A very horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. The hearty cry of high old silver has echoed through the years from the wild and untamed west of yesterday. It has acted as a symbol of courage to the oppressed, a challenge to the lawless, that has returned to the west of old and thrilled to another of the Lone Ranger stories, featuring the most picturesque and colorful character ever to ride the plains and prairies. As our drama begins, we see the masked rider of justice urging his great horse, Silver, down the trail, leading to the town of Osage. Listen to those flying, silver-shod hoops. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, children! Many stories had reached the people of Osage about the Bruggen brothers, two of the worst outlaws in the west. But little did they suspect that the notorious killers were seated in one corner of the room in the cafe, where a number of men lie in the long bar talking about them. Let us move to that corner table and meet Dan and Paul Bruggen as they discuss their plans for the evening. It'll be a cinch to get away with the cash in the Osage bank, Paul. There ain't but one man there, and he's too slow to beat anyone with a draw. I'm with you, Dan. Only I still say there ain't no use taking chances. Still hankered to shoot the banker, eh? Why not? Well, he ain't never hurt us none. He ain't never had the chance to hurt us. Let him get a look at our faces and we're done for. Maybe. The reason we're still free is because we never let ourselves be seen. You're the boss, Paul, and what you say goes. I say we're fools to take chances on being recognized. All right. Shoot the banker, then. If ever we do get caught, we'll swing anyhow. Most one more murder added to all we got behind us. What about this hiding place you mentioned? It's a home day. How far? A few hours, right? Good. How is the ground between here and there? No grass or nothing. They show a trail. Then we can get to the hiding place without being followed. Easy. How long can we stay there? As long as we want. We'll stay there when we feel it's safe to move on somewhere else. Good. I'll toss off that drink and let's get started. We've got some banking business. As long as it needs 10, then. Missouri. It rankles me to be so flat broke. Don't rankle you no more than it does me, Sleepy. Here's the two of us stove in old critters that ain't worth a dime to no man. Oh, and I think of all the cash we uns had a while back. And now... Hey there, you two old mavericks. Meanin' us, bartender? Meanin' you, Missouri. You and Sleepy step up here and let me have your order. Well, it'll be, Sleepy. Oh, I reckon I ain't drinkin' no more. Come on. We both ain't drinkin', bartender. Oh, I say, be. Busted, eh? Flat broke. Well, you were warned when you had that silver mine that your luck mightn't hold out forever. I ain't complainin'. We had plenty of fun while our claim was good. Now it's petered out and we're broke. Ain't complainin', but you ain't drinkin' either. Come on, James. It's on the house. Oh, maybe it's soon to have some chug. Doggone, some grub would taste right good. Then step right back into the kitchen and tell the chink to fix you up. Now, look here. We ain't acceptin' no charity. Who says it's charity, Missouri? Why, you blamed old fool, you could be given the whole town of Osage. And it wouldn't be charity. Not after all you two of you done for folks are out here. Oh, we ain't done so much. Not unless you call giving away every dime you got from your silver mine something. Then, why, Dad read it the two of you made things easier for every poor family in the county. Now get yourself back to the kitchen and fill up. After the sourdough we've been livin' on, some real food might spy us. Go on and eat. Now, wait a minute, Farkeep. Does that invite include a friend of ours? Eh? This engine looks hard up and down on his luck. Come on, engine. You look like you could pack away some hot grub. Me not hungry. Oh, he ain't. Me got plenty of food. Reckoning means it, Missouri. Come on, let's put on the feed bag. I'm gosh awful hungry. Eh, darned old fools. That's what they are. Who, them? Missouri and Sleepy. That's what they're called. They just can't bear to see anyone in hard luck. Oh. They thought you was up again it and was willing to share a meal with you. They've been the same with every pilgrim and stray hound dog they ever seen. Them good pillar. It's a darn shame the silver mine run out. They deserve to have things easy. More than any men I ever knowed about. Where they're mine? Off north of somewheres. By that thunder, them two will eat free at charge as long as I got grub and a place to cook it. It's their pride that makes it so hard to do things for them. Come on, boys. It's the bank. It's been robbed. Hey, who robbed it? When did it happen? What was the shooting? Anybody hurt? Let's go. I'll bet it's the Brugans. How many of them were there? Two men done it. They shot the banker. Where'd they go? Anybody see them? Anybody else hurt beside the banker? Make way there, boys. Let me prove. Sheriff, all men lifting her's been shot down. Anybody see it? Whodunit. Did they get away with money? They cleaned out the bank. I've seen the two of them riding away like old kiddo. Which way's the head? Over yonder, that way. Missouri, the bank's been robbed. Our old fell's been shot down. Oh, doggone it. Why in blazes has there got to be outlaws like them Brugans? What was that you said, Missouri? I said it's the Brugans, Sheriff. How'd you know? It's their style of job. Missouri's right. The Brugans done it. Nobody else be honored enough to drill a man just out of pure cussedness. There wasn't no reason to shoot the banker. He couldn't have hurt him. To get men and horses. Call in the deputies. We've got to start a posse. We're going to run them Brugans down. It was the last thing we ever do. You're sure it's the Brugans, Sheriff? I'm willing to bet on it. If it ain't, we'll find out who it is. I've been expecting them Brugans to show up here most any time now. Remember, boys, there's plenty of reward money for those who get them. Come on, now. Get going. Sheriff, we aimed right along with you. Not you, Sleepy. Who's that we can't? Missouri, you, and Sleepy are old men. Oh, Dad Braddy, that ain't no way to talk to able-bodied men like us. Men that go out after the Brugans got to be hard-riding, fast-shooting mavericks. And you mean to say we can't ride after them, are we, Coyotes? The banker's a friend of ours. We want to help in running these killers down. I'm taking the men I feel are best suited for the job. You two have done enough for this community. Come on, boys. Let's get started. Too old, Sleepy. Why, Thunder, we want too old to help the sheriff's wife when she needed cash while the sheriff was out manhunting. What? What the matter? Oh, it's the Injun. Um, me named Tondo. Dad Braddy, I wish you could be riding with them men, Injun. There ain't nobody but an Injun or a bloodhound could follow the trail of them Brugans. They just don't leave a trail. Brugan, fella, killin' man, huh? Ain't only that, Injun. The man that was shot was our friend. Yeah, and the sheriff won't let us go gunnin' for the rats a-done it. Maybe me helpin' you. Oh, how can you help us, Injun? Say, maybe the three of us. Could go out trailin', eh? No. You stay here. Blast it! We don't want to stay here. We want to get them Brugans. What's more, we can use that reward money. There's over $2,000 in rewards for the capture of them coyotes. And every man in town has a chance to get a crack at that reward but us. Sleepy, no matter what the sheriff says, me and you are goin' manhuntin'. Maybe Tonto helpin'. Here, white fella. Hey, Injun, is that your horse? Uh-huh. Gosh, old fishhooks. What a critter that is. Tonto, ride him plenty fast. You wait. Maybe me come back soon. Hold on, Tonto. Ain't you takin' us along with ya? Get him up, white fella. For two weeks, the sheriff's men scoured the country without finding any trail of the two Brugans. Old Sleepy in Missouri also did some manhunting, wondering meanwhile where Tonto the Indian had gone. We find the tired old men in their humble shack, discouraged at their futile efforts to capture the desperate outlaws. No, it ain't no use tryin' to think otherwise, Missouri. We just ain't good for nothin' no more. Can't even run down a couple outlaw killers like the Brugans. Dad ratted Sleepy. We are gettin' old. And hungry. Doggone it, Missouri. I'd give a lot for a good man-sized meal again. We might sort of drift over to the cafe. Yeah, and get a free handout. No thanks. I'd sooner starve than take charity. If we was 30 years or so younger, we might have a chance of runnin' down them Brugans. But now... Come on in. I'm looking for two men known as Sleepy in Missouri. Well, you got the right men, stranger. What's on your mind? You own a silver mine, don't you? Yeah, but all there is to it now is a big tunnel. It's petered out. What makes you think it petered out? Count of it ain't no good no more, that's why. You're from the east, ain't ya? I know something about mines. Hmm, a mining expert, eh? Well, you don't know much about ours, he wouldn't take the trouble of callin' on us. Did you tell an Indian about your mine? Indian? Yeah, we did, stranger. Remember Missouri? That red skill called it Chuff Tonto. Yeah, that's so. The Indian knows about your mine, and I heard him making certain plans concerning it. What sort of plan? I was led to believe that a new vein had been found in that tunnel of yours. Yeah? Don't go on it. No foolin'. Do you reckon that Indian's gone there and found a new vein of silver? It might be well for you two to hurry over there and investigate it. By thunderation. If anyone's tried to jump our train, I'll... As long as it remains abandoned, you can't expect people to stay away from there. What's your interest in it, stranger? Are you from one of the big companies aiming to buy up our silver mine? I wouldn't buy it unless it proved worthwhile. Wouldn't do no harm to drift over that way, Sleepy. Why not? We can starve there just as we can here. Do you have any mining supplies left? Yeah, some. We've got digging tools that might have lasted in powder. Then I'd advise you to investigate that mine as quickly as you can. It might be worth your while. The next day, Leapy and Missouri headed toward their old, abandoned mine. As they trudged along the rocky trail, it was easy to see that Sleepy was still very skeptical over the prospect of finding silver ore. I don't know about this, Missouri. Just don't seem to make sense. What don't? Take in time to go up here and look at that no-good mine of ours. We made sure there weren't no more veins there. Maybe we didn't look careful enough. It's getting toward dark now, anyway. We can't go inside till morning. Well, we can wait around outside. Inside, there's plenty of places to camp right around here. I know. We'd be blamed fools to turn back now, Sleepy. There's a tunnel inside already. Yeah. But I ain't counting on ever seeing silver in that old tunnel again. Take a look at it. Don't it look downright ugly? Time was when we thought it looked pretty fine. Yeah. Say, Missouri, let's... Now, what the... That sounded like a gunshot. Thunderation. Who'd be popping at us here? Hi! Now, that one hit the dirt right near us. Where'd it come from? Blame the vino. Hit the ground. Dad, Braddick. Get that in here, Summer. Right. Play dead for a second. Yeah. Edge over this way. We can get us some protection behind that rock. Yeah. Ain't no use shooting back. We can't see nothing to shoot at. I'll get back here. That second shot come close. Too close for comfort. Missouri. Them shots come from the direction of the tunnel. Reckon so. But the direction don't matter none if they hit you. The point is, it proves one thing. Someone aims to keep us from that silver mine. And if someone wants to keep us from it, then doggone it, that's a sure sign there's something worthwhile there. Darned if there ain't. Well, we might find something if we don't get shot first. Come on. Let's take a chance. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scene, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our drama. You will recall the two old prospectors, Sleepy and Missouri, were on their way to an abandoned silver mine. When they were a short distance away from it, several shots were fired at them. Immediately, they became certain the mine was worth investigating. The next morning, the Lone Ranger and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, were looking over the ground, not far from the entrance of the mine. The masked man is the first to speak. So, Sleepy and Missouri spent the night in hiding? Not right. You heard them say that they were determined to investigate the mines? Ah. Them think you fell from east. I know they do, Tonto. When I called on them, I went disguised as an Easterner. That's plenty good. They thought I was a mining expert, willing, perhaps, to buy their claim that they would prove that it was worthwhile. You sure, old fellow, that? I think they'll find it worth the trouble of investigating, Tonto. Remember, I'm counting on you. Tonto, got plenty hole drill in mine. Have you filled the holes with powder? That's right. And the fuses are all ready to be lighted? Ah. We want to make sure that when the two old prospectors do what I'm going to suggest, an explosion does just what we want it to do. Hmm. I'm going to see them, Tonto. And in about an hour, you'll be able to light the fuses and set off the charge. Tonto, keep close watch. Missouri and Sleepy might need some help. Them get plenty help. Here, Silver! It's pretty early in the morning. The sooner those two get started, the better. By night, I hope they'll find themselves rich men again. Them good color. That's the reason I want to help them, if it's possible. Yep. I'll head for their camp now. Come on, Silver. Ginger! Sleeping outdoors makes me stiff as a pine board, Sleepy. Me too. Get yourself up and move around, little Missouri. Then you'll be all right. You been up for long? Just a couple of minutes. We've got a lot of work to do today. Sure enough, hell, we're going to get our mine back and see if there ain't some silver to be found in there. Hey, ain't that a horse coming this way? Sounds like. Maybe that's the critter that's holding possession of our mine. Oh, there's no silver. Oh, oh, there's no silver. King's mask. Well, what the sand hills. Stick up your hands, mister. We aim to talk to you. Put your guns down, men. I'm here as a friend of yours. Put your mask, Dad Ruddett. What's the big idea of that? You men are heading for certain death if you think you can walk into that mine and take possession of it. Oh, so you come from there to give us a warning, eh? Well, we're a couple of old goots. But by ginger, what's ours is ours. And we're going to fight for it. You won't have a chance fighting. Who says we won't? Just you and your parts over yonder try and stop us, mister. I'm not with the men over yonder. I came to tell you one way you could outwit them. Yeah? What's your interest in a couple of old critters like us, mister? The men inside that tunnel will be hidden from you. But you'll make easy targets for them. You'll take our chances. You have some blasting powder here, haven't you? Yeah, what of it? Pick some of it in a bundle and attach a piece of fuse. Yeah? Then get as close to the mouth of the tunnel as you can. Light the fuse and throw the bundle into the tunnel. What's that for? The blast might fill the mouth and seal the men inside it. The only way they could escape would be by the air shaft at the rear. If you were at the outside of that shaft, you could make them surrender to you. No, that wouldn't work, mister. Why? That air shaft just straight holds, like a chimbley. Goes straight up. Man couldn't climb out of that. My part's right, mister. You can let a rope down and haul them out. That would be the best way to capture them and make them stand trial for stealing your silver. Dan Ruddard, you talk like there was silver in there. Didn't you come here to get it? But we, uh... Look here. Who's tarnation on you anyhow? I came here as a friend to help you get the men who have taken possession of your silver mine. Perhaps they're enemies of mine as well as yours. I begin to savvy. They done you while you're a sheriff some delay. You can think what you please. You figured to get even with them by having us taken prisoners. Ain't that it? Perhaps it is. Take the plan or leave it. Whichever you like. I've given it to you for what it's worth. Why didn't you try that plan yourself? Well, you're so dead sought on seeing whoever's inside our tunnel captured. You think I could take them to trial? They haven't taken possession of my mind. By thunder, that's right, Missouri. It's our property they've taken English. We're the ones that have to take them to the judge. Furthermore, you have blasting powder. I don't have. Yeah, that's so. I'm for trying this stranger's idea, sleepy. Maybe you are not wrong, mister, with that mask on your face. But I like the style of your talk. If you're for it part, then I'm for it too. We'll probably get our heads blowed off, but then that'll keep us from getting hungry again. Come on. Missouri and his partner went about the task of attaching the fuse. The Lone Ranger slipped quietly away, permitting the two old prospectors to believe that he was an outlaw. When they had the powder and fuse ready, the men crept to a spot a few yards away from the tunnel entrance. Got that fuse fixed right, Missouri? Yeah, it's awful short, but I reckon it'll do. Uh, which one of us better do the throw-in, Missouri? No, no. We've got to do it from here, though. We'll be seen. Got a light? Yeah. Careful with it. I know how to do this. You better throw it, Missouri. We've got to make her land in the side of the hill, just above the tunnel entrance. Leave it to me. Here goes the match. Now for it. Hold it steady while I light that blasted fuse. Yeah? There. She's catching. Throw it, quick. There she goes. Fall flat down on the ground. I'm down. Now, who are you here? Did it hit right? I don't think so. Yeah, it did. Look, the entrance is closed. We got them trapped. Hit it right square. You done just swell, Missouri. We sure blocked the tunnel that time. All right, Sleepy. We're heading for the air shaft atop the hill. And when we get there, we'll sit and wait till them coyotes get good and tired of worrying about getting out. Sleepy and Missouri scrambled up the side of the hill to the air shaft and waited there for quite some time. They didn't know that while they were watching the opening, Tonto was racing toward the town to bring the sheriff and his men. Finally, Sleepy said, I reckon we can try and help them coyotes now, Missouri. Yep. I'll try and talk to them. Hey, down there! We've got you covered! And if you want to come out alive, you better surrender! I wonder if they can hear you. Hey, you! You can't get out there unless we haul you out with a rope. So you better surrender and we'll leave you to starve! Gosh, I hope we ain't killed them with that blast. Ah, they're down there all right. I hear them moving around a couple of times. You fellas coming up? Are you going to make us drop some blast and power down this hole? You really hear me? By ginger, Missouri, we catch them all right. Now we can take them in to stand trial and then come back and see what they've been stealing from our silver mines. It is over here. Hand me that rope, Sleepy. Yeah. I'll take moon time to get you thieving coyotes out of there. I'll drop down a rope and you tie your guns to it first. When we get your guns, here's a rope coming down. Tie your guns on it and be quick. Let me go. You take a chance to put up, Sleepy, you know. All right. All right. Here, I'll give you a hand. Yeah, come on, man. All right. Untie the gun, Sleepy. Oh, yeah. I did it. Put that rope down again. She's a-coming. But remember, we'll drill you critters if you try any tricks on us. We won't. Grab a hold now and we'll haul you up. Wait till I get a hold, Missouri. There now. Oh, let her slip now. My brother, my part's still down there. Well, we'll get him out pronto. Now you stand by and don't try nothing. Yeah. You ain't gonna drill me? Not if you behave. All we want is for you to take us back into the silver mine and tell us where the new vein's at. The vein? Hey, you hold the gun on him, Sleepy. Stand still there so we'll get your part out. Grab a hold down. Come on out. How many of you is there? Just the two of us? Yeah. Give us a hand and hold your part out. Oh, he's over. Take it easy. I thought we found silver in there and all I want is a mine. Huh? I don't know us. Gosh. Well, downright sorry we was in your mind, Jens, and we'll... Now you blame old fools. Think of mine. That's it. He's got another gun. Oh, you didn't know us, huh? It's about time you met the Bruggen brothers. Holy mackerel. The Bruggen. The Bruggen's is right. We ain't letting you go back and tell the sheriff you found us. It'd be a downright disgrace to be catched by a couple stove-y and old fools like you two. Let's drill them and toss them down in there. Now look here, Bruggen. You ornery killing skunk. We ain't done nothing to you. We didn't figure you was the Bruggen. We figured you was just a couple hombres that found silver in our minds. Silver? All that holds good for his hiding. And I reckon it'll hide you two from now till doomsday. I doubt that, why the mask man. Oh, the drill him. Look out! Oh, my hell! You forced me to fire again. I'll do more than shoot your guns away. Stranger, these are the Bruggen's. There's a reward out for them. I know that. And you got them. No, you two men got them. You see, he taught him to trail them to the tunnel, but he wanted you to make the capture, and he didn't want you killed while doing it. Keep them covered now. The sheriff and his posse are coming to help you. But how'd the sheriff know? I'll kill you for this, mister, if it takes you to... Your killing days are over, Bruggen. If you raise a hand against the mask man, then I won't wait for the sheriff to come. I'll deal with you right here and now. I happen to find out how much good you did with the money from your silver mine. You helped a lot of people, and it's about time someone helped you. You saved our lives. That's what you've done, mister. I told you there might be silver in your mine. There is, but not as you thought. The rewards that are standing for the capture of these two men will amount to quite a sum. Here, and they got the Bruggen. It ain't that, sheriff. It's that mask man. He told us there was men here, and he told us how to trap them. You was the boys holding the guns on them coyotes, roping men, and let's get them into town. At last, we got the Bruggen. And the last on you, sheriff. You said old sleepy and Missouri weren't fit to travel with a posse. Well, I'm doggone glad they didn't. The posse didn't get no place, but Missouri and sleepy sure enough did. Get them critters and back to town now, boys. Make it fast. But the reward, there's the man that's entitled to them, sheriff. Well, looks like he wasn't interested in no reward, Missouri. Glad it. There's things I don't savvy about this, sheriff. Me too. I wonder if it ain't that mask man fired the shot that made us figure someone was inside that tunnel. And the same with that there blasting powder. It landed a long way from where it was supposed to land, and yet when it went off, the explosion was right above the tunnel where it'd do the most good. There's lots that needs explaining. Sleepy, that mine weren't no good, and the mask man knew that. All he wanted was for us to capture the two Bruvins so we'd get that reward money. And thanks to him, we don't never have to worry about food and sit again. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. Thank you.
