Ranger Bill, Warrior of the Woodland. Ranger Bill, Warrior of the Woodland. Struggling against extreme odds. Traveling dangerous trails. Showing rare courage in the face of disaster. In the air. On horseback. Or in a screaming squad car. Ranger Bill, his mind alert, a ready smile. Unswerving, loyal to his mission. And all this in exchange for the satisfaction and pride of a job well done. You know, fellas and girls, the greatest test in our Christian experience is when we come to a crisis point in our lives. We can read the book of Job and all the rest of the Scriptures on testing and faith, but they don't have real meaning until we're put to the test. Then the Lord finds out just how much we really believe what we read in His book. Christians around us find out, too, whether we're the salt of the earth or just so much weak tea that soon is washed away. Do we really mean it when we say we trust the Lord no matter what happens? Do we now? Let's get into our story, which will look into the point at hand. I like to call it the crisis. Bill, why is Stumpy lagging behind all the time? I don't know, pal. I've noticed that, too. Let's hold up and find out. Whoa, Storm. Whoa, man. Whoa, girl. Whoa, there, Ambitious. Where'd you get that name, old timer? I didn't give this guy use the name Ambitious as a compliment, but there's one thing I can't stand, and that's a speedy horse. He gets there too soon. Well, what are you fellers lollyganging around for? Let's get going. When we get back from this trip, I'm going to find me an able-bodied two-year-old with some get up and go. Now, let's get going, Ambitious. Come on, now, boy. Yeah, boy, look at Ambitious go. Look out for the branch. Stumpy gets knocked off horse. Come on, let's go. Whoa, there. Whoa, girl. Whoa, girl. Whoa, girl. Whoa, girl. Whoa, girl. Whoa, girl. Whoa, girl. Whoa, girl. Oh, my. Oh, dropped a mountain on me. What happened? Ambitious took off so fast that you didn't see the tree branch in your way, and whammo. Whammo was right. I never knew there were so many stars. We take you back to doctor after you have head bandage up. Doctor? What do I need a doctor for? Well, maybe you have slight concussion, and better to have doctor to look and make x-ray. X-ray? No, sir, I ain't going to no doctor. What's so terrible about that? You've been to doctors before and never fought. I ain't going. That's final. No, bandage up the hole in my head. We'll get back to riding the trail. Bill, you better make him go to a doctor. Let him be, fellas. If he goes now, he'll get so riled up. It won't do much good. You're assured all right to take the risk? I'll assume the responsibility, fellas. Come on, quit yapping and bandage up the hole in my head before my brains leak out to both of them. This is a special operator. What number are you dialing, please? Excuse me, operator, I made a mistake. I'll try again. Thank you, sir. This is a special operator. What number are you dialing, please? What's the matter, old timer? There's numbering machines on the fritz. Can't seem to get the number I want. Maybe you'll let me try. Go ahead, help yourself. See if you can do any better. What's the number? Right here on this piece of paper. I try. Hold the line just a minute. Stumpy, you call garage? Sure, did you get him? Ed on the other end of wire. You take phone now. Thanks. Hello, Ed. Is that you, Stumpy? Of course, it's me. Who else? That's right. Only boys like yours around these parts. Never mind the compliments. Did you get my old car fixed? Yeah, you can come down and get it any time you want. I'll be right down and get it. So long. Car ready? Yep. I'm going down to the garage and get it. Maybe you better call the telephone company and tell them to fix that ordinary contraption. Eddie did a pretty good job on the old bus. She runs right along. Patrick O'Rourke, what in the name of common sense are you up to? Now that's a fine question for you to be asking me. You're the one that's just broken the law. Me? I broke the law? Now just a minute. What kind of a cop are you turning out to be? Cusing people of breaking the law when you know they haven't. Haven't you got anything better to do? You mean to tell me with a straight face that you didn't run that stop sign back there? What stop sign back where? Right there back at the corner. And you did it with me right behind you. Maybe you think friendship blinds me eyes, but I'll tell you that I'll arrest me own mother if she broke the law. So let's see your driver's license. All right, all right, just a minute. Well, come on. What's taking you so long? Would you be printing a new driver's license because you haven't got one? I've got one and you know it. Here, look through my wallet. You'll find it. Well, take the money out first. Okay. You sure can be a hard man, O'Rourke. Here. Wait a minute, Stompy Jenkins. You mean to tell me you can't find your driver's license and I can see it from here without even touching your wallet? You can? What do you know? It is there, sticking right on in the top. Okay, Patrick, ride the ticket. Oh, never mind. Huh? What do you mean? Forget it? Don't you understand English? Sure I understand English. Now ride the ticket. Cut the blarney and move over. I'm driving you wherever you're going. I said ride the ticket! You don't have to be kind to me. I did wrong to make out the ticket out paying the fine. Are you going to move over in the seat or do I have to make you move? All right, all right. I'm doing it. Just because I'm so curious is what you're up to. Follow us, Mike. I'm driving Stompy's car. Well, where to? Ranger headquarters. Aye, and that's where we'll be heading. What are you up to anyway, O'Rourke? I'm certain that you're going blind, old timer. What? Why, you're crazy as a loon, old friend. Well, let's find out. What's there to find out? Whether I'm crazy as a loon or you're going blind. Thanks for bringing him to the office, Pat. Oh, that's all right, Bill. I was glad to do it. I ain't going to no eye doctor. He needs to go to a head doctor for a roof job. Where'd you get that one? Never you mind, and I ain't going, that's for certain. Well, I guess I'll have to write that ticket after all. You're too easy, Pat. Anyone who runs stop signs should go to jail. You agree, Bill? I sure do. You're all looking me. I don't need 20-20 vision to see that. Not a friend left in the world. That's what they all say when they're cornered. Mind you, you old grizzly bear, you get those eyes checked, or else... Well, I've got to get back to me job. Mike's waiting outside in the squad car. Well, Bill, don't just stand there. Look so disturbed. Chew me out. Let's go see the doctor, Stumpy, and not one bit of lip out of your eye I'll suspend you from the service. How long have you noticed a failing in your science, Stumpy? Oh, a couple of months, I reckon, Doc. That is where it's been real bad. Okay, that's off now, old timer. You fixed me up real good. I can't see anything at all. That's only temporary because of the drops I put in your eyes to relax the muscles. Bill will see that you get home safely. Fine, Kettle the Fish, this is. Who wants a blind old man around to lead like a puppy on a leash? Don't pay any attention to him, Doc. I'm not. You get used to this sort of thing after you've been in this game as long as I have. Well, what's the verdict, Doc? I'm going blind as a bat! What haven't you noticed? Nobody said you were, Stumpy. You have cataracts nearly covering each eye. I'll remove them and you'll have almost perfect sight again. With glasses. Remove the cataracts? How? Surgery. Surgery? Oh, no, you don't. Nobody touches my eyes. You don't have to make a decision now. Think it over. You'd be surprised how many people have cataracts removed. The operation is delicate but successful. I don't care what other people have done. Just because they're crazy don't mean I am too. I'll go blind first. Chumpin, Catfish, you don't think Stumpy really meant it when he said he'd rather be blind, do you, Bill? Oh, I don't really think so, pal. The doctor's verdict was a shock to him, as it would be to most folks. Ah, but right. He'll see things different in a few days. Oh, I sure hope so. I can't believe he'd be serious about going blind if he knew he had a good chance to regain almost normal sight. I feel sorry for Oldtimer. Yeah, so do I, but don't let him know it. Although there's one thing I'm very disturbed about. He drive car. We're not able to see very well. Yeah. Could have been very serious. Suppose he killed someone. Yeah. The Lord sure must have put Pat right behind Stumpy's car so he'd see the Oldtimer drive through the stop sign. Yeah, right there, Henry. I'm surprised it's Stumpy for doing that. We're gonna have a long talk about it. Were you serious about suspending him from the service if he didn't get medical help? What would you do if you were in my shoes, pal? Yeah, I see your point. Well, then you must have been suspicious. Sure I was. Remember when his horse lagged behind the other day on the trail? I wonder about that. Horse, he ride, not loafer. Exactly. He was trying to watch out for low branches. That's why he got knocked off his horse when he speeded up. Sure. Stumpy was trying to cover up. See, that fit in with trouble he had to dial phone the other day. I call repairman, he say phone okay. Stumpy have hard time to see dial face. And he blamed it on a bad phone? That right. Those are the things that disturbed me, fellas. He was trying to cover up. That's the same thing as lying and being deceitful. And for a mature Christian and an experienced ranger, well, he just doesn't add up. But he was only trying to keep others from noticing it. Was he, pal? What do you mean? Sure he was. Perhaps. Or was he doing the worst thing he could possibly do? I don't understand. He was lying to himself, trying to fool himself and convince himself that he wasn't losing his sight. That's the worst thing a man can do to himself and to the Lord. Remember what Jesus said to His disciples when they were in the boat and a storm hit the Sea of Galilee? You mean where Peter woke the Lord out of a sound sleep and told Him about the storm and feared they'd all drown? Well, I don't recall the exact words, but the Lord questioned them on their faith. His exact words to the disciples were, How is it that you have no faith? Oh, there he is, Blackie. I'll show them, fellas, they can't horse me around. Easy, boys. There we are. Oh, easy, Blackie. There you go. Where did you go, huh? You're so by. Tell me I'm going blind. All right, now, let's get out of here, Blackie. Come on, pal. We're a little late this morning. I'll drop you off at school. Okay. I'll be right there. Now I'll get it. Hello, Jefferson residence. Huh? Blackie's gone? Okay, Gray Wolf, we're leaving right now. Goodbye. What's with Blackie? Blackie's not in the stable in either his stumpy saddle or his gear. Uh-oh. Uh-oh is right. Come on, shake a leg. Boy, there sure doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the old boy's sight this morning. Ah, you speak truth there. Oh, boy. That old fox is sure covering his trail to perfection. If it's hard to follow now, what'll it be when we get up in the high country and on hard ground? That's the whole point. We just waste our time. Let's go back to the office, fellows. Yeah, but... He'll be all right, pal. We'll just have to wait until he gets over the shock of his eye condition. But what if he gets himself into a jam? That's the chance we'll have to take. The way Stumpy's covering his trail tells us he definitely doesn't want company. Hey, look out! That car's out of control! Easy, easy, stop. Come on, come on. Hey, you! What's the matter with you? I'm awful sorry, Bill. Barney, what wrong? You're sick. What's the matter, young fella? It's my pa, Bill. He's rattler-bitten. Rattler-bitten? You need the doctor, not us, lad. No, the doc ain't at home, Bill. I come here. I don't feel so good. It's pa, though. He's terrible, rattler. I got him! Get the big first aid kit and lash it to my saddle. I'll carry Barney into the office. You can bring him around. Grey Wolf, you try and find the doc or get an intern at the hospital. I'll ride Storm and head across country. Storm can make it faster than a car by using the shortcut. All right, let's get with it. It won't be long now, Blackie, and I'll have your name who fix goods new. This is Nate's place. He's got blacksmith equipment. Stumpy! Stumpy! Oh, thank the Lord you've come along. Oh, Blackie! Sally girl, what's ailing you? It's pa. He's rattler-bitten. Rattler-bitten? Where is he? In the house. Let me get off here. Come on, girl. Great horned toad, Sally. You're pa's in bad shape. I know it, but we didn't find him for a while. Barton's gone to get the doctor. I'll make an attorney kid of his belt. Now stop your crying and do what I say. All right. Wrap it around. You see, Barney's gone for the doc. Here, go to hold her. Yes, he left a little while ago. That's good. Now you find some razor blades while I run out to my horse and get the snakebite kit. Get some water to cook it on the stove and some clean cloth for bandages. Hurry up! No, we can't leave that tourniquet on too long. Oh, there, Blackie, easy there. You'll have to take care of your lame hoof later. Here it is. Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop it, or you'll hurt. Never mind me. I just didn't see that stool. Come on, girl, get a hustle on. Here's the razor blades, new ones. That's fine. Get this wrapper off here. Ow! Ow! Stop it! You cut yourself! I shortened it, Sally girl. Here, you peel the wrapper off this blade while I wrap up my finger. It's my eyesight. Just ain't what it used to be. Here's the blade. Just a second. Okay, now we're going to open up your paw's leg. You'll hurt him more. Maybe so. We've got to get that poison blood out pronto. You turn your head while I cut the fang marks deep. All right. Now hand me that box with the suction cup in it. What box? That one right there on the table. What's the matter, you blind? There's a snake bite kit running outside of it. You must be the one who's blind, Stumpy. That box says, saddle soap. Blaggy, when this is over, I'm going to let you kick me right in the head. Maybe that'll put some sense into it, like the Lord gave me to use. There it is. Better luck to make sure. Yeah, this'll do all right. Ow! Oh, Stumpy, please be careful. If anything happens to you, Paul, die. I'm not so sure he won't anyhow, the way I'm botching things up here, old man. Let me help you walk. Thanks, I'll need it. Look at him. Is he? No, not yet, girl. But he looks so terrible, and he's so quiet. Never mind that. You get that cooking water, cook to boiling, and then bring it here, while I draw out the poison blood. Will Paul die? Will he? Who, him? Or Nate die? Now, if he'd bit the snake, I wouldn't give that reptile a ghost of a chance. But this is the other way around. Oh, stop your blubbering and finish that cooking water! Come on, big boy. You're good and warmed up now. Give it all you got. Come on, Stumpy. Faster, boy, faster. Man's life depends on us getting there as soon as we can. Come on. Hey, old Doc. Paul Revere looked chicken to right, we make. That's not news. I figured that some time back. Rattler bite plenty bad, especially where Nate is. Big diamondback rattlesnake, carried big load of poison. Oh, Stumpy, you're going to need a doctor, too. Stitch and see the boiling water. Oh, that's a foolish question, ain't it? Fish that hypodermic needle out of that boiling water for me and be quick about it. Here it is. Well, put it on the end of this here and stop acting like I can see full time. You know, I only got part time eyes. Oh, okay. It's on. Now take that little bottle and push the needle through the rubber cork. I did. All right. Now turn the bottle upside down and fill the syringe. Yep. It's filled. Now give it to me and hold that light close so I can see if there's any air bubbles. Can you see it now? Let me see. Yep. I don't see any bubbles. Did you? No. Don't tell me I see it right for a change. Will that end of venom shot make Paul well? Sure hope so, Sally girl. Sure hope so. Let's see. It'll give him more of a fighting chance than he had. How's Nate, Doc? He'll make it, Bill. That was really a close one. Yeah, sure was. I'm real pleased to hear the good news. Stumpy saved his life. Maybe so, but almost killed him too. What do you mean by that? Look at me. Cut finger on his hand, two burned fingers on another, banged up toe and shim bone. And all this happened because I can't see so good. If that girl hadn't been here to see for me in the tight places, Nate would have died. Wouldn't he, Doc? Well? Yes, yes, you're right. Sally told me about what happened. Not to tattle, but to help. I sure ain't proud of myself. I can tell you that much. The Lord must be real disturbed with me. I don't understand. It's pretty simple, Doc. I'm supposed to be a mature Christian, and yet I'm all shook up about having eye surgery. That is, I was all shook up. I've come to a crisis in my life, and I fall flat on my face. Let's get the eye operation done as soon as you can, Doc. And Bill, I've got something to say to you too. All right, go ahead, old friend. The next time I come face to face with a crisis, I won't embarrass you or the Lord. I'll act like a grown-up Christian. Yes, I believe the old-timer will do just that. And when you come face to face with a crisis, you be sure you act like a grown-up Christian too. See you next week for more Adventure with Ranger Bill. Ranger Bill comes to you transcribed from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
