Tonto: Tales of the Lone Ranger

Originally Aired: January 21, 1938
The Lone Ranger #778, "Frameup For Profit," opens as the notorious Brugen brothers, Dan and Paul, plot to rob the Osage Bank. The ruthless outlaws coldly decide to kill the banker to avoid being identified, then make their escape to a remote hiding place where they can't be tracked. After the robbery, the town immediately suspects the Brugens, and the sheriff organizes a posse to hunt them down. Among those eager to join are Missouri and Sleepy, two broke but beloved former silver miners known throughout the county for their generosity to struggling families. Despite their friend the banker being shot, the sheriff refuses to let the elderly pair ride along, calling them too old for the dangerous pursuit.
Humiliated and determined, Missouri and Sleepy refuse to accept being sidelined. When a mysterious Indian named Tonto appears in town on a magnificent horse, the old-timers see a potential ally who might help them track the killers and claim the substantial reward money. As Tonto prepares to ride out, Missouri and Sleepy desperately try to convince him to take them along on what could be their most important manhunt yet.

Originally Aired: January 19, 1938
The Lone Ranger #777, "Crooked Banker And Sheriff," the masked rider races to Wells City to rescue Steve Larson from jail before corrupt banker Ben Bush can have him hanged. Bush, the wealthiest and most feared man in the territory, controls the town with an iron fist alongside his compliant sheriff, Pete Crowley. When the Lone Ranger successfully frees Larson—the third man he has saved from Bush's clutches—the banker grows increasingly furious with Crowley's inability to stop the mysterious masked man on the white horse.
Back at his camp, the Lone Ranger and Tonto reveal to the bewildered Larson that he has been framed for murder, just like the other two rescued men. The scheme becomes clear: Bush steals depositors' money from his bank, then arranges for the victims to be accused of murder and hanged before they can claim their funds. Larson had $3,000 in Bush's bank, making him a target. Though grateful to be alive, Larson worries he can never return to his wife Mary and son Jerry, now branded an escaped prisoner and outlaw.

Originally Aired: December 17, 1937
In The Lone Ranger #763, "Osage Bank Robbery The," the notorious Brugen brothers, Dan and Paul, arrive in the town of Osage with deadly intentions. After coldly planning their crime in the local cafe, they rob the Osage Bank and callously shoot down the banker, leaving no witnesses to identify them. The ruthless outlaws then flee toward a secret hideout two hours away, confident they can disappear without leaving a trail. When word of the murder spreads through town, the sheriff quickly organizes a posse, identifying the Brugens as the likely culprits due to their signature brutality.
Two aging former prospectors, Missouri and Sleepy, are devastated by the banker's death, as he was their friend. Despite having recently lost their fortune when their silver mine played out, the generous pair still want to join the manhunt. However, the sheriff refuses their help, deeming them too old for the dangerous pursuit. Enter a mysterious Indian named Tonto, who offers his tracking skills to help Missouri and Sleepy go after the killers themselves. As the official posse struggles to find any trail, the stage is set for an unlikely alliance to pursue justice.