 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. There is one animal that puts fear into the hearts of trappers perhaps more than any other animal enemy of the traplines. No, it's not the mountain lion or the grizzly. Oh, they're tough, but they can be killed with a rifle, and they generally let you know when they're on the warpath. It's not the timber wolf or the lynx. The animal the trappers fear most isn't even a large one, but legend has it that he has strange powers and gigantic strength. And this animal is persistent. He doesn't give up easily when on the hunt. If you think I'm going to give the animal's name away, well, you're wrong. Instead, lend me an ear and we'll get into the story, The Laughing Face. Say, the bacon frying and the coffee cooking smells good. These delicious odors come from the cabin belonging to two trappers, Abe and Jeff, who have their traplines way up in the big North country. Abe sprained his ankle and has had to stick around the cabin for a few days. Morning, Jeff. Morning, Abe. Ankle any better? It's getting tolerable, Jeff. Right tolerable. Smells good. I'm so hungry I could eat a bear. I think I'll try to trail tomorrow. You'd better take it easy. Bad strains worse than break. I know. I'll take it easy. All the traps turned out on the short run. They didn't. What do you mean they didn't? That's what I said. They were clean. That's strange. You said it. I just can't figure it out. The traps on the short run have been given us lots of pelts until now. What's wrong? Aren't there any trail signs around the traps? I couldn't tell. We had a light snow early this morning. But there's one thing I can't figure out. What's that? I could tell we'd caught some furs in some of the traps because they were sprung. How did the critters get out of the traps? Well, somebody or some animal took them out. Maybe we've got poachers. Hey, Mac. What do you want, Shorty? Come here. I've got something to show you. What's that? Ever seen tracks like these before? Nope. Can't say that I have. Have you? Nope. What kind of animal do you think it is? I don't know. Let's follow the trail and find out where it's going. Okay, let's go. How far are we going to follow this character, Shorty? I know. We've been tracking this critter for a couple of hours. Let's turn back. No, by trying for a little while longer. See what happens. Well, how much farther? Just to top with this little rise and then stop if we don't find anything. Okay. Well, this is it, Shorty. Yep. Boy, I'd sure like to know what it is. Well, whatever it is, it's heading straight north without a let-up. Doesn't that farmer ever get tired? I guess not. It must be a short-legged animal by the drag marks its body made in the deep snow. Yeah, but it never gets tired. I hate to give up now. But we spent too much time already tracking this guy. I guess we'll never know what kind of a critter it is. Or not for now we won't. Maybe we'll later we'll find out. Let's start back. Yep. We might as well. Hey, man, the cabin door's open. Come on. Hey, what got in here? A cyclone? Boy, it sure looks like one of mass. Hey, man, look here in the flower on the floor. The same footprints as a strange animal. It couldn't have doubled back on this. It didn't have time. There must be two of them. I don't like this. What kind of a weird son of a critter are we up against? Your guess is as good as mine, Shorty. Let's clean up this mess and go down to Trapper's Landing. Yeah. Before we open our mouths, let's keep our ears open. Well, hello, Shorty, Mac. Hi, Roy. Hi, great to see you, Roy. How come you fellas came into the landing? Ain't due for a couple of months yet. Well, Trapper's been extra good, so he thought we'd come in and mosey around a bit. Just for a change. Well, thank glad to have you. Say, if you want to take back supplies in the morning, let me know so I can get them ready ahead of time. Oh, thanks, Roy. Here's the list. It isn't long, but then we'll only be out a couple of months until spring. You know, I've had so many of you fellas come into the landing so early in years. Usually everything's quieter than a graveyard this time of year, being your busy seasons. Say, do you know why so many of the fellas have come in early? No, can't say so, Mac. They've been around the stove all day just like they was expecting something to happen. Hey, man. It's Jack. He looks like he's seen a ghost. I've seen almost as bad shortly. Hey, what do you mean? Wolverine. Wolverine? How do you know it's a Wolverine, Jack? I know because I know that's why. Don't forget I've trapped up Alaska way, and I know Wolverine tracks when I see them. Well, they ain't been Wolverine around these parts for years, Jack. I know that, Roy. Just the same, I'm telling you, I've got Wolverine haunting my trap lines. Here, draw us a picture of their tracks. Sure. Give me some paper, will you, Roy? Coming up. Sam, this is what they look like, boys. Those tracks? They're the same as the ones we found in our cabin after it was rigged. There was two of them. They're the same tracks where we found our traps robbed. It must have been a Wolverine that followed me along my path two nights ago. Yeah, that's right. I'm quitting for the season. I ain't working no trap lines with a Wolverine around. You ain't alone, Abe. You couldn't drag me up there, the team immune. Let's go back to the cabin and get our skins. I'm quitting for the year. Right. We ain't moving outside the cabin except in the broad daylight. You said it. We're not staying in the cabin more than one night. I want to get back here. You don't catch me fooling around with all Wolverine. You and the rest of us, shorty. No, no, no, no, no, no. Listen, man. Why don't you call it a night and get some sleep over in the bunkhouse? You'll feel better in the morning. I won't feel any different in the morning than I do now, Roy. I'm quitting the traps for this season. In fact, I'm not even going out to pick up the traps. Oh, no, don't be foolish, Jeff. You're just starting to catch prime pelts. Why, the next couple of months are your big money months. Don't make no difference to me. I ain't tangling with no Wolverine. I might end it up with a busted back or worse yet, dead. Oh, that's a lot of superstitious nonsense. I don't know how long it is, Roy. How about old Beaver Dan? He was found dead on the trail and these here kind of tracks all around him. Yeah, but that was ten years ago. That makes no never mind on me. I'm quitting for now. And if those barman stick around, I'm quitting this country for good. That's Tower 8 calling. Hello, George. How's everything up at Tower 8? Hey, you're not George. Who is this? Roy, you startled me. How are you? I figured something must be up. Two days dog sledding from Tower 8. Why'd you come in? Wow, what happened? Oh, oh. Haven't they gotten over the superstitious nonsense about those animals? Oh, you're joking. Yeah, I know that, Roy. Who's ring-leading the panic? I would do it all right. Big Jackson, Alaska boy and fear of the Wolverine was running high back in the days when he trapped up there. What do you want me to do? Sure, I'll be glad to. I understand. Let's see what we can do along that line. Goodbye, Roy. Looks like we'll get out the dogs in the sleds. Trappers landing a long way. Right. Can't use a helicopter because there's no place for it to land up there. So we'll go up to Jake Cougan's place in the snowmobile and then we'll take a couple of dog teams from there. All this because of some superstitious guys who think that a Wolverine's a mastodon. Yeah, superstition is a mastodon. A gigantic mental beast. I'll say they are. Jake keeps his dogs in top shape. How much farther is it to Trappers Landing? All about two hours sledding. We'll be there. Oh, boy. It's a good thing there's a good trail through here and we'd never make it around all these trees all the time. You mean sooner or less the dogs and sleds get ripped? That's exactly the point. Henry, watch your lead dog. Yeah, I got it. Get back on the trail, they must you huskies. That's better. Remember these dogs are full of monkey shines as they're only on the trail a little over a day now. I'll watch them. If you hadn't seen that, we'd be wrapped around the tree by now. We're almost there. There's Big Duck Creek. Stumpy, I think you get soft with all day. Soft? I got a touch of laziness. That's all. You're on time for your little limit. There's a short race and there's a training post right ahead. If Stumpy doesn't slow down, he'll run right into it. There's came in here in such a storm that I thought the marines had landed. You mean an old walrus like me and a team of dogs? Sure I did, Stumpy. Hey, Stumpy. How'd you say you weren't old? I didn't walrus. Yeah, I was selling on the ring. Where are the trappers, Roy? Oh, they're over in the bunkhouse. Yesterday they spotted some wolverine tracks close in around here. And now they're more convinced than ever they're gonna quit for the season. The failures they trapped are piled in the strong room and I guess they'll do nothing but sleep and talk till spring comes. Well, what do you say we go over to the bunkhouse and listen to their stories about wolverines? Let's go. Yes, sir, Bill. Well, them wolverine varmints, they cleaned out our traps and they stole the pelt. Why, they'd drive Jeff and made a run if we stayed on out there. That's right. They'll starve a man to death and steal his food, rob his traps and what's worse than that is they'll haunt your snowshoe trail until they get you. Jeff, all animals will follow a snowshoe trail. It's easier walking than plowing through the soft snow. Sure, but not the way a wolverine does. He sneaks along and he keeps looking at you with his laugh and face. I don't know you're being followed until it's too late. When it comes spring, we'd be fine dead like they did old Beaver Dan. Well, Beaver Dan's death is before my time out here but I doubt that a wolverine killed him. Well, you can doubt it all you want. We know what killed him. One of them slinking varmints. Ah, a wolverine's no larger than a medium-sized dog. In fact, to find one that large is rare. The biggest on record is 40 pounds. Whoever most of them run 30 pounds or under. Well, maybe so, but I've heard tell where they've killed grizzly bears. They've got the strength. Well, they make an eye trail one four hours and couldn't catch up with them. We tailed them before we knew what we were following or we wouldn't have done it. This country is plagued with them. Last night they moved closer. We found them not more than 150 yards from here and that's too close for comfort. Do you believe us now, Bill? I most certainly do not, big Jack. In fact, I'm surprised that grown men like yourselves can believe such superstitious nonsense. Superstitious? Superstitions, eh? Well, I trapped the Alaska country and I know what happened to the men up there when they tangled with the wolverine. Gray Wolf, how did your father, a black wolf, think of the rovoline? You mean the Indians were afraid of them, too? Ah, yes and no. My father say wolverine is bridged between life on earth and spiritual world. When wolverine caught, the body left a mile from camp for five days, if female and four days if male. Oh, how about that? Why? Now, black wolves say a number of days body left from camp to give animal spirit time to leave body and not come into family or chase a grandfather's spirit through eternity. What happened to the wolverine's body after the time limit was up, young fella? Then wolverine pelt used an Indian dress. It considered good medicine to warrior and wife, more good medicine for wife. Squaw without wolverine pelt and clothes not in style and considered not to have good medicine. Indian make parkas out of best pelt. Early settlers think parkas made of wolverine pelt's best because frost not gather on fur. There you are, Bill. Now, what do you think about us being superstitious about wolverines? I'm still not convinced you're right. You believe what your father told you was the truth, don't you, Gray Wolf? That's hardly a fair question, Jack. It all right, Bill. I answer it. Big Jack, my father, told truth as he believed it and as it was told him by his father. But I am Christian. I not believe as my father. Jesus not believe in superstition as he taught us not to. Jesus say, I am way truth and life. He not teach superstition and he is only way to heaven. Gray Wolf not believe wolverine is linked between earth and heaven. Jesus is. You fellows are so highly enlightened. Why don't you go out and catch a wolverine? God damn it! Why do you think we came up here, Jack? I don't know why. To laugh at us? No. To catch a wolverine and prove to you, man, that you're wrong. Ah! Well, you fellows are really on the spot now. Here's your coffee. How come? Well, you've got to come up with a wolverine and the proof that the animal ain't what the trappers think he is. The only spot we might be in is catching one alive. Otherwise, I don't think we got a problem. Right. It's a good thing we're not in Alaska. We'd have to get special permission to catch one of the little fellas. Why? The penalty for killing a wolverine in Alaska is a $500 fine in six months in jail. He's really protected up there, ain't he? And how? There's only a short open season on them and they can only be hunted by duly authorized and licensed people. Well, how are we going to catch one? I don't know yet, Henry. Thanks for the coffee, Roy. We're going to turn in so we can get an early start in the morning. Okay. I hope you fellows have a lot of success. My business and your reputation depend on it. We've been out here two days now. All we've seen is some old wolverine tracks. Yep. You haven't even heard a snarl or growl of anything. Much less a wolverine. Maybe they get word that we come up here to catch one of them. Hey, I've got a better idea. Let's get one from the zoo. Save all the wear and tear. Don't tempt me, Henry. All right, let's find a campsite, build a good fire, and bed down for the night. It'll be dark in half an hour. How long has Henry been out there collecting firewood? Not right. He'd gone plenty long. He couldn't carry all the wood he'd gather in the time he'd been gone? Grab your flashlights and we'll trail him. You're right. He's been gone too long. Hold still now, while I stop the bleeding. What had happened, pal? I wish I knew. All of a sudden, I'm walking along, and then I'm not walking, and the lights go out. Here's answer. A dead branch dropped off when Henry went under this tree. You get nasty crack on the head. I hope it's not serious. So do I. I'll gather up a firewood. Fine. We'll get Henry back to camp and bandage up his aching head. How's your head feel this morning, pal? Okay. The ache is gone. I'm not good. I worry that you might have concussion. He didn't miss it by much. I'm happy to see you're all right, honey. Thanks, Duffy. Bill, how much longer do you think we're going to have to stay out to catch a Wolverine? Well, that depends on any Wolverine that wants to be caught. Well, I say it looks like we go back empty-handed. I'm beginning to think so myself, young fella. We just ain't any Wolverines out here to be catched. I go walk over here some and see if I find Wolverine tracks. Maybe you not follow those mostly questions. That's a good idea, Grey Wolf. Uh, yell if you find something. Man, this is plain disgusting. Even worse than that. It's just plain irritating. Hey, that sounds like Grey Wolf. Let's get over there. Babies, look at one of them laughing faces right in the eye. You can't do anything no more. How's your foot, Grey Wolf? It feels better now. But my face red. It's a good thing you didn't step into a bear trap. Fortunately, this trap was small enough so as not to break your ankle. His boot protected him, too. Well, how come he had your snowshoes off? Well, I think it better. That makes so much noise as a snowshoe. Maybe catch Wolverine that way. Well, we're going to have to go back to Trapper's Landing. We're running out of food, and these accidents aren't helping matters either. Boy, well, we get the rip when we get back. Oh, I can hear them now. Big brave Rangers who can't catch a Wolverine came back. Looking like they've been through the battle of Bunker Hill. What you got to say about the Wolverines now, Bill? I haven't changed my mind, Big Jack. A couple of accidents wouldn't alter my thinking. You know why you had the accidents, don't you? Yes, they were accidents. That's why. That's what you think. The Wolverines fixed you guys up. You thought you were hunting them, or they were hunting you. Remember old Beaver Dan? Rubbish! Pure rubbish! That's what you fellas are talking about. We're going out again in the morning. Well, we needed food supplies. That's why we really came back. Sure, go ahead and go out in the morning. I've never seen anybody so anxious to die as you fellas. After the spring thaw, we'll come out and bury you. I thought those trappers had never stopped needling and ribbing us. What's more, I think some of them were trying to give us some sincere advice. Yeah, I think so. Where'd you see, Sonny? Here on hard snow, fresh will bring tracks. They go toward Rich over there. Great day in the morning. Now that I look carefully, he's right. My vision. Oh boy, at last we've got a hot trail. How long since he passed here? Not more than an hour. Let's go after him. A little spooky guy in there. And how? Now the problem is how to get him out alive. I'm prepared for that little problem, pal. Oh, you are? How? He's heavy gloves, a dog muzzle, and rope. Ah, that do find. Only two men can get in cave at the same time. I go with you. Okay. Let's go get the laughing boy. There he is. Big one, too. That's way around 35 pounds. Isn't that right? You give me gloves and I catch him. Not on your life. That's my job. You follow with the muzzle and the rope. Okay. I block cave tunnels so he not get out. If you slip by you. Okay. What are we waiting for? Get the muzzle, get the rope signing. I do pretty quick. Good work. All right. Let's take him back and show the boys. Now listen to me. I caught that rascal with my gloved hands. Gray wolf, muzzled and tied him with his bare hands. Why, he's no stronger than a dog is weight and size. Fellas, the Wolverine is a scavenger. That's why he robs traps and steals food out of your cabins if given the chance. He can't help it that he's got an evil looking kind of grin on his face. That's the way the Lord made him. What's more, the Wolverine can't kill bears or men. And there's nothing supernatural about him at all. In fact, I think he's a fine little animal just trying to get along in the world the best he can. Now, Big Jack and the rest of you men, how about going back to work? Imagine us being afraid of him. Why, that little guy wouldn't hurt a flea. In fact, I'd like to make a pat out of him. Come on, boys. Let's get back to our traps. Time's a-wishin' and spring ain't far off. Bill, how can I ever thank you and your men for helping me and the men like this? Oh, forget it, Roy. I'm always glad to stamp out superstitious beliefs and replace them with the truth. Well, there's one laughin' face that won't harm anyone. He's just a good-natured Joe. Wolverines are very scarce in the United States. Perhaps someday the government will protect them like they're protected in Alaska. And we'll see these fine animals around once again. Well, see you next week for more adventure with...