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. Walter, where are you? I know you're here, so it's no good trying to hide. Walter! Who's calling? I'm out here in bad. You know right well who it is that's calling. Oh, it's you, old man. What can I do for you? What can you do for me? Now isn't that a kindly question coming from you, especially after the underhanded blow you've dealt me? Maybe you'd better settle down a bit, old man. I'm not sure I like the insinuation. I haven't pulled anything underhanded on... What do you call stealing one of my biggest customers right out from behind me back? Oh, so that's it. That's it, all right. Oh, man, there wasn't a thing crooked about my convincing Brownwell contractors to buy their lumber from me. I was able to give them a better deal than you, that's all. You wouldn't have been able to if I'd known you were going to try. Sometimes it just isn't good business to let your competitor in on what you're planning. You ought to know that, O'Malley. You're a businessman. There was a time when I didn't have to worry about fancy deals and the like. There was a time when Nutty Pine was too small to keep two lumber yards in business. Oh, times have changed. And so have the business tactics. Now listen, O'Malley, I'm a busy man, and I haven't got time to listen to your wounded pride. If you want to make any formal accusations, take them over to the sheriff's office. If not... Well, I suggest you get back to your own lumber yard. All right, I'll go. But you listen to me, Walterson. I'm tired of listening to you. That does it. Walterson, I'm warning you. If you so much as look at even one other customer of mine, you will regret the day you ever started here in Nutty Pine. Is that a threat, O'Malley? That's a threat, sure enough. You're up-to-date methods of swiping what belongs to me. No, you listen to me and listen good. I'm not looking for any trouble with you or anyone else. If you keep on spouting off about my being a crook, I'll have to take steps. Truth hurts, does it? Get moving, O'Malley. Go back to your own lumber yard and... wittle. I'll go. But don't forget what I said, Walterson. If you go near even one more of my customers with your better deals, you'll be sorry you ever started in Nutty Pine. That's a threat and a promise. I'm glad that you said that again, O'Malley. Good and loud like that. What? I think it might help for me to have a witness to that threat, and you just made sure I did. A very good witness. What are you talking about? He's talking about me, O'Malley. And I'm sorry to say I heard the whole thing. I hope you remember what you heard, Officer. I may need your word one of these days. Tim O'Malley, what's the meaning of words like I heard you speaking just now? You don't understand the whole circumstance, Pat. I have a good reason for the noise I'm making. A good legal reason, Tim? That's a good question. Well, I've got to get back to work. Maybe O'Malley here can afford to leave his yard once in a while, but I can't. I'll top him on, and then... That man is the most excess... What kind of talk is that? Well, he is. Well, everyone feels like that about a competitor once in a while, my friend. I'm sure whatever he did was more than enough to rile you in a professional sort of way, but I don't think that threat was very professional. I was just trying to scare him, that's all. Ah, he knows better than that. The most you've done is amuse him. Aye, I suppose so. Oh, Pat, my old friend, whatever happened to the old Nutty Pine? The nice, small town that I moved into and started up my lumberyard in years ago. Come on, Tim, let's have a cup of tea down at the corner restaurant. Life was so simple then. So these three Irishmen were riding along through town, and one said, it's windy. Uh-huh. And the second one said, no, it ain't, it's Thursday. And what did the third one say, Stumpy? Well, he said, I'm thirsty too. Let's stop for a cup of tea. Oh, Rourke, I didn't see you come in. You were too busy telling that joke, Stumpy. Afternoon, gentlemen. How are you, Pat? Oh, fine, Bill, thank you. Stumpy, it's funny you should be telling that story when I came in. Oh, why is that? Well, it just so happens that this morning at least two Irishmen had tea together. That so? Aye, me old friend Tim O'Malley and meself. Well, we haven't seen Tim for some time, Pat. Nor had I before this morning. It's nice that two old friends like yourselves can get together once in a while for some hot tea and warm conversation. Warm it was, Bill. As a matter of fact, O'Malley was closer to Steeman than the tea. Oh, what was wrong? It seems that that new lumberyard in town is giving him a bit of competition. Carl Walterson's yard? That's the one. I was just going by there this morning on my beat when Tim comes roaring out of Walterson's office breathing fire. I guess this sort of thing is bound to happen. The bigger a knotty pine gets, the bigger its problems get. Up until Carl opened his yard, Tim had it pretty easy. He sure is having trouble making the adjustment to competition. He'll do it, though. I've known Tim as long as anyone. He may be a little quick-tempered, but he's all right. I hope you're right, Stoneman. Oh, hey, now. We didn't hear you come in, Carl. That's what comes of leaving your front door open. Just about anyone can walk right into this ranger station. Well, what can we do for you? Pull up a chair. I can't stay that long. Actually, I just wanted to talk to you about that incident this morning. I see Pat here has already filled you in on the whole thing. I don't think there's anything to worry about, Carl. You don't think he meant anything by the threat? Threat? Oh, I was just getting to that part. He told me that if I even smiled at any of his accounts, I'd regret the day I ever opened in competition with him. Perhaps I should add that later on in the morning, he told me he was ashamed of making himself such a disgraceful statement. He said it twice. You heard it one of the times. That sure doesn't sound like old Tim. He did seem a little more put out than usual, but I still don't think there's anything to worry about. What do you say, Bill? I think we'd just better let the whole thing drop, Carl. If Tim was sorry for the way he acted so soon after it happened, we can be pretty sure that it was a flare of the moment and nothing more. I hate to seem like the villain here. Oh, you don't, Carl. If you say it's all right, I guess I'll take your word. Oh, Tim's all right, Mr. Walterson. He's just got a hot temper. That's Irish in him. Hey, that's what's in him, all right. But he's got something else in him that's just as Irish. And that's why I wouldn't worry. What's that? A warm heart. Seems to me if the Rangers think Mr. O'Malley's all right, he's all right. Well, that's what they said, anyhow. Oh, I think you're all making too much of this whole thing. Obviously, Mr. O'Malley was upset when you took over the Bromwell account. Who wouldn't be? And naturally, being a hot-tempered Irishman, he had to come over and shout about it. He did that all right. Well, dear, it's all over now. Officer O'Rourke and Bill Jefferson and Stumpy Jenkins all say there isn't any more to it. So I don't think we even ought to mention it again. Yeah, I say let's forget the whole thing. I play with Timmy O'Malley. Mr. O'Malley's his grandfather. I play with him at school, and he always says how swally-scramp he is. You're all right, of course. I shouldn't carry this any farther. It's just that I've worked too hard to get started around here to be called a crook and threatened. Oh, it's all over now, Carl. Mr. O'Malley will no doubt come by tomorrow to apologize. More coffee, dear? I believe I will. May I have your excuse from the table, please? Are you all through? Yes, ma'am. All right. Thank you. There you are, dear. Thanks. Dad? Yes, son? I've still not completely finished making that doghouse for Skipper yet, and I was wondering if... No, sorry, son, not tonight. It's been a pretty rugged day, and I just couldn't face that lumberyard again tonight. Oh. Is all your homework done, Tommy? Oh, sure, Mom. I finished it this afternoon because I thought that tonight maybe we could... Oh, never mind. Oh, that's a shame. Maybe I'll go over to Ronnie's house. See what he's doing. Tommy? Yeah, Dad? I don't know why I never thought of this before. How would you like to go over to the yard yourself and work on the doghouse? You mean it? Carl, do you think it's all right? Sure, it's all well-lighted streets between here and there. There won't be any trouble, I'm sure. But just be sure to lock the place after you're through. Uh-huh. Well, I think you ought to call us when you get there, Tommy, and again just before you leave to come home. Oh, Mom. Well, that's a good idea, son, just to be on the safe side. Okay. Boy, it would be great to go there all by myself. Here are the keys, Tommy. Now take care. Uh-huh. Uh, which one is the key for the front door? Uh, the golden with the round head. Be good now. Come home early. I will. Boy, thanks. Hello. Oh, hello, Patrick. Oh, yes, a little better. I'm not at all happy with myself the way I acted this morning. What's that? Well, no, that's a nice... it's nice of you to ask, but... Well, I'm afraid I don't feel much like it tonight. I know, I know. Yes, it has been a long time since we sat down to a good game of checkers. But not tonight, my old friend. Oh, I was thinking about taking a little walk later. Sometimes that can pick a man's spirits up a bit. Thanks again, Pat. Yes, yes, do call again. Good night. Boy, it sure is swell, Dad, to let me come over to the lumber yard alone. I guess he knows I can take care of myself. Oh, almost didn't see him. Maybe I better pay attention to what I'm doing. Hey, look at all those sparks coming from that new factory over there. They must be burning something big for them to be coming out of the chimney like that. Well, can't stand here all night. I got to find Dad's key and get into the lumber yard. I got a dog house to build. It's too bad Tim couldn't join us tonight, Pat. It would have been good to see him again. Well, I guess the day was a bit too hard on the poor fellow. He said something about going for a walk this evening. Well, I hope he's all right. Whoops. Sounds like someone's been playing with matches. It sure does. Where do you suppose it is? I don't know, but I'd better find out. I am on call to write apart those things this month. For the traffic and the like, you know. May I use the phone, Bill? Sure, Pat. Go right ahead. Thanks. Hello? Sam? This is O'Rourke. Where's the fire? What? You sure? Of course you are. Of course you are. Uh-huh. No. It's nothing. I'll be there in a double. I can't believe it. I'm sure he wouldn't do a thing like that. What's the trouble, Pat? Is there anything wrong? I don't know. That fire is burning up Carl Watterson's lumber yard. And you think? I don't know what to think. Come on, fellas. Let's get over there. It sure looks like there's going to be some fire to get under control. You can say that again, old-timer. Look, there's Carl and his wife over there. Yep, there she is. Oh, Bill, I'm glad you came, Bill. Just arrived. Why? My boy, Tom, he came here tonight by himself to work on a house dog for his dog Skipper. You see him anywhere? Sorry, Mrs. Watterson, I haven't. Hey, look over there. What now? Is that a boy up there? Bill, look! There he is! Oh no, Tom! He's on the second floor. What's he doing up there? Probably ran up there to get away from the flames. Save him! Somebody get him out of there! Impossible to get there now, ladies. The whole place is going up. Bill, what are you doing? I'm going over there to those hoses to soak myself in this hanker ship with water. Then I'll cover my face with it and go in after Tommy. Bill isn't there any other way? That burning porch below the window stops the possibility of a net or ladder. The only way to get him is for someone to go in after him. But you might be killed. That's a turns-on aftertaste. See you later. Hey, look! That Ranger's going in there! There. I'm inside. Now to find a way to get up to that second floor. Phew! I can't remember too many forest fires that were hotter than this. I hope I don't dry out too much before I can get back up with Tommy. Ah, there's the staircase. If I can just get across this blazing room and up those stairs, I might be in business. Phew! I'm glad that didn't happen while I was on it. That whole staircase collapsed. Now how am I going to get up there? I'm drying out fast. This building can't last forever. I could say, maybe those pipes. I could shimmy up them and swing over onto the floor. Phew! They're a little warm. They look like the only way. Ow! I can hardly hold on. Now to swing to the floor. That floor seems to be holding it. There's Tommy over there. Ranger, go! I can't get out! We're trapped here! I don't think so, Tommy. Here, put this wet handkerchief over your face. It'll protect you from the smoke and heat. But what do you use? Never mind. Just do as I say. Okay, but... Now, climb on my back. We're getting out of here just as fast as we can. What was that? That's the reason we're leaving in a hurry. If we don't go right now, there won't be any floor left to stand on. Okay, Ranger Bell. I'm up on your back. And oh, I'm plenty scared. That makes two of us, Tommy. I don't know whether we'll make it through this one or not. I don't like the looks of that floor between here and the pipes. It looks awfully black and very sturdy. Do you think we'll make it, Ranger Bell? How can I answer that? I don't know. All I know is that we're going to fly. So far, so good. The floor seems to be holding. Yeah, not only looks like it, it is. Just a few more feet to those pipes. It's a good thing Tommy's too frightened. He's hanging on much tighter because of it. He's going to have to jump for those pipes. If I miss, it's the only way. Hopefully I haven't gotten too much hotter since I came up. Here goes. No, no, no, no. Boy, we made it. It's okay. Boy, I'm still holding on. What a neat way to get down. Tommy, look at your hands. Just hold on, Tommy. Almost down. Pipe's scalding hot. Oh, there. Now, gotta run for the door. We've got no time for anything. The smoke's getting the best of me. Gotta run for the door. Oh, look. The building's going to crash. We're back out of here, folks. I'm the devil. But Tommy, it's Bill. Bill's been in that oven longer than anyone could stand it. Hey, look. He's running out of the building. Why, it's the Ranger. He's got that fly. Oh, you can hardly believe it. Oh, thank God. Hey, man, do that. Here they come. Bill, here we are. Tommy. Oh, my dad. There you are. There's Tommy. Bill. Bill. Hey, you there. Yeah, what's the matter with the Ranger? Run over to that first safe track and have him get over here on the double. Sure, man. That was one of the bravest things I've ever seen. Wait till I tell you how he did it. We can hold all that right now. Bill needs attention fast. If he don't get it, things look pretty bad for him. I know someone else who thinks don't look so good for him. Who's that? The man who set this fire, Tim O'Malley. It looks even worse by daylight. The whole place, a lot of time and effort gone up in smoke. I know, dear, but it could be worse. Tommy and Bill are okay, and all the firemen were able to save a lot of the lumber, and the insurance will pay for the greater part of the loss. I know you're trying to be cheerful, Irma. I appreciate it. But the insurance can't build a new building as fast as a fire destroyed it, not even with the lumber they were able to save. I know what you mean. If this had happened to me, why... You! What are you doing here? Why, why, I came to... Come back to see your handwork, eh, O'Malley? What are you talking about? I won't even bother explaining. Here comes Pat Geroit, and if he does what I think he'll do, no explanation will be necessary. Pat, what's he talking about? I can't tell you how much this hurts me, Tim, but I've a warrant for your arrest. What? On what charge? Arson, the burning of Mr. Watterson's yard and a great deal of his lumber stock. Come on, let's go. See you in court, O'Malley. Mr. Watterson, if you persist in disturbing this hearing, I shall have to ask you to leave. I am to keep this on a quiet basis. Sorry, Judge, but you can understand how I feel. My boy was almost killed. I'm well aware of the circumstances. I'm also well aware of the facts. And so far we have no more than circumstantial evidence that Tim O'Malley was even involved. Lots of men argue and threaten each other. Lots of men go for walks alone when they've had an upsetting day. But how many of these men do things with such good timing? The fire on the same day is a threat, and it started at the same time he was on this so-called walk. Now, that's exactly why we're here to decide just whether or not Tim O'Malley actually started the fire. Well, I think it's obvious. Your Honor, may I make a suggestion? Why, of course, Bill. How are you feeling? Better, thanks. Your Honor, as far as we know, the only person who actually was at the fire when it began... ...was Tommy Walterson. Yes, that's right. But I think we've pretty well established that he didn't start the fire. That's right. But I think he might be even more help than we've thought thus far. You want to ask him a few questions, is that it? Yes, with your permission. Go right ahead. I don't know what good any of this is. I'm just trying to find out how that fire started. I know how that fire started. If you want to ask someone who was there when it started and can tell you all about it... ...why not ask Tim O'Malley? Now, Mr. Walterson, I'm not going to ask you again. I really don't need you at this hearing, and I'm beginning to think we'd get along much better without you. I'm sorry, Your Honor. I'll sit down. That's better. Now, Bill, you are going to ask Tommy a few more questions. Thank you, Your Honor. Tommy, you can help us out a lot by trying to remember a few things. Anything you say, Ranger Bill. Boy, after the way you came raining for me and almost burned your hands off... I want you to try to remember everything that happened when you arrived at your father's lumber yard the other night. Will you do that? I'll try. Good boy. Now, just what happened? Well, uh, boy, it's hard to remember. But you know that new factory down the street a little ways from the lumber yard? Yes. Well, they must have been burning something awful big, because sparks were flying out of the chimney and going all over. I know that factory, Bill. The fire inspector requested, oh, must have been about a week ago, a court order demanding certain safety precautions having to do with fire. I think one of them was a screen attachment for the chimney. Your Honor, I have to check a couple of things right away concerning this business. May I request a recess while I make a few calls? No longer than that, if you want. Why don't we all, uh, get some lunch? This hearing will reconvene at two o'clock. This hearing will resume. Bill, what did you find out? Enough to safely state that Tim O'Malley had nothing to do with the fire. Is that so? I suppose you're going to tell me that a little spark from that factory came all the way down the street and burned that whole big building. That's exactly what I'm going to tell you, Carl. I found out that the screen extension has not as yet been placed on the factory's chimney. I also found out that the wind on the night of the fire was from the northeast, the direction it would have to come from to blow the sparks to your lumber yard. Circumstantial. Just as circumstantial as the evidence we have that O'Malley did it. That's right. But the inspectors sent for the insurance company, and they've completed their report. They have found ashes that are not from your fire in the ruins. Now, how could they tell that? They have the technical know-how, Carl. They have also placed the origin of the fire at a spot on the roof of your building. I'm afraid no one could have climbed up there and down again as quickly as needed and not been seen by Tom. He... he didn't do it, huh? I'm afraid not. Well, I guess I owe him an apology. I think you both might have learned a lesson from all of this. Maybe so. We both called each other crooks. And neither one of you were. Judge, I... I guess you'd better let Tim O'Malley go. You want to be there when we release him? Maybe I'd better. Thanks, Bill. Well, boys and girls, as today's story showed, a little spark, whether it be real fire or a hot temper, can cause a blaze that can get out of control. And a lot of hot arguments, as well as fires, might never happen if the right safety measures are taken ahead of time. Well, 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. Thanks for watching!
