text: who was butch cavendish?   a the very beginning of the long ranger series begins, texas ranger reid and other texas rangers were pursuing the criminal butch cavendish and his gang.   the ranger party finds itself in a murderous ambush arranged by cavendish and a traitor ranger, collins, that seemingly leaves every ranger dead. then cavendish shoots collins in the back, reasoning that someone who could betray the rangers could also betray his gang.  tonto finds the ambushed rangers and finds reid alive. tonto takes him to safety and nurses him back to health.    butch cavendish is the "creator" and nemesis of the lone ranger.