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. Looks as though our early start isn't going to pay off. Sure does. I can't understand it. There are usually plenty of fish here in White Lake. Especially before dawn when this mist is still on the lake. Maybe the fish just aren't up yet. If there aren't any by now, there soon will be. Listen to those birds. And the old sun's about to put in its daily appearance. Then this mist will rise and every fisherman from here to Nottie Pine will be swooping down on us. I can't figure why we haven't caught any fish. Unless something has scared them. Now what could do that? There isn't anybody else on the lake. At least I don't think there is. With all this mist, you can't really be sure. Anyhow, if there was, we'd have heard them. Maybe the boat traffic over on the Shady River scares them. Oh, sure it scares them. Right down the White River and into White Lake. You know that. Yeah, sure. It's just strange that's all. Suddenly, for no reason at all, the best fishing lake in this area doesn't have any fish. I still think they just aren't up yet. And I don't blame them. What was that? Hey, boy, you really are jumpy. What's wrong? It's probably just a fish waking up. Yeah, sure. I guess I am a little jumpy. Sure are. What's the matter? I don't know. I didn't sleep too well last night. I slept well. Just not long enough. Is something bothering you? No, nothing really. I guess it's just the lack of sleep and the eerie atmosphere out here on the lake. All this mist and no sounds to speak of. Yeah, I think it's kind of restful myself. I guess it's all the way you feel. Hey! What? Nothing. I thought I had a bite. Must have just caught on something near the bottom. I think I'll bring her in. That's a good idea. I think if we don't catch something in the next few minutes, we might as well call it a day. Oh, the day hasn't even begun. Well, look at this. What's the matter? My hook and bait are gone. Now, who taught those fish how to use scissors? Hey, this isn't funny, Bob. I think there's something going on around here. What do you mean? The line caught on something, that's all. Mentioned it when it happened, didn't it? What could it have caught on? It would have cut that nylon line with such a little talk. Well, almost anything sharp enough to cut a little nylon line. What do you think could be at the bottom of this lake that it is? Wait a minute. Listen. I don't hear it. Yes, I do. What do you suppose that is? Bob, look there at the water. I don't see anything. It's just the mist and... Look! Hey, what is that thing? Jump! Jump! Al, you okay? Yeah, I'm okay. What was it? I don't know. I gotta get to shore. Come on. Which way? I can't see in this mist. Help me. I gotta move fast. What's wrong? Why? That thing is still somewhere here in the lake. What's that? Well, one of the other numbers I've made famous during my lengthy career goes something like this. Oh, Stumpy, will you lay off? That's enough. I don't understand it. You fellas just don't ever seem to appreciate my finer musical renditions. Maybe there's something psychological about it, huh, Stumpy? Now, look here, you young whippersnapper. Don't you go throwing around them big words they teach you in school if you don't know what they mean. But I do know what... If you want to know anything about the way people's minds work, you just ask your old friend Stumpy Jenkins. I've done a lot of reading on the subject of psychology. Hey, that's it. Oh, what's it, old timer? That's how I can get you fellas to appreciate my harmonica playing. How do you figure on doing it? It's as simple as pie, Bill. I'll just do what one of those psychologist fellers did to get his children to like that there classical music. Oh, what did he do? Uh-oh, I think we in for one of old timer's jokes again, Henry. Hold on there! Hear me out. Go ahead, Stumpy. How did this psychologist feller teach his children to like classical music? Well, every time they sat down to eat, he played the music. He figured that they'd get used to hearing the music during the time that they were doing something they all liked to do. And in that way, it'd always be a pleasant experience, and they'd like it. Did it work? Why, sure. It worked fine. Except for one little detail. What was that? Well, after he was done with experimenting, every time his children heard that classical music, they'd get hungry. Oh, Stumpy. Oh, that's pretty good. I'll get it. Ranger headquarters, Bill Jefferson speaking. Bill, how fast can you and the others get over to White Lake? Oh, I'd say roughly 15 to 20 minutes. Why, Cal? You ever hear of the White River Monster? You mean that so-called sea monster that's reported every few years? Yeah, that's the one. Well, he showed up again. Cal, for a full-grown man and responsible sheriff, you sure play little boy games at times. You see how much you laugh after you talk to a couple of fellas over here and take a look at a smashed boat. Cal, you're really serious. Never more serious in my life, Bill. Now, will you get over here? On the double, Cal. So long. What's the trouble, young sir? What's going on here, anyway? Pile into the car, fellas. We're on our way to see a sea monster. Bill, what's the story on the sea monster? Is there such a thing? I mean, does someone really think there is? Well, there are some that would swear to, Henry. I never paid much attention to the reports. Every few years, someone spots what they call a monster out in the White River, or White Lake area. Cal and his men have to take a run out there to check. They never find anything, of course. In a short time, the whole thing is forgotten. Do people see these monsters anywhere else around here? Not that I know of. Of course, it's easier to let your imagination play tricks with you around that area, because of the heavy mist that settles on the water. That's how White Lake got named, because of white mist that cover a whole lake. Well, then you don't think there's anything to the reports, huh? Of course there ain't, sonny. We all know there ain't no such things as ghosts and monsters. Yeah, yeah, we all know that. I guess. What probably happens is that some breath of wind shifts the mist a little, and the change in density or thickness gives the appearance of some kind of form. Anyhow, I don't remember anyone ever being very near the so-called monster when it was sighted. It was always a few hundred yards away and hard to describe. Bill? Yes, pal? If there really isn't anything to worry about, how come we're on our way out there? Well, that's a good question. Cal never called us in on this kind of thing before. Maybe he need others to help convince people that there is no monster. Well, that's probably it, all right. Well, Cal sounded a little pushed on the phone. Didn't get the idea that he was just playing. He said something about a boat being wrecked. By the monster? I wouldn't jump to conclusions, pal. Let's just wait until we talk to him, huh? Then I'll be long from now. There's Sheriff's car near Lake Edge. Sheriff and two men near Small Fire on left. And I'm just beginning to make the whole thing out, and Grey Wolf has it all described. Well, we'd have been in a lot of tight spots if it hadn't been for Grey Wolf's sharp vision. Hang on now. You made pretty good time, Bill. The tone of your voice on the phone helped, Cal. Are these the men you mentioned? That's right. Al Thornsburg, Bob Beamers, Ranger Bill Jefferson, Henry Scott, Stumpy Jenkins, and Grey Wolf. Hi, Al. Pleased to meet you. Howdy. Isn't it a little early in the morning for you fellas to be swimming? We wouldn't have it if we hadn't needed to, Mr. Jefferson. Bob, suppose you tell us what happened. Well, sir, it's hard to say. Like we was telling the sheriff here, we're not too sure what we saw. Uh-huh. You see, Henry? Uh-huh. We were out early this morning before the mist rose to fish. It's always a lot better that early before anyone else arrives, and the fish aren't all scared off yet. But this morning, there weren't any fish around. We thought it was kind of strange, but we didn't make anything special of it. You thought it was fishy that the lake wasn't fishy, huh? Tell them what happened next, Alf. Well, we were just about deciding to call it a day. When my line got caught on something in the water, I pulled it in and my hook and bait had been torn off. Cut off? Then all of a sudden we heard a strange kind of rumbling sound. Alf, you heard it first, real low and quiet. Then all of a sudden we saw something coming up out of the water. It was horrible. About 20 feet high when it stood up, all full of arms and tentacles. Waving and swinging them in every direction. Then it saw us and down it came. Smashing our boat and knocking us into the water. You're always right. We floundered around in the water, trying to get our breath and figure out what it was that we'd seen. But whatever it was stayed under, so we swum right for sure. And now do you see why I called for you, Bill? Yes, I see all that. This is a little different from the usual monster report. You said a mouthful there, young fella. What do you make of it? It's hard to make anything out of it yet, old timer. I say we look a damaged boat for ideas. Good idea, Grey Wolf. Has any of it washed ashore? Yes, it has, Bill. Most of it. I was about to take a look when you arrived over there by the edge. All right, let's go. Wow. Look at what's left of that boat. There's little left to look at. Take a look at this, Cal. Here along this broken edge. Wow. Have you ever seen anything like that before, Bill? It's the kind of muck that collects on things that are submerged for a long time. Things like sea monsters? Roll back, young fella. Let's wait till all the facts are in. Hey, I got the idea that you fellas know something about this sea monster. Something that we don't. Sure. Lots of people have seen this monster around here. That's enough, pal. No, wait a minute. Don't we deserve to know about this? After all, we were the ones attacked by this thing. If that thing, as you call it, is able to attack at all. Now, what do you mean by that, sir? Are you sure it was 20 feet high? Easily. Maybe even 30. But you were in the middle of a thick mist. How could you judge sizes? What did you compare it with? Okay, 10 or 15 feet. What's the difference? It came up out of the water, saw us, smashed us, and then after... Suppose you describe its eye or eyes. Well, now, Mr. Jefferson, it all happened so fast. With that mist out there... Hey, wait a minute. I get the idea that you think we're trying to pull a fast one on you. You don't even believe this ever happened. People have tried it before. Yeah, well, we're not other people, and we know what we saw. Like, this smashed bow here is proof. What else do you want? You see, Alf, Bob, I don't believe there are such things as ghosts or monsters. I firmly believe in looking for rational explanations for every occurrence. And when someone comes along with a story such as yours, I naturally want to make as sure as possible that it isn't just a big joke. Yep. Come on, Bob, don't fess up. This is just one big joke, now, ain't it? Boy, if you won't believe, there's no one will. You have to. We really were attacked this morning. By what, I don't know. But this is our boat, and we were attacked. Maybe I'd better take these fellas back to town for some fresh clothes and a little breakfast. Good idea. I'll check with you later, Bill. All right, Cal. We'll look around here a little more, and then meet you back at Ranger headquarters. Come on, you two, let's settle our minds and our stomachs with a little grub. We really did see that thing, Bill. Really, we did see it. Poor fella sure was shaky. I tend toward believing in myself, Bill. Me, too. I, too. I think they report what they believe to be truth. Well, then it's unanimous. I was just testing the strength of what they were saying. You believe them, too? That's right, pal. Then what do you think it was, or is? I don't have an answer for that one. All I have now is a lot of mixed-up pieces to a big puzzle. When we put them all together, they should resemble whatever is out there in that lake. Bill? Yes, pal? Let's talk a little farther back from the edge, huh? MUSIC Yeah, that's right, Cal. No, we didn't find anything new. A couple more pieces of the smashed boat with that same muck on various parts of it. Mm-hmm. Yes, I think from the placing of that stuff on the pieces, it can be established as rubbing off whatever hit the boat. Well, I just don't know, Cal. I've never seen anything like this before. What could rise up even six feet above a boat and come down on it with enough power to smash it? Oh, listen, Cal, Henry's just come in with some things I want to look over on this thing. Why don't you stop by in a few minutes? By that time, Grey Wolf should be back and we can try to piece something together. Okay, Cal. Right. See you then. So long. Well, pal, what'd you find? Boy, there sure was a lot more than you'd think. These newspaper reports go all the way back to 1903. Yeah? Yeah, man, that long ago saw something in the White River and reported it to the paper. I guess the whole town of Naughty Pine stayed inside at night until the scare died down. I'll just put this stack of papers over where we can spread them out. Mm-hmm. 1903, huh? That's quite a while ago. The paper said it was the paper's first year. This was one of the biggest stories of the year. I'm sure it was. Herman Barnes reported that the monster was between 30 and 80 hands high, had many arms and what looked like tentacles swinging about in every direction. Hey, that's the exact description that those two men gave. That's right, pal. Now, let's see what else it says. Some speculate that this monster may have been the cause of the tragic sinking of the Mary Dee some five years ago just upstream of the White River on the Shady River. Did you ever hear of that, Bill? Oh, sure. That's Naughty Pine history, pal. The Mary Dee was a large schooner, the only one ever to sail on the Shady River and one of the very few to sail any inland river as relatively small as the Shady. The ship sunk, as this article says, just upstream of the White River. Of course, they didn't have the modern means of determining causes of accidents that we have today, so history says that the ship sunk for unknown reasons, leaving no survivors. It was quite a mystery at the time. Do you think we're discovering the answer to it now? The monster? Uh-huh. Oh, Grey Wolf, come on in. What did you find? Oh, nothing, Bill. I cover almost all Lake Front and follow along White River till it meets Shady River. No sign of anything going in or leaving water anywhere. I'd hoped whatever it was might have come out of the water and we could follow it. Bill? Yes, pal. What do you make of that old description being so much like the one those men gave of the monster? I don't know, Henry. I can think of three possibilities. What old description you talk about? Oh, right here in this 1903 newspaper article, Grey Wolf. Now, look. Oh, let's see. Huh. Might be that they were influenced by what they'd heard of the monster in the past. Well, they said they didn't know anything about the monster. Yeah, that's right, they did. Or it might be that they're trying to put one over on us. Oh, but we all say we believe them. Yeah, even you said that, Bill. Yeah, that's right, too. That doesn't necessarily make them right. What's the third possibility? I think it's obvious, Henry. You mean... That's right, pal. Maybe they did see something. And maybe all these past reports are true. A deep lake out there. No telling what far under surface. Right, Grey Wolf. And if that's the same thing that sank the Mary Dee five years before that newspaper article, that means whatever it was was full grown by 1898. And it's been lurking around those waters for over 60 years. Phone rings Yeah, hello. Bill, Cal. Oh, hello, Cal. Couldn't sleep either, huh? Nope. Sort of hoping you'd have something to ease my mind. Like a solution to this whole thing, huh? That's right. What if I were to say that I think there really is something in that lake? Would that be enough of a solution for you? I think we all believe that, Bill. What I want to know is what is it? Where did it come from? How do we get rid of it? I don't know any of that. Now, listen, Cal, as long as you call, let's recheck the facts. Maybe we can turn something up. Okay, why not? Well, let's see. This thing sure has a history. People have been spotting it out there for at least 60 years. And every description is pretty much the same. Right. But this latest sighting by Bob and Alf this morning was the first time that whatever it is ever did any actual damage. The other time it was only seen at a distance. Now, you're not forgetting the sinking of that old schooner on the Shady River just upstream from the White River, are you? Well, we're not at all sure that this thing had anything at all to do with that, are we? No, I guess not. It might just have been a coincidence. Besides, it happened a good five years before that thing was ever spotted. Hey, wait a minute. Huh? You onto something? The monster has never been reported outside the White River White Lake area, right? Yeah. I couldn't even find anywhere where it came out of the water. So... Cal, I want you to call the others and all of you meet me at about 7 a.m. right at the spot where we were with those two men this morning. Sure, but why... Cal? Yeah? Bring along the diving equipment. Oxygen tank, fins, the whole works. Bill, are you going loco? I don't think so, Cal. Well, what are you gonna do? I'm going back to bed. I want to get rested up for the morning. Tomorrow, I'm going monster fishing. That's it. There. There. That should do it. Are you sure you know what you're doing, sonny? Yeah, Bill. We're all pretty worried about you. You know what you're gonna run into down there? Maybe you'll let me come with you. Help in case of unexpected trouble. Oh, he's crazy. That's all. Sure is. If he'd seen what we saw, he wouldn't be so anxious to jump in there with it. Now, I appreciate your collective concern, my friends, but let me assure you that I don't expect any danger down there. If you really want to be helpful, you could start a little fire, you know. It's a bit chilly for a swim, and I'd be grateful for a warm spot to come back to. If you come back at all, you sure you want to go through with it? Right, and the sooner the better. Aren't you taking any weapons, like a gun or harpoon or something? I've got all I need right here, Henry. Just a flashlight? That'll be a great help. Did you see our boat when that thing got finished with it? Now, if you will all excuse me, I'm going down there to pay our respects to a very old monster. Oh, it's chilly. There goes the bravest man alive. There goes the biggest fool alive, if you ask me. What kind of talk is that? No, no, slow down, Stumpy. We're all forgetting one thing. What's that, Grey Wolf? He not foolhardy. He not jump into things without much thought. If he tell us there's no danger down there, then I believe what he say. Hey, look there in the water. What's that floating in the shore? Just one of the last pieces of our boat. The boat that that harmless monster smashed a bitch yesterday. How long's he been down there? Eh, looks like about 20 minutes. Mist almost all clear from the top of the lake. I think I'll get a few more sticks to put on the fire. Hey, Cal, has he got enough oxygen to stay down this long a time? Oh, sure, sure, sure, plenty. Stumpy, why don't you serenade us with one of your real fine harmonicae numbers? Well, I don't think so, Grey Wolf. Thanks, anyhow. Look, great harney toads. There it is. What is that thing out there? It looks, it looks just like everybody says it does. I've never seen anything like that before in my life. Hey, Grey Wolf, where are you going? Bill down there with things. I help. Wait, hey, Grey Wolf, you don't know what it is. You might... Maybe I better get in there too, huh? No, hold on there, Cal. No sense, all of us running out there all at once. Bill and Grey Wolf are a match. Look, it looks like Bill and Grey Wolf swimming back this way. Yeah, but what's that they got between them? What's... like some of that monster? They're dragging it into shore. As simple as all that, huh? That's right, Cal. You know, it came to me when we were talking on the phone last night. If that old schooner, the Mary D, went down just upstream of the White River, what was to keep it from being washed into the White River and finally into White Lake? Every year the melting snow and rainstorms push a lot of things into this area. Then what people saw was the Mary D rolling over and moving along the river bottom. Pretty much that. Of course, a great deal of the old schooner has been broken up and separated, but one or two of the masts have kept pretty well in shape. Just looking at it there by the shore, I can see why it looked like arms and tentacles and the like. Sure, the crossbeams and ropes. Don't forget the mist that helped confuse what you saw. When I finally found the wreckage down there and was able to move it a bit, I was wondering how I could get some of it ashore to prove it to you all. It looked like I had come just at right time. You sure did, Grey Wolf. Of course, we'll have to drag the bottom and clean out all the wreckage, but this is enough to show you you're a monster. It's enough to show me something else, too. Oh? What's that, Alf? Not to let superstition get the best of me. I don't believe in spooks, either. At least I didn't think so until this happened. Maybe we ought to say, don't let things you don't understand turn out to be monsters. That's not bad, old timer. At least we shouldn't necessarily let the unknown scare us. You know, this whole adventure has given me an idea for a new harmonic classic. Listen to this. I call it... Oh, no, no, no. Well, things aren't always what they appear to be, are they? I guess we learned that in this adventure. See you next week for more Adventure with Ranger Bill! Ranger Bill was produced in the radio studios of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. This has been a presentation from our Moody Broadcasting Network archives. Please join us again for another classic right here.
