Andrew Rines (0:00)

Foreign welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns. I'm your host, Andrew Rines, and I'm excited to bring you another episode absolutely free. This is one of over 80 episodes released monthly for your enjoyment. Now, let's get into this episode. A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty hio. Silver. The Lone Ranger. Before this exciting adventure, a word from our sponsor, General Mills, makers of Cheerios, the ready to eat oat cereal that gives you go power and Wheaties, the breakfast of champions. Present by special recording, the Lone Ranger. Ever stop to think how much fun you can have with a blackboard? Why, you can play games, Autumn. Draw pictures, leave messages, practice spelling, all sorts of things. But here's the. There's a blackboard on the back of the special Wheaties blackboard package at your grocer's right now. All you need to use on this blackboard is ordinary chalk. And you can wipe it off with cloth or a regular blackboard eraser and use it again and again. In fact, I think you're going to want several of these Wheaties blackboard packages. You know, so you can let your friends join in with the fun playing tic tac toe or having drawing contests. Or maybe you'll want extra blackboard so you can save your own best drawings. You see, there's no extra charge for the blackboard. Nothing to do, nothing to send in. You just pay the regular Wheaties price. So look for the Wheaties package with the sign on the front that says blackboard. That means there's one of these wonderful blackboards on the back ready to use. Be sure to pick up several. They're at your grocer's right now. Ask for the special Wheaties blackboard package. With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the daring and resourceful mask rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. Nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoof beats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver. Let's go, big fella. Are you Silver? Away. Four men met in the back room of the Richland City Gazette. The three seated were Jack Brandon Young, publisher of the paper. Oscar Graham, weather beaten cattleman, and Roy Stevens, land and cattle speculator. Elderly Denton Murdoch, president of the local bank, was standing as he concluded the speech he'd been making. Situation here is becoming too much for even A good sheriff like Tom Morley. There's cattle rustling, highway robbery, citizens being robbed in their homes. Every crime imaginable. It has to stop, and we must see that it does. Young Brandon here was the one who called this meeting. He must have something in mind. Let's hear it, Brandon. I'll be glad to, gentlemen. Centers around this silver bullet I have in my hand. Silver bullet? Sure enough, that's what it is. What kind of nonsense is this, Brandon? It isn't nonsense, Mr. Stevens. When my father died last year, he left me this bullet. It was given to him by the Lone Ranger. Lone Ranger? The masked fellow we hear about. What's it got to do with us, though? The Lone Ranger told dad that if he or his family or his friends needed help, dad could send this bullet and a message to a certain mission. And if he did that, the Lone Ranger would come and give help. If you'll consent, gentlemen, I'll send this bullet and a letter to this mission. It was Roy Stevens, the speculator, who met in secret that night in the back room of Ace Willis's cafe. He was talking to Willis and sinister looking hemp, Clifford. So they wouldn't get suspicious. I voted along with him and told Brandon to send his message. I had to. What's the matter, Willis? I don't like it. I've heard tell of that masked man. He's plum poisoned. Right hemp. Yeah. We got two jobs to pull off next week. Stagecoach and that gold shipment. I know that, Clifford. Didn't I plant him? Don't worry about the Lone Ranger. We'll take care of him when he gets here. But how do you know when that'll be if he does come, I mean. You said Brandon would meet him in secret, so let him. You just keep your men watching Jack Brandon every minute of the day from now on. Have him watch his cabin, his office and follow him when he's on the trail. We'll know when and if this masked snooper comes and we'll be ready for him. Ace. Boss, wake up. Wake up, will you? Ace. Hey, what? What's the idea, boss? It's happened. He's here. He's at Brandon's place now. Hey, wait, Reb. Who's at Brandon's? The masked man. The one you've had us looking out for. He sneaked in the back door of Brandon's house just a few minutes ago. Hey, this is bad. Just on the day when we're gonna hold up that stagecoach. Reb, get over to Hemp, tell him right away. Quick. Yes, boss. I'm going. Tell him to meet me in back of the cafe to make sure the other party's there. The other party? Who's that? Never mind. Just tell Hemp. Now get the other party. Roy Stevens was unperturbed by the news. We won't worry about the masked man. Here's what I got in mind. Brandon's one of the few people who know about the stage. The Lone Ranger's talk with Jack Brandon had been brief but informative. Now, less than an hour later, he and Tottle were riding out of Richland City into the hills that skirted the town. We'll find a campsite not too far away. Make plans there. You find things bad, like young fellows say in letter. Worse, perhaps. That's why we're going to stay a while and see if we can't learn who the leader or leaders of these outlaws may be. You think maybe all one gang do what happened? There may be many gangs, Tonto, but judging from what Jack Brandon told me, there's probably only one or two leaders at most. It's plain that someone with inside information is masterminding the robberies that have been taking place. Him give id? Who? No. That's what we'll try to figure out. As the masked man and the Indian galloped into the hills, Kansas Thomas, who had been on watch at Brandon's house, followed them at a distance. Take it easy, boy. We don't want to be seen. But Kansas Thomas was seen. In their camp, the Lone Ranger and Tata were discussing the rider who had followed them and whose trail Tonto had picked up for a while after Kansas had ridden back to Richland City. He used steel glasses. See him go right back to town. He was riding a bay horse. Huh? He pick up trailer horse, horseware shoe with mark like star. And you can trace the horse easily enough once you go into Richland City. Me think so, Otto? I'm beginning to wonder. Bannon's the only one who should have known I'd come in response to his letter. Yet from what he told me, three other men were aware that I might appear. Nobody else know but them three men. No one else was supposed to know. But after what's happened, I think perhaps we'd better find out more about. The sun was high in the sky as the band of robbers sat ascribed their horses shielded from the trail by the rugged terrain. Along the way, Ace Willis at the head of the riders wore a mask and hat that resembled the Lone Rangers. And a good thing us holsters out here. Have an idea how that ombre does this. But it was Hem Clifford in a passable disguise of the Indian Tottle, who sighted the stagecoach heading toward Richland City. Here she comes, men. Get your guns ready. Yeah, not too big a guard riding with us. Remember my orders, you men don't give them a chance. Shoot them down. Shoot them down quick. Unless they start firing too naturally. Make sure the passengers get a look at Hemp and me and these get ups. We won't ride too close to him, but we want them to see us. All right, here we go now. Come on. Guns ready. Alert. As they had been, the stage guards were unprepared for the onslaught. Give it em. Splash them. Outnumbered by the bandits, they never had a chance. This way. Him this way. Let him see us. Let him see us and this white horse I'm riding down here. They see us all right. Now. Let's get away from here. At that moment in Richland City, Tottle, who had been mingling with the people on the dirt street since his arrival an hour before, saw a horse that looked like the one for which he'd been searching. Pretending nonchalance, he bent over to examine the big bay's hoof. Easy, horse, easy now. He'd look at shoe and find a. It got star mark there. What you doing, redskin? Not stealing that horse, are you? Tottle looked at the cowboy who had approached him. No, no, me not stealing steel horse. Me got gold. Think maybe me buy horse. You'll never buy that horse, Engine. That's Kansas Thomas's horse. And if Kansas sees you looking at his horse, there could be a dead redskin around here. You better vamoose. Well, maybe me show gold man sell horse. Where me find him, Kansas? Probably in Ace Willis's place where he always is. But I tell you, you won't sell that bay and you're wasting your time. If you ask him engine, he might blast you full of lead too. Bit of vamoose like I said. Me go. Me not like that. The Lone Ranger received Toto's report with interest. Kansas Thomas, huh? And he's one of Ace Willis's men. May find that out after in pretty bad fella. So is Ace Willis. Totto. I think I'll do a little investigating of my own. When night falls, I'm going to Richland City and talk to Brandon about Willis. Perhaps I'll talk to Willis myself if I can get him alone. We'll see when the time comes. We'll continue our Lone Ranger adventure in just a moment. Jenny is 10. And is she good she's skip rope champ of the neighborhood. She's so quick because she knows she's got Go power from Cheerios. Yes, she's got Go power. There she goes. She's feeling her Cheerios. Cheerios. Cheerios. That makes sense. Try Cheerios, the wonderful Oat cereal that's shaped like a little letter O, and you'll agree, you'll like that delicious toasted Oat flavor. And Cheerios is ready to eat. Just pour out a big bowl full, add good fresh milk, dig in and start getting your Go power. Because a Cheerios breakfast is full of vitamins, proteins and minerals. And those are the good things you need to help build red blood, healthy bodies and strong muscles. So enjoy your breakfast every day with delicious Cheerios and milk and get that good Go power. Then folks will say she's feeling her Cheerios. Now to continue. The latest and bloodiest stagecoach hold up had roused the citizens of Richland City to a new high of indignation. They listened with increasing temper as they heard the stagecoach driver and the other survivors tell of the wanton killings. There was 30 or 40 of them, Sheriff. They didn't give us a chance. Just come in shooting and yelling. They didn't give us a chance, Sheriff. Tom Morley's eyes were smoldering and you say they were led by a masked man? Not just a man. Wearing a bandana across his face. No, Sheriff, was a mask, like we told you. He was on a grayish white horse. There was an engine with him. They was a leaders. He's talking about the Lone Ranger. That you? The Lone Ranger? That engine pal of his. I always said he was a crook, but the Lone Ranger doesn't have a game. Listen to the sheriff here. Believe in things like a. What's the matter, driver? What do you think? I think cancer is right. Now that it's clear it was a Ranger all right, let's find him in that engine and kill him like they killed those guards. Now wait a minute, you people. Wait. We've been waiting too long for the law to do something about these crook. Sheriff, we got to take the law into our own hands. Jack Brandon was in a daze as he tried to refute the arguments of his three companions of the committee. They were in session in the back room of the Gazette, and Roy Stevens was saying, we've been too legal already, Murdoch. We don't try to act now. The Lone Ranger and his men will hold up that wagon train that's due tomorrow with a gold shipment. They're bloodthirsty and they dare anything. Stevens has got something about that wagon train. Suppose they hold that up, Graham, no gang would tear. There'd be soldiers guarding it. A squad or two, maybe. No more. I bet there was maybe 40 in that gang today. They say. Gentlemen, I'll tell you something only I and a few people on the other end have known up to now. That gold shipment won't be on the wagon train when it arrives here tomorrow. It's not. It won't? No. Even before this hold up today, we figured bandits might try to intercept the gold shipment. Nearly everyone in the territory knows when it's due. But if it's not coming on the wagon train tomorrow, Mr. Murdoch, then how will you get it? On the regular stagecoach with just the ordinary number of Wells Fargo men as guard? No bandit gang will suspect it. They'll be looking for the wagon train if they're looking. But they'll never expect to find the gold on an ordinary stagecoach trip. That evening, unaware of what had happened during the day, the Lone Ranger managed to make his way to Jack Brandon's cabin. He let himself in the rear door just as another door connecting with a front office opened. Jack Brandon stood in the doorway, amazement written on his features. How did you get here? With posse's all over the hills looking for you. How'd you get here? What are you talking about, Jack? Posse's looking for me. I don't understand. Jack Brandon told the Lone Ranger everything that had happened that day. And he concluded. They've sworn in special deputies. They've been out on the hills searching for you. Tanto and I saw horsemen from time to time and we avoided them as we usually do. But I had no idea what they were doing. Everyone seems convinced it was you and your friend, Mr. Murdoch, Mr. Graham, Mr. Stevens, too. So strange all this had to happen as it did, just on the day you arrived here. Yes. You know a man named Ace Willis? Willis? Of course. He's a bad one. He runs a cafe up the street and a gambling house on the end of town. Why do you ask? I'll tell you later. Just give me as much information as you can about his place and where I may find him. You'll have to play along with me, Jack. I know you will. That's why I will. The Lone Ranger, silent as the shadows in which he moved, made his way to the open window of the office at the rear of Ace Willis Cafe. He could hear two men talking inside. The men were Ace Willis and Hemp Clifford. Dress up again like we did today and we beat the boys on the stage. It's gonna be that easy. Good. Smart trick, isn't it? Transferring the gold from the wagon train to the stage. Figure nobody'd do a thing like that. Yeah, it's smart, I guess. Good thing we got a boss who's in with the big shots and gets to know those things. Yeah. Wonder what the others on that committee would think if they knew about him. They'll never know about this job. Tomorrow we tell the boys to wait for us at Hanging Rock. Wagon train passes at dawn. Coach won't get there today. Later that evening, the Lone Ranger returned and talked with Jack Brandon. When he met Totto in the hills later, his eyes shone bright by the campfire. Willis and Clifford outlined their entire plan for the hold up. But they didn't name the man who's our leader. You guessed maybe. Maybe? This is not a matter for guessing. We must learn for certain. So Brandon say him talk to Sheriff like you ask. Yes, Toto. He was to go immediately after I left him. I think Morley will believe Brandon. I think he'll cooperate with us, too. You meet him in morning. Kimasabe? Yes, in the hills above Hanging Rock. If Morley can place his men before daybreak, I think our hold up men will have a surprise in store. We'll see. A wagon train had passed Hanging Rock unmolested. Now, shortly after high noon, Kansas Thomas ran quickly through the men hiding behind Hanging Rock. He went directly to Ace Willis, who was dressed once more in his imitation Lone Ranger outfit. Ace, that's coming. The safety's coming. If the hairpin turned now, it'll be here in about three minutes. Right. All right, men, get on your horses. Stage is coming. Ready, Hemp? Yeah. Wait till I get on this snake. Funniest looking engine I ever seen. Yeah. All right, men, get ready. This is going to be the easiest job we've done yet. Suddenly, Sheriff Tom Morley's voice was heard from the underbrush and back. Oh, no. It's not easy. This is the last job you'll do. Hey, look, Sheriff. Deputies all over the place. They're coming from the bus. The posse came riding in, guns blazing. Above the head, the amazed bandits. Get up your hands, all of you. Oh, no, you don't. Hold it. Hold it, Sheriff. I'm giving up. Here's my gun. Drop that gun, Willis. That mask doesn't hide you. All right, I've dropped it. How did you know me? I told him who you were, Willis. I told him about you too, Clifford. You're a poor Indian now and a dead One, if you reach for that gun. Here comes the stagecoach now. Signal to it Brandon and stop it. Men, put the irons on those coaches. Put out your hands. Give me your guns. That's it. We were double cross here. That east. We were double cross. I think we were. And you'll know for sure when we get to town. Marley, we're going to take you in and talk with your boss. Denton Murdoch walked to the window of the Gazette office when he heard the stagecoach and the horsemen stop outside. The stage is stopping outside here. I wonder why. Oscar Graham opened the door and look at. Hey, it's the sheriff. He's got a whole pile of men all in handcuffs. Roy Stevens, who had been in the rear of the room, turned deathly pale. What did you say? You heard me. And look, here's Morley leading in a masked man and an engine with handcuffs on him too. And by Jiminy, there's another masked man and injured behind him. Without cops, what? Sheriff Morley led in the tight lipped Ace Willis and the quivering hemp Clifford. But it was the Lone Ranger who stepped forward and looked at the three men who had been waiting. His gaze was such that each might have believed he was addressing them alone. Your plan was a good one, Mastermind. We captured these two pretenders as we knew we would. Pretenders, Mastermind? What are you talking about? Grateful for learning about Willis and Clifford and their proposed hold up of the stagecoach. You didn't think your boss would tell, did you Ace? I didn't, I didn't. Stevens, the boss. Stevens, you're in with him. These crooks, he's their leader. I think all the answers are there for you now. Just in the way he looks. Right Ace? He crossed us, did he? Yeah, he's the one. He's the one who planned every hole up and everything sniveling. Snicker out. Take that gun. Give me that gun, Steven. That's it. Take him away. Man. Try to kill him, telling on me like that. I didn't crush him, I didn't. Come along Willis. You too, Clifford. Yeah, take him away. Take their entire gang with them. We know we have the right men now and the answer to all the outlaw in these parts. That's right Sheriff. And I know that from now on Richland City will be all we've ever hoped it would be. Yes, Brandon, thanks to your friend. I say, where is he? The mash man? He's gone. Hey, I'm just getting an idea what's going on here. Stevens and Ace and Hamper crooks. That's for sure killers too. But who's the masked man? You didn't know that man is the Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger the Lone Ranger, a copyrighted feature of the Lone Ranger Incorporated, is produced by Trendall Campbell Muir Incorporated. The part of the Lone Ranger is played by Brace Beamer, your announcer Fred Foy. Listen to the Lone Ranger brought to you by special recording Mondays through Fridays at this same time. This has been a presentation of otrwesterns.com and we hope you enjoyed. Please take some time to like and rate this episode within your favorite podcast application. Follow us on Facebook by going to otrwesterns.com Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel by going to otrwesterns.Com YouTube become one of our ranch hands and unlock some exclusive content. We want to thank the following ranch hand Steve who joined us recently. You too can join by going to otrwesterns.com donate send us an email podcasttrwesterns.com and you can call and leave us a voicemail 707-986-8739 this episode is copyright under the Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Copyright. For more information go to otrwesterns.com copyright have a great day and thanks for listening.