July 30-August 4--Day 5: Mark says to Luke, "Ok, mister, WHAT'S GOING ON? Shooting at someone is SERIOUS BUSINESS!" Mark grabs Luke with his left hand and bends the fingers of his right hand at the second joint in his trademark threatening pose. Luke sheepishly protests, "Hold it, mister...I wasn't aiming at you...I was just trying to frighten you...we don't like strangers in our area!" When Mark asks, Luke admits he is one of Mr. Williams' sons, prefacing his response with an "uh..." Mark tells Luke he is in the area to get pictures and information for a magazine article. Foreground Chipmunk observes from a rock. As soon as Mark has enough material, he and Rusty will leave the area. Luke's sideburns are massive as he stoicly listens to Mark. Mark hands Luke his rifle, telling him to be careful where he points it and to have a good day. Luke says, "Uh...yeah, thanks!" At camp, Rusty asks Mark if he found out who shot at them. Mark tells him it was Luke Williams. Rusty says, "Wow, that's one of Taylor's uncles!" Mark, holding both a coffeepot and his hand dangerously close to the campfire flames says, "Apparently they don't want us to know what's going on in this area!" He instructs Rusty to keep an eye on the camp as he slips back to see what the Williams brothers are doing. Mark hopes the brothers will think Mark is not interested in them and will continue doing what he and Rusty interrupted. Meanwhile Luke rejoins his brother who now also has very long sideburns. Lamar awkwardly holds a shovel and a plant as he asks Luke if he put a scare into Mark and Rusty. Luke is not sure, but he doesn't think Mark is interested in them. Meanwhile, Mark spots the brothers through his binoculars and notes that they seem to be digging ginseng plants. He tells himself that the pictures he begins shooting will add a lot to his story and that Ranger Harris will be interested in seeing them. He adds, "Apparently the Williams brothers are involved in poaching ginseng as well as animals!" Meanwhile Nancy is also talking to herself. She looks out a window and says, "I worry about Mark and Rusty...there's no telling what Luke and Lamar will do if they see them. Nancy is wearing a low-cut top today. She tells Taylor that she needs for him to do something without telling Mr. Williams. Taylor is agreeable.
August 6-11--Day 5: Nancy gives Taylor the note for Mark. Taylor asks if he can stay and visit. He can if they invite him to stay. Taylor wonders why Mom wanted to keep the note a secret from Grandpa. He greets Mark and Rusty at their camp. Mark immediately asks how Nancy is doing. Taylor says she is fine. She wanted him to give Mark a note. Mark reads the note which details the threats Nancy overheard . Foreground Mouse plaintively watches as Rusty asks what the note is about. Mark says, "Uh...nothing important. She just wants us to come back for dinner sometime!" Taylor wants to show Mark and Rusty a waterfall. Rusty is enthusiastic. Mark holds his cup of coffee and says nothing. Taylor insists the waterfall is pretty and Mark could get some good pictures. It is about a mile from the camp. Foreground Mama Bear and two Foreground Baby Bears watch as Mark says he must make notes for his article. Perhaps Rusty can go with Taylor and take pictures. It will be a good experience for him. Rusty says he can do that. After the children leave, Mark hauls out Nancy's note again. She is in a tough situation, suspecting that her father-in-law is involved in something illegal. Apparently her husband is unaware of the problem. Nancy took a chance in sending Mark the note. Mark wonders how dangerous these people are.
August 13-18--Day 5: Taylor shows Rusty the falls. They are beautiful. Rusty will take pictures from all angles. Mark will like that. Taylor thinks Rusty is lucky to help Mark. Rusty says that Mark teaches him a lot of things. Taylor wishes his dad was around to teach him things. Rusty asks if Taylor's grandfather or uncles play with him. Taylor does not see much of them. They always tell him to get lost. The boys spot Luke and Lamar carrying bags. Taylor wonders what they are doing. Rusty thinks he knows, and suggests they keep out of sight. Taylor wonders if Rusty wants to meet his uncles. Rusty shouts, "NO, not now...just keep out of sight!" He wonders where they are going with the bundles. Taylor doesn't know. Rusty tells Taylor he will explain himself later. Right now he wants to follow the uncles and take some pictures. To Rusty's shock, Luke and Lamar disappear behind some boulders. He shouts, "It looks like...HEY, DID YOU SEE THAT? They just DISAPPEARED behind those boulders...WHERE'D they go?" He quickly deduces that the hole between the rocks is a cave. Taylor wants to go ask his uncles what they're doing, but Rusty doesn't think that's a good idea. He thinks he knows what is in the bags, and he believes that what Luke and Lamar are doing is illegal. Taylor shouts, "WHAT are they doing?"
August 20-25--Day 5: Luke and Lamar exit the cave as the boys watch. Rusty notes that the men have left the bags they had carried in the cave. He suggests they go see what was in them. As Foreground Bats fly, Rusty shouts, "WOW...look at the size of this cave!" Spotting something else, he adds, "I don't believe this...wait until we tell Mark! Ginseng roots, deer, bear parts...your uncles Luke and Lamar are big-time poachers!" Taylor says, "My OWN FAMILY...it's hard to believe!" Taylor has always wondered what his uncles did for a living; now he knows. Rusty repeats Mark's statement about ginseng roots being worth a lot of money on the Asian market. Taking photos, he adds, "Mark can use these pictures for his magazine story!" Meanwhile, Luke says to Lamar, "Lamar, wait, I left my knife in the cave...I might need it!" Rusty has taken a lot of pictures. He suggests they go tell Mark about what they found. Suddenly he spots Luke entering the cave. Taylor asks, "What'll we do?" Rusty responds, "Quick, duck behind a rock!" Luke says to himself, "Now, where did I leave my knife?" Luke hears a noise in the back of the cave. Holding a rifle and a large knife he says, "WHAT was that? WHO'S IN HERE? COME ON OUT!" Taylor appears, saying, "It's just me, Uncle Luke, don't shoot!" Lukes nose bends precipitously; confusion is apparent on his sideburned face. He shouts, unsteadily, "TAYLOR?" Taylor, ignoring his uncle's difficulty recognizing him, chooses this moment to introduce his friend, Rusty. Luke shouts, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Taylor interjects, "Uh, we were just playing in the woods and found the cave!" In a classic Dutch Tilt frame, Luke grabs Taylor by the collar and screams, "YOU'RE LYING...you've been following us!
August 27-September 1--Day 5: Lamar enters the cave and asks what is going on. Luke answers, "We've got PROBLEMS!" Lamar, spotting his nephew, shouts, "TAYLOR!" Luke explains that Taylor and Rusty have been snooping around. He and Lamar must decide what to do with them because if the kids told anyone about the cave, Luke and Lamar could go to jail. Rusty, terrified, insists that, "We WON'T tell anyone!" Luke knows Mark will soon be looking for Rusty and that if he let's Rusty go, Mark and the law will be swarming all over the area. Luke decides to hold Rusty until the evidence is removed from the cave. Grabbing Taylor, Luke says, "Okay, you little pest, since you're kin, we're going to let you go." Taylor asks about Rusty. Luke grabs Taylor by the shirt and suggests he worry about his own skin. He tells him to go home and keep his mouth shut. Curling his right hand into the same strange contortion used by Mark Trail on him so recently, Luke threatens Taylor, "Don't even tell your mother what you saw or YOU BOTH WILL BE SORRY!" Taylor stammers out a "Y..Yes'ir!" Luke snarls, "NOW GET OUT OF HERE!" Grabbing Rusty from behind, he tells the frightened lad to relax; he's just going to tie Rusty up and doesn't want to hurt him; however, he cannot afford to let him go. Meanwhile, Taylor runs for Mark's camp. He must tell Mark what has happened. He shouts, "MARK! MARK!" startling a deer ten times larger than himself. Mark remarks to himself, "That sounds like Taylor's voice!"
September 3-8--Day 5: Taylor shouts wildly, "MARK, THEY HAVE RUSTY...YOU'VE GOT TO SAVE HIM!" Mark responds, "Have Rusty...WHAT are you talking about?" Pretending to rest his hand on Taylor's shoulder, he tells Taylor to calm down. Taylor explains the situation. Mark tells Taylor to show him where the cave is located. Near the cave, he instructs Taylor to tell his mother to call Ranger Chuck Harris and to hurry. Taylor, a terrified look on his face, tells Mark to be careful. Mark doesn't see or hear anyone. He enters the cave, noting all the illegal game and ginseng is still there. Rusty, still tied up, says, "M-m-m-mmm...mmm-mm..." Mark responds, "What was that? RUSTY...THANK HEAVEN YOU'RE HERE!" Rusty is glad to see Mark. He says they have to get out of there fast. Luke and Lamar have gone to get a truck to haul the loot away. Mark picks up some plants and says, "They are big-time poachers...bear parts, deer, and a lot of ginseng roots!" Rusty informs Mark that he has taken pictures of everything in the cave. Foreground Turkey looks angrily at the cave mouth. Rusty wants to know what they are going to do now. Mark suggests they leave the cave. Rusty happily hopes he can get pictures of the poachers loading the truck.
September 10-15--Day 5: Mark and Rusty notice the poachers returning. Mark hopes the rangers get there before Luke and Lamar leave. Meanwhile, Rusty takes pictures of them. Mark says, "Let me use your camera, Rusty, and you stay hidden!" The poachers notice that Rusty is missing. Luke tells Lamar to look around outside the cave while he loads the truck. If Rusty manages to reach Mark, Luke and Lamar will be gone before their return. Mark photographs Luke as he loads the truck. He has some good close-ups, there will be no doubt about their guilt. Suddenly, Mark's head spins as Lamar appears behind him, saying, "Well, Mr. Trail, I presume...it's good to see you!" Lamar is holding a rifle. Mark responds, "You must be Lamar, Luke's brother! Lamar admits this and asks, "WHERE'S the kid?" Foreground Squirrel observes Mark's deceptive response: "That's who I'm looking for...have you seen him around here?" Lamar says, "Don't get smart...walk over to the cave...you're going to be sorry you interfered!" Foreground Luke, his sideburns huge, greets Mark as his old friend. He tells Lamar to take Mark into the cave. They will tie him up until they finish loading. Meanwhile, Rusty says, "WHAT am I going to do now? I've got to help Mark!" Observing the truck, he reasons that he can distract the poachers and enter the cave to help Mark. Perhaps he can use the truck to get their attention. Foreground Squirrel barks a warning as Rusty enters the truck, saying, "Way to go...the key is in the switch...I think I can start it!"
September 17-22--Day 5: Rusty starts the truck, hoping his plan works. Discovering that the truck is on an incline, he puts the truck in neutral, hoping it will roll down the hill. The truck begins to roll, and Rusty jumps out. Luke says, "The truck--it's MOVING! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" Foreground Squirrel gawks in astonishment. As Luke and Lamar run after their truck, Rusty slips into the cave, saying, "I hope Mark is all right!" In the cave, Mark doesn't know what Rusty did, but he is glad he did it. Rusty, apparently sleepy, replies, "We've got to hurry, Mark...They'll be back as soon as they realize what happened." Mark commands, "Untie my hands!" Rusty unties Mark and says, "WHAT are we going to do?...They have a gun!" Mark tells him to take an end of the rope and get on one side of the cave entrance. When the poachers come back into the cave, Rusty and Mark will tighten the rope, hopefully tripping them. The poachers reach their truck, which has been stopped by a tree. Foreground Deer looks on thoughtfully as Luke says, "The truck didn't start by itsself...IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE KID! Let's get back to the cave before he frees Trail!" In the cave, Mark hears the poachers approach. He exhorts Rusty to tighten the rope when he says, "pull." The poachers enter the cave. Mark shouts, "NOW, RUSTY..." With all his might, Mark roars,
Only slightly less loudly, Luke screams,
Luke falls to the ground, his rifle flying into the air behind him. (Luke's "what th'" is at the highest volume ever noted (to judge by the size of the letters in the dialogue balloons) by this scribe. It is, however, dwarfed by Mark's tremendous ejaculation immediately preceding it.)
September 24-29--Day 5: Mark unsportingly kicks Luke in the face as the latter reaches for his rifle. Rusty notes that Lamar is getting away. Just then, Ranger Harris tackles Lamar, sending his ranger cap flying. Taylor shouts, "WAY TO GO, RANGER HARRIS!" Apparently, Taylor is no longer too intimidated by his wayward uncles! Mark thanks Ranger Harris, who has retrieved his ranger cap. As he handcuffs Luke, he says, "Thank your friend Taylor, he led me here! We suspected these characters were poaching in this area, but we never could catch them with the ginseng!" As Mark apparently rubs the ranger's back, Foreground Rusty says to Foreground Taylor, "Thank you for getting help, Taylor, instead of going home like they ordered you to!" Taylor sensibly replies that he was worried about Rusty. Mark tells the ranger he will send pictures to help convict the poachers. The ranger is thankful to both Mark and Rusty. Mark has a pleasant smile on his face as he says to Taylor, "Taylor, I want to visit with your mother before we leave!" Taylor replies, "She will like that!" At the Williams home, Nancy tells Mark, "I suspected that my father-in-law and his two sons were poachers, but I didn't know what to do about it...You helped me make up my mind!" Moving closer to Mark, she adds, "Taylor and I will be leaving here soon...after what happened I think that it is best that we move! We will be living with my sister in the city until my husband gets out of the navy!" Mark wishes her the best and hopes that she can visit them in Lost Forest. Taylor would like that. Rusty knowingly adds, "We'd like that too, Taylor!" As the coffeepot sits on a roaring fire, Mark says to Rusty, "You can't say that our camping trip hasn't been full of excitement!" Rusty agrees. Mark's editor won't believe all the things he and Rusty went through to get the story on ginseng poaching. The two head out from camp, Rusty thanking Mark for letting him com on the trip. Mark thanks Rusty for taking the pictures. In the car, Rusty can tell they are getting close to Lost Forest. Mark says it will be good to get home. As Foreground Mallards fly, he adds, "I hope old Andy has fully recuperated...He has had a rough time!"
October 1-2--Day 5: At Lost Forest, Cherry says, "MARK! RUSTY! It's good to have you both back home!" Mark replies, "It's good to be home!" Rusty tells Cherry that Mark saved his life and he saved Mark's. Cherry is anxious to hear about that. Mark adds that Rusty took some great pictures that will help his story and put a couple of poachers in jail. Rusty adds, "Yeah, Mark said I could go with him again sometime!" Andy greets Mark, who says he looks good. Cherry says Andy is feeling fine; his wounds are about healed and he is eating like a horse. Mark says, "It's good to have you healthy again, old friend, we have a lot of assignments to do together!"