 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. Hi there, boys and girls. This is Ranger Bill. The story I'm going to tell you today has in it some very, very good advice for you and for mom and dad. That is, if you ever intend to visit any of our wonderful national parks out here in the west, especially ones where the bears come down from the hills and feed in plain sight of the tourists. Black bears, brown bears, cinnamon-colored bears, and once in a while, a grizzly. Bears that look all cuddly and friendly and harmless, but bears that are still wild animals, and that can... But I am getting ahead of my story. Listen now to the mystery of Bear Valley. I have the whole thing figured out, and it cannot fail. Just another triumph of modern science. Dad, I don't like it. I just don't like it. It's a crazy scheme to begin with, and besides, I certainly think it must be illegal. Oh, never mind that. The important thing is that the whole scientific world will look up to me. I will be famous. Capturing wild bears? Just because our name is Von Bruin doesn't mean we have to go around capturing bears, does it? I have tried the thing on rabbits and mice. Many scientists have. Now the important thing to do is to work the experiment with a really dangerous large animal, and those bears in Bear Valley National Park make ideal subjects in every way. They do come down and hang around the tourist automobiles. Exactly. They come within two or three yards or less. I can't miss. Let me see that revolver again. Yeah, here it is. Handle it carefully. It's loaded. Tiny little thing. Big enough. It's a .22 caliber revolver. Smallest caliber there is. But I've remodeled it so it doesn't shoot cartridges. Instead it shoots these darts. Just a minute charge of black powder is enough to send one fifty yards or more. The darts look like thin pencils sharpened at one end. That's about what they are. I put a dart in the revolver, fire it at an animal, a bear for instance. The dart hits him and the small amount of the tranquilizer in the dart goes to work immediately. The animal, the bear, comes down, goes to sleep for a while, and wakes up in ten minutes or so unarmed. It will revolutionize the rules of natural history. And I, Theodore von Bruen, and you, Theodore von Bruen Jr., will be the men who have done it. What's the name of that tune, Stumpy? Our tune is, I sure wish something exciting would happen around these parts and a count of nothing much ever does, and I'm getting sick and tired of it, melody. What's the word melody doing in there? Because it's a song title, naturally. Oh, yeah. I make up them titles as they go along, same as I do the tunes. They both just come natural to me. Nothing to it. Why? Oh, Bill. Hello, Henry. What's up? Anything new? Hi. Oh, Ralph. Stumpy? Hi. Oh, it looks like a quiet summer, all right. Any reports come in, Ralph? Oh, two or three. All routine? Yeah. Well, pass them around. We'll take turns reading them. Do you have a fella or something to do so they don't feel so useless? Is that okay, Bill? Oh, sure. Here's mine. This here one's from the head to Fire Warden. He says the forest is green, fire hazards low, not many campers, all serene. Hmm. Your mind's from the fish and water's man. The fishing is very good. Three men caught bass out of season. They paid their fine, promised not to do it again. Catfish biting very good. There are plenty of fishermen and plenty of fish. Mine's from the roads and trails people. All the roads are open in good condition. No detours, no washouts. Trails are good, no mud. Overgrown sections are cleared out. Tourist population is unusually heavy, but no accidents or mishaps of any sort. Why? Well, there isn't anything happening anywhere. No news. There's good news. Well, here's the last report. This one is from the bear man. Sounds like an Indian tribe. They're the special crew that take the unused food from the hotels to the spots where they dump it, and the bears come down from the hills and eat it where the tourists in their cars can see them. Aren't they? What a sentence! Yes, they're the men who distribute the food to certain places where the wild bears can come and eat in plain view of the tourists watching from their cars. And that's a worry to me. Well, why? Well, the bears look harmless and playful, and the tourists, in spite of what we tell them, stop their cars, which is bad, because then some of the bears come right up to the autos and beg for food, and then some of the people are foolish enough to feed the bears, even by hand. Makes me shudder to think of it. Some even get out of their cars and walk right up to the bears. There are too few of us to watch all the people all the time. People should stay in their cars, keep the cars moving slowly, keep their windows shut, and not feed the bears. Hey, that gives me the idea for a song. And here it should be. The bear fax is we can barely bear with the bears in old Bear Valley. Well, there it is. Finished at last. You're too big for it, but they find job. An innocent-looking town-and-a-half truck looks just like any other delivery truck you ever saw. I hope it fools the ranger and his men. We have to go to their office and report in before we can drive through Bear Valley. It will fool him all right. That sign you painted on each side will do the trick. Van Bruin and son, commercial photographers. Well, we do have a camera. Yeah, which we can't use. Come around to the back here and let's take a final check. Now, play an ordinary door with the padlock. We unlock it, open the door, and then we see that this is not an ordinary truck. The whole inside lined with steel, door and all. A barred ventilator window up in front of the wall between the driver's seat and the cage body. On the cable and winch set in under your seat, out of sight. We wait for the bear to come over to the car. We fire the tranquilizer dart at him. We wait for him to go to sleep. Only takes a minute or so. Then we hop out, open the back doors, drop the ramp you built, and pull the cable out through the cage body. Start the winch and haul Mr. Bear up into the truck in about one minute flat. And remove the cable, lift up the ramp, shut and lock the doors. And the whole thing shouldn't take more than four or five minutes. And when the bear wakes up, he's safely inside a steel cage. And we will have made scientific history. Did we already? Let's go over to the rangers. You say you and your son are photographers, Mr. Van Bruyne? Yeah, yeah, that's right, Mr. Ranger. Yes, I see your sign and your trunk out there. Are you nature photographers? Well, yeah, yeah, we're nature photographers. Lovely, scenery, and now and then, and people. I want to warn you about the bears. They're a terrific tourist attraction. Trouble is, tourists insist on treating the bears as though they were just toys. Memorize and obey the park rules and regulations, Mr. Van Bruyne. And you'll be all right. And don't get out of your car to photograph any bear. This is the definite rule. Oh, well, I wouldn't take a photographic of bear, Mr. Ranger. Good. You don't have any firearms, do you? No, sir, nothing that shoots bullets. Very well. I have a good time while you're here, and I hope you enjoy your trip to Bear Valley. There are your registration slips. And remember the old Indian saying, don't bother the bears and they won't bother you. So it really worked okay. Oh, slick as a whistle. He even said he hoped we'd see plenty of bears. We're driving along a while. Hey, there's a sign. Bear feeding station just ahead. Obey all instructions. Yeah, we'll drive on a little bit and then stop the truck. But keep the motor idling, before we can take off in a hurry if anybody comes along. Oh, okay. I don't see any bears. Well, they show up when they see a car. Well, I say you're right. Here comes one now, a black bear, and a good size one too. See that funny white-ish patch on his head? Anybody in sight? Nobody but the bear. Good. Now I'll get the tranquilizer gun out of the glove compartment and roll down the window an inch or two. The bear's coming right up to the car. Sure. He's standing on his hind legs begging. He's not ten feet away. I will take him right at the center of his chest and fire. Got him. He didn't even jump. Oh, of course not. He didn't know anything hit him. How much? Okay. He's lying down. The bear's lying down. It works. The tranquilizer gun works. Now he stretched himself out on his side and he's snoring. Sound asleep. Let's get to work. Hurry up now. You get the bar door open, the ramp down and the cable out here. I'll keep watch of the bear. Okay, fast as I can. Everything okay, Dad? Sure, but hurry up. Working as fast as I can. Where's the cable? Good. Let me get it around the bear. Okay, a little bit. I'm ready to go. Go start the bench. Sure. Get ready. Perfect. And there goes the bear. Just as smooth as glass. Now I'll just lock him in and be ready to go. It's slow, Stumpy. Real slow. Yeah, it's the way it always drives. Slower then. Slower than slow, I mean. He's not there, Stumpy. He's just plain not there. You sure? Positive. We'd look for him for days and days now. He's gone. He's been a regular at this feeding station for five years. No, no. Old Baldi would call him and he'd go to that white patch and hit on his head. Old Baldi. What happened to him, huh? Old Baldi did. He just, he just isn't here anymore. I can't see any sense in it, Dad. No sense in it at all. I sold that white-headed bear to the roadside zoom-end it or not. Yeah, and I hated to see him shift into that miserable cage. Listen, Dad, we certainly don't need the money and we don't need to catch any more bears. Scientific experimentation, son. Scientific experimentation. We got ourselves one bear successfully. We drive on to get the whole family. But, Dad... And there they are. Coming out of that underbrush right now. I told you if we came back to this feeding station we'd find them. Here they come. Father, mother and two tiny cubs. Yeah. I've just tranquilized the two adult bears. The babies we can just pick up and bundle into the truck. But I still don't see why we... Here they come. Now, to take them and... got him. He doesn't even know I hit him. Now, aim again. Got the female. Now all we have to do is wait. You can't miss a ten feet. And remember to pick up the used art. You forgot to last time. Did we leave it there? No, I picked it up and stuck it in my pocket while you were getting the winch ready. Look, they're asleep. Doesn't take them long. Are you ready? Anybody inside? No. Then let's go. Forget the darts. Right. Let's see, Dad. What about this? I hear a car coming. Yeah, so do I. Hurry up, back in the truck. We've got to get out of here in fast. What about the bears? Most of them get about the bears. Let's go. Two men jumped in the truck and drove away fast. Yeah, same old story. Probably stopped to feed the bears and get a better look at them or something. Maybe they stopped to look at the bears sleeping by the side of the road. But bears don't sleep by the side of the road. They have more sense than that. Those bears are sleeping? No, what bears? Those bears. Well, so they are. Got the rifle? Just in case. Right. Well, those two bears are sound asleep and snoring. Hey, hey, wake up, wake up. They don't move. The little cubs are worried. They should say so. I am too. This is a strange thing to have happen. Hey, hey little brother, wake up, wake up. Little brother. Yeah, Grey Wolf tells me that the old Indians thought bears were their little brothers. Well, maybe they were right. Because it looks like the little brothers heard you and are waking up. Let's step back, huh? They are waking up. They don't move. That was a close one. They'd wake up mad and said they just got up, shook their heads and took off for the hills the whole family. Yeah. But why were they sleeping so soundly like that? Well, maybe they... Maybe there was something strange about those men, huh? Maybe they... Oh, that couldn't be possible. They're still... The radio's flashing. Oh, yeah. Ranger Bill, this end. Go ahead. Hello, Bill. This here is Henry. Say we just got an emergency report from the bear fellas. One of the giant silver-tipped grizzlies came down out of the hills. It was terrorizing the feeding stations. The men report that this is one of the savage bears looking for trouble. Somebody's allowed to get hurt. The big silver-tip and mane. Listen, that bear is dangerous. We certainly outfitted that forest ranger. Was that the ranger? Sure. Didn't you see the insignia on that car in his green forest uniform? Oh. I bet they'll have a fine time trying to figure out just why those bears decided to snooze by the roadside. Dad, aren't you gonna quit now? Oh, I suppose. You might just as well. Ted, over there, standing by those pines. Stop the truck. Stop the truck. Dad, that's a silver-tipped grizzly. He stands nine feet tall. Oh, stop the truck. I'm going to capture him. No, dad. I have a feeling that this is wrong. Stop the truck. Now, if he only comes closer, a silver-tipped fiercest animal in the state. Claws like sabers, fangs like chilled steel. Here he comes, Ted. The window, there. He's coming closer. Two dots for him. No, I better make it three. He's ten feet away now, and still coming. Dad, I better start the truck. No, no, no, no. Wait. He's leaving from side to side. He's sitting down. He's lying down. Look. Look, he's asleep and snoring. Come on. We're going to be the first men in the world to capture a full-grown monster silver-tipped alive. I don't like it, dad. Oh, they got the bear, didn't they? He's asleep in the back, is he not? Yes, but we didn't build that cage body for anything as big as that grizzly. A bear is a bear, is he not? But this one must weigh over 1,500 pounds. Oh, the better. Step on the gas. I don't want that ranger snooping around. I'll be glad when they get clear out of the park. What's the name of that next town? Play crossing, about 20 miles. Oh, yeah, good. You can keep the grizzly unconscious until we manage to get to the roadside zoo on the other side of the mountains. I can give him a shot from the tranquilizer gun whenever he stirs and... Ted, the gun. Have you got it? Why, no. You shot the bear with it. Yeah, and I laid it on the ground while I went to unlock the door of the cage. They had the gun and the darts, but they're still there. Should we go back? Yeah, and hurry. Uh-oh. Why aren't you stopping? Look in the rear view mirror. The ranger's car. He has his red top light flashing. Step on the gas. We've got to get out of the park. Ted, what's that? The grizzly. He's a vacant man. He's trying to smash down the partition between us. Keep going. I'll hold, I'm sure. Now I'm more interested in getting away from that ranger. Step on the gas. Faster, faster. Put your foot clear to the floor. That truck must hold the men we want, Bill. I'm sure of it, Ralph. They wouldn't be trying to run away from us. Shall I go faster? Keep them in sight. Get closer gradually. We'll catch them all right. Okay, I've got the blinker on. I still can't understand the tracks back at the feeding station. The tracks seem to indicate that the truck stopped and two men got out. And this big grizzly came down. The tracks show there was a giant grizzly. It came close. And then it laid down. And then a sign shows something heavy dragged into the truck. No grizzly tracks leading away. So the question comes, is the grizzly in the truck? And if so, how and why? We didn't even hear a rifle shot. Oh, but I found this little toy gun in these darts. That's the craziest yet. I can't stop a giant grizzly with a toy gun. Yeah, but I think I know the answer to all this. I don't like it. Well, we're getting closer. I'll give it a little more gas. Faster. I'm going as fast as the truck will go. I'm gonna go faster anyway. That grizzly, that grizzly, he's starting to tear away the partition. Step on the gas. You'll get out of the park and then we can think about to the next. Go faster. Any sign of the ranger's car? No. Maybe leave out distance him or he's giving up the chase. They don't slow down, though. All right. There's the town up ahead. Don't let that stop. You keep going. But it's Saturday afternoon. The town will be full of people. Never mind. Just keep going. Well, truly, we're in town anyway. That car coming from the side street. Get around it. Get around it. I can't. I'm going too fast. I'm going too fast, I tell you. Are you all right? Yes. I swerved to keep from hitting that car. I had an old man, a boy, and when I swerved, I hit the lamppost. I'm afraid I've wrecked the truck. Never mind if you're not hurt. Let's move out of here and get out of sight. What about the grizzly? Never mind him. I'm getting out right now. Get out on your side. Ted, hurry up and get out on your side. Hurry up and get out, I say. Dad, I can't move. The bears torqued out of the partition and I pinned it here. I can't get out. The grizzly's standing right over me and I can't move. I can't move. Oh, my boy, my son. What's going on here? My son, my son, my son, and the truck pinned in there with a silver-tipped grizzly. He can't get out. One at a time. This truck almost hit Stumpy and me. We're in Stumpy's old car. You just saw you're not hurt. There's a crowd coming, Bill. Keep them back as best you can, Ralph. Hand me that rifle. Thanks. Stranger, save my son. Save my son. I think only God can save your son now. But we'll do what we can. Now, Von Bruin, when the doors swing open, the bear will probably rush out. And I'll try to stop him with a rifle shot. I can only fire once because I won't dare fire toward those people. But if you miss on the bear grabs you... It's a chance I have to take. I'm a forest ranger, remember? It's my duty to try and save your boy's life. Thank God you are a brave man. Now, I want it quiet around here. Henry, all clear? All clear. Ralph? Clear. Stumpy, all clear over there by the bank? Keep the townspeople back. Get ready, Von Bruin. I'm ready. I'm going to aim this rifle right at those doors. Now. The bear is running straight for that old man over by the bush. Stumpy, Stumpy, Stumpy, look out! Stumpy captured the grizzly all by himself. After that, it was easy for us to get the bear into a carrying cage and we took him back to the Rockies and let him go. The young man, Ted, didn't have such an easy time because of his father's wicked foolishness he'll be a long while in the hospital. Oh, he'll get better and he prays thanking God for saving his life. That bear almost finished him though, so no wonder he's thankful. Well, see you next week for another exciting adventure with...