 It's the sugarcrate cane. Tables of faith. Radio drama, a hallmark of moody broadcasting for over 60 years. Join us now as we take you back to another classic in MBN Radio History. 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, 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. What in the world is this steel tower doing out here in the middle of the wilderness? I believe they called it a fire tower, Dr. Harris. What do they do with this fire tower, Franklin? Well, if we were to climb to the top of the tower and enter the little house, you'd be able to see for 20 miles. Oh, I don't believe it. He's quite right, Dr. Harris. Oh, good heavens. Upon my dear fellow, what are you trying to do? Get us out of a year's growth? Where did you come from? I apologize if I startled you. My name is Tom Morgan. I'm the forest ranger on duty here. This is tower three. I was just telling my friend that you can see for miles and miles. Might we see this for ourselves? Certainly, I'd be delighted to have you be my guest. I don't have visitors very often. We tower rangers lead a pretty lonesome life, but it's worth it. But how do you get to the top of this tower? I mean, where's the elevator? An elevator? Or I see other long winding stairs. That's the only way up, gentlemen. I don't believe it. You will by the time you get to the top. The view from here is breathtaking to say the least. It's quite. Upon my word, I don't believe I've seen as many trees in one view in my life. There are millions and millions of dollars worth of trees out there. You see, we're on top of the tower, and the tower is built into the bedrock of a high bluff. We're up in the air quite a distance. Do you run up and down these beastly stairs often? Well, not any more than necessary. I came down to get wider and to check on the humidity. The humidity? What on earth for? Well, we're in a dry spell. When the humidity gets down to 30, we don't allow campfires or gas engine equipment to operate. If the humidity drops lower than 30, we close the forest to everyone. You mean you keep everyone out until it rains? Yes, we do. Have you ever seen a forest fire? No, I haven't. It's the most horrible disaster to natural resources you can imagine. Are you telling me that these green trees would burn like a torch? Worse than that, like a blazing inferno. Oh, pardon my word. That's horrible. I don't believe you. Hello, tower three. Tom, what's the humidity reading up there? Not good, Bill. Just a hair over 30. That's strange. We got 25. 25? Are you sure? We've double-jacked and jacked the double-jack. Wow. Why should mine read so much more? Probably higher there in the forest. But we'd better send you a new one. Close the forest. Yes, sir. Any more orders? Yes. Keep a sharp watch. A very sharp watch. Goodbye. Gentlemen, I have some bad news for you. I gathered that something was wrong. The 25 reading startled you. Is your humidity instrument wrong? It looks that way, Franklin. I've just received orders to close the forest. I'm sorry. You're sorry? Well, how do you think we feel after traveling all this way to see this magnificent forest? Yes. How long would this order apply? Well, until we get sufficient quantity of moisture to raise the humidity. But won't that take weeks or even months? It could. Although I don't know what the weather forecast is at the moment. Is your superior Bill Jefferson in Naughty Pine now? Yes. I shall obey your orders, Tom, and leave the forest with Franklin. But I'm going to object to your superior. It won't do any good, Dr. Harris. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. In this situation of low humidity and extreme dryness, the tower ranger becomes the most important ranger in the area. The order has been given to close the forest. And now he's the only human being that's inside the forest. He takes painful precautions, so the fire tower won't be the spark that ignites the trees. He walks the steps with moccasins. He inspects the electrical wires to the tower to make sure, doubly sure, there isn't any bare wire. The tower ranger sharpens his usual alertness to razor edge. His eyes carefully probe and search with the help of high-powered field glasses and telescopes. Probe and search, watching for the telltale wisp of smoke. I get a report from the tower shortly after the forest is closed. Ranger headquarters, Bill Jefferson speaking. Hi, Bill. This is Tom at Tower 3. This section's closed. I'm watching. Good boy. Don't hang up. Well, tell you mine. I had two guests today, a Dr. Harris and another fellow. The name is Franklin. I know. You know? How do you know they were here? I know everything. He's a wealthy New Zealander. He's also quite a scientist. And he's also used to having his own way. I figured as much. Anyhow, he's left the forest, but he's going to see you. That's to be expected. Keep a sharp eye, Tom. Say, this is Dr. Harris. Why does he always say, I don't believe it, when an unusual statement's made? Dr. Harris seems to distrust everything he doesn't authenticate himself. I'm sorry, Dr. Harris, but until we get sufficient rain to raise the humidity to safety level, the forest is closed. It rather looks like we're going to have to sit this out, Dr. Harris. Yes, quite right, Franklin. Quite right. I know this interferes with your work. However, the lumberjacks and log truckers and a few more types of business operation have had to shut down. And all the resort areas as well. We don't want you to think that we're picking on just you. That's small comfort, Mr. Jefferson. I suppose it is. The next best thing is to pray for rain. I pray for rain, old boy. I, Dr. Harris, the great agnostic pray for rain. Surely you're justing. Not at all. God makes and controls the weather, just as he controls everything else in the universe. I suppose you believe that Bible you have in your bookshelf. And how? From the first page to the last and everything in between. But how can you believe in something that doesn't exist? I mean, you're a man of science and higher learning. That's where I found the Lord Jesus, in science and higher learning. Science and learning are all well-regulated and based on order. Only God could provide such precision and infallibility. You're confused, old boy. You allege fantasy, legend, and allegory as fact. By your standards, I'm as pagan as they come. But by my standards, I don't see how any intelligent man can swallow all of that hand-me-down-over-the-century's and legends you call the Bible. Now, excuse me. Ranger headquarters, Bill Jefferson. Bill, there's something that looks like smoke hanging in the air over sector 33. Nick sees it too, but it doesn't act like smoke rising from the ground. It hangs in one place. It might be haze or some natural phenomena. Hold the phone. I want to check the map. Tom, that's not far from the old mine road. I'll send Angus in to check on the ground and check on myself at the copter. Angus and his boys are just pulling up. What's that stuff in the air? You're almost in it. I doubt that it's smoke. Some freakish vapor accumulation, I'd say. Well, you'd know if it were smoke by now. You're looking right at it. Ground-faved Ranger 1. Go ahead, Angus. So what do you see? I see two squirrels, one blue jay, and a chipmunk. Good work, boys. You can go back home. Thank the good Lord, it wasn't a fire. Amen, brother, amen. Franklin, will you stop that incessant pacing and occupy yourself? I'm sorry, Dr. Heddis. I'm just as fed up with this forced idleness as you are. Are you really, sir? Yes, but I'm going to do something about it if it continues another day. It precisely what, sir? We're going back into the forest and continue our work. But that's breaking the law, Dr. Heddis. Oh, I hardly think so, Franklin. The Rangers are afraid of sparks and igniting the trees. Therefore, we won't make sparks. We can take a thermos jug of tea and return every few days to refill it. I say that's a fine idea. But how will we get out there if we can't use an automobile? Bicycles. Dr. Heddis, you are a genius. When do we leave? At once. But, sir, what if one of those horrible forest fires breaks out? You know, these Ranger fellows seem to be very efficient. If a fire does start, it won't last long. We'll be perfectly safe. Hello, Tom's grocery. If we don't have it, don't ask for it. Oh, sorry, wrong number. I was calling Fire Tower 3. Just a minute. I'll change hats. This is Tower 3. How's the grocery business, Tom? Oh, fine. I sold a bucket of honey to pop a bear. Some slightly used nuts to Mr. Squirrel. They aren't the best nuts, but what can you expect this time of year unless you have them flown in and none of the customers don't want to pay the prices? Going tower happy. Bats in the Belfry. None of the Belfry. Bats in the Fire Tower. Yeah, so much probe and search. What's new over in your area, Tom? Same as yours. Nothing. Well, I got something now. What? Where? Yeah, this is it. Ground fire in section 30. This one is for real. Stumpy, we'll go into the center control area right off Canyon City Road. You're the doctor, young fellow. Ranger 1, do all units stand by for battle plan? If you're not proceeding to the fire as originally planned, let me know as I call your units. Unit 10, the Ranger 1. We've got a flat tire. Should be fixed two minutes from now. Very well, unit 10. Unit 10, proceed to the fire as quickly as you can, and you are now a reserve unit. Acknowledge. This is unit 10. We read you. Unit 14, proceed and replace unit 10. Acknowledge. This is unit 14. We read you. Hey, get that map off the windshield. How do you expect me to see where I'm going? Sorry, Stumpy. Attention all units. Airborne 1 and 2. Proceed according to plan and drop your fire jumpers in exactly four minutes. Drop in four minutes. Angus, you should be 10 minutes from the fire. Take center attack with all available manpower under your command. We'll also command the fire jumpers. Acknowledge. Bill, the Lotties and I are eight minutes from the fire. This new truck is a darling. I got your orders, and we'll carry them out to the letter, including the punctuation. Good boy. Tower 3 and 4, make your report. The fire is roaring toward Tower 3. Front wall should be clearly visible by 3 right now. Nick is right. I can see the front wall entering the valley. She's a treetop fire, moving at tremendous speed. Angus, can you see the jumpers? Plainest day, Lottie. Plainest day, and I'll be with them before they get their beard scorched. Tom, how fast is it moving? 40 to 50 miles an hour. Where'd all the wind come from? Evacuate your tower and join the ground crews. Angus, try to make your stand in Fire Lane. Triple A, Mary John. Triple A, Mary John. Aye, aye. Hey, what are those two bicycles doing alongside the road? Angus, I'm going to try to contain the fire in the valley. I'll make a desperate attempt to hold it at Fire Lane. One B, Robert Jack. One B, Robert Jack. You can fall back when things get too hot for you. Try to delay as long as you can without risk for your lives. We'll make the last ditch fight at one B, Robert Jack. Acknowledge. I'll reach a laddie. I'll reach a loud and clear. And I'm holding up these sleeves for a good fight. Good boy. Ranger one, do all units. Ranger one, control will be at Fire Lane one B, Robert Jack. All reserve and move up units proceed according to plan. Unit 10, how's that flat tire? This is unit 10. We're rolling again. Good work. Stumpy, what did you say about bicycles? So it finally sunk in. There are two bicycles laying alongside the edge of the road back there. How far back? Oh, a couple of miles, maybe more. It's too late now to find who rode them. The fire will be over that area in a few minutes. Franklin, they can't run anymore. We've got to dig a hole here and cover ourselves with earth. You must run, Dr. Hattis. Can't you understand? I'm out of youth. I can't run anymore. I just can't. All right. I'll dig the hole. Well, hurry, man, hurry. It's getting close now. You feel that tremendous heat? Will the hole save us? Yes, I believe it will. Not so long ago, that's what the rangers do. Well, get on with it, man. Get on with it. Dig just deep enough to lay in it and be able to cover up. Get in the hole, Dr. Hattis, and I'll cover you. I'll cover myself. Yeah, you get in here, too. Pour your canteen water over your jacket. Use it to protect yourself. Well, hurry up. I'm ready. Bear yourself. How's the delay, honey? The fire is rolling across the top of the trees like a 400. Oh, this is a nasty one. Real nasty. Angus, we're not going to stop it here. But we've got a better chance to delay it than you had. Now take your men out of here right now. Fall back to Fire Lane 1 Charlie. This one right here on the map. Now these cliffs should form a natural barrier. I want you and your man to get on top of the cliffs and load them with explosives. We can't delay the fire here. And get it under control of some sort. I'll fall back to the Fire Lane between us. That's this one right here. Aye, you can, Able Martin. Right. You understand your orders? Aye, that I do. When do you want me to blow the top of the cliffs? If we lose badly right here and have to fall back quickly to 10 Able Martin, I'll give you the order to set off your explosives. Aye. Angus, I want the trees below those cliffs pulverized and covered with rock. Every last one of them. Aye, that's what you want, Ladi. That's what you'll get. Good boy. I'll scram. Made it. Aye, that's a win. Bill, Bill, we're going to get help. Lots of help. From whom? What? Where? Toad H uses rainings hard up there. It looks like spaghetti hanging from the sky. Help us. Somebody, help us. We're lost. Oh, God, help us. We're going to die. We're going to die. If we could only cool off and get some water. Water. Yes. Water. Yes. Dr. Harris, listen. Stand there. Water. Help us. Please. Help us. It's rain. No. No rain. Oh, please. God help us. Oh, stop praying to God like a babbling child. Did you understand? There is no God. Yes, there is. You possibly might not care to live, but I do. God may help us if we pray. I have prayed for water, cool rain, but there is none. It's so beastly hot to move. Listen, listen, rain, rain, cool water, cool air. There is a God, Dr. Harris. The Lord sure sent the rains at the right time. Lost a lot of trees, but the rain kept the damage confined to the valley under tower three. Boy, I think of what could have happened if the fire broke out of the valley. Praise the Lord for that water. Amen. Say, young fella, it's been raining cats and dogs for two days now. How about erosion in the burned out area? Not erosion I'm worried about right now, old friend. Roots of the burned trees will hold the soil for quite a while. We've got to reseed the valley right away. That's no problem. These two days of rain have cooled the ground. Right. The weather boys tell me they were in for a spring wet spell now, about six weeks. I was going to have Hank and his boys from the tree farm at Central City come up and reseed the whole area. Also transplant some seed trees. This rain is only going to stop for a day or two, and a new rain front will be upon us. That whole place will be nothing but a mud hole for weeks since the live trees have been destroyed. A full grown tree can drink up to 400 gallons of water a day. Multiply that by the number of burned out trees. Great jumping chipmunks. If the trees aren't there to drink and store all that water, it'll run off. And so will all the topsoil as we get some seed in there and start growing new trees. We jumped right from the frying pan into the rain barrel. I'd rather have the rain barrel problem any day. Let's take a ride out to the valley in the morning and have a look, Stumpy. And I'll talk it over with Hank and find out how long it'll take him to do the job. It'll sure take him a couple of weeks to hand seed that place. Right. Not to come up with a new idea to get the job done quickly. Well, I think I've got it. You're the man I'm looking for. Shoot. We can use an aeroplane. Don't have to spread the seed all over the area. That's a fine idea, except for one thing. You mean I'm not a genius? The plane would work fine except with the updrafts and downdrafts of the valley and the wind disturbance. The planes couldn't fly low enough. In addition, it's too fast. Well, you've got to admit it's the best, no good idea I've had in some time. Oh, please, God, help us. God, can you hear me, God? Almighty God. Almighty God, I read about you and studied about you so that I could deny your existence. This is a deathbed prayer, but I'm asking you to spare my life and that of my man, Franklin. We've been out here in this barren, desolate place for two days and three nights. If this spurned out and charred valley is any resemblance of hell, I now understand the horrible plight of the unbeliever. If you'll spare our lives, I'll serve you for the rest of my days on earth. This is a solemn promise. Amen. Our keeper is going to put out with you, young filler. I don't blame her. I promise to pick up some grass seed and fertilizer and I keep forgetting. Grass seed, huh? Yeah. Now here it is, right here in this rack. What's the idea of that? Of what, old timer? That pine-sized wheelbarry with holes in the bottom. That's a spreader. Spread seeds out evenly over a lawn. Also makes it easier for the birds to find them. You sure are an opt to mist, aren't you? Seed spreaders for grass. What'll this ink of next? Hang on to your hat, old timer. Hang on to my hat. Hang on to my body. What in the name of common sense is wrong with you? I've got the answer to the seeding job. You did? Where? From you. Me? You mean I'm a genius after all? Yep. When you talk about a seed spreader, you gave me the idea. What idea? What seed spreader's got to do with it? We'll use a seed spreader, a planter, like the farmers use only with a helicopter. And the seeds will fall where we want them to and we won't waste seed from wind loss. I knew you'd figure this out You hear me? Wake up. See us. We all live the night if they don't please God. Help us. That flying machine sure are doing the job fast. I'll say it is. He's doing it right. What's wrong with him? He's going to crash. Great Scott, it sure looks like it. Wait a minute. He's hovering just off the ground. Stumpy. He's looking at something out there. He sure is. Hey, that's where I saw the bicycles. Say, I forgot about the bicycles. I'll talk to him on the car radio. Ranger One, the copter. What's wrong out there? What are you looking at? Bill, I just discovered two men out here. And they're in awfully bad shape. We'll drop a flare close by and continue seeding. I'll radio for an ambulance and doctor. Well, gentlemen, you're looking much improved. How do you feel? I feel pretty fair, Bill. But I'm afraid Franklin's not feeling too chipper. Not quite chipper, Dr. Harris. Well, the doctor says you'll both recover, but you had a very close call. Yes, indeed we did. You know, the Lord sent that heavy rain to save your lives. He also made it necessary for us to reseed quickly so we'd find you. Contrary to what you may believe, Dr. Harris. I believe it. Would you say that again? I believe it. Well, praise the Lord. It appears the Lord was sowing two kinds of seed out there in the valley. Tree seed and spiritual seed. And they both fell on fertile ground.