 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. Have you ever wondered how we came to know our good friend Henry and how he came to live with us and work with us? I'll bet you have. Well, today we're going to take you back a few years and tell you all about Henry. It's a story you won't easily forget. Let's call it Henry's miracle. So you're Clyde Bethans, huh? Yes, Mr. Jefferson. I'm a reporter from the Tri-City Globe Gazette here in my credentials. The main purpose of my coming is to do a story on your young friend here, Henry Scott. Me? A story on me? Why? Well, it's rather simple, Henry. You've been named by the Globe Gazette as the outstanding high school senior in the state. Hey, congratulations, pal. I didn't know anything about this, but I'll tell you, Clyde, they couldn't have made a better choice. I'm sure you're right, Bill. You don't mind if I call you Bill. Oh, not at all, since that's my name. But why me, Mr. Bethans? Well, because of your outstanding record in sports, leadership, scholarship, and religious activities. Well, I don't know what to say, really. I don't think I deserve such a high honor. I'm just an ordinary fellow. Now, that isn't what I hear, Henry. I understand you had a very unusual beginning in life with some very tough problems to overcome. Well... Well, for instance, the time the doctor said you'd never walk until you were 30 or 35 years old? Oh, that... I guess Bill can tell you more about that than I can. Okay. What do you say, Bill? Can you supply me with some of these details? His heroic effort to overcome an early injury and so on. Well, sure, Clyde. I think the credit for Henry's final recovery goes to his father, Henry Scott Sr. Hank was the nickname he went by. He was 30 years old at the time the series of tragedies began to strike his family. Henry was 10 at the time, and I was exactly in between the 20 years old. Henry's dad was my fourth cousin. One afternoon, Henry was playing with some of his young friends when... Duck, guard of rock! I beat you, though, Henry. I tagged you before you said it and slammed the tin can three times. Okay, you did. Slime it. Go and scatter you guys. I'm going to count to 25. You better be hit by that time. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, twelve, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, twenty, one, two, three, four, five. Duck, guard of rock! Here I come, ready or not, guys sure can hide. I wonder where they are. I gotta make sure I can raise them back to the rock, or I'll be in all afternoon. Here I go. Hey, too late. I beat you to the rock, Henry. Duck, guard of rock. Okay, Stevie, you beat me. Hey, Paul, I see you. You're behind the car. Okay, you'll have to beat me back to the rock. I have a head start. Okay, I can run faster than you. That's what you think. You have to take me through. What do you think I get? Run, Paul, he's almost up to it. You have to take me, Henry. I'll take you all right. Can't you take me yet? I'll take you, Paul. Okay. Henry, look out for the rock. Paul! Henry's hurt. He ain't proven. You go get his mother, Steve. I'll stay here and watch him. I think he's hurt bad. Oh, Stumpy, he's so still, like he was dead. Oh, my boy. He ain't dead, ma'am. He only got knocked unconscious. Let me take a look at the boy, ma'am. Is he your son? Yes, yes. Doctor, tell me how badly he's hurt. Oh, his injury is, if any, are internal. We'll have to lift him onto the stretcher and take him to the hospital. Oh, he must be hurt terribly. Oh, now, don't worry, ma'am. There's no way of telling now. We'll just hope for the best. You can ride in the ambulance with him if you want. Extra examination will soon tell if he's seriously injured or not. Mac, where's Hank? I'm back there, setting up the one-ton press, Whitey. Thanks. I've got some bad news for him. Huh? Well, what do you mean? Yeah, his boy's in the hospital. Had an accident. Oh, boy, that'll be tough to take. Yo, Hank! You got a minute? Sure. Can you wait a minute? Better snap it up. It's important. Yeah, what's up, Whitey? Bad news, I'm afraid. Your wife called from the hospital. Said to tell you Henry's been hurt. Henry hurt? Did she say what happened? No, Hank. She didn't. Only she wants you to come right away. I arranged for a company car to take you to the hospital. Oh, that's all right, Whitey. I'll drive my own car. That's what you think. You take the company car. Phil Barnum will drive you. Now, get going. Yeah. Sure, Whitey. Thanks a million. Hank? Yeah? I'm awfully sorry about this. Be sure to let us know how the kid is, won't you? Sure. Only... Only what? I was gonna say, I wish it was me instead of him. What? Nothing. Oh, I thought you'd never get here, Hank. How badly has he hurt, Martha? The doctor says it's... it's a spine injury. And it's possible he may never walk again. Oh, no. The poor kid. Here's Dr. Johnson now. Dr. Johnson? Yes. Oh, why? Hello, Mrs. Scott. I'm sorry about Henry. What's the verdict, Doctor? Well, it's not as bad as you might think. He could have suffered an irreparable injury. But as it is, I'm confident he'll be able to walk again someday. Walk? What do you mean someday, Doctor? Well, let me explain. Your boy suffered a severe spinal injury when he struck the rock in falling. The x-rays give us a very clear picture. And I'll show you them to you in a little while. Right now, the only thing I can say is that by careful physical therapy after the nerves are repaired, your boy could regain normal use of his legs. However, it will take a long time repairing those nerves. A long time? How long? I should say he may be able to walk by the time he's 35. 35? Of course, I'm giving you the most pessimistic view. At least that's better than being crippled for life. That's right. We can thank the Lord for that. You tell us what to do, Doctor, and how it's done. We'll try to do the rest. Yes. Tell us how we can help our boy. We'll do anything, you say. Henry's got to walk again if it takes every last ounce of strength that's in us. Well, that was a pretty rough situation, wasn't it, Bill? Surely was, Clyde. I'm not giving you too much detail for your article, am I? Oh, on the contrary. This will be a full-page spread. But how do you feel about the crippling accident, Henry? Well, for a while I was so sick I didn't pay much attention to my legs. And, well, I don't remember all the details. It's been so long ago. I guess I sort of got used to the idea of not being able to walk or run. What's your slant on this part of it, Bill? Well, I'd say it was pretty good natured about the whole thing. As it was, a whole year went by before he was even allowed to sit up. And then it was only for ten minutes a day, five in the morning and five in the afternoon. But he kept progressing. After a few months, the time was increased to ten minutes twice a day, then twenty. Eventually he was allowed to sit up until he got tired. Then I remember one evening Henry got a new viewpoint on the whole thing. I'd been invited over for dinner and Hank came in the front door. It's only me from over the sea said Barnacle Bill the sailor. Don't give me that, Dad. You never sail the sea. You haven't got any barnacles on you. Oh, how are you, son? Oh, fine, Dad. Aren't you going to sail low to Bill? Well, of course. How are you, Bill? Glad you could come over tonight. Thanks, Hank. It's a pleasure. You'd thank you too, haven't seen each other for years the way you talk. Well, it's been all of ten days since I was here last. Hank, better wash up. Supper's just about ready. Okay, Martha. Boy, I could eat a sight of calf. Be back in a minute, Bill. Well, Bill, would you help Henry to sit up? Just push the table next to the bed. I'll bring the food in. I'll be glad to, Martha. Yeah, come on, pal. Okay. I'll help you sit up and then push the pillows around the back of you. When you push the table over, a piece slides out. I eat on that. Mom and Dad sure try to keep me from getting lots of wheat together all the time. Well, it's might be fine of them, pal. Bill, I want to ask you a question before you help me sit up. Sure. What is it? Mom and Dad read to me when I'm tired lots of times. He helps me go to sleep. Well, they've been reading to me from the Bible. Bill, do you think Jesus could heal me like he did the sick and crippled people in the Bible? Yes, pal. The Lord is the same yesterday and today and forever and has the power to heal you just as he did in the days when he walked on earth. I know he could heal me, but would he? Henry, somehow I believe that when the time comes that he wants you to walk again he'll make it just like new. Well, that must have been a tremendous life to him, eh, Bill? Yes, it was, Clyde. Henry grew stronger as the months rolled by. He was able to sit up all day and move around, but he had to drag his legs after him. Hank would carry him to the car and they went for rides together. His mother helped him slide off the bed and into a straight back chair and he amused himself with games and drawing and so forth at the small table his mother sat in front of him. He was beginning to show a remarkable improvement, and one day he had a big surprise. Hank picked him up and carried him into the living room. Dad, mother, you got me a wheelchair. Oh boy, now I can get around by myself. Yes, son, your dad got you a wheelchair. Well, you've got to remember, son, the speed limit is 25 miles an hour in the living room. Oh boy, oh boy, this is neat. Boy, look how easy it goes. Then you like it, dear? Oh, mom, I sure do. And you know something? What's that, Henry? Oh, I've got the best mom and dad in the whole world. Even though I'm crippled, I'm happy. Henry progressed toward recovery rapidly. Daily massages and baths stimulated the unused muscles into activity. Of course, the big dose of love and understanding he was getting from his parents helped the most. It looked as though Henry was going to recover the use of his legs way ahead of schedule. Then one day, Martha, Henry's mother, went to see the doctor. Come in, Martha. It's good to see you. Thank you, Dr. Johnson. You've come to find out how Henry's doing? No, doctor. I haven't. Oh, well, what is it? I've come to have a checkup myself, doctor. I haven't been feeling well lately. Well, a complete physical examination should tell the story. I'm sure we can help you. I hope so, doctor. I can't afford to be ill. Henry needs all the strength and help I can give him. Hank, your wife came to see me several days ago. Yes, I know, doctor. We've been waiting for the results of the examination. Did you find out what's making her feel so poorly? Yes, Hank. I did. We found out she's a very sick woman. Sick? I... And she must go to the hospital at once. What? I mean, yes, of course. If you say so. But what's wrong, doctor? This is bad news, Hank. Do you think you're ready for it? Yes, doctor. What is it? Martha has cancer, Hank. Cancer of the lungs. Martha? Cancer of the lungs? How? Why? I mean, for how long? Can you help her? I don't know the answers yet, Hank, but I must tell you, my first examinations were very discouraging. You mean she's going to... Well, let me be very candid, Hank. Just now, I would say that Martha has only from six weeks to three months to live. Dr. Johnson's original diagnosis was substantiated by the finding of the hospital lab. Martha died just nine weeks later. Was late to rest in the family plot at the cemetery. I suppose, Hank began to feel about this time that everything was against him. But he didn't give up, Clyde. He had to carry on, be father and mother to his son. How did he manage that, Bill? Well, he worked during the day and kept house and his spare hours. And who stayed with you, Henry, while your dad was away at work? Oh, many friends and neighbors. I was getting along pretty well then, so I could stay alone some of the time. But Bill's the one who helped most. Seems like he was with me every minute he could spare. Just trying to help, of course, like many other folks. But you entered the picture much more along about this time, eh, Bill? Well, yes, he did. And he stayed ever since. Let me tell the rest of the story from here on, Clyde. Bill's liable to talk down his own part in my recovery. Now listen, pal, don't you go giving me... Oh, wait a minute, Bill. I want to hear this. Don't let him wiggle out of it, Clyde. Bill was and still is the big factor in my life. Clyde, my father, worked almost to skin and bones trying to carry on. I could tell that trying to earn a living and keep up, as well as watch over me, was beginning to tell on him. One night, dad went for a walk. He said he wouldn't be back for an hour or so. I figured he had something on his mind and he wanted to talk to somebody. I found out later that he went to Bill's house. Hank, sit down here on the porch. Man, you're all in, I can tell that. You've got to find some other way or the first thing you know, you will drop dead from overwork. Yes, Bill. But what can I do? I've wrecked my brains for an answer, but nothing seems to come. I know I can't make this grind anymore. I feel my health slipping. If anything happens to me, well, it just can't. That's all. Have you ever thought about putting Henry in a nursing home? Yes, I have, Bill, but I can't make myself do it. It just doesn't seem right. But be reasonable, Hank. You're not an iron man. You can't work 18 to 20 hours a day. Now, look, there's an excellent nursing home over on the south side of town. Why don't you go over and talk to them about Henry? Bill, will you pray with me about it? I mean now. Sure. Right ahead. Tell the Lord whatever's in your heart. Father, I'm not complaining about my lot in life. I know these things are all for a purpose. All I ask, Lord, is that you give me an answer. Should I put Henry in the home or keep him with me? Or what? So, Dad decided to take the step. He talked to me about it, of course, and well, I thought it was a good idea because it would give him some relief from caring for me. Things went along at the home okay for a few weeks. Well, I was lonesome, but well, I understood what Dad was trying to do. Bill helped me. He'd come almost every day and take me for walks in my wheelchair. He even got me interested in making model airplanes and ships and cars. And then I got worse. I fell out of bed one day and they called Dad and the doctor and Bill came too. Well, Doctor, did the fall send him back any? No, Hank. The boy's all right. Fortunately, there's no physical damage outside of a bruise. Thank the Lord. Son, how come you fell? Well, you see, I reached out and all of a sudden, well, there was nobody around and I fell. Son, I want the truth. Are they giving you the right treatment here? I don't like to complain, Dad. You know, Hank, I think he'd get just as good care at home. I'm going to pack your things. You're coming home right now. Hank, you're not being hasty, are you? I mean, and you better think it over first. No, Bill. I don't need to think it over. I've got a little money yet and I feel a lot better now, anyway. Come on, son. We're going home. Well, Hank, how's Henry feeling today? Fine, Bill. He's gained back the weight he lost and he's right back in the groove, as he would say. That's wonderful. I'll be over to see him this afternoon. Oh, Hank, I don't want to butt into your affairs, but are you making out just working part-time? Bill, I just came from the bank. My account is closed out as of now. I'm afraid I'm going to have to get a full-time job. But what about Henry? I guess he'll have to go back to a home. I've heard a lot of other home around here. Sounds like a good place. I'm going to try Henry there. Well, I sure hope it works out this time, Hank. And you can count on me to spend all the time I can with Henry. Well, thanks, Bill. I'll need all the help you can give. Hank, there's nothing wrong, is there? No, only I'm tired, Bill. Awful tired these days. Well, Henry didn't do well at this new nursing home at all. It seemed that being away from his dad's love and care was more than he could take. As a result, Henry was doing so poorly that Hank asked Dr. Johnson to come out with us the next Saturday when we went to see Henry. We found the boy in low spirits. Well, Henry, here's the naughty pine delegation to see you. What's the matter, son? Things are as bad as all that, are they? I'm sorry, Dad. I guess I was down a bit. Hi, Bill. Doc. Hi, Bill. Henry. Say, you haven't been losing weight, have you? I don't know. Do I look skinny? Yes, you do, son. What's the trouble? Sort of miss your old pappy? Yeah, I guess that's it, Dad. I don't know. When you leave here, it's just like the sun goes out. That's your answer in a few words, Hank. I'm afraid he's going to need your constant care and attention until he's able to walk again. I know it's pretty rough, but you've got to be both father and mother to the boy. Yes, I know Dr. Johnson. I guess I've known all along that Henry and I couldn't be apart. I'll take him home today. Hank, are you sure you can take the grueling grind of working all day and keeping house and taking care of Henry, too? What do you want me to do, Bill? Let my boy stay here and waste away? I'm sorry, Bill. I didn't mean to snap at you. I didn't even hear you. Dad, I've caused you enough trouble already. I don't mind staying here. I don't want to be any bother to you. Son, where did you ever get the idea you were a bother? Now, you listen to me. I'm going to see to it that you get a fair chance in life. I've lived my life. You're just beginning and upon my word of honor, you'll walk again if it takes every last ounce of strength I've got. And that's exactly what it did take. I'll never forget the night it happened. I'd been staying with Henry when Hank came in the door. Dad, what's wrong? Your face is white as a sheet. Hank, here, let me help you to the chair. I'll call the doctor right away. Bill, help me. I can't breathe. Take it easy now. Sit down in this chair. That's it. I'll get the doctor right away. Bill, my heart. How's my dad, doctor? Is he going to be all right? Well, is he? Henry, I'd do anything not to have to tell you this, but I'm afraid your dad isn't going to be all right. What? What do you mean? Henry, your dad is a pretty sick man. You mean? He doesn't have long to live. He may live six hours or six days. Dad. Take it easy now, pal. You worked too hard for me. Yes, but he did it because he loved you. Now listen, wouldn't you do the same thing for him? Sure, Bill. Sure I would. I never thought about it that way. If I could only talk to him, just to tell him how much I appreciate what he's done for me. You may get that chance, Henry. All we can do is wait. Now, Henry, Bill, you must be quick. And don't interrupt him. Let him say what he wants to say. Dad, can you hear me? Dad. Yes, son. No crying. Must fuck up. I'll try, dad. Listen carefully again. Soon as you must promise. I promise, dad. I'll walk again as soon as I can. I promise, dad. Honest. You hear? Yes, Hank. On my solemn word of honor, Hank, I will. I'll do everything I can for Henry. First Corinthians, 15. Yes, Hank, I'll read it to you. Your Bible's on the dresser. Just a second. I'll get it. I'll get Dad's Bible, Bill. Henry's walking to the dresser. Great scat. The boy's walking. Hank, can you see him? Can you see him? Here, let me hold you up a little bit, Hank. There. See? Here he comes. Hank, do you see him? Yes. Praise God. From all blessings flow. I've seen my son walk again. This is your Bible, dad. Will you read to him, Bill? Please? Bill. Your dad couldn't hear me now, pal. He's gone to be with the Lord. Now don't mind me, fellas. I'm just a little choked up. What a story. What was the doctor's explanation of Henry's walking over to the dresser and getting the Bible for his dad, Bill? Well, Doc Johnson said that speaking from a purely human point of view, it grew out of Henry's strong desire to make his father happy before he died. At the same time, he could walk. These factors together made up the tremendous forces that caused the boy to walk. And yet beyond that? Beyond that, of course, was the omnipotent power of Christ. And you did keep walking after that, Henry? Yes, sir. I did. Oh. Oh, I don't know. I guess I just never thought of not walking. You see, I promised dad I would. And there you are, boys and girls, the story of Henry Scott, of his wonderful dad and mother, and of how he came to live with us. But more than these, it's the story of a God who still works in the lives of those who trust in him. Well, see you next week for more adventure with...