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. When boys line up to run a race, Galloping Garden sets the pace. He comes in first because he knows he's got Go power from Cheerios. Yes, he's got go power. There he goes. He's feeling his Cheerios. Cheerios. Cheerios. And so will you. Once you're eating Cheerios every breakfast you'll say the Cheerios taste simply wonderful too. They're already cooked, shaped like little round O's and just full of good toasted oat flavor. Pour out a big bowl full, add fresh milk and pitch in. You can almost feel the go power for a Cheerios breakfast is one of the finest ways you can get the vitamins, proteins and minerals your body needs. A bowl of Cheerios and milk really starts your day right. Helps give you the good red blood, strong bones and muscles. Go power. You'll get it from Cheerios. Try it and folks will say he's feeling his Cheerios. With his faithful Indian companion, Toto, 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 hoop beats of the great horse. Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again. Come on, Silver. Let go. Be close, are you Silver. Away. Barnaby Boggs was a man of questionable background. Among other things, he had been a rain maker and a medicine man. Several of his shady enterprises had been broken up by the Lone Ranger until finally Boggs reformed and settled down on a small ranch. After a short time, he became bored and eager for the activity of community life. He sold his ranch for enough to stock a store, then bought as much merchandise as his wagon would hold and set out for the town of Larrabee, which was one of the few communities where he was on excellent terms with the law. Marshal Muldoon and his wife lived in a house at the edge of town they were on the porch when Boggs big wagon came into view. Why, it's Barnaby. Bogg's sakes alive. Tom. What's he doing back here? I'd be glad to see the old galoot. He's stopping his wagon out there in the field. Why doesn't he bring it into town? Welcome to Larraby, Boggs. How do you do, Mr. Boggs? How do you do? How you do? What's that sign mean? Trader? What are you trading, Muldoon? I come here as a man of business. A man of good will with a well stocked cargo. The things every household needs. Such as what? Pots and pans, tinware, stoneware, hardware, yard goods, dry goods. In short, my friend, I have a line of fine sample goods to show what I'll carry. I'm open a store in Laramie. Bugs, you better go somewhere else. Maradoon. I came here because I heard that this town's in the grip of a money grabbing skinflint by the name of Caswell. Is that not the case? All I can say. You better shove on while you've got your health. Isn't it true that Caswell's Emporium is the only store within 50 miles? Isn't it true, Jane? Yes, it's true, Mr. Box. And because of that, Caswell doubles and triples the fair price on everything he sells. Am I right, Bugs? Are you on the level? Do you really intend to go into business here in Larabee? I do. I propose to open a store. I can sell it half of Caswell's prices and still make money. Now what's wrong with that, Muldoon? It's been tried before. The first man who tried it got lost in the woods and died of exposure. The second was caught in a fire that wiped out his building. He burned to death. The third. I'm not afraid of Caswell and his tricks. Not catch me sleeping. No, siree. Not while I have Smokey Joe. Smokey Joe? Who's he? Old Indian I hired. I. Well, well. Speaking of Indians, look who's here. Toto had come silently from across the road. He was standing a few yards away. Boggs rushed from the marshal and his wife to shake hands. Tano, I'm downright glad to see you. And. And me glad what you do in town. I'm about to open a store. Yes, sir. I'm going to be a substantial citizen of Larrabee, engaged in honest enterprise. Marshall, shake hands with Tondo Santo. This is Marshal Muldoon. How me go now, Tanto? Somehow that name Is familiar. I wonder where I've heard of Tanto. Let's go to your office, Marshall. I need some information about available property. Two buildings I can rent. Meanwhile, Toto and the Lone Ranger were waiting next to their horses for Boggs to return to his wagon so the masked man might talk to him. Silver get tired waiting. You mean that you would like to start for camp Tunnel? Oh, no. Me in no hurry. We wait a little longer. I'd like to speak to Barnaby. If he's really sincere wanting to enter business in Larrabee, he should be encouraged, not right. Maybe better you go to Marshall's office. Talk to Boggs there. We'll wait until we see him return to his wagon. She must have it. Yes, Ned will sell us a wagon. Lone Ranger and Topple watched the man called Blaze right across the grass at the edge of town and draw a ring beside the big red wagon. He took a tin can from his side pocket, then lighted a match and held the flame to a length of fuse that extended from the can. When the fuse was burning, he guided his horse to the rear of the wagon and prepared to toss the improvised bomb through a square opening that served as a window. But just then the rear gate dropped and a shrill voice cried out in Indian, get back inside that red skin. I'll fix you. Blaze tossed the bomb into the wagon with one hand and drew his gun with the other. Before he could fire, another gun barked. Get up. Get up. When Blaze saw his gun shot away, he didn't hesitate. He spurred his horse cruelly and raced across the plain. The masked man. The Indian rode up at top speed and brought their horses to an abrupt halt. Out of the way before you're blown to bit. The masked man leaped from the saddle, reached into the big red wagon and grabbed the can of blasting powder. It was the work of an instant to pull out the remaining length of fuse. He tossed the can, now harmless to Tonto. Here, take this. I'm going after that man. Easy. Big fella blazed. Caesar's horse was no match for the mighty Balloon Ranger. Quickly cut down the lead. Oh, Raider. I'll rope you. Hold your rope. Hold your rope, Mr. Ox. Captain. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Easy. Hurry now. Easy. I was roped and pulled off a horse once. I don't want it to happen again. We're going to blow up Bog's wagon. What do you have to say about it? Who are you to question me? Never mind. Save your answers for the marshal. The marshal's likely to be more curious about you. Mister, a man who can show his face has an advantage over a cuddy like you. Just chill while I see if you have another gun. This man's the only gun I own. Who are you to interfere anyhow? Did Caswell send you to destroy that wagon? I'm not talking for you. I'm not talking for the law. No one can make me talk. You may be right. At least Marshal Muldoon and Barnaby Boggs are going to have a chance to try. They're going where? Back to town, to the office of Marshal Muldoon. The Lone Ranger created a stir as he rode through the main street of Larabee with his prisoner. When he entered the marshall's office, Malvine and Barnaby Boggs leap to their feet. Hey, here he is. Marshall. Here's the man I was telling you about. Jake's alive. I'm glad to see you. I knew you were in town. I was talking to Towno Bugs. So this is the masked man we talked about. Yep. Welcome to Larrabee, mister. Oh, thanks, Marco. Glad to see you, Bog. Same. Who is this critter? He wouldn't tell me his name. Maybe he'll talk to the marshal. He tried to blow up your wagon. I deny it. Blew up my wagon? Yes. He threw a can of blasting powder and a lighted fuse into the wagon. Smokey Joe. He was taken by surprise. Barnaby, what do you have to say about this? I got nothing to say. And you can't make me talk. Did Caswell hire you? I never heard of him. You lied. Prove it. Bugs. You've seen an example of what I was trying to tell you. The attempt to blow up your wagon was just the beginning. Yes. What are you gonna do about this critter right here? Ain't you gonna lock him up, huh? He should. If he doesn't, I will. Yeah. Dead red rather. See, behind bars, there's hardly a chance in a thousand of getting proof against Caswell. No, not a chance. In. Despite continued questioning, Blaze Peters refused to talk. He was placed on trial and given a sentence of 60 days. He served his term in jail. After his release, he went to Caswell's emporium. Caswell and Barney stood in front of the building looking at the newly opened store across the street. Howdy, Mr. Caswell. Hello, Barney. Howdy. Glad to see you, Blaze. Hey, you promised me something, Caswell, if I took the jail term without involving you. Yes, $100. You'll get it, Blaze. Also a chance to earn a lot more by helping Barney on little job. Yeah. Logs opened his Store across the street while you were in the Calabooz. Yeah, yeah, so I see. Seems to be doing a big business. Yes, he is. I don't see any customers in your store. I'll get back my customers. Blaze, I've been waiting for you to get out of jail. Come into my office and we'll make some plans. We'll continue our Lone Ranger adventure in just a moment. All over the country in every direction. How you doing in the question? And here's one the happy people have to say. Okay, that goes for the Star, wherever you are. Take Barbara Ann Scott, figure skating champion from the Northland. Watch her on this one. Barbara Ann's good. Now, there is a champ who's a real Wheaties fan. Sure helps to keep a gal up on her toes. A guy too. Take Bob Lemon, who pitches a lot of ball for the Cleveland Indians. Lemon knows what champions know. Wheaties for breakfast. Away you go. Gosh, no wonder the champs of tomorrow are eating Wheaties today. There's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties flake. Keep on eating your Wheaties and you be do an okay. Okay. Now to continue. Caswell sat in his office with Varney and Blaze, two men who would do anything for the right price. Well, it's one thing to start a fire, Mr. Caswell, but you should pay more money when you want a murder. I take the same risk you do. If you would please hang, I'll hang with you. When the stores burned down, I'll. That night, while Caswell played cards in the cafe to be sure of an alibi, his henchmen Blaze and Barney crept through the darkness to a window in the rear of Bog's new store. They cautiously appeared inside. You see the Indian? Yeah, Barney, I can see him. He's on a bunk over there in the corner. Well, we might as well get this over with. Right on the window. Indian's awaking. He's looking over. I'll motion to him as if we had something to tell him. You stand ready with a knife. He sees us. He's coming. He opened the window. We got something to tell you. Not too loud, Blaze. Ah, no one will hear us. Blaze has got something for you, Smokey Joe. Here it is. Good work, Blaze. I'll push him back inside. Then we'll start the fire. The Lone Ranger and Tottle left town after Blaze Peters trial and conviction. They had planned to return for the opening of Bog's new store, but had been delayed. They were just entering the town when they saw smoke pouring out of the Building and a crowd of people running with pails of water. The fire. John Owen. The people in town were trying to fight the flames inside the building by throwing water through the windows. But it was a futile effort. No one dared enter the building because of the danger that at any instant drums of coal oil stored inside would ignite. Several people turned at the sound of hoofbeats. They saw a masked man riding a big bike. Stallion. Help me make Mountoo. Let me go. I've got the same Smoky Joe in the inside. Mr. Bob says coal oil inside that building. It's likely to go at any minute. My engine pals in there. He sleeps in the rear. I've got to try to save him. Let me go. Moon. Stay where you are, Barnaby. I'll see what I can do. Come back here. Come back. Don't try to go inside that building. Better for one man to die than two. The Lone Ranger pushed aside several who tried to stop him and hurried to the rear of a burning building. The masked man looked through the rear window into the small store storeroom that was rapidly filling with smoke. Planes had already broken through the wall opposite the window and by their light, the Lone Ranger saw Joe sprawled on his back. He leaped through the window, picked up the Indian and carried him out. When he reappeared in front of the building with Bog's friend in his arms, he was greeted by shouts and cheers. Gone. Mister, you did it. You saved Smokey Joe. You brought him out. I'm not sure sure that I saved him, Boggs. Smoky Joe hurt bad? Yes, but not because of the fire. He'd been stabbed in the chest. At that moment, the coal oil ignited and the entire building became a mass of flames. The doctor examined Smokey Joe and announced that his life hung by a slender thread. There was a chance he might recover, but on the other hand, he might die without regaining consciousness. When the doctor had gone, Barnaby Boggs turned to the masked man and the marshal and said, murder. That's what it is. And Caswell's behind it. Bring the doctor back here. I have an idea. What is it? The doctor will cooperate. We may be able to trap the man who stabbed Smokey Joe. What's your idea, mister? Spread the story. The Indian is sure to recover, but he'll regain consciousness. Hi. Savvy? You figured the killer will come back to finish his job, Is that it? He may. At least the plan is worth trying. I'll get Doc right away. The doctor promised to cooperate in any plan that might lead to the capture of the man who had tried to murder Smokey Joe. By noon the next day, everyone in town had heard that Bog's old Indian friend was likely to recover consciousness and describe the man who had knifed him. Caswell. Blaze and Barney were deeply concerned as they discussed the situation in Caswell's office. You better take steps, Caswell. And Fast Ed Redskin will talk our necks right into a hangman's roof. And if me and Barney are jailed, we'll tell who hired us. Remember that. Steady, Caswell. We're not fooling. Yes, and there's only one thing to do. You've got to go to Bog's house tonight and finish the job on the Indian. Tonight? You can't go there in daylight. We'll have to trust to luck. But Smokey stays unconscious until after dark. What about Barnes? I'll keep him occupied. Now get this straight. Just after dark, you boys be watching. When you see me go into Bog's front door, you sneak around to the rear window, climb into the room where the Indian lies unconscious and let him have it this time. Make it permanent. Is that clear? Right. We got you. All right then. At nine o' clock tonight, I'll call on Bog. Oh, it's you, Caswell. Good evening, Bugs. You mind if I step in? Looks like it doesn't matter whether mined or not. What do you want, Bugs? I've heard from several sources that you think I had a hand in burning your store. Now I want you to know that's not the case. No. Hey, who an Indian? What do you mean busting into my house like this? He friend Smokey toe me get color than hurt him. Hold on there. Get you up. Oh, my Tono. Did you have to hit him that hard? Oh, mind you say be sure knock him out. You followed instructions literally. Close the door. No, we work pretty fast. Take this. Fell to the bedroom and back. How long do you think he'll be unconscious? Me not know. He hit job plenty hard. Maybe him get conscious in 10, 15 minutes. Carry him. Smokey Joe had been removed to Barnaby Boggs own bedroom. The small rear room that Smokey Joe had previously occupied was empty until Tuttle placed the unconscious Caswell on the bunk. Then Tottle left the room. Caswell regained consciousness to find Barnaby Boggs applying wet towels to his head. The room was lighted only by moonlight that came through the single open window. Take it easy. Lightning. It wasn't lightning that struck you. It was an Indian. He connected with your chin. Oh, Bugs. Yes, I remember. Somehow the Indian got the idea that you're the one who tried to murder Smokey Joe. Where is that Indian, Smokey Joe? I moved him to my own bedroom. Bed's more comfortable. I would have liked. You don't need a light. Just wait right there. Alone in the small room, Caswell sat up in the bunk. He ignored the pain that stabbed through his head as he pushed aside the blanket. He placed his feet on the floor and was about to rise when he saw the head and shoulders of a man silhouetted in the window. A battered, wide, brimmed hat was familiar. The figure leaped through the window with cat like agility, grabbed Caswell and clamped one hand firmly across his mouth. Caswell struggled furiously as a second man climbed through the window. The two assailants threw Caswell to the bunk and held him there. Then the hand slipped from his mouth. Barney. Blaze. Wait. Wait. Listen. Don't stab me. I'm Caswell. How did you know Barney and Blaze were coming here to stab someone? What's that? You've convicted yourself, Caswell. Dead boys hear not. Please. Multoon's the name. Bring him the light, Bugs. Here. Here's a lamp. Looks like everything worked out first rate. Anything to say, Caswell? You mash manned me. You did Hat, eh? Hat. I borrowed Varney's hat. When you saw me outlined against the window, you made a natural mistake. You thought I was Varney. If this is a joke. It's no joke, Caswell. We caught Blaze and Varney as they were about to come climb through that window. They're outside right now, tied and gagged and watched by Tato. You hired them to burn Boggs's store, murder Smokey Joe. When you thought Joe might live to identify them. You sent them here tonight to finish the job. They lied. They lied, I tell you. You knew they were coming here, Caswell. You proved it. When you were struggling with the masked man and me, you called us Blaze and Barney. You told us not to knife you. Get me out of here. Get back. Sit down on that part. Where are your handcuffs, Marshall? Right here. Now wait. Let me talk. Bugs. Listen to me. Bugs. Let me talk. Be quiet, Caswell, and listen to me. Fortunately, Smokey Joe is going to get well. So you and your pals are spared the rope at the hangman. We can't convict you of your farmer crimes, but you may be sure you get the limit of the law for arson and attempted murder. I don't know. I have a lot of ground to COVID Marshall. Blaze and Barney are right outside this window where we left them. You need no help to take them to jail. You needn't worry about me. I'll see that the people in Larrabee get a fair deal, all right? Yes, Barnaby, I know you will. Adios. He's a chick. That's what it was. The whole thing was set up to trip me. That's right, Coswell. And the trap caught the rat. My thunder. It happens every time when things are handled by 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 Bracelet Beamer, your announcer, Fred Foy. Listen to the Lone Ranger. Brought to you by Special Recording Mondays through Fridays at this same time. Foreign 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 and become one of our ranch hands and unlock some exclusive content. We want to thank our most recent ranch hands, Steve Technogod and Craig 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 copyrighted under the Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Copyright. For more information go to otrwesterns.com copyright have a great day and thanks for listening. Sam.