WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:20.920 Blair of the Mounties, a story of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police. 00:20.920 --> 00:25.120 We present episode 12 in the dramatic series Blair of the Mounties. 00:25.120 --> 00:30.960 Our story takes us back to August 1914, the outbreak of war. As the news of the 00:30.960 --> 00:35.040 declaration of war against Imperial Germany echoes around the world, the 00:35.040 --> 00:39.640 men of the great Dominion spring to arms in support of the motherland. All over 00:39.640 --> 00:44.000 Canada men swarmed to the training camps. Soon the troop movement from the far 00:44.000 --> 00:49.160 west begins. By night and day the troop trains thunder eastward, carrying the 00:49.160 --> 00:53.040 men of the 1st Canadian Division on the initial stage of their journey to the 00:53.040 --> 00:58.480 battlefront. Even at this early date the long arm of the German general staff 00:58.480 --> 01:03.600 reaches out to distant Canada. Enemy agents begin to slip over the Canadian 01:03.600 --> 01:08.320 border seeking to interfere with the movement of troops. As our scene opens we 01:08.320 --> 01:13.400 find Inspector Blair busy with a new and interesting problem. 01:13.840 --> 01:18.000 Morning Inspector. Oh good morning Lieutenant. Anything studying? No it's all quiet. 01:18.000 --> 01:22.400 It's the dullest job I ever ran into. Yes it has been very exciting but it only had 01:22.400 --> 01:26.320 supply and medical training so far. We get the first real troop train tomorrow 01:26.320 --> 01:30.960 night, four sections. Yes I know but what of it? All this fool talk of spies looks 01:30.960 --> 01:33.920 rather stupid. You never know Lieutenant. According to these messages coming through 01:33.920 --> 01:38.960 there's lots of spy activity across the border and oh yes how about that Fisher 01:38.960 --> 01:43.120 case? Fisher? Oh yes I suppose he's another harmless farmer with a German 01:43.120 --> 01:46.880 accent visiting friends in Canada. Maybe military intelligence and other were very 01:46.880 --> 01:50.240 much interested in him. He crossed the border at Pemba now last 01:50.240 --> 01:55.200 Thursday but unless he shows up it's no concern of ours. Oh well he's here all 01:55.200 --> 01:59.960 right. What? But he's gone west today on 97. Anything suspicious? No except that he 01:59.960 --> 02:02.880 called for a letter at the post office here yesterday. Did you get anything? No but I did. 02:02.880 --> 02:05.920 What do you mean? Well a letter came for him after he'd gone. I grabbed it. That's rather 02:05.920 --> 02:09.280 irregular Lieutenant. Possibly but if I'd waited for a requisition it might take 02:09.280 --> 02:13.960 weeks. Yeah that's right let's have a look. Henry Fisher, general delivery 02:13.960 --> 02:18.560 moose job, mailed from Clover Point. That's on the main line about a hundred 02:18.560 --> 02:23.160 miles west of here. All right let's open that letter. Now who's irregular? Oh come 02:23.160 --> 02:28.680 on let's have it. All right here we go. Well for the love of Mike, look here. What's wrong? 02:28.680 --> 02:32.960 Why just a blank sheet of paper. Hand me that bottle of developer, Lieutenant. 02:32.960 --> 02:37.160 Headlines, dangerous enemy agent foiled by watchful eye of gallant police. Oh shut up 02:37.160 --> 02:41.800 Lieutenant. Give me some of that developer. All right. Let's soak a bit. I'm afraid 02:41.800 --> 02:45.440 there's nothing on it. Doesn't look like it. Well better dry it off and put it 02:45.440 --> 02:49.800 through the roller. Hold on, Lieutenant. Try a little of that special developer. Just a 02:49.800 --> 02:56.240 few drops. It's in the green bottle. All right. There you are. That's not good are they? 02:56.240 --> 03:02.600 Well. Wait a minute. Look there's a line coming up. So it is. Yes and there's another 03:02.600 --> 03:08.320 line see. Why it's a plan or drawing of some sort. See now there's a sloping bank. 03:08.320 --> 03:11.600 Why? Why it's a drawing of a bridge. Sure enough and a railroad bridge at that. 03:11.600 --> 03:16.960 Lieutenant I believe you've got something. Hand me that telephone. Hello get me CPR. 03:16.960 --> 03:21.160 Superintendent's office. Mr. Clark. Hurry up. Police call. Yes. Inspector Blair 03:21.160 --> 03:26.840 speaking. Right. Hurry please. Hello. Hello. That's you Billy. This is Blair. 03:26.840 --> 03:32.920 Listen. I want to Patty Moran the road master. Is he in town? Fine. Ask him to come over 03:32.920 --> 03:39.400 will you? Leelan Hotel room 17. Oh he's in the hotel. You'll get him for me. Thanks Billy. 03:39.400 --> 03:44.040 Goodbye. That's fine. Oh Patty's coming right in. Well you think you can tell us where that 03:44.040 --> 03:47.880 bridge is? I doubt it myself. We can try anyway. Have any whiskey around? Sure. 03:47.880 --> 03:50.920 There's a couple of bottles of Spay Royal in the grip. Good. Better break out a bottle. 03:50.920 --> 03:55.320 Patty's a thirsty old devil. That's Patty I guess. Let him in Lieutenant. All right. 03:55.320 --> 04:03.760 Well now how are you Inspector? How are you? I'm fine. But it's terrible dry weather we're having. 04:03.760 --> 04:09.600 With Jebus I don't know when I've seen it so right. How about a spot of whiskey Patty? Whiskey? 04:09.600 --> 04:15.680 Well now I'm a temperate man Inspector and I seldom take it but it's all right with it. 04:15.680 --> 04:22.120 Oh have yourself Patty. Well now I will have just a little spot for old time sake. Thank you. 04:22.120 --> 04:27.680 Well here's a small frailty and a quick promotion Inspector. Thanks. Same to you Patty. 04:27.680 --> 04:37.520 Ah man that's fine whiskey Inspector. Elegant stuff. What's that you have there Inspector? A drawing? 04:37.520 --> 04:42.320 Yes what I wanted to see you about. Ever see that bridge before? Good day we see it. Well sure it's 04:42.320 --> 04:46.240 just a thrattle bridge. Yes but Patty isn't there some way to identify it? Give me a chance that I 04:46.240 --> 04:50.560 can see. Hold on. Hold on. There's something familiar about that. You think you know it? 04:50.560 --> 04:58.160 No I wouldn't say that. Just hand me that bottle now. Thank you. I always did say that a thirsty man 04:58.160 --> 05:03.760 has a poor man. Yes but what about that bridge Patty? We've got it. I have it. You see that crooked 05:03.760 --> 05:08.400 pile under the threshold. Well that's the same pile I've been after the bridge department to change 05:08.400 --> 05:12.800 this three months. Sure I know I get it. But Patty the bridge where is the confounded thing? 05:12.800 --> 05:18.160 Easy now Inspector. I was coming to that. Suren it's the bridge at Owl Creek siding. Seven miles 05:18.160 --> 05:22.720 beyond Clover Point. Clover Point? Yeah sure that's it. Fine now listen Patty we've got four troop 05:22.720 --> 05:27.520 trains coming through tomorrow night. We have some reason to suspect that an attempt will be made 05:27.520 --> 05:31.280 to wreck those trains at that bridge. Oh the dibble you say? Yes 10 of the night we'll be going 05:31.280 --> 05:35.440 west on number three tonight. Well done now. I'm thinking I might be going along with you. Splendid. 05:36.400 --> 05:40.640 Suren if the more than dibble start mucking with that good bridge of mine I'll be having a word with 05:40.640 --> 05:48.240 you. Sure I'll be seeing you at the train. All right Patty. 05:56.240 --> 05:59.520 I tell you Inspector there's not a sign of any attempt to tamper with that bridge. 05:59.520 --> 06:05.360 Patty and I went over it. Yeah that's right now. Nothing unusual at all. Well maybe we're on the 06:05.360 --> 06:08.480 wrong track about that bridge. What do you mean? Supposing you wanted to wreck a train 06:08.480 --> 06:12.720 Patty near this bridge. Me wreck a train? Well just supposing. Hey and it's an 06:12.720 --> 06:17.840 elegant place to do it. That's what I thought. Sure now you see the deep ravine with a bridge over it. 06:17.840 --> 06:22.480 And you see beyond the bridge there's a deep cut. I see it. Well before the train comes to the 06:22.480 --> 06:26.640 cotton there's a heavy grade and the cotton has a curtain. I see the idea. The engineer can't see 06:26.640 --> 06:30.800 the bridge until he's within a hundred feet of it. That's right all they'd need to do is just to 06:30.800 --> 06:36.000 throw a rail. Sure now that'll do it and I'll tell you they picked the elegantest place in the wreck 06:36.000 --> 06:40.720 of the whole division. Thanks Patty that's what I wanted to know. How long did it take them to 06:40.720 --> 06:44.480 ship the rail? Just a couple of minutes to do it for a man that knew how. Well we've got four trains 06:44.480 --> 06:49.040 tonight running 10 minutes apart. And a nice mess that'd be if they got one of them. The toll would 06:49.040 --> 06:54.800 be on the top of them before they'd know anything about it. What took the coming? I suppose six 06:54.800 --> 07:00.960 Vancouver rifles. Gordon Highlanders from Victoria and the Yukon machine gun. The empire is too good 07:00.960 --> 07:06.720 to lose. I should say so. Lieutenant? Yes sir. Who's on patrol? Well there's Madden and Forsythe. I see. 07:06.720 --> 07:11.040 Of course this may be a false alarm. Anyhow the first train will make dumpster about 10 15. 07:11.040 --> 07:15.120 The operator of the siding will give us a warning. Then we'll have to keep our eyes skinned. 07:15.120 --> 07:19.920 We've four hours yet. Hey the folly poker if I catch one of them trying to fool with that track I'll 07:19.920 --> 07:24.800 spivvlicate him. Fine. We'll see you at the siding at 9 30 Patty. Sure hey. Hey be with you. I'm away 07:24.800 --> 07:36.000 now to the bush to cut me a chalet. All right. Any report of that first two Bexler operator? Not yet 07:36.000 --> 07:40.160 inspector. She was through Madden's hat on schedule. We should hear the dumpster report any minute now. 07:40.160 --> 07:44.080 All right let me know as soon as she comes. Sure thing inspector. How long we got after she passes 07:44.080 --> 07:49.920 dumpster? About 12 minutes. All right. There she is now. She's just passing dumpster. Thanks. All right 07:49.920 --> 08:03.280 tenant. Patty you there? Sure I'm here. This way inspector. We'll go over the threshold. What's that 08:03.280 --> 08:08.240 train line for Patty? Well now we might need it to be signaling the train. Well that's one on me Patty. 08:08.240 --> 08:13.200 I never thought of that. You didn't sure and it's a fine detective you are now. Look out now. Watch 08:13.200 --> 08:18.720 your step on the bridge. All right. Pretty dark. Here we are inspector. There's a good view of the bridge from here. 08:18.720 --> 08:23.280 Yes this will do. Let's see Patty. It'll take about an hour for those trains to pass. Now it's little 08:23.280 --> 08:28.480 you know about rail rodding. They'll be crowding each other I'm thinking. Well done. Listen will 08:28.480 --> 08:33.840 you. There you are now. There's the first train. Just hitting the grain. Yes that'll be her all right. 08:33.840 --> 08:53.280 Sure she'll be in the cotton in a minute. Everything seems all right. I'll be rather foolish if nothing 08:53.280 --> 09:05.360 happens Patty. Here she comes. Oh and there she goes. Give her the sign of anithroth. Yes just a false alarm. 09:05.360 --> 09:09.120 Listen what's that? Surely not the second train. Hey didn't I tell you. She's right on top of the 09:09.120 --> 09:14.160 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. 09:14.160 --> 09:26.640 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. 09:26.640 --> 09:32.400 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. 09:32.400 --> 09:36.320 Can't you do something tenant. It's no use sir. Patty's away with his lantern but there's not a chance 09:36.320 --> 09:40.400 in the world. I can't hold speed. Patty. He's right in the middle of the track. Good tenant. There's 09:40.400 --> 09:44.880 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. 09:46.800 --> 09:53.040 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. 09:54.080 --> 09:57.680 Thank god for that. Hey there. Read them. Mickey. Get into it. 09:57.680 --> 10:02.560 Oh that rail open. Hey give me that bar. Get it there. 10:05.680 --> 10:09.600 Not long will it take to fix Patty. Just a minute. They only sprung the end of the rail. 10:10.160 --> 10:13.360 But isn't there been enough to put her in the creek. Oh that's lucky. 10:13.360 --> 10:26.240 There you are. She's all fixed. Come ahead Barney. 10:43.360 --> 11:02.960 Well here they go. And good luck to them. 11:03.840 --> 11:09.120 Sure it's a long trail they have to take. I'm thinking those mighty few of them will be coming 11:09.120 --> 11:14.400 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. 11:14.400 --> 11:19.040 If there's anything I can do. You might tell me what you've been up to doing with that 11:19.040 --> 11:28.720 elegant bottle of whiskey. How about that? You've heard episode 12 in the Dramatic series Blair of the 11:28.720 --> 11:33.760 Mounties. Our next story is a thrilling episode of the Secret Service on the Western Front. 11:33.760 --> 11:38.960 The case of Lieutenant Ralston.