with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty, hi-oh, Silver, the Lone Ranger. Throughout the western United States, the career of the mysterious phantom figure of the plains has been told and retold until the present day. He did more than any other individual to bring law and order to the lawless frontier. With his great horse, Silver, and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, he roamed the West, fighting crime wherever he found it. And now, the thundering hoops of Silver will return us to those days of danger and adventure. The Lone Ranger rides again. As the Lone Ranger rode by on Silver, he said there was trouble on the trail ahead. Nearly 12 miles from the town of Cranston, two men, hidden in a gully, watched the approach of a horseman. The older of the two, Ed Scott, was in his 40s, with features that bore the marks of his years of crime. The younger, Lefty Cullen, was under 30, but his mouth was thin and cruel. The stock of the rifle he held to his shoulder revealed notches representing a dozen killings. They stared at the nearing rider until he came within range, and then... There. I reckon we got him all right, Lefty. Looks like it, Ed. We sure knocked him out of his saddle anyhow. Pretty good shooting, I calls it, for that distance. Yeah. We'll get on our horses to make sure he's done for. Here's hoping he's got them papers on him. He'll have them. He told me when I was in jail with him over to town that the sheriff was holding them for him. He aimed to get them just as soon as his term was up. Steady there, Payne. Gosh, Ed, I can't savvy a fella like him. Here he's owned the lazy wise spread in Texas ever since he was a young fella. He's never claimed it. Come on, get up there. Get up there. Get along there. Sure he claimed it. He only stayed there long enough to put his wife and kid on the place, then lit out. You're sure his wife is dead? You're blamed right I am. So was the lawyer that handled the spread when his uncle left it to him? I never heard of a sweeter setup. Right, them papers, there's nobody can prove I ain't Jim Bear. I'm sure hoping that girl of his ain't hitched up yet. If she is, we'll sell the ranch to split what we get two ways. That won't be so bad either. From what I've heard, the lazy wise a mighty big outfit. Yeah. There he is. He's done for all right. Now to get them papers. What's that in his pocket? Ain't that them? Just a second. Papers, sure enough. I don't know whether they're the ones we want or not, though. Let me look at them. Here. Yep. These are them, all right. Good enough. Come on, let's get going. It wouldn't do to have anybody find us here. What about Bear? Believe him be. Won't nobody know who he is. We got all he had to identify himself. How about the sheriff that jailed him? Shucks, he never told nobody but me his real name. He told the sheriff his name was Simmons. Come on, we got to hurry. Just as you say. We're heading for Texas and we ain't wasting no time. Get up. Get up. Get up. Come on. Get up. We see the Lone Ranger and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, riding toward the town of Cranston. It is three days later and the burning afternoon sun sends up waves of heat from the dry earth. I hope we reach town soon, Tonto. Our canteens are empty. We'll fill them and buy more provisions. Ah. Look. What is it, Kimo Sabe? Look. Head. There's something on the ground. Man there. Yes. We'll find out what's happened. Come on, Silver. Why, fella? It looks he's always been shot. Ah. And I think he's dead. Come on, Silver. Come on, Silver. Him not move. Come on, Silver. Oh, fella. Oh, I know it. Oh. Poor fella. He was murdered without being given a chance to defend himself. Why? Why you say that? See? He was killed by bullets from a rifle. Someone shot him from long range. Oh, that's right. Wonder who he is. Tonto not known. We'll see if he has any identification on him. There should be something to tell his name. Ah. There's nothing in his pockets, though. That's strange. Wait. Do you see something, Tonto? There, a paper. Yes. I have it. It was beneath him. Probably fell from his pocket when he was shot, or... No, Tonto. This didn't fall from his pocket. What you mean? Tonto, he placed that paper there on purpose. Huh? I think I know what happened now. What's that? You remember that I said he was shot from long range? Yeah. He didn't die immediately. He must have written this in the last few moments of his life, hoping his killers wouldn't discover it. What did it say? He was shot by Ed Scott and Lefty Cullen. Mm, them plenty bad fella. Yes. I've heard of them, but I've never seen them. Tonto not see them. He must have died before the note was finished. He named the killers and started to write something else, but the sentence isn't completed. What him write? The lazy Y. He has that much written, but no more. I wonder what it was he wanted to say about the lazy Y. Tonto know that place. Yes, I remember it too. It's a big ranch in the northern part of Texas. Isn't that right? Wait, Tonto. This note tells us more than I thought at first. Oh, that's good. He didn't live to sign this, but it's on the back of a letter he'd already written. The handwriting is the same on both sides, and the letter is signed Jim Bayer. What letter say? Nothing there to help us, Kimo Sabe. This is the last sheet and it contains only a few words besides the signature. Oh. How long would you say Bayer had been dead, Tonto? Maybe two, three days. Which means that the killers have had two or three days to get out of the country. I wonder why the body wasn't discovered before. This trail not used much. That must be it. What we do now? First, we'll give this man a decent burial and inform the authorities of his death. Oh. And then we'll try to find his murderers. That'd be plenty hard. Yes. We don't know where they are and we don't know what they look like. That's right. But we have three clues. The names of the killers, the name of the dead man, and the lazy Y. Then maybe help. This note alone wouldn't convict anybody, but we're going to the lazy Y and see what we can learn there. That's plenty long way. It's many miles from here. And it may lead us on a false trail, but we're going there, Kimo Sabe. And if we can, we'll bring the murderers of this man to justice. With the papers they had stolen from Bayer, Ed Scott and Lefty Cullen lost no time getting to Butler City, near the lazy Y Ranch. There, the two men carefully investigated the situation before Scott announced himself as the owner of the ranch. We see them two days after their arrival in the living room of the ranch house. Also present are Catherine Bayer, the daughter of the murdered man, Bill Landis, the young sheriff of the county, and Tim Brady, foreman of the lazy Y for many years. Ed Scott is speaking. Well, you've all seen my papers. I reckon there ain't no doubt in anybody's mind but when I'm the rightful owner of this outfit. What you gotta say, Sheriff? As far as I can see, everything's legal. You just bet it is. That's your marriage license to Kate's mother. And there's the papers lawyer Peebles drawn up for you when your uncle left you at the ranch. It's them all right. So I reckon that settles it. I guess this here's your pa sure enough, Kate. Yes, I guess so. You needn't look so doggone sorrowful about it. Ain't you glad to see me? Why, of course I am but it just seems sort of strange at first. Uh-huh. Maybe so. But I don't like to see folks around me that scowls. You better smile a little for a change. I, I'll try. As long as I'm your pa, I'll ask you to call me that same. Yes, father. Yeah, that's better. Bayer, I reckon it'll come easier to you by the time I've sold the ranch and we're heading east. You mean to sell the ranch? Say, Mr. Bayer, you wouldn't do that, would you? You got any objections? Well, by golly, I... Wait, Tim. You see, Tim knows this place is home to me, father. He knows how hard it'd be for me to, to leave it. I don't give a hoot what he knows or thinks. He's only the foreman and I don't stand for the help talking up. I reckon you don't savvy, Mr. Bayer. I've been sort of a part of Kate ever since Amar died and I... And so you figure that gives you the right to forget your place. Well, I don't. If you forget it again, I'll find me a new foreman. Say, if that's the way you feel, you can... Please, Tim. I'm sure he didn't mean just what he said. I ain't in the habit of saying nothing I don't mean. Look here, Mr. Bayer, you... you'd really take Kate east away from her friends and all. You ain't fooling me none, Sheriff. But I... I've seen enough these last couple of days to savvy what's going on. You're sort of sweet on Kate, ain't you? Well, we've been keeping company for quite a spell. Bill and I are real good friends, Father. Good enough friends to call him by his first name, huh? Well, there's nothing wrong in that, is there? Well, he ain't going to no more. He ain't keeping company with him either. But, Father... Just because you got a lot of cash in the bank, he figures it'd be a good idea to play up to you. But I'm putting a stop to it right here and now. And don't you think different. Just hold on a second, Mr. Bayer. Kate's got the right to see anybody she's a mind to. Are you trying to set my own daughter against me? Please, both of you, don't argue. You stay out of this. It ain't true that I'm after Kate's money. I'd like her if she didn't have a penny. I know better than that. The only time I want to see you on my place, Sheriff, is when I call you here on business. The business you come on today is over. Now you can get. Father, don't. Don't say that. This is my ranch and nobody can set foot on it unless I tell them they can. All right, I'll go. But I'm telling you right now, you ain't gonna come between Kate and me. I ain't bluffing, Sheriff. You stay away from the ranch and stay away from Kate. We'll see about that. That skunk leaves Kate alone for 20 years then comes back and starts raising Kate. If you weren't Kate's part of taking a punch at him. Steady there, boy. Poor Kate. There was only something I could do. Come on, get up there, boy. Get up there. Come on. Sheriff, I want to speak to you. What the? A masked man and a redskin. Oh, then. You're not out, Bloss. My golly, I... Careful, Sheriff. You forced me to draw. I only want to ask you some questions. How'd you know who I was? I saw your badge and I believe I have information in which the law would be interested. Right now, I'm too darn mad to talk to anybody, outlaws or not. But you're going to answer my questions. It's lucky for you that you got the drop on me. I want to know something about this ranch, the Lazy Y. What do you want to know? Who owns this ranch? Well, up to a couple days ago, it was Kate Bear's. Now her pa showed up. Kate Bear, you say? Yeah. And her father only arrived here a couple days ago? That's what I said, ain't it? He'd come here with a rat-faced young fellow that I'd feel right pleased to fill full of lead. Bear? Name on paper. It is, Tonto. I wondered what connection there was between Bear and the Lazy Y, but now I believe I can guess a part of it. Hey, what are you doing? Let go of my bridle. Sheriff, you and I have a lot of talking to do. You're coming with me. But look here, listen. And you're coming right now. I'll see you. The curtain falls on the first act of our thrilling Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. A man named Bear was murdered by two outlaws, Ed Scott and Lefty Cullen, to gain possession of a ranch Bear had inherited 20 years before. The outlaws stole Bear's identification and rode to Texas. There, Scott posed as the rightful owner of the Lazy Y Ranch. The Lone Ranger found a note written by Bear telling enough to send him on the trail of the killers. In Texas, the masked man met the young sheriff, and we see them now in the Lone Ranger's small, well-hidden camp. So that's the story, Sheriff. We found this note beside the dead man's body, and we believe him to have been the real Bear and the man at the ranch an imposter. I don't know. You wasn't masked like an outlaw. I'd have more reason to believe what you say. I think I can get proof that the man who claims to be Kate's father is the outlaw, Ed Scott. Don't get me wrong, stranger. I don't cotton to this fellow that come here, none at all. He's started to mistreat Kate already. If he ain't Bear, there ain't nobody more anxious to find it out than me. Then give me the chance to prove it. I was just thinking it hadn't ought to be hard to prove whether he's Bear or not. Yes. Being an outlaw, he's been in jail. I could send out letters to the peace officers around the country and maybe one of them could identify him. That would prove nothing. And why not? Everyone knows that Bear left his family because he was an outlaw. It would have been natural for him to have changed his name. Yeah, but if I... Scott could insist that he had changed his name from Bear to Scott to hide his disgrace. Could you prove that he hadn't? I reckon I couldn't. And even if you could, Scott would likely sell the ranch and disappear before you got your evidence. He seemed mighty set on selling out. I may be wrong. I came here only because the name Lazy Y was written on that note. I was wondering how you come to figure things out. But I think I know now what happened. You said that these two men arrived with papers showing the older man to be Bear. Bear had been gone so many years no one could identify him by sight. Yeah. Then obviously the real Bear was killed for those papers. That could have happened all right. But just a minute. How about that note you showed me? That's hanging evidence right there. Not by itself. It isn't signed. The only signature the paper bears is on the other side of the sheet with the last few words of a letter that mean nothing. By golly, there don't seem to be no way at all of getting anything on them fellas. But I have a plan that will. Yeah? What do you figure on getting out at? Nothing. Well, that don't make sense. Nobody would go to all this trouble just for the fun of it. Except maybe one fella I've heard of. Yes? He's a fella that travels with an engine and calls his horse... Say, didn't I hear you call that horse your silver? You did? Thunder and buzzards. Why didn't I think of that before? Go right ahead, stranger. Tell me what you got in mind. And whatever it is, I'm with you. Early the following morning, Ed Scott inspected the ranch he had stolen. Before the day was done, he'd seen enough to convince him that the lazy wire was even more valuable than he'd expected. When he re-entered the ranch house that evening, Catherine Bear was in the living room. Well, Kate, I've been over as much as the ranch as I could cover in one day. And I'm here to say I ain't never seen a finer spread anywhere. Tim should get the credit for that, Father. He's been a wonderful manager. Don't mention that old fool to me. I ain't got no use for him. If I wasn't selling out real quick, I'd chase him off the place. But Tim has been honest and loyal. I can't understand why you've taken this dislike to him. He's a meddling fool for one thing. And even if he did run the place good, it wouldn't surprise me to find out it was because he figured on getting the place for herself some way. I guess it won't do any good to tell you that isn't so. You're darn right it won't. But, Father, I do wish you wouldn't sell. Don't you think that you could learn to like it here? I'm selling the place and that's that. Let me see. What do you think it might be worth? It can't be worth any less than $150,000. That's just fine. Then I shouldn't have no trouble at all making a quick sale for $75,000 or $100,000. You wouldn't do that. Wouldn't I, though? I want to get out of here without wasting no time. But why? I don't like it here, that's why. And one reason is I don't want that no-good sheriff around where you are. I wanted to talk about that. Bill isn't after my money. I know he isn't. You don't know a blame thing about it. He looks like a mighty crooked customer to me. And anyway, I got other plans for you. I don't know. Sometimes it doesn't seem possible that you can be... That I can be what? Oh, nothing. It wasn't anything important. What other plans have you? Well, Lefty, the young fellow that come here with me, is a mighty fine hombre. It'd have pleased me a lot if you and him got hitched. Oh, no. Say, what have you got to get him? Well, I just couldn't, that's all. I couldn't. Now, hold on there. I'm your pa, ain't I? Yes. Then, by golly, don't you be so pesky, high, and mighty. It ain't right for a girl to set herself against her pa. Ever since I can remember, I was hoping my father would come back to me, but, but no. You needn't go to crying. It won't change what I said, none. You're too used to having your own way and everything. That's all that's wrong with you. Hello there, Mr. Bear. Come on in. We were just talking about you. Yeah? Howdy, Miss Kay. Don't talk to me. Leave me alone. I don't want to talk with you. What the? Where do you think you're going? I'm going to my room. All right, get to your room and stay there. While you're in it, you can start packing. Packing? What for? Because we're starting east tomorrow and you're going along. Maybe I can't tell you who to marry, but I sure as the dickens can tell you where you're going to live and I don't want no argument. Well, doggone if she ain't got a sight more spunk than I figured she had. Yeah? Well, I'll take it out of her. Did you mean that about leaving tomorrow? Uh-huh. As I fell up Denver way, I think he'll buy the ranch. I aim to see him. Shucks, I'm beginning to like the place. I'd just as soon stay on. And what if something happens to show the law I ain't really bear? Yeah, that's so. I reckon it's good sense to get out. There's a stage that goes by here tomorrow noon. We can get that and make connections with the train that goes by west of here. Gosh, I don't know whether I want to ride one of them things or not. If I got to get someplace, a horse looks a heap safer to me. Uh-huh. But there ain't a horse alive that can catch us once we're on that train. And that's what I'm thinking of. Well, I don't like him, but I'll take the chance if you want to. So far, everything's going fine, except for that blamed girl. Yeah? It was me saying I wanted her to marry her that got a rile just now. Look here, Ed, you leave her to me. Maybe you're smarter than me in some things, but when it comes to women, I ain't so bad. Before I'm done, she'll be downright glad to marry me. The Lone Ranger had explained his plan to the sheriff who agreed to help, but certain arrangements prevented their acting at once. It was two days later when the masked man, Tonto, and the sheriff reined in their mounts at the Lazy Y Ranch house. Oh, Silver, over! The house looks deserted. I wonder where they could have gone. It's plenty strange. Charlie, I don't know. Kate's usually sitting on the porch about this time of day. Say, there's Tim over there. We'll ask him. Yes, we've got to find them. Tim! Hi there, Tim! Is that you, Sheriff? Come over here. We want to ask some questions. Why, Thunderations, Sheriff. I'm sure glad you come. Who's the masked fellow? I ain't got time to explain. Where's Kate and them two fellows that come to the ranch the other day? They've gone. Gone? That's why I was so glad to see you. Looks fishy to me, them lighting out so fast. They're on the stage, aiming to catch the eastbound train. What? How long ago did they leave? About an hour past. They ought to be born halfway there by now. Then they got away from us. Say, what the... They haven't escaped yet, Sheriff. It's up to us to stop that train before they've gone. We can't do it. We ain't got the time. But we'll try. Listen here. What's all this about? I got... We must hurry. Hurry! Get them up! White fire! Power! The three men raced across country to reach the railroad ahead of the stagecoach. When they topped the last hill, they saw in the distance smoke popping from the stack of the engine as it slowly got underway. The Lone Ranger turned in his saddle and shouted to his companions, I'm going ahead! What say it? I'm going to stop that engine! And you and Tom can board the train and take Scott and Cullen off! You can't catch that train! It's going faster all the time! Do as I tell you! What I tell you! Silver knows that we're depending on him! He won't fail us! No horse can run as fast a train can go! Watch! Come on, Silver! Good luck to you! We'll get there as fast as we can! Get up there! Get along there, boy! All right, Silver, old boy! It's up to you now! Come on, Silver! Look at that white horse coming! Sir! I'm going to tell you! Get away from here! We ain't stopping for nobody! I'm stopping in here at that time! The next time I'll mean business! Flash, sir! If it wasn't for that white horse he ordered! Come on, Lambie, stop us, all right! You better stop her before he shoots us for a hole! See them fellas they just rode up? It was the sheriff and the redskin wanted, Lefty. Yeah, and the masked fellow that rode on ahead of him. What is it? What's the matter? Keep still. Lefty, you don't figure they're after us, do you? I don't know. They ain't going to do nothing to us. They can't do a thing. There is something wrong, I know it. Keep your fool mouth shut, will you? Well, the sheriff got on the train. Even the redskin are coming this way. Keep your head, Lefty. I tell you there ain't nothing they can do. Hey there, Bear, I'm arresting you for murder. What the? You hear that? Don't try to get away or I'll shoot. What's the idea? You can't arrest us. I can't, huh? Take a look at this reward notice. $5,000 for the capture of Jim Bear, dead or alive, wanted for murder. But Father, what... You want Jim Bear, me, for murder? You can read the handbill, can't you? Who are you? Don't go for your gun, Bear. I have your cleverness. Don't talk, Ed. Don't just say nothing. But I ain't killed nobody. I ain't gonna hang for what somebody else done. Shut up, will you? You're gonna spoil everything. Don't interfere, Lefty. Let him say what he has to say. Go ahead, Bear, and talk fast. But I ain't, Bear. I ain't the fellow you want at all. You aren't my father? Honest, Sheriff, I'm giving it to you straight. You can't hang me for what Bear done. I'm Ed Scott. Say that again. Maybe I didn't hear you clear. I was just pretending to be Jim Bear. That's the truth. I swear it's the truth. What have you to say, Lefty? Ain't no use me saying any different. The yellow rat's lost his nerve and told everything now. So you see, Sheriff, you can't hang me. I ain't Bear at all. Has everybody here heard this man's confession? And I reckon it won't hurt none to tell you if this reward notice don't mean nothing at all. What's that? You heard me. Your pa was an outlaw, all right, Cade, but he warned no murderer. You tricked us. Yep, and it was the mask fellow's scheme. He told me to have this notice printed and run a bluff on you. We'll get him. We'll fix him for this. No, you won't, because now I'm arresting you for the murder of Jim Bear and for trying to steal the lazy Y. Hey, you can't do that. We got all the evidence we need. We got a note Bear wrote accusing you both of shooting it. But you can't... Hold on, I'll do the talking. That note weren't no good till we proved that Scott here warned Jim Bear. I told you not to shoot off your mouth, Ed. But now that you admit you ain't Bear, it stands to reason you stole them papers. And together with that note Bear wrote, there ain't a judge in this country would believe you killed them to get them. I reckon they got us, Lefty. Blast them. And it only goes to show that when you try a stunt like this, be careful you don't run up again the Lone Ranger. Come on, suit! The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
