Branded A Coward

Originally Aired: July 25, 1938The Lone Ranger #857, "Branded A Coward," finds the masked rider and Tonto seeking shelter at a remote ranch house near the Rio Grande, only to be met with gunfire. Ruth Taylor, mistaking them for someone else, fires at the strangers before apologizing. Circling back, the Lone Ranger and Tonto witness a troubling scene: ruthless rancher Steve Drago and his men terrorize Lee and Ruth Taylor, demanding they abandon their land. Drago has seized their water hole and threatens worse if they don't leave by noon the next day. When Lee fails to stand up to Drago's physical assault, Ruth makes a heartbreaking decision.Lee believes he's cursed by his family's reputation for cowardice, convinced that because his father died without defending himself, he's destined for the same fate. Despite Ruth's protestations that he's stronger than he believes, Lee cannot overcome his self-doubt. The next morning, the Taylors load their belongings and leave their ranch. Ruth parts ways with her husband, telling him she'll wait for him to prove himself worthy of her respect and faith.