Reluctant Horse Thief

Originally Aired: December 30, 1938 The Lone Ranger #925, "Reluctant Horse Thief," a wave of horse thefts plagues the area around Cedarville, and suspicion falls on an unlikely culprit. When Sheriff Newt Birch and locals Duff Seely and Bill Meadows discuss the stolen horses, harness maker Duff points the finger at Yakima, a peaceful Indian who recently purchased an expensive saddle with cash. Duff's assistant Buck claims to have spotted one of the stolen horses, recognizable by its white blaze, tethered behind the cafe wearing Yakima's new saddle. When the men rush to investigate, a masked rider suddenly appears and rides off with the horse, escaping into the night despite the sheriff's shots. The sheriff jails the protesting Yakima, but the real conspiracy soon becomes clear. In a private conversation, Duff Seely reveals himself as the mastermind behind the thefts, having manipulated young Buck into framing the innocent Indian. Duff has been stealing horses and selling them to an outlaw named Poke Peters, and when Buck expresses reluctance to continue his involvement, the brutal harness maker uses physical threats to force the terrified boy's cooperation, sending him to collect payment from Poke's camp.