Afraid to face the tax collector tomorrow? Fed up with high prices? Want to get away from it all? We offer you escape. You have shipped aboard a South Sea schooner with a ghost of its dead captain in command. A ghost who shoots guns, resurrects the dead, creates a terror from which you cannot escape. Escape produced and directed by William N. Robeson and designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure. Tonight we escape across the limitless horizons of the South Seas in Alfred Noy's version of a classic legend of blue water, the log of the evening star. Tahiti French Oceania June the 19th. The sailing schooner evening star reported missing since the 1st of April. Today was discovered a hundred miles west of here, drifting about in a dead calm with all sails set but not a soul on board. The ship when found was well stocked with food and water and all three of her small boats were still present. The sun baked body of the ship's cat was lying in the bow and the mess table in the cruise quarters had been laid in preparation for a meal which was never served. Otherwise everything aboard seemed to be in order and no solution can be offered to explain the whereabouts of the 12 persons who sailed on her from San Francisco. It appears that the fate of the evening star will remain permanently one of the weird and unsolved mysteries of the sea. My name is Harper. I'm first mate of the South Sea schooner evening star. I'm writing this because I believe it my duty to make some record of the terrible things which have just occurred. Events I can't possibly enter in the ship's log. I can't of course be certain this account will ever come to light because I'm not likely to live another 24 hours. I guess I should have been able to see it three weeks ago on the day we sailed from San Francisco but I didn't. I remember I was standing on the deck of the evening star talking to Cato the cook while we waited for Captain Burgess to come aboard. We were due to sail in a half hour. Where you think we go on this trip Mr. Harper? Oh I don't know Cato, Marquesas first, then Tahiti, maybe on Australia. It's good to leave port. It's better on open sea. You said it. We seem very strange this trip without Captain Dayrell. Yeah we'd had the same gang together for over two years. Some Kanakas and the crew, you and I and Burgess, Dayrell. Hard to believe he's been dead four months now isn't it? Yes, yes. Captain Dayrell was proud man, was good captain. He's too bad he died. Yep. Well, Burgess will make a good skipper too. He was alright his first mate. Why he no come on board yet? Captain Burgess? I don't know. I just can't bear to leave that new bride here I guess. You have seen her Mr. Harper? You know her maybe? No, no I haven't. She's been staying down the coast somewhere ever since he got married a couple weeks ago. I don't even know who she is. New wife, new command, who is rocky man. Kato I got a strong hunch you're a sentimentalist down underneath. Oh it's possible Mr. Harper. It has been said. Hey Kato, there's Burgess now coming down the pier. Oh is somebody with him too? Yeah. Guess she's come down to see him off huh? At least we'll get a chance. No, no that's Mrs. Dayrow. Maybe she go on ship too just like old time. No, no, no. She wouldn't want to sail on the ship her husband died on. I wonder. Mr. Harper, Mr. Harper look. Three birds fly around the mast. Yeah, I see them Kato. He's really bad sight. Really bad. Well I don't know what you mean by that. Mr. Harper is everything in order? All right Captain Burgess we can sail any time you want. How are you Mrs. Dayrow? Why just for. Dayrow? Oh yes, yes of course. Mr. Harper even though you're already acquainted with the lady I'd like to present my wife. Your wife? We were married two weeks ago Mr. Harper. I'm sailing with you on this trip. Well that's fine. Glad to have you aboard Mrs. Dayrow. Burgess I mean. Well it'll be like old times. Old times Mr. Harper? Well I mean all of us together and everything. Well congratulations to both of you. Thank you Mr. Harper. Look I brought Satan along too. He wouldn't miss this trip for anything. He's right at home. How are you Satan? Would you like to look over the clearance papers Captain Burgess? I got them right here. No thank you Mr. Harper. I'll assume they're in order. We'll sail as soon as Mrs. Dayrow, as soon as my wife's trunk comes aboard. Yes sir. I'll be in the cabin if you want to. Kato would you take Satan and give him something to eat? I think he's hungry. Yes Missy. I'll take him right now. Come on Kitty. We go five times a week. Well Mr. Harper we're all together again. That's right Mrs. Burgess. We've even got Satan on board. Yes. All of us except my husband. Your husband is down in the cabin Mrs. Burgess. You mean we're all here except Captain Dayrow. Well once out at sea things straightened out a little the way they always do. After a while we got so we could think of her as Mrs. Burgess instead of Mrs. Dayrow. And after that it wasn't so awkward. Captain Burgess stayed to himself quite a bit. But all in all it was a fairly pleasant three weeks. Up until yesterday afternoon I was standing in the bow smoking watching a school of dolphins skip out of the water when Mrs. Burgess came up behind me. Mr. Harper I wonder if I could speak to you a moment. Of course Mrs. Burgess. I'm terribly frightened. You're frightened? What about? Is he around anywhere? Is who around? My husband. I don't want him to hear me. What? I can't hear you Mrs. Burgess. I can't listen. No please you're the only one I can turn to. We're all in terrible danger you know. Danger? What are you talking about? Mr. Harper do you have any reason to think my husband may be not quite himself? Not quite himself? In what way? Do you think he may be insane? Of course not. Yes but you don't understand. I understand one thing Mrs. Burgess. I'd better get back to my duties. I quite agree with you Mr. Harper. Mrs. Burgess. I believe you really should stay in the cabin my dear. It's far too windy for you up here in the bow. Yes I was just going. I mean I'm going right now. She has a rather delicate throat Mr. Harper. Catches cold easily. You used to be a singer you know. Yes sir I know. Oh yes. Yes of course you do. But don't pay too much attention to anything my wife might say Mr. Harper. She's well she's upset. Just don't pay any attention to her. Something was wrong all right. No question of that. I couldn't figure what. I couldn't think of any terrible danger. It seemed more likely it was Mrs. Burgess who was not quite herself. Well anyway the whole business didn't make much sense so I shrugged it off and forgot about it. For a couple of hours. It was just at dusk. Most of the crew was below decks. I was sitting on the after hatch scratching the ears of Satan the ship's cat. The sun was just dropping past the horizon and Satan was purring meowing. Everything was pretty peaceful. Until I heard those voices coming from Captain Burgess cabin. No no really I didn't I wouldn't tell anybody you know. It wasn't a matter of eavesdropping they even forgot and anyone might hear them. You don't know you're only saying it. I mean it all right. Then you don't care about me. If he were alive I'd still be with him. You can say that when you know about the thing that's here on board with us. It's your imagination I told you that. Imagination huh? Is that what you told Harper? Is it? No don't. Answer me. Look out Satan. This is what he was. This is what he wants me to do. No no no. Captain Burgess. Captain Burgess. Yes Mr. Harper. What is it? I wondered if you wanted Cato to bring your dinner here to the cabin sir. No Mr. Harper. I'll eat at the wheel. Yes sir. Going aft now. Tell him to bring it up right away. All right Captain Burgess. Mr. Harper listen carefully. You've got to help me. All right. How? Meet me on the after deck as soon as it's dark. In an hour if I can get away from him. Did you want something else Mr. Harper? No sir. Nothing else Captain. Then suppose you go about your duties. But your wife sir. Doesn't she want something to eat? She does not Mr. Harper. She's indisposed. She does not wish to be disturbed. Is that perfectly clear? Now I was convinced that there was danger aboard the evening star. I had a feeling that something deadly was stirring itself and coming awake below decks. The first night shadows were bringing a terrible threatening tenseness. I felt that I ought to scream to keep from laughing. Yet there was nothing to laugh about. I was quite certain that if I hadn't knocked on that door Captain Burgess would have killed his wife. But why? Well I hadn't found any sensible answer by the time Cato brought a tray of food to my cabin. Good evening Mr. Harper. Oh put it there on the chart table will you? Thank you Mr. Harper. How's it look on deck Cato? Oh deck? I do not understand you Mr. Harper. I mean well is it dark yet? Oh it's get dark soon I think. And I think too tonight is not good night. What do you mean by that? Is something bad on board ship Mr. Harper? I no understand what. I no see it. I no hear it. But inside I sense it all the time grow bigger. Well that's your imagination Cato. Is imagination bother you too Mr. Harper? This morning three birds fly over ship together. All day I burn much incense. Again tonight three birds fly over ship together. Well what about it? Is sign of death Mr. Harper. Tonight on this ship somebody die. You all right something else maybe? No. No Cato that's all. Thank you Mr. Harper. Good night please. Oh I wasn't the only one on board who was feeling something was wrong. I wondered if Cato knew any more of what was back of it than I did. You couldn't tell by looking at him. He could be busting with joy or scared half to death. And that face of his would never show either one. Anyway ten minutes later I was out on the dark fan tail watching the moon cast shadows from the rigging. After a while I heard her calling my name. Mr. Harper. Mr. Harper. Here I am Ms. Burgess. Oh thank heaven. Where's the captain? I don't know he didn't come back to the cabin. All right now suppose you tell me what it's all about and talk fast. I don't know what it's about Mr. Harper not really. I only know that my husband has gone insane. Now you told me that earlier. What makes you think so? He tried to kill me. Yes I know. Why? Because of last night. He came into my cabin and woke me up. He was trembling white as a sheet. But why? He said he'd just seen Captain Dayrel on deck. Dayrel but he's... Yes he died four months ago. I told him he imagined it. He keeps talking about it. He says Captain Dayrel has come back to punish us. Punish you? For what? Well we're not waiting longer to get married. Oh you've got to do something. Well if I use force Mrs. Burgess it's the same as mutiny. Yes but he's insane. He may do anything. Yes you're right there. I don't know but what... Wait. There by the mast. Look. It's Dayrel. No. Oh no. There wasn't any doubt about it. The moonlight behind him threw his shadow toward us on the deck. And he had on that tall peaked cap and the white muffler he'd always worn when he was alive. He didn't move, didn't say anything. Just stood there looking at us. No. Please. Mrs. Burgess. No. Before I could stop her Mrs. Burgess turned around for the rail and jumped overboard. One of the Kanaka saw her, grabbed a life preserver and went in after her. I ran to the longboat hanging in the davits of the port rail. What happened Mr. Hawthorne? I don't know. Let's get this boat in the water. Mrs. Burgess is overboard along with one of the boys. Did you see anything on deck? Oh what did I see? I don't believe. All right come on move. Here take the oars. The schooners not got much steer ease way so they shouldn't be far astern. Come on. Hey somebody's shooting on deck. All right never mind keep rowing will you. We'll find out about it later. We've got to pick up those two before they go under. We didn't find them though. The shooting on board stopped after a while. We rode around for a half hour or more. We couldn't find a trace of them. Finally there wasn't anything else to do. So I told the Kinnock to pull for the schooner. We were about 10 yards away from the side when. Mr. Hawthorne look. I looked up at the rail and there stood Dayrel. He didn't say anything. He just stood there. He had a gun in his hand. Dayrel what are you trying to do? Grab that oar Joe. We got to get away from him. Joe I said. We were drifting away from the side of the schooner. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder with a bulleted hit. But the Kinnock was worse off. Blood was running down over his face from a hole in the center of his forehead. That's when I passed out. When I came to it was broad daylight. The boat was lying. I was lying in was bumping up against the side of the schooner. Captain Burgess was calling down on me from the rail. Mr. Harper are you alive? I'm all right Captain Burgess. It's been a horrible night Mr. Harper. It's all right now. Can you help me aboard sir? Yes can you lift up your arms? Yes sir here. Easy now. Kato give me a hand here. Careful now. It's a pretty bad wound. I'm kind of weak. Yes I lost a lot of blood. Sorry about your wife sir. We couldn't find her. I know. There's only three of us left alive on board now Mr. Harper. You and I and Kato here. What happened? You may not believe it. It was Captain Dayrell. Yes I saw him. Got a hold of the ship's guns and killed the whole crew. Locked me in the cabin while he did. But he's dead Captain Burgess. We buried him at sea four months ago. No matter. He's come back now Mr. Harper. It's his ship the Evening Star is and he wants it. No it's not possible. The man is dead. That's what his wife. I mean my wife said when I told her I'd see him said I was crazy. I think she knows better now. Maybe we could search the ship. Kato and I went through it at daylight this morning. We found nothing. Well there has to be some explanation. There is. The wicked shall be punished for their sins. What do you mean by that? Nothing Mr. Harper. Nothing at all. I was his friend. I always thought a lot of Captain Dayrell. You know that don't you Mr. Harper? Yes sir. It's all right now in the daylight. But he'll come back tonight as soon as it's dark. It's only the three of us now to face him Mr. Harper. Four if you count Satan. And I'm thinking there's more than one Satan on board this ship. They helped me to the bunk in my cabin and left me there. That was about noon today. I could tell by the look on Captain Burgess's face that while I was pretty certain I wasn't going to live. That's why I decided to write this account. Try to set down everything that happened. In a way this is the real log of the evening star even if it doesn't make much sense. Anyway right after sundown Kato brought me in a tray of food. How do you feel now Mr. Harper? I guess not too bad Kato. You like something to eat maybe? Later maybe. You can leave it there huh? Yes but you eat now. Later I think we all dead. Has anything happened yet? It's not dark yet. When it's dark then he come. Yeah. Where's Captain Burgess? I don't see him. He's hide somewhere I think. Kato all those who were killed last night what happened to their bodies? He's buried in sea. This morning I helped Captain Burgess. You like something else maybe? No thanks Kato. Then I go burn much incense. Make peace with many gods. For last time now I think. Good bye Preet. I lit the lamp over the bunk and I lay there for a long time. I don't know how long. I didn't know where Captain Burgess and Kato were or what they were doing. I kept waiting to hear the sound of shooting. I kept lying there dreading it. And then gradually I began to realize that somebody was singing on board. Way off. And I knew that voice. I heard it somewhere before singing the same song. It was Mrs. Burgess. Mr. Harper, Mr. Harper do you hear it? I hear it Captain Burgess. What in the name of heaven is going on? It's her. She's come back too. She's in there with him now in the cabin. Oh that's impossible. She drowned last night. She's dead. They're both dead. But they've come back. They're in the cabin now. And she's singing for him. She never sang for me Mr. Harper but now she's singing for him. Come Mr. Harper. You've got to help me. I tell you they're both in the cabin right now. Yes sir. I don't know if... Oh you're too weak. I forgot. I'll go alone. I'll stop them somehow. I've got to stop them. I pulled myself up in the bunk and I put my feet on the floor. Weak or not, one way or another, I had to get to that cabin. I managed to stagger outside onto the deck. Captain Burgess had disappeared somewhere. And there was no sign of anything moving there in the moonlight except Satan the cat who came up and rubbed against my ankles. The singing had stopped and the ship was quiet. I made my way forward and finally was looking through the skylight down into the captain's cabin. One lamp was lit. Its light fell on the hunched figure that strode about the cabin. Cap pulled down low, hands sunk in his pockets. All the old familiar gestures. It was Captain Dayrell and he was alone. I crouched there with the skylight shivering from the night wind and from the terror inside of me watching that awful figure. After a while I walked over and stood beside the phonograph. Then I realized where that voice had come from. Dayrell had always been crazy about his wife singing and he'd made a lot of records of her voice. I was playing one of them now. The song went on and he paced back and forth. I still couldn't figure it out. And then for just a moment the white muffler fell back from his throat and for the first time I saw Captain Dayrell's face. I'm not sure how I managed to stumble back here to my cabin. I'm writing this now just as rapidly as I can. I may be interrupted at any minute. If that happens I'll try to slip it behind the map here on the cabin wall in hopes that it may be... I can hear him coming now. Whoever may read this please try to get word to my family in San Francisco. Yes, come in. I thought you might be asleep Mr. Harper. How could anybody sleep Captain Burgess as long as Dayrell's loose on board. Yes, that's true Mr. Harper. Should have seen him down there in the cabin and her too. He was walking up and down as proud as ever and she was singing for him just like she used to. We should have seen him. I did see him. He never sang for me like that, not it. You saw him? Did he look natural? Just as always? Captain Burgess, it was you I saw dressed up in Dayrell's clothes that were stored in the sea chest there in the cabin. Oh no Mr. Harper, you're mistaken. It was his spirit come back to punish us. It was you all the time, you who fired those shots last night. You're insane. That's what she said too. That's because he told her. Because it's the truth. Now he's been talking to you. He's talked to nobody, he's dead. And you've never seen him accepting your own guilty conscience. Just what is that guilt Captain Burgess? Did you kill him? Oh don't. Don't say that Mr. Harper. I was his friend. I thought a lot of them and Mrs. Dayrell too. Everybody knew we were friends. Did he tell you that? You're completely mad. Don't say that Mr. Harper. I've got to save you from him. He talks to you and you're weak and you can't run away. I've got to save you. Captain Burgess, put on that gun. Don't, don't, don't. I've got to save you. Got to go someplace where he can't find us Mr. Harper. Go up deck. I'll take you Mr. Harper. Come on. Don't worry. I'll save you from him. It's his ship. Everything on it. He wants it back. We've got to give it to him Mr. Harper. Got to let him have it. Got to get off the ship. Captain Burgess, what is happening? It's you, Dayrell. Go away. He's no Captain Dayrell. It's me, Kato. You can't stop us Dayrell. I'll show you. No, no. You see Mr. Harper. I killed him. Dayrell. Now he can't stop us. There he is again. There by the mass. See him Mr. Harper. He's coming this way. He won't stop. Got to get away. Got to save you Mr. Harper. Here, here's the rail. I'll help you. There. See, he's gone Dayrell. Now he's gone. He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. Dayrell, no. It's just me. And I'm going too. You see it's all yours now. The evening star, just like you wanted it. No, no, look Day Verg. I'm going. I'm going. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. Ah. Ah. Ah. Escape is produced and directed by William N. Robeson, and tonight brought to you the Log of the Evening Star by Alfred Noyes, adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield with Jack Webb as Harper, Alan Reed as Captain Burgess, Gail Page as Mrs. Burgess, Louis Van Roeten as Cato and the Cat, and Pethol Kallvig as the Connika. Music is conceived and conducted by Wilbur Hatch. Next week, when you're tired out from doing nothing all weekend, when Blue Monday stares you in the face, next week at this time when your problems seem just too much for you, we offer you Escape. Next week, we bring you another exciting story of high adventure. Goodnight then until this same time next week when once again we offer you Escape. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
