With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the masked rider of the plains led the fight for justice in the western United States. It was he who put an end to gun law on the frontier, and it was his strength and courage that blazed the way for progress and made possible the winning of the West. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver! We're heading for Mustang! The country was wild and desolate. Mary Thorne struggled across the broken ground, at times running until she stumbled, again pausing to stare in every direction. A name was on her lips constantly. Running or standing still, she called out for her husband. Andy! Where are you, Andy? Andy! Andy! Don't leave me now! Come back to me! Andy! Andy, you're hiding from me! Go back! Go back to me! Andy! The Lone Ranger and Tonto had made their camp not far away. They had built a fire, and now their meal finished, they rested before continuing their journey, and... We ride soon. We'll give the horses a little more time to graze, Tonto. They've earned it. Ah. There's no need to push on too fast. Mustang mags that word she didn't expect trouble to develop at once. That's right. We get to her ranch within a week. Andy, what are you? Tonto, do you hear that? Oh, me not here. Listen. Oh, now me here. It... Tonto, it's a woman. Ah. This way! Over here! Helping him to hide from me, are you? Please! What's wrong? Oh, you... You haven't seen Andy. He's your husband? Yes. Oh, I must find him. I simply must. But what's happened to him? Andy. Where are you, Andy? Come back to me. Come back. Here, sit down. Warm yourself with this fire. You're almost exhausted. This woman's almost out of her mind, Kimasani. She must be in terrible trouble. What are you saying? You aren't hiding my husband from me, are you? No, no, you can't. You can't. We'll find him. We're not hiding him from him. Trust us. He's left me. I'll never see him again. Never, never. I wish we knew who she was, where her home is. There. Horseman. Perhaps. Stranger! Hi, stranger! Hey, stranger! Now, him come. He may know her. Oh, Apple! Why'd you run away? You know you shouldn't. I almost didn't find you. Poor girl. She just now wandered into our camp. I was scared of something like this. You're a man. Don't be alarmed. We're not outlaws. We were hoping to learn who this girl is. Perhaps we can help. I wish I knew what could help her. What's the trouble? She's been this way ever since Andy cleared out. Only getting worse all the time. Andy's her husband? Yeah, and a rotten, low-down skunk don't deserve a wife like Mary. Once she said, I gather he disappeared. Disappeared? The coyote just lamoosed. Sold out his ranch. Kept every penny of the cash. And lit out without a word to nobody. Mary never left Mary a dollar to live on or a home to live in. I see. And poor Mary eating her heart out for him. She's just about half crazy from it. She needs care. Me and Martha took her in and have been doing all the good for her. She and Martha is all as good friends. But we can't make her forget the pool cat. Toto and I travel a lot. I wonder what Andy looks like. We might meet him sometime. If you do, I hope you shoot the skunk. Can you give us a description of him? I can do better than that. Mary, girl. Andy. She always carries a picture of him with her. Mary, let me have that picture Andy you got. That's a good girl. There. There you are, stranger. Not a bad-looking chap. They're just a kind of fool you. Did you know him very well? I thought I did, but found out I didn't. Can you believe it, mister? I used to like the fella. Yeah, I like him. Now I just assume cotton to a rattler. Will you need help to get her home? No, thank you. I can manage. If you'll just help her get her into the saddle. I'd be glad to. Come on, honey. We're going home now. We'll look for Andy again tomorrow. Yes. Look for Andy. I have to find him. I have to. I'll lift her. There. Stranger. Your mask and your part is a redskin. But you've been kind just the same, and I'm thanking you. My handle's Lem Crosby. And if you get sight of Andy sometime, look me up. I will, Lem. Adios. Adios. Get up there. Get up. Get up there. Father, I'm glad that Mustang Mag doesn't need us at once. And what do we do now? Before we go on, we're riding to Staghorn. That was a long way off. But when we rode through there, Kimo Sabe, I think I saw the man in that picture Lem Crosby just showed us. Why you not tell him? For several reasons. The picture wasn't very clear. The man might not be the same. Oh. Even if he was, I wouldn't want these people to know it now. Why them not know? Partly because the effect it might have on Mary. Partly because Lem talks as though he'd gun for Andy if he knew where to look. Oh. And we'll put no man on Andy's trail until we learn the truth of this affair. Saddle up, Tonto. We're riding. Staghorn was many miles distant. It was a thriving cattle town with several busy cafes. In one of them, three men sat at a corner table. Two were hard and grim. The third in his middle twenties and younger than his companions might have been handsome if it were not for the lines of worry that marked his features. It's tomorrow, Fred. Tomorrow for sure. He's coming in by the stage from the east. Yeah. Here's your chance to get him, Fred. You ain't losing your nerve, are you? I'll get him. I ain't scared. Only, only I wish I could remember. Think you recollect a thing? Oh, I've tried and tried. Every time I do, my head gets to ache and so it feels like I'll go crazy. I can't remember a thing before coming to with you fellas beside me. That's sure tough. Ain't it, Gus? Yeah. But it's all right, Fred. Me and Barney have been your boss for a good many years. And we ain't gonna let you down now. Oh, shucks, it was just cause we're such good friends of yours that we found out Max was hidden here. We brought you clear from Texas just so you'd get eaten. And it's too doggone bad you can't recollect nothing about it. My, my horse stumbled? Sure did. And you took just about the worst tumble ever seen a fella take and still live. Oh, why can't I recollect nothing? Why? Don't you even remember Max's name? No. Don't you recollect how he burned you off your place, dry gulfed your paw, stole a cash apart, been saving? Oh, it just won't come back to me. Won't. None of it. Don't try to make yourself remember. Just let it come back easy. One of these days, everything'll clear up just as easy as snapping your fingers. Yeah. But there's one thing you can take our word for for sure, Fred. Huh? If you don't let daylight through Max Kramer, if you go back to Texas and folks find out you let a skunk live after all he done to you, well, I reckon none of your old friends will have any more use for you than they would a rattler. It seems awful, though, killing a man for things you can't even remember. We remember, and you can take our word for it. Oh, gosh. I was just thinking. Yeah? If I'd have been all alone when I took that tumble, if you fellas hadn't been along and been such good friends to me, what would have happened? Yeah, forget it. We was along and we were apart. That's all you need to know. Yeah, sure. I'll find a fella you're looking for in here, stranger. Thanks. Blame lucky you met me. It saved you some time. Yeah, there he is. Over in the corner. Come along. Who are those men with him? Let's see. Seems to me one of them is called Barney and the other Gus. Never did hear the rest of their handles. I'll make out all right. Thanks again. Rather speak to him alone, huh? I would. Sure. I savvy. Well, if I can be of any help again, just let me know. I will. I will. Yeah, Gus, that's a good, isn't I? Ah. Howdy, stranger. Pardon me. I'd like to speak to this man. Say, who asked you to butt in? Any objection? Well, we don't, Gus. Stranger, what do you want with our friend? That's my business. Andy, I want to talk to you alone. Andy? You got the wrong fella, mister. My name isn't Andy. You're not Andy Thorne? My handle's Fred Ames, I reckon. Don't you know? Now, look here, mister. You got the wrong hombre. Our parter ain't feeling just right, and we don't aim to see him pestered. You don't, huh? So you can just vamoose while the getting's good. I'm staying here. I'm speaking to this young fellow alone. You want to make an issue of it, slap leather. I, uh, nah, that ain't no way to act. We didn't mean no harm. Then tear out. But, stranger. I'll handle this. You stay here. Well, we can gallon a couple at the bar, I reckon. Fred? Yeah? For all you know, maybe this is somebody that's a friend of Max's. Just don't let him trick you. I, I've told you you got the wrong fella, stranger. Why don't you leave me alone? I know you are, Andy Thorne. I'm not. Several days ago, I saw a picture of a man looking just like you. In the picture, he was wearing a large ring on his right hand with a figure of a coiled snake on it. You're wearing that ring on the same finger. I can't remember. Can't remember. You and I are going to have a talk. Listen to me. While the Lone Ranger spoke to Andy, Gus and Barney joined the man who had guided the Lone Ranger to the cafe. They slipped into a private room and closed the door behind them. Dad, you blasted each other as you brought that fella and pointed Andy out to him. What in blazes did you do it for? I never had no choice. Now, listen here. I've done the best thing that could be done. I'll tell you just what happened. Talk. I was riding for a town when I seen him first. He was walking away from a clump of trees just outside town. Huh? That's a fact. Looked doggone funny to me, so I let him get beyond a rise and rode over to them trees and had a look. And there was the finest horse I ever laid eyes on. A white one. Boy, he's a horse just like the one I've heard the Lone Ranger ride. What? The Lone Ranger's always masked. Ain't nothing preventing his disguise in his self, is there? But wait. Now, the way I get it, Figge, there's only three ways you can answer it. Either the stranger's some fella that's got a horse to equal a Lone Ranger's, which ain't likely, or he stole a masked man's horse, which again ain't likely, or this is the Lone Ranger's self. I'm betting he is. What'll we do? He knows Andy. Hold on. I've been thinking about this. This just makes you leading him to Andy all the worse. No, it don't. Because he'd have found him even if I hadn't struck up a conversation and offered to lead him here. Yeah. If he's the Lone Ranger, I reckon he would. But get this. I brought him here. I pointed Andy out to him. He thinks I am a friend. A friend? Well, least ways he can't hardly figure I'd point Andy out to him if I had any reason for wanting to keep him apart. Ted, by thunder, I think you got something there. Sure I have. You're planning on staying friendly, eh? Just so. It's up to you fellas to keep him from convincing Andy he ain't an hombre by the name of Fred Ames. I'll try to find out what the stranger's gonna do about it. Ted, you're slicker than I ever figured. I get along. We got a perfect setup. We got Andy believing that he ought to shoot down Max when he comes in on the stage tomorrow. He'll do the job for us and do the hanging, too. We've got to keep the stranger from spiraling things before that stage gets here. You're right. If Andy don't get Max... Max will get us. He knows we've framed him. And now that he's out of jail, he'll be gunning for us. But he's just out on parole, ain't he? Sure. Why? Well, I was just thinking. Max is likely a better shot than Andy. Maybe Andy won't get him. But if Max gets in a shooting scrape right here in front of the folks in town, and after just being let out on parole, Well, he'll get jailed even if he don't get shot down. Right. But everything still depends on Andy. We can't let him find out who he is. All right, Gus. Let's go back out there. Ted, you stay here. We don't want to be seen together. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger drama. Before the next exciting scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story, Andy, suffering from loss of memory and believing himself to be Fred Ames, grew excited when the Lone Ranger tried to convince him that he was Andy Thorne. Leave me alone. Leave me be. I don't know you. You're just up to something. Leave me be, I tell you. You don't remember your wife, the ranch you sold, your friend Lem Crosby? I ain't got no wife. I never heard of anybody by the name of Lem Crosby. I never sold any ranch. The only ranch you ever lived on was my pause, and Max Kramer burned us out. You remember those things? I, well... Or have you been told them by others? Just leave me be. You're trusting the wrong men, Andy. Quit calling me Andy all the time. Hey, now. We told you Fred was ailing. Whatever you had to say to Fred, stranger, you've had time enough. We can't let you get them all worked up like this. I'm leaving for the present. Huh? But you'll hear from me again. We don't care what you do. Just as soon as you don't piss our bar. Oh, hello. Going outside? Yes. Mind if I trail along? I'm busy. I got something to say to you. Yes? Something important. Something you'd be interested to hear. Important, huh? Hold still a second. Ain't nobody close by. Well? Now, don't get me wrong, stranger. I don't know what your business here is, and I don't even poke my nose where it ain't welcome. If you say not to. What are you getting at? Stranger, I've seen your horse. What's that? I've seen it. Lone Ranger. Who have you told this to? Nobody. I wonder. Nope. You see, stranger, I've heard things about you. I know you're always out to give a hand to the underdog. Well, if I can help, just say the word. Get your horse and come with me. I can help you? You mean it? Maybe you can, and maybe you can't. But as long as you've learned who I am, I want you with me. The Lone Ranger, accompanied by Ted, rode to his secret camp. When they reined in their horses, Tonto walked toward their man. Oh, Silver. Oh, there. Oh, this fella. His name's Ted. Ted Laird, Inchon. He saw Silver and guessed who I was. I brought him along. Oh. Tonto, the man in Staghorn is Andy Thorne. He's had an accident and lost his memory. He won't believe the truth about himself. Oh, that heap bad. Kimasabe, you'll have to ride at once. Hmm, he got Scout all saddled. Here, Scout. You've got supplies in your saddlebags? Uh-huh. Then ride to Lem Crosby's ranch as fast as you can. Tell him what I've just told you. Tonto, do that. Make him bring Mary here. Perhaps the sight of his wife will bring Andy's memory back. Me try. And tell Lem Andy isn't to blame for what's happened. He didn't leave Mary deliberately. Left only because something, some accident destroyed all memory of her. Me tell him. Then ride. Get him up, Scout. Get him up. Say, is that a fact what you just told Tonto? It is. Gosh, I sure blundered into something. But hold on. Yes? How far does Tonto have to ride to get that fella's wife? The trip will take several days. Just what I thought. But I've heard that young fella do some talking when he didn't know anybody could hear but them parts of his. And he's laying the gun for a fella coming in on tomorrow's stage. I learned the same thing. But what are you going to do? You can't let him get into no gunfight when he don't even savvy his own right name. What if his wife was to get here and find him jailed? Or even hung, maybe? Andy and Max Kramer can't be allowed to meet. I don't know how you're going to stop it. Max is coming by the stage from the east tomorrow. Yeah? We'll meet that stage before it reaches town. That night in town. Barney? Huh? Oh, it's you, Ted. Listen, then get this straight. I ain't got much time. Yeah? The masked man sent me into town after supplies. It's the only reason I got a chance to report to him. Get on with it. Tomorrow he's stopping the stage from the east and taking Max off of him. He is, huh? That's what he says. Well, maybe he'll get a surprise. Thanks, Ted. You helped a lot. And I'd better be making tracks. If he found out I told you this, he'd blast my head off. Adios. The following day, the stage from the east thundered down the trail to Staghorn. Get along there. Get laying to us, you junkheads. Stretch that harness. Get up. Get up there. Hold up there. What the... Rainy. Hold up. Get along there. Get up. Get up. That's a warning. The next chance don't miss. Don't shoot, mister. Whoa, there. Whoa. I'm stopping. This isn't a holdup. I'm after your passenger. Huh? What do you want with the deacon? Deacon? Sure. That's Deacon Quigley from Rattlesnake Gulch. The man I want is named Max Kramer. I'll be doggone. I've never seen such a popular fellow. Where is he? Why, a breed was waiting for him two stations back with a message. He read the writing on it, quit my stage and hired a horse. And that's the last I've seen him. I see. All right. Get on with you. Huh? You ain't really holding us up? On your way. You just betcha. Get up there. Come on. Get up there, you. I'm not sure that fellow Kramer would be on that coach. Someone knew we planned this. You think so? I know it. Listen to me. Yeah? There's only one thing left to do. What's that? We don't know what was in that message Max Kramer received. It might delay him for a time. Might even keep him out of staghorn altogether. I'd give a heap to know what it said. You ride into town. What are you going to do? Meet Tonto. That'll take you at least a couple days. But I can see that he gets here faster with Mary Thorne and Lem Crosby. And it may mean they'll arrive in time. Well. I want you to keep in touch with things in staghorn. When I return, I'll send up a smoke signal to let you know I'm on my way. The signal will be two smoke columns from the top of Sentinel Peak. You have important news. Ride out and meet us. Mister, I'll do that same. And I'll see you in several days. Come on, Silver. Hurry, old fellow. Hurry. Get up, boy. Get up. In the staghorn, once more, Ted lost no time in joining his comrades at the cafe. By golly, fellas, how'd you do it? That wasn't hot. We just sent a brief with a note telling Max we was here in staghorn lane for him. You told him that? What's the idea? So he wouldn't stay on the stage. But now he knows about us. He'll have a chance to lay for us instead of us laying for him. You all ain't for nobody till he sees his folks first west of here. That's how we knew he'd be coming this way when he got free from jail. You know, Blaine well, he looked him up before he does anything else. But just the same telling him about us. You ain't the only slick schemer here. Maybe not, but I don't get it. Well, we told him something he could check on easy. What do you mean? You said he left on the stage two or three stations back. So the driver said. All right, good enough. What would he do first? Ask the folks at the station if we was known to be in staghorn. Everybody knows we are. And that's what they'll tell him. I still don't. Well, wait a minute. The message said we was here. Folks will tell him the same. He can't do nothing but figure the note was from a friend. Uh-huh. So what does he do? He wants to see his folks. But if he don't come through staghorn, he can only get through the hills on horseback by the way a gunshot passed. And that's where we lay from, huh? Now you see? Yeah, but then we'd better hurry. Where's Andy? We gotta get started. Nah, nah, don't get fussed. We got plenty of time. All we have to do is ride straight there while he's got to circle around. We still got time for a couple more drinks. Yeah, I guess. And the masked man's heading to meet his engine for it, huh? Yeah, just as fast as that horse of his can get him there. Yeah, good enough. And all the time he's riding towards Tano, he's riding away from the pass. How about a round then down to the cabin to get Andy? Suits me. The drink would go just fine. Yeah, barkeep. Fill him up. We're drinking to luck. Doubting their drinks, the three men went to their cabin, called Andy, and started for a gunshot pass. They arrived in the middle of the afternoon. An hour later, the shadows had not yet begun to lengthen, and... Funny he ain't showed up yet. They'll be alone. He's just about due now. Hey, Ted, I'll be sure to keep them horses out of sight. They can't be seen from the trail. I'll be sure to. Fred. Yeah? You got your gumption up? All ready for the polecat? I guess so. See them two rocks below there sticking up like needles? Uh-huh. Well, give him time till he gets there. You can draw a bead just between them rocks and you can't miss. I sure don't like dry-ghosting a man. I thought I was going to meet him face to face. He dry-ghosted your pa, didn't he? I... Oh, I wish I could remember. Well, he did. Never gave your pa no chance at all. Shout him down without no warning. What's more than the only reason he's riding this way is to take him to stay through staghorn is because he's afraid to meet you man to man. A yellow dog like that don't deserve no chance. I suppose you're right. But it just don't seem to come natural to me, that's all. If you back out on us now, Fred, after all the trouble we've been to on account of you, well, then we ain't your friends no more. Well, you fellas been mighty good to me. I ain't denying it. You've bought me grub and everything out of your own pockets. Sure we have. Just recollect all them things when Max rides by down below. Then make sure he don't get by. What's that? Huh? See? Down the trail, a horseman. Come and look at his split. It's him. That's Max. I recognize the way he rides a bronc anywhere. Fred, you get set. I'm ready. Won't take him long to get here. Drawn your bead between them two rocks like I told you to? Yeah. Just keep it that way. Pull the trigger the second he blots out the daylight between them. Uh-huh. Watch it. He's getting close. Wait, fellas. What the? I can't do it. I thought I could, but I can't. I tell you, I just can't. Why, you blasted chicken-hearted fool. I can't. I won't. I can't drag out Snowball no matter what they've done. Somebody's got to get him before he gets through. Gus. Right. Give me that gun. No, he ain't. If I can't do it, then nobody else is. I don't want nobody killing for me. For you, you blasted fool who gives a hoot about you when Max has finished your necks. Gus will let him have it. I'll get him. You won't. Get him off of me. He spoiled my age. Oh, fix him. How are you? Let's reach. Let's reach. What is this? The mask man. And the sheriff. You said you was meeting Tarno. You immediately reported what I had told you to your crooked friend. Ted, I thought you said he never suspicioned you. I thought he said it. You gave yourself away, Ted. How? You were the only man I told about my plan to stop the stage and take Max Kramer from it. Others learned my plan, however. They had to learn it from you. But I thought you figured I was on your side. I let you think that so that you'd go ahead with your plans and give yourselves away. You heard enough, Sheriff? You just better did. If these fellas don't hang, they'll be busting rock in jail for so long they'll come out stooped shoulders. All except Andy Thorne. No, I reckon he's all right. I've seen how he wouldn't let them trick him into firing. Have you still forgotten your real identity, Andy? Stranger, I don't know what to think. All I know is I got a headache fit to kill a bull. Get to your horse. Huh? We're riding. And when we meet certain people, I'll be surprised if your memory doesn't come back. The rest of you fellas start marching. You're headed for jail. Andy, we should meet them almost any time now. Stranger. Yes? I've had the funniest feeling. My head's clearing up. I seem to be recollecting things. Just bits of things, but... Which means you're getting well, as I knew you would. I... Look ahead. Those people. An Indian. That other fella. And with them... Oh, that's Mary. That's my wife with them fellas. Andy, ride and meet her. Mary. Mary! Get up. Get up, Mary. Get up. Come on, Silver. Come on. Come on. Come on. Cut away from the trail. We're heading for Mustang Mags. Get him up, scum. Get him up. How are you, Silver? Silver, old boy. Mustang Mag's in trouble again. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated.
