Tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you Escape. Escape, designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure. Escape, brought to you by your Richfield Gasoline dealer and the Richfield Oil Corporation of New York. Marketers of Richfield Gasolines with Xylene, Rich Lube All Weather Motor Oil, and other famous petroleum products. Look for the Richfield Eagle on the cream and blow pumps. Tonight, we escape to an old time whaling ship in the Pacific. The story of the desperation and murderous violence of the men who sailed her, as Bud Nelson tells it in his exciting tale, Yellow Wake. Ah, great chess of gold, the end of Sanford's rainbow. Stupid Sanford. Whiskey loose Sanford. And they put it right in my hand. Aye, it's boast of an ancient book and a chart of buried treasure reeked of whiskey. And they flash that poke of pieces of aid in the San Francisco saloon and I took care of the rest. There was no time before I was walking up the gang clank of his ship, the whaling vessel Congo Queen, knocking on the door of the captain's cabin. Who's there? Captain Thiccson. Aye, what is this? Fine watch I have that lets strangers board without chilling. Maybe your anchor watch is a little loose, captain, but I'll tighten it. My name's Love, Jonah's love. Love, is it? What's your business aboard? I'm your new first mate. Where's Sanford? He won't be coming back. Sanford jumped ship, I don't believe it. Jumping for dead, captain. Shot, sir, shot in a brawl. Aye, whiskey no doubt. I'd warned him it had to happen someday. You were a friend? For a time, whiskey makes all men friends or enemies. I shot him. You shot him? You shoot my mate and you got the sand to come here telling me about it? I shot him in the smoke of his own gun, captain. In San Francisco, that's a fair contest. I want his job. You want his job, aye? You kill a man and ask for his job. What sort do you take me for that I'd take you on in the light of what you tell me? For an intelligent man, captain. One who won't pass up a chance to take on a better man than Sanford. You won't find another qualified mate on the California coast. You got a good deal of talk, Mr. Love, but talk don't run a whaler. A ship's a ship, sir, whether she runs whale oil or slaves. Now you want to change your diggings. Where's your papers? Papers don't run a vessel anymore and talk. Here, you'll find I speak the truth. Hmm. Now maybe we can come to terms. Where's your gear? Sanford won't need his. What? Mr. Love, you've gotten on common gall. You kill a man, ask for his job, and now you take his very worldly possessions. I scarce think you'd stop at his wife. Did he have one? Now it's a fair thing he didn't. You're a heartless man, Mr. Love, and I don't admire you for it. But it takes a heartless man to run this crew. I daresay there's worse ones on board. Get your men in hand, Mr. Love. We sail in half the hour. Self's the course. All hands on deck. There are hands below there. Double watch, man, the captain. Halt! Stand by to make sail. Lightly now, men. And sail! The Congo Queen was three hundred tons between her gibs and her spanker, and fleece in the teeth of the wind. A three-masted ship with canvas five high and the smell of her trade in her wood. I beat it a-winded, cleared the bay, turned to south, and took a fresh wind over a stern, trimmed and sailing free for the end of Sanford's rainbow. Sanford. His birth was mine, the key to his sea chest hung from my neck. Secure inside his iron-bound chest was the proof of his drunken boast. Notes, more coins, green with age, a leather-bound book, and a parchment chart of Spanish legend. All I lacked was the name of the men who were in it with him, but I knew they'd show themselves soon enough. They'd be the ones who hated me most. Meantime, I had the whaling trade to learn, my life to guard against unknown men and a new captain to please. I joined Captain Thxton at the wheel. I've been expecting you, Mr. Love. Aye, sir. Belay the formality, man. Respect is not in your nature. You're right, captain. And wrong. What's our destination? Well, you might as well know you're not just my first officer. You're a confessed killer, and this is the high seas. One false step, and you're my prisoner. The matter is closed. Closed it is, but not locked, sir. Our destination, captain. You go as far as your behavior takes you. We, the Queen, and the rest of my crew hail New Bedford in time. First the Horn and the Sixty Latitudes, God willing. Sixty Latitudes, huh? Ice, then. Aye, ice. But also whales, many and big. Sperm, blues, humpback. We should feel quick with luck. You'll see, Mr. Love. Secure the watch. Aye, sir. From now on, it's watch and watch, four and four. Keep them moving smart. Tired men don't make trouble. That includes you, Mr. Love. Watch and watch, four and four it is, sir. She was a tight ship under Thxton. Still I added my bit to the squeeze. I drove the crew hard, made them hate my guts, and spitted my back. They left me alone, and that's what I wanted. Kept my cabin secure inside or out while I fit Sanford's plan with my own. Oh, how the fool could have waited, I'll never know. The cache of gold was described in his notes. He'd been to the site from the Caribbean side, yet he sailed halfway around the world, because he needed four men. Four men who were on board, and they were all men. Four men who were on board, four men who would kill to put hand to my book and my chart. Well, we were fast hauling south. Had to tempt them to show their hand. The bait was the book with some pages cut out, a false rolled chart and an open hatch. We were in Mexican waters, sailing hard on the wind. I'd put on my hammock a tired dog, and sleep was a fitful thing. Hold there! Hold in your tracks, you thieving ape! I groped like a fool for my pistol, and my man got away in the night. He'd come to open Sanford's chest. At one time, he'd come to kill. Another week passed while I studied the crew. Four men and thirty, all keeping their thoughts in their beards. Some were mean, some were meek, some mutinous, some too willing in their work. Under four of those beards were Sanford's men. Another two days and Lady Luck sent me to my quarters. The day I needed to fill my pipe. Johnson, what brings you to my quarters? Mr. Love, sir. I was just putting things in order. I see. Now, come on. Get up on your feet and talk. Come on up. Now, what are you looking for, Johnson? Well, like I say, I... What are you hiding in your shirt? It's just a book, sir. Just a book it is, huh? Give it to me. Just a book for certain. And what else? What else in your shirt? Ah, a land chart of Panama, is it? You read maps too, huh, Johnson? Save the lies, Johnson. You're looking for Sanford's secret. You might as well know that it's mine now. I know you were in it with Sanford. In with Sanford, Mr. Love. I don't follow. You will if you hope to make any good from Sanford's plan. Aye, you'll follow me and the other three will too. Oh, you're talking in riddles, man. Riddles, is it, huh? Well, you took the bait good, Johnson. I've been expecting you to come prowling. I set the bait and you took it. But it's wrong, Johnson. Here. Here's the pages that tell the story, Johnson. Read them. Oh, I don't read, sir. Tannehill, he reads, sir. I'll read it to you. But listen well. Peleg, Sanford, 1838. It says right here in his own handwriting. Now listen to this. The name of the book, Sir Francis Drake Revived. Calling upon this dull and effeminate age to follow his noble steps for gold and silver. Pretty thought, isn't it, Johnson? Aye, it's a haunting story, I'm told. Tannehill was to read it to me on wages, sir. Save the lies, Johnson. Just listen to this where Sanford marked. Now listen. He keepeth a hundred slaves at least in the mines. Each slave being bound to bring in daily clear gain. All charges deducted. Three pesos of gold for himself and two for his women. It goes on to say, Johnson, that the daily haul, daily mind you, was 1600 pounds sterling. Translated, that's roughly $50,000 every day. Now listen. Which he keepeth in certain great chests of two feet deep, three broad and four long. Just think of it, Johnson. Caskets full of gold. Now you were in with Sanford, Johnson. What does this mean to us? Oh, to us, I don't understand, sir. It's just a tale to amuse. That's all I wanted, sir. The hours are long in the foxtel, sir. That's enough of your sempering, Johnson. Now who are the others? It's your boat crew, isn't it? Tannehill, Bixby and Alcott? Why, you call their names with your dying breath. Be sensible now, man. I'm willing to put in with you. You need a leader and I need men. And I hold the map and the book. When you're ready to talk sense, fetch your men here. And I'll shove off. Aye, Mr. Love, I'll shove off. And Johnson, I'll kill the man on sight I catch near my quarters. Is that clear? Aye, Mr. Love, we no killing ourselves. You may not see the light of another day. Motorist, do you realize how many practical improvement science has given you for your car? For example, you get better gasoline because scientific research discovered xylene. Xylene is one of the highest antonaut components in gasoline history. Xylene gives new high antonaut qualities, new flashing power to gasoline. But here's the big news. Today every gallon of rich-field gasoline contains xylene. Let me repeat that. Every gallon of rich-field gasoline contains xylene. Xylene for split-second pickup and traffic, for smooth, knockless power all the time. Moreover, your rich-field dealer offers you a choice of two great rich-field gasolines, both containing xylene. Get rich-field high octane at regular price for the average motor, or rich-field ethyl for best results in the highest compression motors. Each is a champion in its class. Stop where you see the rich-field eagle on the cream and blue pumps. Get rich-field gasoline with xylene. And now we return you to escape. I let Johnson go because I needed him. I needed his men to be my crew, to sail a ship, to fight a jungle, to move a mine. I thought I could wait till they came to me, but the devil's bait is a gilded hook. When it catches your flesh, you can't shake it loose. So I read and re-read and traced and retraced in my mind, and it grew and it grew and it grew and it said, gold. Well, we were south of Mexico and time was growing short. I went to Johnson on deck and took a desperate move. Johnson? Aye, sir? This is your last chance. Show up tonight with your men or I'll pick my own and leave you out. I don't be a fool. You'll kill it for all of us. All but me, Johnson. Well, I'll take you in if it's all right with my crew, my men. Your crew, huh? Your boat crew, just as I thought. Do I use yours or get my own? We'll talk it out. I'm losing my patience, Johnson. Bring your men to my cabin at eight bells or I get my own. If the men agree, we'll be there at eight bells. It was a long chance, but it worked. And at eight bells they came to my cabin. Johnson, Tanner Hill, Bigsby and Alcott. Here we are, Mr. Love. Come in. Keep quiet. All right, belay the talk. Now gather around the charts. Now there's one point I want clear. I'm giving orders and they're not going to be mislaid. I understand. Nobody else, any man who doesn't like it can talk up now. Mr. Love, we're taking you in. You're wrong, Johnson. As Sanford's legal heir, I've got nine points of the law right here on this table, this map and this book and the know-how. He's right. Stole the gripes, Johnson. We need a man with learning. How about it, men? All right, that's settled. Understand, Johnson? All right, close in on this chart. I'll show you where Sanford was wrong. Now here, right here was our position at the noon site. We're approximately 12 degrees 30 minutes north by 82 degrees 40 minutes west. See where that puts us? Not over four degrees off the coast of Panama. You see? Aye, man, but you've still got to round the horn. The maps from the other side. Sure, the Spanish chart shows a bearing from the Caribbean side, but look, carry that bearing on across Panama and the Pacific. Now look where we are. Oh, we ain't a day away. But we don't have to round the horn. Sanford never thought of that. No, we don't have to go through with any whaling. Look, between these two mountains is a saddle. That's the mine. The bulk of the treasure is shown on the Spaniards map right here at the highest point in this defile. Boy, that ain't a day's march over. Right. We can forget whaling. We don't have to round the horn and this side fits my plan much better. What is your plan about the boats and all? Boats be hanged. I say take the ship. What are you talking about, man? Mutiny. Call it what you want. This half of the world won't be a healthy place for any of us. I say take the ship. Get the gold and head south east. There are lands, big lands, new lands and gold talks and any of them. You got a good opinion of yourself, love. We're five against 25. 26 counting the captain. We can't take ship. You're wrong, Johnson. You forget we're whalesmen. We've seen whales every day lately. The order was given. Five boats out after whales would take care of 25 men. The captain won't take weir till we're south of the horn. He'll never give the order. That's the first time you've been right, Johnson. He won't give the order. But I will. Five boats out. Take care of 25 men and I'll see that it's none of us. Five boats with salt and they're water breakers and no ship to come home to. Do you follow me? Aye. The current will take him to sea. From there on it's Davy Jones' worry. We get the gold, head south, scuttle the queen and as far as everybody knows all hands are lost. Then it's every man to his own pleasure with plenty of gold to buy it. I say we got the right man to lead us. Bye, Olsen. He is a smart one. Before another night falls men will have us a ship. In a week we'll have gold for ballast. Enough to buy us a kingdom. Now break it up quiet and mind your actions. As far as Thiccston's concerned there's nothing changed. And I'll still flog the man that falls in order. Now lay down the quarters sharp and quiet. I'll pass the word when the time comes. All we need is a whale, men. One whale and the ship is ours. It was a neat land and it carried fear. The watch changed, day broke gray, Johnson was at the helm. Bigsby stood look out high in the fort at Gallant Yards, all on orders of Jonah's love. Captain Thiccston was lashed in his bunk. I saved him to kill him with the loss of his ship. The proud Captain Thiccston, a prisoner of Captain Love. For now we were whalesmen in search of a whale, any whale. It was watch and wait and watch. Two points now, man. Keep it low. Lay to the helm. Bring her up. Hands up on. March we now. Bear ahead. Oh, clockwork, love. That's what it is. I've got to hand it to you. Did you tend to my orders, Johnson, about the water breakers? And I'd like to see the face of the first thirsty man. I gave him side meat too. Good salt hog side to whet their thirst. They won't last two weeks. If they're picked up before it won't make any difference. All we need is a jolly roger from our royal yard, love. Not quite, Johnson. Thiccston's still with us. Tonahill. Aye, sir. Carried pair, sir. You got your knife, Tonahill. Thiccston's tied in his cabin. Make it fast and sure. Aye, sir. Fast and sure it is. Can I bring her about, love? You'll bring her about when I tell you to, Johnson, and you'll belay the mister when I tell you to. Not before. Is that understood? Aye. Well, that's it. Bring her about, Johnson. East by south, steady as you go. Our next step is Panama, man. Golden Panama. You know, love, now all our stations is equal. It's four to one against you. And all of us feel the same. Johnson, it'll pay you to know that the man who crosses me cuts those odds by one. Now fill out on your course. The wind took us east and the current went west, carrying before it the crew of the Queen. Five drifting whale boats of hopeless men lay at our stern. Our bow like a finger points to fortune's door, Panama. A land green-black with tropic growth and our treasure cradled in a mountain nest on our backbone. I put into fair anchorage in the lee of a point, paid off the hook and called my men. We ride out tonight here in this bay, men. Yeah. Well, there she is, right up the mountain. The low point between those two peaks. We still some daylight, love. I say move now. You'll do no saying, Johnson. We move now right enough, but we'll do it on board. We'll provision the whale boat for ten days. Ten days? Quite scarce looks elite. That it does, Tannahill, but it's a stormy course. That's jungle growth. We'll have to fight it all the way to the top. And we'll have no more crossing. Bigsby, look to provisions. Load the whale boat. Tannahill and Alcott, break out the forge and fashion knives from flintzing tools. Make them shorten the handle and keen on the edge. You three men stay on board. You'll take up the work till me and Johnson cast off. We'll need our strength. Us staying aboard? You take us for fools? We're all going. You'll stay aboard. That's an order. The man who thinks different, step up and speak. You got the map, Mr. Love. Men don't like it that way. Well, what say you, men? It ain't fair. What's to keep you from going straight out the other side? Yes. How do we know you're coming back? Hold it. Aye, I've got the map. You're right. It's not fair that one man should have it. Tannahill, give me your knife. Aye, sir. You men don't trust me. You do trust Johnson. It's very well. So, here, Johnson, half for you, half for me. Now, does that satisfy you? Aye. Aye. Johnson's for us, fair enough. But you'd better come back. We'll follow you to the gates of hell if you don't. It's fools who'd leave a ship unmanned. You'll get your share when we open the trail, Johnson and me. All right, now turn to, bear a hand. There's a fortune waiting the dawn. The fools. Simple, arrogant fools. And Johnson, too. Content with a worthless half of a map, landmarks in plain sight, the last and main bearing stowed safe in my head, every bearing in distance to the final pace memorized from a thousand readings. Now to find the starting point. The rock with a face in Sanford's notes. Certain great chests of two feet deep, three broad and four long. Ponderous heavy. A wall of jungle to cut. I needed these fools, even Johnson, for a time. Jungle. Lush, rich, gentle. It's a trap, a slimy, stinking, creeping green trap. Hold up, Johnson. Fetch up the water. Aye. The bugs. The heat. Green snail. Take the lead, Johnson. No man can keep this up. I say belay it and rest. We need a strength. Move on, Johnson. We've hacked half a day and we're not a cable's length from the sea. Take the lead. Not last if we hold this pace. Look at the blasted insects hanging clouds. I say make camp. Likely tomorrow we'll get our second wind. We'll get it on the move, Johnson. There's still three hours of day. Now take the lead and swing that knife. For five killing days it was hack, slash, hack. Move up the gear, creep on at a tortoise pace. The sixth day the mountain fanned out on our course and we rose above that green wall of jungle and we could see the sea. The masts of the queen waved gently, not four leagues down the slope. The sea breeze caught us and cooled our brow. The jungle's web thinned and we rested. We ate and we smoked. We've passed the worst of it. Another day at the most, Johnson. No more. You look bad, Johnson. Too much for you? There's a powerful gripe in my back. Don't be feeling sorry for yourself. I don't feel it's going to rig myself. Now take up your gear. No. We're moving on. I can't move on. You're on goal, don't you, Johnson. Fall and you're rotting your tracks. There's more for the rest of us. Now move out. No. Nothing's stopping me now. The great bearded Johnson with the strength of two men. He spent his strength with harboring hate and he felt a blithering. His big bloody eyes cast up the trail. Useless he was. Weak and out of his mind. Ah, chop the lines. She's sounding. She's sounding. What is it, Johnson? You're drilling black. She'll get a thousand barrels if I drop, sir. Sperm whale. I've seen her my own two eyes. Johnson. Johnson, do you know me, man? Aye, Captain Sixton. You're through, Johnson. I'm moving on. The rock's in sight. I've no time for you now. Let's juice our fifty paces to such a point as... Look. There. There. It's the cave. Johnson. Johnson's the cave. Sandford's cave, Johnson. My cave. I've found it. I've found it. It's here. Great chess of gold. Johnson. Johnson, we've found it. Chess of a Johnson. Johnson. Look, Johnson. I brought back a handful. Gold. Johnson, look. Lord have mercy. There he is. Dead of the fever. And yellow is gold. His face, his hands, all yellow like gold. Oh, my hands. No. No. It's not the blight like Johnson. It's just gold dust. It'll wash off. It's not the blight. My hands. My limbs. It'll wash off. No. No. No. It's the devil's bait on a gilded hook. This fever's the devil's breath. I can feel it now. Boiling out my bile, painting me gold. Aye. It'll cook out my soul and leave me poor. This fever, this devil's yellow blight. The good old summertime may be fun for you, but it's no picnic for your car. Hot summer weather and gritty dust can take your car off the road right into the repair shop. That's why it's important to make sure now that your car is safely lubricated. Get protection against wear and breakdown with Richfield All-Point Safety Service. The Richfield gasoline dealer will give your car a careful all-point lubrication job using RichLube Lithium Lubricant, the new premium lubricant that stands up under the toughest use, and wears like iron. Then he'll change your oil to fresh RichLube All-Weather Motor Oil, the oil that cleans your motor as it lubricates. And finally, the Richfield dealer will give your car a careful safety check of all the likely trouble spots. So why take chances? Get Richfield All-Point Safety Service from the Richfield gasoline dealer tomorrow. Stop where you see the Richfield Eagle on the cream and blue pumps. Escape was produced and directed by William N. Robson, and tonight is presented Yellow Wake by Bud Nelson. Featured in tonight's cast were Bill Conrad as Love, John Hoyt as Sanford, John Dana as Johnson, Will Gere as Thxton. Also heard were Paul Free, Stacy Harris, Harry Bartel, and George Offerman, Jr. Special music arranged and played by Ivan Dittmars. Next week. You're in India, lying in bed at night, when suddenly a crate, the most deadly poisonous snake in the world, crawls into bed with you. The slightest movement will bring you to a horrible death, from which there is no escape. Next week at this time, the Richfield Oil Corporation of New York invites you to escape with an unforgettable story of a night of terror in Bombay, as Roald Dahl tells it in his story Poison. Be listening. Goodbye then, until this same time, next week, when once again we offer you... Escape. Tom Hanlon speaking, over CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. Music
