The Lone Ranger and Tonto keep Sawtell, a crooked assay clerk, from stealing an old man's gold claim. Some months later the Lone Ranger and Tonto return to the area and find Sawtell is managing the Big Star Mine. Sawtell frames the Lone Ranger for an assault, then rigs a booby trap in the mine to kill the Ranger when he investigates. Later the Lone Ranger has to deliver cash and avoid robbers in order to save the Green Ridge stage line.; The Lone Ranger and Tonto ride into a strangely deserted town. There are no people and all the animals are asleep. They find a girl tied to a chair in a house. After they untie her, the three are forced into a mine by a deranged man, who proceeds to blast the entrance closed. All the townspeople are in the mine, having been brought there after drinking drugged water. Their captor, Sully, says he'll blast the entrance open if Dixon, the mine's owner, signs the mine over to him.