 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. Say boys and girls, have you ever heard of big things disappearing right out from under your nose? Oh, like a building, or a car, or a mountain. Right now you're saying, don't be foolish, you can't lose anything as big as that? Well, you can. And in today's adventure with Bill and his rangers, we're going to find out what it is and how it all happened. Right now, Bill and Henry are waiting for Colonel Anders to arrive on the noon train. Here comes the milkland special, Bill. What a train for Colonel Anders to take to Notty Pine. It stops at every cow crossing and hitching posts along the way. There you're right, pal. I wouldn't care to ride it, but the Colonel has a reason. What reason would anyone have to ride? That's a small boat to China, unless they just wanted to look at the scenery. Well, that's what he's doing. Huh? You mean the Colonel's out looking at the scenery? Yeah. Well, why? He's been looking at this kind of country most of his life, hasn't he? I'll ask me later, Henry. Here comes the Colonel now. Let's give him a hand at his bag. Oh, sure, Bill. Hello there, Bill. Henry. Hello, Colonel Anders. How are you, sir? Fine, and you? That's the same. Thank you. Hi, Colonel. Here, let me take your bag. Thank you, Henry. Well, are you all set? Yes, we are, sir. All set? Why, something going on around here I don't know anything about? That's right, pal. I didn't get a chance to tell you before. Colonel's here to make a very thorough inspection of our operations. Something special? Oh, yes, Henry. Some very important people are going to pay you a visit. Oh, so that's why you took the milk train, huh, Colonel? Sort of looking things over as you went along. That's right. Um... Yes, Henry? Uh... Well, may I ask who the very important people are? Well, yes, the governor of our state, one of our senators in Washington, and the secretary of the Department of Interior. Hi, Stuffy. Shut off the alarm. Hey, why didn't you tell me it was just this old burglar alarm, Ray Wolf? It sounded to me like the 400th was going by. You must have been plenty of good sleep. You heap witty this morning. Ah, boy, let's take a peek. See what kind of a day it is. Ah, I'll also see if everything all right with buffalo herd. They'll be all right. Last night the whole shooting match up was close to the feeding barns. It sure is a beautiful day. Or breathe in that morning air, would ya? See, where's herd, Stumpy? They know where in sight. Huh? What'd you say, young fella? The buffalo's not here. But they gotta be here. They gotta be here, but they're not. Great day in the morning, you're right, Ray Wolf. Speak you there. They've always been around the feeding barns. Maybe it's till the grass gets good out in the rain. Ah, grass's not good on rain yet. They should be here. It's mighty odd looking to me. Ray Wolf, I think we'd better saddle up and find that herd. Hello, Storm Boy. Oh, boy. Well, you all set for the inspection tour, Colonel? Yes, Bill. There's a fine mount you've given me. Easy there, Dusty. You ready, Henry? Sure. Best. Quiet down, girl. Quiet down. Well, where do you want to go first, Colonel Anders? I'd like to take a look at the herd first, Bill. That's what the governor seems most interested in. You know, largest herd in the country and all that. All right, Colonel. Get up there, Storm. Come on. Get up fast. Come on. Good idea. Oh, Savvy, these are all. We've been all over the range. Ain't seen very critter. Ah, whole herd missing. Not impossible. Impossible is right, but I've seen it with my own eyes. And there are only one conclusion. Yep. Only one. That their herd of nickel faces is just plumb up and vanished into thin air. Stumpy, I not worried so much about what Bill says, Colonel Anders say when he come. Colonel Anders? Yeah. Great horned toads. I clean forgot about him being here for inspection. Well, it's been nice working for a forestry service, Gray Wolf. Well, we can face the music better on a full stomach, Gray Wolf. So what do you say we rattle up some grub for breakfast? Can there's a feedbine in the cabin up ahead? Looks very familiar, fellas. Stumpy's told many a good yarn in that cabin. Say, Bill, where's the herd? Usually around the barns this early in spring, aren't they? Huh? I don't know where they are, Colonel. Oh, perhaps the fellas draw them to the other end of the range just to get them exercise. Oh. Hey, Bill. Huh? There's Stumpy and Gray Wolf in front of the cabin now. Good. Be nice to see them again. Maybe the fellas will have the coffee pot on, Colonel, and we can have a nice friendly chat over a cup of coffee. Sounds good to me. Maybe Stumpy's got a story for us, huh? It's really nice to be out here at the old cabin again, fellas, just like old time. They're mighty nice to have you with us again, Colonel. Sorry I don't have the fixings for some flabjacks. Gray Wolf kind of hit me out of house and home. And you're still living, Gray Wolf? Yeah, I mean a lot. Now see here, sonny, I'll be there. I mean, because you make them so good, Stumpy. Oh, no. I can see things haven't changed much. Well, Stumpy, how about spinning one of your famous yarns just for old time's sake, huh? Well, uh, sure, Colonel. Only the one I'm going to tell I can hardly believe myself. This one must be good. What do you mean, Stumpy? Well, it's this way, Colonel Anders. You see, last night, I mean, this morning, no, it was last night, something happened. Oh, now we'll have it quiet, Henry. Something happened? What was it? The buffalo herds plum disappeared. Buffalo herds disappeared? Yes, sir. Old kitten caboodle right in the thin air. But that's impossible, Stumpy. No, Bill, not impossible. It's true. We get on horses, ride range from one end to another. Buffalo, not anywhere. But how can a whole herd of buffalo just vanish? That's plenty of good questions, Henry. I wish I could answer it. Well, you fellows will have to find an answer soon. Huh? What's that? What you mean, Colonel? I mean, there's some very important people who are interested in these buffaloes. We've got to produce them when they visit here. Bill, you have a report ready on your progress by noon, will you? I'll go back to Naughty Pond and wait at headquarters. There's some other matters I have to attend to. All right, Colonel. Come on, boys. We've got a job to do. Find that herd. Well, Colonel took it rather calmly, didn't he, Bill? He would have blown his top when Stumpy gave him the news. Colonel Anders, as a Christian gentleman, pal, tries to understand people and their problems. However, I wouldn't want to stretch his patience and understanding too far with a limit, you know. Oh, not quite, Bill. We hope him not reach limit before we find Buffalo. Well, you and me likewise, Bill. What do you think we should do to find these mission critters, Bill? Well, first thing, after we saddle up, let's follow the herd's trail to where it ends. Ah, that easy, Bill, at End of Shitty River. After that, poof, nothing. Hi, you best. Are you ready for some exercise? Hold it, fellas. What's the matter, Bill? You see something? Yes, Henry. Stumpy, gray wolf. I thought you said all the buffalo were missing. That right, Bill, whole herd gone. Yep. They all up and get clean as a whistle. Well, what do you call those two animals walking around in the feedlot on the other side of this corral? Man alive. There's two buffalo in the feedlot. It can't be. It can't be. It's a mirage, and their critters ain't real. If I not see it with my own eyes, I say you're right, Stumpy. But those real live buffalo are right. Where'd it come from? There was an area critter here before. And where's the rest of the herd? How'd these two happen to get away from the main group? Well, that's the question. How did they? Well, it's crazy, I tell ya. There's something crazy. Maybe it's me. But there wasn't any buffalo here a while ago. There's somebody peculiar going on around here. Hey, Stumpy, take it easy. No, Timer. Slow down. You'll burst a blood vessel. Well, how do you explain it? Well, I can't. Looks like this is developing into a real mystery. Yes, pal, and it's up to us to solve it or have our heads chopped off. Now, let's settle up, boys, and get going. Well, Mr. Secretary, Senator Rand, it's a genuine pleasure to have you two gentlemen here at my home. Thank you, Governor, for your hospitality. I've been impressed by the beauty of your home. And your state as well. I agree, Mr. Secretary. Everything in this state is well maintained and a real pleasure to see. Now, Governor, how about that buffalo herd? You brag so much about it that the Secretary says he's just got to see those buffaloes. Don't worry, Mr. Secretary. You'll see the herd all right. We'll take a motor trip across the state. Be a nutty pine Saturday morning. That's fine, Governor. I'm certainly looking forward to it. You know, Mr. Secretary, we've got the largest herd in the world there at Nutty Pine. The rangers have raised some beautiful animals, just as majestic as they ever were back in the old Western days. You'd better not describe the many further to me, or I'll want to see them first thing in the morning. Well, I've arranged all the details with Colonel Anders and the ranger Bill Jefferson, Mr. Secretary. Oh, yes. Bill's been on several special assignments for me. He and the Colonel are very competent men. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing both of them. And those wonderful buffaloes. Well, I guess I'll have to admit, this is a real puzzler, fellas. And how? Same. Maybe we've got flying buffaloes. We've got some kind of special buffalo. Just what you'd call them out of nowhere. You can see yourself. It's no different what Gray Wolf Laugh found. The trail leads to the river and that's the end of it. What make it worse is those two buffaloes who showed up at feed barns. And that plenty strange to figure. Yeah. I don't see any trail signs across in the other riverbank. It'd be easy to spot where they came out of the river if they swam across. Well, what do you geniuses propose we do now? There's only one thing to do, fellas. Huh? What's that, Bill? I thought we'd look the place over thoroughly already. We have, pal. Now let's split up and search the riverbank carefully. Maybe we'll find something that way. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Gray Wolf and I will go downstream and Stumpy, you and Henry go upstream. We'll meet back here in two hours. Yeah, it's pretty discouraging, isn't it, Stumpy? Worse than that, Sonny. I'm exasperating. Whoever heard a flying buffalo or maybe they turned into fish and swam away when they hit the river. Oh, Stumpy, now don't be ridiculous. Ridiculous, huh? Maybe you can tell me where they went to. Well, they must have gone up in the air. Maybe an airplane or into the river. We'd have picked up their trail by now. Yep, that's what I mean. Well, let's go back and meet Bill and Gray Wolf for how they made out. I don't think they found any more than we did. How do you know? Maybe they're dragging the whole herd back on the end of the world. Well, fellas, I give up. This one has me buffaloed. What do you mean we'll have buffaloitis if we don't find them? Well, I can face the music. The colonel's waiting for a report. What a report this be. Might just as well get it over where they get. Getting dark now, anyhow. You fellas stay here and keep an eye on things. I'll make my report alone. Can I go along with you, Bill? No, Henry, you stay with Stumpy and Gray Wolf. I'll be back out in the morning about center. Oh, okay. It'll be some encouragement, Bill. What do you mean, old timer? The herd's still missing, isn't it? Not all of them, Bill. Remember, two of them came back. So that's your report, Bill. Yes, sir. That's my report, colonel. I'm rather ashamed, sir, but that's the truth of it. And this is the best you can do. Well, this is only a momentary failure. Colonel Anders, there has to be a logical answer as to where the buffalo went. Right now, the answer is eluding us. You can say that again. Well, I'll give you one more day, Bill, to find that herd. Is that an ultimatum, sir? Bill, don't you understand? We're being visited Saturday morning by three very important people. Colonel, can't you stall them off for a while? I should stall off the Secretary of the Interior and the Governor and the Senator of our state? Oh, I guess not. You couldn't stall them off any more than you could at tornado. Why are they coming here, if I may ask? They're coming here to see the herd. That's the main purpose of their visit, Bill. In a way, the honor of the Forestry Service is at stake. Imagine me telling the Governor that a whole herd of his buffalo disappeared. It does make a pretty embarrassing situation, doesn't it? I'll get it, Colonel. Ranger headquarters, Bill Jefferson speaking. This is Colonel. I speak to him, please. You certainly can, Governor. The Governor wants to talk to you, sir. Thanks, Bill. Hello, Colonel Anderson speaking. Colonel, I'm just making a last-minute check to be sure everything's set for our visit. Oh, wow. Well, yes, Governor, we're expecting you. You and the Senator and the Secretary. First thing Saturday morning. I can take a good look at them. Oh, yes, sir. They'll be right around the feed barn so you gentlemen can take a look at them. Oh, excellent, Colonel. Extremely competent way. I just want to be sure our guests aren't disappointed. We'll see you bright and early Saturday morning, then. Goodbye. Goodbye. Excuse me, Colonel, but haven't you stuck your neck way out, sir? How can you be sure we'll have the herd back here by Saturday morning? Well, Bill, I do have my neck stuck out pretty far, but I'm counting on you to save the day. What's that, sir? Yes, Bill. You've never failed me yet, and I can't believe you're going to start now. But, sir, wouldn't it have been better to delay their visit another week? Impossible. Two of those VIPs have come here all the way from Washington. I don't think they'd appreciate making their trip for nothing. Yeah, that's right, sir. But won't they be more angry if they come here and we don't have the buffalo? Wouldn't it be better to openly admit the whole situation? And how would you explain to the governor and the other gentlemen that fifty head of buffalo have dropped right off the edge of the world? Oh, should I tell them they all fell in the river and drowned? Oh, well, this is a situation for which there's no explanation. If somebody rustled the buffalo, that'd be something else again. But whoever heard of forty-eight buffalo weighing on the average a thousand pounds per head, just vanishing into thin air, and so be that, will you? If you had the answer to that question, sir, I'd gladly pay a year's wages for it. But this is a nasty situation. We did tell the governor he'd be on the spot, too. And so would the secretary and the senator if the word ever got back to Washington. Yes. There might even be a Senate investigation. Now, there's only one answer, Bill, and you know what that is. Yes, sir. We've got to find that herd by Saturday morning. More coffee, Bill? Please, Henry. I sure hit the spot after the fast ride out here this morning. Stumpy? Grey Wolf? How about another cup of mud? No, thanks, Henry. I've had enough. We have enough for now, Henry. What's the matter, fellas? This is like having breakfast before a funeral. Maybe not as funny as it sounds, Bill. Maybe this our funeral as four strangers. That's right, Grey Wolf. I'm worried. I'm worried. We've got all the bigwigs coming and there ain't no buffalo herd to see. Yeah, and if we don't have that herd here by Saturday morning, we'll all be in the soup but good. What are we going to do, Bill? Well, I don't know about you, fellas, but I'm going to take a swim in the Shady River. Huh? I guess I'll have to wash my ears out again. I ain't hearing so good today. You hear right, Stumpy. Bill just sick in head. Let me feel your forehead, Bill. You must be running a fever. So, young fella, you're going swimming. Don't you know you're supposed to be looking for the missing buffalo? Not swimming in the Shady River? Personally, I think your roof is leaking just a bit. Bill, are you serious about going swimming? Well, yes. Want to come along, fellas? Yeah, just for curiosity. I don't believe you're going to do it. Let's go, then. Well, I guess he means it, fellas. Too bad that a nice young fella like Bill cracked up early in life. Ah, that's right, Stumpy. I think he really flip-flip. After I have a good swim, fellas, we'll look again for the missing buffalo. Okay? After you have a good swim, Bill, we're going to take you to town where you can have a nice rest. They've got a swimming pool there. I don't know. Maybe we're the ones that are bombing the rest of the world, all right, but I don't get it. It's bad enough with the buffalo missing, but now Bill's taking a swim in water so cold it would freeze an iceberg. Hey, he's out in the middle of the river now. Look at him. He must be looking for something. What's he doing anyhow? Oh, that's plenty of good questions, Henry. Hey, now what? He must have bumped into something in the water. Nah, me going crazy, too. Look at Bill standing in a foot of water out in the middle of the river. Jumping jackrabbit! You know what Bill found, Johnny? No, Stumpy, what? He's walking on a ledger rock across the river. Man alive. You're right, Stumpy. He's walked all the way across the river and only a bottle of foot of water. Maybe this big news we wait for. Hey, fellas, I found the answer to the disappearing buffalo. Come on, Storm. Walk along, boy. There's nothing to be afraid of. You can't see where he's stepping in. That scares him some. Yeah. The ledge is covered with water all the way up to the head water to the river. Easy, best. Easy, Bill. Call a storm now. That's a girl. Bill. Yes, Henry? You think this ledge goes all along this side of the river? So does. Well, how come we didn't see it before? A machete of us from the Shady Mountain fell across the river in such a way that you wouldn't see the ledge. Oh, I see. Well, push your horses along, fellas. They haven't got too much time before this time goes down. He's inside a cannon wall. It must be a royal. Well, it has to be. Sure, the water's carved out a small chasm in the soft rock of the canyon wall. We wouldn't have seen that from the other side of the river if we looked all year. That's where our buffalo are, Henry. That a royal is dodging up to hold the entire herd and a lot more. The buffalo is signed now. Trail planer's nose on face. Let's hold up, fellas. Whoa, that's... Whoa, sir, whoa, boy. Well, there they are, boys. A missing buffalo herd. And if your count knows it, you'll find 48 of them all present and accounted for. Oh, this is wonderful, Bill. Hey, how did you figure this one out? Well, after our careful search, all that was left was the river. Oh, I figured the river held a secret. There was only one way to find out. That was to take a swim. As soon as I bumped into the lead, I knew what the answer was. Oh, that's plenty good think on your part, Bill. Well, I do apologize, young fellow. Next time you go swimming at the wrong time, I'm going with you. Maybe I can get smart, too. Well, there's no use taking the herd back down to the range now. It's too late. We'll move them with the crack of dawn so they're back in time for the VIPs to see. VIPs sure seem pleased with the herd, Colonel Enders. Oh, they're very pleased, Bill. I surely didn't know whether to have a heart attack or not this morning when I started out for here. What a relief when I saw the herd as we pulled up in the car. Tell me how you did it, Bill. Oh, I just went for a swim, Colonel, and, well, there they were. What? Surely you must be fooling. It's all right, Colonel. Don't worry. We thought he was off his trolley, too, but he sure showed us a thing or two. Well, you'll have to tell me all about it as soon as our guests leave. I was plenty scared you might be able to produce that herd. You were scared? How do you think me and Gray Wolf felt? Well, I don't know, Stumbie. How did you feel? Well, yeah. Yes, Stumbie? Well, it's habits, Stumbie. Well, Stumbie, all's well that ends well, they say. And it was a pretty narrow squeak of that. What if Bill hadn't taken a swim in the Shady River? The Colonel's face sure would have been red. And how about the Governor's face? Well, we'll see you next week for more adventure with...