A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver. The Lone Ranger. History has never recorded the deeds of the Lone Ranger. But the old-timers who lived when the United States was expanding its western frontier told exciting stories of a masked man who rode a white horse. A mystery rider whose heavy six guns carried bullets of silver. Who was known as the champion of justice in the west of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse, Silver. And once again we hear the inspiring shout, The Lone Ranger rides again. Jed Kramer, the banker, made his fortune by lending money to the inhabitants of Big Bend. His terms were harsh, and he was quick to foreclose when his clients were unable to pay. As a result, nearly every man in town was his enemy. We see the moneylender in his bank long after closing hours. It is night, and he is working by the light of an oil lamp. Before him on the counting table is a heavy metal cash box. I reckon this is all just as it should be. Sounds like the door creaking. Maybe I'm to have a visitor. Let's have a look outside and see if there's anyone around. Pitch dark. Can't see nothing. If anyone's close by, they hear just what they should hear. Got to act this thing just so. Who's there? The young business, Jed Kramer. Oh, oh, what? Take it easy. I don't aim to hurt you unless you make trouble. Who are you? I don't matter none, Jed. What I'm after won't take long. Come out into the light where I can see you. What do you want? I'll have... No, you won't, Jed. I'll reach for that gun. I've got you covered. Yeah. You're after my money. You thief. That's right, Jed. Well, you won't get it. Oh, no. Make one move, and I'll drill you clean through. Now stand up and reach for the ceiling. You blasted. That's it. Now face the wall. If I could get one good look at you. Don't try. My face is covered. You won't get away with this. That's my worry. Now just take that cash box. Oh, $10,000 you're taking. $10,000. Too bad it ain't more. You'll ruin me. I wish that was the case, Kramer. But you've got plenty more cash. Keep facing that wall. But you can't do that. For years now, you've been cheating, swindling, and bulldozing the honest folks around here. Out in the hard-earned cash. Every time that scheming face of yours pokes out in the door, it means trouble for someone around these parts. It ain't true. You're lying. I know what I'm talking about. I'll tell you just one thing. You want to know who I am? I'll find out and... Never mind the threats. I'm one of the men you swindled. Then I'll... You gave me a mortgage on my farm and then cheated me. You saw to it I didn't get enough credit in town to make a go of things. I never did. I'll set the sheriff after you. He'll find out who you are. You can't tell who I am from what I've told you. No. You've swindled everyone around here. You can't tell which one I am. I've got the money now, Jed. And I'll leave you to figure it out for yourself. I might be most any man in town. Goodbye and... And thank you. I'll get you for this. Sheriff. Sheriff, help me. I've been robbed. They've took my money. They've got $10,000. It's gone. Help! Help! Quick, get the sheriff. The thief ain't gone far. You can still get him. Get who? The thief, you fool. The thief. What thief? What's all the noise about you? Sheriff, he took my money. Who took your money? One of the men I swindled. I mean, I don't know who. But he ain't gone far. Which way did he go? I don't know that either. But he... He went. How in blazes do you expect me to do anything? Calm down now. Give me the true facts on this thing. I've lost $10,000. It'll ruin me. $10,000? I saw a man running like blazes down toward the livery stable. Well, that's him, then. That's him. You sure, Abe? Yeah. He was carrying a box or something. After him. Come on, boys. Right out there. You can get him. There they go, Tonto. We just came from the stable, and there was no one down there. Either the man called Abe was mistaken, or he lied. Maybe him take money. It's possible. Abe was Kramer a lot of money. Let me kind of owe him. Right. Abe might have robbed the banker, left the money somewhere, and then returned to join the others. Hmm. I wonder... I wonder what you'll do. We're going to go to Abe's house and wait for him. He's the guilty one. We'll find it out. Come on, Silver. Get him up, Whitefellar. We shouldn't have long to wait. If Abe is guilty, he'll slip away from the others as soon as possible. Then maybe him go home with money. I'm counting on that. There's the house. We leave the horses here. Oh, Silver. Oh, boy. Get in the house, Tonto. Oh, me. Let me see it. That must mean that somewhere inside, Abe suspected that he's been... We'll wait over near the window. Plenty dark there. What was that? That baby. Abe Turner's child. That little fella. Plenty sick. We're going to send the man to jail. Horse come this way. I hear it, Kimo Sabe. Him come plenty fast. Yes. There he comes. It is Abe. Going into the house now. That box. Dealing again if we act before he's found by lawmen. What... What me do? Go back toward town. Watch for anyone coming this way. If you see anyone coming, signal me. And I'll take Abe to our camp and talk there. Ah, me do. Me go. Let me quit. Get away, fella. Mathmin. Mister, we ain't got nothing to steal. Oh, please go away. Don't hurt him. I'm not going to hurt you, Mrs. Turner. I came here to speak to Abe. What do you want? There was a robbery in town tonight, Abe. Judd Kramer was held up in his office and $10,000 were taken. Whatever. You told the sheriff that the thief carried a box. Well, what about it? I want to ask you just one thing. What's in that box on the table? I... Well, that's... I saw you bring it into the house. You had it with you when you came from town just now. You... You mean you think Abe done it? Well, he wouldn't do anything like that, mister. Tell him you wouldn't, Abe. Tell him. I... I didn't think I was seen. He's right, Jane. Then... Then you're a thief. Jane, I... I did it for you. For me? I... I couldn't stand it around here month after month watching you and little Jimmy starving for food. But, Abe, you stole... You stole money for your wife and child. Did you stop to think what it'll mean to them when you're caught and jailed? Men don't stop to think when the folks he loves are starving. I just took what's mine. I have a right to it, mister. A right? You've no right to the property of others. Judd Kramer swindled everyone around here. The only difference between him and me is that he does his stealing with the law on his side. I know what's best for me and my family. And I won't tolerate no interference. That money's mine. No one's going to take it away from me. The law won't take long to find out who took Judd's money. And when they do, they'll... My tracks are covered. Aside from you, they ain't no one... Abe! Listen to me. If I let you replace what you stole and blame me for the crime, give you a chance to stay honest and find another way out of your trouble... I'm satisfied as I am. I'm not. That money's going back where it came from. No one suspects you yet. Keep still and you'll be in the clear. The cash ain't going back. Don't you touch that box, stranger. Abe. Abe, that look in your face. Has the devil possessed you? You don't savvy. No one understands. I'd be in the clear if it wasn't for you, mister. Not for very long. Forever. I'm playing this game like I was planned and you ain't gonna stop me. The cash is going back. I know who you are. I've heard about you and I... Stand back, Abe. I'm taking the cash box. Don't shoot him, stranger. Don't shoot Abe. The poor man ate himself. I've never seen him like this. I'm sure of that. Stranger. You win. I reckon I can't stop you taking the cash box. Put your gun down. Go ahead and take the cash. I... I know when I'm licked. That's better, Abe. Just wait another day and see if things don't improve. I'll take the box back. What fun you will! Oh! Abe! Abe, what have you done? It won't get me. You hit him. Caught him off guard, huh? Listen, Jane. Everything has changed now. I can't go ahead like what is planned. In the name of heaven, Abe, what'd you do this for? Take care of him, Jane. He's a square's finest man alive. Don't take his mask off. Bathe his head with water and bring him to and... and leave him go. I... I've got to take to hiding now. Oh, Lord, why the lone range I have to find me. Why did you have to turn thief? I can't tell you. Jane, I'm heading away. But you'll have cash. You'll be took care of. That's the main thing. You... You and baby Jimmy won't go hungry no more. But, Abe... You won't be in no trouble. Jane, just... just remember that... whatever I've done... I've done for you and the baby. You can't leave like this. I... I've got to. But this man... He ain't hurt bad. Just tell him I've lit out. Tell him there ain't no use hunting me. I won't ever be found. But, Abe... Abe... Oh, Lord in heaven. What's happened to the man we love? The curtain falls on the first act of tonight's thrilling Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. You will recall that in the first act of tonight's Lone Ranger drama, Abe Turner robbed Jed Kramer's bank. The Lone Ranger and Tonto pitied Abe because they were convinced he'd become a criminal only to help his starving family. However, when the masked man attempted to persuade Abe to return the money, the man struck the Lone Ranger down. Abe then made his escape, assuring his family they'd be cared for. Our scene opens later that same night. We see the sheriff's posse riding toward Abe's home. I don't like the way Abe Turner gave us a false lead, then disappeared. He said he'd see the man heading away from the bank. Yeah. Then went on to tell about the man carrying a box. Dad read a deputy. He must have eyes like an owl. Yeah. And we didn't find hiding a hair or no one where he said to look. Just so. That's why I hankered to ask Abe a few more questions. Won't do no harm. I'm downright sorry if it's Abe that robbed old Jed Kramer. Abe's wife has enough troubles without seeing her man jailed. Say, Sharon. Yeah? Have you noticed a white horse traveling ahead of us? No. Well, there's one there. I first sighted it when the moon poked out from behind a couple of clouds a minute ago. If you look sharp, you can see it. I see it. Traveling fast, too. Faster than we are. Dern sight. And heading for Turner's place. Maybe to warn Turner. Deputy, signal the boys to come fast. Get along there. Come on, boys. We sighted something ahead. There's the horse of Turner's house. Yeah. And the riders calling aside. See, the door's wide open. There's two men outlined in the light. And two horses outside. Come on, boys. Something's going on at Turner's place. Now's Jane Turner standing in the doorway. Hey! Hold on there. Stop! There they go. Stop in the name of the law. They ain't stopping. The rest of you men get after them, too. Oh, hold there. Oh, hold there. Oh. Oh, deputy. I'm with you. Hold on there, Jane. We aim to speak to you. Cheers. It's me, all right. How'd you know about Abe so soon? Come on inside, deputy. Yeah. Please don't judge Abe too harsh. So Abe turned thief, huh? He... He done it for me and the baby. Looks like our suspicions was right, deputy. There's a cash box on the table. Yep. Where's your husband, Jane? He... He's gone. Where? I don't know. He just left. He said... He said we wouldn't see him no more. Where's the stolen money? I guess the mask man took it. Mask man? What mask man? He just left here. He come and tried to get poor Abe to take that money back, but... But Abe must have gone crazy with worry and with seeing us go hungry and maybe Jimmy needing things so bad. Abe knocked the mask man down and then he... Well? Then he... He told me to be sure and treat the mask man kindly and to bathe his face with cool water till he come to. Go on. Then Abe went away. The mask man come to and asked me what Abe took from the cash box and I told him the truth. Just as I'm telling you the truth. Abe didn't take anything from the box. The mask man took something, though, and then an engine made up. We seen the engine. The mask man joined him, didn't he? He just ran away as you come up. Oh, Sheriff, please find Abe for me. We'll find him, all right. I can't imagine what's got into the poor man. He ain't to be blamed too much for what he's done. He didn't mean no harm, Sheriff. You say this mask man has the cash from the box? I don't know. It's sure enough empty now, Sheriff. Then the mask man must have cleaned it out. No, Abe didn't. Why'd poor Abe have to do this sort of thing? I'd be the first one to admit that Jed Kramer was a first-rate skunk that needed to dress him down and trim him. He stopped at nothing to swindle folks. He was ready to take our house away from us when we couldn't pay the mortgage man. Abe shouldn't take the law into his own hands, though. He just didn't stop to think. All he knew was that he'd been swindled by Jed Kramer and that we was hungry. Oh, Sheriff, if only you could find him. Well, you'll find him all right enough. We'll find him if I have to swear in every man in the county as a deputy to do it. The sheriff's deputy spent many days searching the country for Abe Turner, but without success. He seemed to have disappeared as completely as had the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Then one evening, Jed Kramer was on the veranda of his home, talking to the sheriff. Seems to me it's time we hunted up a new sheriff, if you can't do no better than what you've done so far. Well, we ain't give up yet, Kramer. Might as well. I'd give up hope of ever finding any of my money again. Losing that $10,000 don't seem to have hurt your bank business none. I got insurance to cover the loss. I know. You always got something to cover anything that happens to you. Well, I'll get inside the house now. This night air is getting cool. Good luck to you and hunt your man. All right, Jed. You can bet I'll find him. If only he knowed how close he was to Abe Turner. But I don't reckon he ever will. Better make sure the door's barred tight. Can't tell when someone is likely to come in without knocking. I'll see, Turner. Well, Abe. Sheriff, go on. Sure. They'll keep hunting you for another week, and then they'll give up looking for you and think that you're lost. Yeah, by that time, my beard will grow down enough so as I can leave here, won't it? Well, we'll see how you look at the end of that time. Listen, Kramer. You've kept your word, ain't you? Me? Why, sure. You swore you'd see Jane and the baby took care of if I made believe to rob your bank. They're being took care of, don't you worry. Had anything more about that mask, man? Not a word. Just too doggone bad he had to know about you. If he hadn't, you'd been able to go right on about your business living at home and never being suspected. Jed, take my word for it. If I find you being double-crossed, I mean... Shucks, forget that notion. Now, just forget you're pretty lucky that you can hide here in this house, where the law will never think of searching for you. Now, I'm going to bed. Yeah? All right. Night. Good night, Kramer. No fellow he is now. I can give him a right arm to see him again. I wonder if I'll ever get... Abe, keep quiet. What the... Not a sound. I don't want Jed to know I'm here. It's lucky that window was unlocked. You again? A mask, man? You'll not get the chance to knock me down again, Abe. Listen, if only you know the truth... Perhaps I do. Like... When you left your house, you didn't stop to empty out that cash box. I did. Yeah? Take a look at this paper. Is... Is this what's in the box? That doesn't look much like a mortgage, does it? No, it don't. This ain't nothing but a legal form. They ain't even filled in. You haven't seen your wife of late, have you? What do you mean? You'd better come with me, Abe. She isn't in the home where you last saw her. She ain't? No. Neither is your son. Where are they at? I'll take you to them. If you'll slip out quietly by this window. Is this a trick to turn me over to the law? If that was my purpose, I could bring the law here. Yeah? That's so. Come. It isn't far to go. Abe left Kramer's home by way of the window and was taken to the Lone Ranger's camp in the nearby woods. There, beside a small fire, he found his baby asleep in blankets. His wife sat with her back to Abe, her head in her hands. Tonto sat across from her. What's this mean? Abe. Oh, Abe, for mercy's sake, it's you. Jane, Jane, honey, what are you doing here? Where'd you expect to find me, Abe? Mace, man, and Tonto have been feeding us. They fixed a little lean to a pine branch as far as to sleep in it. You mean you say he ain't got no home? You should know the answer to that question, Abe. Ain't Jed Kramer sent word to you? Ain't he sent you food? Oh, don't you starve and eat Jed Kramer's food, even if he did send it? Well, that, that ornery... Now, Abe, don't lose your head again. Remember that the last time... Jane, haven't you had any food? These two friends have seen to it that I haven't gone hungry. Listen, listen, Jane, you wait right here. Where are you going? I've got some things to tend to. You wait here and I'll be back for you inside an hour. But, Abe... Let him go, Jane. You'll see me in an hour or less. Abe! Quiet, Jane. Do you think that... He's gone now, Jane. I think tonight we'll see an end of all your troubles. Wait. Steady silver. Force come this way. That might be the sheriff. There they are! I said it'd be good to investigate this fire! It is the sheriff. You'll jail you. Stand ready, fellow. Be ready. Wait a minute, Cheryl. I'd have gone for you if you hadn't come here. We got you covered. Listen to me. You'll put those guns and nothing right away from here in a hurry. You want Abe Turner? Do we? I should say we do. Then listen, and you'll get him. The Lone Ranger spoke to the sheriff and his posse while Abe Turner returned to Jed Kramer's house and re-entered by way of the window. Inside, he hurriedly made his way through the house and burst into the moneylender's room. Dirty double-crossing rat. What's this, Sam? You wonder how I found out, don't you? You thought as long as you kept me hid here, I wouldn't get to know that you're going back on your word. I don't know what you're talking about. You will. Have you gone loco? No, I ain't. I was loco before when I believed all the promises you made. You dirty thief. Now stop that noise and tell me what's the matter. You swindled and cheated and done folks out of their homes for years. But even then you weren't satisfied. You even stole cash from your bank. And you had to cover it, so you come to me. We made a deal. Sure. I was to put on an act and make out to rob you $10,000. They would account for you losing the money. I was to steal your cash box, and you was to have my mortgage in it. I did. Like fun you did, you lying coyote. You knew that once I committed the robbery, I couldn't do nothing about it. So you tricked me. I don't know what you're talking about. You've gone loco. Oh, no, I ain't. You promised to let me keep my house, and you'd send food and some cash to Jane. And when I was caught by the masked man, you hid me here and still said you'd send her food and things. But what did you do? Just that. You lying rat. You turned her out. You foreclosed that mortgage. You done just what you said you'd do if I didn't enter your scheme. You turned Jane out. Right now, she's camping in the open, eating food that an engine's given her. A mask, man. You're coming. Come on, boy. A sheriff. Keep him covered, mister. We'll put ropes on him. Hold on, sheriff. We heard enough, Kramer, to know that Abe didn't steal a doggone thing, but that you did. Sheriff. Oh, Abe, thank the Lord. Jane turned on me. Turned on me. All right, all right. Now I will foreclose that mortgage. No, you won't. You haven't got it. You see, Abe, the mortgage was in the box, but I took it out after you'd left your house. But I... Please listen, Abe. The masked man saw there wasn't any money in the box, but he did see the mortgage. He had a hunch as to what happened. He did? We trailed you, Abe. Tonto can follow any trail. We knew where you were and waited outside every night until I heard all I needed to know. I didn't turn your wife out. I didn't do... No, you didn't, but as soon as you did. Well, I found you and the baby camping out in the woods. That was a masked man's scheme, Abe, to get you to face Jed Kramer and talk so the lawman could hear the truth. And we did. Abe, you're in the clear, but that's a darn sight more than Kramer can say. And now, Abe, you can come back home. Hi-oh, Silver, old fellow. There's a new stage line running to Dalton, and there might be trouble. Hi-oh, Silver. What you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
