All aboard for the transcribed premiere production, the cruise of the Paul Parrott. That exciting story of whaling days and buried treasure. Captain Dalton and first mate Wainwright, assisted by Johnny and Sue, and led to the spot by Paul Parrott, have discovered Dickon, where he was held in the old shack by Red Mulhollay and Ezekiel Kipp. Although Kipp and Mulhollay had planned to ambush the captain and Wainwright near the shack, their plan was upset by Johnny and Sue, who rolled rocks on them from the rear. In a rage, Mulhollay knocks out Kipp and flees, and at this moment, old Smokey Mouth begins to erupt in earnest. Captain Dalton, Wainwright, Dickon, Johnny and Sue take shelter in a cave they discover nearby. Just as the force of the eruption begins to slacken, Kipp comes upon our friends from the rear of the cave and starts shooting. Everyone drops to the ground, and it is in this predicament that we find our friends as... Blast you! You think you can save your skins by dodging, eh? I'll rake this cave with sharp gunshinny arrows! If you raise that gun again, you'll never make another move! Eh? Where'd you come from? You lovers? Show it! He got here just in time! Captain, down the hatch! He's jowling from this corner! Coming from the back of the cave! Throw down that gun on the ground! Stand aside! All clear, Captain Dalton! You can rise now! Blow me down, we've had a number of close calls tonight. But I'd like to know how my second and third mates got ashore. You were left aboard the Pal Parrot only an hour ago, John. Well, sir, when we aboard the Pal Parrot saw the volcano here go into action for fair, we were feared for your safety, sir. But it started to rain about 30 minutes ago, so we left Mr. Nicholson in charge of the Pal Parrot, and Mr. Grayne and Buscarra and me, with a handful of men, come ashore to hunt for you. Aye, aye. And it looked like we'd all find you too soon. Men, I'll not forget your ready assistance, you may later that. But I can't understand where you came from! Yes, and old man Kip here came from the back of the cave too. There must be another entrance! Aye, aye, Miss Sue, you're right. We headed first of all straight for the mine we were to work. And when we got there, we found a trench dug in front of it that looked suspicious. Blow me down! That's the bloomin' pitfall I fell into when we first found the mine! Aye, Dickon, that's what Mr. Grayne told us. And he had a hunch that it might lead somewhere. So he told us to climb down into it and find out, while he stayed at the mine. We climbed below, found a cave opening into it, and it led us here. And just in time to catch this rat a-shootin' at it. But why did Ezra stay at the mine? Well, it seems something happened to it. Something's happened to the mine! Blow me down, Kip, if you've done something to this mine... Don't hit me! Don't hit me! You've got me now. I'll try to do you no more harm. That lover red-nulled holey is brittle scum. I found. I'm his mate no more. I throw myself on your mercy, Captain. You don't deserve any mercy, you buzzard. You might have killed us all with your blasted wild shootin'. I know it, I know it. I always go wild when I get my hands on a gun. But I swear I'll do no more harm. And I swear I ain't done nothin' to the mine since ye saw it last. He's a rat! He's a builder rat! Give me a little rat! Still that pole. Well, Captain, we'd better be gettin' to the mine and see what Mr. Grange found. Aye, aye, Dickon. We'd best put on full sail and steer our course to the mine. We may as well go back through the cave the way Joward and Busquera came in. That's a short course. Right, sure, Mr. Wainwright. Ah, then, Kip, this is your own private passage to the mine, huh? Aye, Captain. It's a natural cave, and I found it when I started to work the mine. Then I dug that pitfall at the head of the cave, just ahead of the mineral deposit, to trap anybody who blundered ashore and got too curious about what I was doin' at the time. Ah, it's all gettin' clear now. You realize, Kip, that you haven't any right to work this mine anymore since you've sold out your interest to Mr. Grange some years ago? Aye, aye, but I was hopin' he'd never follow up my map. Ah, you're a villain, Kip. First you cheat your own partner, Jonathan Robbins, out of the map many years ago. And then you go back on your bargain with Grange. It's all gospel truth, Captain. But, at last, what's Grange doin' for Jonathan Robbins? Robbins don't even know there's anyone lookin' for the traitor, which is rightful half his. He may not know of it, but he'll get his share. Mr. Grange will see to that. At last, is he too, Kip. You know who this lad is here. Blimey, I... I'll tell you who I am. I'm the son of the man you cheated. I'm the son of Jonathan Robbins. Oh, I thought so, I thought so. Lash me a thwart. It's vengeance comin' back on me for my own evil doin'. I see it before me eyes. The very face of the man I cheated. I'm eight, I'm scuffled. From now on, the fate is in your hands. What I get is comin' to me. Kip, for all your evil doin', there's some good in ya, or you wouldn't admit it. I, for one, am willing to see you get a fair trial. And I'll go as easy on ya as I can. You may lay to that. Thank you, Captain. You're a true seaman. A man's man. And one I'd be proud to work under. That scum, Mulholland, never liked ye. And now I can see why. His kind never seals with none but foul wind. Mulholland. I had almost forgotten. I'm afraid he perished when your shack burned up back there from the hot mouthed can of gashes fallin' on it. He wouldn't come out. He didn't trust us. He's a tough swab, Captain. I doubt that ye've seen the last of him. Look! The cave is leading into an open trench. It's the pitfall Dickon fell into yesterday. We can scale the site easy now. The slope we cut in the side to help Dickon out is still there. Averse! Averse! There's Mr. Grange and the men by the mine! Why, the mine's gone! Screw me down! I told you somethin' had happened to it, sir. Averse! Mr. Grange! We're all here, safe and sound! Thank heavens you're all here. Oh, Sue, my dear. Oh, Ezra, aren't you glad everything's cleared up? Indeed I am, Sue. And Johnny, you're safe too, and Dickon. Aye, aye, sir. All ale and all the years a pine spa. And, uh, what's this? Ezekiel Kip. So, you scoundrel, we've caught up with you. You tried to sneak out of your bargain with me. Mr. Grange, sir, before you tongue lash me, let me say I yield only rights to you. I've been a rat, and I'll take that as I have comin' to me. Well, uh, well, this is a little unexpected. After all, I haven't always been very honest. My first plan for this treasure was to get it all for myself, leaving Johnny here out of his rightful share. But I saw my mistake when it was almost too late. I'm not exactly one who should criticize too harshly. Kip, we'll talk it over later. Right now, we've another problem on our hands. Now I see what's happened here. Blow me down. During the eruption, a whole slab of the mountain slipped down and covered up the mine. That's it exactly, Captain Dalton. It's covered to a depth too great to dig through, and most of it's rock. Then must we give up our search for the minerals? You can't do that. Mr. Grange, do you know just what this mine is? Well, I... Have you found that out? I only suspect, Kip. You know, you never told me exactly what it was when I bought your map. You only hinted. It's... diamonds. Diamonds? Diamonds? You can't believe it, Johnny. It's diamonds. You see... You see, when Jonathan Robbins and me came ashore here many years ago for water, Jonathan saw them strange rocks at the foot of the volcano. I'd been in Africa, and so I knew rough diamonds when I see them. So we knew we'd struck a gritch, and no mistake. Well, blow me down. If it's diamonds we're after, we've got to get down to that mine. Yes, Captain, but I don't see how we can dig down to it with just picks and shovels. Alas, I have it. Ascension Island, a British possession, lies south of this island of Galto. If we sail there, I'll wager we can buy explosives and blast this landslide from above the mine. Excellent, Captain, excellent. You've hit upon it. Let's start at once. Aye, aye, sir. We'll all head back to the pile parent at once. And you realize that it's morning? We've been ashore here all night. With the light from that volcano, we've been able to see everything, and we hardly realized it was dark around us. Lash me to a yard arm. We could all use a little rest. Aye, aye, Mr. Waymatch. Ahoy, men, to the beach. We're heading for the pile parent. Now, first we'll cut in the whale that Dickon caught and that we've been towing for several days. Then in a couple days, we'll be sailing into Georgetown on Ascension Island. The Island of Ascension Diamonds and rubies and pieces of eight. Listen, Dickon, even pole parent's got treasure on his mind. No, me don't, Lash. Why, we're all excited about it. I'm surprised that we should find diamonds on an island in the middle of the ocean. It doesn't sound right. Well, jolly, as I understand it, Martin Doulton says diamonds are pure carbon and are found in places where there was once volcanoes. I know all about it. My brother Ezra says that they're made by extreme heat and pressure in the earth. And of course, where there's volcanic activity, they're most likely to be found. Since the secret island of God, where there's just a big volcano, it's not surprising that you'd find them there. Lamb hole! In my doll's Lamb hole! Lamb hole! Well, blow me down with wasteland. Amassed, there it is, dead ahead. Look, it's Ascension Island, you may lay to that. Look at the big mountain. It's a good deal bigger than our island, but it looks a lot like it. Aye, aye, lad. Like all of these islands in the Atlantic, it's volcanic, very rocky and rough. That big mountain, Green Mountain, they calls it, it's a dead volcano. What part of the island are we heading for, Dickon? Well, Captain Dalton is setting his course for the settlement on the North Shore. Georgetown, they calls it. The people on the Bloomin' Island calls it Gaddison, because the island is owned by England, and the British naval captain is the Gabner. There's a naval base there, too, and that's where Captain Dalton plans to buy explosives to clear the mine back in Goldtown. Oh, blow me down. I see something through the grass I don't like. Why, what's the matter, Captain? On this, the west side of the island, there's a big home owned by some English folks who came to Ascension Island for their health. You see, it's a healthy spot with its sun and steady climate. I've met these folks before when ships I've been on have stopped here for supplies. But, Captain, what's wrong about it? I can see the house playing through the glass here, and it's on fire. On fire, sir? Aye, Dickon. And there's a strange ship at anchor just off the shore near us that I don't like the looks of. You see, the house is out of sight of a garrison at Georgetown, and this is the way I chart it. Some blasted private here is raiding the home. They're wealthy folk, and they'd make good game for some sea rats I know of. Captain Dalton, what are you going to do? I know what I'm going to do. Helmsmen, Mr. Nicholson at helm, change your course. We're not putting ashore at the garrison. Head for the west shore. There's trouble there, and I plan to straighten it out. Ah! Breakers ahead! Breakers ahead! It looks as if our friends no sooner get out of one tight place before they find themselves in another. Will Captain Dalton have a fight on his hands when he meets this ship he suspects of being a privateer? Just what is happening at the burning house on Ascension Island. Now that we know the mineral treasure is diamonds, the search back on Galto will be more exciting than ever. And by the way, what has happened to Red Mulhollay? Is he still alive? To follow the further adventures of Captain Dalton and his friends, be sure to listen to the next episode of The Cruise of the Palparot. Your Palparot announcer is Dave Ward.
