 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. Hi there, boys and girls. I'm Ranger Bill, here to tell you another story of the West. I wonder if you recognize that sound. Horses hoops, you'll say, and you'll be right. But they're a different kind of horse, a wild horse. Yes, there's still a few herds of real wild horses left in the West, not very many, but a few. Folks say these horses are all descended from pure bred Spanish horses. Horses brought over here hundreds and hundreds of years ago by the conquistadors. Mostly they're what we call scrub stock, small and runny and not much good for anything. But once in a while a real beauty will turn up, throw back to the original breed. Now remember, these horses are really wild and they can be very fierce and dangerous. Our story today is about one of those special horses, certainly the most perfect, the most beautiful horse that I ever saw. What happened to him and to Henry is what I call the story of the Snow White Stanton. Paiute? Huh? You asleep? Me no sleep, we on big hunt now. Me quiet, me watch, me look. Me look? Okay, me quiet, me look, me watch too, huh? Just lying out here on the prairie in the sun makes a fella kind of sleepy. Not Indian fella. Say, you think we'll see any of those wild horses today? I think so, watch over by draw. Sun start go down pretty soon. Horses come out of draw, go get drink of water, it's slow. I never saw a wild horse. Me see plenty. I was never in wild horse country before. I came with Ranger Bill, he's here to investigate something about grass on the prairie. He's a conservationist. Huh? Well that means he takes care of the game and trees and flowers and stuff. All Indian do same thing. Yeah, my friend Grey Wolf, he's an Indian too. Scorched down quick, I think horses come. Okay, right down flat in the grass like this. Wild horse have sharp eye, see everything. How can you tell the horses are coming? See over edge of gulch, see little whirl of dust? Yeah. Horses feet make that. You watch now, scrunch down good. Okay. Kale, you think it drink now? Why you, do you see, do you see? I see, that what I want show you, that why I ask you come. You see now? Yes, I see. I've seen something I never saw before. A Snow White Stallion. King of wild horses, best horse in the whole world, me guess. Snow White Stallion. There they go, back to gullies and gulches, bad country. We don't see more today. Hey, what matter you? You sleep this time? Hey you Henry, you sleep? You look like you have dream with eyes open. Snow White Stallion. Now, sir, Tantra got here. That serves the purpose. Sleeps before, I see. Yep, me and Henry and Grey Wolf over there and Bill, he's the forest ranger. Him that is, and they call me Stumpy. I'm the chief cook and bottle washer. Bill! Kale, let me introduce myself. My name's Hivastraw. I understand you're the head man around here. Well, temporarily. We'll camp out on the prairie here for a month or so. I'm making a comparative study of some of the prairie grasses for the government. Conservation stuff, I presume. I'm all for it. Which brings me to my point in the hurry. I found out the ranchers and farmers in this area have been bothered by two or three herds of wild horses. Stampedon, smash and fences, scaring cattle, beaten down grand. Well, it's been a hot summer. They'll go back to the hills and the wasteland Not if I can help it. How's that? Well, I met me a little trip to Washington. Talked to a couple of the right people and ended up with this permit to shoot up to 500 of them wild horses. What? Shoot horses? Never heard such a crazy thing in my life! May I see the permit, please? Yeah, I got it, right here. Thank you. There you are. All in order. I can't stop you, Mr. Havrestraw. I just hate the idea of shooting any free wild creature, though, especially a horse. Oh, don't be sentimental. Man, think of the money I can make on them hides and the horse meat I can sell. You know, they buy it in South America. I know. Well, that's it, eh? Yes. Well, I guess I'll be going along then. Maybe I'll see you around some day. I'll go polish my rifle. So long. Then, when the whole herd came down to the edge of the slew to drink, this one horse stood off to one side. Sure, he later. He'd keep watch for danger. Yeah, he looked like he was thirsty, too, but he waited until every single horse had a drink. Mary's a little cold at all. And then he had a quick drink, but he stopped between every swallow so to lift his head and look around. Ah, he could later, all right. And then he gave kind of a sort, like a signal, and they all took off back into the scrub hills again, and put him out in front. And, great wolf, you know what? He was the most beautiful horse I ever saw ever. He was snow-white. Not a mark on him anywhere, and he was taller and bigger than all the other horses. And his mane and his tail was as white as snow, too. I think I hear of that horse. Plain Indian call him King of Wild Horses. Yeah, that's it. That's what Paiute called him. Who, Paiute? Oh, he's an Indian boy. Lives on the reservation. He spends many more at the general's store. He knows all there is to know about planes and stuff like that. I can say, great wolf, Paiute says that the Indians used to catch wild horses and tame them. Long time ago. No more. Indian ride jeep now. Did you ever catch a wild horse? No. Not one, too. Why not? Wild horses belong free. Born wild and die wild. You catch horse, you get sick and die a broken heart. Ah! Right. Wild horse got to be free. You like freedom, like you. But Paiute said... Ah, catch scrub horse, maybe. Cows, pinto, maybe. Not big, strong horse like you see. Just the same. I'd like to... You'd like to what, Henry? Oh, nothing. Paiute, do you think we'll see those horses again today? Not today for sure, me think. Not. Like I tell you and tell you, you must forget awful easy. Me tell you, wild horse never drank two days same place. Maybe every other day. Well, I did hear you, but I thought we might as well come on here just in case. Sure. Nice place to lie down and rest. Plenty sun, plenty grass, plenty lazy. Suppose that anybody was just to try to catch a horse like the stallion. What would he have to do? He would follow horses many days. Find out where they travel. Horses travel the same way every few days, you understand? I guess so. You mean they follow the same route over and over? That's what I said. Into hills, out of hills. Same way every time. But how could... I mean, how would discovering their route help anybody? Find gulch, gully, narrow place where horses pass through. Hide there, wait behind rocks. Come by, jump out very quick, lasso horse you want. Bad to do, though. Dangerous, only strong man. Very, very good lasso thrower can do. I can throw a lasso? What you say? Nothing, nothing at all. But nobody ever catch snow white stallion. Too fast, too smart. Nobody want to break horses heart. Did you ever lasso a wild horse, Bill? No, Henry. Never even tried. Don't want to try. Not ever? No, not ever. The wild horse is one of the very last of the free, wild, beautiful animals here in the West. It's a thrilling and inspiring sight. See, I heard a wild one swayed by. Makes you feel proud that you're free, too. Of course. It'd be mighty fine to own one of those horses. Really good ones, the leaders, can't be trained, Henry. They value freedom more than life. To them, a halter is death. Did you ever happen to see anybody? Just happened a lasso a wild horse? I'm sorry to say I did. Three Easterners came out here, hired a couple of renegade cowpokes, and lasted a circle. What happened? Well, the man ended up with a sordid broken arms and legs, and what scrub horses they did manage to catch, broke out of their corral, ran away. The Easterners went back home disgusted. No horses? No horses. Well, I'll bet that I could... You could do what, Henry? Oh, nothing exactly. Henry, I hope you're not daydreaming about catching a wild horse. Be dangerous, foolhardy, above all wrong. Wrong? Yes. Henry, some things are just born to be free. Do you ever see an eagle soaring around high up in the sky? Sure. Looks mighty grand and glorious to see him up there, wild and free, doesn't it? Uh-huh. Have you ever seen an eagle in a cage? Yeah, once, he was all hunched up. He looked like a dusty old mop. Of course. The eagle has to be free. And the wild horse is the same way. Tie him up, put him in a corral, break him. You break his spirit. With his spirit broken, you'll die. Always? Always. Without his freedom, he doesn't even want to live. But maybe just once, just once... No. But a fellow could try, couldn't he? Try to catch a wild one? Yeah. No, Henry. If he really loved animals and was a good fellow, he wouldn't even want to try. Henry, don't be afraid, Indian dog. Indian dog, yeah, yep, yep. But no bite. I'm not afraid, exactly. Hey, you dogs, quit now. This friend. We go see my uncle now. Just like you asked me to bring you. I bring. He's sit over there under tree. Yeah, I see him. Boy, he looks pretty old. Plenty old. Know everything. You think he has a lasso he'll trade me? Maybe so. You ask. By way... What? My uncle, he knows speak English. He understand, but know speak. Well, how will I know what he says? I'd be interpreter. Here he is. Hello, uncle. This is my friend. He want make trade. Hello, Mr. Indian. My name's Henry. I was just wondering if you had an old lasso you might want to trade for something. Any old lasso. I've got a fishing knife here and this bell with this big brass buckle and this sharpening stone. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. What do you say? He say, what else you got? Well, I got these number four fish hooks here and this nylon line and... Oh. He nod head. You give him those things, he give you lasso. All right. Here you are, Mr. Indian. Thanks. Thanks for the lasso. Talat. Not all, only one day. Talat. Talat. What's he saying now? He give you warning. He know everything. He say, no you slash the white horses. He say, talat. That being bad medicine. Well, just the same. What? Oh, I was just thinking. Let's go. I want to practice with my lasso, okay? Okay. And kill. Hey, Stumpy. Stumpy, you got time to talk. I'm so sure I got to practice this here new tune I'm making up. Are you right tune? Well, sure. I got the name all made up. All I got to do now is figure out the tune. There the name is in the moonlight on the prairie west of the great divide. Long from my Indiana home back where the sun shines brightly all the day. Name longer than tune. Say, you see Henry? Nope. I never see Henry. He's got that there engine panel and him and him is gone from sun up to sun down. Yeah, that's right. Looking for horses. You ever hear such a thing? Young boy, good idea. Plenty hard, good idea out of his head. Ain't no harm in watching horses, is he? Have you seen him with that lasso? I reckon so. When he ain't following them wild horses, he's practising with his lasso. I showed him a few tricks I learned when I was a whipper snapper. He was like a lasso ten head of cattle at once. What? Well, five in a ways. How many? Well, one usually. He's getting mighty good out there, lasso. That's right. Henry tell you what he want to learn lasso for. Nope. Never ask. All he ever thinks about morning, night, and noon is that snow white stallion that's the lead horse in that wild herd that hangs out around that mace and them gullies. The snow white stallion, he says. And he gets a dreamy look like he was imagining he was one of them there nights in a tin suit. Holder, holder, I just got an idea for a tune. How many times we've been out, not follow horses trail into hills. Oh, I don't know. Six times, eight times. Every time we come back farther, by and by we get as far as we can walk. Each day we trail farther back. I'm looking for a gulch like the kind you told me about. What kind then? A narrow place where the horses go through where a fella could lasso a horse. If he wanted to lasso a horse, that is. You won't look for a place like that. You don't look any further. See down there? Yes. Yes, I do. A real narrow place between those two big rocks. Hey, there are other herd tracks right in between. That horse path we use every day. Every other day, maybe. Hey, let's crawl up all those rocks and wait. Maybe they'll come by. Maybe come by. Maybe not. Hey, this is the place. This is the place for sure. Place for what? Oh, just the place. No talk loud. All right. Scorch. I'm scrunching. You're lucky. I hear horses. Hey, I do too. Hey, but I hope it's the Snow White Stallion. I saw him. He was there. Right out in front of the herd. Why, when he passed me, he wasn't more than 10 feet away. You make good Indian. Horses, no scared. No catch on we hear. Did you see him? Sure I see. Hey, what you do with lasso? Oh, I just thought I'd see if I could for fun. Just if I could throw the lasso over. Over any old horse's head when he went by. Now whirl it around a few times. And there. Wow. Boy, if he'd if any old horse had been there, why that lasso would have gone right over his head. And you'd be dragged to Montana by now. Notify to snub the end of the rope first round this big stump here. You pretty good cowboy. Did have a horse like that. Well, I guess he'd be the most famous horse owner in the world. Hey, who's that over by our tent? I don't know. Look like important man. Yeah. Hi. How are they? Looking for Bill? They're all out on the prairie somewhere. Well, it was, but you can give him the message. Sure. Tell him Havastraw dropped around to tell him he was ready to start. Start? Right. I'm Havastraw. I start shooting over next week. Before the Ranger'd note was me, so that when they heard rifle shots, we wouldn't think it was engines on the wall path. Shooting? Right. Got all the spots lined up now. But there's nothing to shoot around here. Nothing big enough for a rifle. Oh, yes, there is. But use your head, boy. There's some animals around here big enough to use a rifle on. None that I ever saw. Big enough to shoot. Then sail the hides and the meat too. Well, you can't. No, you can't do that. Well, you can't shoot those horses. Who says it can? Boy, you just can't, that's all. Boy, you might even shoot the Snow White Stallion. Him? He thinks he's the boss horse out there. Why, he'll be the one to nab first. He can stop, lad. Same as any of the rest of them. No. No, you mustn't. You can't. You just can't. Hey, what's the matter with you anyway? You act like it was your horse I was gonna shoot. It's a wild horse. It don't belong to anybody. No, it's not so. The Snow White Stallion is my... I'm sorry, Mr. Haverstraw. I got kind of excited, I guess. Maybe you'll excuse me now. I got something I have to get busy with right away. I've got to hurry. I've got to get that corral built before that old Haverstraw gets a chance to take a shot at my horse. Nobody can touch my Snow White Stallion. I'll catch him for myself. Where, Henry? I haven't gone out again. I saw him leave before dawn. Had an action to spade and took along a lot of those big nails. Ah, look like young brave do foolish things to learn how to do wise things. To hurry, I've got to work fast. There. Just about done. Best little corral I ever saw. Hidden away behind those rocks, not 30 feet. Where I'm gonna lasso the Snow White Stallion. I listen, old great chief. What? Oh, yeah, that's me, ain't it? That what you tell me, call you. Huh? Oh, yeah. Say, have you seen Henry lately? Sure. Where? What's he up to? What's he doing? Where does he go? I forget. 4.30. Half past four in the afternoon. As of the time those horses come by here every second day. I've timed the whole thing over and over. I've got to come along this path between these two rocks any minute now. I'm ready. I can lasso the Snow White Stallion. He's always the first horse that makes it easier. I've got the lasso snug tied around his tree stump. Then I can chase him into the corral I built without unstubbing the lasso and letting it get off him around his neck. Then I can slam the corral gate and the Snow White Stallion is mine. I don't care what Paiute and Paiute's uncle, Grey Wolf and Stumpy and Bill said, I want that horse. He's mine. I saw him and I want him. Here they come. I see them. I see the Snow White Stallion. I've got the lasso. I better get ready here. He must send danger. Oh, he's coming on. He's out in front alone. Closer. Just a little closer. Yes, Bill? Let me ask you a question. All right. You've been looking worried the last day or two, or something on your mind? No, not especially. Anything you want to tell me? No. Well, if you ever do have anything that, well, weighs on you, just let me know about it. Here come Horse Hunter Hevers draw. Oh, yeah. Um, hello, Hevers draw. Mind over, sit down. Yeah, don't mind if I do. Can't do any hunting. Why not? Mind a peculiar thing. Just when I was all set to start after the horses, the white lead horse disappeared, vanished. But out in the scrub horses scatter, so I can't get a shot in. The Snow White Stallion is gone? Hmm, haven't seen him and can't find him. I see him. Say, what's the matter here? Everybody has a long face. I'm the one that ought to be upset. Gloomiest bunch I ever saw. Something wrong? Ah, maybe. Maybe not. Ah, here your friend Pyrr. Hi, Pyrr. Hello, Henry. Hey, where you been? I can't find you. Look, look, no find. Where you go all day? Oh, around. Have you not been around here? At least two, three days. That for sure. Hey, why everyone's so sad? Somebody sick? No, sonny. Nobody's sick. Not exactly that is. Maybe we go look for horses tomorrow. Hey, Henry? No. Change of things for a while. I thought them horses was... That horse was all that... Well, uh... Hi, everybody. I'm... I'm going to bed. Well, Bill. Bill. What is it? Bill, I want to talk to you. Well, I'm glad to meet you. I haven't slept all night. I'm worried and scared and... I've got something I want to tell you. I didn't have the nerve before. Mm-hmm. Bill, I caught this Snowice Dian. I've got him pinned up in a corral. Yeah. Yeah, I know, Henry. Huh? We all know. The wolf and I have seen you down there trying to feed him. You knew? I knew all along, son. I was, uh, just waiting for you to tell me. Bill, I'm so worried. He won't eat or drink water. I can't get that tight lasso rope off around his neck and... What do we do? What time is it? Nearly dawn. Good. Let's go over to that secret corral of yours and pay a call on the Snow White standing out. Well, there he is, Bill. Looks kind of sick, doesn't he? Yeah, he sure does, Henry. Look how his hide isn't even glossy anymore. Eyes are dull. He got that rope off his neck, though. All cowboys can do that. But he won't eat, Bill, or drink water. Look how he hangs his head out his rib stick out. Looks like he might die. What'll I do, Bill? Well, Henry, he's your horse. You wanted him. You caught him. Everybody told me he'd die of a broken heart. I didn't listen. What'll I do? He's your horse? Bill, let's let him go. Henry, I never heard you say a better or a wiser thing. Here, let me cut the thongs of the gate. Okay. Pull her open. Goodbye, Snow White stallion. Go back to the prairie. Be free. Goodbye. I'm sorry I tried to break you. Go back and be free. Henry, listen. Thunder. The rains have started. I didn't even notice the sky. Henry, I wonder, maybe the Lord approves of your decision. He thinks you've been honest in admitting your mistake and in trying to make amends. And so he's showing you his approval. Oh, that thunder. Now the rain. That rain will build the creeks and rungs, and the wild horses can go back to their own mountain valleys where men like Haversdorf can never find them. They can go back and... There. They're on the horizon. There they go. And leading them back to freedom is the Snow White stallion. See you next week for another thrilling adventure with...