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So for top performance from your car, get heavy-duty RPM motor oil at any independent chevron gas station or standard station, where they say, and mean, we take better care of your car. And now tonight's story, The Deadly Pines, another adventure of George Valentine. Dear Mr. Valentine, I'm sure you've heard people talk romantically about towering pines, plastic pines, pines that fling their branches like banners against the sky. Well, I come from a lumbering family. I love trees. Love them. And now I fear them with all my heart. And I'm not the only one. Everybody in this little town of high timber is afraid, because in the last few weeks no less than four forest fires have been deliberately set by someone in our midst. So far we've been able to put them out, but there's always the next time. And the pines all around us, the deadly pines, can become a flaming coffin. I need help, Mr. Valentine, and right away, sincerely, Dave Herron. No, no thanks. No more coffee, Mr. Herron. How about you, Ms. Brooks? Oh, I think I've had enough things. Okay. Let's fill mine up again, will you, Wattie? Yes, Dave. Sure thing. The whole town having the jitters, I might as well close up this place. High timber diner. High timber morgue is more like it. Yeah, what? Yeah, I know. Now, Mr. Herron, as I'm beginning to get it, you have a personal reason for wanting me to find out who sets those forest fires. I mean, in addition to your concern as a citizen of high timber. Yeah, sure, sure, Steppen. Doesn't seem to be able to find out anything about these fires. And I can't take any more chances. If the fire crowns in the big timber up there, I'll be ruined. You in particular, Mr. Herron? I mean more so than the others around here? That's right. The others who have holdings here may have other property, other investments. I don't. I just got out of school of forestry a couple of years ago to go over this place my father left me and, well, if this thing is destroyed, I'll have nothing. I see. Well, tell me, these fires, how come that they were always gotten under control? Oh, that's the crazy part of it, Valentine. Whoever sets these fires first makes sure it's in a place that has a natural fire line, a road, a ledge of rock, maybe. That's been the only thing that saved us. The forest and the trees, yes, they're jealous of us human beings who come in and take their glory away from them. I know. So they fight back. Oh, yes, how they fight back. Why do you people don't believe in superstitions anymore? I was a good logger, as good as they come. But the trees got even with me. For no reason anybody could give a tree Christ on me. No, I can't walk like a man no more. The trees fight back. Well, this is so much nonsense. Somebody, some man sets those fires. This isn't any spirit of the forest. Yeah, the trees fight back in many ways. They make men, lumbermen, fight between themselves. Hatred and greed and bitterness. They make pretty good weapons for the trees. Uh-huh. Well, these sort of indirect weapons. But the trees are smart. They've been here a long time before we came here and they're going to be standing a long time after we're gone. Valentine, please, listen to me. These fires are senseless. First, picking the spots with the natural fire lines. And second, they've taken place in the holdings of different people around here. Mine, C.J. Murdoch, Frank Redman's a sheriff. A sheriff is a lumberman, too? Sure, this is a small town. Stepping's a sheriff because there was nobody running against him. A sheriff won't be able to do anything against the trees. When was the last fire, Mr. Herron? How long ago? Four days ago in the Murdoch holdings. Well, maybe that was the last of them, since there's no reason for these fires. Maybe they'll stop just as suddenly as they start. Gee, I'd sure like to share your optimism, Miss Brooks, but... I don't think I can. Oh, no. The fires won't stop. Well, Herron, I don't know how much use I can be, but I might as well begin to look around. You still can't get over that I'm C.J. Murdoch, huh, my dear? Well, that is, lumbering is a man's game, and I... And a dandy creature like me is in it? Well, I can boss a crew of loggers and can swing an axe right alongside the best of them. That I don't doubt. Oh, it is a tough game, and I don't ask for any favors because I'm the only woman in it, but about those fires... Yes. I'm just as scared of them as our young friend Dave Herron. Well, tell me, how much damage did the fire cause to your property? Well, an acre or two burned out, but it looked as if it all was going. We only have a volunteer fire department. We all work like dogs to try and stop the fire from spreading. Uh-huh. Now, you're a practical, realistic woman, Mrs. Murdoch. Uh, Miss Murdoch. Oh. Well, anyway, there must be a good, solid reason for these fires, and I'd like you to think back and see if you can give us any sort of lead. Uh-uh. Well, have you had any trouble with the other lumber owners? No. Oh, I did have some trouble with Stan a couple of weeks ago. Stan? Stan Kibrick, big blonde giant of a man, one of the best toppers you find anywhere, but a troublemaker. Especially when he gets a couple of drinks in him. I fired him. Oh, now that sounds interesting. Stan still around high-temper? Yeah. He's not working for anybody as far as I can see. Well, isn't that kind of unusual? He's as good as he is. Well, Frank Redman had him for a while, but had a fight with him. So did Dave Herron. I guess Stan's just no good for here. Uh-huh. Well, thanks a lot, Miss Murdoch. At least it's a beginning. Stevan's lumber. It's the little building over there, Angel. I don't like this whole situation. It's so easy for anyone to start a fire. Strike him that. And there's no sense to it. No one gains any. Mr. I want to talk to you. What? And you'd better listen. Good. Oh, yeah. You, Stan Kibrick, friend? Yeah. And get this straight, stranger. You must have come here for only one reason. You try to frame me for those fires, and I'll kill you. Well, now that's a nice, friendly welcome to town, Stan. One of them hired you to snoop around. I don't care which one. I'm not getting framed, and I'm not leaving high timber till I find out who the fire bug is. Well, then we... we can work together, Mr. Kibrick. Just one happy little family. You stay out of this, Miss. And, Mr., if you're going to see that fat-faced sheriff, you can give him my message, too. Well, Stan, you must agree that you do seem to have a nice motive. Yeah. And you've got nothing to lose by burning down the property of people you have no love for. I hate them. Thinking they're better than me. But this sort of thing catches up with them by itself. I don't have to do anything about it. Ah, the trees get back in them, huh? That's the second time I heard that kind of thing, Stan. All I'm going to see is that I don't get to be a fall guy, and that I'm in on the finish. You or nobody else is going to stop that. I'd remember that if I were you, stranger. The trees fight back with hatred and greed and violence. And we're still on our way to see the sheriff, remember? Here's Stevin's place, Brooks, in here. Don't you-don't you call me a pirate, Brindman? Pirate. Pirate. That's what you are, Stevin. I'll beat your head in here. You are more sweetness than light in there. Wait a minute, Angel. Let the chips fall some more. All you can do is hijack my best men over them bonuses they never get. But they're afraid to squawk because you're the sheriff. Yep, sheriff. I've been here and been not forgetting. That Valentine guy that come here is going to get out now. I don't need any help. Everybody's friendly. We'll stop the empires without any help from outside. Well, thanks, Timmer Don. Yeah. Come on. Some crackpot's starting them fires for no reason at all, and I- Yeah? What can I do for you folks? Um, hello. I'm not sure of Stevin's. Now, look here, Valentine. You don't need any meddlers here in High Timber. What? The door was open and you weren't exactly whispering. Well, that's the way it's going to be. Now, we don't need any help. I'll give you my personal check for $500 if you catch the fire bug before I'm forced to set out. Now, look here, Brindman. I told you- Oh, no. What's that? What's that bell? Another fire. Redmond, fire. The biggest fire so far. Hurry up! It's starting to catch on fire. Give me one of those pumps, Erin. Yeah, let's go, Valentine. If the wind ever shifts now, it's goodbye. George! George, I was looking for it. Look, see, I thought I told you to stay away from here. Oh, I'm here with Kerry. Every man's up to his neck, so we're going to turn the cars around. Then we won't get caught if we have to make a run for it. It was such a close call. It was so close. Yeah, Bruxy, but it's under control now. Ah, it almost had its lick. Even though that rock slide over there made a darn good fire line. Oh, if I could only get my hands on the low dump! That's the way everybody feels, but that doesn't do much good. Is it all really under control now? Yeah, just about, Angel. The men are just spreading around to keep watch a while, just in case the fire should break out again anywhere. A deadly pine. What do you mean by that? No, no, the dead pines. Just a little while ago, they were alive, and not- Here, folks, I've brought some coffee for you. Good hot coffee. Oh, you're a beautiful side, Whitey. Real beautiful. Not much more of Crippledex lumberjack can do, is it? Here you are, young lady. Oh, thanks. This is the sheriff's property, ain't it? That's the second time for the sheriff. That's right, Whitey. Yes, a big man. Stebbins is so sure he's a big man. Important. Yes, but the trees are bigger. And after a while, new trees will grow here with green leaves. And it'll sound like the trees laughing at it. Whitey, stop it. Nobody will ever find out who's setting them fires, and maybe nobody will ever stop me. Cut it out, will you, Whitey? I'm a big boy now, and I don't believe in wood spirits, or goblins, or-or deadly pines. And still, here we are. Exactly no place. Yeah. But there has to be some sense behind all this, a pattern. And I'm just beginning to make it out. In just a moment, we'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine. Maybe you're a driver who's managed to get through the winter on smooth tires. Well, summer is a different story. Heat is your tires' worst enemy. Heat saps the mileage out of tires, weakens them, and causes blowouts. So if your tires are on their last miles, now's the time to switch over to brand new Atlas tires. 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You come to the small lumbering community of High Timber because there have been a number of senseless, horrible forest fires. You find the town seething with all sorts of violent emotions and you quickly get together a substantial list of suspects ranging from a bitter, crippled ex-logger to a sheriff who refuses your help as if we're poisoned. Yes, many, many things happen in a short time, but even if your name is George Valentine, you're nowhere near any solution when the latest fire has finally burned itself out and you're ready to go back to town. For Valentine, may I see you a minute? Them others still have to get all the equipment back in the car. Yes, Sheriff, what is it? Er, I hope you didn't misunderstand what I said to you back in the office. Misunderstand? Well, Sheriff, how could I? Well, I mean, I was upset. Everybody ride me about these fires and in front of Redmond, I... Well, anyway, I don't want you to go ahead and see if you can find out anything about this fire bug. I'll give you all the help I can. Hey, this change of heart, Sheriff. It isn't due to the fact that this fire is on your holdings, that it was only a toss-up whether we'd ever get it under control. Well, of course, that's part of it, of course, but it's also... It's the case I don't think I can ever solve. How do you go about looking for anybody? Nothing to start on? Nothing to go on? Oh, well, I'll probably have to sell out. Sheriff, Sheriff, I've got to see you. What? Oh, okay, Rick. I'm busy right now. You do... But you don't understand. I've been looking for you. I was way down the other side, fighting the fire. Just got through. Okay, big boy. Take it easy, will you? Oh, Valentine, I'm glad to see you're here. Maybe you can help. Things have changed, not you, too. I was out here earlier this afternoon. Well, my property? Why? I told you, Valentine, I was going to find out who set the fire. Yeah? Well, just before I noticed the fire broke out, somebody took a shot at me with a rifle. What's that? Yeah, I couldn't see who it was, but I guess he must have thought that I saw him and wasn't taking any chances. I tried to chase him, but then the fire started... You aren't exactly where you were when you were shot at? Not exactly, but pretty much. What's on your mind, Valentine? We still have all these people here. It'd be very interesting if we found that empty cartridge. George, this is even more hopeless than looking for the proverbial needle. Wait a minute, Valentine. Something's going on over there. You'll be all right. Come on. Hey, what's happened? You know, I'll take a sip of this. Yeah. Yeah, thanks. You better? Hey, Whitey. Whitey, what's happened? Well, I found a cartridge right down near the tree. Yeah, we heard you call out. I found a cartridge, but then somebody must have sneaked up behind me. I didn't see who it was, and he smashed me on the head. Yeah, and the cartridge is gone. Well, this time for good. Yeah, for good. Well, nothing we can do now, but go on back to town. The fire bug is taking no chances. No chances at all. A note left for you here at the hotel. All left by home. Well, the clerk doesn't know, so somebody must have watched him, and when he went in the back left it right there near the cash register. Here it is. Hmm, I see. Valentine, if you want to know who set the fires and why, be at lookout point tonight at 10, alone. If you are not alone, I will know it and will not be there. Aha. This is very interesting. There's no return address on the back. George, it's just a trick to get you out there. Maybe, but there is another lead in this whole crazy thing, not even the beginning of one. I want to go along with you, George. Okay, I know you do, Angel. And you know that's why I can never let you. Oh, darling. Now, come on, come on. I got to make some inquiries about the location of lookout point. Order after. Punctuality is certainly not one of our friends' virtues. Unless somebody found out about that note and made sure he'd never talked to me. Huh? Hey, who's that? Don't move! It's not it. It's so hot. Where am I? Fire. The whole place is on fire. We've got to be some way out. Oh, which way shall I go? Come on, Valentine. Don't lose your head. If the animal's head in this direction, this will be it. Oh, come on now. You must just keep going. Keep going as long as you can. Come on! Go on. See, I'm okay. Valentine, we couldn't believe it when we saw you stumble out of those flames toward us. We didn't think you'd ever be anywhere nearer. There was no way to look. Yeah, it was a close one, all right. Now, it looks like this fire was checked, too. Yeah, but it took every bit of luck all of his head. There wouldn't be much explaining to do if I never got out of it. People would just say I was looking for evidence and got trapped in the fire and never had a chance. I just couldn't sit in that hotel and do nothing till I finally went out to look out point and you weren't there. And then I saw the fire and I had the most terrible feeling. Good for me that you did, Angel. Well, let me take you to the car and get you back in the town. You need a good night's rest. That I do. Everybody came over to see how you were. Carrie, Dave Herron, Sheriff Stebbin, Mr. Redman, and even Whitey. They were also worried about you. Oh, yeah, sure. Everybody in High Timber is worried about me, especially the one who paid me that courtesy visit on a lookout point. But tomorrow morning will be time enough to go into that. Valentine, I ask you to come down here to Sheriff Stebbin's office because even though I hired you, you've become involved with all of us here in High Timber. Yeah, and since we'd reached a decision about what we're going to do, we thought we'd all get together this morning. Decision. That sounds momentous. We're selling out all four of this. Oh, I see. Yes, after all the violence yesterday, what happened to Stan and Whitey and finally you, Mr. Valentine, we agree with Mr. Murdock that we can't take any more chances. But wouldn't you be taking a terrific loss, all of you? We sure will, my dear. Getting out with a piece of the pie is better than losing the whole darn shebang. Mr. Murdock has already contacted some people in Portland who are willing to gamble. There's no way we can fight it, Valentine. It's a madman loose somewhere, and it's only a question of time until he ruins all of us. That last fire was on my property, you know. When I took a long look at what was left of those five acres I said to myself, let them call you a quitter, Carrie, but you're getting out. Uh-huh. Of course, all of you should know that there's no madman or screwball involved in this case at all. That all the fires were set for a very sound financial reason. George, how do you figure that out? Oh, man, that's nonsense. Every one of the four of us has had at least one fire on his property, suffered loss of money. Okay, okay. Let me give you one way this thing could work. Someone, an unknown ex, wants to scare the neighbors and competitors into selling out for practically nothing. Oh, look here, Valentine. Are you accusing one of us? Let me go on with you, Sheriff Stevens. So this, uh, ex begins to set the fire. It's always making sure that there's a natural fire line around them. Doesn't want to destroy the timber that ex is eventually going to get. But George, there were fires on all the property. Yeah, I know, of course, Brooks. He had to be to avoid suspicion. But the blackmail by fire didn't work as quickly as ex expected, and people, including us, began to snoop around. So ex didn't even stop at attempted murder. And this morning, ex's plan has succeeded. The whole thing still doesn't make any business sense. We're all selling out to people outside of high timbers. Oh, ex is smart, yeah, very smart. Stooges will buy up this doomed, ill-starred timberland. Ex will operate the holdings through these stooges. The profits will be just as great, even though they're one step removed. But to do all this for a business reason. A couple of hundred thousand dollars will make some people do all sorts of incredible things. But still, where are we now? Valentine, you know who Mr. Ex is. Sheriff, you'll notice I never said it was Mr. Ex. Because it's Miss Ex. Isn't it, Carrie? What? Have you gone clear out of your head, Valentine? No, not at all. There's such a thing as reverse psychology, Carrie. What? And that's what made me think of you in the first place. Dave Herron, Sheriff Stevan, Frank Redman, all of them talked about the possibility of having to sell out if the fires continued. They were sore and they yelled real loud. But they did the natural thing and talked about the practical matter of selling out. Yeah, we did. But so what? You never did, Carrie. The only woman in the crowd, the only woman in a tough, rough all-man game, and you never talked of selling out. Not until now, not until you've won. Why, I... You didn't talk about it because that was your real plan and you were conscious of it and were so, so careful to stay away from the subject. Just talk. Talk. What proof have you got? The only woman in a man's game. It double-crossed you, Carrie. That note which was left for me at the hotel. You can never tell who wrote it. How do you know that, Miss Murdoch? Well, I've just danced to reason that... Don't squirm, Carrie. When you got through printing the note so carefully, you licked the envelope to seal it. And you didn't even stop to think that it would have some lipstick on the back flap. I didn't. I couldn't have it. The notes and the envelope are in my hotel room. Carrie, any good police laboratory can prove it was your lipstick. All right. I did it. I'd have gotten away with it. The only woman. She's all yours, Sheriff. Um... George. Yeah, Merci. This case isn't really closed, you know. I have a surprise for you. Back at the hotel. Sometimes you drive in the country, sometimes you drive in town. Shift to the gas with all eight for top performance all around. Yes, Chevron Supreme gasoline gives you all eight high performance qualities, incorrect balance, economy mileage, full power, fast warm-up, smooth acceleration, anti-knock, vapor lock prevention, quick starting, and area blending. So for top all around performance, fill up with Chevron Supreme gasoline at standard stations and independent Chevron gas stations where they say, and mean, we take better care of your car. The notice here, but the envelope is gone. That... that's a surprise. I didn't think the envelope had any importance. When I got through chewing a piece of gum this morning, I put it in that and threw it away. Oh, no. And there I was, talking about proof, boasting about having definite proof. Oh, it's lucky Kerry confessed. I told you I had a surprise. Yeah, a miracle of understatement. And you know, George, there's a lot of truth to this business of reverse psychology. Uh-huh. Staying away from the subject, which is really very much in your mind. I often wondered why you stay away from ever mentioning our future. Now I know. You have wonderful, deep-seated plans and you're afraid of letting them slip. Oh, darling. This adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard Oil Company of California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the West. Robert Bailey is starred as George with Virginia Gregg as Brooksy. Let George Do It was written by David Victor in Jackson Gillis and directed by Kenneth Webb. Roland Morris was heard as Dave, Jeanette Nolan as Carrie, Victor Rodman as the Sheriff, Clayton Post as Stan, and Boris Lewis as Redmond. The music was composed and presented by Eddie Dunsteader, your announcer, John Heaston. Listen again next week, same time, same station to Let George Do It. Let George Do It is heard overseas through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service. This is the mutual Don Lee Broadcasting System.