A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty hi-yo silver. The Lone Ranger. The masked rider of the plains fought crime and criminals throughout the early western United States. But in some parts of the country where he was not well known, his mask was misunderstood. The local sheriffs believed him to be an outlaw. At once in the district around Long Prairie, he was hunted as a murderer by the lawmen he was trying most to help. Return with us now those thrilling days of yesteryear when adventure lay at the end of every trail. The Lone Ranger rides again. We're riding to Long Prairie. There's justice to be done. Hi-yo. Our story begins as the United States Marshal Bruce Andrews enters the cafe at Long Prairie and calls to the bartender. Hey, barkeep. Howdy, Marshal. What'll it be? Nothing to drink. Say, you seen anything of a pilgrim calling himself Ray Carter? Sure. That's him sitting alone at the table there. Waiting for somebody, he said. Thanks. The fella he was waiting for ain't gonna show up. Evening, mister. Barkeep says your handle's Ray Carter. That right? Yes, I'm Ray Carter. Why? Mind if I sit down? Go right ahead. Maybe I'd better introduce myself. I'm Bruce Andrews, U.S. Marshal for this district. Oh? He was waiting for somebody, huh? I've been waiting for my brother. There's nothing wrong, is there? Not so fast. You from the East? What are these questions for? Something's happened. But you ain't in any trouble, if that's what's worrying you. There's been trouble? I'll come to that in a second. I'd rather ask some questions first, if you ain't got no objections. Yes? I ask if you was from the East. I am. I just got in on the stage this afternoon. How come you're here? I came out to join my brother. He came west about three months ago and bought a ranch. I was going to take my home with him. Your brother named Bat Carter? That's right. Where's his place? He bought the Arrowhead Ranch. It's a place north of Pike City. Ah, I've heard of it. I suppose your brother was going to meet you here because there ain't no stage service to Pike City. Is that it? Yes. He said we'd have to go by horseback the rest of the way. You have any other reason for coming to Long Prairie besides meeting you? He wrote that he was putting a mortgage on the ranch. Bring the money to the bank here so that he could check against it. Marshal, has something happened? I hate to tell you this, mister. Go on. What is it? Your brother was just found about a mile from here. He was dead. Dead? He was bringing cash to put in the bank and the fellow that killed him has got it. I found a letter from you saying you'd get here by stage today. That's why I looked you up. Murdered and robbed. I'm sorry as blazes about this, mister. But I'll tell you this. That killing happened on my range. And if I don't find the fellow that done it, I'll turn in my badge. It was in the afternoon, two days later, that the Lone Ranger stood in the kitchen of Luke Daly's ranch house. He was alone for several minutes, then the door opened. Luke entered, bearing a side of bacon in his hands. Here you are, stranger. Is this enough grub to do here? It's plenty. I put the money on the table there. Thanks. I noticed when you come here, you didn't seem to worry much about whether or not I'd be willing to sell to an outlaw. I'm not an outlaw. Oh, sure not. Sure not. I'd heard, however, that you've been known to have dealings with crooks. That's why I came here, because I wouldn't have to explain my mask. Who said I had anything to do with crooks? That doesn't matter. Maybe once or twice a crook on the run is hit out here. That's what I mean. It was only because they was going to drill me if I didn't let him. I see. My golly, there ain't nobody can say I'm crooked or that I... I'm not questioning you. Well, you just better keep your mouth. That sounded like silver. Who's outside there? Somebody meddling with your horse? That doggone if it ain't Sheriff Loomis. I don't know who that other fellow is. Did you send word to Pike City that I was here? I didn't. Honest, I didn't. Well, I wouldn't have had the time. Probably not. You can raise your hands, Jim. Who was... The U.S. Marshal. Say, how'd you get in here? By the front way. See that neither one of you made a break for it. Find anything in the masked fellow's saddlebag, Sheriff? You just bet I did. Come along, Ray. What's the meaning of this? Don't get restless, mister. Look at here, Marshal. Ten thousand in folding money. Every blame dollar that was stolen. That didn't come from my saddlebags. That your white horse there? It is. And that's just where it come from. Get back inside. Ray, close the door. All right, Sheriff. Sheriff, who's this fellow? Had I seen him someplace before? I met his brother. This is Ray Carter. Brother of Bat Carter. Yeah, that's it. There's quite a bit alike. Only Bat's darker and a mite taller. He was taller. I said, huh? Was taller? Well, what are you... Pretending you don't know, huh? Well, it won't work. We got you and this hired killer of yours dead to rights. Hired killer? Just so. You dirty rotten... Now get back, Ray. I know how you feel. But it ain't for you to take the law in your hands. The mask fellow will get what's coming to him, all right. At the end of a rope. Yeah, and, mister, you can take off that mask. We'd admire to see just who you are. The mask stays on. Not by a blame sight of them. You're covered, stranger. Do like the sheriff says. He knocked the table over. Now stand back. That draw. Who'd have been done? I said the mask stays on. You ain't got a chance, stranger. We're true to your one. You got us covered, but so have we got you. If it comes to a gunfight... If it does, I'll finish it. Why are you... I warned you. Watch out, Marshal. I have... Neither one of you is hurt. You... I'll take charge here. Luke, the sheriff says he found that cash in my saddlebag. I did. Luke made an excuse to go out to the smokehouse with that side of bacon there. Just before you arrived here, sheriff. I'm wondering if he mightn't have seen you coming down the trail and put that money in the saddlebags to get rid of it. I never. When I came here, I didn't have that money. One of you four men put it there. I didn't, I tell you. And we ain't listening to your lies, stranger. You got the drop of this now. But we'll get the best of you yet. And when we do, you'll pay. Hey, where are you going? What are you doing at that window? I'm leaving. Here's over. Do stuff. Sheriff, Marshal, get him. Don't let him tittle away. Stay back. All right, boy. He's gone. Shoot the window. I've got a gun, sheriff. Shoot him down. Stay at the side. Let me try. Blast it, you missed. You let that tiller get away. How are you going to hit a fellow riding a horse, traveling as fast as that? Well, anyhow, we still got Luke. Don't move, you. You ain't got no call to arrest me. You just wish we didn't. If that's dead, I never had nothing to do with it. And you can't prove I did, neither. Get your coat and hat. But I tell you... You're going to go to jail. And when you get there, we'll show you all the proof again you we need. The masked fellow killed bad eye to blame for it. You're both to blame. And you'll both hang. Now get moving. The Lone Ranger, after he made his escape, rejoined his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, and told him what had happened. Then, by a backcountry trail, he made his way into town. In the meantime, accompanied by Ray Carter, the sheriff and the United States Marshal escorted their prisoner to Pike City. He was taken to the jail immediately and locked in a cell. You can't do this, Sheriff. You're jailing an innocent man. You ain't got nothing against me at all. Luke, you'll get your trial in the morning. Just as sure as you're behind them bars a judge will hang you. Unless you do one thing. What's that? Make a confession so as we got a clear case against the masked fellow. Then I'll recommend that you get off with a life sentence. I can't confess to nothing I've never done. That's your choice. Marshal, can't you help me? Can't you get that masked man to make him tell I had nothing to do with Bat's killing? You're as guilty as he is, Luke. Ray, Mr. Carter, I never killed you, brother. Honest, I never. You gotta believe me. Don't let him hang me. I hope you're hung five minutes after you're tried and sentenced. But where's your evidence, Luke? When the Marshal and Ray here come from Long Prairie with the news that Bat had been killed, we went all around asking some questions. What if you did? And we found out that it hadn't been for Bat writing to Ray that he expected to bank cash borrowed from you, we'd never known Bat gave you a mortgage on his place. Huh? In other words, you was the only one known Bat had $10,000 cash on him. You was the only one that known he'd be going to Long Prairie to bank it. Well, that ain't nothing again me. Then why didn't you tell folks you'd loan Bat that cash? Because he asked me not to. He said he didn't want it to get around, that he was hard-pressed for cash. Mighty thin, Luke. But it's so. Combining that with the fact that we found the mask man at your place, and the mask man had the cash in his saddlebags, any jury in the district would say you planned Bat's killing. Wait, Sheriff. Well, a killer wouldn't take that cash off of Bat then come back to me to divide it, would he? He'd just naturally keep on going so he'd have all for himself. But he did come back. Which only goes to show it was because he figured I never knew he'd drill Bat. There could be another reason. Huh? What? Maybe he'd come back to report because you'd promised him he could keep the whole of that cash for himself. Then what would I have to gain? Bat's place is the Arrowhead Ranch, and that's worth a heap more than any 10,000. If you could foreclose, you'd be money ahead. That's all very well, Marshal, but how would Luke know I wouldn't pay off the mortgage? Well. Oh, gosh. What's hailing you? I just happened to think. Yeah? The mortgage is... What about it? Well, he can't pay it off. Why not? It says that if anything happens to Bat before the loan is paid back, then the ranch is mine, free and clear. I don't believe it. Bat wouldn't be fooling up to sign a thing like that. It was his own idea. You trying to say he suggested it? He did. Why? I didn't want to loan him the cash. I didn't have it so it could be spared easy. He was so anxious to get it, he made the term just as good as he could. That's how it came about. My heavens, Luke. That's even thinner than your story about Bat asking you to keep the loan quiet. And that's all we need to know to clinch the evidence against you. But I can't... I'll tell you just what happened, Luke. What? Bat was anxious to borrow that cash from you, all right. Up to that point, what you say is most likely true. It's all true. But before you give him the cash, it was you that suggested that part about the ranch being yours free and clear if Bat was to die. Sheriff, ain't there no way at all to make you believe me? Not unless you confess. As I was saying, you made him put Bat in the mortgage. Oh, and then right away you planned that Bat was going to be drilled and never have the chance to pay you back. You, if I could just get my hands on you... It ain't so, Ray. None of it's so. You got the masked man to do the killing so you'd have an alibi. No, no. You told him the cash was his to keep. All you wanted was for him to report back so you'd know the job had been done. No, I... And by heaven, you'd have got away with it. If it hadn't been for our luck to go to your place just the time the masked man did. Sheriff, Marshal, it looks bad. I know it does. But it all just happened that way. It's just my bad luck for things to look so bad again. You hang, Luke. Oh, excellent. Unless you do as I said before. Confess, and we'll have the masked man dead to right. I tell you... It's your only chance, Luke. Please, let me... Don't talk. I hope you do hang. Well, if he won't talk, then there's nothing for it. Sheriff, well... I'll hang if I don't say what you want me to. There ain't one measly little doubt about it. But if I tell you about the masked fella, you promise I won't be hung? I'll talk to the judge myself. Oh, you won't let folks lynch me? I'll take you back to Long Prairie with me. If that wasn't known over there, you'll be safe enough. Then... Then I'll confess. Good. The masked fella killed Bat. Because you told him to? No, no. It was his idea from the first. He was the one that thought of it. Sure, you'd say that. You ain't told back in your word. I don't believe you didn't plan the thing, Luke. But if you'll go on the stand and testify to what you just said about the masked man, you won't be hung. You've got my word on it. Thanks. And now to get that masked Gambray himself. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger story. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. When the Lone Ranger heard Luke Daly implicate him in the killing of Bat Carter, he raced to his hidden camp where Tonto was waiting at him. Move, Silver. Move, boy. Move. What you'll find out. Tonto, in a few hours, posses will be everywhere looking for me. Oh, that heap's bad. Luke has told the sheriff I killed Bat Carter. There won't be a man capable of carrying arms who won't join the search to capture me. And what you'll do. I won't run, Kemosabe. I think, however, it'd be safer for you to leave the district. We may have been seen together. If you're recognized, it'll go as bad for you as it would for me. Tonto, stay. I think not, Kemosabe. You best friend, Tonto Gott. You stay. Tonto, stay. Even if you know, it may mean your life, Tonto. Tonto, stay. You're a good friend, Tonto. You my friend. Together, we'll get to the bottom of this killing. Who you think do it? Luke, of course, has an alibi. He can easily prove he was at his ranch when the killing occurred. The sheriff and the marshal may be right. They were mistaken when they believed Luke had hired me. It's possible, though, that Luke did hire someone. Not what me think. And if he did, it's our job to learn who that person is. That alone will be difficult. When that's done, there'll be still another hard task. And what that? Getting proof against him. You got a plan? I noticed several things today, Kemosabe. They gave me an idea. We'll investigate to see if that idea is correct. And if it is, we'll act. It was decided by the sheriff and the marshal that Luke's trial would be held in Pike City and that immediately afterward, he would be taken away to the safety of Long Prairie. That night, however, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, putting the masked man's suspicions to the proof, rode toward a group of ranch buildings east of town. When the buildings loomed up before them, they dismounted at him. Come, Tonto. Let me come. We'd better not take the horses closer. We'll go the rest of the way on foot. Not better. Once the moon were out, it's almost impossible to see anything. Careful, Tonto. You nearly walked into that stump. I may not see it. Go slowly. We should make a noise. We might be discovered. Let's see. That must be the bunkhouse over there. Can you make it out? Huh? And that's the ranch house. There are the corrals. That's the cook's shanty. Not right. We'll head for the ranch house. This way. Hmm. What we'd look for. I can't say exactly. Might be any one of a dozen things. Anything at all that will prove what we suspect. Huh? We may find what we want without arousing the ranch. If we can, so much the better. If we can't, we'll go through with the plan I suggested and trust we're not captured. There'll be plenty danger. And if we aren't successful, the law will always believe me, a killer. Oh. Here's the back door. I'll go see it. We'll circle the house. Someone may still be up. If he is, there'll be a light we can see inside. Hmm. What are we going to do? Quiet. Back against the wall. Can you see who it is? Wait. No. I can make him out now. I'll recognize the way he walks. That's the man we came to watch, Tonto. Oh. He's going toward the pump. You may not see pump. I can't either. He was carrying a pail. Oh. Listen. Me here. I was right. He's drawing up a bucket of water. Oh. And Tonto, that bucket of water is going to trap a killer. That's right. They're taking that fellow, Tonto. Oh. But he's not to be harmed. All right. Stand where you are. We're taking him to camp. The last man's camp was well hidden. But several times, he and Tonto barely avoided searching parties on their way back. All through the night, posses combed the hills and the prairies. Not until daylight did they return to Pike City for a few hours of rest before Luke Daly's trial. The town was in an uproar. When the sheriff and the marshal went to the jail to get their prisoners, a mob had gathered outside. That crowd, Sheriff. Then lynch me. You promise you... There won't be no lynching. I give you my word on it and I'm keeping that safe. But listen to him. Shut up and stand still till I get these cuffs on you. Ah, now come on. Better talk to the folks outside, Sheriff. They're better acquainted with you in the air with me. I'll talk to them. Where's the cuffs? Come on, let's bring that crap out. Hey, what? You blame fools. You lynch Luke here and we won't have no case against the masked man. How do I want to do? The masked man claimed he put that cash in his saddlebags when he seen us coming. For all we could prove with Luke dead, he might get away with that story. We can hang him first. Let Luke go on to the stand and we can hang him legal. Luke's going to testify that he hired the masked man for the job. Luke say he'd do that. He did. Let him get to court, fellas. What do you say? If Luke don't do what he promised then we can deal with him. I'll stand to one side. I'm taking this year prisoner to court. When the prisoner arrived with his escort, Judge Lambert pounded his gavel for order. Order in this here court. Any more disturbance and I'll clear the courtroom. Now then, it's the state against Luke Daly. Get on with it. The jury, hastily drawn, listened to the swift presentation of evidence against Luke and the Lone Ranger with minds already set on a conviction. The trial itself lasted for less than half an hour. Then the jury withdrew to deliberate but returned to their seats in the courtroom within the minute. Quiet now. Quiet. Quiet. Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict? We have, your honor. Then let's hear it. The prisoner is guilty as charged. Blastard! Shut up so I can pronounce sentence. Luke Daly, stand up. Yeah? You've been fairly tried and the jury says you're guilty. So it's my bounding duty to... Oh, no. What is it? And arrest you. What is that with it? It's a ghost. That's a master. You can't see that. We're killed. Sheriff! Clear the court. Arrest that masked man. What will you arrest me for? Why, you can't? Hold your hand, mister. You're trapped for sure this time. We're killing Matt. Get out of here, Matt, where the sheriff can see you. Let go of me. Go on, Matt. You can't arrest me for killing a man who's still alive. Matt, where you been? What happened to you? Let me out of here. No, you don't stand where you are. Let's talk to you. What's the meaning of this? What is it? Restore order to your court, judge, and you'll get an explanation. Everybody, quiet down. Quiet! I don't stab you, stranger. I found Matt dead myself. You found a man outside Long Prairie, Marshal. Yeah? Because you found papers on him that seemed to prove his identity. He thought he must be bats. But even so... Wait. He returned to Pike City, told the sheriff the murderer, and made inquiries which seemed to point at Luke as the man behind the killing. When you saw me at Luke's place and found the cash in my saddlebags, you were sure of it. Of course we was. Why shouldn't we be? Anyhow, if Bat wasn't killed, somebody was. Yes, but Bat himself was a killer. I don't know who it was he shot, a stranger probably, so there wouldn't be questions asked. Then he made his victim appear to be himself. That's all just a pack of lies. Why, Luke, sitting right there, just now testified that he hired you to get Bat. You see Bat right in front of you. Then what happened was that you double-crossed Luke. You only come here now to get out of the murder charge somehow. Luke confessed. That's what I'm saying. He did it because you had such a strong case against him there was no use his trying to maintain the truth. Isn't that right, Luke? It is, stranger. I had to do it. Why would a man testify again himself when it wasn't so? Because he had his choice between that and a life sentence or telling the truth and being hung for it. That's just the way of it. What else could I do? Then if you were so doggone innocent, stranger, how come that cash was in your saddlebag? Bat put it there. I wasn't even around. He was, although you didn't know it. We looked all over before we went inside Luke's ranch house. If Bat had been around, we'd have seen him all right. I'll explain that in a moment. It's something that can't be explained. Quiet. At first, I was almost positive Luke was guilty. He could have put the money in my saddlebags. The way the mortgage read, he had everything to gain by Bat's death. Yeah, and that's something else. Bat wouldn't have a thing to gain by all this. If he was thought to be dead, the ranch would go to Luke. He had to give up the cash in order to frame you. If Luke was convicted of Bat's murder, however, both the cash and the ranch would go to his brother, Ray. A lot of good that'd do, Bat. I became suspicious when one man, although supposed to be a stranger to the West, seemed familiar with our ways. Last night, Tonto and I went to his place. While we were there, he left the ranch house to draw a bucket of water. That was all the proof against him Tonto and I needed. Ah, that don't even make sense. How could drawing a bucket of water convict anybody? Do you recall how dark it was last night? I ought to. Wasn't we out looking for you? It was just dark enough so you could scarcely see your way about. Oh, whatever. The man we were watching was supposed never to have been at that ranch before. To reach the pump from the ranch house, he had to pick his way through all kinds of gear laying in the ranch yard. And yet, he walked directly to the pump in almost pitch black darkness without hesitation. Huh? That was something I couldn't have done, even though I'd stopped at that ranch several times before. Then who was he? Tonto. Ah? Show them the murderer. I'm trying to do that. Get away from me, Redskin. Let me loose. Let me go. I'll hold him, Tonto. Go ahead, Tonto. Let's take a bat's boot. There, one boot. Keep on. I've got him. Let me get him. There, other boot. You've got those things with you I told you to bring? Now then, here. Go on. Why shall I kill you, brother? That's a redskin door. He's rubbing bat's face. Get his hair, too, Kimo, Sabe. He get off. Hey! Well, I'll be. He was just staying. And so was his hair. Staying, come on. Stranger, wait. Bat's beginning to look like... Yes. Like his brother Ray. What? By golly, it is him. Then it was Ray to kill Bat. It wasn't. What, you're just joking? Ray and Bat are one and the same. What? Those boots were built up to increase his height. He stained his skin and dyed his hair. You mean that the fellow we knew to be Bat Carter was this fellow in disguise all the time? It was. He had this scheme in mind when he came here. He bought the Arrowhead Ranch, remained long enough to become known in the district, and went to Luke for a loan on the ranch. It's too doggone mixed up for me. This scheme isn't hard to understand. Just as Luke said, Bat went to Luke for a loan. Suggested in the event of his death, the ranch would go to Luke. But why? He knew Luke wouldn't object. No one would to a proposition like that, but it helped make Luke seem all the more guilty. And then what? Then Bat said he was going to Long Prairie to meet a brother who didn't exist. There he killed a man to take his place, put identifying papers on him, and got rid of his own disguise, came into town on the stage, and announced himself to be Ray Carter. Well, I'll be doggone. With Luke convicted of the murder, he would still have the ranch and have the 10,000 as well. It was just luck that gave him the chance to put that money in my saddlebags and implicate me. But how'd he manage to do that? No doubt when you first rode to Luke's place, he had the opportunity while you were searching the grounds. A blasted bull, Captain. He nearly got me sent to jail for life. Get away from me. Take him back, Sheriff. Me, for one, I don't care what he does to you. Even hanging ain't enough for your kind of sneaking varmints. That should be a lesson to you, too, Luke. Huh? You hadn't been sort of careless with your reputation before. Maybe we wouldn't have been so willing to believe you guilty this time. So help me, Marshal. I ain't never going to take another chance. Well, you've got the masked man to thank for getting another chance. Yeah, the masked man and the engine. Where are they? Oh, blasted. He's gone. Well, so be it. But I'm here to say he done me a favor I won't never forget. You have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger, Incorporated. Come on. Thank you.
