Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound. Look, up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman. Kellogg's Pep. P-E-P Pep. Kellogg's Pep, the sunshine cereal presents... The Adventures of Superman. And today, Superman gets a hunch that means the beginning of the end of the evil mystery strangling the town of Freeville. Hello there, gang. This is your pal, Dan McCullough. You know, I'll bet there's nothing that you look forward to more eagerly than following the adventures of your favorite characters in the funny papers. That's why those comic buttons in the new series that come as prizes and packages of Kellogg's Pep are making such a hit, because it's just as if these folks like the Little Moose and the Goofy and Beezy and Superman had come alive. You have their bright-colored pictures on sturdy, white-enameled metal buttons that you're mighty proud to wear pinned on your jacket or your dresser cap. Yes, sir, every single one of these 18 new and different buttons is a honey. And remember, these Pep comic buttons are easy to get. You don't have to spend a single penny of your allowance. You don't even have to send in a box stop. Actually, you can't buy these buttons anywhere. They come only as prizes in packages of Kellogg's Pep. That's P-E-P, the sunshine cereal. Yes, and Pep's a dish that's just ripe for breakfast these cold mornings. It's so sunny and golden-toasted and delicious. Why, that famous sunshine flavor is so doggone tantalizing, your spoon keeps digging in for more. And before you know it, your bowl's polished clean as a whistle. Mom likes that because Pep's so good for you. So ask her to get you some Kellogg's Pep next time she goes shopping. And now, the adventures of Superman. While Superman searched for them, Lois Lane and Jerry Barkney, a young war veteran, were eavesdropping at a secret political rally in the woods at which Edward C. Clayton, rabble-rousing ex-governor and senatorial candidate, made a vicious, un-American speech. Discovered by Clayton's henchmen, Lois and Jerry, to their surprise, were greeted cordially by Clayton, who assigned two men to escort them safely through the woods. After a long walk, the men instructed them to continue straight ahead, saying they would soon reach a highway. The men then departed, chuckling over the fact that the girl reporter and the war veteran were headed directly toward a deadly bog of quicksand. As we continue now, Lois and Jerry have emerged from the trees, where before them stretches what appears to be a mossy clearing. Listen. Look, Jerry, you can see the highway through those trees. Gee, our tough friends were on the level after all. Well, it's a highway all right, Miss Lane. But it's miles from where we left my car. I wonder what was the idea they're bringing us way out here. Well, Clayton said we might get hurt if we ran into any of his followers. Maybe that's why he sent us the long way round. Maybe. But I wouldn't trust that guy as far as I can throw a Sherman tank, Miss Lane. Neither would I, but he wouldn't dare let anything happen to us. I don't know about that. Well, we'll talk about him later. Right now, I'm anxious to get back to Freeville and tell Clark Kent all about this, Jerry. Have you got your breath back? Sure. Come on, then. Let's go. Okay. When we get on the highway, we'll fly to the car and we can get... Jerry! Look out! What the... Jerry! I... Gee, who's the fact, Miss Lane? We've walked into a quicksand board. Oh, no! Yes! Look, stop threshing around. It'll only pull you under faster. But... But I've got... Try to work your way over that limb. It's hanging over the edge of the bog. But... We can get... Get a hold of those branches. We can pull ourselves out. But I... I can't... Keep it! You've got to keep trying, Miss Lane. You've got to. It's now you, Jerry. I'm almost down to my waist now. Try to keep calm, Miss Lane. I'm getting closer to that tree. No! You're not. You're... You're sinking. Joe! Help! That's no use. Help! Nobody can tear us on the highway. It's too far. There's nobody around here. But those men who let us here, Charlie and Hank, they can't be far away. Charlie! Don't waste your breath calling them. Help! Stop it, Miss Lane. Can't you see? They planned for us to fall in this bog. What? Joe! Do you remember that Clayton rat told him to take us by way of Cider Creek? I said there wasn't any Cider Creek. Oh! Oh! Well, he obviously meant for them to lead us into this quicksand. Get rid of us that way so that we couldn't spread the story of how he's feeding Nady's hate poison down here. Oh, if I can only get my hands on him. I'm afraid you never will, Jerry. Look, it's over my waist now. In a few minutes. Don't lose your head, Miss Lane. I'll get to that limb somehow. Oh, Jerry, Clark told me not to leave the hotel. He said I'd get into trouble if I did. Never mind that now. Just take it easy while I try to reach that tree. Miss Lois Lane feels herself being dragged deeper and deeper into the bottomless depths of treacherous quicksand. Jerry Barton continues his valiant but hopeless attempt to reach the overhanging branch of a nearby tree, a feat which in his heart he knows is hopeless. But meanwhile, several miles away at the Veterans Legion post, Superman in disguise of Clark Kent, is questioning Phil Dyer, a friend of Jerry Barton's who has just come in. Well, tell me about this political meeting you say Jerry took Miss Lane to, Dyer. Well, Mr. Kent, I found out this morning that Ed Clayton was going to hold a hate rally back in the woods for the natives around here. You mean the ex-governor, the one they call Uncle Ed? Yeah, that's the one. He's running for senator now, you know. Yes. When I found out what precautions his gang was taking to keep all outsiders away from the meeting, I figured it was big stuff. So I told Jerry and we decided to smuggle you in. Now, wait a minute, wait a minute. What do you mean they were taking precautions to keep outsiders away? What precautions? Oh, Uncle Ed had guards spread all through the woods. Tough gents with rifles and pistols. Oh, and you let Miss Lane walk into that setup? No, I didn't want to, Mr. Kent, but she insisted. Yeah, she would. I did my best to argue her out of it. Oh, all right, never mind that now. Where is this meeting being held? About nine miles south of here in a big clearing near Pudler's Stream. Thanks very much, Dyer. I'll see you later. Well, wait. I'll drive you over in my car. Oh, thanks, but I have my own transportation. So long. Hurrying from the Legion post, Clark Kent steps into a grove of trees, strips off his business suit to reveal the blue costume and red cape of Superman. Then, up, up, and away. In the air, Superman rockets away to the south over fields and woods and checks his flight above a large clearing near a stream where a rough plank platform stands. That must be the clearing Phil Dyer meant. Nobody here now, though. Lois and Jerry must have left with the others and gone back to Freeville. Well, that's a relief. Now I can turn back... Wait a minute. What's that? Every sense alert, Superman poses motionless in midair. As far in the distance over the sounds of birds and stream and rustling trees, he hears a faint call, a human call for help. He listens. His amazingly acute hearing strain, his X-ray vision piercing the forest, then... That's a man and a woman calling for help. Away! Great Scott. Lois and Jerry Barton unconscious and being dragged down to the surface of a quicksand bog. Down to them! Down! Lois! Jerry! Oh, if only I'm not too late. I've got to get them to a doctor in a hurry. The unconscious Lois Lane and Jerry Barton free of the treacherous quicksand. Superman streaks away to find a doctor. Have the men of hate succeeded in silencing Lois and Jerry? We'll find out in just a moment. So stand by. You know, when Mom opens a new package of Kellogg's Pep, it's a real occasion. In the first place, you're always glad to have plenty of Pep to eat for breakfast. And then, every package means that you get a new comic button to add to your collection. And that's an extra thrill. If it's a duplicate, why, that's even more fun because then you can trade with your friends. And you know, fellows and girls tell me that these new series comic buttons are just about the best-looking things they ever saw. First off, they're true-to-life pictures of your favorite funny paper characters like Judy and Corky and Vitamin Flintheart and Superman himself. Then they're done up in such bright colors that, well, you're proud to wear them pinned on your jacket or your dress or cap. So hop to it, gang. Get all 18 different buttons in this new series. And you don't have to send in any money, not even a box stop. And you can't buy them anywhere, but you'll find your exclusive prize in every package of Kellogg's Pep you open. That's the Sunshine Cereal. It'll taste so catchy and golden at breakfast that you want to eat lots, which is always a good idea because Pep's particularly good for you these wintry days when there's not so much sunshine around. Pep helps keep your supply up of good old sunshine vitamin D. Yes, sir, Mom will be glad to get you some P-E-P, the Sunshine Cereal, Kellogg's Pep. After bringing Lois Lane and Jerry Barton to the home of a nearby country doctor, Superman soon learned that they would be all right. Then, leaving, he reappeared a short time later in the guise and garb of Clark Kent. And as we rejoin our friends now in the doctor's library, Lois and Jerry, wearing clothing donated by the doctor and his wife, sit in large chairs relating their experience to Kent. You see, Clark, Uncle Ed Clayton wanted to get rid of Jerry and me so we couldn't report the kind of un-American poison we heard him feeding the natives down here. That's right. No, no, I don't think that's the reason, Lois. Why, of course it is. We know now that it was his men who tried to scare you and me out of town. He did that so we couldn't find out how he's working to discredit the war veterans who've been given homesteads in this county, men who represent a threat to his vicious political machine. She's right, Mr. Kent. Clayton knows that if he doesn't get rid of us veterans, we'll get rid of him eventually. Well, that may be true, Jerry, but I still... Why, Jerry tells me that Uncle Ed owns most of the town. The hotel, Fred Leonard's newspaper, practically everything. Sure. Why, Fred Leonard is Uncle Ed's stooge, Kent. And that's why everybody walked away when we tried to question him, Clark. They were either working for Uncle Ed or else they were... Or were afraid of his goon squad. That's right. He's undoubtedly given orders not to talk to strangers, particularly reporters who would let the rest of the country know that the Honorable Ed Clayton, three times governor and now candidate for the Senate, has set up a regular little Nazi Germany right in this state. Well, that was waste effort, Lois, because the rest of the country already suspects that Clayton is a hate monger and rabble rouser. What? Well, then why don't they do something about it? That's a matter for the people of this state themselves to handle, Jerry. Oh, I see. No, Uncle Ed didn't try to get rid of you to keep his rotten tactics a secret, and the people of Freeville weren't worried about us discovering that either. Well, then why did they all look so frightened, and why did they walk away when we tried to question them? Because we questioned them about the drought. So what? I don't see what you're driving at. Neither do I, Kent. I'm not exactly sure myself, but something happened at the Legion Post today, and... Wait a minute. You said Clayton said something about the drought at his meeting in the woods today? Oh, yes, but it wasn't important. Well, tell me again what he said, Lois. It's really a laugh, Clark. He said he'd been praying to heaven to help him in his fight against the foreign war veterans. To heaven? Yes, and he said that heaven had answered his prayers. What? Uh-huh. He said that because of his prayers there'd been no rain. And what was more, there wouldn't be any rain until the veterans' crops were completely ruined and the veterans were broken financially and forced to leave the state. Clayton said that? He certainly did, didn't he, Jerry? That's right. Can you imagine that windbag claiming to have a direct line to heaven? Why, that's blasphemy. That's what it is. And utter nonsense which anybody in his right mind would laugh at. I don't know, Lois. Maybe Clayton knew what he was talking about. What? Are you out of your mind, Clark? Oh, I don't mean that I believe his prayers had anything to do with the drought, but, but maybe, just maybe, we've stumbled on the wildest, most amazing plot in history. Puzzled, Lois Lane and Jerry Barton stare at Clark Kent, wondering what he can possibly mean by saying they may have stumbled on the most amazing plot in history. Does Kent suspect that Uncle Ed Clayton, the politician who plays on ignorant men's prejudices, can be responsible for a drought? How could that be? Don't fail to be with us tomorrow when Kent explains his theory. More exciting and surprising things happen. Tune in tomorrow, same time, same station. And remember, for breakfast, it's Kellogg's Pep. For excitement, the adventures of Superman. Superman is a copyrighted feature appearing in Superman DC comic magazines and is brought to you Monday through Friday at this same time by Kellogg's Pep, the sunshine cereal. Say, it's more fun than a picnic gang to open up your own individual package of your favorite Kellogg's cereal, pour on milk, and eat right out of the box. That's the Kel Bowl Pack in Kellogg's Variety. Saves washing dishes, and Mom likes Kellogg's Variety because it's got those nutritious Kellogg's cereals that are so good for you. Ten packages in all, different Kellogg's cereals like Pep and Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes in a handy white, green, and red package. Just be sure it's Kellogg's, Kellogg's Variety, and be sure to be with us tomorrow for the thrilling adventures of Superman. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System. We'll be right back.
