Originally Aired: November 28, 1938
The Lone Ranger #911, "Almost A Man,"
Young Neil Clark is eager to prove he's no longer a boy tied to his parents' ranch. When drifters Link Hamlin and Rusty Brennan offer him a chance to join them and earn "important cash," Neil sees an opportunity to break free from what he views as his father's hard, unrewarding life. Despite warnings from family friend Ezra, the storekeeper who once employed him, Neil dismisses concerns about his new companions as meddling. The tension comes to a head when Neil confronts his father at the corral, announcing he's leaving home. His father tries desperately to make him understand the value of honest work and the trust he's built, but Neil romanticizes Link and Rusty as "real men" with nerve, unlike those who stay "safe to home."
What Neil doesn't know is that Link and Rusty have sinister plans involving him. They're plotting to rob Ezra's store, counting on Neil's knowledge of the safe combination from his time working there. Whether Neil participates willingly or at gunpoint, the scheme is designed to get them the cash while the law gets Neil.