A fiery horse with the speed of light. A cloud of dust and a hearty hi-yo silver. The Lone Ranger. His faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the masked rider of the plains fought crime and criminals throughout the early western United States. Rich and poor alike turned to him for help. And hi-yo silver came to be the battle cry of justice on the 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. However, the Lone Ranger rides again. Come on silver! We're heading for the Fuller Ranch! Tonto's waiting on the trail! It was Sunday afternoon, and when young Vic Fuller reined in before the new home of Banker Lambert in the small western town of Oasis, he was spruced up in all a young rancher's finery. He took the steps of the porch two at a time, and his rap upon the door brought a hearty response. Come in, Vic! Come in! Afternoon, ma'am. Howdy, Mr. Lambert. Howdy, young fella. My, but you surely do look nice, Vic. Here, you sit right down beside me here on the sofa. Well, uh, I, I, uh, that is... Look at him, Ada. He's duded all up like maybe he's going sparking with some girl. Don't seem able to talk very plain, neither. Nature, OTs. Vic, don't you pay me any mind. His manners was awful when I married him, and I do declare they've got worse things. Ada, you mean to say you don't recognize it? Well, I know I don't see that. I, uh, reckon you think I got a lot of nerve, don't you, Mr. Lambert? Nope. Can't say it's never struck me that way. Well, I should have said something to you folks first. Whatever you're talking about, I... Reckon you ain't as bright as I always thought you. Shucks, it's writ all over him. Well, why, Vic, are you really today? Yep. Go and ask her. Bet you sent her all the way to Chicago for that there ring, didn't you? Uh-huh. Oh, Vic, I'm so glad. It's the match me and Pa have always wanted. Ain't it, Nate? Well, I reckon I can make out to put up with it. Oh, I think I seen Madge outside just now. Uh, come on, Nate. We'll get out and leave the parlor to the young folks. Run along if you want to, honey. I'm enjoying this. You recollect what you used to say when my folks kept us company? I don't recollect nothing of the kind. I... Say, who's that she rode up with? Ain't that that young fella they call Frosty Kelso? I do believe it is. There's a worthless scamp for you. Look, he's leaving. Now, Pa, don't you scold her. Likely he just forced his cell phone. Well, one of these days I'll do some forcing on him. Why do you stand for it, Vic? I should think you'd... Here she comes. Go to it, young fella. Rush her right off her feet. Oh, hello, Vic. Hello, Madge. Honey, I reckon maybe me and your ma had better leave you young folks alone after all. It wouldn't surprise me none at all, Madge, if you found Vic had something special to say to you. Come on, Ma. Wait. Huh? Why, honey, you're white as a sheet. You ain't alien, are you? I... I've got something to say. Madge, I... Wait, Vic. This is something I want all of you to hear. Daughter, you ain't acting yourself. Out with it. I... I'm engaged. Why, Vic, and I thought you hadn't asked her yet. I'm engaged to Frosty Kelso. What? Madge. Daughter, did I hear you right? You did? Oh, honey, you don't know what you're saying. I think I do. I won't have it, you hear me? I won't have it. I don't know why you got such a loco notion. I don't give a darn. Engage to Frosty Kelso. Young lady, that's something I'm setting my foot down on right now. I... You're going to marry Vic, you hear me? He's the man for you. Now tell us you didn't mean what you said. I can't, Father. Vic, I... I'm sorry. Oh, that's all right. Sure, it's all right. I hope you'll be right happy. Well, good day to you, ma'am. Afternoon, Mr. Lambert. Vic! I just happened to think of some work out the place I was forgetting. Bye. Now look here, young lady. Let me be. Let me alone. I don't want to talk about... Young lady, come back here. You and me are going to... I'll fix that. No, Pa, no. But I won't help her. This is something she'll have to work out for herself, Nate. Ranting and scolding won't help none, I know. I was just like her once myself. By thunder, we got to do something. Pa? Pa, when she wants to tell us what's wrong, she'll do us all of her own free will. In the meantime, there ain't nothing for you and me to do, but wait. The Fuller Ranch was owned in equal partnership by Vic and his father, Matt Fuller. That evening, Matt was alone in the ranch house. His jaw was set, his eyes worried. And when someone knocked at the door, he rose from his chair with a nervous start. Who's there? Frosty Kittle, though. Oh, come on. I thought I said you wasn't ever to come here. None of how you're going to prevent it. Close the door. I said close the door. What do you want this time? Ain't you going to ask me to sit down? Thought maybe you'd invite me to share a drink with you. I don't drink with skunks. Forgetting yourself, ain't you? I asked you what you wanted. Oh, the usual. Only this time, more of it. I've given you every cent I can afford. Yeah? Well, you're giving me some more. And Prado. It'll be a kind of wedding present. How much? Oh, just $10,000. You're absolutely crazy. Think so? In the last month, you've drained me dry. My account in Lambert's Bank is going. I've borrowed from friends. I've sold everything I could that wouldn't arouse my son's suspicions. Demand anything you want. You won't get a dollar. Well, it's your funeral. You wouldn't... Look here, Fuller. I got a confession signed by you that had sent you to jail for plenty long. I got it and I ain't afraid to use it. Now, make up your mind what you'd rather do. Pay or go to jail. Good heavens, man. What would I pay you with? Got a nice spread here. Which belongs as much to my son as me. That ain't my problem. That's yours. I can't do it. It's impossible. I just can't do it. I reckon you'd better. Me and Madge will be needing a sight of cash when we get hitched. What was that you said? I told you it'd be a kind of wedding present. Madge Lambert is in love with my son. Vic is in love with Madge. That's interesting. Why, you... Madge Lambert would never marry a skunk like you. You'd better ask her for yourself. She'll say the same. And go easy on them names you're calling me. I don't cotton to them. Get out. Oh, sure. But remember, 10,000 it is. I'll give you three days. When you get it, you can leave it in the usual place. You should know where that is by now. Get out. 10,000. You're a jail, partner. And how would that boy of yours like that? I'd rather be dead. I'd rather be dead. Later that night, a man rode slowly toward a bog near the southern boundary of the Fuller Range. When he reached the edge, he brought his mount to a stop and still more slowly dismounted. The moon, gleaming for a moment through a rift in the clouds, highlighted the gun he held in his hand. I'd rather be dead. There ain't no other way out. That paper will be no good to him after I die. Maybe he won't show it. Won't let my son know I was a thief. There, old fella, it's all right. You'll find your way back to the corrals alone, Jack. Good boy. Steady, old fella. I'm not used wasting time feeling sorry for myself. We all have to pay for the bad things we do, one way or the other. Now... What? What's the meaning of this? Hey. Stay with the horses, fella. Hey, watch them. You are going to take your life. You've got no right to stop me. Far more right than you to try a cowardly trick like that. Come on out of here. Let me go. Come on. No, no, let me go, I see. We thought you were up to something when we saw you pass our camp and head this way. We knew there's no trail through this marsh. Bless you for a minute. Quiet. Now let's have a look at you. Hello. Do you know this fellow? Ah. Him named Matt Fuller. And you own this ranch. And what of it? You have a splendid ranch, a fine son, and you try to destroy yourself. That calls for an explanation. Which I won't give. We might be able to help. I didn't ask for help. Well, well, I'm a stranger. I can't expect you to confide in me. I'd suggest, however, that you talk this over with your son or a trusted friend. Whatever's worrying you isn't worth this. A friend? Yes. Nate Lambert. Why didn't I think of that? What are you going to do? Listen, stranger, let me go. I'm not going to try that again. I swear I won't. I'll give you my word. But there's someone I must see. That's better. Go ahead. Maybe I was a fool after all, stranger. And for what you did, well, thanks. We may meet again. Come on, boy. Get up. Get up there. What's the matter, him? I don't know. But we'll find out. He'll likely tell his troubles to this friend he's riding to see. When he does, we'll be on hand. Come on. Get up, scout. Silver, hold on. He's inside that house, Tonto. Come. There's a window at the side. If it hadn't been for that masked man, well, I guess I wouldn't be here to tell you this. Mask or not, he sounds like a right sensible hombre. But, Nate, what can I do? Hmm. All this trouble goes back to when we was just a couple of young fellas working together in the express office. I guess I'm to blame for it in part, Matt. If I hadn't wrote that confession for you and made you sign it when I caught you stealing, this wouldn't have happened. I'm not blaming you, Nate. Well, I reckon you savvy I didn't keep that confession just to have something on you. I know. Fact is, I just about forgot I had it. Never even give it a thought the past couple of years until the house we'd been living in caught fire and burned down. And it was right after that that Frosty started blackmailing me. That's where Frosty got a hold of that confession. Well, I'll be switched. You know, I poked around in the ashes myself some after that fire. But when I didn't find it, I figured the whole thing must have gone up in smoke. You had it in a cash box, didn't you? Mm-hmm. Well, that's what Frosty found. He broke it open on the chance it might hold valuable. A snooping rat. Wants 10,000, does he? He does. Well, I got the cash. Don't worry about it. Nate, you mean you... Oh, forget about it. Got so much cash in the bank that ain't working, this'll look like a right good investment. Now, how'd you say you paid Frosty off? I put the money in a hollow stump near the swamp. Frosty can watch from the hills before he collects to see that no one's nearby. Well, I'll have the cash for you. Nate, one friend like you is more than a man deserves in a whole lifetime. Oh, don't talk about it. But, Matt, when this is finished, you and me got to put our heads together. Yes? Somehow, I don't know how, that snake's made Madge promise to marry him. Couldn't talk to her. Can't do nothing. I know. But you and me are gonna find a way to trip that fella up, or... Or... Or, by thunder, Matt, the law will be looking for me for getting my heel on a snake and crushing it. The curtain falls on the first act of our Lone Ranger story. Before the next thrilling scenes, please permit us to pause for just a few moments. Now to continue our story. The Lone Ranger and Tonto, after following Matt Fuller to town, returned to their secret camp near the marsh where Matt had attempted to take his life. There, the masked man tried to unravel the tangled threads that held the Fullers, the Lamberts, and Frosty Kelso together. It's clear enough what happened to Matt, Kimo Sabe. Frosty's a blackmailer, and he's been making Matt pay again for a theft he not only repaid years ago, of which he further paid for by leading a fine, honest life ever since. Something was said tonight between Nate and Matt that pointed to a certain possibility. I've got to get a look at that confession. Oh. Only Frosty knows where it is. Oh. Nate has promised to loan Matt the $10,000. But if Frosty were led to believe Matt wouldn't pay, Santo, I think we can get Frosty to show us that confession himself. On the evening set for the payment of the $10,000, Frosty entered the cafe and grinned as he saw Matt nervously gulping at drink at the bar. I'm celebrating, gents. Got a couple things to celebrate. I'm coming into some cash. Real soon, I'm getting hitched to the prettiest girl in the county. Who is the girl, Frosty? She's Madge Lambert, gents. Only soon, you'll be calling her Mrs. Frosty Kelso. Name your poison, fellas. It's on me. Big mouth tool. Huh? Well, well, if it ain't Vic. You got a drink coming too, Vic. Fact is, I'll buy you a couple drinks. Sort of a consolation prize. I ain't drinking with you now or any other time. And what's the idea of bringing up Madge's name around these bar flies? Is that all the opinion you got of her? You telling me what to do? I'm saying it's an insult to Madge to talk about her in a bar. You're just put out because I beat your time. Ain't a very good loser, are you? I'll show you. Boy, you dirty, no. Cut it out. I'll beat the living daylights out of the pool. No, Frosty, don't get mad. Vic don't know what he's saying. He's had a licking cover and now he's getting it. No. I'll let loose my arm, Carl. I'm going to hit him. No, Vic, you can't. Why can't I? You just don't understand, Vic. See? Even your poor savage it ain't safe to get me mad. You better take his advice and clear up. Boy, what's the idea of siding with Frosty? I'm not. I just don't want you fighting. Better listen to him. Well, maybe I did forget myself a little, Paul. But you, Frosty. Yeah? From now on, when you see me coming, you just stand aside because the next time we meet, Paul likely won't be there to save your crooked hide. It was several hours later that same night. The range, dark and mysterious, seemed deserted. The rolling hills, the isolated clusters of trees through black shadows. But the shadows were deepest where the fertile grazing lands met the marsh, a place of death and stagnation. At the edge of the bog was a hollow stump of a tree. A man walked toward it, moving with infinite caution. Can't be anybody around this time of night. Ten thousand dollars. Here we are. This, this has got to be the last time. If you ask me for more, then one of us must back to the house. Scarcely had the first man faded away into the shadows, then two others silently emerged. One was masked, the other an Indian. Reaching the same stump, they held their voices low. Money should be in here, Tata. One moment, I'll see. Here. I have it. Oh, that good. Come. Now to see what happens. A little later, Frosty brought his horse to a clattering halt in front of the Fuller ranch house. Leaping from the saddle, he strode across the porch and thrust open the door without warning. Where's Vic? He hasn't come home yet. So you thought you didn't have to pay, huh? Thought when it came to the point, I'd just be bluffing. You fool, I don't bluff. I want that ten thousand. You told me to be there. That means you've got it. Hand it over. What are you talking about? Give me that cash or the law gets that confession. I paid. You're lying. I left the cash in the stump not over two hours ago. I suppose you expect me to believe somebody just happened on it before I got there and stole it. You sure you look good? It wasn't there. Then someone must have taken it. They must have. You think I'm as big a fool as you are? But you get that cash. But I did. In the four morning. Wait. Or you'll be looking out from behind bars. I paid and it's the last time. Huh? Do anything you want. Expose me. Take that confession to the sheriff. I don't care anymore. You hear me? I don't care. I couldn't get another dollar for you if my life depended on it. That's what you said last time. And this time I mean it. Not half as much as I mean what I told you. I'm going home. I'll wait there for you. And if you don't show up... No. Hey, put down that gun. I've come to the end of my rope, Frosty. I'm sorry now I didn't let Vic give you the beating you deserve. No, wait. Please, please. Maybe I'll hang. But the only cure for a skunk like you is lead. Take it. What the... Shoot. A redskin. You... Put down gun. New color. New leave. Sure. Sure. Keep him covered, ancient. I'm leaving. Tried to kill me, huh? Well, just for that, the sheriff's getting that right in tonight. Redskin! Get him on the skunk. Get him on the skunk. Frosty spurred his horse homeward. At the small cabin where he lived, he left his mount standing while he dashed inside, slamming the door behind him. But as he made for a corner of the cabin, he did not hear the door open a second time. Nor did he know that a tall, masked man stood in the doorway. I'll show him. Fix him. Tried to kill me. Figured he don't have to pay. Wait till the sheriff sees this paper. I ain't giving him no second chance. Here's the board. Put it under this board. Now, where is it? If it's been stolen. Here it is. Now, I'll just go... You drop that paper. What? The first move you make for that gun, I'll shoot. Matt Fuller, after his interview with Frosty, had saddled his horse and raced to the home of his old friend, Nate Lambert. There he told him what had happened then. You put the cash in that stump, but when Frosty got there, it was gone? I don't know what to think, Nate. Maybe it was gone when he looked, or maybe he lied to me. Maybe he thought he could collect twice. Inside with you. The masked man. And Vic. What the... He may be. You're safer in here. Who are you? That doesn't matter. I found Vic hiding outside. I believe he was laying in wait for Frosty to come here. If I hadn't found him, there might have been a killing. And good enough for him. That remains to be seen. Now, look here, stranger. Wait. I have some papers here. Two sheets of paper with writing on them. Have you ever seen them before? Nate, the confession. Say, you give them... There's nothing for either one of you to worry about. These will be destroyed. You mean that? I do. Nate, I heard noises and I wonder... A masked man. Don't be alarmed. Honey, you'd better go back to sleep. Everything's all right. You're sure? We were just talking business. Now, just leave us alone, Ada. Well, I... Go ahead. Go on back to sleep now. Very well, Nate. Now then, what's this all about? What are you doing here? And what of them papers got to do with this? You'll learn very shortly. Why not now? Because I'm expecting something to happen. It shouldn't be long. When it does, then it'll be time for explanations. You were the fellow I met at the marsh when I... I am, Matt. But you can take my word for it. Your troubles are over. Over? Just beginning, you mean? What I'd like to know is what you... There. What's that outside? What I've been waiting for. Bring them in, Tato. You, me get them. Don't let me do it. Let's do it. It's Madge. Madge and Frosty. What are you doing with them bags? Where was you two going? We're going to elope, Nate. And we will get married. I'm a babe. You can't stop us. Why are you... Quiet. I think Madge will change her mind in a moment. Madge. Yes? You promised to marry Frosty not because you loved him, but because he threatened to expose your father. Isn't that so? I... Me? Expose me? What in thunder fire? Frosty tried a clever trick. These two sheets of paper contain a confession to a crime committed years ago. You didn't commit the crime, Nate, but you wrote the confession, and when you had it finished, the guilty party signed it. Oh. In other words, anyone shown just the first page without the signature, which is on the second page, would believe that you were confessing, Nate, that the person reading it was familiar with your handwriting. Go, go. That's how Frosty threatened your daughter. He showed her the first page of the confession, convinced her you were guilty and threatened exposure if she didn't marry him. When he lost the confession tonight, knew the game was up, he tried to elope with Madge before she learned what had happened. Why, you dirty, blackmailing skunk. That was your game. Recollect when I started to give you what you had coming in the cafe. Now, wait a minute. You're getting it right now. You're coming outside with me. Come on, you. Come on, you. Pa, I feel so ashamed. I should have known you could never. Forget it, honey. It makes me proud to think I raised a daughter that would forget her own happiness just to save the pa she thought had done something crooked. But the confession, if it wasn't you, then who... That's something that had better be kept a secret, Madge. Tonto, a match. Here, Madge. Thank you. What are you going to do? We're burning it. Yes. That confession will never harm any man again. Stranger, I don't know who you are, but, well, all I can say is you're an hombre a fellow could tie to. Look at it, Nate. Look. Nothing but ashes now. Which is just as it should be, Madge. Yes, Pa? I hope you got some sense now. Vic, uh, well, it was just a couple of days ago. Vic come here to ask you a question. And if I recollect rightly, there was a ring or something of that sort that went along with that there question. Well, if you still want to ask me, Pa, I'll wear that ring and be so happy you won't recognize your own daughter. Madge, I've always wanted you for a daughter-in-law. And I'll thank you for it, stranger, for bringing it about. Hey, the masked man of red skin. Where'd they get to? I'll be doggone slipped out without my even noticing it. Well, anyhow, if I see them fellas again, I'm inviting them to the biggest wedding who's ever seen this county. Now you've got to get hitched, Vic, honey, because that's a promise. The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger, Incorporated.
