Have you shaken that spring cold yet? Wondering if you'll get a new Easter bonnet this year? I want to get away from it all. We offer you escape. You are aboard a Chinese junk on the ground off the coast of Borneo. And paddling toward you are the canoes of the deadly diak headhunters. Your powder is wet and your throat is dry. Because for you, there is no 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 to the Orient of 150 years ago, to the Manila of 1790, in Richard Matthews Hallett's story of a wooden ship and an iron man, Miss Fortune's Isle. The water which was lying at anchor so close up against the jetty, I could have leaned over and spit on the wheels of the elegant Spanish carriages clattering along the promenade. And that's exactly what I felt like doing. I've been away from Salem for three years now. Three years of sailing a trader brig through the China seas and south into the Spice Islands. I've been in the Spice Islands all for one. The whole thing had grown stale suddenly. I was plainly and simply bored. A young poet stood beside me there at the taff rail and tried to console me with philosophy. He'd anchored his sailing junk alongside earlier in the day and come aboard to renew a friendship that started two years before a tin scene, when I hauled him out from under an executioner's axe. He was under it because he just sold me six fine fat pigs without remembering they happened to be the sacred property of the Tianxing temple. Oh, Yang Po was a real philosopher, all right. Anyway, my friend, I reserve my sympathies for the poor. You have gained much wealth and trade. Aye, and a few measly gold pieces. But the trouble is out here, a man can't go it on his own. He needs backing. What more backing could a rash man desire than those eight brass cannons at the rail? Aye, they're fair guns, all right. But it's a flag I'm speaking of. Do these unworthy eyes not see a pinup there at the masthead? The funding of Salem swings no weight out here. In the south, it's the Dutch who call the turn. On the coast, the British, and here in Manila, it's the Spanish. Ah, man has... Yang Po, there she comes now in the second carriage there. That's the fourth time since high noon she's come back. Ah, four fine horses and two footmen. She rides in style. Watch, watch. She'll look up at the ship. She has every time today. Ah, there you see. Ah, that one. The little caged bird. You know her? I know of her. She is wife of Don Narciso Crispo, the Spanish nobleman who is captain general of the island south of Zamboanga. He is in residence here in Manila. Ah, she looks very sad. Ah, why she called the little caged bird? One glimpse of Don Narciso would answer your question better than a thousand words. Ah, she's very beautiful too. I'll swear she looked back and smiled just then. Captain, all right. Once in pity, I set free a parakeet which I had found caught in a net. I still bear scar from its beak. Some things may be worth taking chances for. Ah, me, I find it so much simpler to go to sleep and dream of maidens on the moon. Ah, but the moon's too far away. Hey, man, where are you? Ah, up here, Michael, on the quarter deck. Then the honorable redheaded one is still your first mate? Aye, that he is. What's the matter, Michael? Matter indeed. Haven't you heard all the excitement in town? I've been looking... Ah, young fool, haven't they hung you yet? This unworthy one is touched by your concern, Mr. O'King. What do you mean by excitement? I've been on board all day. I know. Last night, with all their soldiers on guard and the stone ramparts and all, a band of pirates slipped the shore down close and got through into the city. Pirates? Aye, Tim Falson Busholtz of a misfortune. They may possibly think it was me. Oh, they have no clue as to who it was. Got away scot-free, they did. And they almost abducted the Captain General of Zamboango and Sepp. What? Aye, aye. An important grandee by the name of Don Narcisco something or other. His guard finally heard them. Ah, pity. Fortunate I'm not with you, Captain Harat. Ah, but here's the part that'll stop you. There is no one in Manila that knows who they were, except yours truly, Michael O'King. Go on. Eh? Here, have a look at that. Oh, quite the Manchester Cutler. Aye, and there's a mark on the handle. Hey, it's the one we traded to Serif. Aye, aye, the bandit king of North Bonio. And it was me found this morning on the beach where the pirate boat came ashore. You found it? No, no, no, not quite. A melee by the name of Jambu brought it to me. Oh, Jambu. Ten thousand pampans filled with spoiled fish. You know the fellow? I have used him as interpreter. He speak Dayak. But in some former incarnation he undoubtedly was ill. Hmm. You know, I think this may be exactly what I need. Need? For what, I read? To make fortunes for the three of us. I suddenly remember an unexpected appointment. Aye, aye, young pal. It's a plan that won't work without you. I'm not talking a bare profit. This means a fortune. I am amazed. There is much talk of money and yet very little talk of Spanish lady. I heard rumors on shore about these Spanish clashes. For one thing, they wear no stockings. Eh? And how's the man to know it, Michael? You can't count too much on his thing. Well, now it was a Spaniard that told me. All right, now listen, lad. Let me tell you the plan. And if we're all agreed, I'll go ashore and talk to this Don Narciso. After I have heard it, I think I shall go and sacrifice White Rooster to Queen of Heaven. Though I doubt it will do a great deal of good. The only thing I can't understand is why this Jambu didn't take the cutlass to Don Narciso in the first place. It is quite possible he did take it there in first place, Captain Harad. It is point worth consideration. It took a bit of talking right enough, but finally the others agreed to the plan. And no more than two hours later, I was talking to the Captain General of Zamboango himself. He turned out to be a little monkey of a man. Yellow as a faded sunflower and much older than I expected to find. I am quite well satisfied regarding your identification of those who perpetrate the outrage, Captain Harad. But, uh, maledictions and fatalities. I have also heard the stories of this pirate, Salif. I think a broadside of my thirty-two ponders can furnish him enough fatalities, excellently. It's not that simple. The safe quarters on the Borneo coast is nothing less than a fortress. Ah, it's only a bamboo stockade lying at the mouth of the river. And it's in range of the guns on my break. My friend, Yung Po, has been there. But hard against the mouth of the river is the Plucha Laca. Hmm, misfortune's aisle, huh? Aye. And on it, limestone caves filled with bird's nests worth fifty dollars a pound in Canton. That may well be, Captain Harad, but there is also the yu pas tree. You must have heard of it. Aye, but I count a little on his saying, excellency. It is not his say. The dyak headhunters poisoned the spills and arse with its juices. I have seen main scratch by them die like that. Some things are worth taking chances for. I must say that I quite agree with you, D'Artisto. Confina, eh? Captain Harad, may I present my wife, Dona D'Artisto de Crespo. Captain Harad, my mother. D'Artisto, I've heard it all. You must agree to this expedition. You know the king's offer? Any man who risks the violence of pirates to be made a convoy with lands and titles. Have both lands and titles, my dear. What is it you expect from this, Captain Harad? A fortune, excellency. Huh? The bird's nest themselves should be worth a half million Yankee dollars. And there's gold and antimony in the river. And trade with the dyaks. Precisely what is the plan of yours? Well, fifty of Seraph's men are Chinese who once served Yang Po. They'll come in with us if he can get word to them. That'll make things easier. And how do you expect to get word to them? Yang Po and I'll sail in ahead of his junk and try to contact them. My mate will bring up the water witch 24 hours later and then we'll attack. And exactly why have you come to me? Were I to do it without official support, I'd be judged a pirate myself, wouldn't I? I don't know. It would be a great thing if it could be done. Nargiso. Yes? Why not think of it tonight and decide in the morning? That may be a wise suggestion. May I allow me to show you out, Captain Harad? By your leave, excellency. Ah, see you tomorrow then. Good day, Captain. This way, please. He will agree. You may depend on him. Good. I hope also that his excellency will accompany us personally. Well, you can be certain of it. You seem quite sure of that. Who do you think it was who had the cordless send to you? You? Here is the door, Captain. I will say, adiosito now. In our language it means goodbye for a little while. For a little while, huh? Well, in that case, adiosito. Delfino was right. The next morning he agreed to it. And two days later we sailed out of Manila harbor. Don Nargiso accompanied me on Yanko's Janken. Michael O'Kane followed at the helm of the water witch. Our luck deserted us as we rounded the corregidor and sailed square into the tail end of a typhoon. There was little wind, but a heavy sea was running and it took us on the pork bough for all that night and the next day. We lost sight of the water witch. And the leaky old junk pitched and rolled like a dory. Yanko stayed mostly below in his bunk and dreamed peacefully of the maidens on the moon. While I stayed on deck and skippered her through it. It was late the second night before I had a chance to go down to my cabin. Buenas noches, Capitan. Delfino! What in the name of the devil are you doing aboard? Being tossed about mostly. It is a very unstable ship you have, Capitan. There should be a lot more unsteady when a hundred diak head hunters start trying to board it. How did you arrive here? In a sack of feathers. It's really all that saved me during the storm, you know. Oh, confounder, don't you realize your husband is on board? Sleeping in the deck cabin. Suppose he should come down here for something. He did once. I hear in the wardrobe. Oh, all the fool tricks. But you did say orincito? For a little while. Yes, but it wasn't an invitation. Who could tell? Anyway, I shall prove quite valuable to you. I doubt it. You will see. Narciso will become frightened at the last moment. He always does. And what will you do? Whatever is required at the time. I am not afraid of fighting, my Capitan. I have seen it before. Oh, confounder, if we had a fortune in our reach, and now you come along and ruin it. You underestimate me. Well, I won't do that again. You are very rude. I meant to be. Why did you marry him? I had no choice. My father was ambitious. Narciso was influential. And did your father realize his ambition? He became a colonel and first killed the son of the act of the chile. Oh, I'm sorry. And now if you'll remove yourself from my bunk, I need some sleep. If you are going to move in here, then what am I going to do? Oh, you'll think of something. You made all your own plans so far. Oh, thank you. But if my husband sees me, then he may think you brought me on board. Well, in that case, I shall be forced to kill him in a duel. Good night. You... you are going to sleep? I hope to. Try the Shrine of the Queen of Heaven. It's the last cabin in the stern. No one goes there but young foe, and you'll have to be told about you anyway. Good night. Even when you are rude to me, you're mad. You're so very sweet. Good night. Well, woman or no woman aboard, it was too late to turn back now. And so two days later we dropped anchor at the mouth of Serif's River. Off the port rail a quarter mile away lay the pirate stockade. It was backed up by the dark green mass of jungle. And on the opposite side of the junk, across a hundred yards or so of water, was the beach of Miss Fortune's Isle, sloping back to break sharply on the foot of the limestone cliffs. On the upper shoulders of those cliffs were the caves without fortune and edible bird's nests. And between the cliffs and the water stood the Eupus Tree. A hundred legends were told about the Eupus Tree, how its shadow could kill a man, how the spirit of a white goddess was prisoned in the thick, dark foliage of its top, and how birds that lighted on its branches fell dead to the ground. But one thing at least was true enough, the dikes made a horrible poison from the juice of its bark, and they worshiped the tree. Yang Po took the renegade interpreter, Jambu, with him, and went ashore to pay his respects to Serif, and at the same time was to pass the word to his Chinese friend. It was late afternoon when he came back, and I'd become nearly as uneasy as Don Narciso. Yang Po came aboard alone and motioned me to follow him below, saying nothing until we were alone in my cabin. It is my humble opinion, Captain Harald, that Heaven favors us with their sighted lack of fortune. Why, what happened? Serif, most polite, I, most polite. We enjoyed most friendly conversation while we both held our knives beneath our robes. All very polite. Well, did you get word to your men? Serif blessed with presence of two hundred dikes and fifty melees. My own brethren are unfortunately down the coast for two days. Oh, that's a bad piece of luck. But I have news of much worse one. Jambu, that son of ten thousand devils, has deserted us. Deserted us? He has joined Serif. Oh, he'll tell them exactly what we're planning. Do not believe Jambu would do such a thing. Dolphina, I told you to stay out of this cabin. Jambu worships me. He's my slave wife. It was you who helped me sleep on board. Oh, so that's why he's done it. He has no desert. What could he hope to gain by it? You probably. This unworthy one offers suggestion that we stand out to sea until water which come tomorrow. A fine idea, except for one thing. Your sleepy little sons of Heaven left the cable slack. We're grounded on a mud bar with no chance of moving before the tide tomorrow morning. Well, we'll have to stand and fight. Ah, yes, they are so careless. I forgot to tell you, they even neglected to cover powder during storm. The water ruined it. Well, then we'll not even have the four cannons. Really a matter of slight importance. They're only ornaments. They would blow up if we fired them. You could hardly have picked a more suitable time to tell me. Well, we'll fight without them. The impetuosity of youth. I think I sleep for a while and dream of maidens on the moon. Yang Po, you'll stay on your feet and start your men boiling kettles of oil and piling rocks by the rail. It would be so much pleasanter to die in one sleep. If I know, Siriff, you'll not attack until nearly midnight. Telfina, can you swim? I can do anything. Primarily I want to know if you can swim. I can. Good. Yang Po, I'll be back and help you in an hour, but I have a job to do first. Come along, Kondesa. Ah! It was dark when we slipped into the water and struck out for the island. If I had tried to lower a boat, they might have seen us from the shore. I could see no other way to keep her out of it. The rest of us had no chance. I knew how the dikes fought. I could expect no help. And on board, she would have been the only one of us left alive. Aye, Jambu would see to that. We made the beach safely, crossed it, and worked our way up the steep path on the face of the cliff. Finally we reached the ledge in front of the caves. Oh, it is so dark here. It frightens me. Well, there's nothing to harm you. That's in the caves, perhaps, but nothing else. I am to stay here alone, then? Aye, until the water witch comes into anchor tomorrow. Light this torch, then, and signal them. They'll come ashore and take you off. Tomorrow? Where will you be tomorrow, Arit? You are going back there to die with him, aren't you? We'll have a fighting chance. You have no chance at all, and you know it. Don't go. Stay with me, Arit. You know that's impossible. No, this man, young poised, no better than a pirate himself, and you cannot help him by losing your own life, or stay with me. And what of your husband? Not go back. I beg you, please, Arit. Delphina, you have a deadlier poison than the Eupastrig itself. Will you force me then to stay here in safety and watch you die on those decks there below? Would it make so very much difference to you? So much that I would not care to be alive tomorrow. In Manila, I hated my life. I prayed for earthquakes, pirates, death, anything. But now I pray only that you may live through this night. Delphina, Delphina, I... There's nothing can be said. Leave them if you must. But before you do, kiss me. Delphina. Buenas noches, precioso. Adiosito. Adiosito. For a little while. Had I stayed there one moment longer, I should never have left her. Back aboard the junk, I found Yang Po rushing preparations for the hopeless fight that stood ahead of us. Don Narciso was shivering on the quarter deck, and I saw no reason to tell him his wife had made the trip with us. The Chinese crew had piled stones and smoke pots at the rail, ready to throw down on the heads of the diacs who had tried to board us, and kettles of oil were being heated over a brick hearth by the mast. Paper lanterns had been lighted and hung about the rigging, but outside the narrow limits of the deck we could see nothing. Nothing but the black wall of the Borneo night. That same dark wall shut off any sight of the upas tree, and so the cliff face where Delphina lay hidden. But I knew from the ledge she could see us moving about on the lighted deck. I loaded my pistols with the only dry powder aboard, and we waited. There was no light on shore, and no sound, and three hours went past. Ah! Signores, have all policy put in measures been taken? My venerable Captain General, I have offered incense and rice to Queen of Heaven. If our enemies prevail after that, then we have mistreated them in some form of life. I go below to sleep. Sleep? And who is to give orders to your men? They give them to one another, Excellency. They are all commanders in their own right. We may perhaps meet later in third or fourth heaven with powder, dry powder, and the grounded sheep. I might warn you before the attack starts, Your Excellency. Stay away from the rail, at least until after the smoke parts are thrown. The diacs use bamboo poles with iron hooks on the end, and they can reach up and drag a man over the rail easier than picking coconuts. Captain Arat, perhaps we could surrender, make peace somehow. We'll take no surrender. They want our heads. Look! They're on us! Young Poles, here they come! What's the rail, Your Excellency? Use your cutlery until the head comes over the side and look out for the hook! I'll be right there! There is dog warriors that run their boats in against the scythe through the junk, and now we're pushing them murderous hooks over the rail. The Chinese crew is fighting like madmen, tossing over smoke pots, smashing those heavy rocks down on the heads of the pirate mob, pouring out smoking kettles of boiling oil. And the whole curtain of night was torn by the screams of anger. Captain Arat, we find ourselves suddenly without smoke pots or soothing oil, and rocks are nearly caught. I'll be swarming aboard it in another two minutes. Where's the Captain General? He has retired to cabin. It would be unchartable to say he hides there. Well, a lot of good it'll do him. What happened? Young Poles! They're on the island, look! It would appear Tapa of Snickerdupas Tree has burst into flame. The great flaming torch of the tree spread into full bloom and leaped up to the heavens, lighting the whole sea around us. And everywhere about us, screaming in horsepower, the die have drew off in their boats and stared at the blazing death of their sacred tree. And then in full view on the glaring face of the cliff, the beautiful and weird figure of a woman, hair streaming behind it, swung slowly out from behind the flame, and up and up and then disappeared over the ledge in front of the cave. And at the sight of their white goddess escaping from her prison in the tree, the dikes broke in panic and turned their boats and raced for the shore. And while I thought of the signal torch I'd left with Delphina, suddenly the battle was over. Ten thousand bushels of unexpected good fortune. The little pair of kithars saved our worthless lives. Aye, then you recognize. Why, these vulnerable eyes have never looked upon sight more fair. I shall address her hereafter as Princess of Heaven. Never said that. And I think perhaps another recognized her also. But did you not see it? That was Delphina. It was my wife. I know. She was aboard with us. Aboard with us? By your permission, senor? No, she stowed away and asked that the knowledge of her presence be kept from you. I have no doubt she found you quite agreeable to such a plan. Take care, excellency. Take care? I will see your hands, senor. And as for her, I shall rip her through the streets of Vanilla. We will discuss that later. I do not discuss my decisions. In fact, it may be better that I be aboard at once and perhaps be there or dead on this very deck. You pardon me. It is my humble opinion that elderly men should learn to control their emotions. Wait, wait. There's a dyke warrior hiding there by the rail. The boats have gone and left him. Excellency! Excellency, away from that rail! I take no arms from you, senor! Get back! Look out! Silence, sodas! Very commendable shooting, Captain Aran. Aye, but a little used to the Captain General, I'm afraid. See what you can do from Yung Po. I'm going ashore to look after her. See what I can do for him. Now, how can I be expected to replace man's head on his body, especially when head seems to have rolled overboard? There's not the least bit of use in giving me a poet's blind, you old reprobate. It was nothing but pure luck that kept me from sailing in here this morning and finding nothing but your heads, all a-smoking in a row. Life moves only according to dreams of Queen of Heaven, Mr. O'Kane. Not to mention, of course, those of a princess. Oh, that Spanish lass, eh? And quite a one she's turned out to be. I plan to devote a reminder of my unworthy life to rescue our small burbs from nests. Now, that's a silly way for a grown man to spend his time. Oh, oh, come in, heiress. I've been wondering where to find you. I was charting the course. Well, we can sail in the morning. Both ships are nearly loaded. Good, we'll head for Canton. Uh, young Poe, this friend of yours there, this Encore, do you think he might have some good quality of silk to trade? I think it's possible. Ah, silk is it now. And what would you be wanting silk for, eh, Rad? Well, uh, well, it's not silk. I, I, I mean, not exactly. Come, man, come, man. It's what, what? If it's not silk, eh, Rad, then what is it, huh? Oh, all right, Michael, if you have to know everything. I want to trade with them for, for a dozen pair of silk stockings. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] Escape is produced and directed by William N. Robeson, and tonight brought to you Misfortune's Isle by Richard Matthews Hellett, adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield, with Paul Fries as Captain Arad, Virginia Gregg as Donya Delphina, Bill Conrad as Young Poe, Barry Kroger as Don Narciso, and Tony Barrett as Mike O'Kane. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] 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. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] Next week we bring you another exciting story by one of the world's great authors. Good night then, until the same time next week, when once again we offer you Escape. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
