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 oat cereal that's ready to eat. Benny Crocker Mixes and Wheaties, the breakfast of champions. Present by special recording, The Lone Ranger. When the weather's bad, do you and your friends ever hang around the house wondering what to do? Well, I'll bet it happens lots. Well, you know where you can have the most fun? In the kitchen, with a package of the new Betty Crocker Brownie Mix. That's right, it's easy as can be to bake up a big batch of luscious, chocolatey brownies with Betty Crocker Brownie Mix. Everything you need is right in the package. Just add one egg if you like the chewy, fudgy kind of brownies. And two eggs if you want them soft and tender like cake. Add nuts, too, if you like. Either way, Betty Crocker Brownies are the gee-I-can't-eat-em-fast-enough kind. Even if you've never baked before, you'll turn out scrumptious, chocolatey, perfect brownies the very first time. And what fun you and your gang will have eating brownies that you've baked yourselves. Have Mom get Betty Crocker Brownie Mix next time she shops. Then invite your friends over for some fun. 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 Cove. I am Silver. The Stagecoach Station was the largest building in Cold Spring, a small town in central Oklahoma. Hank Doby managed the station and served also as the town marshal, but he had little to do in either job. He found ample time to sit on the porch of the station visiting with gold miners and prospectors who came into town for supplies. He sat there one day with a tall, thin man named Slotkin who had ridden in from the nearby mountains. You've only been prospecting for a few weeks, Slotkin. Don't get discouraged. Discouraged? I'm not discouraged, Dobie. As long as I can paint enough gold from the streams to pay for my grub, I'll keep going. That's the spirit. You'll wait. Just a minute. Huh? Who's the horseman coming this way, you know? Let's see. Sure, I know. He's my orphan nephew, Bob Latham. He lives with me. He looks like a grown man. He's only 17, but he's big and strong. He left here yesterday to deliver a package to a man in Rock City. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hi there, Bob. Whoa, Uncle Hank. Sit here. Deliver the package? Sure thing. Boy, better stable your horse. I'll take care of him in just a minute, Uncle Hank. First, I have something to tell you. Oh, this is Mr. Slotkin. My nephew, Bob Latham. Slotkin. Howdy, Bob. How do you do, sir? Mr. Slotkin's a prospector in the mountains. Well, good luck to you. Thanks. What do you want to tell me, Bob? The telegraph is coming to Rock City. Yeah? Well, the last I heard, they brought it west as far as Tulsa. And there's a lot of talk about Red Eagle in his pack. Red Eagle? Oh, he's a renegade Indian with a pack of 25 Apaches. They've been ranging far and wide, making trouble, burned down several towns. Why doesn't the army go after them? Can't find them. They were seen near Rock City. Yep, but there's no soldiers near Rock City. And if soldiers go there, the Indians will disappear. I hope they don't come here. They wouldn't come here, Uncle Hank. There's nothing worth stealing than Cold Springs. They've raided smaller towns than this, Bob. And if they learn about the chest of gold... Chest of gold? Yes, Slotkin. It came down from one of the gold mines a couple of days ago. It's to go east on the next stage. But that's not until Monday. I heard something else in Rock City. Oh, what's that, Bob? A masked man was seen in the woods near there. Masked man? Uh-huh. He was with an Indian. Maybe one of Red Eagle's men. Bob, did you learn any more about the masked man and his Indian partner? Not very much, Mr. Slotkin. The man who saw them said they wrote a white stallion and a paint. You got any ideas about him, Slotkin? No, but I'll be on the watch for him. I don't want to run into any outlaws. Now, I reckon I better be going. I've taken up a lot of your time. No, no, no. I like to talk. Don't be in a hurry. Well, I must go. I want to get back to my camp in the mountains before dark. So long. Slotkin started west toward the mountains. But as soon as he was out of sight of town, he turned his horse and rode north across the rugged, rock-strewn country between Cold Spring and Rock City. After traveling for about an hour, he reached a small shack well concealed in a gully where a member of the gang named Larrabee was hiding. Larrabee said, I didn't expect to see you for some time. After that last bank robbery, when you split up the gang and told us to lie low, I thought it would be months before we'd get together again. So did I, until today. Where's your horse? Staked out behind the shandy. Do you know where to find the rest of the gang? Well, Jake's hiding out in a cave not far from here. I think he knows where to find the others. You thinking of getting the gang together? Yeah. Just long enough to pull one robbery. It's too good to pass up. Well, you're the boss. Let me tell you about it, Larrabee. Today I rode into Cold Spring for supplies. I know the town. There's a stagecoach station there. Yeah. And the manager is a gabby old goat. But I learned that he's holding a chest full of gold for shipment on the stage next Monday. Yeah, and that'll give us time to get the boys together. That's what I figured. I'll see Jake today. Tell him to round them up. Tell him to have the boys meet in the Cold Spring Cafe at noon on Saturday. That's when we'll take the gold. Right. I'm going to my camp now. But tomorrow I'll return to Cold Spring. I'll find an excuse to stay there until Saturday. And while I'm there, I'll find out where they keep that chest of gold. Right. I'll see you Saturday. Oh, uh, by the way, Larrabee. Yeah. When you leave your hideout, keep your eyes open. I think the Lone Ranger's in this part of the country. The Lone Ranger? Well, great Scott, he knows you and me by sight. That's why I said keep your eyes open. How do you know the Lone Ranger's around here? I don't know for sure, but a couple of men were seen near Rock City. One wore a mask and rode a white horse. The other, an Indian, rode a pink. Yeah, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, no doubt of it. But do you think they're looking for us? I don't know. We heard they were on our trail before we left Colorado. Maybe they still are. Maybe. Let's forget the gold of Cold Spring. Have you turned yellow? No, but the Lone Ranger's smashed a lot of strong gangs. If he gets in our way, we'll kill him. Soon after Slotkin left the shack, Larrabee saddled his horse and rode to a hideout in a cave. There, without mentioning the Lone Ranger, he outlined the plans to Jake Smith, another member of the gang. Jake was enthusiastic. It'll be a pushover. I told Slotkin you could round up the rest of the gang. Oh, sure, sure thing. I know we're all four of the boys are hiding. But Larrabee... Yeah. Two of the gang were killed on that last job. Counting you, Slotkin, and me, there'll be only seven of us. We had nine men on our other jobs. I'd like to have nine on this one, but we haven't got them, so we'll have to get by with seven. Do you want me to come to your shack and tell you how I make out? Yeah, you know where it is. Oh, sure, sure. I'll see you there. Probably tomorrow night. The following evening, soon after dark, Jake Smith sat in Larrabee's cabin reporting on the success of his mission. All four of the boys are enthused about the cold spring job, Larrabee. Oh, let's see. I've got some more good news. What's that? You know, you said you wish we had nine men instead of only seven. What about it? We got them. Who are they? A couple of gunslingers I met on the trail. They're dodging the law the same as we are. One of them described the boss and asked if I knew where he could be found. What'd you tell him? Well, I didn't give him any information at first. I questioned him until I got the idea that he and his partner wanted to join our gang. So then I told him to prove themselves by meeting us in town on Saturday. We can use extra gunmen. How'd you know they're dodging the law? One of them wore a mask. What more do you want? A mask? Yeah. And he wore his guns tied low and rode the slickest white horse I've ever laid eyes on. Jake, what about the other man? Tell me about him. He's an engine. He didn't have much to say. Riding a paint horse? Yeah. How'd you guess? Jake, you're a doggone simple-minded fool. Well, what do you mean? What's the matter? The mask man is the Lone Ranger. We'll continue our Lone Ranger adventure in just a moment. How you're doing is the question. And here's what the happy people have to say. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Sure. Take champion Bob Cousy, who can really make a basketball do tricks. Bob was born in New York. Plays with the famous Boston Celtics. Leads them all in fast break play. And Cousy knows the champion way. Starts his day the Wheaties way. Take Neil Johnston, another great champ from the East. Say Neil has been eating Wheaties since he was three feet tall instead of six foot eight. Grew up a long ways on them, didn't he? Mighty appetizing eating. And there's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties flake. Keep on eating your Wheaties. And you'll be doing a K-4-K. Now to continue. When Jake Smith reported to Larrabee about his success in rounding up members of the gang, he told of meeting two other men who he thought were outlaws and who wanted to join Jake and the others for the raid on the stagecoach station. As Jake described the two strangers, Larrabee immediately identified them as the Lone Ranger and Tonto. The Lone Ranger? Are you sure? Yes. Did you tell him the plans for Saturday? Well, I reckon so. And he knows we're planning to rob the stage station. Well, let me think. Let me think. We've got to do something. Lone Ranger knows that seven of us plan to steal that gold. Yeah. He'll figure on catching us when we get into town. And he will. He'll get all the help he needs. He can't line up more than a dozen men in Cold Spring. A dozen will be plenty. We could just get more men on our side. Surprise the Lone Ranger by attacking with 20 or 30 men. I wish I knew where we could get another gang that we could tie up. I don't suppose Red Eagle's packing. Red Eagle? Why do you mention him? Well, I saw him and his band of renegades while I was riding. They're camped in a valley south of Rock City. Well, great. I know Red Eagle. You do? Yes. And I know I can get him to join us. Those Indians are always ready to plunder a town if they're sure they can get away with it. Well, then why haven't they raided Rock City? They'd have to fight too many men in Rock City. But Cold Spring will be different. We'll get that gold and kill the Lone Ranger. Let's go and talk to Red Eagle. After meeting Jake Smith on the trail, the Lone Ranger had ridden toward Cold Spring, while Toto followed the outlaw to Larrabee's cabin. There in the darkness near an open window, the Indian had overheard the conversation. He moved softly away from the window to his horse, some distance from the hideout, and leaped into the saddle. Get him off his couch. Later that evening, Slotkin sat in the office of the Stagecoach Station with Hank Doby and Bob Latham. Glancing repeatedly at the big iron safe that held the chest of gold, the outlaw spoke disarmingly. Hank, it's mighty fine of you to let me share your living quarters until Monday. Glad to have you, Slotkin. Fact is, Bob and I are glad to have someone help us guard the gold. I'm just sorry we don't have better accommodations than a couple of rooms here at the station. When did you decide to quit prospecting, Mr. Slotkin? Yesterday. When I got back to my camp, I realized what a lonesome life I'd been living and decided I'd have enough of it. So today I packed my gear and came here to wait for the next stage. I'm going back where I came from. You're all covered. He's masked. Stick up. Don't shoot. I'm not armed. I want you, Slotkin. Hands high. Doby, I know this man. He's a crook. That's not true and I'll prove it. Slotkin's an outlaw and the leader of a gang. I'll take your gun, Slotkin. As the Lone Ranger advanced to disarm Slotkin, Bob Latham, with the recklessness of youth, suddenly charged. I'll show you. Rather than shoot the youth, the Masked Man dodged aside. Slotkin seized the opportunity to draw his gun. He and the Lone Ranger fired. Slotkin's bullet went through the Lone Ranger's sleeve without touching his arm. The Masked Man fired more accurately. I had to smash. You murdering crook. That man is a crook, Bob. He's wanted in Colorado for robbery and murder. He's used several names, but the scar and birthmark on his cheek are positive identification. I have a handbill that describes him. Well, where is the handbill? In my pocket. Don't any of you try a fast move while I'm getting it. I'm still covering you, but I can shoot fast. All right. Here's the handbill, Doby. Also a letter signed by the Governor of Texas. It identifies me. Holding a gun in one hand, the Lone Ranger cautiously extended the handbill and the letter toward Hank Doby. The stationmaster read them. Then exclaimed... Great day, Bob. This man is the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger. And he's right about this crook. He is wanted by the law. Doby, you wear a marshal's badge. Have you any handcuffs? I sure have. And I also have a room where we can lock this critter up. What about my busted hand? I'll dress it for you after your handcuffs. Here's the handcuffs. Slotkin and his gang plan to steal a chest of gold. So that's your game, eh, Slotkin? I'm not talking. Where's the gang? They'll meet here in town on Saturday. Doby, if you'll deputize some townsmen, we may be able to capture all the crooks. I'll do it. As soon as we've jailed Slotkin, I'll tell you what I've learned about the crook's plan. Bandaged and handcuffed, Slotkin sat in a strongly locked room with bars on the windows, while the Lone Ranger told of his meeting with Jake Smith. The masked man had just finished his account of the outlaw's plans when Tonto rushed into the office. Himosabe. Tonto, what's wrong? Me follow Jake like you say. Him meet crook named Larrabee. Him tell about you. That'll be no you Lone Ranger. Is this the Indian friend you mentioned? Yes, Doby. Gang, no. You not crook. Now them change plans. What are they going to do? Them get Red Eagle to help. Red Eagle? Him get Renegade Indian. Them help outlaw. If those Indians come here, they'll burn down the town. Them come here. Doby, how many men can be counted on to fight? Only about a dozen able-bodied men in the town. There's generally a few prospectors here from the mountains, but... To meet that attack, we'll need 30 or 40 men. Then we'll lick before we start because we can't get them. 40 men. Might as well wish for the United States Army. That's it, Doby. Huh? The Army. We'll try to get help from Fort Crawford. Colonel Russell's been trying for a long time to run down Red Eagle's pack. This is his chance. But the fort's a long way from here. The attack is planned for noon on Saturday. The troopers can be here if they leave the fort tomorrow morning. But it'll take us till tomorrow night to get word to the fort. The colonel will receive word tomorrow morning. No, not even your horse can reach the fort by morning. No, but still we can reach Rock City by morning. And the telegraph is completed almost that far. The telegraph? You reach fort by telegraph? Yes, Toto. You stay here and help prepare for an attack. We'll make a stand in this building. Me, Sabi. I'll be back as soon as possible. Oh, heaven help you, Lone Ranger. Traveling over that rocky ground at night is downright dangerous. I sure hope that silver horse don't fall. Knowing how much depended on getting word to Fort Crawford at the earliest possible moment, the Lone Ranger rode hard. Come on, Silver. Faster, big fella. Faster. Soon after daybreak, he brought his exhausted horse to a halt at the construction camp of Western Union. He saw the man in charge, identified himself, explained the situation, and then a short time later, the urgent call for help flashed across the newly strung wires. On Saturday at noon, a band of over 30 heavily armed murderers rode toward Cold Spring. Red Eagle and his savages carried modern repeating rifles as well as knives and tomahawks. The outlaws had rifles in their saddle scabbards and six guns tied to their thighs. Larrabee, riding next to Jake Smith, said, Glad we changed the plans. Might have been trapped if we'd met in the cafe. Yeah. This way's better. Lone Ranger's gonna be mighty surprised when he sees what he's up against. Oh, yeah! There go the nets, Ken. Come on, boys. Here we go. Inside the fortified stagecoach station, the Lone Ranger, having returned from Rock City, heard the distant war cries and shouted, Here they come. Take your firing positions and start shooting when you're ready. I'm ready right now! The outlaws dismounted and sought protection behind buildings, boxes, and barrels near the station. The Apaches stayed on their horses, firing through the windows as they dashed past the building, then turning to repeat the operation. Oh, I'm hit! Stay away from the windows, don't lose! Getcha! We gotta get to the windows to fire! Then come again! Those murdering redskins! Come on, boys! Give it to us! There! Lone Ranger seemed to be everywhere, directing the defense, shooting at the enemy, and helping the wounded. Suddenly, looking through a window, he said, The Indians are grouping for another attack. They're lighting torches. Torches? Yes. They try to throw them through the windows and onto the roof as they ride past. They'll set the place of fire. They'll try to. Get ready with those pails of water! Here they come! Hey, you're a bugle! The soldiers! They've caught the soldiers! The attack of the Indians didn't get started. Hard-riding troopers raced into view, glad of the chance to vanquish Red Eagle's elusive pact. Neither the Indians nor the members of Slotkin's gang had a chance to escape. Some were killed. The others, many of them wounded, were captured. After the fight, Hank and Bob stood in front of the station with the Lone Ranger and Tonto. They watched the troopers riding away with the prisoners, both outlaws and Indians. The colonel told me the troopers would make camp a few miles from town. They'll rest the horses and start back to the fort tonight. I sure hope they keep close watch on Slotkin and Red Eagle and those others. Don't worry, Hank. Those crooks are through. Thanks to you, sir. Thanks to the courage of every man who fought. Well, Tonto, we have work to do elsewhere. Easy to the big fellow. Right, Kimasami. Gosh, I hate to see you go. We'll probably meet again. Adios, Bob, Hank. Adios. Goodbye. Come on, Tonto. Bob, you can hold your head high and be doggone proud. How's that, Uncle Hank? You fought side by side with the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger, a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated, is produced by Trendel Campbell Muir Incorporated. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer, your announcer, Fred Foy. Listen to the Lone Ranger, brought to you by special recording, Mondays through Fridays at this same time. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. You're outstanding.
