fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty high old silver, the Lone Ranger. In Western United States, the honest settlers had more to fear than outlaws and hostile Indians. Confidence men and swindlers crowded the new territory, but these criminals found one man who could match their cleverness. The masked rider of the plains outwitted them at every turn. He fought for justice through the length and breadth of seven states. Nothing could discourage him, and he finally brought law and order, peace and security to the lawless frontier. Return with us now to those thrilling days when the West was young. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver! We must stop the Ridgeville stage! Tallow's waiting on the trail ahead! Hail, Silver! Away! It was the dead of night, and the stagecoach, rolling and tossing on the trail to Ridgeville, was still many miles from its destination. Ahead of the stage, listening to the thunder of its approach, were two men. One masked, the other an Indian. They were mounted on powerful horses and hidden behind a clump of trees when... There it is, Tallow. Remember, keep the attention of the guard and driver after we stop them. I don't want them to see what I'm doing. How did I do that? Careful now. Don't show yourself until I give you the word. No. Come on, get them on the scout. Stop that stage! Pull up your horses before we fire! Hold up! Get up! Get them all, you critters! This is a warning! I've fired over your heads! The next shots will come closer! Take two hands, blast their eyes! Pull up! Pull up! Pull up! Pull up! Pull up! Pull up! Pull up! Pull up! Pull up! Don't wait for your guns, Slippy! The man's color in the Indian. The other fellas held us up four nights ago. What in place do you think you're after? We ain't carrying cash or dust. You won't get no more from us tonight than you did the other time. Never mind that. Watch them, Tallow. Me watch them. See that they don't try anything. Hey, where are you going, stranger? He's climbing atop the back end of the stage. Nice front, both of you! Now that you know what to do, they disobey. You look this way. I sure wish I could figure you two fellers out. Five thunder outlaws holding up this stage just don't make sense. Shucks, it ain't once in a year we ever carries anything worth a taking. If you fellas really wanted good pickings, you'd go where they was to be had. You not talk. Now, look, stranger. We ain't a... You keep quiet. But there's nothing... It's all right, Tallow. I can go on now. Don't savvy what you wanted, masked man. But we told you you wouldn't find it, whatever it was. On your way. Come on, Dan. Whip up them horses and high tails. Get up! Get along! Get up, Dad! Get along! They didn't see me put that letter in the mail site, did they, Kimo Sabe? No. Them not see it. Good. Dave Custer will get it in the morning and act on it. Ah. There's no other way we could do it. We tried to convince him his brother was sending false information in order to ruin him. He'd never have believed us. He can't imagine that Nate hates him enough to loan him money on the ranch, then scheme to make him lose everything so that Nate can take it over. Not right. We're going to get to Ridgeville ahead of the stage, Tonto. Huh? We'll make camp close to town, and then we'll see what happens. I'll find out what orders Leif gives his foreman, and you keep an eye on Leif to see that he doesn't learn the truth before he should. Let me do that. Then come, Kimo Sabe. We'll have to finish what we've started. Come on, Silver Scout! In the morning when the stage, driven by Dan and Sleepy, reached Ridgeville, Leif Custer, the rancher, was one of the crowd on hand to greet it. Let her come for me yet? Hello, Leif. You'll have to wait till Mr. Crosby gets a chance to look through the bag. Sleepy, climb back and throw that mail sack down. Sure will, Dad, anyway. Guys, if it ain't come this time, I don't know what's keeping it. I've been looking for word from Nate for a week or more. Well, it's likely on the way. Here you are, Mr. Crosby. Hey, that's... Well, we got it. Say, I was near forgetting. Huh? You know them same two armies that held us up the other time stopped the stage again last night? What? Yeah, it's a fact, so help me. But one of them was masked and the other was a redskin, like I told you they was afore. They get anything? Nothing so far as me and Sleepy could find out. Ain't that so sleepy? Well, if they did, I don't know what it could have been. But I think I got them fellas figured out. Yeah? The way I look at it is this. They're likely greenhorns at stage robbing, see? And after they stop the stage, they get cold peat and clear out without even making a search for valuables. Tell them how we fooled them fellas last night, Dan. We told them we wasn't carrying anything worth stealing. And they just the same as took our word for it. And us with a whole box full of folded money sent through for the bank. Hey, there's the colonel. Hi there, colonel. What are you doing away from the fort? Hello, men. Good morning, colonel. Howdy, colonel. Thought you soldiers was too busy to come to town. Well, as a matter of fact, Leif, all he came for was to find out whether you started your drive hit or not. I can't do it till I hear from Nate. It's doggone funny that he don't write. It's a shame, Leif. The letter from Nate? There she is. Say, that's the best news I've had in a coon's age. You give me that. What's it say? Well, give me a chance to read it, won't you? Is it Abilene or Cheyenne? Well, let me see. Looks like Nate had somebody else write it for him. He never was much of a hand with a pen. Doggone, what's it say? Boys, it's Abilene. They're paying top prices, Leif? They are from what's writ here. Come on, colonel. Let's ride out and give Whitey the word to get started. So long, fellas. So long. Where have you got your herd, Leif? Shucks, they're just north of town out in the flats. All set to go. The boys are keeping them bunched. The chuckwagon's loaded with grub, and as soon as I give the word, they'll be on their way. Hold still there, fella. This means a lot to you, doesn't it, Leif? Sure does, colonel. Get up, boy. Get up. I'll be able to pay Nate what I borrowed. Buy some more purebreds to improve the stock, and fix up the house the way Marthy'd like to have it fixed. Leif, I was just wondering if I could mention something. Huh? Mention something? We've been friends for a long time, and I... Ever since you come west and was put in charge of the fort. And I've known Nate as long as I've known you, Leif. What are you getting at? You won't be offended if I speak my mind. Colonel, any time one friend can't say to another what he'd like to say, then they ain't friends, that's all. Well, in the first place, I suppose you knew Nate hoped to marry Martha. He wasn't very well pleased when she married you instead. Colonel, he was madder than a hornet. Yes. What I'm getting at is this. Are you sure he got over being mad? Say, you ain't serious, are you? I wondered if I... Who ever heard of anybody bearing a grudge for ten years and more? You couldn't, Leif. But there's a lot of difference between you and your brother. I don't know. I just savvy this. Leif, who was it suggested that Nate find out which would be the best market for your beef? Why, it was Nate. And doggone nice of him, too. You don't think that, well, that he'd like to see you lose out, do you? After all, he holds the mortgage on your place. Colonel, you're loco. I just mentioned it. Then forget it. I ain't getting mad because I sadly blame well you wouldn't say anything, lest me have figured it was for my own good. Nate ain't easy to understand, but you can take my word for it. He's all right. Then there's no one more happy than I am to know it. Sure. I knowed you'd take it that way. Well, here we are. You just watched me start the boys hustling. There's Whitey now. Hey, Whitey! Howdy, boss. Any words yet? You're heading for Abilene. That's what Nate wrote you? Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. He sure did. Now get a move on. Tell the boys there ain't no time to be wasted. I want this herd in Abilene while the market's paying top prices. Get, Whitey. Get. You bet, boss. Tex! Shorty, Lemp! We're heading for Abilene. Abilene! Round up your horses. Get your gear. Boys, we're on our way! With Whitey, the foreman, in charge and with a large trail crew to assist him, the herd began the long trek to Abilene. A week, two weeks passed by. And then one evening, Tonto raced into the well-hidden camp he shared with the Lone Ranger. Whoa, Scout. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Me here. Me here. Bad news. Bad news, Tonto? Oh. They find out about brother. You mean he's learned Nate was trying to trick him? That's right. How did it happen? Him help clean out bunkhouse. Him find letter. Yes? It letter Nate write to fellow named Whitey. Leif's foreman. Huh. But what did the letter say? It say Whitey and other fellow do what Nate want. Nate pay him good. Whitey and the rest of the crew are in Nate's pay? Huh. Let her tell all about scheme. I was afraid this might happen. Leif ride to fort. Talk to Colonel. Ask help. Help from the soldiers? Huh. Leif wants soldier ride after cattle. Stop purge. Tonto, we can't allow that. Huh. How long has he been at the fort? Him not go there when me ride way, but him say him go there. Here, Silver. Tonto, we've got to ride to the fort. Huh? And tell Leif what we did. Tell him that we took his brother's letter from the stage and put a different letter in its place a few days later. He's got to let his herd continue to Kansas. Steady old fellow. Maybe him not believe you. He'll have to believe us. If he doesn't, if he sends his herd to Cheyenne, instead he'll be ruined. Come on, Kimotami. Get him up, Scout. Come on, Silver. Leif Custer, both confused and angered by the discovery he had made, arrived at the fort and was ushered in the presence of Colonel Hogan, while the masked man and Tonto were still on their way. Leif told the colonel what had happened and appealed to him for aid. You've got to help me, Colonel. If you don't, I lose every dollar, every acre, every head of cattle I got. I am not surprised at this, Leif. But how did you find it out? Nate wrote to Whitey. And Whitey, the double-crossing coyote, pushed a letter down behind his bunk. I'd never have known anything about it if I hadn't got the notion of having the bunkhouse cleaned while the boys was gone. I'll do anything I can, of course, Leif. But what do you wish? Send troopers after them skunks. Head the cattle off and get them started for Cheyenne before it's too late. But Leif, they can't... It's all that can be done, Colonel. They've got a two-week start. They clear the state by now. If I asked the sheriff to go after them, he wouldn't have no jurisdiction anyhow. Yes, that's true. And besides, there's 12 of them polecats in the crew. The sheriff couldn't handle them fellas even if he had the right to. Yes, but I... Colonel, I reckon you savvy. I wouldn't be asking nobody for help. If it wasn't, I didn't have to. I know, Leif. And I'm not hesitating because I don't wish to help you. And you will? Yes, Leif, I will. I may be stretching my authority, but I'll do it. I knowed it, Colonel. I knowed you would. I'll take a dozen men with me. You're going yourself? Things are quiet here. If this is going to be done right, I'll see that it's done right. Colonel, you're the kind of a friend worth having. I suppose you know I'm sorry about, well, about Nate. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen the evidence with my own eyes. Why, honest, it never once come into my head that Nate didn't think as much of me as I always thought of him. Funny thing, though. Yes? When I told Marty about it, she didn't seem no way surprised. All she said was that she hadn't even figured that way. And that's why she didn't never consider getting hitched to him. Martha's a clever woman. And a fine one. Well, Colonel, when do you think we can get started? There's no reason why we can't start first thing in the morning. The herd has a two-week start on us, but it shouldn't take us long to catch up. Yes? Sir? Well, the sentry reports two outlaws approaching the fort, sir. One is masked, and the other one seems to be an Indian. It's thought they're the men who've been holding up the stage. By golly, them crooks? I can say we're certain it's them, sir. Fine. Leif, the fact that those two men were known to be at large in this district was the only thing that made me hesitate to do as you ask. But now not even that's going to stand in my way. Yeah? Here's our chance to make them prisoners and rid this country of two more outlaws. Orderly. Yes, sir. We'll fix a trap for those men. Tell Sergeant Lawson to take a detail of men and set a trap. If they attempt to escape, he's to shoot them down. I want those men captured by any means. By heavens, two outlaws is good as ours, and more to come. Leif, that's a good sign. 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. When an orderly reported that the Lone Ranger and Tonto had been seen approaching the fort, Colonel Hogan believed them to be outlaws and ordered a trap set for their capture. Now we see the masked man and his faithful Indian companion racing toward the fort, unaware of the danger ahead. There's the fort, Tonto. Leif must still be there. If he'd left, we would have met him on the trail. That's right. Come on, old fellow. Get up, Scout. I wonder if... What... what matter? It's possible that we've been seen approaching. Back to the trail aways, I think I saw a rider swing from cover and take a shortcut across country to the fort. Me not seeing. I might have been mistaken. Silver! Come on, boy. What are you stopping for? What's wrong, Silver? Come on, old fellow. Him not want to go on. Silver usually knows what he's doing. What is it, Silver? Do you see something? Hey, Tonto, watch out. Back, Silver. Back, old fellow. Hits a trap, Tonto. I saw the glint of a gun. Tonto, are you hit? Me all right. I can't run. They're fired. Then run for us. Then come this way. Come on, Silver. Silver saved our lives. Implenty, smart horse. We saw those soldiers before we did. Tonto, they must think we're outlaws. And now that they're looking for us, our last chance to get to Leif is gone. Now what we do? There's just one thing left to do. What's that? You and I have done our best many times, Kimosabe, to set the law after outlaws. Now, however, we've got to do exactly the opposite. To save Leif to get his cattle safely to Abilene, we've got to see that the law doesn't capture Whitney and his men. That's plenty strange. It is strange. But Tonto, if the soldiers reach White and his men before Lace Hurts is in Kansas, everything we've worked for is lost. Come on, Silver. The troopers pursued the masked man and Tonto, but in the end they were forced to admit failure and return to the fort. This did not interfere with Colonel Hogan's plans. In the morning, he assembled 12 picked men, and placing himself at their head with Leif at his side, rode out of the fort toward Abilene. How soon do you figure we ought to catch up to them, Colonel? That's difficult to say. We can cover as much ground in one day as they can in three or four. We're bound to reach them long before they get to Abilene. They pressed on day after day over rough and level country, threading narrow canyons, galloping across open table land, boarding swift mountain streams and quiet rivers. They paused only when necessary and took up the trail again at the earliest possible moment. Throughout the entire journey, unknown to them, the masked man and Tonto paralleled their course. Do you see the soldiers, Tonto? Uh-huh. Them far off. You can just make them out below us there. Them fine herds soon. But before they reach the herd, they must pass through Keyhole Pass. Uh-huh. When they get that far, I think they'll meet with a surprise. Come on, old fellow. As they drew near Keyhole Pass, Leif Custer, Colonel Hogan, and the troopers were aware that the herd they were following could not be far beyond. It won't be long now till we show them, Colonel. It won't. If we don't see your cattle before we're through the pass, Leif, then I missed my guess completely. Sergeant. Yes, sir. Ride ahead and find out if anything can be seen. Right, sir. Get up there. What was that for, Colonel? Take a look through the pass. We can get a fairly good view now. Doesn't that look like dust to you? Why, it's not that it does. The kind of dust a trail herd would raise? That's them, sure, sure. We'll know as soon as Larson returns. Hey, he's waving. That's them, all right. Yep. Here comes the sergeant back like he's trying to win a race. Is it them? It is, sir. We'll be up to them in less than an hour. Don't slack, Paige. We got... Well? Take a look up above. Look where that ledge is. The ledge. Well, I'll be a white horse and a paint horse. And that one fella. Ain't he wearing a mask? The outlaws, we almost captured. But what can they be doing up there? I don't know. Oh, straight up then. Oh, there, boys. Any boy. Any boy. Come here now. Any boy. Them side miners with blasting powder up there. Colonel, look. The pass is blocked up. That landslide blocked it tighter than if there was a mountain pushed up against it. Those men will pay for this. But what do we do? The only thing we can do. Look for another way through these hills. But maybe that'll take days. Maybe. May have I been through this country before. I know it will. The yellow coyotes. Look, there they go. Colonel, there's just one thing I'm hoping for. That I can take care of them skunks personally. There's no use wasting time talking about it. The thing to do is to find a way through the hills just as fast as we can. To the east, men. Forward. Colonel Hogan and his party searched for a second opening in the hills. It took them three days to find one. And those three days saw Leif's herd that much closer to its destination. In the meantime, the Lone Ranger and Tonto had kept in the rear of the herd, on the alert for the trooper's reappearance. When the soldiers had found a trail and made camp for the night beyond the hills, the masked man had already planned his next move. We see him with Tonto just before dawn the next morning. Quiet, Silver. Tonto. Uh-huh. Me. Me fix them. You've taken the hobbles off their horses? Uh-huh. Get mounted. Be careful of noise. You, you already? Yes. And Tonto, I think this is going to win for us. The herd needs only 12 hours more than Abilene. That's right. And by the time the soldiers have recaptured their horses after we've scattered them, the herd will have the 12-hour start. Huh. You saw no one stirring? No. Them all sleep. Good. Now all the noise we can make, Kimo Sabe. Keep firing as fast as you can. Come on, get a horse scout. Get the moon. Get out. The horses. It's the masked man again. Fire at them. Shoot them down. The dirty coyote. Blast them. I'd like to get those cooks and break their necks. And we was almost up to the cattle again. Herding, what in blazes are we going to do this time? Go after the horses. What do you suppose? Into your clothes, men, and get those horses back. The frightened animals led the troopers a weary chase. Several of the horses escaped completely, and the others were regained only after hours of foot-sore pursuit. Ahead of them, at the end of the long overland trail, Whitey and his crew were hazing the cattle into Abilene's public for hours. Run them in, boys. Brought those critters along. Whitey. What you doing here? Hey there, Whitey. Nate. Whoa there. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Nate. What the dickens are you doing here in Abilene? What am I doing here? Why, you loco-idget? What in the name of a thousand devils are you doing here? Why, we brung Leif's cattle like you wrote us to. Like I... What? Say, are you crazy? You wrote Leif and said he was to send his critters here. You think I'd have come here if you hadn't? I never wrote no such thing. I said as plain as can be that Leif should send his cattle to Cheyenne. You didn't. I seen the letter. Huh? I seen it. I tell you, Leif showed it to me. You know what this means? I don't say it. It means you've got to sell Leif's cows right here. If you took them out again, where did you get back to Leif? Just as sure as you ain't got the sense of a maverick steer. Abilene's paying top prices. Leif will clean up. He'll pay off what he owes me and my plans will go for nothing. But how was I to know? I just don't like the letter said and Leif told me. Ah. Look what's coming. A mask man. With a red skin. Stay right there. Oh, children. Oh, go. Now, what in the deuce? There's going to be some explanations, Nate. What right have you got to... And I believe those men you see riding this way will be interested in hearing them. What men? Troopers. If you look closer, you'll see your brother is with them. It's late. I'm getting out of here. No, you don't. Put up them guns. Not until the soldiers take over, which won't be long. Hold that last man. It's him that's holding us. Hold that. Where'd you come from? Well, it's like this, Leif. I'll do the explaining, Nate. Don't attempt to make a break for it. Stranger, I'm putting you under arrest. And the Indian with you. Very well. But hear me out first. What do you got to say to us? If Whitey's had a chance to sell these critters yet, you've the same as busted me. Wait. But... It's Abilene that's paying top prices, Leif. Go on, Nate. Tell him the truth. You've got nothing more to lose now. Nate, is what the masked fella says true? Yeah, I reckon it. But I don't savvy this. Nate, I know all about your crookedness. I found the letter you wrote to Whitey here. The letter? You couldn't have. Yeah. Found it behind his bunk. So there's no use in your trying to lie out of it. But what I can see is, when you wanted to trick me, why you'd send me where beef prices are good. He didn't. Huh? I'll prove it to you. Take a look at this. I've been saving it for you. It's harder. The one Nate really wrote. It advises you to send your cattle to Cheyenne. I still don't... Hear me out. One of your men was away from the ranch for several weeks recently, wasn't he? Well, there was Tex. Right. He was here in Abilene. I heard Nate boasting to Tex in one of the cafes about what he planned to do to you. He did? I couldn't tell you the truth because you wouldn't have believed me. Instead, I took Nate's letter from the stage and put another in its place several days later, which told the truth about the markets. Then you aren't stage robbers. That was your reason for stopping the Ridgeville stage. It was, Colonel. Later, when Leif found out his brother was attempting to trick him, he thought we'd be ruined if his herd reached Abilene. Tonto and I rode to the fort to explain, but we were fired upon. The only thing left then was to prevent your interference. Mister, I reckon me and the colonel here, and most of the men with us, got some apologies to make to you. But there's just one thing more I'd like to ask you. Yes? Why was Nate right here on the spot? Because he thought it was the safest place. He'd written you to go to Cheyenne and had no reason to believe that message wasn't delivered. He reasoned that by staying here, he'd be sure to dodge you. Stranger, I take back what I said about putting you and the Indian under arrest. It's Nate and the crew that sold out to him who'll go to jail. One moment. Let me have Nate's letter that I gave you to look at, Leif. Why, sure. Here you are. Thanks. Now then. Hold on there. You're destroying the only re-levelers we got. I am. But you can't. Leif, I think you'll understand. I do, stranger. I... Well, you see, Colonel, even if Nate is a crook, he's my brother, too. And it weren't nobody but me that he tried to harm. But these other men, the ones who helped him, can't hardly jail them without jailing Nate, can we? Hmm, perhaps you're right. But if I... Sharks, I ain't a revengeful man. I figure they've been punished enough. Nate was punished by his scheme not going through. The rest of them got it two ways. They lose good jobs with me. And I got a suspicion that with the way things turned out, they won't be getting paid what Nate offered them either. Nope. We'll do like the masked man hinted. Let bygones be bygones. Hi-o, seal! There's an Indian uprising near Red Bank! Hurry, old boy! Hi-o, seal, over! How are they? You have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
