horse to the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty, hi-yo, silver. The Lone Ranger. First discovered in the western United States, thousands of prospectors hurried to the new territory. Many of them became wealthy overnight, but the majority worked for years without striking pay dirt. There were some who found gold, but lost their claims to clever and unscrupulous men who worked within the law. The masked rider of the plains fought these confident men with all the courage and resourcefulness at his command. It was he, more than any other man, who brought justice to the frontier and made the new country safe for honest men. Return with us now, 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. We're heading from the hills! Donald's waiting for us! Hi-yo! As our story begins, Caleb Bixby, a weather-beaten old prospector, slicking back his hair and scrubbing his neck. He calls out to his wife, Sarah. Yes, sirree! Yes, sirree, sirree! I got a hunch today is gonna be my big day. Caleb! Oh, where's my boots? Where's my boots? You got them all mutton-tallered for me? Fetch them out! I gotta look slick when I get the report from the assay office. Bye, Ginger! I bet you I walk out of there a millionaire today. There's your boots, Caleb. Ah, thank you, sirree. Bye, Dunderation. I'll have a dozen servants to wait on you and me as soon as we strike it rich. Caleb, set yourself down there a minute. Nope, I gotta hurry, sirree. The man at the assay office told me he'd have the report for me this afternoon. It's already a quarter past twelve. I'm fifteen minutes late. Caleb, I want you to set down. But, sirree... Caleb! Oh, all right. Set down there. I want to have a few words with you. Yeah? We've been living out here right next door to starvation for about ten years now. Caleb, why don't we open a little store of some sort? Something where you won't have to be heading for the hills all the time. Breaking your back and breaking your heart. Me? Open a store? Why not, Caleb. We could get the men around to lend us cash. We could sell things to all the prospectors in the region where we... Oh, now, honey. I ain't no storekeeper. I'm a gold miner, a prospector. Take that burrow of yours, Caleb. Oh, what about the burrow? If that burrow had his choice between staying in lush grazing or heading into them hills and wearing down his hoofs, which do you reckon he'd choose? I reckon the lazy coyote would choose the grazing. But, damn it. Just so. And, Caleb, when I married you, I figured you had more sense than a burrow. Why, Dad, rabbit, sirree, I... I want you to make a promise, Caleb. Well? You're going to the essay office to get the report on that last door you left there. Yeah? Promise me if that don't show pay dirt, you'll give up. Give up? Well, I need a man to give up, sirree. I never give up in all my life, and I never... For me, Caleb, will you promise that? Well, I'll think it over. Oops, get tight. Remember now, Caleb, if you ain't struck it rich this time, then you ain't going to prospect no more. Well, think it over, sirree. That's all I can say. Even if you have struck it rich, it means your troubles have just begun. The finding of the goal is the beginning of no end of trouble, Caleb. I think it over, sirree. Now, you gotta be content with that. Caleb Bixby headed for the essay office with his hopes as high as usual. As he approached, he noticed an Indian standing in the shade of the frame building and... Howdy, Indian, howdy. Is the boss man inside there? Me, not no. By, Ginger, I'll blame soon. Find out. Injun, you stand right where you are. Huh? What for? Now, you stay right there, Injun, and in a couple of minutes' time, you may be looking at a millionaire walking out of that there door. A millionaire, that's what. And when I say millionaire, I mean me. Oh, you strike gold. Hey, you wait and see now. You just stand right there. And if I'm right, I'll make you a present of the best doggone blanket that can be had in the hull of the Denver region. Hi there, Caleb. Back again for some more bad news. I wonder what Caleb would do if he ever got a real good sample of ore. Reckon he'd survive the shock. Hey, you sing a different tune when you hear the report on my ore. How many years we've been hearing them same words, boys? And how many years has Caleb been eating them? Just you wait, boys. I'm gonna be rich on this here strike, and I ain't fooling you none. No, Caleb. You ain't fooling us at all. All right, you doggone bunch of maverines. Where's the claim at this time? All right, now you just wait. Where's the claim at this time? Oh, it ain't so far from here. Maybe about two or three hours by burrow. Well, that same means 30 minutes by foot the way that critter of yours traveled. Be all right if that doggone mule spend as much time going for it as he does backing up. Yeah. You staked your claim yet, Caleb? Nope, I ain't had time to. If you staked every claim from where you fetch samples, you'd have half a Colorado staked by now, wouldn't you, Caleb? I'll go on with you, Sawtooth. Hey, Caleb, here comes Fleming. Reckon he's got your report for you. Yeah, I see him. Say, Mr. Fleming, what's the news for me this time? You needn't be afeard to say it right in front of the boys. They might be a bit jealous, but it won't hurt them none. You come back here with me, Caleb. I sure think. I want to speak to you alone. Has he stuck it this time, Fleming? Come into the back room with me, Caleb. There ain't nothing wrong, you see. No, this way, Caleb. Caleb, we'll be waiting to hear what's what. Just close that door so those little gents out there won't hear what I have to tell you. Yeah, sure. Sit down there, Caleb. Now that's it. Now then, who knows you brought these samples in to me? Gosh, I reckon most everyone does. Why? Did you tell anyone where you found them? Sure not. I don't tell all I know. Are they any good? That oil will say a couple hundred dollars allowed. It will? It isn't the best door I've ever had here, but it's good. Then I struck it rich? You found gold. Gosh. Gosh! Say that again. You found gold. Jumping grasshopper! Don't go! Leaping horn! Take it easy, Caleb. Until you've got your claim staked out and registered, you've got no more right to that land than next man. I'll tend to that right away. I'll set out first thing in the morning to stake my claim. Well, listen to me first. There's a pack of claim jumpers around here. You will have to watch yourself, Caleb. First thing you know, someone else will have that claim stake, and then you'll be right where you were before. It's one thing to find gold, and another thing to hang on to it. I know that. I'll be on my guard, all right. They won't do me out, but no, sirree. All right. Now sit down again, will you? I've got to tell my wife. I've got to tell Sari. Listen to your blame, old fool. Will you take a little advice from me? Sure thing. Stake and register that claim and then come to me. I know a couple of men from the syndicate that'll buy you out, give you more cash than you ever saw, and a payment every month for the rest of your life. That'll save you working the claim. Hey, you think I ought to sell out right away? If you were a younger man, Caleb, I'd say work it yourself. But at your age, the best thing would be to sell half interest in it. I'll arrange for you to meet the men that can buy it. You talk that over with Sarah. Meanwhile, get your steak here. Yeah, I sure will. And keep your mouth shut till it's steak. I will. Now I've got to tell Sari. What about it, Caleb? I struck it, boys. I struck it rich. You did? Now I'm going to be rich. Injun, I struck it. You just come with me. I'll give you a present. You talk heep much. I've got to tell everyone. Old Caleb ain't broke no more. I ain't forgot the folks that helped me out. Let me go now. Now wait again. Get him up, Scout. Come on to the cafe. We'll celebrate with you, Caleb. Caleb has struck gold. He's struck rich. I ain't going to no cafe. I'm going home and tell my wife. I struck it rich. Caleb hurried to his home while other men went to the cafe to spread the news. A half-breed named Vega called the bartender to one side and said, I wish to speak with you in private, Senor Boxer. Ain't nothing me new has to discuss that I knows about. Oh, maybe you'll change the opinion after I speak. Yeah? What are you getting at? Gold. Huh? I thought they'd make you listen. You talk with me now, Senor, no? Well, give me an idea what you got to say. If without the risk you could own gold claim, you'd pay me well for it? What claim? No, amigo, I cannot tell you that. It will be your claim. At times, you go to one for gold. The next time you go, you'll find that gold. How will I? Oh, I fix it so you have the map. I tell you where to go. I, too, will go there with my friend. But we will be too late, amigo. You saw me? You will be there first. Just how that, how can that be worked? If you know where there's a strike, why don't you stake it yourself? Oh, me, Senor, I could not. I've never crossed back. That's right. If it was to show up with a gold claim, everyone would know you jumped it. But with me, it'll be different. Si, Senor. You, uh, you give me half what you find, eh? That's fair enough. You give me cash now in advance? You tell me your scheme first and I'll see how I like it. Si, amigo, si. I alone can do it because I look on as a friend. Oh, you're speaking of Caleb Bixby's claim? What you think? Let's hear your scheme. Later that same afternoon, Caleb and his wife were still talking about the good fortune that had favored them. Hardly able to realize it was true. Darkness fell and still the two old folks discussed the big event. Then finally... Oh, my sake, to die, Caleb. You're just getting dark outside and we ain't had supper yet. What's the difference, Harry? Great days. I can't even know how I'm that excited. Shucks, I've never seen the time you couldn't eat, Caleb. Just imagine us being rich. Well, we ain't rich yet. I still can't believe it's true. I'll feel better when I see the actual cash coming in. It'll come. It'll come. You can't stop it now. Nothing's gonna stop us from being rich. Well, you won't have to worry no more. You won't have to work. Why, seeks a life, Sari. I already got a chance to sell half interest in the claim and just set back and count the money without doing a lick of work. It still seems most too good to be true. Bye, Ginger, Sari. There's a kiss for you. Oh, Caleb, you old fool. Stop it. Sit down, stop jigging around like a two-year-old coat. I've got to get the supper on. I can't help it, Sari. Tomorrow, first thing, I'll go stake my claim. Oh, dear, I won't sleep a wink tonight for thinking about it. Sleep? Who in tarnation wants to sleep? We gotta celebrate. Get out that there pint of liquor we've been saving for snake bites and we'll open her up. No such thing, Caleb Bixby. Not a drop do you get till I sleep really can't. Then let's cook up all the vittleseers left and have maybe a pie. We eat like we ain't that for a long time. Don't you be so extravagant. We're going right on saving like we always been till we get that money. Oh, now. Go on, comb the dust out of your hair and scrub your hands. That's the way to celebrate. I'll see what I can do with the way of biscuits to go with the mulligan stew and maybe some sourdough cakes to start you off with to your claimant, son of... What's that? This area. A crash of glass and the sound of a heavy six-gun rang through the night to be heard by the Lone Ranger and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto. Tonto, that was a report of a .44. Ah, that all you hear? Couldn't have come from the town. That would be too far away. Must be from some cabin near here. Tonto, hear window glass break. Window glass? Ah, that's right. May be plenty trouble. Did you hear the glass before or after the shot? Me hear a four. Here's the rest of the table. We'll investigate that, Tonto. Shouldn't have been far away. Did Tonto think maybe him hear hoofs after shot? Hoofs? Ah, maybe someone run away. Just a second now, Silver. Steady, boy. Steady. Where are you going to find out what that meant? Are you going to saddle up? Oh, Tonto, ride bareback. All right then, I'm ready. Yep, follow me, Tonto. Come on, Silver. The curtain falls on the first act of tonight's Lone Ranger story. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story, Caleb Bixby, badly wounded, lay on his bunk. His wife, Sarah, knelt at his side and... Sarah, Sarah, look outside. I thought I heard someone riding away. Never mind them. Never mind anybody outside, Caleb. How bad are you hurt? What'd they get you? Here. Let me see it. Must have been the gold claim they was doing it for, Sarah. Now, honey. Sarah, they found out about our fortune and that's it. Now, lie quiet, Caleb. Sarah! Something terrible. Ain't going to get better, Sarah. Just when we was all sought for to get rich. Sarah, who's that? Look outside. A couple of horsemen stopped outside there, Caleb. Where'll I get that rifle? I'll give them something to think about. Never mind me, Sarah. You just shoot. Shoot to kill. You get the gold mine now. Oh, no such thing. You ain't going to cash in your chips yet, Caleb. I'll drill the first critter comes through that door. Stand back, you. Stand back. I've got a bead on you. Just a minute. Put down that rifle. Shoot him. Shoot him, Sarah. Drill the two of them. Take it easy. We're here to help you. Oh, no. It's too late. Tonto, take a look at that old man. See how badly he's hurt. Tonto, help him. Sarah gets the gold mine. Take it easy. You're not going to die. Tonto's going to take care of you. Who are you anyhow? What are you doing here wearing that mask? We want to help you. Tonto, fixed wound. Tonto's far better than any doctor you can find around here. What's the gold claim he's speaking about? I won't tell you nothing. Like it's not your the critter shot. Poor Caleb. No, we didn't shoot him. Him, Tonto. Tonto, see in town. That's what I thought, Tonto. What's that? My friend saw your husband when he was told about his gold. If you didn't shoot Caleb, then who did? We'll try and find that out after we've taken care of his wound. Try and find out. How are you going to find out now? The killer's got away if you ain't him, and I ain't so sure you ain't. Tonto's good at reading tracks. Perhaps there'll be some other clues outside. You get hot water. I'll take care of that, Tonto. You won't do nothing of the sort. If Caleb needs hot water, I'll get it for him. Very well. That'll give me a chance to look around outside. Stay with him, Tonto, and do all you can for him. Is there any chance he'll live? Him get all right. Are you sure, Injun? Are you sure of that? You can take Tonto's word for it, Mrs. Bixby. Who was that man, Injun? Who is he? I sort of liked his voice, but... Come on, Silver. Injun, what are you doing? You're hurting Caleb. Me fix wound. Get bullet out. Oh, that's six alive, Injun. And I'd most sooner have the bullet in. No, Tonto, fix him now. Sari, Sari. Yes, Caleb. Sari, you'll have to ride for the claim. Come on, and you've got to get there and stake it out or it'll be lost to you. Never mind that, Caleb. Only thing I care about is to see you get well again. Sari, I hate like thunder to admit it, but it sort of looks like this Injun knows what he's doing. I'll see who's at the door now. Six alive, so many things happening all in one day. It's enough to make a person who's in it. Amigo. Oh, give away. Vega. Doggone, I had tough luck. Senor, what's the matter? You have heard? I've been shot, Vega. Some ornery coyote tried to finish me off before I could stake my claim. I reckon you heard about that. Si, senor. I hear about it in the cafe. What are folks saying about it, Vega? Is there anyone there might have drilled Caleb? Oh, I do not know that. I only know others go to find gold, too. Oh, the others are starting out to try and do what I done, huh? Si, senor. Boxer, he's go tomorrow. Oh, he is, huh? Si, but you, amigo, you have not staked your claim yet. I figured on going in the morning, but doggone it, now I can't. Oh, this is too bad. You may perhaps be too late. Oh, I knowed it was too good to be true. Perhaps senora, she could go. Why, Dad read it. I can't send Sari out alone to stake a claim. Oh, I would go to guard, yes? By Ginger, Vega. Maybe if you was willing to go along with Sari. But I don't know where your claim is, Caleb. He could perhaps make the map. Gosh, Ginger, that sure feels a heap better. You'll be all right two, three days rest. Find time for me to be here resting. Dad read the luck. He's somewhere after you. The sooner you stake the claim, the better. You're right, Vega. Doggone it. Look, Sari, I could fix a sort of map to show you just how to get there. I reckon there ain't much else we can do, Caleb. I could go alone. Shucks, I know this part of the country. Vega don't need to put his stuff out. I do not mind, senora. I'll get your pencil and a hunk of paper, Caleb, and you draw that map. Yeah, you do that, Sari. I'll draw it up as best I can. Show you just where to put the stakes in. Caleb drew his map with pains taking care. And about the time he finished, the masked mystery writer returned and entered the house. How are you now, Caleb? Ah, thanks to what that redskin's done, I feel a heap better, stranger. But he's still weak as a kitten. I don't expect he'll be up and about for a couple days at least. What you'll find. I found several clues to the one who fired the shot. Yeah? Who was the pool cat? I'd just like to get my hands on him. If I could get a hold of him, I'd lambaste him until he... He seems to have escaped for the time being. Who is... Him named Vega, friend of Caleb's? Ah. Si, senor de Masque, I am Vega. But who are you? He's the critter that fetched the redskin to dress my wound before me. He's been out trying to find the ordinary pool cat that shot me. Ah, I see. What's that map? Oh, that? I've been sort of sketching out how to locate the gold mine for Sari. She's going there first thing in the morning, you see, stranger. May I take a look at that map? No, you may not. Now, Sari, don't be so cantankerous. I'm not going to try anything, Mrs. Bixby. I'm just going to take a look at your map. I want to look at it under the light here a little closer. Garnett, you've got the blamest way. What he's doing with the map? He's just looking at it. Now, don't you interfere with him. Caleb, someday you're going to regret trusting folks the way you do. Maybe him trust wrong people. Here you are. You want to keep this in your house overnight? No, it would not be safe here. What are you going to do with it? Oh, perhaps better I take it with me. You think so? Whatever you say, Vega. I sure ain't in no shape to defend that doggone thing. But take care of it. It's a mighty valuable hunk of paper now. You know, amigo, you can trust me. Doggone, I sure enough hope so. I go now, eh? Come back early in the morning, then we go to stake this claim. All right, Vega. I'll be here waiting for you unless Caleb gets worse during the night and needs me to stay home. Yucks. I'll be all right, Sari. You just go stake that claim. Then I'll feel a doggone sight better about the whole thing. I go now. Where's the Lord, you say? Good night. Good night. Now, as for you, stranger, with that map... Just a moment, Mrs. Bixby. Don't you just a moment me. I'm going to tell you a few things about the way you... You just let the man who shot your husband get away. What? What's that? Vega? Yes, that's what Tonto thinks. It's a fact. But if you were right, if what you said about Vega was true and he's got that map... Don't worry about it, Caleb. You get your strength back. You're going to need it for working your claim. Come, Tonto. We have things to do. Vega went directly to the cafe where he met Boxer and then he said... I have it, senor. Good enough. I'll be ready to start at daybreak. Will it take long to get there? No. See, I have the map. I draw it myself. Good enough. I will see you later. I start with senor Bixby sometime in the morning. For where? To make the claim. This claim? Si, senor. Only when we arrive, you have already been there first. I get it. Ain't nobody alive can say I didn't find it for my own self. That is right. And we split 50-50, huh? That's right, Vega. We split 50-50. The next morning, Boxer left town alone. Then a little later, Vega and Mrs. Bixby took the same trail. As they drew near the spot where Caleb made his strike, they found the masked man, Tonto and Fleming from the assay office. Alive, Mr. Fleming. What are you doing here? Howdy, Mrs. Bixby. What's this? You two are prospecting? Well, not exactly. You see, this masked man brought us along. He thought we'd better travel along with you two and make sure the claim was staked out just right. Tracks me, that masked man's got a pile of interest in our affairs. I have, Mrs. Bixby, and I'll tell you why. It's because the man you're counting on as a friend is the one who shot your husband. What is that? That's so fast, Vega. You're covered. He's lying. You said that last night, mister, but you still ain't showed no proof. I found the empty cartridge outside of the window we smashed. You can compare it with the bullets in his gun if you care to. That is not true. All men around here use the same cartridge. There's a little more proof than that, Vega. Mr. Fleming, you ain't took in by strangers, easy. How is it you listen to this masked man? He's got a pretty straight story, Sarah. He followed the tracks of Vega's horse from your window, away from the house, and then back to the house again. This is not true. We can tell soon enough. Come, let's go and stake your claim. But what good is that going to do? We'll just ride along with you. We can talk while we're riding. Come on, get up there. Come on, Silver. Mrs. Bixby, the whole thing was planned so Vega could get the map of the claim. When I took that map to the light to examine it, I made a couple of changes. You, you, I made a few changes. Just enough that Vega sold a copy of the map to someone else. That other person would not stake out your husband's gold. He'll keep right on moving, Vega. We'll get to the bottom of this in short order now. Not much further to go. Vega, you dirty double-crossing polecat. If you've done what this masked man says... He's not through. Where's the map, Vega? I have it here. Let's see it. Where's the claim we're supposed to stake out? Gee, I have the map. I do not keep it away. What's the bartender doing over there about that dead tree? Why, doggone, that's just the spot that's showed on this map is where Caleb said to stake the land. That's Boxer, ain't it? That's who it is, Sarah. And he's staking out a claim. What's he doing it for? Ain't that where my husband is supposed to have his claim? That's where it's shown to be on the map. It's not my fault if you're going to find it first. You can prove nothing. That land Boxer's taking isn't worth a thing. But it's the land... I made a change in the map, Mrs. Bixby. I told you that. Caleb showed a dotted line where you were to ride and stake the claim at the end of the dotted line along the edge of the ravine here. Yes, sir. I extended the dotted line and put in a dead tree while I was looking at the map. That's where Boxer is staking a claim. Oh, silver. What are we stopping here for? Right here is where your husband dug. This rock is where the claim is supposed to be staked. And you can go right ahead and stake it, Sarah. This is your husband's gold mine. Boxer has staked the wrong place. Hey there, what are you doing around here? I'm staking my husband's claim. You what? Vega betrayed you, Boxer. He changed the map. Why, you dirty double-crossing? Move on, move on, senor. I ought to shoot you dead for that. You took care of me. It's all right. He said just enough to make us sure what the masked man said was straight. Not so fast, Vega. You're too handy with that knife. Oh, my aunt, my aunt. Now I reckon we have plenty of proof, Vega. My ginger, now I'm sure that fellow's a crook. He double-crossed his own brother. He took cash from me, said he was selling me a map to a good claim. I didn't know it was your land, Mrs. Bixby. You better tell that to the judge, Boxer. I don't think you can be held for claim jumping, but you can be run out of town. As for you, Breed, you tried to kill a man. No, no, I do not try to kill a... That's the charge, attempted murder. That'll be all you'll need to prove them guilty. It'll be plenty. For plan's sakes, he think you're the polecat that trilled Caleb. I ought to lambaste you till you can't stand up. I ought to... No, no, no, no, senores, do not let her act me. It's all right, Sarah. The law will deal with them now that the masked man has showed them up. Where you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
