A fiery horse for the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. When the western United States was first open to settlers, land was to be had for the asking. But peace and security were not. Outlaws robbed and killed, and the local sheriffs elected to protect the honest people often worked with the criminals. It was then that the masked rider of the plains rode in the cause of justice. It was he, more than any other man, who brought law and order to the frontier. And now return with us to those thrilling days when the west was young. The Lone Ranger rides again. Trouble was waiting for us. The Bar X trail herd had covered many difficult miles and had survived a score of danger since first it had left the home spread. Now, as it approached Bighorn County, it was close to the halfway mark on its journey. Our story opens shortly after sunrise. The trail crew, under the watchful eyes of Walt Benson, their leader, is busy getting the reluctant herd underway. This way. Maybe just somebody wanting to pass the time of day. Maybe. I can make him out now. He's riding a paint horse. He's waving his hand. Say, there's some horse that fella's got his saddle on. It sure is. I'll be blown. It's an engine. That's been blown, people. Now, engine. Yeah, I don't want to make talk with you. Yeah. You go, Bighorn County? Sure we are. We ought to be there by noon or so. In that plenty bad place. Huh? Law, keep crooked there. Maybe make you pay plenty trouble. What do you mean the law's crooked in Bighorn County? Sheriff, bad fella. Him make you pay cash. Shucks, redskin. You don't know what you're talking about. I was through here with the Bar X-Trail herd last year, and the sheriff was a mighty fine fella. Him got no sheriff. Ain't Jake Carter sheriff no more? No. Sheriff named Judd Barker now. Well, hell, what if it ain't the same sheriff? I don't mean nothing to us. Look it or not, I reckon we can handle ourselves. Better you not go there. And why'd you say we'd better go? You make circles, go way round, and lose a week doing it. Injun, we got cattle to deliver. We ain't got a whole year to do it in either. If we'd circle around every blamed place you figured there might be trouble, we'd never get to the end of the trail. Hunter won't help you. Sure you do, Injun. But we've run into tough sheriffs before. And none of them looked so tough when we was through. So I reckon we'll just keep on the way we're going. You make heap big mistakes. I don't guess so. You keep on? Of course we are. We ain't scared so easy. Maybe Tonto see you later. You're welcome to ride a ways with us anyhow, Redskin. Sure, hang around for glove later on. Oh, me go now. Get him a paint horse. Now I wonder what that was all about. I don't know. But if he was up to some trick, he didn't work it. Well, come on. Don't matter none, I guess. And we got us a job to do. Yeah. Tell them fellas up ahead to keep them critters moving. We want to reach water as soon as we can. And watch out for screed. Sure, boss. Get up there. Get up there. Get up there. The sheriff of Bighorn County had his office in the town of Red Rock. Judd Barker was a heavyset man with small, shrewd eyes and a cruel mouth. We see him seated in his office in conversation with Martin Weaver, the county cattle inspector. The sheriff is speaking. Martin, you and me have been doing right well for ourselves. Not bad. Not bad at all. Let me see. We've been holding office for only about ten months. And already we've made us close to ten thousand apiece. Not counting what the county pays us. That's only chicken feed to get any other. And we've made that cash during the slow months, too. We'll be doing a heap better as soon as the trail herds start coming through more often. Where's your deputy? Sid? I sent him out to ride up the trail a ways and see if there's any herds heading this way. But he ought to be back in for a long. That looks like Sid now. Yeah. And it looks like maybe he's got good news. Any news, Sid? You're blamed right there's news. Good. Listen, the Bar X herd from Texas is on the trail. I've seen him just outside of town. The Bar X? That's the best news yet. That outfit always comes through with a big herd. They got a real big one this time. Well, Martin, I reckon that means you and me get busy again. I'm ready. Sheriff, you want us to get the rest of the boys and ride along with you? There won't be no need yet. Besides, if it's just Martin and me talks to them first, it'll look more legal. And I'm sure dead set in everything being legal and above board. Yeah. Come on, Martin. I'm with you. Your horses are just outside. Sam rung them around. If we ain't back in an hour, you might get the boys and ride out that way, Sid. The Bar X always comes through with a big herd. They sure do. They got one of the biggest outfits in Texas. Steady there, boy. Then by the time they come to terms, we ought to be a couple more thousand dollars to the good. You're blame right we will. And there ain't nothing they can do about it either. Get up here. Come on. At noon, the great Bar X trail herd was well within Bighorn County. The cattle were allowed to graze while Walt Benson and his men gathered around the chuck wagon for their noon meal. Well, Charlie, I was hungry enough to eat a whole cow all by myself. You never seen the time you weren't hungry, Idaho. I don't hold a candle to you, Shorty. Say, Walt, I'm right glad now that redskin didn't come along for grub. If he had, there'd been just that much less to go around. Uh-huh. I've been wondering where that's all the trouble he was saying we'd run into when we got to Bighorn County. What's that about trouble, boss? Oh, Idaho and me met up with a redskin that said there was a crooked sheriff here. Yeah? Well, if he is crooked, you're likely to find it out right sudden. Meaning? Meaning there's a law riding this way now. You can see where the sun hits that badge of his. Sheriff ain't riding alone. There's another fellow with him. Maybe that engine had the right of it. You ain't scared of no sheriff for the tin star, are you, Walt? No, but I... Where's the trail boss for this outfit? That's me, Sheriff. Oh, boy. Oh, what business you got with me? Nothing that'll take long to settle, I reckon, if you're reasonable, gents. Yeah? This here is Martin Weaver. He's the inspector hired by this county. Howdy. Inspector? That's my job. What kind of an inspector would this county be needing? These, uh, Texas cattle, ain't they? I reckon you knew that. We're mighty careful around these parts with Texas cows coming through. First, what are you getting at? What I mean is we don't want no Texas fever bothering our cattle. Texas fever? You're a loco. Are you trying to say that this trail herd might be bringing fever here? I told you we're mighty careful. Ah, so what do you... So we'll have to inspect your cows before we let you go on. Well, I'll be doggone. This is sure I'm new and not me. It's the law of the county and I'm here to see it enforced. Well, look here, Sheriff. We still got a long ways to go. We can't afford to be held up here too long. I can't help that. How long would it take? Well, that's up to the inspector. What do you think, Martin? Well, I'm right busy these days. I can't promise when I'd get at it. All I can say is I won't be no longer going to have to. Yeah? It might be, uh... Well, it might be no more than a month before I can get around to you. A month? You are loco. Of course, that's just a guess. It might be a week or two longer. And then besides, there's the actual inspecting to do. Now, that'll take quite a spell, seeing the size of your herd. You can't do this to us. We gotta keep traveling. As long as you're in Bighorn County, you'll abide by our laws. But ain't there something we can do so that we won't have to wait? Well, there's a couple things you might do. What's that? You might take your cows and go around by the Sioux Hills. The Sioux Hills? That'd mean we'd have to cross the Whitewater River. Uh-huh. But it's outside the county, so I couldn't stop you if you had a mind to. But there ain't no way to cross the river without rusing half our cows. Well, there's still another way. Yeah? You couldn't expect us to take the risk of Texas fever without getting something for it. But you can keep right on going through the county for only one cow in five. Huh? Now, that ain't so bad, is it? A fifth of your cows is better than being held up here for a month or two. And it's better than trying to cross the Whitewater. You low-down skunk. By golly, the engine was right when he said the law here was crooked. Hold on there. You'd better be darn careful how you talk to me. Careful? Why, you rotten range-rattle polecat. Where we come from, gents like you wouldn't make a hearty breakfast for a tadpole. You're defying the law. Crooks, you mean. Sheriff, you'd better get. Why are you? You poor cowpoke. Walt, he's drawing his gun. Yeah? That'll teach you. Oh, my shoulder. I'll take the sheriff. Don't shoot. Up with your hands. Reach. I'm reaching. You too, Inspector. But my shoulder. Reach for the sky. I only grazed you. You'll pay for this. My deputies, I'll come. Should we let him have it now, Walt? I won't wait. It's the engine we've seen before. Well, you come. You want to talk with me? Uh-huh. Now, you hear what Tonto say. Go ahead, Walt. The Redskin tried to do us a good turn the first time. Me and Shorty will watch these fellas. All right, Redskin. What have you got to say? Come back here. Tell these fellas to let us go. You stay right there for a spell. What have you got to say, engine? You let the sheriff go. Yeah? You tell him, wait. Well, son of a... Then you make up mine. Tell the sheriff to give us till morning to decide? That's right. But, uh... Me got white friend. Yeah? Him help you. Anybody that can help us out of the fix we're in has got to be smart. You do what Tonto say? I reckon I will. If I had listened to you the first time, we wouldn't have got in this trouble. You let Lawman go. Then Tonto tell you plan. Come on. I'll send them cheap crooks on their way. And we'll talk this out. Not good. What does the Redskin have to say, Walt? I ain't heard all of it yet. Look here, Sheriff. We're letting you go. But you can come back in the morning for your answer. For what you've done, you're going to pay twice as much to get through the county. Put the palaver and climb on your horses. And if you don't pay, you'll either wait or go by way of the river. Come on, Sheriff. Let's get out of here. I'll fix these fellas for this. Get up there. Get up there. Get up there. Who's that? A mass fella. Him, friend Tonto. Now you hear plans. 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. The morning after the sheriff had told Walt Benson, trail boss of the Bar X Herd, that he would have to surrender a fifth of his cattle or leave Bighorn County, the lawman and a number of his deputies headed for the Bar X camp. This time, them smart cowhands will either pay up or take what's coming to them. We should have let the rest of us come along the last time, Sheriff. Then there wouldn't have been no gunplay. Well, wish there hadn't been. I wonder who that engine was. I know. Never seen him before. Didn't he call himself Tonto? He might have. What about it? It just seemed to me I'd heard that name somewhere before. Maybe not, though. Reckon you didn't. Aren't we pretty close to the Bar X outfit? You'll see him just as soon as we top this rise. I can hear him. Sounds like they're on the move. By golly, if they're trying to keep on going, I'll have their hides. There they are. They ain't going on. They're heading back. I'll bet they decided to try the river after all. Here comes their trail, boss. We'll soon find out. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa. He don't look worried, none. He will be if he tries to get his cows across the whitewater. Yeah, and for more than one reason. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Well, what are you going to do? Howdy, Sheriff. I see you got all your gunslingers with you. That'll be enough out of you. All we want to know is whether you're paying up or getting out. We're going by way of the hill. You're forgetting about the river, ain't you, fella? Nope. Don't let it fool you, none. It ain't very wide, but it sure moves fast. You get half your cows across and you'll be doing blame good. We'll do our own worrying. Well, go ahead. We can't stop you as long as you don't try to cross our county. But if you double back, you'll sure wish you hadn't. Uh-huh. Thanks for the advice, Sheriff. That ain't advice. It's a warning. Thanks, just the same. Now, I got to be getting back. The boys will be needing my help. The faster you move out of here, the better. That's just the way we feel about it. Get up there. Get along there. Just the same as always when them cow punchers get stubborn. We're riding to the Sioux Hills? Yep, with masks. Well, I don't like that way of doing things so well. What's worrying you? We've done it before, ain't we? Yeah. And I reckon we can do it again. Myself, I like it this way better. If it's just part of the herd, we get all of it. We'll lay for them in the hills. Wait till they're having trouble crossing the river, then ride down and wipe them out. Huh? Taking big chances. But it's paying us big money. The only thing is, Sheriff, there ain't gonna be no sense selling a herd that size all at once. That'll be the easiest part of it. Yeah? We'll drill them fellas, take their papers, and sell the cows to the same buyer they was going to. You figure we can? Why not? Nobody that far off can prove we ain't working for the bar X. Now, you'll go along, Sheriff. Sheriff, well, maybe I'll send the rest of you. It wouldn't look right for me to be leaving the county. We could handle it. But first, we gotta head them off by the river. We'll need more men. We'll go back to town and get them right now. We'll load up on ammunition. And after we've met up with them punchers again, there won't be a one of them left to tell about it. Get up there! Get up there! Get up there! When Tonto talked to Walt Benson, he not only outlined the masked man's plan to get the herd across the river safely, but also repeated everything the Lone Ranger and he had learned about the tactics of the sheriff and his men. Now we see the herd as it moves through a narrow valley in the Sioux Hills leading to the Whitewater River. Tonto is riding beside Walt and the cowboy Idaho. You sure your masked pod can do like you said, Tonto? No. You can do that all right. It's a risky business. You not worry. If the masked fella slips up, we're gonna be in a worse fix than we was afore. Especially if them polecats really try to raid us like the masked man figured they would. Them make rain, all right. The dirty crooks. They've got the slickest game I ever heard of. If they don't get paid for letting cows lose their county, they just make the herds go around where they can be stowed easy. Maybe this is once they'll get food. I'm hoping for it. We should be getting sight of the river soon. Here comes Shorty. Maybe he's seen the river already. Hey, boss. Yeah? Oh, boy. The masked fella done it. Are you sure? You bet I am. I've seen it for myself. The riverbed's dry. There ain't enough water left in it to boil a mess of beans. And there ain't nothing to keep the cattle from crossing. And now we gotta do the rest like the masked fella told us. He's been right so far, and I'm with him all the way. And so am I. Hey, fellas. Get moving. Fire off your shoot fire. Start them critters to stampede. You sure they won't get away from us? Not by a darn sight. They can't scatter in this valley. When they run out, we'll pick them up again. Then let's go. Make all the noise you can. You watch us. Get up there. Get up there. The sheriff and his men, armed for the attack upon the Bar X trail herd, rode out from town and made their way across country toward the Whitewater River. We see them as they approach the spot from which they plan to start their raid. We should be there just about in time to meet the herd. Yeah. There's good cover over there, Sheriff. Uh-huh. I reckon that'll do all right. Just so we ain't spotted a floor ready for them. I'd sure hate to have anything go wrong. That's up to you, fellas. All I gotta say is this. After the way that smart aleck trail boss acted, if they ain't made to pay for it, then I'll see to it. You fellas are blamed. Sorry. We'll do our part. Uh-huh. You better. That means cash for all of us. How's this place here? Good enough. Ain't no sign of them yet. Well, it's a heap better to be a little early than to miss them. We'll see them just as soon as they come around the bend. And when they start to cross in the river, they'll sure... Leaping catfish. Huh? What's the matter, Sid? Look at the river. Rye. Well, I'll be... Sheriff, what in blazes could have happened? Don't ask me. There's been rains aplenty. It ain't like as though we had a dry spell. It was raining only last week. I figured the river'd be worse than ever. Something's gone wrong, Blaston. Well, it can't be helped none now. I'm going to find out what's done it. You fellas wait here. Hold on, don't you? What if them cowhands come along while you're looking? You want them to see you and spoil it all? Sorry, Sheriff. Reckon I wasn't thinking. Just stay right here out of sight. But have you seen the river like this before, Sheriff? Nope. I never heard tell of the white water running dry in all the time I've been in this part of the country. It's a blame-funny thing. Yeah, and it means we ain't going to have so easy a time of it when the herd gets here. Wait. Huh? The herd's coming now. Say, it sounds like maybe they're stampeding. I'll bet that's just it. Maybe things are breaking our way after all. How do you figure that? Shucks. If the herd's got away from them Bar X fellas, we can pick up the cows and come back and clean out them punchers. Look over there. There they come. The whole herd. Can't stop them now. I wonder where the punchers are. Must be coming up behind. Critters run. We'll have to let them get by before we can take out after them. I sure wouldn't want to be in front of a stampede like that. The way they're moving, it won't take long for them to get by. You can see the last of them now. I'll see your horses. We're all set. I'll give them a word when they start out. Yeah. All right, fellas after them. Get up, get up, get up, get up, get up. Them punchers ain't in sight. We'll take care of them later. Come on, boy. Get along, man. They're across the river. They won't run that fast for long. Keep your horses moving. Yeah, we should. What was that? Something like blasting powder. I thought it was the same. Come on. We're almost to the river. But wait. Look. What the? It's water. A whole flood of us. And coming right at us. We can't dodge it. Turn around. Move or move. Rise, help. Yellen won't help. We just gotta hang on and hope we don't get drowned. Come on. The water rushing in a great flood from the hill swept along the dry bed of the river with the force and speed of an express train. The sheriff and his men were caught on the torrent, carried helplessly along, then flung aside, bruised and battered as the flood's initial force subsided. Walt, Tonto, and the Bar X cowpunchers watched until the time was ripe for action. Look at them crooks crawling up on the bank. They won't do much fighting now. Let's take after them. There comes a mask, fella. And the U.S. Marshal with him. Now we'll get them, bad fella, huh? You're blamed right we will. Get them up. Come on, mask fella. We'll round up them crooks. Yes, look at their white horses riding. And even BC Injid's horse. Come on. We'll get them. You bet we will, Marshal. The sheriff's getting ready to fire at us. He's getting this man together the best he can. But it won't be half good enough. They're shooting now. All right. Let him have it. I aim to pick off that sheriff. That'll show them we ain't fooled him. Fire some more. Hey, the sheriff's trying to shout something. They're dropping their shooting on you. And raising their hands. We give up. Don't hide them all. Hold your guns, fellas. We can't fire on them when they give up. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa. All right, Marshal. Here's the men we set out to capture for you. Sheriff, I'm taking your badge away and jailing the whole lot of you. Wait, Marshal. Listen. I've seen what you've done. You can't do this. We were just trying to do... Keep still. The mask fella brought me here and told me all about your scheme. If that water hadn't trapped us. But it did. And he can thank the mask fella for that, too. Huh? He thought up the whole plan. First, he used blast and powder to dam the river so the cattle could get through. Then he used more blast and powder. And released the water in time to catch you. Boy, is that a one... I'd like to get my hands on him. Sure. Only you're going to jail instead. I'll send some of my boys to help you take them there, Marshal. While the rest of us round up our cows. Good enough. But where's the mask fella in the engine? I want to thank them for what they've done. I don't know. Here they are. Wait! It's too late now to thank them. They're gone for good. Well, maybe they are. But they've done enough for us so I ain't never forgetting them. All right. Let's get these crooks to the jail. Come on, sir. Nice to meet you, sir. Nice to meet you, sir. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated. Oh, wait. Hey.
