 Ranger Bill, warrior of the woodland, struggling against excrements, 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. There's a time and place for Christians to take account of their actions and decide if they're doing the right thing or if they should proceed differently. Oh, we should always proceed with love and mercy, but there are different ways of showing this. Sometimes the firm way works better than the lenient method and vice versa. No two situations can be met and handled the same way, and we have to rely on the Lord for wisdom and guidance. Well, this is enough of an introduction for today. Let's get into this story, which I like to call the Fighting Parsons. Yes, Sarah, I'm worried about the stand-up here as much as I am about getting hurt, testing down the street in front of these saloons. Yes, Sarah, it will be all right. Let's find our own business. Good-bye, dear Vanessa! Let's go home. These drunken men like to scare a body, have to dance. They've got to go to the general store. All cold gifts, they haven't delivered the groceries. Come along now, eh? Constable, in this time with any backbone, he'd say the decent folks got some protection on the street. How are the children? She can't hear you, Sarah. I think her hearing aids broken. Poor soul. I didn't spend most of his paycheck on booze. He'd be able to have that gadget fixed. The door to the church is open. Land sakes, Sarah, so it is. The first time it's been open since the Parsons' ski daddled out of town, fearing for his life. Hey! Here's the song, buddy. Let's take this one. Oh, Tim! Hey, wake up the morning. I have a preaching for the Parsons we ain't got, because he's so dear. That's McCarthy. This is the house of God. Oh! The only one that can, lady. Everybody else is plum-scared to death. There's two. We'll sit in here and have a little church. Good, that's right. Now get out of here before we throw you off. Ah, don't hit him, box. He's an old windbag. What do we care? Everybody quiet now, while Geek and Ox begins reading a good book. You think you're pretty tough, don't you? Yeah, we do. Ain't nobody around this way. The favor is on me. I don't see about this, Ox. I know a man that might be just a fella who can take care of you. What we need is a fighting parson in this town. Oh, we're scared, old man. We're scared, ain't we, fellas? You know, we're riding in land, because it might be your land. That's the whole story, Bill. We've been praying and praying, and I think it's time we done something about it. Well, I agree, Ab. What have you got in mind? Can you get us a preacher that can preach good and fight better? Perhaps. You think the time has come to fight fire with fire? What do you think? Maybe you're right. Silver Town's been wide open for ten years. Yeah, we've had five preachers, and they've all been run out of town by the three bullies. Ox, Buzz, and Rolf. Don't you think it's time we done something about it? Yes, I do. Too bad the town's out of my jurisdiction, or I'd have done something about it myself a long time ago. Yeah, but I think you're right. Good. Right about what? You want a fighting parson, don't you? I sure do. One with anvils for fists and spring steel for muscles. I know where you can get just the man. Spence Fielding should make a fine fighting parson. The religion's awful run-down parson season, but it's our church. Eb and I have prayed many years now that the Lord had sent us a man who could make our church the pride and joy of the town. We don't like to discourage a ride-off parson, but it ain't fair not to tell you what's been going on here about. Well, thank you, Sarah. Eb, you folks just keep right on praying, and I'll get some tools and nails and start fixing up this building. Hard work never hurt anybody. Are you planning on holding worship service come Sunday? Yes, sir, I am. Got my sermon already. I worked on it coming down on the train. Praise the Lord. Barson, I'm going home and get my cleaning dress on, and I'll be back with a brushing bucket. Come along, Ebenezer. But, Sarah, we ain't told him about the trouble. We'll let the Lord take care of the trouble as it comes. Just like he helped Moses when he had trouble. Did you hear? Hear what? Why, there's a new parson in town. Hey, buzz, did you hear that? Oh, yeah. Hey, we ought to go over and welcome to no preacher. Hey, now there's a good idea. Give him a nice welcome. Power style. Well, the river just throw him out of town. We'll give him to your official silver ton. Well, yeah. Hey, everybody shake hands, brother. Howdy, parson. How do you do? What's your name? Ah, it's McCarthy. This is Buzz Hansen, and this guy with the big muscles is Rolf Thorsten. Well, I'm glad to meet you. You gentlemen have quite a reputation. Ah, we have, but kind. Being tough running this town. Hey, guys, we're famous. Yeah, you're right, parson. We're tough, and we don't like preachers or church. You said it, Rolf. You best get out while we're still sober, parson. But when we get drunk, we get awful mean. Yeah. Yeah, we might hurt you a little bit, preacher, before we throw you out of town. Oh, is that right? You ain't deaf, are you, Patty Waste? No, not at all. Now, it's too bad you bought this paint, because it looks like it might get spilled all over the ground. I wouldn't try that if I were you. Oh, look out, ox. You might get hurt. Ah, show him what happens to preachers, Rolf. Use a pro bon. Look out, look out, parson. Oh, I ain't gonna hit him with this, old man. You see, I'm not gonna hit him with this. You see, I'm not gonna hit him with this. You see, I'm not gonna hit him with this. You ain't gonna hit him with this, old man. You think I'm a coward? Now, you watch this crowbar, parson. Pretty strong, ain't he, parson? He twisted like a pretzel. That could be your neck. Oh, that's very impressive, Rolf. May I see that crowbar, please? Sure. Put it in your suitcase as a souvenir when you leave. Oh, I'm not leaving. I just thought I'd straighten it out. Shame to ruin a good crowbar. Hey, look! Look, the parson's got Christian the Bar! What's the matter, Rolf? Buzz? Rolf? Can't believe your eyes, can you? This man's a grand weightlifting champion and wrestling champion at State University. You thought I was joking, didn't you? When I said we'd get us a fighting parson. Well, here he is. There was about two dozen of them. Well, where are they? Or aren't they that interested? Oh, they're interested, parson. They're very interested, indeed. Only they're afraid. Afraid? Of what, me? No. They think you're the greatest thing that's hit this town in 15 years. They've been threatened by ox and his boys. Oh, no. It's the truth, parson. That just shows you how much power those evil men have in this town. I see. Well, come on, folks. We're going to hold church anyway. Just the three of us? The Lord tells us that even two or three gathered together in his name will receive his blessing. Good morning, parson. What are you going to do this morning? Several dozen of the citizens of this town have been threatened with bodily harm if they attend church. What are you going to do about it? What do you expect me to do? Well, stop this persecution. You want me to try and stop ox and his boys? Not on your life. Is that all the effort you make to enforce the law around here? Parson, I have offered to quit this job, but there ain't a man around here that wants it and I want to stay healthy. Yes, I guess I do. Thank you for your time. Parson. What are you going to do? I don't know yet. I'll have to think about it. But one thing you can tell oxy is that I'm not going to quit. Bill, can you get temporary jurisdiction in Silvertown? I think so, Spence. I'll have to talk with Judge Wilson this evening and let the governor if necessary. This thing is getting out of hand. I take it then if you're given authority you'll enter the town to protect the citizens and their rights. Yes, Spence. I'll see to it that there's no more of this strong-armed stuff and I'll keep rangers there until you solve the problem. That's what has me worried. Is that fight you had years ago with that fellow hanging over you like a dark clown? Yes, even though it all happened before I became a Christian, I can still hear the judge talking to me in his chambers after that doctor Stephen Schroeder. Feuding, I've taken all the facts of this case into careful consideration and finally there's no deliberate intent to kill Bill ever since that fight. Every time I look at my hands I see two deadly weapons. I can't shake it. I've prayed about it for long and hard but I just can't get rid of it. I understand, Spence. You're afraid now that ox and his boys might prod you deep enough so you'll lose your self-control and your own body for life. That's it. A fine testimony I'd be for the Lord then. Every two or three months I visit Steve. It makes me shudder to think that he's all crippled up because of my hands. Spence, if I can't get clearance to go into Silvertown, I'll see to it that Marshall Paulson goes he's a fine and fearless lawman and he'll do a good job. Thanks, Bill. Spence is one thing you've got to remember. I'm listening. And you'll have to solve it. You'll just be there to establish law and order and remove the fear complex. You'll have to battle it out with ox and his tufts one way or another. Now, don't worry about your hands and what they can do. Concentrate on your job. The Lord will see to it that you come out of this with a reputation of being the right kind of a fighting person. There goes that church bell again. This is the second Sunday of that church but it's gonna be his last. Are you joking? You know we can't do nothing to let rangers leave ox. Yeah, we ain't fooling around with no federal cops. Besides, they play pretty rough. Look at them clubs they got. We're letting them in. The monomatic shot comes and they got horses that ain't scared of nothing. I ain't blind. We ain't gonna mix with them rangers. I don't want them to do with them either. That boss ranger Bill Jefferson Look at all the people in this town going to church. The ox were losing our grip. No he ain't. Not yet. I ain't through with that preacher. Me neither. Him on Ben and that crowbar ain't scared me none. What's he gonna do against the three of us? Well, he got to think of something something good that'll scare the hair right off of his head. Ain't that a pretty picket fence fixing for the church. Oh, thank you gentlemen. It sure is. It's a shame it's gonna have to get busted up like this. There you are, Parson. You got firewood for the winter. Only if I was you, I wouldn't be around here that long. Ain't you got nothing to say, Parson? No threats or nothing that might derail us over. I have nothing to say. Come on. Let's go back to the saloon. I think that Parson's a little scared. And sir, feeling your hands are deadly weapons. Here comes the Parson all loaded down with groceries. Well, I ain't that a shame. See, maybe we should help him across the street. Parson, you shouldn't be carrying such a big load of them. Let me help you. I'll manage very nicely without your help, Parson. I said let me help you. Now look what you've done, Ox. Oh, ain't that a shame. I'm awful sorry I busted up your villals, Parson. I wouldn't be sorry. It could have been his head. Ain't you gonna cuss us out, Parson? No. I'm going back to the store and buy some more groceries. If this happens again, I'll have you brought to trial for assault with a deadly weapon. Oh, there goes that stinking church bell again. Every Sunday morning it goes clang, clang. Oh, that head. Oh, shut up, Ox. And go back to sleep. Who can sleep with that noise? Ox, we gotta get rid of that Parson. Yeah, real soon. Parson, we're heading up a committee to make a complaint. Yes. We all like you, but you ain't the man we thought you was the time you straightened out that fat crowbar. We thought we finally had a fighting, Parson. Well, go on. You ain't fighting. Ox and his hoodlums have pushed you all around town. As soon as the Rangers leave, we'll be right back where we started. Folks will be afraid to come to church again. You're right, folks. You've got a legitimate complaint. Well, what are you gonna do about it? I don't know, and just don't know. Well, you'd better make up your mind soon. Either straighten things out, or we'll have to look for another man. Well, Parson with some backbone. Well, I thought you said you'd send us a man who could fight for what's right and put down the evil in this town. Folks, I know what you're thinking, but I didn't recommend Spence just to hear myself talk. He's the man for the job, old man. Talk, talk. That's all we hear. We're getting tired of it. As soon as your Rangers leave the town, the problem will be the same. Ox and his bad men will run this town again. Folks, I give you my word. We're not going to leave until Spence solves his problem. Well, then you ain't gonna be here long. What do you mean? If he doesn't do something soon, we're gonna have to look for another man. Hey, this ain't Sunday. What's he crying in the bell for? Somebody die? No. I had their having prayer meeting on Wednesday night. Oh, sure it's twice a week. It ain't bad enough we got to hear that bell on Sunday morning. Yeah. I'm generating an idea. It's about time. Let's have it. No, not here, Rolf. Meet me in track six at lunchtime tomorrow. I'll tell you what it is. You're afraid somebody might hear, huh? Yeah. This time we're playing for keeps. We don't want anybody to know it was us. But one thing for sure, we're getting rid of that preacher. Now you make good coffee. Well, thank you, Bill. I, uh, suppose Ebeneezer's talked to you about me by now. Yeah. But, uh, don't let it upset you. Why not? I'm no coward. I could wipe up the street with those three clowns before they knew what hit them. Well, I'm fed up with getting pushed around. I'm here to fight for right. There's a lot of fighting I've done. Well, I don't care about myself, but I do care about the folks that look at me like look to me like the children of Israel did to Moses. I, uh, understand how you feel. How can you understand? You're an experienced and tough cop. You've got guns and men. You can crack heads open if the miners get rough. If they go wild, you can gas them into submission. It's easy for you to say you understand, but do you? Do you know how I feel? I'd like to bang heads together, too, with my fists. Those men and their whiskey sodden brains are no match for me, and you know it, and I know it, and the whole town knows it. Is it all out now? All the pent-up emotions you've kept under lock and key? I'm sorry, Bill. I had to let it out of burst. I'm not mad at you. Just at myself. Eb is right. I ought to put up or shut up and get out. Do you ever read the book of Job? Are you serious? Of course I read the book of Job. Have you forgotten what you read? No, of course not. I think you have. You're talking in riddles. What did God permit Satan to do to Job? Take every worldly position he had, even his family, and afflict the man with a disease. That's right. Job was beaten almost to a pulp by Satan, and what did Job say about all this? He still trusted God. Rand Job was right. The Lord restored to Job much more than he'd ever had because of his unflinching faith. Did God do this according to Job's plan? No. God did it according to his own calendar. You mark my words, young fellow. You stay as strong as Job did, in spite of what's happening, and the Lord will work it all out according to his own good pleasure. Well, thanks, Bill. I needed somebody to bolster me up. What's that? Mind disaster alarm. Come on, we've got work to do. Superintendent, what happened? Hello, Parson. There's been a cave in the number 6 shaft. What can I do to help? I'm going to get them out. Isn't that bad? Yes, I'm afraid so. Ten men trapped right down here where this axe is on the top. No hope at all? Let's face it. This is the worst one we've ever had. There's gas forming down there. The house is down there now trying to make cotton tanks. We don't know when it comes back to the surface. Oh, and here it comes now, all through the lift. It looks real bad down there. How bad, Joe? It's a cave in Jesus, 15 to make with 20 feet long. A real bad boss. I was afraid of that. How's that gas? I don't know. Not so bad, not so good. We're blowing out and starting big, no? Yes, right away. But watch out for the gas. We don't want an explosion, too. Okay, boss, it's all fixed up right away. You heard it, fellas. What's their chances? The dust of the cave in mixes with what little air there is and makes it rough. If we can push an air pipe through the cave in, we might save them. And the gas accumulation makes rescue work very slow. No spark. I'd like to go down with a rescue party. You'll only be risking your life and maybe for nothing. I'm not going down just to pray. I'm going down to dig. Three of those men are your enemies. You must be mistaken. I don't have any enemies. You're the right person. Go ahead. How can you risk your life after what they've done to you? It's beyond me. If we get to just in time, my person, everybody should be alive still. Yes, they're all alive. Some of them are injured. You'll have to be moved up on stretch. Okay, and Joe, fix it up. Just as soon as we make a bigger hole to what gave in. We all better get back to the shovels in that case, huh? No, you and the person, take care of the men. And Joe needs to make sure everything goes fast as she can. Maybe in an hour we can move them to the surface. The horses are big enough to slide the stretcher through one at a time. Okay, we've got them ready. Here's the first man. Oh, hello, Ox. What are you doing here? Why didn't you stay up top? Quiet, Doctor. I want to lift you up. What's that noise? Hey, hey, that's water. We'll go right through. Hey, we got it! Come on! Hey, we got it! All right, men, now shut up. The person's gonna pray us out. Joe, how can we stop the water until we get the men out? Only one way. You see that beam overhead? If she's to come down, then make a gap in between us and water. The water's not pushed through for hours. Okay, start moving the men out. I'll take care of the beam. This is no time to make jokes. The only way to get the beam down is blast. And there's so much gas in here for that. So we try to get out as fast as we can. Some of us not making the water. She's coming in too fast. Hey, Buzz, is that a heavy bar next to you? Yeah. All right, start moving them out, Joe. I'll get that beam down with this bar. This I gotta see, even if I drown. Bill, get them moving. Right. You able-bodied men start pushing these stretcher cases along and make it snubby. Okay, we got those blocks. Come on, move blocks here. Yeah, don't move me, Ranger. I gotta see this. Yeah, it's stronger than me, and he ain't gonna move that beam. Now, Bill, lift me up against the wall so I can get my body between the wall and the bar. Okay. I get maximum leverage there. All right. That's good. Now, stand back. Yeah, he won't do it. No man's that strong. Yeah, he won't die from drowning. We'll laugh ourselves to death. Take your thoughts to yourselves. Ox, he did it. He's stronger than any one of us. Yes, in more ways than one. Joe, let's get these men to the lift. Grab the other end of Ox's stretcher. Wait a minute. Personally, I got something to say. Yes, Ox. Any time you want work done around the church, you let me know. Man, it's strong as you, but almost. Sure. Sure. Thanks a lot. Every time I hear that church bell, I'm gonna be glad. So the fighting person won the battle, but not in the way he expected. Well, see you next week for more adventure with...