Horse Thieves Steal Silver

Originally Aired: January 31, 1938 The Lone Ranger #782, "Horse Thieves Steal Silver," When high-bred horses begin disappearing from ranches near Abilene, prominent rancher Cal Cummings convinces the sheriff to send for the Texas Rangers. The Lone Ranger and Tonto, who have intercepted a suspicious letter carried by the drunk and talkative Zeke Skinner, arrive in Abilene to investigate. When Silver is stolen from outside a cafe, the masked man and Tonto rush to pursue the thieves, only to be confronted by men claiming to be Texas Rangers. The supposed lawmen arrest Tonto for horse theft after catching him near a stolen horse bearing Cummings' brand. The Lone Ranger escapes while Tonto creates a diversion, but not before the sheriff and the fake Rangers become convinced they've caught the real horse thieves. Meanwhile, at Cummings' ranch, the truth emerges: the rancher himself leads the horse thief gang, and his men have been posing as Texas Rangers. With Silver in the thieves' hands and Tonto imprisoned, Cummings plots his next move to frame the heroes while continuing his criminal operation.