A fiery horse with a speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-ho, Silver, the Lone Ranger. In the early days of the western United States, no man did more to bring law and order to the frontier than the masked rider of the plains. With his great horse, Silver, and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, he fought crime and criminals in seven states. Although history does not record his deeds, his name will never be forgotten. Now let us return once more to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. When gold was discovered near Carson City, the town boomed into prosperity. Dozens of gold strikes brought new money into circulation, and the town bank was forced to keep its doors open from shortly after sunrise till sundown. In the first scene of our Lone Ranger drama, the light of dawn colors the surrounding hills as we find the masked man and Tonto approaching the town. I'm glad we camped for the night, Tonto. It brings us to Carson City early in the morning with our horses fresh. Maybe it's not good. What do you mean? Maybe it's bad. Waste time. But we don't even know that Pete Lorenzo headed for Carson City. Why have we wasted time? We not know why. You have a feeling that he's there, huh? Not right. One of those feelings that you can't explain. Oh. I wish we knew what Pete Lorenzo looked like. That would help in bringing that killer to justice. That trouble. We not know him. You must have heard that there's a lot of the new paper money in the bank at Carson City. Everyone knows that. Knowing it, he'll surely make a play to get it. If he does, we might capture him and reach the end of this long trail. There. Town. At last. Come on, Silver, old boy. There's Carson City. What's that? Something has happened. It isn't just a cafe fight at this time of the morning. Come on there, Silver. Tonto. There's a crowd of people running toward the bank. Tonto. Tion. We'll stay in the front of the crowd until we find out what's happened. I'll have to depend on the disguise on my face and take off the mask. That's right. Get it up, white fella. Come on, Silver. That is a doornail. Just when he was opening the bank. Anyone see the thief? How much was stolen? Where's the sheriff? Somebody get the law. It's robbery and murder. Take away there. Let me through. What's going on here at the crack of dawn? Sheriff. The banker was shocked. Yes. And killed. Who's seen it? Who done it? How did it happen? Come on. Why don't you speak up? Must be someone knows something about it. Sheriff. Sheriff, that's my boss. I see that, Clem. What about the money? Was it stolen? He's took as much folding money as a man can carry. A whole stack of it. Thousands of dollars. Who did it? I don't know. All I know is that the cash has gone and the banker's dead. Sheriff. Quiet down. All of you. Hush up. Now, what was he saying? I just got to Carson City a few weeks ago, Sheriff Conard. I know. I know. Your name's Felden. Yeah. Well, what about it? Do you know anything about this? I can help you. Well? You see, Sheriff, I was a witness to the murder. What? Yeah. I was coming this way when I heard the shots and seen the killer riding away. Which way did he go? To the east. What did he look like? Did you see enough of him to get a description? Yeah. I can describe him and I can name him. But there ain't no use trying to get him. What kind of talk is this? You got to get him. He killed my boss. What's the reason it won't do no good to describe him? Because, Sheriff, the critter's name is Pete Lorenzo. Lorenzo? Pete Lorenzo? You mean to say you know that killer? Yeah. I'm one of the few men that's seen him and lived to tell about him. Who's Pete Lorenzo? Pete Lorenzo. If he's done this, we'll never get him. Who is he? Can't you tell me who he is? There ain't a worse killer in the whole of the West. Lorenzo stole land and cattle, bullion and folding money. And he's killed any man that's got to see him close enough to identify him. He ain't killed me. And I'm here to tell you what he looks like. Well, go on. Describe him. He's a man about my size, but his hair is long and straight. He straggles down from under his hat. He carries a bullet in his leg and it makes him walk with a limp. What sort of horse is he riding? A chestnut. Do you hear that, boys? Well, what are you wasting time here for? If you know who you're looking for, why don't you go and get him? There's one of the best men in Carson City laying dead. Ain't you going to do anything about it? We're going to do plenty about it, Clem. Let me ride in your party, Sheriff. Every man that can pack a gun and ride a horse will ride. We'll get that killer if we have to go from here to kingdom come. Count me in, Sheriff. You're in, Felden. I'm going to need you to identify the coyote. Take me along. All you boys, go home and get your horses. Load up your six guns and fetch your rifles. Bring food enough to last for several days. We ain't coming back until we bring Pete Lorenzo with us. You hear that, Tuttle? Mm-hmm. Me hear. That man the sheriff calls Felden has described Pete Lorenzo. Not right. I wonder how nearly right that description is. Hmm, me not know. Felden seems to be the only living man who has seen Lorenzo. Huh. I don't know how much we can depend upon his description, but we're going to find out. What we do? We're going to ride. With posse? No, Tuttle, not with the posse. We ride behind the sheriff's men. Why do that? Pete Lorenzo has been trailed by posses before this. He's avoided every trap that's laid for him. He's outwitted every man who's tried to trail him. That's right. He's too clever to be caught by the sheriff. We ride behind the posse and see what the lawmen do. That's good. Come on. We ride back away from here until the posse gets underway. Come on. Get him off my fellow. The sheriff's posse was soon organized and thundered out of the town. Throughout the long day, the posse searched the surrounding country for many miles around, but without success. Toward sunset, the lawman called a halt. Hold up here. Boys, we ain't found no sign of a trail yet. Now, that ain't going to discourage us, honey. Still got some daylight left, Sheriff. Sheriff, we're splitting up. Hank, Pete, Lamb, Jake. Each of you take four men and make a unit. We'll fan out and go to the dock. Then camp for the night and start early in the morning. Go to Lamar this time. If you ain't found Pete Lorenzo, head back for Carson. We can't give up the hunt, Sheriff. We just got to... One of us will find him before tomorrow night. Helen, do ride with me. Clem and Biff, come along with us. Right, Sheriff. Wait. Now, get moving and ride. Get up. Come on. Get up. Father, we'll follow the group with the Sheriff and Felden. And keep just this far behind them. Come on. Get him up, white fella. Late the next afternoon, Felden found a trail. And instead of turning back at sunset, the group of four riders kept following the dim tracks of a single rider. They saw where he'd camped for a meal and then continued. It was nearly dark when Felden asked, Is this still the same trail, Sheriff Connard? This is it, all right enough. And we're closing in on him, too. That place where he built a fire wasn't cold yet. Then we ought to come on him right soon. Reckon so, Felden. Sheriff, I want the personal privilege of putting a bullet in that critter. None of that, Felden. We take him back alive and string him up in public as a warning to other crooks. I aim to show folks that not even Pete Lorenzo can get away from the law. He's a clever critter, Sheriff. There ain't many men have seen him and lived to tell about it. Reckon there ain't. Sheriff, look over there. A campfire. Sure enough. Come on, surround that camp. Get up there. Get up there, boys. Get up there. Get up there, boys. Boys. Get him. Don't let him get away. Reach for the sky. You're under arrest. What's this mean? What are you arresting me for? Make a break and you'll stop lid. But what have I done? That's a good one. You ain't fooling anyone, Lorenzo. Helden, are you sure that's Pete Lorenzo? It's him, all right. Long black hair, sure enough. Hey, you, walk over here. I am, but what... Unload that shooting iron of his, Felden. And by ginger, he walks for the limp. I told you, Sheriff, it's him. I know him anywhere. See here, what's all this mean? It means you're under arrest for shooting a banker in Carson City and for robbing a bank. And it means you're heading for the rope. Search him, Felden. Sure thing. Hold on. I ain't Pete Lorenzo. I'm hunting for that varmint. I'm trailing him same as you are. Likely story. Did you find anything, Felden? He's hid the money somewhere, Sheriff. It ain't on him now. No matter. We got him, that's enough. We'll make him talk. You can't do this. If you think I'm Pete Lorenzo, you're crazy. I told you I'm hunting for him. Trailing him, eh? Trying to. Well, we trailing from Carson City. And that trail ends right here at your fire. Ain't it so, boys? Right here, Sheriff. Well, like it's not, it was me you trailed. He admits it, Sheriff. I don't admit nothing. I lost Lorenzo's trail the other side of Carson City. So I just kept on in the same general direction, hoping to pick it up again. Some yarn, that is. It's true, Dernia. If you ain't Lorenzo, who are you? My name's Pete Atwell. Pete, eh? Sure. I come from the mountains to Carson. I seen the whole robbery in holdup. And when Lorenzo let out, I went after him. What'd he look like? Well, I don't know. His face was covered with a hood of some sort. Maybe you can prove you're Pete Atwell. Yeah, sure I can. Here's a couple of letters. Read them. You can see their address to me. I'll do that same. Pass them over. I wouldn't take no stock in them letters, Sheriff. Like it's not stolen from somebody. You didn't find no money on them, did you, Felton? No. Pete Atwell, eh? Well, that name's on these letters, all right. But that don't prove nothing. You might have found them. I didn't. Them letters are mine. And I'm not going to let you frame them. Shut up! You say your name's Pete Atwell. But you got long black hair like this fellow Lorenzo, and you're limp. And what's more, that horse you got tethered over there is a chestnut. Sheriff, I hate him. I've been trailing him. Swear me in as a deputy and let me go along with you to hunt him. The hunt has ended right here and now. We can't get back to Carson tonight, Sheriff. What are you aiming to do? Well, this is a likely place to camp. We may as well stay here till morning. Tie this fellow good and tight, Felton. Hands and feet both. And then lace him with that tree over yonder. I will. But wait. Don't you see, Sheriff? If you take me and stop the hunt now, the real Pete Lorenzo will get away. I'm willing to take a chance on that. I got an idea. We got the man we want right now. But you ain't. Them letters tells who I am. You probably stole him. Tie him up, Felton. Then we'll hold him to morning and then take him to town to hang. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue the drama. You will recall that a murder started the sheriff's men on the trail of Pete Lorenzo, a killer who never left survivors to identify him. A newcomer in Carson City named Felton claimed to have seen Lorenzo. He described the outlaw and led the way to capture him. The Lone Ranger, riding behind the sheriff and his men, saw them make a prisoner of a lone camper. The posse bound him, disregarding his pleas of innocence, and roped him to a tree until morning. The Lone Ranger and Tonto were not very far distant. We'll stay right here. The horses will be all right where we left them, Tonto. Hmm. We can keep a close watch on the prisoner. That's right. I doubt if he's Pete Lorenzo, though. Oh. Camp's pretty quiet now. I might slip over and help the man get free. I don't want to see him taken back to town just yet. I want the chance to talk to him. You, wait. What is it? Feller, the campfire. I see him. Hmm. Wrote a tree. The prisoner. Can you see who it is? Hmm? That fellow. Named Felden. Come on, Tonto. We'll get close enough to hear what he's saying. Huh? Wanted to make sure he was awake. Of course I'm awake. How can I sleep like this? Take it easy. I'm going to help you. You? Yeah. I've been thinking about this capture. It was me that led the law here. I know. If they take you back to Carson City, you'll be lynched without a chance for a fair trial. Of course I will. I'm innocent. I ain't no more a killer than you are. I ain't Pete Lorenzo. Take it easy now. I'm making these knots loose so you can slip out on them, Savvy. What are you helping me for? I don't want to be the cause of you being lynched. I'd sooner see you get away. You're going to give me that chance? Yep. I helped hang a man once. After he was dead, we found he wasn't the guilty one after all. Since then, I don't take chances on the same mistake happening. Then I'll slip out on them ropes with a little work. You'll never regret giving me this chance. Like Lorenzo. If you had cash on you, I'd let you go to the rope and glad of it. Just because you limp like Lorenzo and have long black hair ain't enough to convince me. Thanks, Philip. You'll need a gun. I'll drop one on the ground beside you. Get the ropes loose and be ready. I'll give you the signal when to make a break. I don't need a gun. He'll might. I got my hands and feet loose already. Good. Now, you better wait a couple hours more until the sheriff and me take our turn at guiding you. And if he sees you making a break, I can get in his way so as he can't shoot you. I'll cough when you're to run for it. All right. Gun by your side. I'll leave you now. I'll need it. I only hope I don't fall asleep. Don't move, Pete. What? Quiet. Unless you want to bring the men here to find you untied. But look here. Who are you? I'll have a look at that gun. Are you the real Pete Lorenzo? Your mask? I'm not Pete Lorenzo. Then what are you doing here? Who are you? Be quiet while I examine this gun. But I don't... Toto. Me here. Look at the gun, Toto, and the cartridges. What matter? Examine it. Then give it back to him. I'll have a talk with him in the meantime. Two hours later, the camp was quiet. Pete still lay near the base of the tree, pretending sleep, but tensely alert. Near the campfire, Andy Felden was just waking Sheriff Conard for his turn at watching the prisoner. Gosh, Felden. I could do with more sleep. Here's coffee on the fire, Sheriff, if you'd like some. Yeah, good. It'll wake me up. Is the prisoner all right? I reckon so. I looked at him just before you waked up. I'll be glad to get him to town. The only thing I regret is not having the cash. This is an idea. Getting a cold? The prisoner. He's making a break. Look. I can't see him in the dark. I can. Shoot him. Wait till I get my guns around the ground over here by my blanket. Boys, wake up. My guns are on the loose. Get him. Come on. Get after him. He can't get far. He's shooting back at us. Get him, boys. Where'd he get his gun? I got him. Hold him. Grab him. Hop him, boys. Hang on to him. Throw some brushwood on that fire so they can see it. We're doing. I got him tight. He's strong as a bull. He's dead, ain't he? Ain't he been shot? Stay him back there. You boys get that brushwood on the fire. I'll put some on, Sheriff. Hey, this ain't the prisoner. I'm right where you left me. Tied to the tree. That ain't the prisoner. How did this happen? Who's this? He lit him up. Let me take a look at him. There's the fire. Now you can see. This is a ninja. Oh. Me. Me tanto. What's this mean? Where did you come from? You. You don't know. What are you doing around here? Me. Me look for outlaw. Looking for an outlaw, huh? Looks to me like he was trying to help the outlaw we already captured get away. That's not true. That's what he was doing. Pete Lorenzo's got an engine helper. That's it, Sheriff. Well, doggone. I don't know. We ain't no proof. Well, as we know, the engine ain't done nothing. But just the same. You must have good eyes, Felden. What's that? Where do you come from? Have you all covered? What's that? You listen. Here, Tonto. You take one of the guns. Now, both of them are conhoots with Lorenzo. That isn't the case, Felden. We're trying to locate Pete Lorenzo and take him to justice. And I think we've accomplished our purpose. Just to the same, Hill, are you? Harold, did it occur to you that Felden would have to have awfully good eyesight to see the prisoner escaping in the dark? Well, I couldn't see nothing but just the same. He didn't see it either. He thought the prisoner was escaping because he'd already loosened the ropes to make that possible. That ain't so. That ain't the case, Sheriff. You know better than that. Let's go over to where the prisoner's tied and let him tell his story. It's you he's saying that about, Felden. By thunder, you must have eyes like an animal to see in the dark that way. Of course I've seen him. Didn't I tell you? Pete. Yeah? Suppose you tell the Sheriff what Felden did. Well, he... Gosh, I don't know. He acted friendly to me and I... Acted friendly to you? Yeah. Tell him the truth, Pete. But... But I ain't sure that he was going to... It's the only thing that will save your life. Well, Sheriff, Felden come to me and said that he'd already helped to hang an innocent man and he didn't want me to be the second. Did you say that, Felden? The whole thing's a pack of lies. None of it's true. Go on, Pete. I told you, Sheriff, that I wasn't Pete Lorenzo. I showed you them letters in my pocket. What did Felden say to you? He loosened the rope so as I could get away. He told me that when he coughed, that was a signal for me to run. He did, eh? That was the first step in Felden's carefully made plan, Sheriff. Go on, tell me the rest. Then... Then he dropped a gun by my side where I could get it when I escaped. Did you do that, Felden? It ain't true. It ain't true, I tell you. We'll get to the proof later. Now tell the Sheriff when I did, Pete. You come and rope me tight again so as I couldn't get away. Exactly. Then you look at the gun and you hand it to the engine. Yes, and what did I tell you? Well, you told me to stay right here and not to make no sound. Then what happened when Felden coughed? Oh, the engine was here. You and all the rest, Sheriff. Yeah, we captured the Redskin. I examined the gun Felden left with this man. Yeah? He loaded it with prepared cartridges. Now look here. I ain't gonna stand for no more of this. Sheriff, you know I'm the one that helped you get this prisoner. I've been riding your side from the start. Shut up, Felden. But what did I want to help him escape from? I said shut up. I'm gonna hear what this man has to say. The cartridges and the gun left here were blanks. The lead had been dug out of them with a knife and a wad of paper put in its place. Felden had no intention of letting Pete hurt anyone with a gun, especially himself. Yeah? Well, what do you want to do that for, stranger? Maybe you can tell us that. I can. I'll go back to Pete Lorenzo. He knew things were getting hot for him. He knew that sooner or later he'd come to the end of the trail. And he felt the best way to shake the law off once and for all would be to die. To die? Have everyone consider him dead. There was one man in particular who was closing in on him, and he knew it. It was a man who walked with a limp, who had long black hair. A man named Pete Atwell. Pete Atwell. That's the fellow we captured. That's what he said his name was. Atwell is the man who's tied to that tree. Pete Lorenzo went into Carson City and stayed there until he knew that Atwell was close by. Then he robbed the bank, killed the banker. But instead of escaping, he stayed right in town. Don't you believe a word he says, Sheriff? He can't prove nothing like that. But that's all a cock and bull story to help this critter. I chose you to be quiet, Felton. I'm controlling things here, and I'm going to hear what the masked man has to say. Go on, stranger. Talk. Lorenzo described the man he knew was chasing him. I was in the crowd when he did so. I knew he didn't tell the truth because he said Lorenzo escaped to the east. If he had done that, I'd have seen him as I rode into Carson City. But you and your mask. Doggone it, I can't account for you. Never mind me. We're talking about Lorenzo. Lorenzo led you on the trail. He circled until he came on the footprints of the man he knew was following him, Pete Atwell. Then he led you here. He'd already described this man, so you assumed you'd captured Pete Lorenzo. Sheriff, how can you... Go on, stranger. His plan was to let Pete Atwell get away so he could shoot him. That would end all hunting for Pete Lorenzo. All right. You're all covered. Felton. Then Felton is Pete Lorenzo. Well, I'll be... Stand back. I'll shoot the first man that makes a move to get me. You think you're pretty smart, eh, stranger? Ranger, well, I'm just a little too fast for you. So you're confessing, you dirty rat. I'm Pete Lorenzo, and I still ain't going to be taken by the law. I got the drop on you, every one of you, including the masked man. Thought you were smart, eh? Well, you're just smart enough to die right here on the spot. You'll probably find the stolen money in his saddlebag, Sheriff. Yeah, yeah, but... Here, Lorenzo. You'll get a fair trial. I ain't taking a chance on no trial. Dead men don't talk. Look, I got 12 bullets in this brace of guns. Then why don't you use them? I'm a gaunder, and I'll still be fell into everyone in town. Boy, you... Stand back, all of you, and go back with the yarn about how Lorenzo shot the bunch of us up. I was the only one to survive. How do you like that, Sheriff? The credit at the tree there will still be Pete Lorenzo savvy. Lorenzo, I'm coming to take those guns away from you. Stand back, unless you want to be the first one to be drilled. Put down those guns, Lorenzo. Stand back, I tell you. Put down those guns. You're under arrest for murder. He'll kill you. He'll kill you, stranger. Why don't you shoot? I will. I swear I will. Go on, shoot. I'll show you. That's all that's needed. Now, I'll take those guns. Let go, my wrist. Here's one of his guns, Sheriff. Great Scott. Here's the other. Let go of me. Let go of me, I tell you. Get a rope on him. Hold him. You ain't human. You ain't human. I fired point blank at you. Got him, Tuttle. He got him. I'll show you. You can't hold me. I'll kill every last one of you. Me, Mr. Me, holy mackerel. Matt, Matt, make him quiet. Did you see that engine wallop him? Now, you can tie him easier, Sheriff. But gosh, old fishhooks. Stranger, I seen him. He shot point blank at you. He shot twice. He had a good idea, Sheriff, in framing Pete Atwell. It was such a good idea that I used it myself. Yeah, but I don't save you. Don't bullets hurt you? The wads of paper stung, but my shirt is thick. Wads of paper? Call our horses, Tuttle. You're right, Tuttle. You see, Sheriff, I took the gun he left for Pete Atwell to use and left it with one of his own guns. I took the lead out of the cartridges of his other gun. Well, how in blazes could you do that while we was all the guarding? You were guarding Pete Atwell. None of you saw Tuttle slip up and put the fixed guns in Pete Lorenzo's holsters that were lying on the ground near his blanket. The real Pete Lorenzo. By thunder and areas stretched out in the ground, knocked out by a redskin. Boys, untie Pete Atwell. Untie him and take him into town with us. He used to share in all the rewards. And the masked man here... The masked man doesn't want rewards. Yep. Hey, I've got to hurry! The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
