 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. Oh boys and girls, I've been thinking about the story I'm going to tell you today. In fact, I have several I'd like to tell because so many interesting things happen in a ranger's busy life. Well, I sure know what this story will be about. How would you like to hear of the trouble I had with yo-yos and shot-rotting? Don't look so puzzled by the lingo I'm using. It's really on the up and up. All the trouble started when an elderly gentleman by the name of Ezra Newcomb decided to sell his property to an easterner by the name of Todd Stone. In fact, we could start our story in the Naughty Pine Bank where the business transaction took place. Hold on to your hats for the story The Broken Promise. Ezra Newcomb, Todd Stone, Ed Banker, and their attorneys are sitting around Ed's desk in the bank. Ed has the legal papers spread out for the signatures of the two men. Ezra hesitates before picking up the pen. What's the matter, Ezra? I hope you haven't changed your mind about selling your ranch. No, I haven't, Todd. I gave my word that we'd make a deal and my words as good as gold. Well, that's fine. For a moment, I thought you had changed your mind. There's only one thing that bothers me. What's that? The drag strip. You sure you're gonna let the youngsters use it after you own the property? Yes, it's part of the deal. If I thought for one second that you'd break your promise, I'd call this whole thing off here and now. You have my word that the drag strip will be left open for the youngsters to use. All right. I'm sorry now that we didn't put that in writing, but it's too late to draw up another set of papers. Where do you want me to sign, Ed? Right here on the first line, please. Put your signature on all copies. There you are. All signed. I hope you realize that property you bought is the best rents land around these parts. Put your John Henry on there, Todd. On the second line? Yes, on all copies. Then I'll seal the papers and you can endorse Todd's check, Ezra. And we'll get it in today's deposits. That suits me just fine, Ed. Well, from now on, I'm a man of leisure. No more getting up at four in the morning. That'll seem strange after doing it for nine hundred fifty years. I guess it will. Well, I wish you the best of everything in your retirement. I'm leaving on the next plane for the east. And my foreman, Lefty Roberts, will be out first thing in the morning to take over. That'll be mighty fine. The move-in van's coming to move more on me into town bright and early. And don't forget your promise now about the drag strip. I won't. How can I? You won't let me. Ezra sold his ranch to some guy in the east. Poppin, Toads, what about our drag strip? He's piped on. He's piped on. Let's give Larry a chance to tell us a hot scoop. Go ahead, Larry. It's the truth and also it's no secret. I read about Ezra selling his ranch in the afternoon paper. The deal was closed this morning. The paper's got a whole column about it. Did the paper say anything about the drag strip? Not our word, Shorty. Oh, now where are we going to test the zoom in our cars? I thought Ezra was our friend. Sure looks like he sold us out. Don't go spouting off like a cheap carburetor, fellas. I think we should go out and talk to Ezra. That's not a good idea. When are we going? We'll have to be right now, Muff. The paper said that Ezra's moving off his ranch first thing in the morning. What are we waiting for? Let's go. The usual time to come out here. You must have something on your minds. Well, we didn't come out to test our cars, Ezra. We came out to find out what's going to happen to the drag strip now that you sold out. I guess you've been reading the newspapers, eh? We sure have. What's the scoop as far as we're concerned? Do we still get to use the test track on Saturdays? Yeah, I told you. Now, what do you say? Well, I should say so. The man who bought the ranch, Todd Stone, promised to let you still use the race track, just like you've done for the past couple years. Hey, you're really a solid fella, Ezra. We thought you'd forgotten about us. Ah, don't talk nonsense, Muff. How good old is? Forget about you youngsters. I'm sorry the ranch is getting too much for me to handle, but I wouldn't have sold it unless that Mr. Stone had promised to keep the drag strip going. Hey, you feel better now? Sure, that's all right. You know, it always makes me happy to see young folks with joy in their hearts. I'll come out and watch you test the Zoom and your souped-up cars. Won't be often, but I'll come when I can. You let us know when you'd like to come out, and one of us will pick you up. You expect me to ride in one of those speed jobs? We'll keep it down to a crawl. We'd like you to come out often. Well, thank you for the invitation. You make an old man's heart feel warm and pleased. Well, I guess I'd better get back in the house and help the Mrs. with the packing. Okay, Ezra. And thanks for remembering us. We really appreciate it. That's all right. You just keep right on developing your mechanical genius on those cars, even if I'm not around to watch you. Well, goodbye for now. Lefty Roberts speaking. Lefty, this is Todd Stone. Yeah, Mr. Stone. How are things? Well, Ezra's gone. The moving van pulled away about an hour ago. Boy, they sure left this place spick and span. I could eat off the floor. That's fine. The furniture I ordered and Notty Pine will be out this afternoon. I'm leaving here and they're going on a business trip for several days, so don't try to call me. Have all the arrangements made to take care of the stock? Yep. I got a couple good cowpokes coming out today in a top horse wrangler. Fine. I'm glad everything's going along well on my trip. All right, Mr. Stone. Is there anything else? Not that I can think of. It seems as though I'm overlooking something though. Close the hot rod track. Call it a drag strip, ain't it? Yes, that's it. Close it off for good. Okay. The boys and I'll sink some fence posts and put up a gate. Fine. Be sure and get it done before Saturday. That's when they race. Yeah, we'll take care of it. You just leave everything to me. And it's good pay, too. Goodbye, Mr. Stone. Goodbye. Make like a yo-yo and shot right out to the drag strip. You tell him, Shorty. We don't want any goofers miss gang. You guys can burn all and test your zoom when you get out there. How about the three new guys? This is their first time out to the drag strip with us. We'll keep an eye on them, Muff. I think they're solid kids, but we'll soon know if they're shot rodders or not. Yeah, and if they are, out they go right on their pointed heads. Our club's got a good reputation for safe driving and I don't want it spoiled by a couple of goofers. Right. I feel the same way. Let's go. It's getting past time to start. Okay, guys. Let's roll. The gate. Let's open it and go in. Yeah, Ezra said the new owner promised we could use the track. The gate isn't for us. I'll open it. Don't touch that gate. Who says so? I did. Who were you to tell us we can't go in? I'm the foreman on this spread, Sonny, and I say you can't go in. Yeah? Well, for your information, we were told we could go in and that's what we intend to do. First one of you guys to touch that gate gets his face pushed in. He is the foreman. I think he's a wise guy. Let's jump. Hold it. We don't win battles with our fists. Well, what do you know? A kid with brains. Yeah, we're leaving, Mr. But you had better be the ramrod of this spread because we got ways of finding out. Wise guys don't get far in this part of the country. Don't threaten me, Buster. I'm not making threats. I'm telling you facts. We were promised the use of this drag strip. Our boss didn't tell me about any promises. So go on and beat it the whole bunch of you. When you see your boss, tell him we have ways of dealing with people who break promises legally. Let's go, guys. Where to? Larry, you, Muff and I are going to see Ezra. He'll know what to do. Well, that's the whole story, Ezra. Of all the underhanded tricks I've ever heard of, that man told a lie right to my face and in front of witnesses, just so I'd sell him the property. I suppose he would have promised me the moon if necessary to close the deal. What can you do to help us get the drag strip back? Yeah, it's the only good place around here for us to test Zoom. I know. You let me see what I can do about this. May take a couple of days before I have an answer, but I'll let you know as soon as I do. Thanks, Ezra. In the meantime, I don't want you fellas to race on the streets or highways. No worry, we won't. We've worked a long time to get folks to look at us favorably, and we don't want all that feeling to go sour. Yeah, we'd only be hurting ourselves. We'll be waiting for news from you, Ezra. Yes, I can imagine. I'm anxious to get a hold of Todd Stone and give him a piece of my mind. It's too bad that the solid kids in the Hot Rod Club have to suffer because of the carelessness of the three new members. Muff would say that a couple of yo-yos are shot running. Well, listen to the goofers burn out, would you? But Muff, Larry Shorty and the rest of the lads in the club don't know that the law is being broken right now. As two of the newcomers race through Naughty Pine and out onto the highway in the middle of the night. But there are some people who know, and right now they're making plans to catch the shot-rotters. Go ahead, car one. I understand. Don't be risking your necks trying to catch those wild men. Set up a roadblock on the highway right outside a town so they can't get back in. Right, we're on our way. Car three. Come in, car three. Fill of me boy. Take the old dirt road and cut around in front of the Hot Rod. Right. Now don't be foolish enough to try and beat them. Take your time. They'll be racing up and down the highway and when they get tired, they'll go home. That's when we'll put the squeeze on them. They'll find out the road's blocked front and back. I've got you, Sarge. We'll get them. While Pat scratches his Irish head in wonderment, another man tries to sleep, but can't. Finally, the long night ends, and Ezra puts a phone call through to Todd Stone. What's on your mind? Stone, why have you put a gate across the test track? What's bothering you? I thought it was something important. Well, are you going to answer my question? Obvious why I had the gate put there. I don't know why you wasted your money to call me. I wouldn't worry about that. It's my nickel, but I'll tell you something you'd better worry about. What's that, Ezra? Your broken promise. That's what. And as far as I'm concerned, it's important enough to call to China if need be. Don't mean a thing to me. It's what's in black and white that counts. I don't want those backyard mechanics on my property. They'd just be a nuisance. You made a verbal agreement, and you're going to keep it. If you don't, then we'll have to ask the court to make you. Make me laugh. There isn't a thing you or anybody else can do about it. Now, don't bother me anymore. I'm a busy man, and I don't go for sentimental nonsense. Please, Lord, don't let me hate that man and try to seek revenge. I most certainly can understand your anger, Ezra. Even my temperature is rising at the idea of Todd Stone not keeping a verbal agreement. Rising temperatures don't do a bit of good, Ed. What can we do about it? I don't know. I'd like to see that gate come down just as much as you do. But to do it legally, I don't know. If I weren't a Christian, I'd soose Todd Stone. He'd have to admit that he made the promise of perjure himself in court. And why let the fact that you're a Christian stop you from taking him to court? Because, my friend, I have a higher court to which I can take my problem. In fact, there isn't any higher court than the one the Lord presides over as judge. Well, how do you propose to take this matter to God's court through prayer? I think after I get through praying, I'm going over to see my young friend Bill Jefferson. What can Bill do? Ed, I'm surprised that you're for asking a question like that. I guess you're right, Ezra. It seems it's hardly anything that Bill can't do. You said it. Don't forget, he's got the Lord on his side, too. Well, now I've said my piece. I'm afraid that the lads in the hot rod club feel that I let him down. Well, you can't help it that the ordinary Paul can't in keep his promise. Maybe. But if I hadn't made such a blunder in my judgment of character, and if I had made this part of the written sale agreement, this wouldn't have happened. Uh, I don't know if you can draw that conclusion, Ezra. It appears to me that Todd Stone probably would have tried to wriggle out of keeping the drag strip open, even if it was in the written agreement. I don't think black and white would stop a man as unscrupulous as he is. Well, maybe you're right. But what can I do about this? That's plenty of good question. Any way you try to force him to open drag strip, he fight and draw fight out plenty long time. Yeah, Grey Wolf's right. Something's got to be thought up that'll make him act in a hurry. A big hurry. The fat's in the fire now. What do you mean by that, pal? Pat and his boys picked up a couple of yo-yos last night, shot riding through town and out onto the highway. I told those youngsters not to go off half-cocked and get themselves into trouble. Well, it wasn't the older club members like Shorty, Muff, and Larry, and the rest of the careful drivers. The speed demons are the newest members in the club. Yeah, Patrick and his boys didn't try to catch them on the fly, did they? Not on your life, Stumpy. They road blacked them. Ordinary car couldn't catch those souped-up jobs. One of the deputies figured the yo-yos were shot riding about 100 miles an hour. Wee! That's what you call moving. Not for them there jet planes, but it sure is for automobiles. Bill, can you help me with this? Let me answer your question this way, Ezra. I don't know yet what to do to solve the problem, but I'm sure going to give it a try. While you're thinking, I'll be praying. You won't be alone there, Sonny. We need the Lord's help real bad. I think the pressure's perfect now in all cylinders. Larry, you're a genius with a high compression head. Hey, you talking about the head on his shoulders or the one on the motor? That was pretty good, Muff. I'll see. What do you guys think about my idea of racing on the old mill road? I don't know, Larry. We promised Ezra we'd sit tight and ill this mess gets straightened out. Right, and I'm going to keep my promise. But the old mill road isn't used hardly at all during the day, and not at all at night. It's a good road, but everybody uses the new highway now. I don't see where that's breaking our promise. Oh, I don't know. We've got enough trouble now with the two goofers in the clink. I know, Muff, but the old mill road's deserted and way out of town. We can't drive fast on it anyhow. It's not a drag strip. We could post guards at each end just in case somebody comes along. Then we'll stop our cars and let them through. Well, maybe you've got something there. We don't all have to go at once, and we don't have to burn-o. Just warm up our cars. What do you say, Muff? It sounds good to me, Shorty. If the law stops us and says no, then that's what it'll have to be. Right, we're not yo-yos. Yellow ranger headquarters, Bill Jefferson speaking. Bill, this is Ezra. Yes, how are you? Not so good. Now, what do you mean? Pat and his boys spotted Shorty, Larry, and Muff crossing town in their hot rods. They followed him, and the boys are heading way out of town. You know where? No. He says if we'll come out, he'd rather have us handle it, since the boys haven't broken any laws yet. Okay, we're on our way. I'll stop by and pick you up in five minutes. Goodbye. Patrick's car up ahead! Oh, why's he stopped there? Ah, maybe Lance could erase an old mill road just around Curve. Ah, you might have something there, Grey Wolf. Pull alongside Pat's car, pal. Where are they, Patrick? They pulled into the old mill road, Bill. Oh, don't tell me they've broken their promise, too. I don't think so, Ezra. They've got a lad standing guard where the road meets the highway. That's to warn anybody turning into the old mill road! Sounds like they're out to warm up their cars, not burn them up. We'd better find out. Let's pull up to the road and have a talk with them. Right. You heard the man, Henry. Right. I'm sorry, Ezra, if you feel that we broke our promise. I don't feel that way now, Shorty. I can see that you mean well and you're being as careful as you can. I'm sure glad you feel the way you do about this. We didn't want you to think we'd let you down. Like I've done to you. No, sir. We haven't even thought that since you told us Mr. Stone promised to let us use the drag strip. I think you fellas better give up the idea of using this road. This is a good road, but not good enough to test the zoom in your cars. We're not going to test zoom or burn-o. We're just going to make warm-up runs, not speed. I understand that you're not yo-yo, isn't it? You don't shot rod, but I'm thinking of your own safety. Suppose you blow a tire on a sharp stone going about 50 or 60 miles an hour. Yeah, and you're hate to see your cars end up in the junk heap. After all the work you put into them. Yeah, I guess you're right. We'll go back to town. Just be patient a few more days, fellas. I have an idea how to get our promise-breaking friend to keep his promise. What are you going to do, Bill? First, we're going back to town. On the way in, we'll stop at the telegraph office. I'm going to send Todd Stone a message that'll have him out here, pronto. Larry, Shorty, Muff, this is Mr. Todd Stone. Hello, Mr. Stone. Hi, welcome to our shop. Hello, Mr. Stone. Have a look around, won't you? Thank you, I will. I think you'll find that these lads are master mechanics, Todd. They build their own motors and carburetors. We've had experts out here from the automobile makers, and they've been amazed at what these young fellas are doing. They seem to know what they're doing. I'll say they do. Now, look at this carburetor here on the bench. You'll notice the special butterfly valves and the rest of the unique construction. You mean to tell me that one of these lads made this? I sure do. Here you see automotive genius in the making. These fellows haven't had any formal engineering training. They just read books and create the ideas. They make the parts, test them in the shop, and they try them out on the drag strip. Hot rodding isn't all speed, Todd. It develops mechanical ability. These lads know how to think and create. I guess they do. Look at this high compression head. Why, it's a beautiful piece of work. Bill, I've just put a new gadget on my car. I'd like to show you and Mr. Todd how it works. Well, I'd be glad to see how it works, Shorty. Fine. Hop in and I'll take you for a spin. Okay. Let's take Todd home. Don't get any notions about my opening the drag strip. Perhaps you think that by taking me home, you can soften me up. We're taking you home not for the reason you think. We have some business to attend to as per my telegram to you. Well, yes. Well, all right, Shorty. You can take us out to my ranch. We want to take a look at the drag strip. But you park your hot rod outside the gate, understand? Oh, yes, sir. Hop in and we'll be off. Hey, look at that horse acting up. Why, that's my son riding the horse. He knows how to handle a horse better than that. That's not a bridal path horse he's riding now. He's riding a Western animal with plenty of spirit and fight. It's a runaway and he's going right down the drag strip. Can you catch him? Like nothing of these days on the drag strip. All right, let's go. Christ to the gate. Trying to save your son's life. Keep going. You've almost caught it. Slow down now. Be happy, Ezra. I hope I look as happy on the outside as I am on the inside. Seeing the youngsters testing the zoom on their cars again on the drag strip makes me real pleased. It makes us all happy, especially the hot rodders. What made Todd Stone change his mind? Well, he thought the ride he had in shorty's hot rod was quite an exciting experience. It's also impressed by the mechanical genius of the hot rodders. Say, you never told us what you put in the telegram. Whatever you say, it worked plenty good. I happened to think back about an agreement that Ezra and I had made some time ago. You're not talking about the drag strip acting as a fire lane. Yes, I am, Ezra. Actually, the fire lane should be closer to the forest boundary by about 300 yards. Ezra and I agree that the drag strip could be the fire lane, even though it wasn't right on the line. I told Todd that he didn't have a fire lane, and he'd have to get one made in five days. If he didn't, I'd serve a warrant for his arrest. You not serve warrant now, Bill? No, we have the same agreement as I had with Ezra, as long as the drag strip remains open to the youngsters. If he closes the test track, I serve the warrant. And that's a promise that won't be broken. Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat, isn't there? And you can see why I made it rough on a man who refused to keep his promise. Ezra showed, too, that the Lord has ways of getting wrongs made into rights for those that love him. Well, see you next week for more adventure with...