Presenting the transcription feature, Superman! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman! Yes, it's Superman, strange visitor from the planet Krypton, who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman, who can leap tall buildings at a single bound, raise a speeding bullet to its target, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth and justice. And now to our story. As you remember, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen, traveling by dogsled through the Northwoods and planning to cross the border into Canada, dumble into a mysterious adventure their first night out. Two hard-bitten men, known to us only as Bull and Chuck, have been engaged in the smuggling of valuable mink furs from Canada to the United States, making use of an airplane to drop large bundles of the skins near their shack in the woods. But Kent and Jimmy soon found out what was brewing and decided to investigate. They found one of the bundles that had been dropped from the plane the night before and dragged it back to their camp in a clearing. Bull, the leader of the smuggling gang, aware that Kent has the furs and suspecting him of being a government agent, plans to strike back. So Chuck, his henchman, has started for the clearing where Kent, Jimmy, and their guide, Batiste, have camped. Chuck has orders to pretend to give himself up, lead Kent back to the shack, and in that way give Bull a chance to get Jimmy and Batiste while they're alone. At the moment, Kent has no knowledge of this scheme. He and Jimmy and their French-Canadian guide are grouped around the bundle of furs admiring them. Listen. How much did you say they were worth, Betty? The price of skin like this, I'm old, it's their way up. Très magnifique. I know, but how much are they worth? A hundred dollars? Five hundred dollars? Oh, don't be silly, Jimmy. These skins would bring five thousand dollars in the American market. Five thousand dollars? Oh, maybe more. You mean to say what's in this bundle is worth five thousand dollars? Oh, certainement. Look at this skin. She's beautiful. So short, so dark. Never have I seen such skins. Never. Gosh, Mr. Kent, maybe we'd better go into the mink hunting business. Five thousand dollars. Now, wait. You think it is so easy to trap the mink, Morty? You think he comes to you like puppy dog? Oh, no, no, no. He's very clever, the mink. He's hard to get. Hard and vicious, Jimmy. A mink can bite a man's finger off. Really? Ah, oui, oui, oui. See, they belong to the rodent family. You know, rats and weasels. What? Sure. They're very timid, but once they're cornered, they fight like wildcats. Well, then maybe we'd better not go into the mink catching business. If I'm going to be a newspaper reporter someday, I need all my fingers. Right. You are, Jimmy. Well, now that we've got five thousand dollars worth of mink skins, what are we going to do with them? Say, couldn't we keep some for a fur coat for Miss Lane? Oh, that's a nice thought, Jimmy. But you see, they don't belong to us. Now, I think the best thing to do is... What's the matter, Mr. Kent? Who are you staring at? There's a man coming along that trail through the woods in this direction. I don't know. Oh, I see him. He's one of the fake game wardens. Mr. Kibler, I get my rifle. Here we are, but he's not armed. What do you think he wants, Mr. Kent? I don't know, but we'll find out soon enough. Here he comes. Don't shoot, mister. I want to talk to you. He's got his hands above his head. All right, come on. Okay. This is... Looks kind of funny to be coming here, but I've got a reason. A good reason. What's the reason? I had enough of this business. I'm through. Enough of what business? Helping that guy smuggle them mink skins in. I don't like it. Oh? What made you suddenly decide you didn't like it? Well, because he wanted me to help him bump you off. That's why. I never heard a guy in my life, Mr. Kent Stark, now. He wants to finish you, but I don't want no blood on my hands. Not me. So you're giving yourself up. Yeah, that's it. Huh? Where is your boss? Back at the shack. Listen, he's seen how you found them skins. Oh, he knows we haven't, eh? Yeah, and he wants them bad. Bad enough to take a chance on a murder rap to get them. Not me. No sir. What's your name? Chuck. Chuck Conner. And your boss? Will Ragland. He's plenty tough, mister. He's got ice water in his veins, and he hates government men. That's why he's out to get you. Government men? What? Oh, so he knows I'm a government agent, eh? Yeah, he knows. Well, Chuck, I think you were wise to quit when you did. Now you can do something for me. Sure. Anything. You can lead me to that shack in the woods. Oh, gosh, Mr. Kent, don't do that. You heard what he said. His boss will shoot you. Now, don't you worry, Jimmy. He won't get a chance. You and Baptiste, stay right here and wait for me. Chuck can show me where the shack is, and I'll take care of the rest. Well, I wish you wouldn't do it, Mr. Kent. Why can't we go back to Mont-Vie and get some cops and bring them here? Some cops? Where do you think you are, on Main Street and Metropolis? There aren't any cops in Mont-Vie. Oh, what about forest rangers or sheriffs or something? Now, don't you worry, Jimmy. I'll be perfectly all right, and I'll guarantee to bring Mr. Bull back here with his horns chopped off. Let's go, Chuck. Hey, monsieur, why you do not take the rifle? I won't eat it, Baptiste. If you sit tight, I'll be back soon. At this, I do not like. I wish he wouldn't take chances like that. One day he'll be sorry. That is very bad, very bad. Why does he not ask Baptiste to go with him, huh? A cripple with the rifle, Baptiste can shoot the wings of the fly. In all the North Country, there is not one man who can shoot rifle like Baptiste, no. Boom, boom, and this bull, he is finished. Maybe you better take the rifle, Baptiste, and follow Mr. Kent. No, no, no. Monsieur, he gives the order. Baptiste, he is paid to follow the order. Oh, gosh, I'm worried, stiff. What if Bull sees him coming and just shoots him without warning? That is very bad. I'm going after him, Mr. Kent. I won't... Stay where you are, kid. Who said that? Who... Look, in the back of us. Don't move. Either of you. I got a very nervous finger on the trigger of this rifle. The other one. It's Bull. Oh, so you know my name. That makes it nice and cozy. Stop inching over, Canuck, or I'll drill you for a hole. You're very brave with rifles. Put down the rifle, Baptiste show you. We'll try that some other time. Right now, I got business to take care of. Hit your dogs to the sled. Do not take the order from you. You'll take this order. Hitch him up. Go ahead, Baptiste. You better do as he says. Wait a minute. Let me get that gun out of the sled. Okay, now hit him up and make it fast. What are you after, mister? You'll find out, kid. Well, you can have the furs if that's what you want. Thanks. That's very generous of you. Anybody ever tell you you got a heart of gold? Come on, Canuck. Stop stalling. All right, kid. Get into the sled. Why? Never mind why. Get in. You Canuck. Put that bundle of skins in the sled. Yeah, you heard me. Put them in the sled. I don't know what to do, monsieur. Oh, I see. All of a sudden, you don't understand English. Maybe a little dose of lead will teach you the language. But he's put the furs in. He'll shoot you. You got the right idea, kid. Well, what'll it be? Yeah, that's very good. That's better. Dump them in the sled. Okay. Now, both of you get in. You drive, Canuck. I'll walk beside you. And remember, keep them dogs moving slow, or I'll empty this rifle into your back. Where are we going? To a nice, quiet spot where you can sit and think it over. All right, turn the sled around. Come on, quit stalling. Okay, now straight ahead. Turn right when you reach that clump of spruce. And don't for that, I got my finger on the trigger. Rendered helpless by the loaded rifle in the hands of the first smuggler, Jimmy and Batiste can do nothing but obey their captor's orders. Walking beside the slow-moving sled, his steel gray eyes glittering like polished beads, Bull finally calls a halt before the arched entrance to a cave, half hidden under a ledge of rock. All right, pull up here. Get out. You better not try anything with us, mister, or... Shut up. Oh, kid, your size, you got too much to say. I'm not a kid, I'm going to be... I don't care what you're going to be. Come here, Canuck. Yeah. Turn around. Yeah, what for you wish, but these two times... You don't mind what for. Turn around. Okay, now put your hands behind you. I said put your hands behind me. Well, darn old... That's better. Now a couple of turns of this rope around your wrist. Yeah. Good nut. And you're taken care of. Okay, kid, you're next. You'll be sorry for this. You wait till Clark... Turn around. Hands behind your back. Don't need much rope for your skinny wrist. Yeah, does it? Now both are the end of the cave. Did you hear what I said? End of the cave. Come on, Bertie. That's far enough. Get down on the floor. On your back. That's just what I like. No argument. You first, Canuck. A little rope around your ankles. A couple of knots. And you're fixed up. Now the same for you, kid. There you are. All set for a nice, comfortable rest. Don't waste any time trying to get loose. When bull raglan ties a knot, it stays tied. How long are you going to keep us here? Until that wise guy friend of yours, the government man, talks turkey. And maybe that'll be never. So long. Take it easy and you'll last longer. He took the sled. Yeah. I will kill him for take my dog. Don't strain yourself, Bertie. You can't get loose. Why do you let him do this, Montee? Why do you not allow Bertie to punch him in the nose? Because he had a gun. He used it without thinking twice. Oh, but don't you worry. If Clark Kent finds out about this, he'll do plenty of punch. Anyway, Monsieur Kent will not know where we are. I do not like this place. It's very bad. What do you mean? I'll do this, Montee. Well, that is why I say this place very bad. What is it? Bear. Bear? You mean a real live bear? Hey, wait. Bear hold up for winter in a place like this. He's coming closer, Bertie. What'll we do? Bertie tries to get loose the hair. You can't do it. Bertie, I can see his eyes shining in the dark. What'll we do? What will Jimmy and Batiste do in the face of this sudden, unexpected danger? Bound hand and foot, they can only wait fearfully as the bear, angered by their presence in the cave, lumbers toward them in the darkness. The situation is tense. With Clark Kent miles away and unaware of what is happening, it looks bad for Jimmy and Batiste. Something is bound to happen, so be sure and listen to the next episode of Superman. Don't forget, tune in again for the next thrilling episode with Superman. It's a plane. It's Superman. Superman is a copyrighted feature appearing in Action Comics magazine. It's a plane.
