 tired of the everyday routine ever dream of a life of romantic adventure you want to get away from it all we offer you escape starring John one escape designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure you are groping your way slowly through the dark hold of a ship at sea moving carefully step by step searching intently for something you dread to find because you know that this ship carries a cargo of death today with John Lund in the role of Chris Warner we escaped to a harbor front in Venezuela and a grim voyage which started from there as told by Martin Storm and his gripping tale a shipment of mute fate I stopped on the wharf at the Guaira and looked up the gangplank toward the liner shankay standing there quietly at her moorings the day was warm under a bright tropic sun and the harbor beyond the ship laid drowsy and silent but all at once in the midst of those peaceful surroundings a cold chill gripped me my shivered with sudden dread dread of the thing I was doing was about to do but too much had happened to turn back now I'd gone too far to stop I set the box down on the edge of the wharf placed it carefully so as to be in plain sight and within gunshot of the captain's bridge I knew what I was going to do but I couldn't forget that a certain pair of beady eyes were watching every move I made eyes that never blinked and never closed just watched and waited I turned and started up the gangplank oh oh you startled me sir I didn't hear what white mr. Warner hello mother Willis how's the best-looking stewardess and the seven seas oh well I'm fine mr. Warner well I guess I'd better run along now and get on with my chores wait a minute that's a fine greeting after two months well it's just that I'm so busy now I don't believe a word of it sailing days tomorrow you're simply avoiding me that's all oh no mr. Warner really I'm not on the trip down from New York you said I was your favorite passenger well but I'm only trying what's that you're carrying in your apron oh it's it's nothing it just supplies supplies yeah let's have a look no please what's a cat it's Clara mr. Warner mr. Bowman said I had to leave her ashore and I just couldn't who's mr. Bowman the new chief steward what Claire has been aboard with me for two years and I just can't leave her here in a foreign country especially with her conditions so delicate and all well I hope you get away with it you you won't tell anyone oh not a soul as a matter of fact if things don't work out right we may both end up smuggling I've had you aboard on the trip down two months ago Christopher and I'm happy to have you along with us on the run back to New York oh thanks Captain Wood there is one thing though what's that I'm having a little trouble with the customers men here I wanted a few I can't do it Christopher I came with your father just this morning told him I would have done it for you if I possibly could he said a request from New York you know yes I thought he would I wired him from up river last week I hate it to refuse but that's absolutely out of the question Captain Wood I'm afraid I don't follow you my responsibility to the passengers and we have women and children aboard and on a liner the safety of the passengers comes ahead of anything else but with proper precautions it might happen what I don't know what but something might you've carried worse things there isn't anything worse any skipper a float will bear me out no Christopher I simply can't take the chance that's final final it wasn't final if I could do anything about it I hadn't come down here to spend two months in that stinking back country and then be stopped on the edge of the wharf two months of it heat rain insects malaria I'd gone clear in past the headwaters of the Orinoco travel through country where every step along the jungle trail might be the last one or such as you're wondering better start looking for a place to camp be dark a little while she's in your very soon return to river camp on rocks by water this very bad country this very bad country you've been saying that for 10 days now very bad country this senior owner this very bad country skip it for all the luck we've had so far might as well be central park central park I don't understand mind here what's the matter quiet there quiet Sanchez what's wrong there in the past see bush master bush master the deadliest snake in the world bush master its Latin name was the case is Muta mute fate it lay there in the center of the path a 10-foot length of silent death coiled loosely in an undulate loop ready to strike violently at the least movement here was the one snake that would go after any animal that walked or any man it lay there and watched us not moving not afraid ready for anything the splotch of its color stood out like some horrible gaudy floor mat lying there on the brown background of the jungle waiting for someone to step on it here was what I'd come 2,000 miles for a bush master it was three days later when Sanchez brought me the snake in a rubber bag he was shaking so hard I thought for a moment the thing had struck him one thing you make sure senior wonder not on him loose in Venezuela because he know I do want to catch him and he know where I live alright Sanchez I'll keep an eye on him he know you pay me to catch him all the time he watch and wait you know forget us in your owner because he know forget not ever well after going through all that trouble and danger I wasn't going to let a pig headed ships captain stop me at the last minute at least not as long as the cables were still in operation between La Guire and New York morning captain wood boy at the hotel said you wanted to see me that's right Christopher to sit down thank you seems you weren't willing to let me stand the way we left them yesterday sorry to go over your head captain wood but I had to the museum sent me all the way down here for that snake and I'm not going to be stopped by red tape why this will be the only live bush master ever brought to the United States if I had my way Christopher but orders are orders I got a cable from the head office this morning all right now I suppose we talk about precautions well I'll handle it any way you say it's got to have a stronger box that creates two films oh it's stronger than it looks that wire screen on top would hold a wild cat but anyway I bought a heavy sea chest this morning we'll put the crate inside it sounds all right you've got a lock on it heavy padlock it's fixed so the lid can be propped open a crack without unlocking it snake's got to have air all right but in dirty weather that lid stays shut I'm taking no chances fair enough we'll keep the blaster thing in my inside cabin where I sleep I'd have it in the baggage room and nobody on boards to know about it whatever you say captain we won't have any trouble after all it's only a snake doesn't have any magical powers I saw a bush master and the zoo at Caracus once I did in a glass cage with double walls never move just lie there and look at you as long as you're in sight gave a man the creeps I didn't know they had a bush master at the Caracas zoo they don't now found the glass broke one morning the snake gone night watchman was dead they never found out what happened well the watchman must have broken a glass by accident some way the way they figured it the glass was broke from the inside we're sailing for hours into the Caribbean with perfect weather and a sea as smooth as an inland lake the barometer dropped a little on the third day but cleared up overnight left nothing worse than a heavy swell but in spite of the calm seas and pleasant weather I found myself feeling more and more often of an ominous foreboding I was developing an almost unnatural fear of that snake I stayed clear of the passengers pretty much got the habit of dropping into captain wood's quarters several times a day he kept the heavy box underneath his birth I'd approach it quietly and shine my flashlight through the open crack never once could I catch that 12-foot devil asleep or even excited he'd be lying there half coiled his head raised a little staring out of those beady black eyes waiting he'd still be like that when I turn away to leave maybe that's what bothered me that horrible and constant watchful waiting what in the name of heaven was he waiting for well hello there mr. Warner oh how are you mother willis my but you and the captain spend an awful lot of time around this cabin I'm beginning to think the two of you must have some guilty secret oh no nothing like that mother willis I don't know about captain wood but I certainly don't have any guilty secret now she's running quite a swell out there mr. Bowman yeah a little heavy all right mr. Warner guess the storm passed through to the west of us yesterday when the glass dropped I think it missed us then huh well that's where the mate figures sure stood up some water though this will put half the passengers in their bunks makes it great for my department two-thirds of them will want to steward to hold their heads they'll keep mother willis so busy that you wait what look at the size of that wave great your hose of it we're gonna take it on the port bow you better hang on it was a freak if there ever was one on another way of that size of sight there you see him like that sometimes even on the column see uh I better get below mr. Warner that water probably did some damage on the officer's deck yeah I suppose what did you say the wheel companion way was open on the port side the bridge cabinets must have taken a pretty bad smashing they're right below the something wrong mr. Warner oh no no nothing at all mr. Bowman at least I hope not I didn't stop to find captain wood of course I knew it was only one chance in a thousand but the chances against that freak wave were one in a thousand two I stumbled down the companion way and along the passage of the captain's cabin oh mother willis isn't this cabin a mess I'm trying to get some of these things out to dry yeah well I just wanted to check where's that box that was under the captain's bunk oh that oh I just threw it out in the deck what with the desk over there slid into it it was all smashed with the small box inside of it what happened to that oh they were both splintered mr. Warner broke wide open oh no why mr. Warner yo white is a sheet mother willis will you go find captain wood yes tell him to tell him to come down here immediately well of course mr. Warner I'll go tell him right away I can finish up here I pulled open the top door of the bureau beside me and took out the captain's flashlight and the loaded pistol mother willis had left a mop standing by the door I put my foot on the head of it and snapped off the handle every move I made turned into slow motion I could hear my own heart beating slowly I started to search the cabin sodden heaps of clothing were scattered around on the wet black floor I punched at them one at a time holding a gun cocked the flashlight pointing along the stick nothing I worked around the room throwing the light into the dark corners back of the desk under the bunk wherever I turned I could feel those cold unblinking eyes at my back watching and waiting still nothing using the stick I pushed open the closet door through the light inside carefully I poked at the boxes and junk on the floor the snake was not in the closet inch by inch I covered the entire cabin and only then the horrible realization began to dawn on me captain wood mother willis just told me hello Christopher so it's happened that's right it's happened I see you found the gun that's good you better start by searching the cabin here captain wooden I just finished searching it oh kids that thing loose on board a thousand places for it to hide heaven help us Christopher so you're starting to blame anybody now gentlemen I didn't call you in here to pass judgment the things done and that's that hey right we have got to do is to make up our minds how we're going to handle it it'd be easy if we didn't have to tell the passengers and crew I've seen panics aboard liners before I agree with you mr bourbon but I don't quite see how we can avoid it they've got a right to know as long as that snake's loose everybody on board's on the same danger and they all are to know about it captain wood that thing is 12 feet long it can't simply crawl into a crack why don't we make a quick search of the whole ship before we spread in the alarm I thought of that Christopher well as far as I can see the only place it couldn't be is in the boilers are on top of the galley stove it might have crawled overboard I can't count on that we've got to assume it's on the ship somewhere yeah that could be anywhere the coil of a rope and a pile of clothes are under a baby's crib or even already said it that bush master could be anywhere we've got to do something we've got to do it fast all right I think the best ideas to follow mr warner suggestion make a quick search first you agree to that then if we don't find it we'll have to warn the person we've got to find it alone in the dim baggage room I went through the same movements as I had earlier in the captain's cabin gun in one hand flashlight in the other poking into every dark corner behind every trunk and box since the baggage room was empty I could keep the gun cocked and ready the rest of those poor devils were having to do the same thing bare-handed all over the ship the search went on here now steward what on earth are you doing rummaging through my cabin I'm just checking up ma'am well I'm quite sure there's nothing in here that has to be checked I'm sorry ma'am it's captain's orders it'll only take a few minutes well I've never heard of such a thing a passenger simply doesn't have any privacy at all I've traveled on a lot of different lines but I've certainly never heard of anything sorry sir one of you would mind moving over to the other rail I'd like to look through these lockers sure go ahead what's the matter you lost something no nothing like that now just looking things over well there's nothing in there but life preservers yeah yeah that's right you must be getting ready to sink the boat huh you gotta click the insurance on it you gotta send us all to the bottom I know but not one of us could find that deadly shape coiled in some dark corner or outstretched along a window seat not one of us caught a glimpse of that horrid head with its beady black watchful eyes the thing lay waiting out there somewhere along the decks shaded in the gathering dusk but where we didn't know it was nearly dark when we met together again in the chart room well gentlemen there's no other way around it we've risked all the time we can we've got to warn the passengers how we do it captain call them all together in the lounge no indeed we did anything like that we'd be asking for a panic I will get one whether we ask for it or not pick a few men and go through the cabin decks tell them individually inside their cabins watch for any that act like they might cause trouble we keep an eye on them handle the crew the same way as soon as you're finished arm all the deck officers and start searching again our only chance of preventing a riot is to find that damnable snake the slow nightmare that followed grew worse by the hour none of us slept all the ship's officers not on duty kept on with that endless search passengers locked themselves in their cabins or huddled together in the lounges knowing all the time that no spot on board could be called safe fear was a heavy fog in the lungs of all of us and every light on the vessel burns throughout the night morning came and brought no relief terror and tension mounted by the hour there now mrs crane stop getting yourself all worked up and go back to your cabin the horrid things probably called overboard anyway you're just saying that you're paid to say it you don't know nobody knows no now everything's going to be all right only we could do something if all of us could only get off this ship they could be emigrated yes that's what we've got to do we've got to get off the ship no wait mr bowman she's going to jump grab her nice mr bowman get her down to her cabin whatever you do don't turn her loose you know when it might strike you you can't put on a coat or move a chair without risking your life and something's got to be done it might be right here in this lounge all right mr all right you better quiet down and take it easy take it easy a door a great officer why don't you do something about it that thing might be crawling around here right under our feet somewhere i said shut up what are you trying to do start a panic i got a right to talk i don't want to die and no one's going to tell me the second night passed and morning came around again a gray and rainy day that dragged past and then night came down third night of the terror again every light burned and the whole ship seized in the throes of incipient panic faced by a horror they'd never met on the sea before crew and officers alike were on the verge of revolt passengers had huddled in a trans-like stupor ready to scream at the slightest unknown sound at seven bells i made my way forward to the chart room found captain wood bent over a desk hello mr bowman come on in sit down it's got to be somewhere captain wood it's got to be i don't know you can search this ship for six months and never touch all the places aboard we can only hold out for two more days and we'll be in what's your home office say here's the latest wireless from them keep quiet and keep coming what else can we do no secret please oh thanks how is it on the decks pretty bad anything could happen yeah that's right took the guns away from the men one pistol shot we'd have a riot on our hands the whole thing's my fault captain wood that's what i can't forget take it easy lad it was only some way i could pay for it myself alone i know how you feel but it's no more your fault than mine or the man who asked you to bring that snake back alive nobody planned this you better try to get a little sleep i think sleep mr bowman made some coffee down in the stewards gallery a while ago better go on down get yourself a cotton then rest for a couple of hours rest i can't rest Christopher it's not going to help anything if you stumble through a hatch half asleep and break your neck now is it go on get some coffee one way or another we've got to hold out for two more days the light was on in the stewards galley and the coffee pot was standing on the stove it was still warm so i didn't bother to heat it i poured out a cup carried it over and set it on the porcelain tabletop in the center of the room i started to light a cigarette the door of the pan covered me the sink was standing slightly a jar and i haven't glanced at it i dropped the cigarette and moved slowly backward i found the bush master as i moved the snake slid out of the cupboard in a single sinuous glide and drew back into a loose coil on the galley floor never taking his eyes off me i moved slowly back waiting any moment for that deadly slithering strike how would he know it was me he'd stayed quiet when bowman was here how would he pick the first time in five days that i was without a gun my hands touched the cold bulkhead behind me and i stopped only then i realized in terror what i'd done the call button and door were on the far side of the room i backed into a dead end i stared at the snake in fascination expecting any moment the ripping slash of those poisoned fangs the horrible coils tightened a little and were still again ten million years of evolution that reduced this moment almost sapiens versus lechesis muta man against mute fate and all the odds were on fate i knew then that i was going to die i could feel the sweat run down between the painted wall and the palms of my hands pressing against it my skin crawled and twitched the pit of my stomach was cold as ice there was no sound but the rush of blood in my ears snake shifted again drawing into a tighter coil always tighter why didn't the devil get it over with for just an instant his head veered away something moved over by the stove i didn't dare turn to look at it slowly it moved out into my line of vision it it was a cat that scrawny cat clara that mother willis had sneaked aboard in leguira his back was arched every hair stood on end it moved stiff like it now walking in a half circle around the snake the bush master moved slowly kept watching the cat he tightened he was going to strike in any second he struck and missed the cat was barely out of reach now she was walking back and forth again she was asking to die missed again by a fraction of an inch he was striking now without even going to a full coil missed again and again always missing by the barest margin each time the cat dance barely out of reach each time she countered with one precise spat of a daity paw bracing her skinny frame on three stiff legs and then suddenly i realized what she was doing the bush master was tiring and one strike was just an instant slow but in that split second sharp claws raked across the evil head and ripped out both its eyes the cat had deliberately blinded the snake he didn't bother to corner now but slid after in a fury striking wildly always missing and every strike was a little slower than the last one until finally as the snake's neck stretched out at the end of a strike the cat made one leap and sank her razor sharp teeth just back of the ugly head sank him until they crunched bone with tooth and claw she clung as the monster snake flailed and lashed on the floor striving to get those hideous coils around her trying to break her hole to shake off the slow and certain paralyzing death that gradually crept over him and at last stilled his struggles forever i took a deep breath the first in minutes the cat lay on her side on the floor panting resting from the fight just over she had a right to rest that mangy brave beautiful alley cat had just saved my life and maybe others as well then as i turned toward the stove i suddenly became very humble and i knew all at once what a small thing a human being really is i and others aboard were still alive only by the nearest accident there were three reasons why that cat had fought and killed the world's deadliest snake and those three reasons came tottering out from under the stove and shaky little legs three kittens with their eyes bright with wonder their tails stiff as pokers up on the decks hundreds of passengers are waiting for the news that the days and nights of terror were ended well they could wait a little longer i pulled open the doors of the cabinet and found a can of milk then i dropped down in my knees on the floor of the galley escape produced and directed by norman mcdonnell has brought you john lund in a shipment of mute fate by martin storm specially adapted for radio by less crutchfield featured in the cast were Barry kroger's captain wood and lois corbett as mother willis with david ellis don diamond and vivi janis special sound effects by url keen and gust bays the musical score was conducted by leith stevens next week you are trapped in a remote valley in the andes walled in by sheer rock precipices and surrounding you closing in on you is a band of blind men who want your eyes next week escape with h g well's great story the country of the blind when our star will be that fine actor edmund o brian goodnight then until this same time next week when once again cbs offers you escape john lund may soon be seen starring the paramount picture bride of vengeance this is roi roan speaking it's time now for the most wonderful hour of laughter on the air the mad and marry 60 minutes with the jack benny show and with a mason andy they will be heard over most of these same cbs stations and jack benny will come to you over them all you'll never miss them by staying tuned to the station where they say this is cbs where 99 million people gather every week the columbia broadcasting system