 Ranger of the Woodland! 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, already smile, unswerving, loyal to his mission. And all this in exchange for the satisfaction and pride of a job well done. Hi, Stumpy. Hi, Henry. Hi, Ron. Hi, Ronnie. Howdy, Ronnie. How'd you like the meeting tonight? Well, I sure learned a lot about South America. Boy, me too. Wouldn't it be swallowy and missionary, like Mr. Ludlow? Looks to me like it'd be pretty hard work, Ronnie. Well, that doesn't matter. When a fellow goes to work for God, he's got the best help in the world. Yeah, right, Charles, honey. We find that true every day. I guess you do. That's right. You don't have to be a missionary to learn about how good God is to the man who serves him. Well, that's a fact too few Christians think about, Stumpy. Hi, Barth. Hi. Howdy, Barth. You know, I sure did like what you said tonight, Mr. Ludlow. Thanks. This is Ronnie Quiller. He's been talking as though he wanted to be a missionary, Barth. Well, far be it for me to discourage such a life, Ronnie. Being one myself, no. It sure must be something down here in South America. All those exciting adventures you're always having? Well, I'm afraid there's a little more to it than that. Before you decide to become a missionary, Ronnie, you make sure that God has decided it for you. Too many people get out there on the field and suddenly realize that it's not enough for them. Is that why you always hear about there not being enough? Well, one of the reasons, yes. You presented your field very well tonight, Barth. I have a feeling we'll be helping you out. Oh, I'm glad to hear that, Bill. What do you mean? Well, that's one of the reasons that Mr. Ludlow is here tonight, Ronnie. He's raising support so that he and his wife can go back to South America. Support? I think you call it money back here in the States, Ronnie. You see, we aren't paid like ordinary people. We have to ask people to donate to our support so we can pay bills while we're down there on the field. I didn't know you did anything like that. How come you don't get paid? Well, when you come right down to it, when God is your only employer, the way he provides us with money is through the goodness of people. Boy, I... They're changing your mind already, are you, Ronnie? No, that isn't what I was thinking. Mr. Ludlow, can you get enough together before you go back? Or will you have to beg when you get there? Oh, don't worry, Ronnie. You see, people and churches contribute a certain amount each month to us. That way, we don't have to collect some fantastic amount. And we never have to beg. There's nothing I'd rather do than to give you some money. I appreciate that more than I can tell you, Ronnie. I know you haven't got any to give, but there's something you can do. What's that? Pray for us. It does more good than any other snow for interested people like you to be praying. I will, then, every night. Come on, Ronnie. I'll treat you to a coke on the way home. Oh, maybe you ought to save the money for Mr. Ludlow. Ronnie's a nice fella. Yes, he seems it. How are you doing on your support-getting meetings? Oh, we've raised almost all that we need. I think we'll be able to return early in the summer. I hope so at any rate. Anxious to get back? Bill, I couldn't tell you how anxious. When we first arrived there six years ago, I looked around and wanted to get back on the ship and come home. But I knew God called us there. And I prayed like I never prayed before. Now you can't wait to get back to him, huh? That's right, Stumpy. When God finally puts his love into you for people, you no longer have to try to whip up your human love for them. They become real objects of concern, of care. As a matter of fact, I never loved folks back here as much. I know. Christ liveth in me. That's it exactly, Bill. As far as I can see, the only people who really make any headway for the gospel, either here or on the field, are those who love with a supernatural love, those who, as you say, have Christ living in them. And all the way home last night, all he could talk about was how much he wanted to help out the Ludlows. Yeah, sounds to me like he's getting a little carried away with all this. I wish some of the people who were at the meeting last night who could help Barth and Jeannie would get that carried away. You got a point there, Sonny! I have an idea that Ronnie won't be happy until he can do something about it. Hey, look out, Henry! Wow! I guess I better start watching where I'm going. That was about as close as I have seen. Traffic is heavier all the time down down here. The traffic may get heavier, but the population just about got lighter. Here the way I figure it. There is anything at all to this here evolution business. Nature is going to come up with a man who can jump three ways at once. Hey, look over there. Isn't that Ronnie? I'd say he sure looks like him. I wonder if he's hit on a scheme for raising some money for the Ludlows. Hey, Ronnie! Ronnie! Hey, Ronnie! Ronnie! It don't appear so he heard you, Henry. Yeah. He can make out what it is he's got in his hand, but he sure is concentrating on it. Oh, well. I guess we don't have a whole lot of time to stand around and talk anyhow. I think if Ronnie really has come to an idea, he'll let you know about it, Henry. Sure. Huh. It looks like he's going into the jewelry store. Whipper Snapper is probably running an errand for his mother. Yeah, probably. Where'd you get hold of this ring, Ronnie? Found it. You found it, huh? That's right, Mr. Plimby. Is it worth anything? Well, offhand, I'd say yes. This ring's worth quite a bit. You say you found it, huh? Honest. It was done by the alley next to Schultz's meat market. Hmm. Fred wouldn't have bought anything like this, I don't think. But you say the ring is worth a lot of money, huh? Offhand, I'd say so, yeah. Oh, could you say how much? Oh, I'd say you could get close to $500 for. Wow. That much? You figure non-selling the ring? I sure am. Boy, I've been looking for a way to get some money for some missionaries I know. Now, it looks like this is it. You think God came along and dropped that ring where you'd find it, huh? Just like that. Then I suppose that God will handle the owners for you. Huh? What do you mean, Mr. Plimby? You say you found that ring? That's right. I did. Well, then, near as I can figure, somebody must have lost it. Oh, I never thought of that. I just suppose it was somebody here in town. I mean, maybe it was somebody a long time ago or from some other city. You found it today, huh? Here in Naughty Pine? I guess I should find out who owns it, huh? I reckon. I thought I really had a good way to give Mr. Ladlow some help. You were really going to give all that money away? Sure. Those missionaries really need it. Did you know that they aren't paid like other people? Neither am I. Yeah, but you sell something. That's a point. That's a point, all right. I still can't figure a youngster like you giving away all that money. Well, I probably won't have it to give very long. As soon as the owner finds out I have it, then... I can't help hoping that the owner doesn't show up. Has the owner of the ring showed up yet? Not yet, Ronnie. It's your swallowing to try to find the owner for me. It's some job. You should ask if any of the owners that have showed up really been the owner of the ring. What do you mean, Henry? What Henry's trying to say is that there have been a whole office full of folks in and out here all day today claiming that they own the ring. Boy, how could so many people own one ring? That's just the point, Ronnie. Probably a lot of them have lost rings in the past and others have... Is this where you're keeping my ring? Is the ring yours? That's right, kid. You must be the boy who found it. Thanks a lot. That's all right. I'll just take it along. Where is it? Just for the record, sir. Can you describe it? Here, just like I said in the paper. Diamonds, gold, like that. Can you tell me how the diamonds are arranged on the ring? Look, it's my ring. Looks like a lady's ring to me. Oh, sure, sure it is. It is the lady's ring. I bought it yesterday for my wife for a birthday. I was going to surprise her with it. I guess we'd better give it to him. Not yet, Ronnie. He hasn't described it yet. Look, I ain't the kind of guy that can describe a thing like that. I saw this ring. Diamonds all lined up in a kind of design and I said to myself, Jerry, you like that. So I bought it. I lost it. Maybe you can explain the inscription on the inside. There isn't anything that looks like a J is there. All right, all right. So I didn't want to tell you I bought it secondhand. I don't know who those initials belong to inside the ring, but I was going to have them taken off before I give it to her. That's funny. If I was going to do a thing like that, I'd have done right at the place where I bought the ring. Well, they said it'd take a couple of days, so I was going to get one of my friends to handle it. Well, do I get my ring? Does my story satisfy you? It's a pretty good story, Mr.... Bad, oh, bad. I said, Mr. Bad, it's a pretty good story, but not good enough. You mean I don't get my ring? If I believed that it was your ring, you'd be on your way out of here right now with it. Listen to me, smart guy. I'll sue you for that ring. The law will back me up on this. I doubt it, sonny. Why don't you just go down to the sheriff's office and explain the whole thing to him? You aren't going, huh? Is it because the ring really doesn't belong to you? I didn't keep that out of the ring. That was the smartest thing I ever saw, Bill. We've had a lot of trouble like him today, Ronnie. We sure have. Next time you find something and advertise about it in the paper, it shouldn't be so good at describing it. Almost everybody who comes in here gives a pretty good guess as to what it looks like, because of all you told in the paper. That's why Bill had to dream up that inscription bit. There aren't any initials inside the ring? I did, Bill. No, there aren't, Ronnie. But I'm hoping only the owner will know that. I would have given that me on the ring. You hadn't kept after him. It was a smart thing for you to let Bill look after the ring for you, Ronnie. It sure was. Well, this makes about one whole day. Nobody's claimed that ring yet. Maybe the real owner ain't around. Does that mean that I can keep it? We'll have to keep it here for 90 days, Ronnie. I've already checked over at the sheriff's office. There have been no reports of a missing ring like this one. What would you do with the ring if you could keep it, Ronnie? Well, don't just see, Henry. I was trying to figure out a way to help Mr. Ludlow get back to South America. I could sell his ring. The jewelry Mr. Plimby said it was worth about $500. Anyhow, I could probably sell it to him and give the money to Mr. Ludlow. That way, he could get back to South America all a faster. That's a wonderful thing to want to do, Ronnie. But we'll have to see whether or not the owner will claim the ring. I don't think he will, Bill. Why do you say that, young fella? Because I think God gave me that ring so that I could give money to the missionaries. I know I have to at least give the owner a chance to get the ring back. But I don't think he'll take it. Ronnie, I hope you aren't completely set on this. I mean, I agree with you that God has allowed you to find this ring. But I don't know for certain whether it's for the money involved. What else could it be, Bill? I'm not going to keep the money for myself. I don't know, Ronnie. I just don't think you ought to be too certain as to what God has in mind. If you happen to be wrong, and I'm not sure you are, you might miss what he really has for you in all of this. I'll try to remember that, Bill. But it sure looks pretty simple to me. Well, we'll all know in a few weeks that the owner doesn't show up, and you go through with your plan, that'll be pretty clear. And if the owner does come in here and the ring is taken, then we'll have to look for another meaning. Well, I sure can't see any other one. Neither can I. I suggest we wait God out on this one and see. How long has it been now, Bill? Eighty-one days, pal. The reason I know is because Ronnie keeps very accurate counts. Just nine more days, huh? Yeah, it looks as though Ronnie was right about God giving him that ring. I'm beginning to think so myself, Henry. We haven't had anyone in here looking for that ring for a couple of weeks. I think it was pretty good for Ronnie to wait all this time. I mean, three months is a long time when you want to help somebody out like he does. Sure is. I suppose it would have been easy just to sell the ring and give the money to Barth, but if the owner ever came to claim it, there might have been a lot of trouble. You know, sometimes it sure is hard to do the right thing. If you think you're anxious to see this whole thing over, imagine how Ronnie must feel. I don't have to imagine. Here he is. Hi. Oh, Ronnie. Hi, Ronnie. Howdy, Ronnie. Well, nine more days, huh, Ronnie? This has been the longest summer of my whole life. Boy, if I ever thought 90 days seemed like a short time, I sure was all wrong. Here you just wait till you're a little older, whipper snapper. 90 days to know a walrus like me seems like a day. That's a real walrus-type day, Stumpy. Where are you getting that, honey? Well, we were studying in class about the North Pole in the arctic zone where the days are six months long. No wonder you never hear about Eskimos staying out all night. Yeah. Time just depends on who you are and what's happening. Like the woman who says, I've been telling you for the last hour that I'll be ready in a minute. It's OK to joke, but I sure wish the time was over. Well, we all do, Ronnie. I think half the time is staring at the calendar, waiting for the 90 days to be up. Everyone knows about what you're going to do with the money. And they all think it's pretty swell, too. Well, I wish that nobody had found out about it. I was just telling Henry before you came in that we haven't had anyone in here asking about the ring for a couple of weeks. Do you think we could just sell it now and take care of it? What do you think? Well, I want it so much, but I know I shouldn't. We might as well wait. He's here. Start the ceremony, Stumpy. Hey, what's this? Just stand right there, Ronnie. OK, Stumpy. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. From the ranger station at Notty Pine, we bring you the moment we've all been waiting for. And here is Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson to make the presentation. Thank you. Well, Ronnie Quiller, please step forward. I think that's enough music, Stumpy. Ronnie Quiller, it gives me a great deal of pleasure to make this award after holding down all the things you wanted to do. And in accordance with the law, advertising in the local paper for two weeks and awaiting the complete 90-day period, which expired at midnight last night, and seeing as the owner has not come for this ring, I present it to you to do with what you please. Hooray! You guys. We really are proud of you, Ronnie. And I know that when Barth and his wife receive the money that you'll be giving them, they'll appreciate it all the more, knowing what you went through to get it. Boy, it sure is a pretty ring. You want to come over with me, Belter, Mr. Plimby's jewelry store? You go on ahead, Ronnie. I'm sure he's expecting you. Expecting him? I saw Plimby over at the bank yesterday going out $500 in cash. Same. Maybe we'd better go along just to make sure Ronnie's safe. That might be a good idea, Henry. Come on, Ronnie. We'll drive you over in the Ranger car. Here he comes. Look at that smile. Did you ever see a fella so happy to be given away so much money? I'd like to have a picture of this to use as an illustration of a cheerful giver. Hi, everybody. Well, where to, Mr. Gwiler? Boy, I feel like a rich man with all his money, but I won't be able to give it to Mr. Ludlow not till tomorrow. Would you keep it safe for me, Bill? Anything you say, sir. It sure seemed like a long time, but it was worth it. Come on, Mr. Gwiler. We'll treat you to a soda. Boy, this sure is good. Sure is. Hey, we ought to treat more folks to soda's, Bill. That way I get treated, too. I beg your pardon, but is this boy Ronald Gwiler? Well, that's right, ma'am. Did you want to see me about something? Yes. You see, I've been east for the past three months. I just arrived in Naughty Pine this morning. Yes, ma'am. Well, the summer was complete, except for one thing. The day I left for my vacation, I thought that I had misplaced a diamond ring of mine, but I looked everywhere and was sick when I realized that it was gone. You see, my late husband gave that to me. A diamond ring? That's right. As soon as I got home, I heard that you had actually found such a ring. I thought it might possibly be mine, and I was wondering if I could... What did the ring look like? Of course you'll want me to identify it. I remember it very clearly. It had a cluster of small diamonds in a pattern such as this. It's a very old ring. And what about the inscription inside? Inscription? Oh. I'm afraid you don't have my ring. Mine had no inscription. I'm sorry to have bothered you. I was so hoping you had found it. Thank you for your trouble. Oh, wait a minute. Yes? Well, it was your ring. But you said that was... That was just a little trick we used to make sure the right person was wanting the ring. It's yours, all right. But I don't have it anymore. You don't? No. Last night, the 90 days that I was supposed to wait was up. I just sold the ring a little while ago. We just came from selling it. Oh, dear. If I'd come back even one day earlier, I can't tell you what that ring means to me. You see, my late husband... We understand, Mrs. Laurel. I just don't know what to do. I know what you mean. Certainly you could get the ring back. I'm afraid it isn't as easy as that, ma'am. Oh? You see, ma'am, for the last three months, Ronnie here has been waiting for the time to be up so that he could sell the ring. He's been planning to give the money to a couple who are missionaries to South America. I see. Ronnie was looking for a way to give them the support money when he found your ring. I thought it was God who left the ring, where I'd find it. So, you see where he is right now? The legal time is up. And what I mean is you have no legal claim to the ring now, Mrs. Laurel, and by the looks of it, you don't need the money. No offense, ma'am. I was just pointing out the situation. I understand. I know you want the ring back because it really means something to you. But so does this money mean something to me. You'll have to listen to God on this one, Ronnie. Real rich, ma'am? Yes, I suppose I am what you would call real rich. Well, Ronnie, what are you going to do? Bill, will you drive me back to the jurors? Sure, Ronnie. I know this lady wants that ring pretty bad. And I think God wants me to give it to her. Boy, what a summer. Yeah, it sure was. Well, today is a good day for rain. Yeah. Hey, Bill. Yes, Ronnie? Do you think I did the right thing? Don't you? Well, I think so. But what are the lotlows going to do for support? Do you think God doesn't know about their needs? Well, I thought he was using that ring. I know. We all did. Hey, why the long faces? Oh, hello, Barth. Hi, Bill, Ronnie. I had to tell you what just happened. In fact, I was hoping to run into you, Ronnie. Me? Yes. A woman just came to our apartment. She looked like quite a wealthy woman. And she gave us, now get this, $500. And once more, she wouldn't tell us her name. All she said was that the gift was on behalf of Ronnie. And then she left. That's right, Ronnie. And from where I sit, it looks like God really did use that ring for his work. You know, boys and girls, lots of times in life decisions are not so easy to make. Sometimes it isn't a simple matter of choosing right or wrong. At times like that, the important thing is to be in close touch with God. He'll honor the decision made at his direction. Well, see you next week for more adventure with Ray... Ranger Bill was produced in the radio studios of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.