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.
As you see, please, observe the no smoking sign.
Thank you.
We shall fly the now the dude of 16,500 feet, going 300 miles per hour.
After we take off, we shall come around with sweet rolls, coffee, and juice.
Thank you.
I can't believe it, Bill.
I just can't believe it.
How many years has it been?
I don't know, old timer.
A good many.
And how many times have we tried this?
Well, at least a dozen.
Probably more.
And now at last, we're on our way.
For two glorious weeks of, uh...
I'm almost afraid to say it.
Vacation.
Always in the past, something has come up, Stumpy, but this time we made it away without
a single interruption.
Yeah, like I said, Bill, I just can't believe it.
Even Henry was happy to see us go.
Glad to get rid of us might be a better way of putting it.
He's heard us talking about taking a vacation for so long and not actually getting it that
I think he was almost happier than we were to see us go.
And what a vacation, Bill.
No forests, no horses, no fire towers, just miles and miles of serene blue seas.
Yes, I think it'll be a real tonic for us, Stumpy.
They say that the sea air is good for you anyhow, and what better way to take it than
on a quiet cruise around the Caribbean.
Hey, your elderly friend seems to get along very well with children, Ranger Jefferson.
Now, Stumpy has always been a hit with them, Captain.
If he were a little heavier, Seth, I think I'd almost believe in Santa Claus.
Well, the old-timer watches his weight a little too closely for that to ever happen.
But with his white beard, I can see what you mean.
Well, Ranger Jefferson, are you enjoying our cruise?
Very much.
Both Stumpy and I are enjoying every bit of it, especially those stops at the small islands
meeting some of the islanders.
Well, if there's anything at all we can do to make it more enjoyable, then just let me
know.
Thank you, Captain.
No, I have to check out a few things.
I keep thinking I've left something running.
You'll get used to the sound of the engine, Stumpy.
I think I'll just stretch out a bit for lunch today.
It seems to me you've just stretched out a bit before every meal, every day of this cruise.
Well, it's a sheer pleasure to have no adventure to work out, no mystery to solve, no...
Hey, what's the matter with this ship?
What do you mean?
Haven't you noticed?
We've been slowing and slowing.
Sounds to me like we're going to stop.
Oh, probably another island to look at.
That can't be.
I looked at the schedule of events first thing this morning.
We ain't due to stop at an island till late this afternoon.
Come on, let's go up on deck and find out why we've stopped.
I'd say folks seem pretty curious, Bill.
I see that, Stumpy.
Excuse me.
Yes?
Could you tell us what's going on?
It's hard to say.
I've only heard rumor myself.
It seems that island out there isn't on the map.
Ain't the island big enough?
Well, it isn't terribly big as islands go.
A couple of miles in each direction, I'd say.
How did a rumor like that get started?
I don't know.
I just heard it myself.
When the ship came to a standstill, that seemed to clinch it in many minds.
Looky there, the captain looks like he's going to say something.
Friends, may I have your attention, please?
Yes, sir.
Keep it down.
Thank you.
No doubt many of you have already heard, but I'd better make it official.
The island you see off there is unknown to me.
Unknown?
It's a bit unusual because I've been sailing this route for the last five years.
I'm sure we're not all porous, yet I can't explain the presence of that island.
Well, I guess it wasn't a rumor.
That's the strangest thing I've ever heard of.
It's unusual, all right.
I'm rather at a loss.
At a loss to know exactly what to do.
I suppose as long as we're here and it's here, we might as well at least circle it and see
what it looks like.
But beyond that, well, I hope this doesn't spoil your voyage.
Looks as though this little ladded bit of mystery is improving the cruise for a lot
of people.
I reckon they don't get a lot of excitement where they come from.
You probably see plenty of adventure where you're from.
Didn't someone tell me that you two were state police officers or something?
Forrest Rangers.
I am Bill Jefferson.
This is Stumpy Jenkins.
Oh, nice to meet you.
My name is Fred Robbins.
Actually this mystery island business intrigues me more than most people, I think.
Oh?
Yes, I'm a newspaper reporter when I'm at home and working.
What do you think of it, Mr. Jefferson?
The newspaper business?
No.
The mystery island.
Well, I'm afraid I don't know very much about such things, Mr. Robbins, but I find it a
little hard to swallow.
You think it's a hoax?
I'll just sit back and watch.
You mean to say you think the captain is pulling a fast one, Bill?
I don't really know, Stumpy.
I do know that the islands like that one don't appear overnight.
Might have been an undersea eruption or something.
Well, that could cause Earth to be piled up and form an island, Mr. Robbins.
That one with dry land trees on it, as old as the ones on that island are.
And the foliage alone makes that island at the least, I'd say, 100 years old.
Well, that's all well and good if this is all a hoax, but if it isn't, and the captain
really doesn't know anything about the island, that makes it even more of a mystery.
Because there doesn't seem to be any natural way to account for the island being there.
Well, at least we'll be getting a good look at it in the next few hours.
The captain follows through on his idea of circling it.
I suggest we just watch it, as intently as everybody else, and see if we can make any
sense out of this whole thing.
Well, we've been all around the island, and all we can really tell is that it has a large
beach, dense forest, and a couple of small mountains.
Out out there, what other secrets it might hold, are still unknown to us.
It's been suggested that we go ashore on the long boats and explore the island, see what's
there.
I know that all of you will not be interested in such an excursion.
Some of you are a little apprehensive of the unknown, some of you are seeking some new
thrill.
Well, I'll post a paper outside the dining room entrance.
As you go for lunch today, sign your name if you're interested in exploring the island.
Enough express interest, we'll take time from the cruise to do so this afternoon.
Thank you.
Well, it looks as though we'll get a chance to get a better look.
I suppose so.
You are going to sign up, aren't you Bill?
Come on Bill, we don't want to miss going ashore and looking around.
I have every intention, Stuffy.
I was just wondering how curious you were about this mystery island.
How diggity!
A couple of woodsmen like yourselves ought to be able to throw a lot of light on what
the island's all about.
I think I'll stay close to you in the group.
All right, now I suggest we eat a hearty lunch.
If we're going to be exploring that island this afternoon, we want to be well fortified
for the trek.
Glad you decided to come along Ranger Jefferson.
You'll keep us from getting lost.
Well, maybe.
Stay close together now.
I've asked Forest Ranger Bill Jefferson, one of our guests, to stay up ahead with me.
Oh, good, that's fine.
Well, what do you make of it Ranger Jefferson?
I'd say you've been here often enough to become a little careless, Captain.
Huh?
If I were coming ashore for the first time, I might not have spotted that path quite so
easily, or been so sure of myself in leading the group.
Oh, I'll remember that next time.
Part of the trip?
You're pretty sharp, Ranger Jefferson, pretty sharp.
Yes, this is the part for all those on board who've always wanted to escape to an unknown
island.
You won't give it away, will you?
You planning to?
Well, back on the ship island now, Sid.
It would kill the thrill of it if I told them why we're still here on the island.
Okay.
Well, Ranger, what do you make of this island?
Well, Captain, the trees and shrubbery make it at least a hundred years old, probably
more.
I don't see any signs of life, except for the birds, of course.
I'd say it was a bona fide island, alright?
What were you and the Captain talking about, Bill?
The island, dear friend.
It's a pretty place, ain't it, Bill?
How do you suppose you got here?
Oh, just like all the other islands in this part of the world.
Well, I guess we'd better be starting back for the long boats.
I'm a little disappointed, Bill.
We didn't even run into rabbits and crows, so while we were here.
I'm afraid this is just a very ordinary island, Stumpy.
Not much of a story for you, Fred.
Say, I thought he was right here.
Yeah, so did I.
Must have wandered off with some of the others.
Oh, well, let's get back to the ship.
I have a feeling the mystery will be all cleared up very soon.
You've all been wondering what those of us who went ashore this afternoon found.
Well, I guess it's time for a report.
We found an island.
Yes, this was a very ordinary island that's been here, according to Forest Ranger Bill
Jefferson, for at least 100 years, probably more.
What made this island something a little more special than any other island is that we told
you we'd never seen it before, that it was a mystery island.
Well, it wasn't.
I knew about it all the time.
You see, we advertise this trip as including everything you've ever wanted.
Many of you have always wanted to escape to some unknown desert island somewhere.
Well, we've provided you with that island this afternoon.
Thank you.
Did you know about this all along, Bill?
I guessed it, Stumpy.
How about that?
Sure fool me.
I guess I've always wanted a desert island.
I don't think so, old timer.
I think you just want a little excitement today.
Well, I guess I got a little of it anyhow.
I have a feeling we've lost Mr. Robin's bill.
Oh?
I haven't seen him since we came aboard.
I've had the ship search from one end to the other.
Even the stowaway couldn't have escaped that search.
I'm sure that he's not here.
That means only one thing, of course.
He's still back on the island.
But why?
That's something we'll have to ask him when we find him.
We're going back, huh, Bill?
Captain, I suggest we make another trip to the mystery island.
Just the three of us.
This time we've got something a little more like a real mystery on our hands.
Here are some footprints, Bill.
All over here in the sand.
And they're far enough away from where the group went that they couldn't have been caused
by them.
Hmm, that's strange.
What is?
These footprints.
Up until now, all the footprints we've found have been made by persons wearing shoes.
These are barefoot.
Hey, that's right.
What do you make of it?
Looks to me like someone got tired of shaking sand out of their shoes.
It might be as simple as that.
It might not.
Let's keep looking.
It seems as though we've been over every inch of this island.
Well, we've covered about a third of it.
Uh-oh.
Look here, Bill.
What have you found, Stumpy?
What is it, Oldtimer?
He, uh, came under this bush.
Looks like somebody ain't interested in being discovered.
Say, the remains of a small fire.
I think you're right.
Looks as though it was hastily but purposefully hidden.
Might be as old as a week, depending on what the weather's been like here.
A week.
Looks to me like we're getting more and more in the way of odd clues.
Let's hope we find Fred Robin soon.
He can supply us with some of the answers we're looking for.
Hold it a minute, fellas.
What's the matter, Bill?
Listen.
I don't hear anything.
Of course.
That's it.
What's it?
What are you two talking about?
Well, up until now, the air has been filled with the sound of jungle burns.
But they've stopped.
At least in this area.
What does that mean?
It means that there is something near here that's scaring them.
Fred Robbins?
Maybe.
I hope that's all it is.
Let's move a little more slowly, just to be on the safe side.
Hold it.
Look up ahead.
Where?
Oh, I see him.
Oh, it's Robbins, all right.
Looks like he's trying to hide all crowds down like that.
Let's ease a little closer before we make ourselves known to him.
Expecting company, Mr. Robbins?
What?
Oh, it's you, Bill.
Oh, I can't tell you how glad I am to see you.
Yes, you look real anxious to see us hiding like that.
Hiding?
Yes.
But not from you.
Where is anyone else to hide from on this island?
That's what you think.
Oh, hold on there, young feller.
You're trying to tell us that someone else lives on this island?
Someone or something.
Why?
What happened?
Well, I started up toward the place where I'd seen the thing.
It was a small path, not as well marked as the one we'd been on.
I started along it in the direction whatever it was had been going.
I moved along as quietly as possible, yet as quickly, hoping to catch up, enough to
get a look.
I was just rounding a small bend in the path when there he was, staring me right in the
face.
He?
I don't know what he was.
A man?
A big animal?
A what?
I just don't know.
I took one look and ran as fast and as hard as I could to get away.
This is how far I got before I stepped on a branch or something and twisted my ankle.
At least you can believe that part of the story.
Just look at my ankle.
Woo-ee, look at the size of her.
Seems to me that before we leave this island, we'd better find out just exactly who or what
else is here.
Looks to me like even we're gonna be looking for this critter we'd better get a move on.
That's a dandy little storm hitting this way.
Why don't we just head back for the ship and forget it?
Why?
Because there really isn't such a creature?
No.
Because I've already seen him.
And I don't like the idea of seeing him again.
I'm afraid we can't do that, Fred.
There's no telling what we might find.
Even the possibility of a demanded person or one in need of help.
Can't leave whoever he is here without seeing if he's in need.
It's no big right.
If we're going to track this creature down, we'd better do it in a hurry.
That storm isn't going to wait too long to rain on us.
Storm's about on us.
Look over there, a cave.
Just in time.
We can hide in there out of the rain.
Let's make tracks, fellas.
Just in time is right.
This cave is a lifesaver.
I'm sure you're sorry I couldn't travel any faster.
That angle of mine.
I think you do right well, Alvin Lowell.
I might be hearing things.
I was thinking the same things, Stuffy.
What are you talking about?
I sort of hear them sound.
They've been coming from many of ours.
Don't seem to be going much to any particular place.
Just all around us.
I hear it too.
That's the line.
What do you make of it, Bill?
I think rather than interrupting our search for the other being on this island, the rain
has led us to him.
In here?
Yes.
It's probably hiding farther back in the cave.
These cave walls are just right to act as a megaphone and magnify the sound of his breathing.
But if we can hear him, then we can hear the sound of the rain.
But if we can hear him, can he hear us?
I don't know.
It doesn't always work out that way.
Maybe, maybe not.
What do you think we ought to do?
Well, we were looking for him, weren't we?
I guess so.
Come on, Stumpy.
You and I will lead the way back.
Let's find out what this is all about.
It looks like some sort of a light way back there.
Yeah.
Maybe he doesn't know we're here.
I hope so.
So do I.
Well, we'll soon know.
That lighted area is getting a little...
Oh, what was that?
Look, he, he, he, he went that way, Bill.
He followed him to the store.
What happened?
He must have been waiting for us.
He shouted and ran off.
Did you see him?
Did you see what he looked like?
Not very well.
But enough to know that he's a man.
Where are we?
Going after him, Bill.
No, Stumpy.
No.
I have a feeling he's in there.
He knows that wood's backwards.
He could have us lost in no time at all.
Signed in the storm, his trail would be impossible to follow.
What are we going to do?
Wait for him.
Right here.
Wait?
We'll go back in the cave.
We'll find his home, such as it is.
He's bound to come back sooner or later.
That's probably true.
But what happens when he does?
I guess we'll just have to wait to find that out, too.
You say you know him yet.
Maybe he isn't coming back.
He'll come soon.
Look at these.
Old newspaper clippings.
Newspapers?
No, they're quite old.
Let's see them before I make anything.
Sure.
Here you are.
Very interesting.
Seems to be one big story here.
All about a young man who inherited $25 million.
It's a rather bad picture of him here.
$25 million?
And unless I miss my guess, or a strange friend running around on this island, the young man
who inherited the $25 million are one the same.
And also, unless I miss my guess, he felt the need to escape to this unknown island soon
after the inheritance.
You do not miss your guess.
What was that?
I presume it was also you who decided it would be unwise to follow me into the storm.
That's right.
I've been watching you.
You seem to know your way in the woods.
Well, we might as well introduce ourselves.
I'm Forest Ranger Bill Jefferson.
This is my friend and fellow ranger, Dumbie Jenkins.
This is newspaper reporter Fred Robbins.
This is Captain...
Never mind all this.
Who is this creature?
If I'm not mistaken, Mr. James Archer, millionaire and hunt.
I am.
But why?
With $25 million, you could do pretty well what you wanted to.
I more closely approach that state of bliss here.
You want to tell us about it?
Why not?
You found me.
You've not been scared off or kicked off.
And I am an old man.
Why would you seek this place out?
Especially with all that money.
All that money?
A chain.
That's what it was to me.
Dragged me into the company of so many who had great plans for my money.
Great designs on it.
What good is a fortune?
But it means that you could no longer know whether your friends are your friends,
or whether they're just interested in your money.
You just decided the only way out was to hide from the world, eh?
Yes. Why not?
I'll tell you why not.
Because you, with all your money, haven't made the world one pinch better than it was
when you ran away from it.
What did it ever do for me?
It gave you $25 million to use.
That's what it did.
My father earned that money.
And how much did you come into life with?
And how much are you going to leave with?
If you weren't as old as I am, Jenkins, I wouldn't take this kind of talk.
But now that I'm here, you will take it.
A fellow like you makes me pretty angry.
Especially when I think of all the good you could have done with that money.
There's many people living right now who are almost penniless,
living in constant sacrifice to see that other folks hear about the way Jesus Christ remakes a man.
Religion?
No, sir.
Jesus Christ.
Now there was a man who everybody turned against, even his closest friends.
He didn't run off somewhere in high, neither.
He stuck to his job.
Because this perfect man didn't run away, rather was killed.
You and me, who are anything but perfect, had been made right with God.
I haven't done any stack of sins against me.
God will take me when I die.
All the things you didn't do make a stack higher than I can see.
My God's word says that if you see something good to do, and don't do it, it's a sin.
Mr. Archer, you're in the same kettle of fish that we all are in,
without the forgiveness of God through the death of Christ.
And there ain't going to be no alibis when you meet God face to face.
Well, I know that we have to get back to the ship.
I can't hold up the cruise any longer for this, whatever he thinks he is.
We do have to get back, Mr. Archer.
If you'll come along with us, we'll be glad to show you more of what God's word has to say about all this.
Yeah, there's a parable I want you to look at.
It's about buried money.
Come back? I don't think I can.
Well, then let's go.
Here, Mr. Archer, you take this.
A Bible?
That's right. I've had this little book around for a long time.
There's some marks and notes in there that you can overlook.
Just be sure to read God's words to you.
This ship stops by every month.
If you read this Bible and feel like you'd like to come back to civilization,
see what you can do to help things in the power that God's waiting to give you,
just hop the ship and ride back.
You'd better shave first before you do a thing like that, mister.
Now, come on, let's get back.
I wasn't expecting to hear from you, Mr. Archer.
That's right. My dress right inside the cover.
I appreciate what you've said and done.
I'll read it, and then I'll see.
Mr. Archer did read Stumpy's old Bible, boys and girls, and he did see.
He saw himself in need of being right with God, that running away didn't clear himself.
And he saw Jesus, God's own Son, sinless, pleasing to God in every way,
nailed to the cross for the sinners that we all are.
Mr. Archer's back now, putting his money into his life work, serving God.
We hope your life is being spent in the same way.
Well, see you next week for more Adventure with Ranger Bill.
Ranger Bill is produced in the radio studios of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.