 Ranger Bill, warrior of the woodland, struggling against extreme odds, traveling dangerous trails, fighting the many enemies of nature. This is the job of the guardian of the forest, Ranger Bill. Pouring rain, freezing cold, blistering heat, snow, floods, bears, rattlesnakes, mountain lions. Yes, all this in exchange for the satisfaction and pride of a job well done. Well, it hasn't snowed too much around Naughty Pine, but there's still plenty of snow in the ground for winter sports. And that's what we're doing right now for Grey Wolf, Henry, and Stumpy and I are out on the steep mountain slope skiing. Now, this is a slippery sport. I do say so myself. In fact, you may burn out a brake lining trying to stop. Want to join us? And oh, yes, the name of this story is The Hunted. How's it coming, fellas? Your barrel staves slick as a grease-tig? I'll give you barrel staves. I want you to know I paid good money for these skis and they're not doing bad. You must be using some of that non-skid wax from the way I passed you up. Just because you beat us down the last slope doesn't cut any ice, pal. There are lots of other slopes that may tell a different story, old boy. Well, Henry, get off quicker starts so he beat us down slope. But we beat you on long run with many big trees and rocks in way. Maybe this young whippersnapper is sure looking for a raise. I know a good ski run that'll take the breath out any man. What are you talking about? There isn't a slope in these parts where I can't maneuver. Well, how about it, fellas? Should we send Henry down this special slope I'm talking about? I don't know, Timer. It's kind of risky. Ah, come on. You know of an extra fine hill? Let me in on it. Okay, Henry. You'll be careful not take any unnecessary chances. I promise. Now let's get to that hill fast. Oh, wait a minute. You'll have to be tomorrow. Tonight we camp and rest and get ready for the climb. Okay? Okay. Boy, this'll be something special. Let's go. You want bees as smart when you start taking the fastest ride of your life, young fella? Why, you'll make grease lighten and look like it's got the rheumatism. It didn't take as long to make camp, scare up some food and turn in. I stacked the wood close to the fire and crawled into my sleeping bag. We had chosen a sheltered place using a large corner of rock as a reflector for the heat from the campfire. Soon we were all sleeping the deep slumber of outdoor men. I don't know how long we slept until... What was that? I wish I knew, Henry. I'd hate to tell you what it sounds like. That strange animal for this part of country. At first I thought it was a wildcat. That there quitter ain't no wildcat. No, friend. That's not a wildcat. It's not deep enough for a cougar. Yeah. Mountain lions have deeper voices than that. But it can't just the same. Phew! That there's on foot the shivers up and down my spine. I ain't scared to admit it. You and the rest of us, don't be. I can duck bumps all over me. What in the world do you suppose that was? I wish I could answer your question for sure, Henry. I've not heard a sound like that before. The strange. It's more than strange. It's weird. There it is again. Say, fellas, is my hair standing straight up on my head? If it ain't, it should be. Whatever it is, it seems to be gone now. I know one thing, fellas. What's that? We'd better get back to town in the morning and forget about any private skiing we were going to have. And then we're coming back to this area and find out what animal made those horrible screams. Hey, Jake. What's the matter with them there, cattle? I don't know. Something's spooking them, that's all. That's for sure. Can't imagine what it is, though. Not much to spook cattle in the wintertime. Well, it's probably some crazy notion they've gotten into their heads. Just the same. I'm going to take a look around the carousel. Okay, I'll go with you. Where do I load my smoke pole? I left my rifle back at the house. One's enough, I guess. Yeah, let's take a gander and see what's spooking these critters. We didn't see or hear a thing, and yet, the tasteness is gone. Yeah, quieting down now. Wonder what frightened them. I don't know. Smighty strange. Almost like a ghost, wouldn't you say? Well, whatever it was, moved away when we came along. Yeah, well, let's go back to the house and have some coffee. I'll get some of the boys out and we'll post guards just in case this spooker ain't no ghost. Now, it's a good idea. Puzzle to me, what scared those critters? How to be something. Or was it really a ghost? And so that's what happened, Tom. Well, how about that? Wonder what kind of an amulet could it have been? It were no mountain lion, that's for sure. I've heard too many of them to be fooled. Now, I agree with you, something. You're this very strange. But it sure was a pussycat of some kind, eh? Yes, pal, it was a kitty, all right. But what kind and how big? What do you intend to do about it, Bill? I don't know, Tom. Not yet, anyway. Anything coming here on the teletype or radio? Not a thing out of the way, Bill. For all I know, everything's snug as a bug in a rug. Where could we find out if anything's going on that's unusual? Well, it seems to me that there's always a lot of pull-over and running in the post office. That's a good idea, Stumpy. Let's walk down to the post office and see what we can hear. All of us, Bill? Tell you what, let's do this. Henry and Stumpy, you fellas, go over to the drug store and Gray Wolf and I will go down to the post office. I thought people were supposed to get their mail in the post office. And the size of this crowd, you think it was a fire sale. If that right, Bill, then post office go broke. Say, eh? Two fellas over there, another sign of lobby, so excited about it. Wave arms like crazy. Oh, let's amble over and find out. That's the fourth straight night that our cattle have been acted spooky. Yeah, and we can't figure out what's the matter with them. And every time we make the rounds, whatever it is that's spooking them seems to disappear. Well, I never believed in ghosts, but I'm sure hankering after that idea now. Maybe it's a ghost that saw mountain lions who shod while he was sleeping or something. Go on and make fun, you guys. I just hope this ghost pays a visit to your carousel one of these nights. Yeah, and you can spend half the night chasing... Who are these cutters, Bill? And the black brothers, Green Wolf. They're on a small spread about 10 miles west of town. What do you do now, Bill? I've got an idea that maybe we ought to take a little trip out to the black brother's ranch. You gonna go talk to them? No, not yet. I don't want to scare them. Maybe we can pick up something on this working by ourselves. Come on, Skipper, old boy. It won't be long until we're home now. You've had a bad day with all this ice and snow. Easy now, Skipper. We'll cross the creek and go through the thicket. Then we'll only be a short way from home. And I'm gonna put on your ice shoes first thing in the morning. Easy, Skipper. Easy, boy. What's the matter? Now something? Oh, Skipper. Easy, big boy. Take it careful. No, you can't run on a slippery ground. We're trying to take your head. All right, Skipper. Let's get out of here if that's the way you want it. But don't fall. I'm sure Glen, that moon is out so strong tonight. It's almost like working in daylight with the reflection from the snow. How come you're not letting the ranchers know we're out here? Oh, they get so excited that they think this is some threat to their cattle. That's right, old Sammer. Since the cattle are corralled and not grazing, well, we don't have too much to worry about as far as actual stock loss is concerned. Hey, Bill. Look, tracks. Where, Henry? Right over here. Come on over, Gray Wolf. Stumpy. I don't see anything, Henry. Down. See? Right here. That kind of faint windsblown snow over them. Oh, I see. That mean track is old. Maybe not too old to help, though, Gray Wolf. Henry, you made a good find here. Those are good tracks. How old do you think they are, fellas? They recollect, uh, a mind bit over a day old, maybe just a day. Oh, I think so, too. Made last night. It's hard to tell when fine snow blow in on frozen tracks. But you're sure they're recent enough for us to work on, huh? Yep. I should say so, young fella. That's what I want to know. Now, the next question is, what kind of tracks are they? They're definitely not cougar tracks. They're not wildcat or lynx tracks. Too big. I might not know. They're bigger than cougar tracks. Fellas, do you remember when we were down in the southern part of Mexico on a survey for the government, we were advising the Mexicans in conservation of their natural forests and rangelands? Oh, I remember. I think of another thing. What's that, Gray Wolf? We have a little experience down there that we never forget for a long time. Hey, that must be getting me changed. That's right. And these tracks look just like those did, only bigger. That's what's bothering me, fellas. I think that we're looking for a jaguar. All right, Sid, we're doing the best we can. That catch fast. One night he's here, next night he's 12 miles away. So what? My son was almost attacked riding his horse yesterday. How long is it going to take you for us to get this killer? It'll take just as long as it takes us to get the cooperation of all the ranchers. I'm not going to run my man Bo-legged just on the strength of a lot of spooking stories. Yeah? Well, seems to me you're not doing your job. Maybe I ought to call Colonel Anders on this. There's the phone, Sid. Won't cost you a cent either. Call Colonel Anders. He'll tell you the same thing I'm telling him. Ah, sure. One read your telling story, and the other'd back it up. You'll overstage your welcome, Sid. Okay, I'm gone. But you fellas had better get that cat or else. Yeah? Or else what? Or else maybe we'll get some new rangers. Boy, that's pretty hard to take. Forget it, Henry. He'll cool off after a while. Realize how ridiculous he sounded. We've got more important things to do. You've got ideas, Bill. Yes, Grey Wolf. We've got to let people know about this jaguar. Then if anyone sees the cat, they can call us and we'll get a pattern of his operation. We'll use the map on the wall. Now that sounds good, Bill. If enough people see him, when do we start? Right away. Grey Wolf, you and Stumpy sort of circulate around the areas we think he's operating in right now and see if he can pick up any fresh trails. Henry and I have another job to do. A job Paul Revere would have liked very much. Hello, Inky. Where's the boss? Oh, he's out in the story. Can I help you? Yeah. I like it around this story and pictures in your next edition of the paper. Sure, I'll be glad to. Jaguar on the loose, huh? Boy, this is the one time I wish that I was a ranger. Maybe you'd better stick to printing, Inky. You'll live longer that way. See you later. Okay. Anytime that we can help you. Thanks a lot. Where are we going now, Bill? Radio station, pal. Sure, I would be glad to spot this on the air for you, Bill. That's fine. I'll appreciate it. Often you'll want us to air it, Bill. Just as often as you can. This big cat is dangerous, and people have got to know. A map up on a wall, a couple more of these. You know, I think this is a terrific idea, Bill. Well, we'll soon find out, Bill. There we are. We'll use these colored pins to mark the location of the phone calls. Mark the time the cat was seen right alongside. Let's see if we can spot this old boy. Oh, hi, you gray wolf. Stop me. Hi! How are you? What'd you find out, fellas? Not much. One cold trail. Maybe one day old. Maybe half day. It was too old to help us, innit? Yeah. On the half a day's start, that cat wouldn't be anywhere near there. Well, we're all set to put our plan into action. All we need now are some telephone calls. Well, Bill, it's getting late afternoon. Nobody's phoned us yet. Yeah. Well, about all we can do is wait. Bill? Yes, Bill. What's on your mind? How come that jaguar hasn't made a killing yet? Animal, I mean. That's a good question, Henry. Probably because he hasn't figured out how to negotiate the corral fences. What do you mean? I mean, the jaguar is a jungle cat. He used to stalking his prey close in then jumping it from concealment. You mean under cover of the jungle? Uh-huh. Until he figures out whether the fences is something to be feared or to be jumped, he won't make a killing in a corral. When he gets over that psychological barrier and makes a killing, his goose is cooked. Then we get him. Got him. He's right. But why? Well, it's this way, pal. Oh, I get phoned. Hello, Forest Service. Uh, yes? That's mine. Forest Service. Yes? Don't you dare, Stobby. This is mine. Oh, Forest Service. Yes, sir. Thank you for calling. We will. I'm getting preachers sore throat. Never did so much yacking in my life. Now let's take a good look at this map and see what we've got. Well, we've got a lot more pins than I thought we'd have there for a while. Yeah. The picture's beginning to shape up. Ah, he's somewhere in Blue Canyon Valley country. Mm-hmm. Now to go out and look for him. We're going to sit on the ridges and try to see this pussycat. Yes, pal. He's found unworkable, but it's the only thing we can do right now. He shouldn't be too hard to find if he shows himself at all. We'll move slowly along the ridges, and perhaps we can pick him up with our field classes. Getting cold, pal? No. We're just thinking about that Jaguar. Almost like meeting up with a real tiger. I'd say it's worse. We can't let down for a minute. I'd say not. Well, let's move along, fellas. Maybe we'll get better results up a ways. Hold it, I'm sure. You got something in your glass, old timer? Yeah, I think so. Do it better in a minute. What do you see? Yep. It's him, all right. It's the big cat. Let me have him. Great scot-stumpy, all right. There he is, as big as life. Almost as big as tiger. Boy, I wouldn't want that guy around the kitchen. Look at the size of his paws. Yeah. These high-powered glasses really bring him close up, don't they? Well, here's where I've finished off after a cat. Hold it, scot-stumpy. That's almost a mile. I don't think it'd score a good hit with the wind funneling down the canyon like it is. Oh, it's a great temptation. What are we gonna do, Bill? There's only one thing to do now, pal. We're going to stalk that jaguar till we get him. Slowly, we make our way down the slippery canyon wall and head into the depths of the canyon floor, moving quietly, carefully. I'm taking the lead with Henry following and scot-stumpy with his sharpshooting rifle, the finely gray wolf, who keeps watching the back trail to make sure we're not being stalked in turn by this treacherous jaguar. He's moved. Now he's picked up our scent. He's mad. Not good. He looked for a fight. Would he attack a group of men like us, Bill? If a jaguar thinks he's cornered, he'll fight like a dozen grizzlies. Ordinarily, they try to stay away from human beings, but not this boy. I have a feeling he's aching for a scrap. That warning to us to get out. He may be not tell us again. That's right, Gray Wolf. He probably won't make another sound. Now it's hunter-stalking-hunter. And I wasn't kidding. The big cat is hunting us. At the same time, we're hunting him. We're climbing upward toward the jaguar. At the same time, the jaguar is looking down on us. He has the advantage and knows it, but we can't see him. We sense that he's close by. Hold it here, fellas. He's right ahead of us. Not right. How are we going to find out where? I'll go first. You fellas cover me. That's risky business, young fella. You might have that kitty right on top of you in a minute. Now we can't turn back now. Let's take it slow. Be careful when you walk. Okay. Let's move out. Henry, look out. You fall. The cat! The cat! The cat! It's a little hard to hit a streak of gray lightning. Okay, friend. You won the first round. Maybe you won't be so fortunate in the second. I sure am sorry, Bill. I didn't mean to kick that gravel loose. Forget it, pal. As long as nobody was hurt. Anyway, I'm sure glad to get back to headquarters and rest my nerves a bit. That's why we came back, Henry. I thought we all needed a rest. We'll get that fella yet. We'll get good rest in on bed. We'll be ready for fresh start in morning. It's the best idea I've heard all day. Hey, boy, this chair is mighty comfortable. The fella can sure saw a word in this old, chumpy boy. He looks sleepy, huh? Well, let's all do the same thing, fellas, and see what a new day brings us. Huh? Sonja. I'll get the phone. Ranger Bill speaking. Yeah? Yes. Yes. All right, thank you. Goodbye. What time is it? Must be the middle of the night. Oh, no. Can't be with the sunshine. It's eight o'clock, Henry. Eight o'clock? Man, I just left half the day away. I'll say so. Now, hit the deck, young fella. We got work to do. What was that phone call about? The jack wire? Yeah, the big cat's finally cooked his goose. What do you mean? Has he made a kill? Got a yearling steer. And we'll trap him with it. I sure hope we catch him this time. Oh, no, I fell. Let me warn you, this isn't going to be any pushover. This cat knows we're after him, and he's in the mood for a fight. Not right. We'd be careful when we get close. Don't worry, we might strike. Keep your finger on the trigger, too. This fella is going to be extra dangerous, because he's hungry. Better keep our voices down. Let's try to stay downwind with his kill. Look, there's a carcass of steer ahead of us. Yep, the jack wire is not there now, but he must be right close by somewhere. Shh. Let's be careful now. We can't afford to miss this time. Now, if we do, that big cattle head back to Mexico, and we'll never see him. That's what I was hoping he'd do, Henry. I hate to destroy him, but we've got to protect the rancher's cattle and his family. Look, he'd come out of cave now. Over on right. Oh, boy. Is he handsome. Look at that beautiful coat of fur he's got. Yeah. He's really winterized, all right. Wonder how long he's been up here. Hope the wind doesn't change. When we're so close to him, he'd pick up our samples, too. What do we have to do that for? Think now he's the one who's spooky. Yep. I think you're right, young fella. He's got four rangers on his mind. You're not feeling too happy about it. He's got big grouch on. Are we close enough to shoot him? Yes, Henry. Hey, watch it, fellas. The wind's changed. He's got our strength. Let's get him, fellas, before he gets away. Boy, did you see that? Talk about speed. That kid, he's got a jet beat a mile. Yeah, and I think he's wounded. He jumped aside with our rifle shots, but not enough. Let's go after him. He must be in there. He can barn all right. Yeah. This is the end of the trail, all right. Look at those blood marks. He's wounded pretty bad, youngster. Don't think he's got long for this world. That's right, Stumpy. So, let's go inside the barn and get him. This is a tough spot. What's waiting us on the inside? Is it a weak animal gasping his strength away because of his wounds? Or is he still strong and ready to do battle with all comers? I carefully ease myself into the barn, stand just inside the door. I'm waiting for my eyes to get adjusted to the dimmer light inside the building. Now Henry slips in beside me. The gray wolf and Stumpy slide in the other side of the door. We're now divided two and two. Our fingers tighten down in our criggers. Every shadow, every stall is a dangerous spot. This is no joke. Where is that cat? Take it easy, pal. Don't let your nerves get the best of you. Just keep watching and waiting. It'll happen soon enough. Yes, it'll happen soon enough. But when? When will this bundle of muscle and claw burst out on us like a cyclone? Gray wolf and Stumpy edge along the opposite wall. Well, we move too. Watch, watch, watch, and wait. Where is that cat? Over, fellas. There he is. He fought a good fight to the end. I'm not a bit happy about killing him. Yes, there are some things we have to do that aren't enjoyable at all. Not everything in life is pleasant. That's for sure. But what a scrap. And Jaguar sure gave us a battle. Well, we'll see you next week for more adventure with... Hi there, boys and girls. This is Ranger Bill back again for just a third of a minute with an extra word of thanks to you for joining us today. Hope you'll team up with the Rangers every week at this time. When you're a local station, gives us this chance to get together. See you then.