Paul Parrott, you speak for themselves! Superfly, you lovers! All aboard for the transcribed premiere production, The Cruise of the Paul Parrott, that thrilling, exciting story of the sea and the adventurous days of whaling. Well, now we find Johnny Robbins and Sue Grains almost at the heart of the mystery that surrounds The Cruise of the Paul Parrott. Johnny and Sue hid in the hold of the Paul Parrott and saw the Spaniard Altesti come out of the secret compartment in the hull and lay a plot with Red Mulhollay. And this plot is for mutiny. Johnny and Sue immediately rushed back on deck and told their discovery to Old Dickon and to first mate George Wainwright. All four of them went down to the hold, found the secret panel, and entered the hidden room. They came to a passage leading to a door which was slightly open. Looking in, they saw it led to Grains' cabin. And in the cabin, talking to Mr. Grains was none other than Altesti himself. We take up our story just now where we left off in our last adventure as Johnny and Sue, Dickon and Wainwright, hidden in the wall, listened to the conversation in the cabin. But Sue, how can your brother be talking to Altesti? I don't know. Blow me down. I don't like to say it, Miss Sue, but I've been suspecting that your brother has had something up his sleeve since before the Paul Parrott weighed anchor. But I never guessed he could be in anything with Altesti. Oh, I can't believe he's working with that wicked Spaniard. There must be some other reason. Strike me canvas. If Captain Dalton was only here, he'd know what to do. To my way of thinking, the best thing to do is listen and find out what we may. Shiver me timbers, still that noisy lather. You want us to be found here? I'll drop the bloom and burn up this passageway. They're talking louder. Listen. My dear Mr. Grange, be sensible. I know as much about this treasure as you do. Why not let us be partners instead of enemies? Listen to me, you blaggard. I won't be a partner with you in any kind of venture. One of us is suddenly going to disappear from this ship, and it isn't going to be me. Very strong words, Senor Graham. Take care that you are not too sure of yourself. I've never heard of a man playing a lone hand who tries to bargain with someone who has an entire crew on his side. Do you realize that all I have to do is summon the crew and have you thrown in irons, or perhaps overboard? I always play a lone hand, Senor Grange, but it is a very heavy hand. Now look here, before I turn you over to the captain... If you do, which I doubt... Never mind that. First tell me, how did you come to find out so much about my plans and how did you get aboard this ship? I have plenty of time, Senor Grange, I shall be glad to explain at length. Six years ago, I sailed as a seaman aboard this very ship, the Parrot. That is why I know so much about her. It was then, six years ago, that I discovered that secret compartment down in the hole. Avast! That's where Shipkeeper Breckenridge remembers seeing the Swab Hall wager when he was aboard this ship six years ago. And that's the reason Mr. Breckenridge was hit in the head with that belaying pin when he remembered and started to tell Captain Dalton about it. Aye, aye, lad, you're right. Redmull Hoolie overheard him and threw that pin when he thought his boss was going to be revealed. Shh! Listen! But that doesn't explain how you found out my plans. Ah, you are correct again, Senor Grange. Let us start at the beginning. Twenty years ago, two sailors on a merchant man were let off on a small island in the South Seas to get water for the ship. While there, they found outcroppings of a very valuable mineral and they decided to keep the secret to themselves until they had enough of the money to fit out a ship of their own to go back to the island and mine the mineral. What do you know about these two men? Those two men were Ezekiel Kipp and Jonathan Robbins. That was my father. Blow me down! So that's why he didn't want you to sail with us on this cruise, lad. Listen, those two men drew up a map of the island and that map is now in your possession. There it will remain, blast you. Johnny, that's the map I saw Brother Ezra reading. That's right, lad. Then half of that rich mineral discovery belongs to you, Johnny. It's all clear and up. I see what's behind this mysterious cruise now. Well, these two men, Kipp and Robbins, sailed together for two more years and then Kipp ran off with the map, leaving Robbins, how you say, out in the cold. But Robbins is still living and rightfully he owns half of that map. I know nothing of that. I bought the map for $500 from Ezekiel Kipp two years ago and now it's mine, all mine, you hear? If you know nothing about Jonathan Robbins, how easy it is to have his son on board this ship as cabin boy. You know that too, do you? Confound you. That was none of my doing. You were the one who brought him aboard. I wanted to send him back when I found out who he was, but I changed my mind when I realized he obviously knew nothing about it. Besides, it might have attracted attention to the real purpose of this cruise. Aha, you admit it, you do know about Robbins' right to share the treasure and you wanted to cut his son out of it. I knew that. And that is why, if you wish to play safe, you will let me in on this or else I will tell the navigation authorities about your foul play. And, Senor Grange, you may have some difficulty when you return to port. You'll never get to tell that information, Al Testy. I'm afraid I shall. But if you share in this with me, and I do not even ask half, the world will never know how badly the poor little lad has been cheated. You can't bluff me, Al Testy. But look here, how did you find out about these two men and their map, Ezekiel Kip and Jonathan Robbins? Two years ago, you bought from Ezekiel Kip the map which he had stolen from his partner, Robbins. Last year, Kip died in a sailor's home in Gloucester. I was at his deathbed. I had known him for a long time. Before he died, he told me the whole story. And you, you blackguard, decided you'd get the map for yourself, eh? Not, Senor, why not? In this life, it is to get the biggest fish you can catch. And it matters not how you catch it. Then, you see, I procured two men to help me out, a Mexican with one leg named Pancho and a seaman named Red Mulhollay. Blow me down. See, I told you they were working together from the beginning. Al Testy and this Red Mulhollay. So, that Red-headed seaman was your man, and you managed to get him aboard here. Ah, si, senor. The Mexican, Pancho, came aboard with me the night I brought the boy to find out where your cabin was. I was then looking for the map, for I guessed that Captain Dalton knew nothing about this treasure business. You see, I picked his pocket on the dock, I found nothing. But before we could go below that night, the second mate heard us, and Pancho was forced to jump overboard. Whatever became of him, I do not know. But you escaped to the hold and hid there. Si, senor. And I hid in the secret passage I had found out about six years ago when I sailed on this poor parrot. I knew it led to one of the cabins, and I hoped it was yours. It was. And I, part owner of the ship, didn't even know anything about that passage. Si, but I ran into an obstacle. Sometime in those six years, someone had boarded up that passage. So I was forced to remain in the hold and chop through the partition with my knife, chip by chip. It was slower, and only today have I completed it. So that was the chopping sound we heard. So this morning, when Red Mulhollay was thrown into irons in the hold, I promised to free him if he led the men to mutiny. But later I changed my mind. He's not to be true, depended upon. Already he's made too many mistakes. So I came up to see you myself. I put my cards on the table to beard the lion in his den, as you say. Well, I've seen your cards, and there's not a high one among them. You've overplayed your hand, Al Testy, and now you'll pay. I'm glad you told me how you found out all these things, but now your time has come to settle. You will not change your mind, senor, and take me in as partner? Of course not. Compromise with you, and I have all the crew on my side? If you think I'm a fool... You are a fool, senor, if you will not listen to this argument. Si? Why, you scoundrel, put that gun away. You let me in as your partner right now, or you'll never live to tell one word I told you today. Now hold on, Al Testy, hold on there. Wait. Who is that? Who is that? Open this door, this is Captain Dawkins. Now, you scoundrel, you're trapped. No more trapped than you, Mr. Grange. You forget these walls are thin, and I heard the whole dirty plot in my cabin. If you don't open, I'll save it in. Ah, Grange, now you are in this too, Grange. Open that door. At the moment he steps in, I shoot. Oh, Johnny, what can we do? We've got to save the captain. Yes, look, your brother's going to open the door. Blow me down. I can't stand here and see me matey shot down in cold blood. But what can I do? I have no weapon. I've lost. I have it. Wait. What are you doing, Dickon? Why, you're unbuckling your wooden leg. Yeah, he's the old peg leg, Mr. Wainwright. Heave it at the lover's gun arm. Bless you, Dickon, you're a lifesaver. Open the panel in the wall slowly, Johnny, so he doesn't see us. Oh, hurry, Mr. Wainwright. Brother Ezra's opening the cabin door to let in the captain. And now, my dear Capitan, I have the pleasure to kill you. I shall... Oh, caramba. Gollum, gee, you hit him. You knocked the gun right out of his hand. It's all over with you, old testy, you swab. Now, blow me down. George Wainwright and Johnny and Sue and Dickon. How did you get in here? Well, his death's raiding from stem to scum. I'll tell you later, Captain. Get him. Don't let the billed scum get away. Come here, you dirty... Caramba, you have got me, you thinker. Not yet. Look out. He's got a knife. I've asked Captain to port. Mr. Grange is coming up on you. So, Grange, you're scared for your skin, eh? Now we found you out. I've been waiting for this chance. Begging your pardon, Miss Sue, he is your brother, but I have to do it. Don't strike me, Captain. It'll mean you're... Gee, he hit your brother right on the jaw. He's my brother, but honest, Johnny, it serves him right. Look out, Roy. I'll test he's got a knife. Not yet. I am not caught. He's coming for me. He's got Sue. You follow one inch and I stab the girl. Oh, he means that he's fighting for his life. He's begging for the secret panel in the wall. Don't worry. I'll be safe. Don't follow. He'll hurt you. The brave little lady. Game even in this danger. If you follow me into the hold, I use the knife. I use the knife. Remember, I hold her till you let me off this ship. I'll be safe. Why will you let me off this ship? Flash me to a yard arm. He's gone into the wall. That's the second time he's gotten away by using a child for a scream. What'll we do now, Captain? We'll have to talk terms with him to save Sue. I don't know what you're going to do, but I know what I will. I'm going to get Sue free. And I'll do it in ten minutes. Ah! Swans off the starboard bow! Man the canvas! Ah! This is worse than ever. We know what all the mystery on this cruise was about and Altesti has been discovered. But Sue is in terrible danger. Captain Dalton and Wayne Wright are at a standstill. They have Altesti at bay, but they can do nothing without endangering Sue. And brave little Sue didn't want them to follow lest they get hurt. And what about Johnny? What can he do to save his little friend? Can he really free Sue Grange in ten minutes, as he says? Be sure not to miss even one of these thrilling adventures on the cruise of the Paul Parrot. Your Paul Parrot announcer is Dave Ward.
