Blair of the Mounties, a story of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police.
We present episode 12 in the dramatic series Blair of the Mounties.
Our story takes us back to August 1914, the outbreak of war. As the news of the
declaration of war against Imperial Germany echoes around the world, the
men of the great Dominion spring to arms in support of the motherland. All over
Canada men swarmed to the training camps. Soon the troop movement from the far
west begins. By night and day the troop trains thunder eastward, carrying the
men of the 1st Canadian Division on the initial stage of their journey to the
battlefront. Even at this early date the long arm of the German general staff
reaches out to distant Canada. Enemy agents begin to slip over the Canadian
border seeking to interfere with the movement of troops. As our scene opens we
find Inspector Blair busy with a new and interesting problem.
Morning Inspector. Oh good morning Lieutenant. Anything studying? No it's all quiet.
It's the dullest job I ever ran into. Yes it has been very exciting but it only had
supply and medical training so far. We get the first real troop train tomorrow
night, four sections. Yes I know but what of it? All this fool talk of spies looks
rather stupid. You never know Lieutenant. According to these messages coming through
there's lots of spy activity across the border and oh yes how about that Fisher
case? Fisher? Oh yes I suppose he's another harmless farmer with a German
accent visiting friends in Canada. Maybe military intelligence and other were very
much interested in him. He crossed the border at Pemba now last
Thursday but unless he shows up it's no concern of ours. Oh well he's here all
right. What? But he's gone west today on 97. Anything suspicious? No except that he
called for a letter at the post office here yesterday. Did you get anything? No but I did.
What do you mean? Well a letter came for him after he'd gone. I grabbed it. That's rather
irregular Lieutenant. Possibly but if I'd waited for a requisition it might take
weeks. Yeah that's right let's have a look. Henry Fisher, general delivery
moose job, mailed from Clover Point. That's on the main line about a hundred
miles west of here. All right let's open that letter. Now who's irregular? Oh come
on let's have it. All right here we go. Well for the love of Mike, look here. What's wrong?
Why just a blank sheet of paper. Hand me that bottle of developer, Lieutenant.
Headlines, dangerous enemy agent foiled by watchful eye of gallant police. Oh shut up
Lieutenant. Give me some of that developer. All right. Let's soak a bit. I'm afraid
there's nothing on it. Doesn't look like it. Well better dry it off and put it
through the roller. Hold on, Lieutenant. Try a little of that special developer. Just a
few drops. It's in the green bottle. All right. There you are. That's not good are they?
Well. Wait a minute. Look there's a line coming up. So it is. Yes and there's another
line see. Why it's a plan or drawing of some sort. See now there's a sloping bank.
Why? Why it's a drawing of a bridge. Sure enough and a railroad bridge at that.
Lieutenant I believe you've got something. Hand me that telephone. Hello get me CPR.
Superintendent's office. Mr. Clark. Hurry up. Police call. Yes. Inspector Blair
speaking. Right. Hurry please. Hello. Hello. That's you Billy. This is Blair.
Listen. I want to Patty Moran the road master. Is he in town? Fine. Ask him to come over
will you? Leelan Hotel room 17. Oh he's in the hotel. You'll get him for me. Thanks Billy.
Goodbye. That's fine. Oh Patty's coming right in. Well you think you can tell us where that
bridge is? I doubt it myself. We can try anyway. Have any whiskey around? Sure.
There's a couple of bottles of Spay Royal in the grip. Good. Better break out a bottle.
Patty's a thirsty old devil. That's Patty I guess. Let him in Lieutenant. All right.
Well now how are you Inspector? How are you? I'm fine. But it's terrible dry weather we're having.
With Jebus I don't know when I've seen it so right. How about a spot of whiskey Patty? Whiskey?
Well now I'm a temperate man Inspector and I seldom take it but it's all right with it.
Oh have yourself Patty. Well now I will have just a little spot for old time sake. Thank you.
Well here's a small frailty and a quick promotion Inspector. Thanks. Same to you Patty.
Ah man that's fine whiskey Inspector. Elegant stuff. What's that you have there Inspector? A drawing?
Yes what I wanted to see you about. Ever see that bridge before? Good day we see it. Well sure it's
just a thrattle bridge. Yes but Patty isn't there some way to identify it? Give me a chance that I
can see. Hold on. Hold on. There's something familiar about that. You think you know it?
No I wouldn't say that. Just hand me that bottle now. Thank you. I always did say that a thirsty man
has a poor man. Yes but what about that bridge Patty? We've got it. I have it. You see that crooked
pile under the threshold. Well that's the same pile I've been after the bridge department to change
this three months. Sure I know I get it. But Patty the bridge where is the confounded thing?
Easy now Inspector. I was coming to that. Suren it's the bridge at Owl Creek siding. Seven miles
beyond Clover Point. Clover Point? Yeah sure that's it. Fine now listen Patty we've got four troop
trains coming through tomorrow night. We have some reason to suspect that an attempt will be made
to wreck those trains at that bridge. Oh the dibble you say? Yes 10 of the night we'll be going
west on number three tonight. Well done now. I'm thinking I might be going along with you. Splendid.
Suren if the more than dibble start mucking with that good bridge of mine I'll be having a word with
you. Sure I'll be seeing you at the train. All right Patty.
I tell you Inspector there's not a sign of any attempt to tamper with that bridge.
Patty and I went over it. Yeah that's right now. Nothing unusual at all. Well maybe we're on the
wrong track about that bridge. What do you mean? Supposing you wanted to wreck a train
Patty near this bridge. Me wreck a train? Well just supposing. Hey and it's an
elegant place to do it. That's what I thought. Sure now you see the deep ravine with a bridge over it.
And you see beyond the bridge there's a deep cut. I see it. Well before the train comes to the
cotton there's a heavy grade and the cotton has a curtain. I see the idea. The engineer can't see
the bridge until he's within a hundred feet of it. That's right all they'd need to do is just to
throw a rail. Sure now that'll do it and I'll tell you they picked the elegantest place in the wreck
of the whole division. Thanks Patty that's what I wanted to know. How long did it take them to
ship the rail? Just a couple of minutes to do it for a man that knew how. Well we've got four trains
tonight running 10 minutes apart. And a nice mess that'd be if they got one of them. The toll would
be on the top of them before they'd know anything about it. What took the coming? I suppose six
Vancouver rifles. Gordon Highlanders from Victoria and the Yukon machine gun. The empire is too good
to lose. I should say so. Lieutenant? Yes sir. Who's on patrol? Well there's Madden and Forsythe. I see.
Of course this may be a false alarm. Anyhow the first train will make dumpster about 10 15.
The operator of the siding will give us a warning. Then we'll have to keep our eyes skinned.
We've four hours yet. Hey the folly poker if I catch one of them trying to fool with that track I'll
spivvlicate him. Fine. We'll see you at the siding at 9 30 Patty. Sure hey. Hey be with you. I'm away
now to the bush to cut me a chalet. All right. Any report of that first two Bexler operator? Not yet
inspector. She was through Madden's hat on schedule. We should hear the dumpster report any minute now.
All right let me know as soon as she comes. Sure thing inspector. How long we got after she passes
dumpster? About 12 minutes. All right. There she is now. She's just passing dumpster. Thanks. All right
tenant. Patty you there? Sure I'm here. This way inspector. We'll go over the threshold. What's that
train line for Patty? Well now we might need it to be signaling the train. Well that's one on me Patty.
I never thought of that. You didn't sure and it's a fine detective you are now. Look out now. Watch
your step on the bridge. All right. Pretty dark. Here we are inspector. There's a good view of the bridge from here.
Yes this will do. Let's see Patty. It'll take about an hour for those trains to pass. Now it's little
you know about rail rodding. They'll be crowding each other I'm thinking. Well done. Listen will
you. There you are now. There's the first train. Just hitting the grain. Yes that'll be her all right.
Sure she'll be in the cotton in a minute. Everything seems all right. I'll be rather foolish if nothing
happens Patty. Here she comes. Oh and there she goes. Give her the sign of anithroth. Yes just a false alarm.
Listen what's that? Surely not the second train. Hey didn't I tell you. She's right on top of the
first train. And look listen what's that at the track. We've got to get somebody out to throw in a rail down by the bridge.
All right. Tenant Madden hurry up. Get her. What happened tenant? Two of them down to the track. I got one of them. He's laying down there.
Never mind that. The track's open and the train will be here in a minute. Hey give me that lantern. For heaven's sake stop her somebody.
Can't you do something tenant. It's no use sir. Patty's away with his lantern but there's not a chance
in the world. I can't hold speed. Patty. He's right in the middle of the track. Good tenant. There's
no way to stop that train. No I'm afraid that's inspector. It's too late. Where's Patty? I can't see him now.
She's coming straight for that open rail. But look they've seen the signal. She's stopping. She's stopping. They've seen it.
Thank god for that. Hey there. Read them. Mickey. Get into it.
Oh that rail open. Hey give me that bar. Get it there.
Not long will it take to fix Patty. Just a minute. They only sprung the end of the rail.
But isn't there been enough to put her in the creek. Oh that's lucky.
There you are. She's all fixed. Come ahead Barney.
Well here they go. And good luck to them.
Sure it's a long trail they have to take. I'm thinking those mighty few of them will be coming
back this way. Well they'll have a run for their money anyhow. Thanks Patty. I don't know what we'd have done without you.
If there's anything I can do. You might tell me what you've been up to doing with that
elegant bottle of whiskey. How about that? You've heard episode 12 in the Dramatic series Blair of the
Mounties. Our next story is a thrilling episode of the Secret Service on the Western Front.
The case of Lieutenant Ralston.