 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. Hello boys and girls, this is Ranger Bill. I guess you know me by now, but in case you don't, then we can get acquainted while I tell you a story of the Old West brought up to date in a new and strange way, a way that took a lot of figuring out. I suppose that most of us, when somebody mentions the West, well, we think of cowboys and cattle and cattle rustlers. Russell is an old, old American slang word that meant to borrow something that wasn't yours, usually late at night. And it also meant that when you borrowed it, you had no intention of returning it. Of course, cattle rustling hasn't really gone on for many, many years now. Modern systems of communication sort of automatically put a stop to it. But even so, we found ourselves confronted with that very thing. It all happened just a little while ago in the story I call the cattle rustlers of Coconino. You over there, Dark? Been here half an hour. I had some trouble with a couple of strays. Rough work, one man riding herd on this many cattle. Well, get on with it. We ain't got all night. I'll get them centered in a minute or two. And you got everything ready? Sure. All right, steady now. Here they come. See anything of them over there? No, not a sign, Joel. I simply can't understand it. I can't understand it. We've rid up and down and backwards and forwards across this whole section of the range all day long and nary a sign of them cattle. It's hard to figure out, Joel. Maybe they run off. Run off. Run off to where? Cattle ain't gonna run away from water. Even steers got that much sense. Coconino Crick is the only water for 40 miles in any direction. You know, there's a couple of slews here and there. At this time of the year, every last slew has been dried up for weeks and you know it. Well, maybe they're on somewhere. Where? Answer me that. This is the year 1840, Jack. This is now. I've had every rancher alerted by ranch radio communications. The Cattleman's Protective Association is on the lookout. Nobody has seen hardener hair of them cattle. Why, if this was 100 years ago or even 50 years ago, I'd say I'd say them cattlemen took by wrestlers. There ain't no more cattle wrestlers. We know that, but what we also know is them cattle is gone. Ours is a breather. Sure enough. Fast gallop like that does a horse good, though. I'll say I'm glad Bill brought us along on this trip. How's your cold coming along, something? It's dry and weather is helping some. Hey, have you ever been here before? Yep. Here's some of the best wildest cattle country left in the whole West. Do you mean wild cattle or wild country? Both. This here is Coconino County, about a million square miles and nothing. A million? Well, don't pin me down. It's mighty big, anyways. Way back when I was young, it used to be called cattle wrestlers' haven. Whatever far? Oh, the herds was bigger then. No law enforcement around to bother the wrestlers, you know, much anyway. No radio, no chips, no telephone. You're right. Man, wrestlers just about had it their own way. And actually, things differ now. Wrestlers, these things passed. Yeah. With modern methods of communication and everything. Why, a cattle wrestler, he wouldn't stand a chance. Hey, hey, look, Willy Bird. What? Oh, yeah. Yeah, one of them egg beaters. What's it doing out here? Yep, there, Henry, right there before your very eyes is modern day ranching at its best. Oh, what do you mean? That there, hell, your copter belongs to the Jackson Brothers, twins of the identical twins. No less land hereabouts, where as you can see in any direction, and then some is their ranch, the Big J. Big J? Yep. See their names, Joe and Jackson, three Js. So their brand is just a Big J. Get it? Sure, it's easy to make and it's easy to see. Yeah, I can even see some from here. Boy, those stairs are a long way off. Left rear flank, Big J. Yep, there, egg beaters coming over this way. You must have spotted us. Yeah. Look at those stairs rubbing that helicopter flies narrow. And that beats any system I've heard in cattle I've ever seen. Well, they're good. Run a herd in any direction you wanted, any place you wanted. Never get near the cattle. Do it quicker and faster and better. Waving. Hey, look, yeah, he waved at us. Hi. Hey, checkin' up on things, I guess. Yeah, that's Jack. Them two twins can check in water and where the herds is gathered and sort of oversee the whole ranch and do in a day what used to take weeks. Well, don't they use the helicopter to herd cattle with? Nope, they'd run them ragged. Just the same. It looks just exactly as though he was herding that one bunch of cattle. He's herding them over there toward that clump of cottonwoods. Yeah, impossible, Henry. Can't be did. Come on, I'll race you back. There. Got him in there. See, you were as early tonight. I didn't hardly get here in time. Hank, and all that little doggies all herded up real nice. Bunched up real good just over the rise there. Just stand around and waitin' for their friend, Mr. Dark. How come you could have him waitin' in one spot? Well, that's for me to know and for you to find out. When you'll be back? I don't know. I mean, better wait a while. I don't want to overdo it. And besides, the full moon is comin'. Better wait until the nights get dark again. Yeah. If you're gonna do business with Dark, it's gotta be Dark. Jack, this thing is getting me down. I'm getting gray hairs over it. Little by little, maybe 20 or 30 at a time, our steers are disappearing. And yet nobody has any idea where they are, where they're going, or where they're gone. Yeah, it sure is a mystery. We do have some mighty big herds, but at this rate, if that keeps up... Yeah, but with those wrestlers, we'd have some clue, that's for sure. Yeah, say... What? I have an idea. That forest ranger fella is here in these parts. I've heard tell of him. Carries a reputation of being a mighty smart outdoorsman. Bill, something or other his name is. Why don't we go to see him? Ah, what for? What good would that do, Joel? I've no sense draggin' him into all this. Nope, my mine is made up. We're gonna go pay a call on that forest ranger. We'd like to introduce ourselves. We're the Jackson brothers. I'm Joel and this here's my twin brother Jack. Hi fellas, glad to meet you. I've heard about you. How do you tell which is which? No way, I guess. Jack here is left-handed and I'm right-handed, but otherwise we look and act exactly alike. I see. Well, what's on your minds, gentlemen? We have trouble on our minds. It's like this. Ah, I still don't see no reason to bother the ranger with all this. Oh, no trouble at all. Go ahead, Mr. Jackson. Well, we have the biggest ranch in Coconita County. Never any bellyaches, but lately, well, I can hardly believe it when I say it. We've been losing cattle. Losing cattle? That's it. Every week or so, some will be gone. We keep a pretty regular county, you know. Our riders report in. And lately cattle have just been, well, they've just been disappearing. Running away? Nope. We'd have got reports from other ranchers. These cattle have just vanished. And no clue of any sort? No nothing. Sounds like wrestlers at work, but the day of the wrestler is gone. Why, there just ain't no way to wrestle a cattle nowadays without getting caught. Ain't that right, Jack? Yeah, right. So we come over here to see if maybe you could help us out. Well, I'd be happy to be a service, but offhand, I'd say this is something I'd have to investigate. Mind if I pay a few visits to your ranch, ask a few questions? It's a big ranch. It's hard to find people to ask. I'll manage. Well, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Jackson, I'll be visiting you one of these days. And until then, I suggest both of you keep a sharp eye out. And that's the story, Ralph. What do you make of it? No tracks on the ground, that's for sure. Ground's too hard and the wind must have covered them over. How about the brand? Well, use a simple one just to capital J. Hot iron brand or chemical? Chemical. So paint it on and then... Yeah, I know. It's easy to change a chemical brand to make it look like something else. Yeah, but no strange cattle, no off-brand cattle have been reported. They were probably shipped out of state and checked at the state line. Sure, and the shipping records show nothing. Something funny about this. Ralph, those cattle are still somewhere in this state. But where and why and how and what for? That's what we've got to find out. Nice of you to show me around, Mr. Jackson. Just call me Joe. Okay. Bill was coming out to your ranch today, so I'll ask if I could come along. Anytime, anytime. Well, ain't that a pretty sight, though. The red steers and way off them purple mountains. Yeah. Nice fat steers, too. Hey, let's walk over toward that bunch right over there. Okay. Fellow, don't enjoy looking at a herd of white faces. Just don't appreciate what's done right, pretty. Just look at them steers. Red hides as shining in the sunlight. Well, that's a picture no artist could paint. Hey, Joe, that steering is coming right for us. Yeah, reckoning is at that. Oh, well, hadn't we better run? Nah, that's Ferdinand. Henry, good old Ferdinand found him out in the range one bitter cold spring night. He lost his mama he had, so I raised him up on a bottle until he got big enough to shift for himself. He never forgot it, though. Well, he is walking right up to you. Sure, he knows me and I know him. I'd recognize him in a hundred steers. Hi, Ferdinand. Wanted to have your head scratched, huh? That's it. Good fellow. Any a dandy? Ah, he looks pretty big. Close up like that. Maybe I better scratch his head, too, just so he knows it. Well, I like him, too, huh? Here, here, Ferdinand. Nice, Ferdinand. Is it okay to talk? How about tomorrow night? Thursday? Yeah, Thursday. Same time, same place? Listen. What? Tomorrow night's got to be the last night. I can't keep shoving them cattle around forever, you know. When you're going to get on with the second party of plan? Soon. Soon, Dark. Soon. Yeah, it's long. Well, the old clock on the wall says it's about bed time. I'm going to hit the sack. Can you two, Jack? I'm going range riding. Tonight? Sure. I thought I'd ride around for a couple hours. Maybe I can spot something wrong. Find out what's happened to our cattle. What's your been out night after night, Jack? I ain't found nothing. Hey, want me to come along and keep you company? No. Yeah, no, you stay here right at the ranch. Well, maybe you're right at that. Ah, come on. Sounds like the ranger. Come in, come in. Hi. Hope you don't mind such a late caller. Always glad to see you, Bill. What can we do you for? I was out riding around just looking, saw your light, stomped in. Looking? For what? Oh, don't know if sure. Like you, I'm doing all I can to solve the mystery of where your cattle have gone. Jack here was just this minute ready to get on his horse and go all range riding to see if he could spot trouble. Oh, yeah. Well, then when are we right together? It's a dark night, no moon, a good night for cattle to vanish. Who said any cattle is going to vanish tonight? Why, nobody. Jack would be delighted to have you along. Ain't that so, Jack? Jack? Ah, I don't like to take the ranger's time. Besides, it's real late. He'd be glad to have you along, Bill. Well, let's get started, then. Dark. What? What, what'd you say? I thought it was dark. Dark night. Oh. Oh, yes, yeah. Well, let's ride down toward that big swale up ahead. Swale is where a cattle like to bunch up at night. No, uh, well, no use going down there. I've been down there night after night. There's no cattle down there. Grass is always better than a swale. Brown's lower. Let's take a cattle down there just for fun. I tell you, there's no cattle down there. Well, after all, it is your ranch. You want to know what... Hey, Jack, there is something down there in that swale. Just a flicker of light. Look like somebody lighting a match. Ah. Not on these flat lands. In a dark night like this one, you can see the flare of a match for nearly a mile. That light was a long way off, but it was down in that swale. Mine looks very over there. Ah, I didn't see no light. Firefly, most likely. I've been watching over this way anyways. Hey, over this way, Bill. Not toward the swale, away from the swale. Wrestlers! Got a wrestler. Got fire on him. Over this way, Bill. Come on, come on over this way. Wrestlers, cattle need to look out. Here we come. I've got the forest ranger. We got you. Nothing here. They must have got, uh, cleaned away. Yeah. I've seen shapes. And I heard voices. Right over in this direction. Oh, that's why I didn't want to go chasing no fireflies. Mm-hmm. There must have been them wrestlers, but they got away. I reckon we scared them so much they'll never want to be back. Yeah. Yep. And them wrestlers then got chased away, by us. And that was too quick for us. Say, Bill, just to set your mind at rest, we might as well take a jog down there at that swale you were so interested in. Of course, I know there won't be nothing there, but just to put your mind at rest. No luck, huh, Bill? Ride down the night and didn't find out anything. I don't know. You don't know. What kind of talk is that? Ralph, I'm sure I saw somebody light a match down in that dark swale. It was a long, long way off, but... But Jack Jackson made a lot of noise right then. Hollard and shot his gun and got you to run in the other direction after something that wasn't there. Is that it? Just about. But how did you know? That's... that's an old Indian trick, Bill. Setting a false trail. Well, afterwards, after we spent nearly an hour chasing around with him yelling at the top of his lungs, then he insisted we ride down to the swale. Oh, sure. Of course, there was nothing there then. Well... Ralph, this whole thing doesn't look good. What are you gonna do, Bill? I wish I knew. You see, Ralph, what a man thinks is one thing, but what he can prove is another. But, uh... But what? We'll follow this trail no matter what we find at the end of it. So we gotta hurry. Now, that Ranger stuck to me like a burr last night. Yeah, when I heard all that hollering and shooting, I caught on and beat it. We gotta finish this deal and quick. Can't make it too soon for me. You got the papers, invoices, bills of sale, and all that? Sure, sure. Everything we need. And you can't tell them from the real thing, neither. No, I hope not. Now, I'll fix up the final details and phone you from downtown like before. And we better not meet again. The brand's okay? Oh, sure, sure. Me and my men done a good job. They all had time to set, too. The circle dash, eh? Yeah. Now, circle dash. Circle dash. Oh, I sure wish they'd hurry. Yeah, they ought to be here any minute. You said that Mr. Dark phoned from town a couple hours ago. That means him and his cow punters should have the herd drift up here right along bot now. Yeah, we're lucky this fellow just happened to have this herd for sale. I don't understand, fellas. Well, Bill, you know we've been losing our cattle and it's got so bad we ain't even got enough left to make a profit on. So Jack here, he just happened to run into this fellow dark over the town. They got to talking and it turned out this fellow wanted to quit the cattle business and was willing to sell his whole herd to us. So you're gonna buy this man's cattle? Yep, that's right, Ralph. Done took all my life savings and cash money to do it. But they're good cattle, Jack says. We need to have him to save the ranch. They're white-faced heffords, the same as we already got. Uh, what? What's this man's mark? How does he brand his cattle? The circle dash. Yeah, here they come. Get ready, boys. We'll run them all into them pans and keep them there overnight till they settle down. Then tomorrow we can let them out in the range. Come on, Jack. Let's go meet your friend Mr. Dark and get this deal finished up. Circle dash. I know, Ralph. I know. The circle dash. I looked it up in my brand registry book. There's no circle dash brand listed there. You know, Bill, it's pretty easy to take the J brand, mark it from the curve of the J on up around the top and down again, and make a circle that way. Mm-hmm. Put a dash clear through the circle. It cover up the old ends of the J. And end up with the circle dash. Right. What? A brother stealing cattle from his own brother. Changing the brand and then selling the same cattle back to his brother. What are we going to do now, Bill? The first thing, Ralph, we've got to be sure we're right. We know part, but not all. And until we do... Here comes Joe Jackson. Well, they're all here. Jack and the boys will run them into the pans, and then I'll go over and sign the papers with Mr. Dark, and we'll be... What's the matter? We'll be at one steer there. The one that's cut himself out of their herd. The one that's coming this way. He's looking around at Joe, Joe. Maybe he doesn't like you. Maybe. Maybe he does like me. Why, sure. That's Ferdinand. What? Ferdinand. A steer I bottle-raised. Make a regular pet of him, and ever since then he's been... Get back there! No! Get back there! Jack's turned him in. I can see his brand mark now. Circle dash. He's one of Dark's herd. Huh. Man's eyes are sure played tricks on him. But a sworn that was old Ferdinand. Trouble over to the pins. They must have a bad critter on their hands. A troublemaker. Sure it looks like it. Ralph and I'll ride over and see if we can lend a hand. See you watch out anyway. Thanks. Wish you would. It's getting so dusty with all these doggies milling around. You can't hardly see anything. Clear. Besides, looks like Mr. Dark's riding this way. Can sign them final papers and pay him his money. We'll check the corrals. Come on, Ralph. Looks like they got a real rough one on their hands. No, let's go. One bad steer can make plenty of trouble in the pen. Make all the other steers go wild. Crazy. Come on. All my critters down. You know, here comes Mr. Dark. Wants his money, I suppose. Still can't get it out of my head that that steer I seem was firmed in. Of course it couldn't be, I guess. Couldn't be. Hi, Mr. Dark. Hi. Hi, Mr. Dark. Mr. Huh? We're my formals today, ain't we? Yeah. Them critters sure stirs up the dust. Can't hardly see know-how. Yes. Well, I guess you want your money. Yeah, we might as well settle up, Jack. And don't forget our deal. You pay me half, and you pocket the other half, and that dumb brother of yours will never know the difference. But I'm- All you gotta do is sign these fake papers so it'll look legal and proper. Just sign on the dotted line so it'll- So I can clear out. Well, come on, Jack. Put your moniker on these here papers. All right. All right, Dark. I'll- I'll sign. It's all the evidence I need. Quit the- I can just sign. Yeah. Give me the invoices. What's the matter, Mr. Dark? Why- Why, you- you sign that there, pray with your right hand. And- and Jack is left-handed. You ain't Jack. No, I'm not. I'm his dumb brother, and thanks to your mistake, I found out the saddest thing in my life. What- what- what are you gonna do? What do I have to do? Joe, we need your help. That big steer has gone plum-local. He's tearing the streets apart. We can't get him stuck. Oh, my own brother. Look out, Jack. He's coming your way. Jack, Jack's in danger. Most cattle will stampede if that steer smashes down the fence. Look out, there they go. Run, Jack! Run for your life! He's gonna be trampled to death. Jack, watch out. I'm coming, Jack. Jack, I'm coming. What are we gonna do now, Bill? Stay put, I guess. No human being can stop those cattle when they're on the ranch. Yeah, they weren't one way, then the other. They've gone crazy with fear. When bad steer started the whole thing, broke down the fence, and then they all followed. Yeah. Well, we're safe here on this loading platform. Nothing to do but wait and- Ralph. What is it? Look over there. To the dust, isn't that Jack? Looks like him. Oh no, he's on the ground. He must have been hurt when the steer broke through the corral. Right by the gate when they broke through, but I thought he got out of the way. Well, looks like he didn't quite make it. He must be hurt. He's trying to get up, but he falls back down. Oh, he's hurt bad, Bill. We've got to get over there and- It's too late. It's too late, Bill. The cattle are returning now. The whole herd's heading straight for Jack. There's his brother. There's Joe in front of the herd, and between them and Jack. The cattle are coming fast. Two smashes by the side now. He's reached the brother. Yeah. Here comes the whole herd of cattle. They're stampeding straight for the two brothers. Here they come. Here they come. Did you talk to the doctor? Yes, Jack. He's doing all he can. We know that. Waiting here. Here in the hospital, while he's in that room there. And you know that when he- when he saw I couldn't get out of the way, that stampede, he ran and threw himself on top of me. Yeah. Yeah, well, we saw what happened, Jack. Well, he could have gotten away, but he was willing to risk his own life to try to save mine. And after what I'd done to him, oh, when will a doctor let us know? Joe's hurt pretty bad. I thought I'd be smart. I'd chase those cattle with a copter and wear them out so they'd stay put. Then I'd herd them all by myself at night to where Dark was waiting for me. Yeah, and what did Dark do? You know, he had a big furniture van with a ramp. And we'd drive the cattle in, and he'd move them to a part of the ranch where only him and I knew. Well, there's moving vans going through here in the state highway all the time, so nobody had... But Joe... Well, Joe, he trusted me, of course. I'd always tell him I'd search that corner of the ranch, so, well, he never went out there. And all that time, Joe's cattle, your cattle never left your own ranch? No. And then we changed the brands, and now Joe's laying in that room, and here I am. There's the doctor, Jack. He says you can go in now. All right. Joe, are you... I'll make it. Joe, can... Well, can you ever, I mean... I'm really sorry for what I did. Now, Jack, you're my brother, aren't you? Well, yes. I'm supposed to suppose I am. But right now I don't deserve to be. Joe, there's... There was always one thing that was... Well, it was different about us since we've grown up. Remember... Remember when we was youngins, Joe? How we used to go together down the lane? Yeah, sure. Sure, I remember. Every... Every Sunday. And you remember where we went? Yeah, of course I do. Well, that's where I ain't been going. Joe, get well quick, will ya? Well, we gotta start visiting that place, that church, again, together. And that's how one cattle rustler rustled himself into a place where God could speak to him. Well, see ya next week for more adventure with...