The Lone Ranger Rides

by Fran Striker

In a remote basin in the western part of Texas, the Cavendish clan raised cattle. From the vast level acreage, where longhorns grew fat on lush grass, the surrounding hills looked verdant and hospitable; but this was pure deceit on Nature's part. Those hills were treacherous, and Bryant Cavendish loved them for that selfsame treachery. Sitting on the porch of his rambling house, the bitter old man spat tobacco-flavored curses at the infirmities that restricted him. His legs, tortured by rheumatism, were propped on a bentwood chair, and seemed slim and out of proportion to his barrel-shaped torso. His eyes, like caves beneath an overhanging ledge, were more restless than usual, as he gazed across the basin. He rasped a heavy thumbnail across the bristle of his slablike jowl. There was something in the air he couldn't explain. He felt a vague uneasiness despite the almost pastoral scene before him. He scanned the hills on all sides of the basin, knowing that no stranger could come through the tangle of underbrush and dense forest. Those hills had always been practically impassable. Then his restless eyes fell on the weird riot of color to the north. That was Bryant's Gap. Water flowing from the basin springs had patiently, through countless ages, cut the deep cleft in solid rock. The walls towering high on each side reflected unbelievable hues. Bryant's scowl deepened as he observed the Gap.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Adventure, Action

263 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Fran Striker (born Francis Hamilton Striker) (August 19, 1903 – September 4, 1962) was an American writer for radio and comics, best known for creating The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and Sgt. Preston of the Yukon

Series:
* The Lone Ranger Magazine & Romantic Western
* The Lone Ranger
* Tom Quest

Reviews

[stormhawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of origin stories, particularly when the basic character elements are in place, just waiting to be fleshed out and refined into the tales we grew to love. What I'm seeing about The Lone Ranger Rides indicates that the novel is what we'd now call a Tie-In, produced after the radio show, not identical to show connect, but related. The writing is pretty typically "Western" with dusty pardners and cowpokes, dandified weaklings, a spunky ranch boss' daughter, and horses that are smarter than several of the main characters.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good, strong story: the origins of the Lone Ranger. It’s full of despicably bad people who don’t show their cards, and a few decent people, some who come across as bad, when they aren’t.

[Ceyrone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my year 6 class, I was surprised to find out that they really enjoyed it. Didn’t think they would. To me this is a success.

[Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the origin story of the Lone Ranger told by the character's creator. We learn in the first chapter his fellow Texas Rangers are killed and he vows to bring their killers to justice. His ethics come from the Bible. He believes man's law favors the corrupt. God's law is just. He works outside of the law to see justice is done. However he rejects violence and turns outlaws over to the authorities for trail.

I'd expected the racial and gender roles to be stereotypical images. The female characters are strong. Tonto is a valued partner to the Lone Ranger. He explains the logic behind his instructions to Tonto. This is classic pulp fiction that is fun to read today.

[Eddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to read the old stuff. I always had a soft spot for the Lone Ranger and have never read the 1st novels. The origin half was just fun to read. I think Silver came from another world and I think Tonto wanted the Lone Ranger to exist to more than the wounded ranger did. (the bullets pre made). Of all the things the recent movies added was the mask being made from the bullet holes from brother's vest. Then it became a Scooby-do mystery and the bad guy would of got away with it, if not for that meddling mask man.

[Les Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the Lone Ranger began as a radio show in the 1930s, it wasn’t long before the popular character was appearing in novels and comic books. This is one of the earliest novels, telling an origin story of how John Reid became the Lone Ranger and tangled with the Cavendishes.

I say “an” origin story because it does not have a lot of elements that most versions of the story includes. For example, there is no Butch Cavendish, and there’s really no Cavendish gang. There is also no mention of John’s brother being among the casualties of the ambush on the Texas Rangers. It is mentioned that Tonto and John were friends as children, but provides no real detail.

One of the different elements I most liked is the story of the Lone Ranger’s faithful horse. An entire chapter is about the life of Silver, written more or less from his perspective. Silver was a prince in his wild herd before his father, the king, was murdered by humans. He ran away and was injured by a buffalo. Eventually , he was nursed back to health by John Reid, becoming his devoted friend.

The story itself is more mystery than action-packed adventure, chiefly having the Lone Ranger act as a detective to determine who killed his fellow Texas Rangers and what is really going on at the Cavendish ranch. It is a tale painted in stark black and white, with the good guys being good and the bad guys being bad. As in most versions, the Lone Ranger is honest and upright, a gallant hero bringing law and order to a dangerous land, despite being a vigilante himself.

The biggest problem a modern reader will have is with Tonto, specifically his dialogue. It is broken and makes no linguistic sense, such as with him referring to himself in the third person in one sentence, only to follow up with “me stop-um” in the next. It is an awkward thing to read, and unfortunate that it became a trope for Native Americans in early Westerns.

Overall, it is a good story, giving insight into the masked man that became an American icon.

[Ceejay · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was a kid in the 1950's, westerns ruled American television. In the 1958/59 season there were 26 westerns on TV, and 14 of the top 28 shows were, yup, westerns. I grew up, stop watching westerns, and never looked back. The other week I spotted this Lone Ranger book (1941), and decided to give it a try. What a surprise. Unlike the TV show, this novel, which explains the origins of the Lone Ranger, is aimed at adults. Language, violence, and a hint of ladies of the night are all here. Tonto still speaks in stilted English, but is an equal partner with the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger even has a chance at romance. The "western accent" isn't too bad, and it isn't used by all the characters,unlike the Hopalong Cassidy book I never finished. I do recommend this novels to all the little cowpokes from the 1950's. That silver bullet carrying character from our childhood was far more interesting then the way he was portrayed on television.

[AlohaMyPikachu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know many can relate to doing make-believe as a child and shouting the words "hi ho Silver!" and humming the Lone Ranger theme song. Given that I don't sleep well some nights, the TV finds itself on the channel that shows old episodes of the Lone Ranger. It got me thinking and I decided I wanted to know more.
Now true, the story won't knock your socks off, but I found the heart of the Lone Ranger admirable. Anyone a fan of the good side winning and the bad side gttting what they deserve, this is a story for you. And hey, the Lone Ranger uses silver bullets. What could be better?

[Rick Stuckwisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took some looking to find the original Lone Ranger books, by Fran Striker (the originator of the character and the earlier radio series), but it's been worth the search. Interestingly, this "origin" story differs from the one included in the 18-book series, although both are written by Striker. In any event, although the colloquial "slang" language (and spelling) is challenging at times (especially at first), it's a joy to read these refreshingly "old-fashioned" and classic stories.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun version of the Lone Ranger. It was written during the early years of the radio show. After reading it, I think this was aimed at the dads of the kids listening to the show. It was a very good read and I am glad I read it.

Really nothing to say - just a good Lone Ranger Story. I wish there were more Lone Ranger Books.

[Chris Haynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up watching The Lone Ranger on TV and I've also seen all the movies; He was my hero!! So, I am pretty familiar with the origin of the legend but I wanted to take the opportunity to read the actual origin story of the character. Overall I thought it was good and recommend it to anyone that likes the character.

[Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the TV show of the Lone Ranger. This book, however, is not like the series. It is much more violent. The story was not that interesting and the writing was laughable in places. A surprising disappointment.

[Mattaniah Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun, good action. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Jeff J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pulp novel that introduced the Lone Ranger and Tonto.

[Hobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book ”RANGER PENYENDIRI”
Judul Asli : THE LONE RANGER RIDES
Copyright © by Fran Striker, 1941
Penerbit Gradien Mediatama
Alih Bahasa : Yuditha Hardini
Editor : @angtekkhun
Lay-out : Techno
Desain Sampul : @angtekkhun
Foto © iStockphoto.com
Cetakan I : Maret 2013 ; 288 hlm
Rate : 4 of 5

Di bagian barat Texas, sebuah lembah terpencil dengan padang rumput yang luas, tersembunyi di balik ngarai yang curam dan sempit, terdapat sebuah peternakan yang cukup luas. Sang pemilik adalah Bryant Cavendish – satu-satunya keturunan Cavendish yang masih tersisa, dimana ia hidup seorang diri, ditemani para kemenakannya. Ia adalah sosok pria bujangan yang angkuh, keras kepala, egois dan membenci pergaulan sosial terutama kaum pemabuk, pemalas dan pengangguran. Saat kedua saudaranya meninggal dunia, ia menerima para kemenakannya untuk hidup bersama dengan persyaratan utama, mereka harus bekerja keras untuknya di peternakan itu. Tak satu pun dari mereka ia sukai, baik Mort, Jeb, Vince dan si bungsu Wallie, semuanya dianggap pria penakut dan pemalas. Sedangkan kemenakan lainnya, Penelope – satu-satunya yang cukup dekat dengan dirinya, terlebih karena gadis ini memiliki sifat periang dan pemberani.

Namun suatu hari, kehidupan rutin di Lembah Cavendish mengalami perubahan besar. Tanpa disadari oleh sebagian besar penghuninya, terutama Bryant yang semakin bertambah usia semakin pemarah karena penyakit ketuaan yang menghalangi pekerjaannya. Di dataran Ngarai Bryant (Bryant’s Gap) telah terjadi peristiwa pembantaian para anggota Texas Ranger, yang datang untuk menyelidiki laporan adanya aktifitas kriminal di peternakan tersebut. Tanpa tahu siapa dan bagaimana, keenam pria penegak hukum serta keadilan itu, diberondong tembakan yang menewaskan hampir semuanya ___ kecuali satu orang yang dalam kondisi terluka parah dan nyaris sekarat.

( more about this book, check out on my review at here : )
http://my-mystery-readings.blogspot.c...

[Lacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written in 1941. It started out pretty good, then gradually declined. I was a little bit disappointed. Everything seemed to fall into place for the Lone Ranger,(of course)plus he just kind of snuck around and spied a lot. The good thing is, is that he doesn't shoot to kill. He just maims the enemies and turns them in and what not. This was a decent book though, and I'd recommend it for most ages. I'm looking forward to seeing the new movie with Johnny Depp when it comes out. I didn't know anything about the Lone Ranger and wanted to see what it was about! Anyways...in the words of the Lone Ranger...."Hi-Yo Silver, Awaaaayyyy!" LOL! That's my favorite part!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a few things that seemed unexplained - - maybe I just missed them - - like how Tonto came to show up on the scene at such an opportune moment, and how he managed to get silver bullets made, even if the source of the silver is known. The reasoning for the mask also seemed a bit weak.

But the story was OK and the character of the Lone Ranger was kind of interesting - - his aversion to killing and ability to accomplish his goals without seeming to have superhero powers or anything.

I'm trying to decide if Tonto's manner of speaking English was pure stereotype or if there's really something in native American languages that leads to sentences like "Silver not make-um friends."

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so the book I actually read was called "The Lone Ranger and the Black Shirt Highwayman" which was a 'better little book' that belonged to my great uncle. Unfortunately, goodreads does not seem to have that one in its database, so in order to get credit for my goal of 100 books this year, I'm pretending that this is the book I read.

The book was read more for the experience of it rather than a desire to read the actually story, but it was kinda fun. The way Tonto is written is completely disturbing, since he is portrayed as an idiot simply because he is an Indian. Anyway, the story kinda jumped and was completely predictable, but like I said, it was an interesting experience.

[Christopher Lutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My two year old likes horse programs so on a whim I watched a couple episodes of the original show with him. A week later and I’m still watching the show, reading a comic series, and I’ve listened to this. I was impressed with just how well this story was told and at how it’s very much a straightforward, serious western. I expected something more lighthearted like the show, but I was totally enthralled and kept guessing until the very end. All the classic superhero foundations can be found here, and in this era of superhero supremacy The Lone Ranger deserves another shot at a series or movie.

[JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never knew the Lone Ranger was based on a series of pulp novels. It was cool to find this one in Project Gutenberg's site and give it a read. Pretty much in the mold of Burroughs and contemporaries.

Took me back to my childhood during the early '80's when my brother had some 1970's Lone Ranger figures and a movie version came out, which I'd watch on Betamax (probably much suckier than I remember). There was also a Filmation cartoon if memory serves, but I digress...

This ain't "True Grit" or "Lonesome Dove" but it's a pretty solid adventure.

[Adhit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku ini berisikan asal mula Lone Ranger dimana juga menceritakan bagaimana ia berusaha mengungkap siapa pembunuh teman-teman texas ranger lainnya, ceritanya sendiri penuh dengan intrik di dalamnya dan gaya khas wild west yg menurut saya sangat menarik. Buku yg menarik untuk dibaca sebagai intermezzo dari buku-buku bacaan yg saat ini sangat mainstream. Selain itu font di buku ini lumayan enak dimata sehingga membaca lama mata tidak terlalu lelah.

Format Bahasa : Indonesia
Format Buku : Softcopy

[Sarah Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could confuse non-Lone Ranger fans since it deals with the Lone Rangers origins and it's not the orthodox Ranger origin story put forth by the old T.V. show, and by the iconic Clayton Moore. As for fans who know the story, y'all may have some fun, or just annoyed by the inconstancy of it. But some great insight of Fran Strikers evolution of this character and back story. Not a bad read at all.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. It took me back to the old TV series which I could vividly picture. The language was easy to follow and created a vision of the characters that I could relate to in all the old westerns. This is a free book on Kindle. Anyone who remembers the old westerns and wants a little nostalgia would love this book.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up in anticipation of Disney's new Lone Ranger movie coming out this weekend. The book started off great, but then focused too much on boring secondary characters. After a couple of chapters, it also started to feel like a YA novel and not the gritty type of Western I prefer. I gave up on it several chapters in.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every character has a beginning, an origin. This is a fantastic retelling of the origin of The Lone Ranger. It is based on the radio broadcast origin and has reworking of parts of it for written (prose) format rather than radio play script. It is a fine work to be read by those interested in the seminal origin of the character.

[James Conder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting.The story of the Lone Ranger, as written by the guy who created him. The Lone Ranger's origin plays out a bit differently than it did on radio, and some of the the things that are pretty much canon aren't present. There's no mention of the Lone Ranger's brother, there's a Cavendish Family, none of whom are named Butch. Still much better than the recent reinterpretations.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out with a flourish (ala Louis L'Amour) but then gradually bit the dust. Improbable, tacky, stereotypical and too many holes in the plot (probably caused by a barrage of silver bullets).

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh my, not bad writing but so not my style of book. I would never say to someone, "go read The Lone Ranger."

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great ride with the original. The story came back fresh and strong. Loved it!

[Joy Jakubaitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, I've always had a soft spot for the Lone Ranger. Really enjoyed this quick read, with just a few changes from the radio/tv origins to keep it fresh