 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. Have you ever heard the expression, there's a man's man? Sure you have. Or the remark, there's a man among men. You've heard that one too. Every time I hear them, I automatically think of one man. You probably guessed who I'm talking about by now. Sure, it's Frenchie de Salle. 325 pounds of steel bands for muscles. He stands six feet seven in his stocking feet, hard as granite, tough as a spring steel, strong as a bull buffalo. Oh yes, there's one thing I forgot. Frenchie's got a heart as big as the whole outdoors, and it's full of the love of Jesus. One morning I was sitting in my office when suddenly the door opened and I heard the sound of lumberjack boots. A boss ranger beer. Well, how are you, my very fine friend? Frenchie, what are you doing in this neck of the woods? Or should I say, out of this neck of the woods? Oh, Frenchie, think he'd time me find out if you're dead or alive. Why you never see Frenchie for so long? You mad on him, no? You're right. I'm mad on him, no. Draw up a chair and park. Oops, not that one, old friend, the other. What do you think? Frenchie gets fat, so Cher will not hold in. I'll never see the day that you get fat. Ah, Frenchie, hope not. But Frenchie come here to talk about a more serious problem. That's what I thought. Getting you away from the lumber camp is harder than finding Hen's teeth. We thought it's true. But now come time for Frenchie to take care of. There's a problem outside of Lumberjacks' camp in Forest. All right, go ahead. I'm listening. You know this place called Bordertown, where lumberjacks go for recreation when of time off? Yes, of course I know Bordertown. But it's outside of my jurisdiction, Frenchie. Frenchie knows that, but at the same time, Frenchie think maybe he's old friend. Bill Jefferson have big idea for Frenchie what to do. Okay, shoot. Maybe before Frenchie become Christian, Bordertown bad place. That's true. It's always been a wide open town. Yes, but not as wide open as it is now. It opened very wide nobby and very bad. I didn't think it could get any worse than it has been. That place has always been a vile place of sin and its worst form. Frenchie not know how to explain this. We visit Bordertown with Frenchie tomorrow night. That's a good idea. My lumberjacks have their pay and then they rush to Bordertown like crazy men. Saturday night they have big time. Sunday mornings they're not sure they have big time. Tomorrow night you will see. Okay, but I'm still mystified. What's happened now in that town that makes it more filthy than before? That is what I want you to see. If I told you you would not believe Frenchie. You think maybe Frenchie crazy. You've never lied to me Frenchie. That is right. What you say if Frenchie tell you there is church in Bordertown that has liquor sign on it. I'll meet you tomorrow night in Bordertown. How you like this my friend? This town has been a thorn in my side for many years. In Frenchie side too. But now this thorn she grow more sharp by deep. All of your lumberjacks come here on Saturday night for rest and recreation? Almost. A couple I have convinced that it is better to go to church on Sunday instead of having sick hair. They spend all of their weekly pay here? Almost all of it. Some of my jocks put money into company credit union every week. But they are just pumpkin. What do you mean by that? Those are your men Frenchie. They fight long. Frenchie fix up. I will break them in pieces. What's the matter? You have more stomach to fight the boss? I'd say they didn't have the stomach to fight Frenchie to sell. I'd say it no good to rattle skulls of my jocks when men who own these cheap salons and gambling halls go without punishment. You are very right my friend. So very right. Come along. I want to see the church you were telling me about. Mounds that would liquor sign on church has a mardi blanc. Yes. Not only as a soul of mud but a hard head no common horse sense at all. This church building bought by border town good times club for meeting hall. But Frenchie think liquor sign on church building is wrong. It sure is. It sure is. I would never have believed it if I didn't see it with my own two eyes. You have idea how to stop this all this rotten stuff. Frenchie I'm going out to think about this for a while. How long? There's some pretty stout legal barriers here. And the strongest is I haven't a nickel's worth of authority in this town. We Frenchie knows that but you will think of something. I'll sure try. That is very good. In the meantime Frenchie prays that the Lord give you brain buster of idea. You mean brain storm. Brain buster. Brain storm. Who care. If Lord give it to you it will be perfect. Then you take action. Then Frenchie maybe can have lumberjacks cut trees on Monday instead of soaking aching head. Sure it looks like the big Frenchman handed you a hot potato. Even you can't cool off. You're right Stumpy. This is a real brain buster as Frenchie calls it. I sure would be thankful if the Lord would give me the answer right now. In due time sonny. In the Lord's own good time he'll give you the answer. There must be something we can do while we're waiting. Something that will make them whippersnappers over in border town. Sit down and think. Can't you go to the governor and ask for the state police or the troops to go in there and close them up. So they'll close up and go somewhere else. Yeah I reckon they would at that. At least we know where they are right now. Why don't you go over there and talk to the mayor and lay the law down. Say you'll close up the lumber camps unless they take the sign off the church and clean up the town. How long do you think I can make that stick? Maybe a week. Two at the most. Then all the lumber company owners will start screaming like a cat that just had his tail stepped on. Too much at stake for the owners to do that. Stop the old friend. There's got to be a way that will make the people in that town do this of their own free will. To make it stick and stick good. You're right young filler. Ranger headquarters, Bill Jefferson speaking. Yes Todd, how are you? What is? How long ago? Well if it doesn't subside in a few hours let me know and we'll swing into action. Yes, those fires take a lot of heavy equipment to fight. As long as it's burning in the pothole country there's nothing to worry about. Keep me informed, Todd. If the tongues of fire get close to the trees I'll send the fire jumpers in on the double. Right. Goodbye. Cold vein fire, bust loose again. Yes, stumpy, the fire's up near the surface once more and it's shooting tongues of fire out of the ground. It fires about 15 miles north of order down. Stumpy, that's an underground cold vein fire. It's been burning for years and you know how slowly it burns. Yep, sure do. Looks like you're cutting a lot of logs today, Frenchie. Even though it's Monday. It's very strange, Bill. The logs come back early after work get around that you and I in town Saturday night. Maybe that's your answer. Lower the boom on the men that haven't any self-control. We, that worked fine for a while, but for how long, Barnaby? Frenchie, not want to be that kind of boss. You're not that kind of boss. Yes, you're right. Pretty soon the men would sneak off into border town and then the whole problem would get worse. You come to tell me you have big answer, no? I haven't any answer, Frenchie. But I did want you to know I haven't forgotten. And I'm going to talk to the mayor about it down. Oh, Frenchie appreciates that you stop by. He prays all time about the problem. You're a good man to have as a friend, big fella. Well, I've got to run along now. Well, Frenchie, be with you in spirit. Say, by the way, you know that underground coal vein in the pothole country? We? The fire is near the surface of the ground again, and tongues of fire are shooting out of the ground from time to time. You tell your men not to worry unless the fire gets near the trees. Then turn in an alarm and call me. We'll watch for you, dear. Love, love. Look, Jefferson, just because our town is not as quiet as naughty pines, there's no reason for you to come out over here and preach at us. I wouldn't expect you to understand, Mayor. I want you to clean up the wickedness, the gambling and sin. Jefferson, you don't have any authority here in Bordertown. You know it, and I know it. I also know that you and the lumber boss Frenchie did sour here Saturday night. Now get out of here and stop wasting my time. Mayor, sooner or later a man like you come to the place in life where they have to stand in front of a mirror and look at themselves honestly for what they are. And what they see in the mirror is pretty bad. That's a funny joke, Ranger. It's real funny. I'm glad you think so. Enjoy it while you can. Jumping catfish. The tree hit the ground so hard it knocked a big flame of fire out of it. No, no, no, that must be tongue of fire from underground coal vein. We better tell Bill, no? That fire is too close to the trees now. You want me to go with you? You stay here. I will run to closest field phone and call him. Ranger, headquarters. Bill, we got big trouble now. Tongue of flame come close to trees. You look to our area 115 on your map, huh? Thanks, Frenchie. I'll get the fire jumpers into the air pronto. Area 115 on your map. Coal vein fire near the surface. Shooting tongues of flame close to the trees. You better get airborne and pronto. What's up, Tom? Where are the fire jumpers? They should be over the area now. Planes are circling for the jump. Good. Stand by as usual. Over and out. Yes, sir. Ranger one to heavy equipment one. This is equipment one. Send five double cats to area 115. Yes, sir. We'll roll the trucks in five minutes. Good boys, Miley. Over and out. Over and out. Ground stations three, five and seven. Put your men on standby alert. Cancel all days off. This one can be nasty. Real nasty. Air jumpers did a bang up job. We, Bill, as the only trees that burned is the one my boys fell. Even then, we saved the fat end of the tree for big law. Frenchie, if you want to take your man and get back to cutting trees, you can. And many thanks for the help. The sudden help. Oh, I think nothing of it, Bill. Maybe we stick around for a little while. This is crazy kind of fire, you know. As you said it. A map show where a coal vein run, no? Yes. We're on the map is the vein that's now burning, Frenchie. Here's where we are right now. Great day in the morning, Sonny. We're five miles below the pothole country. We. On the call, she run underground straight to border town. Mayor, what's all the excitement about up north? What excitement, Glen? What excitement? Haven't you noticed all the activity on the border road? Oh, should have. Well, the fire jumpers flew over and the big boss rangers car went roaring up the road followed by fire trucks and personnel trucks. And now five trucks went by carrying those monstrous double bulldozers. Ah, you don't say. See any smoke? Yeah, just a little, but when the fire jumpers flew over and then a short time later the smoke was gone. Oh, well, then it isn't anything to worry about. Long as Jefferson's up there, everything's under control. He's an awful pain in the neck sometimes. But you've got to give him credit. He knows his job. Well, just thought I'd tell you. Well, don't worry about it, Clem. That fires a long way off. It can't bother us. It's over there off the mile. Tongue of fire. You better have the fire jumpers get right down there. Hold it, Stumpy. Pete and his boys are moving in on it. There sure is something strange going on here, young fella. I'll say there is. Why is that fire moving underground half a mile at a time? Let me take a peek at that map. What's on your mind, old timer? Stumpy, come on out with it. I'm trying this. The memory back a long time ago seems to me as how there was an earthquake along here somewhere. Then a fault appeared in the ground. Them geologist fellows gave it a special name. Anderson, Swenson, Ferguson, Benson. Benson's fault. Named after the man that discovered it. That's where this fire is getting so much air. The top part of the vein is burning furiously. The fire she is heading right for Bordetown, no? You're right. At the rate of speed it's going, it won't take long to get there. Stumpy, you take command here. Come on, Frenchie. We go to Bordetown. Right. We're going to warn them that their town might burn to the ground. You two reformers give me a laugh. Now you're trying to scare us out of the town. Well, it won't work. This is no lie, man. This is true. Oh, sure it is. You expect me to believe that by burning that burning coal vein is going to burn its way right through the heart of the town, right down Main Street. Oh, sorry. I'm not that gullible. All right, Mayor. Our job is done. We've warned you. We'll run our town, Jefferson, and we'll fight our own fires and the town doesn't change. You get it? That's final. This is Bordetown. What do we do now? We just sit down and wait, honey. Is that right, Bill? I'm afraid it is, Frenchie. Across this line would be to move out of our jurisdiction as the mayor of Bordetown has reminded me several times in no uncertain terms. So we sit and wait. Well, you sure will be able to see the fireworks from here. Now that it's getting dark, we see very much fireworks. Where's the fire at? About a mile outside of town just half a mile across the border and it's on our side. What? There's not a building there to burn? It's not a building, sir. Talk sense, man. What is it then? I don't know, but there's a tongue of fire about 20 feet high roaring out of the ground. What's the matter, Chief? Did you put that fire out? Put it out? Are you kidding? Things like a giant blowtorch. Well, pour water on it. Pour water on it. Every drop of water goes up in steam. You can't pour water into a blast furnace. Listen, get in there and put that fire out. Get in there yourself. On one side, he was toasted to a crisp perniator. We need help from the Rangers. Bill Jefferson will know how to fight this. We're not asking for help from the Rangers. We're going to fight our own fire. Okay. You better pray that one of these tongues of fire doesn't start right up on Main Street of the whole townlbur town. They've really got a blowtorch coming out of the ground. I thought he's big one. Is that not father from town? I'd say that fire is about a mile out of Saudi town. One or two more jumps and the fire will be in the town. Bill, I think we should go down there and help him. So do I. But we'll wait until we're invited. Otherwise, we stay right here. Bill, why do you think fire travel special fast underground like this? I'd say the fire is pulling air to feed itself from the ventilation caused by Benson's fault. The fire is moving fast again. Where's the second tunnel of fire? On the other. Yep. In again now. What are we going to do, Shawnee? Wait. Wait! You must be joking. I'm not joking. You know the law. We can't go into another district until they call for help. There's three of them going now and there's nothing we can do to stop them. Well, then let them burn. Get the buildings watered down. Water doesn't do any good with that heat. We need help and we need it paid. You're talking and direct your men. Well, if you're not going to call for help, I will. You do and you're fired as chief of the department. Mayor, use your head. The next flame might come right through under a building. Well, if it does, you'll be able to put out the fire. Bill, take a look through glass. I think buildings start to burn next to a closed flame. Now, let me see, Frenchie. Yes, you're right. He sure is. The heat from that jet of flame is scorched through the side of that house and has ignited the wood. We're in real trouble now. Stumpy, you stand by here and wait for my radio call. Come on, Frenchie. We're going down and offer to help before the whole town burns to the ground. I suppose you've come here to gloat and say I told you so, huh? Not at all, Mayor. We've come to offer help. Look, I told you before, I'll tell you again. We fight our own fires. Mayor, don't be a fool. I've got six heavily equipped fire groups sitting at the border waiting for my order to come running. Me and all my lumberjacks are there, too, as they want to help fight fire. Yeah? Or what price? What are you talking about? Price? We don't charge to fight fires or any other emergency. Well, you'll charge me. You'll hold it over my head to make me clean up this town. I know what you men are up to. Now, go on, bid it. We're busy. Great, Scott, the good times club blew up. Bill, Bill, please help us. Please help us before border town has nothing but ashes. Listen, Chief, you can't do that. Yes, you can, Mayor. Chief, my men and equipment will be here within a few minutes. I'll radio the order for them to move out immediately. Stumpy, Frenchie, tell your men to secure. The fire's out. You jogs can go back to camp now. Straight back to camp, Frenchie sir. Fire fighter! You ground crewmen, take your orders from Stumpy and start moving back to your stations. Well, Mayor, what's the matter? You haven't said a word. You can build another club building. Only this time I hope it won't look like a church. Yeah, but what happened? Suddenly the fire's gone. One house burned and this church building caught fire and burned so fast. It seemed almost unbelievable. And the fire suddenly went out even before your rangers got here. What happened? I think God was demonstrating his power, Mayor. Yeah, but why did the fire go out in such a short time after the church exploded? I mean the Good Times Club building. Or the church with the liquor sign on it. Oh, all right. Yeah, but your own way. The sign's down and so is the church. You've gotten what you wanted. You should be happy. Frenchie happy one way, but not another. Yeah, it's almost as though some strange power brought that fire to the church. Assumed it deliberately and then took the fire away when the job was done. Mayor, do you know what a church is? Huh? Well, sure it's a place where people go on Sunday. It's quite a bit more than that, Mr. Mayor. This church building used to be the house of God to many of your citizens. They came here to worship God nor for praise to his son, Jesus Christ. That is, they did until you, the saloons and gambling joints ran them out and took over. Now, there are a few Christian families left, meeting in the abandoned school on the other side of town. And I'm sure they've been praying that God would clean up this town. Huh? You mean God did this to us? I'm sure he did. Apparently he knew it would be the only way to get your attention. And it worked. The mayor of Bordetown never forgot this experience. He was convinced of his own sinfulness and later became a Christian. And Frenchy was happy, too, with the mayor's insistence. Bordetown began to improve and clean up. Oh, it wasn't overnight. But the people of Bordetown didn't forget the lesson the Lord taught them with tongues of fire. Well, see you next week for more adventure with... Ranger! Ranger Bill is a Moody Radio Network production.