Originally Aired: January 18, 1939
The Lone Ranger #933, "Keeping Faith With General Custer,"
An exhausted soldier pushes his dying horse to the limits to deliver an urgent message from General Custer to the Lone Ranger. The message reveals a dire situation: hostile Indians in the Black Hills have somehow obtained rifles, and Colonel Williams is about to lead his troops into a deadly ambush. Williams plans to attack what he believes is a poorly armed Blackfoot camp on his way to Little Bear River, unaware that the warriors now possess modern weapons. The president himself is counting on the Lone Ranger's help to make the western territories safe for settlers, and Custer has broken his solemn vow never to use the masked man's real name unless the stakes are impossibly high.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto race through day and night to reach Colonel Williams' garrison before the troops depart. At the fort, Williams prepares to move out with his men, confident of an easy victory against what he expects will be bows and arrows. His family, including his young son Billy, waits anxiously as Captain Mills brings a mysterious message requiring private discussion.