'Oh, Ranger!" 



the visit of the King of Belgium to Yosemite National Park. Ranger 

 Billy Nelson, a seasoned Old-Timer if there ever was one, was detailed 

 to accompany the King, to act as guide and guardian. 



Billy did not relish the job. He had 

 no fundamental objections to kings, as 

 such, but he feared talking to them. He 

 isn't much of a talker anyway. The su 

 perintendent coached Billy on how to ad 

 dress the King and the Queen and what 

 to say to be polite. Billy rehearsed it, r">^ 



scratched his old head, and allowed that J^* 1? /A^ V 

 he would rather fight a forest fire. He **- ' 

 met the King out under the giant se 

 quoias of the Mariposa Grove, and this 

 is about the conversation that ensued : 



"They told me what to say to you, 

 King," he said, "but I've forgot it, so if 

 it is agreeable to you, I wish you'd call me Billy and I'll call you King." 



"All right," said the King, "I'll call you Billy." 



"All right, King," said Billy. 



They got along famously on those terms and became fast friends 

 during the King's stay in Yosemite. Billy has the reputation for being 

 about the best camp cook in the whole ranger service, and any time he 

 wants a reference he can name the King of Belgium. Billy was camp 

 cook by special appointment to His Majesty. As such he took full ad 

 vantage of his rights and prerogatives and more than once other mem 

 bers of the royal party were horrified to hear Billy call out : 



"Say, King, shoot me that side of bacon, will you? How about 

 another cup of Java?" 



Another royal visitor who enjoyed his adventures with the ranger 

 service was Crown Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden. The Prince is an 

 experienced woodsman and a great trout fisherman. Since he seemed 

 to have the required qualifications, it was decided to make him an hon 

 orary ranger. He was delighted with the honor and wore his badge on 

 his tunic for the rest of the trip. His outing costume was not unlike 

 that of a park service ranger, and this led to an amusing incident when 

 the Crown Prince arrived at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon of 

 Arizona. 



The party came by automobile, reaching the destination an hour or 

 so before Ranger Frank Winess, in charge of the station, expected them. 

 As the machine drew up, Winess stepped out, greeted the driver, ex 

 changed a few pleasantries, and then spotted the ranger's badge on the 

 Prince's breast. 



