All aboard for the transcribed premier production, the cruise of the Paul Parrott. It's time to continue that exciting story of the sea and whaling days aboard the good ship Paul Parrott on its return voyage after two years of adventure and treasure hunting away from its home port of New Bedford. When we last heard from our friends, Johnny, Sue, Dickon, Captain Dalton, Ezra Grange, and Paul Parrott himself, they were beached on an unknown island somewhere in the South Atlantic when the good ship Paul Parrott was washed ashore during a terrific storm. The squall struck just as Captain Karsh, the skipper of a privateer vessel, and his crew overpowered the Paul Parrott's crew and were about to take charge in an effort to find the hidden diamonds our friends discovered on Galto Island quite some time ago. After the Paul Parrott was wrecked upon the beach, Captain Dalton told Karsh to take his men and stay on the other side of the island. Karsh demanded that his fiancee, Annabel Wilson, accompany him, but having just found out the true character of Karsh, she refuses. At that moment an arrow strikes in a tree, barely missing Captain Dalton, which leads them to believe there is a band of South American Indians on the island. Karsh has left for the other side of the island and Captain Dalton and some of his men go in search of the person or persons responsible for the arrow almost hitting them. Dickon and Mr. Grange have stayed behind with Johnny, Sue, and Annabel Wilson on the beach, and as we see them now, Grange is speaking with Miss Wilson. I'm mighty sorry for you, Miss Wilson. It must be quite a shock to discover the man you care for and intended to marry turns out to be such a rascal as Karsh. Don't feel sorry for me, Mr. Grange. I consider myself very fortunate to find out all about him. If I'd married him, it would have been too late. Well, you're right there, but you're taking it mighty bravely. Well, after seeing how brave you and your Captain Dalton and little Johnny and Sue here are, I realize there's no other way to be. I shall try to be just as brave. Only, I hope we're rescued from this island before I begin to lose my nerve. You don't have to be afraid, Miss Annabel. You have us all to look after you. And look after you we will. Karsh will not harm you while we're here, I can assure you. It's not Grimo Karsh I fear. It's the natives on this island, whoever they may be. Well, don't worry about them. Captain Dalton and his men will see to them, unless... Unless what, Sue? Unless there are too many natives on this island. I don't believe that possible. We must be miles away from any great number of people. Oh, I hope Captain Dalton and his men return soon. They've been gone for hours. Oh, they'll be... Oh, there they are now. You see? Way down the beach there. Oh, I see them. Oh, oh, Israel. What's the matter? Captain Dalton is not with them. No, he isn't. But I suppose he's lagging behind for some reason or other. He'll be along soon. Mr. Grange, I feel as if something happened to Captain Dalton. Nonsense. We'll soon find out. Mr. Wainwright and his men are running this way. Mr. Grange! Mr. Grange! What's up, man? You're white as a sheet. You look like you've seen a ghost. Why, worse than that, sir, we... Something has happened to Captain Dalton. Aye, miss, blow me down. Something has happened. Out with it, man. What is it? If I only knew, sir, but I don't, there's something on this island that ain't human, it ain't. Oh, Mr. Grange, I knew it. I knew it. Rubbish. What are you talking about, Mr. Wainwright? Oh, help me, Mr. Grange. I'm not one to let my imagination run away. I'm not one to let my imagination run away. I've sailed the seven seas a dozen times and more. I've seen the fakers of India perform their tricks of Hindu magic. I've seen witch doctors of the South Sea Islands cast their blooming spells, I have, and it ain't fazed me in the least, sir, it hasn't. But fell me a deck with a belaying pin when a man least ways your own captain disappears before your own eyes. Well, lash me to a yard arm, sir. It's too much. Mr. Wainwright, the excitement of the past few days is evidently having its effect on you. Now stop this chattering and tell us what happened. And none of this foolishness about someone disappearing in thin air. There's no sense to it. I know, sir, it doesn't make sense, it doesn't. But it's true, and I tell you, sir, there's something uncanny about it all. Wainwright, if something has happened to Captain Dalton, we've just got to find him. But you must pull yourself together and tell us just what did happen. Well, sir, when we left here, we started out in the direction from where that blooming arrow came when it stuck in the tree there. We beat our way along a small path that led us directly into the jungle that most likely covers the entire center part of this here island. We searched carefully as well as we could, sir, but not a sight of anything or anyone could we see. Where was Captain Dalton all this time? The captain was a short distance ahead of us. When the men in me hall sails and stop short, as we hear a sound what sounds like groaning in the underbrush, we rushed into the underbrush to see where the sound was coming from, we did, and... Aye, and we soon found out what it was, sir. Just an old owl that stood blinking at us. That's right, Mr. Grange. And when we returned to the path, Captain Dalton was gone, sir. But he may have gone ahead. No, sir, he didn't. We called to him, but he didn't answer. He wouldn't have had time to get very far, so we called again. No answer again. We searched and searched, and no trace of him could we find. Not even a footprint. His footprints just seemed to stop, like I'm telling you. Captain Dalton just disappeared into thin air. Aye, it's the truth, Mr. Wainwright, saying something got the captain. And whatever it was, it was an humor. Oh, I knew something happened to Captain Dalton, I knew it. Lash me to a yard, I'm, sir. I'd rather have gone down with a good old proud parent than try to hook up with something you can't see. Blimey if I wouldn't. Mr. Grange, I'm frightened. Look here now, we must keep our wits about this thing. We've got to find Captain Dalton, so I'm taking charge. Wainwright? Aye, sir. Round up what's left of our crew and old Decken. He's down looking over the Paul Parrot to see what has to be done to put her in repairs. We'll search for Captain Dalton, but we won't take any chances. So we'll all stay together until we find him. Aye, aye, sir. At that it may have been better to allow Carsonese men to stay with us. We'd have more men then, and we'd stand a better chance. I'm sure we can make out without them, Mr. Grange. I hope so, yet I can't help but think that if we had let them stay... Johnny, do you suppose Bruno Carson and his men had anything to do with Captain Dalton's disappearing? I don't think so. They went in the opposite direction to the path Captain Dalton took through the jungle. Still, I'm not so sure. I wouldn't put it past him. You know how he hates Captain Dalton, especially for knocking him down like the captain did aboard the Paul Parrot. But I'll bet right now if he isn't the one who captured Captain Dalton, he's most likely plotting to do something so he can get Miss Annabelle back and those diamonds. Last is I, Briny. I'll settle matters with that Captain Dalton if it takes me to my dying days. He's as smooth as he is. But help me, he laid you low for fare, he did. Hold your lip, you blooming hook arm, or you'll know what's good for you. You ain't scaring me none, you blooming barnacle. Now listen here, Briny, I'm still your captain and you'll not talk to me like this. Captain of what? Cast away like we be here on this island without a ship and you still want to be captain? Blimey, that's good it is. Ratcher, you swab, I'd tear you apart, I would, with my bare hands before one thing. Aye, and you know what that one thing is. Briny, Briny, keep that hook hand of yours away from me, keep it away. I wouldn't use it on you, me pet. It's just to remind you we be on even keel now we be. Besides, I'm a-willing to work with you. But remember, on even keel. All right, Briny, I need you. You're my first mate, you are. A captain's got to have a first mate. I was your first mate. I'm skipper now, same as you. Remember, even keel says aye. All right, all right. Now listen, there are two things Dalton's got what we want. Aye, you betrothed Annabelle and a swag of diamonds. You're right, Annabelle and those diamonds. Somehow we'll get them both. I'll have my Annabelle back and we'll split the diamonds. You'll have your Annabelle and I'll take the diamonds. Why, bless you. Ah, ah, ah, even keel. Remember, even keel. Oh, it seems like we've been walking for hours through this jungle and still no sight of Captain Dalton. It seems like hours, Sue, but it hasn't been very long. Wainwright, how far are we from where Captain Dalton disappeared? Not far, sir, we're almost there now. If we don't find Captain Dalton, at least I hope we come to some kind of a clearing so we can pitch camp. From the looks of us, sir, I don't think there's a clearing for miles. Clear and ahead, clear and ahead. Paul, you're as blind as a bat, you are. Mr. Grange, here's the spot. Wait there, Mr. Wainwright, we'll be right with you. Just as I told you, sir, here is where Captain Dalton's footprint stop. No, they don't, sir. They don't go anywhere. That does seem to be right. But why? How? So help me, it's past all right thinking it is. Johnny, how could that be? How could anyone's footprints come to a stop like that and then go nowhere at all? I'm thinking of that myself, Sue. Now, how could that happen? Wait a minute. What, Johnny? What's wrong, lad? Nothing's wrong. I think I've got the right answer. Johnny, what are you getting at? Mr. Grange, Captain Dalton's footprints stop here, don't they? That's right. Mr. Wainwright says these are Captain Dalton's tracks. And if the tracks don't go ahead and you see they haven't gone to either side and then if he had retraced his steps you could see the chute prints going in the opposite direction, couldn't you? That's right. Well, what are you getting at, lad? There's only one other way he could go. Where, Johnny? Straight up. Johnny, lad, you've hit it, you've hit it. Someone in that tree up there could have dropped a rope around Captain Dalton and pulled him up from the ground. Yes, and the way those vines hang from the trees they could have swung from tree to tree without ever coming back down to the ground. That looks like the plausible answer, all right. Ah! Ah! Mutiny! Mutiny! Where did that arrow come from? From above in that tree. Oh, look! Good Lord! Savages! Ah! Ah! Ah! What a spot for Johnny and Sue and all our friends to be in. Right in the middle of a jungle island, savages all around them threatening. And not to forget Captain Karsh and Briny plotting against them. And where is Captain Dalton? Is he alive? Is he held captive? What are Johnny, Sue, Mr. Grange, Dickon and the rest going to do to get out of this tight spot? Well, they've been in many tight spots before and they always manage to get out of them. But then they had Captain Dalton with them before. Now they don't even know where he is. Something's bound to happen soon, so don't fail to be with us when we continue with another transcribed episode on the cruise of the Paul Parrot. Until then, this is your Paul Parrot announcer, Dave Ward, saying goodbye.
