What you say, I do not understand. Yes, you do. There are no bolts in the rifles. Are you sure of that? You are wrong. You are crazy. Come see for yourself, Bill. All right. Stepping into a well-lighted storeroom next to the office, Vail and the two French-Canadians stared into the open cases and at the rifles lying on the floor. Pierre, it is true. The bolts are gone. It is impossible. With my own eyes, I saw them packed by the Hudson Bay clerk who sold them to us. It is a trick. Grey Wolf, you took the bolts so you can refuse to pay us. You lie. No, no. Let's not have trouble here. We do, we'll all go to jail. You are right, Vail. There are better ways of handling them. We want our money. You promised us $10,000 in gold. For good rifles. I think these are condemned rifles they bought from the Canadian government for the price of old iron. That accounts for the bolts being gone. That is not true. We pay $7,000 for the rifles. You have seen the receipt from the Hudson Bay Company. You could have forged that receipt. You promised to pay us. Now pay. You'll get paid something else in money. So? Get up your hands. Don't shoot. My hands are up. Jacques, take the guns. One move, Grey Wolf, and I let you feel my knife. Take my gun and get that knife away. There you have it. Now yours, Monsieur Vail. All is finished, Pierre. Get the gold. I will cover these two. We will leave you the Oxen and the Weigel. As the gunrunners rushed from the office, Vail opened a drawer of his desk. I have six guns here. Take this one, Grey Wolf. Let's stop those crooks. No. Don't be a fool, Vail. We don't dare kill them on the reservation. We can't let them get away with that money. We're not going to. I'll send the agency guards after them. The guards will catch them and kill them on the trail. We'll get the gold back. Come on. There they go. Don't worry. I'll call the guards and give them orders. Those crooked gunrunners will never reach the border. A short time later, Grey Wolf, the crooked sub-chief, sent half a dozen armed men in pursuit of Jacques and Pierre, then entered the office. Well, Vail, our plans are spoiled. That's not the worst of it. This afternoon, when I tried to stall old Chief Kilbuck on the payment of the money, I'm sure he smelled a rat. I just saw Kilbuck. He was coming this way. Yeah, we're in trouble. I... Oh. Hello, Chief. No, go to the manu. Tell him, manale, sunnotu. Ovash, tohe lo gone, togale. What'd he tell you? He says we are cheats and liars. He says he'll go to the colonel right now unless we turn over every dollar that the tribe has coming. Tell him we'll distribute most of it tonight and the rest tomorrow. All right. Anike, hello, hoge, ne peto, calo, mone. Oh, tell him vana, chile, tuno. He says he wants it all or he'll go to the colonel. We can't let him go to the colonel. If only those guns had bolts, we could do something, but now we are... A lot of the old Indians are gathering outside. We'll have a riot in our hands and then the soldiers will come. We'll have to explain those rifles and missing money a lot of things. We'll take Chief Kilbuck to the colonel ourselves. Are you crazy? No. We'll say he bought the rifles and paid for them with the money we gave him to pass out to the tribesmen. We'll say we discovered the rifles, brought them here and then sent agency guards after the gunrunners. That's a good idea. I'll back your story. That'll clear us. With Jacques and Pierre dead, there'll be only the old chief to deny our story. He doesn't understand a word of English and no one's going to believe him. I said we would take him to the fort. He's ready to go there. And then from there to prison. Meanwhile, Pierre and Jacques approached the border of the reservation. Suddenly, the Lone Ranger and Toto rode from behind a boulder and into view ahead of the fleeing gunrunners. The masked man fired a shot of warning. Bring in or we'll shoot you. Get your hands up. The man with the mask, who are you? What do you want? The answer's to some questions. Kimasabi, we hear plenty of horse come this way. Indians, they are after us. They will shoot us. We must get away. Teddy, only the Indian guards have guns. They wouldn't pursue you unless Grey Wolf told them to. He is the one. He sent them. Please, my friend, ride with us. Later we talk. Were Grey Wolf and Vale in on that rifle deal? What do you mean, mister? Don't pretend, innocents. We know you delivered Enfield rifles to the reservation. Those Indians are close. We have no time. You can't get away from them. Your horses are spent. You'll be captured long before you reach the border. We buy your horses. We pay big price. Where's the money? In our saddleby. We have plenty of gold. Gold you got from the Indians. I don't want it. The Indians are closer. Soon they will be on it. There's just one way for you to save your lives. How? Come with us to Fort Blanchard. But we are gone, Ronald. The soldiers, they may be lenient with you if you make full confessions and testify against Vale and Grey Wolf. They betrayed a trust. They turned on their own government. You fellows didn't. Pierre, the masked man is right. Save our life and we will agree to anything. Bring the saddlebags that hold the gold and ride double with Toto and me. They'll out-distance those Indians and go to the fort. Later that night in Colonel Hardwick's office, the Lone Ranger quickly related what had happened. Then the gunrunners made complete statements that amazed the commandant. They told why the Indian agent and his assistant wanted the Enfield rifles. The colonel said, But what did Vale and Grey Wolf hope to gain by an outbreak? Colonel, I make the clean breast. I'm a smuggler, yes. A murderer, no. This Jacques and I heard tonight. Well, what did you hear? Vale and Grey Wolf planned to arm the young soul and turn them loose on August City to kill and burn while they robbed their banks. I never heard of a more ruthless plot. I'll send troops to the agency at once to arrest them. Ask them in. What are you? Colonel, sir, Mr. Vale, John Grey Wolf and Chief Killbuck are here to see you. Here? Well, send them in. Yes, sir. All right, that's right. Colonel Hardwick, we look standing by the wall. A mess, man. Jacques and Pierre. We walk into a trap. I'm getting out of here. No, you're not. Get your hands up. You too, Vale. Colonel, what does this mean? Take their guns, Toto. Me get them. Colonel, I'll report this outrage to Washington. Hold your tongue, Vale. I'm arresting you and Grey Wolf on charges of misusing government funds and conspiring to incite revolution and commit murder and robbery. No. You have it all wrong, Colonel. It was Chief Killbuck. Oh, you want to blame that good old chief for your crimes? It will do you no good to lie. You have no proof against us. Pierre and Jacques will testify against you. Colonel, why are you allowing a masked man to meddle in this case? Who is he? I'm the man who took an Enfield rifle to your agency this morning. A spy. And it was he who took the bolts from the contraband rifles then saved the lives of the gunrunners and recovered the gold you gave to them. Those gunrunners stole the money. Shut up, Vale. They can't prove the gold came from the agency. Yeah, but we can. It's still in the original sex. Sergeant. Yes? Put Vale in Grey Wolf and Irons. Then take them, the Duke Canadian gunrunners, to the guardhouse. Oh, if it hadn't been for this masked man. You would have betrayed your own people and written a bloody page in the history of crime. Colonel, are you going to seize the rifle, this contraband? Of course. And I'll send Tonto back here with the bolts so you can use them. Good. Come on, Tonto. Adios, Colonel. Goodbye and thanks again. Well, that man with the mask, he saved our life. Prison, I do not mind, but death, no, no. Colonel, who is the masked man? You've probably heard of him in the past and you'll hear of him in the future. He's the Lone Ranger. Adios, sir. This is a feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. Created by George W. Trendle, produced by Trendle Campbell Muir Incorporated and directed by Fred Flowerday. Tonight's drama was written by Fran Stryker. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer.
