A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-oh silver, the Lone Ranger. There is one man whose life story cannot be separated from the development of the western United States. The tale of his deeds is not to be found in the written records of those days, but has been repeated through the generations until the people of seven western states honor the memory of the masked rider of justice. Wherever he appeared, the cause of justice was served. And now, once more, a thrilling story of the phantom figure of the plains, the Lone Ranger rides again. Hurry, silver! Stretch out those great legs of yours! Crooked gamblers are running the town of Mud Flats! Hurry, O'S! As the Lone Ranger rode by on silver, he was hurrying toward Mud Flats. In all the west, no town had a worse reputation. Though smaller than Dodge City, it was filled with gamblers and crooks of every description. Honest people found difficulty making a living. And as the sheriff had been elected by the town's worst element, there was little chance to correct the situation. In the first scene of our Lone Ranger drama, 15-year-old Tommy Goodwin is walking down the main street. His steps are slow and his eyes fixed upon the ground. When his father speaks to him suddenly, he looks up in fear. Tommy, where on Sunday have you been? Your ma and me was worried half sick about you. Oh, oh, pa. Have any trouble? No, no, not exactly, but I... Where have you been all this time? We sent you out four hours ago to pay over that cash to the storekeeper. Yeah, I know. You paid him, didn't you? Well, I... Tom, look at me. What's the matter with you? I... I didn't mean to do nothing, pa. I... Did you pay our bill at the store? I... I was going to. Did you or didn't you? No. You didn't pay it? No, I... I didn't. Why not? You know blame well what we had to do to get that cash. I had to sell the jewels your ma's been treasuring ever since we left Virginia. We had to pay that bill. We won't get no more credit at the store. I... I knew it, pa. Why didn't you pay? Where have you been all this time? I... I met Harv Riggs. Riggs? That gambling crook? Yeah, he... He stopped and spoke to me and... And we got talking. He said some mighty fine things about you, pa. Dirty Coyote never had a good word for me in his life. Oh, but he did. We got to talking and... And he was going to tell me about some of the things you'd done in the army. Then what? Well, I was listening and... The first thing I knowed, we was inside the cafe. Riggs' place? Yeah. And he got you to gambling and took the cash? Well, not at first, you see. We just cut cards for high cards. For a nickel. For a nickel a cut, huh? Yeah, and I won. I won most a dollar cutting cards. And then he said I had to give him a chance to get the dollar back. A dirty scheming rat. I still don't know, pa, how it happened. But the first thing I knowed, we were sort of cutting for more and more money. And the next thing I knowed, I was broke. You go on home. Pa, I didn't mean to... You go home and tell your ma I'll be along in a little while. I'm going to call on Harv Riggs. That skunk's gone too far. He ain't satisfied robbing every groan man in town. He's got to pick on kids your size. Get to home now. Tell your ma I'll be along by and by. I'm going in and see that poor cat. That just about cleaned you up, Pard. I'm sorry. Yeah, you look sorry, Riggs. Drop in again sometime and I'll give you the chance to win your money back. Well, I hope to gosh I know I'll keep out of this place when I get any more money. Goodbye and good luck to you. Good luck don't mean nothing around a place like this. Riggs, I want to speak to you. Well, if it ain't Bart Goodwin. Have a chair, Bart. I'll do my talking on two feet. You've been telling my boy things about me in the army, huh? Yeah, and he was sure interested. When you got him in a game and robbed him. Fifty dollars you took from him, Riggs. I want that money. You want what money? I want the money you stole from Tommy. I'm afraid you're barking up the wrong tree, Goodwin. I never stole a cent in all my life. Maybe you don't consider it stealing when you take it from a kid with more cards. Just a minute, Goodwin. When a man says my cards is marked, I expect him to either prove it or draw his shooting iron. Prove it, huh? All right. I got just five bucks here. You expect me to play for five bucks? Deal them cards. You're playing me now, Riggs. And don't try no monkey shines. I'll stay one more round now. My face disguised all right, Tonto? Uh, it's good. Fine. Look at Riggs there. He's the biggest gambler in town, Tonto. With the biggest gambling place in mudflats. And he's playing for five dollars. Him want all the money. I wonder if there isn't some way to clean up this town. We drive Gambler out. That isn't easy. The gamblers own the town, Tonto. Maybe we make trouble for Gambler. Tonto, do you remember Henry Parker? Oh. Him over to Dodge City. He's not known around here at all. He hasn't done any gambling for years. Him turn good. Yes. He's gone straight since we helped him out of that scrape a year ago. Tonto, get Henry Parker here. Me go fetch him now? Yes. Hey, you dirty rat. Oh, I caught you. Look here, boys. Here's proof this man's a crook. Wait, Tonto. Come over there. I'm going to put my mask on. I don't let no man do that to me. Got you with a good rig. Got you flat-footed. There's how you've been winning at cards. I'm on to your tricks. Look here, boys. Oh. Come on, Riggs. I'll kill him. Oh. My hand. My hand's busted. That bullet didn't touch your hand. I just shot your gun away to stop a murder. Goodwin, get out of here while you have the chance. Swing me in the shoulder. Can you get out all right? I can get out. I'll come back. I'll get you, Riggs. I'll get you for this. Next time we meet, you'll be ready to shoot it out, Goodwin. Proved you're a crook. Proved you're a crooked gambler, didn't I? On your way, Goodwin. Get out while you have the chance. You're covered, Riggs. Don't make a play for that second gun you wear. I'll get you too, stranger. I don't know who you are, but when I find out, I'll get you. You'll have to find out who I am first. The rest of you, stay back. Come on, Tonto. Is Goodwin gone? Him gone. Back out the door, then. Get on your horse and go for the man I told you about. I mean, go. The first man who comes out this door will get more of what Riggs got. Ride hard, Tonto. I'll meet you in camp as soon as you come back with Parker. Yep. I'll see you. Tonto raced from town in one direction while the Lone Ranger rode in another. That night, the masked man returned to Mud Flats. The place was booming with activity. Crowds had gathered, not only in the gambling hall owned by Harv Riggs, but in all the smaller ones as well. The Lone Ranger, however, ignored these and went to Goodwin's home on the edge of town. Paused outside and hearing voices moved close to the window. My wound ain't so bad, Jane. I'll be as good as new in a day or so, but he's losing that money. Bart, I don't know what we'll do for food. The store won't give you no more credit. An honest man ain't a chance of earning any sort of living here. Bart, there ain't but one thing for us to do. What's that, Jane? Move out. You mean leave Mud Flats? That's what I mean, Bart. I don't hold Tommy to blame for what he done. He's been brought up in this sort of hole. What can you expect? Where is he? In his room. I guess he's a shame to face you. Send him here. Bart, don't be harsh with him. He ain't but 15. Get him for me. Tommy? What is it, Ma? Your father wants to see you. I didn't figure he'd ever want to speak to me again. Come here, son. Yeah, Pa. Go ahead. Do whatever you're a mind to. I got it coming to me. I'm not going to punish you, Tom. I reckon you know as well as me that you've done what you shouldn't. But Harv Briggs is so slick that full-grown men are took in by him. You ain't going to tan my heart? No, lad. I'm just going to ask you to look at me and see the most cursed, stubborn, foolish man that ever lived. I made a mistake, too. You, Pa? Yep. Me and your ma settled here when it was a decent place to live in. Then gamblers come here, put up their own man for sheriff. And he blind? Yeah. I figured that he was a badden, but that I'd stay around here and beat him when the next election come along. You're better than he ever was, Pa. But my friends are pulled out of here one after another. Meanwhile, other gamblers and crooks has come in. Yeah. Still, I was cursed stubborn. I helped to make this town. I kept biding time until Blind's term run out, figuring if I could just hang on, I'd get my old job as sheriff back again. But there ain't no use hanging on no longer, Bart. You found out that you can't do nothing else to earn a decent living. And an honest sheriff wouldn't have a chance of getting elected now. It took me a long time to see that, Jane. It's lucky our boy didn't get into no worse trouble. I see it now. I won't think of you as a quitter if you leave, Bart. I will be quitting, though. Bart! Bart! Bart! You! Please don't be alarmed. That's the man that got me out of Riggs' place alive, Jane. That's a friend. Oh, gosh, mister. You sure helped my pa. Bart, I brought back the money Riggs took from your son. The money? There it is. Oh, thank you, stranger. We needed that money. I was sheriff around here, mister, before Mud Flats went to the gamblers and crooks. I seen a lot of outlaws, mask and otherwise. I'm not wanted by the law, Bart. I didn't think so. But what's the mask for? Bart, you're going to quit, aren't you? Well, I... After hanging on all this time, waiting for Sheriff Blind's term to expire, you're going to quit and give up. There's nothing else can be done. Quitters aren't much help in building this country, Bart. But I don't... If other men like yourself, who lived in town before the gamblers came here, hadn't taken the easy way and moved somewhere else, this town wouldn't be nearly as bad off as it is now. But they've all gone, and now... And so the future of this town depends upon your husband. If there was something I could do... There is. You can stay here and be the next sheriff. Who'd vote for me? All those who are left here after the crooks leave town, let them be the quitters. There wouldn't be many folks left, though. Others would come in if the town was safe for them. Good citizens like you. Oh, you don't know what you're asking, sir. I'm asking Bart Goodwin to stick. Now, who's that? Wait. I don't want to be seen here. I'll slip out the back way. Don't mention my being here, Bart. And remember, no matter what happens, stick on the job and count on me. Open up there. Open the door, Bart. It ain't locked. The sheriff's voice. Come on in, boys. Right with you. There's our man. What do you want here? There's the cash right on the table. Well, that makes the case a pretty slick one, don't it? What do you mean? I mean your part was with you at Riggs' place. Here's Riggs himself. Yeah, and there's the cash he stole from me. That's our money. That'll be desired by the court. Meantime, Bart Goodwin, you're under arrest for robbery and attempted murder. What? No, no. You can't arrest Pa. Take him. You can't. He didn't do nothing. Now, hold on. I didn't fire a shot. Your friend with a mask did. And it ain't his fault I wasn't killed. You shot Pa first. When he tried to rob me. Every man in that gambling house of yours seen you with a card in your sleeve, Riggs. If that's so, they'll testify in court. But they won't. You own them body and soul. Look here, blind. Blind, you're going too far with your high-handed ways of doing things. Come on. Oh, don't take him to jail. Leave him free and we'll leave town. Leave town? You're leaving if you're allowed to go free, Bart? Well, we... That is... He'll leave, won't you, Bart? Well, I... Pa, you can't be a quitter. By thunderation, son, I won't be. If they clear out, Andy Blind won't arrest you. Go on and arrest me. I ain't promising to clear out. I am sticking. Bart, don't do it. This is your chance to go. They might hang you. I don't reckon so, Jane. You see, that masked man is on our side. He admits it. And I heard what that masked man called his horse. And I seen how he handled his shooting irons. And he called his part the Injun Tonto. Jane, he said to count on him. And that's what we are doing. Come on, blind. Take me to jail. We'll see what happens then. Oh, yes, let's get it on. The curtain falls on the first act of tonight's Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. Mudflats had fallen into the hands of gamblers and was controlled by the most important of their number, Harv Riggs. Bart Goodwin, the town's former sheriff, was helpless to oppose the crooks until the Lone Ranger promised him help. The masked man sent Tonto to summon the reformed gambler, Henry Parker. In the meantime, Goodwin was arrested and jailed on a false charge. Our next scene opens in Harv Riggs' gambling hall. It is several days after Goodwin's arrest. Riggs is seated at the corner table with the sheriff, Andy Blind. Hey, Riggs. Well, Merkle. Ain't you sort of on strange ground? Maybe I am. But I'm here to speak to you. You better keep to your own cheap gambling place and stay out of first-class places like mine. Oh, you ain't so glad to see me here, huh? I don't want cheapskates hanging around here. It'll give the place a bad name. I don't like no part of you, Merkle. Famous! Just a minute there. I ain't going back to my place because it's closed up. Closed up? What do you mean? I come by there an hour ago. That was an hour ago. Now it's closed. Thanks to you. You're making gun talk, Merkle. Watch what you say. You sent the best confounded gambler in the state to bust me. That's a downright lie. Oh, no, it ain't. You sent a man that can do more tricks with cards than any man I've ever seen. He cleaned me out. Took every cent I had and finished by betting a stack against my property and took that too. And he left my place laughing at me. Saying you'd be glad to hear how he come out at his first stop. I said you lied, Merkle. I say it again. I never gave a hoot about the small-time business you had. I didn't send no one to bust you. Now that you are busted, I'm glad to hear. Why, you... You heard what Riggs said. Now clear out, Myrtle. All right, you... Get! What do you make of that, Riggs? I don't know what to make of it. You know, blame well I didn't send no one to bust him. By thunder, I'd like to see the man that done it. Me too. If there's any first-class gamblers with a lot of cash, I want them in my place. There was no doubt in Merkle's mind that Riggs had sent Henry Parker. Merkle left Riggs' gambling hall in a rage and promptly called upon his friend Sam Sneed. Sneed was the owner of another small establishment. He's a stranger here, Max, and he's about to clean me out. Where? Must be the same one that done you in. I heard about that. Where's he at? I got my best dealer playing with him now. The table over yonder, see? It's the same one. And look. He's raking in all the chips. I still think Riggs sent him here. He's coming to cash his chips. Evening, Mr. Sneed. I reckon I'm ready to cash in now. Here's my chips. Yeah, you done all right, stranger. Not half bad for a starter. I don't know as I got cash enough on hand. Partner, you better have. Oh, you here, Merkle? Yeah. What's your name, anyhow, mister? Name? Henry Parker. What about it? Well, Parker, I'll tell you what I'll do. You'll offer to bet your place here. What's left of it again my winnings, eh? Yes. One cut of the cards. High man win. That suits me first rate. And, Joe, let's have a fresh deck. Catch. Here, Max. Break them out and shuffle. I suppose you got the deed for your place handy. Right here. Now then, suppose you lay out the cash to replace these chips. I can't spend your chips in another house. I'll make the chips good. Let me see the cash, and then we'll cut. There. There's the cards all set. All right, Parker. Go ahead and cut. Don't take more than a third of the cards. You know, Sneed, it's an old trick, cutting cards. When a man wants to be sure to win, he uses the deck that's fixed up, so the high cards are a mite longer. Now, if instead of cutting by gripping the cards from the side, I take them by the ends, I can feel the long card and show you the ace of spades, which can't be beat. You! Why, you... Of course, if the deck's an honest one, I done that just by luck. If it ain't honest, it's your deck. That's the same stunt he pulled on me. Likely my friend taught the trick to you, gents. Your friend? Now I'll take my winnings and try some other place. Evening, gents. I'll give you a couple days to move things out of my property, Sneed. His property? He's took my place. He got mine, too. I'm broke. I'm busted. Cleaned out. Who is that hombre, anyhow? His friend. He must have meant half Riggs. I figured the same. But Riggs denies it. Sure, he'd deny it. But the ornery polecat, he's trying to drive out all competition. Nothing is too small for him to want. Look at how he took Tommy Goodwin in. Yeah. Listen, Max. Huh? Leave Parker go. Leave him alone and see what he does next. Wait. Hey, you. What are you hanging around here for? Sneed, that engine's been taking in all that's going on. You not own place. Well, what do you want? You not know onant, either. Clear out. Get. I'm still in charge here, and I got to clear the place out so I can do some thinking. Tonto rode to the small, well-concealed camp where he met the Lone Ranger. The faithful Indian told what Henry Parker had accomplished. Riggs and the sheriff were amused by the losses suffered by Merkel and Sneed, but Henry Parker had not stopped. He appeared in two more places. In the first, he collected his winnings without bothering to cut cards for the property. In the second, he was surrounded by a group of excited men who watched his play. Parker is speaking. You'd better win this time, my friend, or you'll be cleaned right out. Go on. Give me two cards. One, two. I'll play what I got right here. You're bluffing me again. Then raise me. There. Match that. Matched and raised. Blast you. I still say you're bluffing. You can say what you please, but just let's see your cash. There ain't no more to raise. I'll see you. Full house. You. You gents have a lot to learn about this game. Now I reckon I'll be saying good evening to you. That's four of us he's wiped out. How does he do it? I thought I knowed my own cards, but blast it if I... Follow him. What's that? You here? Uh, you follow that color. See where him go. Why? What do you know about him? Maybe plenty. Let's do what the redskin says. He must have a fortune in that bag of his. Come on, let's go. The defeated gamblers followed Parker to the huge establishment owned by Riggs. They stood outside while Parker approached the table occupied by Riggs, carrying a heavy money bag in each hand. The gamblers paused only long enough to note the meeting, then went around to the side of the hall and listened in at an open window. Now don't make no sound. Just listen to what's said. Maybe the engine was right after all. There's Parker and Riggs. There you are, Riggs. Them bags is filled. And I took my commission. What? I don't know what you're talking about. Sure you do. The way you slipped them fixed up decks of cards in all them places worked out slick. I cleaned out four of them. Say, who are you and what are you talking about? Ain't you the man named Parker? Sure. Well, what are you doing around here? You needn't be afeard, Riggs. There ain't no one close enough to hear what I'm saying. You blame fool. You must be loco. If you want to gamble here, all right, but don't be coming around. You're afeard someone will know you hired me. Wait a minute there. Sneak. What the? We heard it all. Riggs is going to be left. Hold on. Shut up, blind. You're in with Riggs. Bust this place up. There's a party. Throw these galooks out. Gamblers were determined to wreck the Riggs place beyond repair. Guns blazed, the bar was overturned, chairs and tables were smashed. In one corner, a fire started from an upset lamp, and flames quickly caught on the dry walls. Fire. They're fired, my place. Fire. Fire. Come on. Fire. Fire. Face. Turn. No. That's more than we figured on, Tullo, but it's just as well. The men will get out, all right, but all of Riggs' equipment will be destroyed. That's right. Now it's time for the Texas Rangers to move in. And there they come, mister. They waited just like you said. They wanted to clean out the outdoors for a long time, Parker, but they couldn't come until they were sent for, and Sheriff Blind wouldn't send for them. Then how'd they happen to move in? They think Blind's sent for them. Blind won't dare deny it. If he does, he'll implicate himself with the outlaws. Now to get the man who's to be the next sheriff. Come on, Silver. Oh, oh, boy. Bart. Yeah, I am, mister. He'll not be held in that jail much longer. I heard all the noise. What's happened? A man cleaned out all the small gamblers, then made them think Riggs hired him for the job. They smashed Riggs' place and it caught fire. He did? Great guns. That's swell. The Texas Rangers came, thinking Sheriff Blind sent for them. They're arresting most of the gamblers, and we'll recognize them as men wanted by the law. Did Blind send for the Rangers? No, but with a dozen outlaws living here, Blind can't deny sending for them unless he admits that he was in league with the crooks. If he admits sending for them, some of them will kill him. That's why he'll have to clear out of the town. The crooks will be jailed. The sheriff run out. And then, Bart, they'll have to elect a new sheriff. And I think there's no doubt but what you'll be the man. Say, who's that riding away so fast? That's the ex-sheriff, Andy Blind. Stand back away from that door, Bart. Ah, all right, Bart. There's no one left to insist that you'll be jailed. Gosh, you sure meant what you said when you said you'd stand by me. Bart, make this town the place it used to be. I sure will do that same or die of trying. Sort of place for Tommy to grow up in. Tommy and all the other young'uns. I've emptied my saddlebags. The money there is gambler's money. Most of it taken dishonestly from people who were victims of the vicious business here. You use it to the best advantage. Oh, gosh. Help those who need help and stick to your job. That's on those legs, old boy! There's a gold robbery at the station! The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. That's a pretty good. Thanks, Michael, for the amount of элект journey.
