 One week from tonight October 5th. You bet your life starring Groucho Marx will be heard at this time over most of these same CBS stations We offer you escape starring Ben Heflin Escape designed to free you from the four walls of the day for a half hour of high adventure You were trapped in the dank darkness of a ruined plantation house Somewhere in the pitch-black room is a homicidal maniac armed with a knife Groping for you trying to prevent your escape Tonight with Van Heflin as John Wolfock. We escape to a deserted sandpit off the coast of Georgia Where terror stalks under the Spanish moss as Joseph Hergeshimer tells it in wild oranges What could have appeared more innocent of danger than that bare and low-lying shore of southern Georgia? What could have seemed less laden with terror than that lovely little cove so crankwell and well sheltered so Warmly bathed in late afternoon sun as we dropped the anchor of our catch and prepared our mooring and Yet there was something First it was an aroma a grove of wild orange trees in late bloom grew defiantly amid the tangled undergrowth of the shore The scent was strong and exotic and heady And as I smelled it I I felt a vape on easiness Then as I watched the shore and halved my sailor and furl the sails the mirror of the cove was shattered by a movement At first I thought it was a fish leaping and playing in the water Came round a spit of land from an inner bay and then halved was beside me That's clear sir. I would have bet there was nobody within miles of here, but that's someone swimming. Yes It's a girl. Hi, sir. You'll be surprised when she discovers us no doubt And embarrassed this you swam as well, isn't she? Yes, she had been more born in the water. Oh, she's seen us. Yes Yes, now and now she's running away That's Brentwood when an Olympic raise. Yes, I don't know what she's doing here where she comes from Perhaps there sir. Where through the trees as a house there. You can hardly see it. I spotted it a moment ago Yes, there is I Don't but it's a it's a ruin. It's rotting away. No one could have lived in that since the Civil War There may be others back there. I know but this is a deserted coast is marked as a swamp on the chart. I Don't know sir. Oh This is strange It's very strange Yes, it was strange and stranger still was this vague uneasiness that I felt As twilight fell the aroma of the wild oranges was Overwhelming and suddenly without knowing why I slipped on my jacket and went to the side and dropped into the tender Howards stood by to cast off. He asked no questions and I said nothing. What could I say? I? Didn't know myself why I was going I Pulled the tender up on the soft sand of the beach and walked up a dim path through the orange Grove Around the side of the house where a smaller portico held off the weeds A single doorway was framed in the pale light of the inner lamp As I approach I saw a shadow flip across it so Swiftly so furtively that it was gone before I realized it had been a man And then I saw her Sitting on the portico rocking softly in her chair What do you want? Oh? Nothing. I came ashore. I I thought no one was living here You're from the white boat that sailed in its sunset. Yes, and I'm returning immediately. It was like magic Suddenly without a sound you were anchored in the bay. Well, I've robbed you too I I picked a couple of your oranges. You won't like them. They run wild. We can't sell They have a distinct flavor. I should be very glad to have some of them on the boat all you want Well, my man will get them and pay you please don't Nicholas attends to that Won't you sit down? My father was here when you came up, but he went in Strangers disturbing I should be getting back. I'm sorry to have disturbed you and your father. No, it's nothing Well, good night then Good night That was all a fragment of commonplace conversation, but it was enough Now the uneasiness I felt the strangeness of this place took shape for me. I saw it in her lovely Fragile face. I heard it in her voice There'd been a hidden terror a terrible controlled fright that approached hysteria But when I got back to the boat, Halvard made it even worse fine anything sir Are there people living there? Well, there'll be water then maybe we can stay here for a couple of days What do you mean? This is good anchorage I'd like to one ship the propeller and there's some scraping to do yes I suppose you're right. We need a couple of days of work before we head into the open sea. Yes Oh, we'll do it here And so we stayed In the light of morning the strange dread I felt seemed foolish and especially when I went ashore and found the girl looking young and fresh And fragile she was fishing off a little pier in the inner bay She had a Pathetic little rod and reel and so I got our tackle from the boat and landed a big rockfish for enough for several dinners We were carrying the fish to the house and we came on a pale thin ghost of a man He's sitting on the portico. He started a swift retreat, but it was too late father wait This is my father litchfield stove. Oh, how do you do sir? You know I Strangers father, you know, I wouldn't bring anyone to the house who would hurt us And see we're fetching you a splendid rockfish Yes Just so We're alone here the man is away my daughter and I Fish is acceptable if you're carried in for me Nicholas would do it, but he's away and father isn't strong this way We have no ice. I must put it in water In here right there Thank you You've been very nice Now I suppose you'll go on across the world. Well, not tonight. We're staying here making repairs Where do you come from? Where are you going? Oh from Cape Cod? I'm going to South America South America I've traveled on maps. I was born here in this house. I've never been 50 miles away You seem like a girl who's been everywhere everywhere in the world You had the best education everything my father has many books in there. That's all you're Uh You know your eyes are remarkable magnetic I Well, there's something else in your eyes and in your voice What is it? Fear fear why no, of course not what should I be afraid of well? I don't know but I I saw it in your father's face too It's only your imagination. Yes Well goodbye then and thank you for the fishing Strange how this girl would have upset me so I tried to resist but that evening I found myself going back to her tying the tender into the little pier. I watched her as she came to meet me I'm glad you came Let's stay here by the seats so lovely in the moonlight. All right That is nice isn't it? Nicholas is back. Nicholas He's our man. I lied to you today About fear I Suppose I am afraid I Suppose my father's past some of his fear on to me and why is he afraid? That's a long story going back to the first war He was a young man then and he didn't go to war It wasn't that he was a coward exactly. He just couldn't adjust to it mentally People laughed at him and threatened him And that's when a sort of sort of perpetual fear started He ran away met my mother married and they came here None of us has ever left this lonely place Never will pass and your mother She's dead Loneliness killed her Perhaps it's no wonder that I sound timid and afraid perhaps I am aren't you lonely too. I Don't know anything else But what about you? Who are you that you go sailing about No, I'm nobody my name is John Wolf and you do nothing but sail about nothing Well, let's say that I I don't like modern society. Let's say that I I don't like Entanglements. I see. Oh, no. No, I didn't mean to apologize. I envy you your freedom I sit here a great deal and watch the ships far out there on their water roads You are enviable sailing where you like safe and free Say There's something more than you've told me. There's more behind this fear in your voice. No Look, perhaps I can help no no, please What's that? It's Nicholas going on the count. I've got to go in wait a minute. I'm with you. No don't come you You'll be going soon tomorrow perhaps then Goodbye Goodbye Now I knew the terror that I had only sensed was real This girl was possessed by fear. This house held some terrible secret. What what could it be? Next morning. Howford went in to fill a casket for water He came back without the casket and he was livid with rage There's an idiot in that house, sir. Next time I'll take the pistol. What do you mean? Where's the casket? It's broken. How how did you I was filling it at the system and this idiot a huge hulking brute came out of the house He told me to get away. Well, I tried to explain we had permission, but he came at me with a knife jibbering He put his foot on the casket and crushed it. Well, I'll see about this. Be careful, sir. The man's not quite right He's dangerous plenty dangerous. I Went ashore and around at the back door of the house Millie wasn't in sight When I knocked a lumbering giant with pig-like eyes came to the door Are you a Nicholas? What do you want? Well, I take it you're the man who broke my water cask. It was full of our water I'm not going to argue with you I came ashore to instruct you to keep your hands off of my property in my sailor and let our water be I Told you that I I wouldn't discuss the water. I don't have to justify myself to you Just remember keep your hands off. Don't get me started. What do you mean started? I don't care what you don't get me started mind now. I want you Don't get me sorry put down that knife go away. Don't get me started now. Go away and back Don't get me started Stop what is this? What's the matter? Well, nothing Nicholas and I had a little misunderstanding. That's all You tell this man Time to go And don't get me started put down that knife Mr. Wolfer Please Please go I Have never seen such tear and a woman's eyes I Felt completely helpless as I turned I went on back to the boat, but mingled with her tear I had seen something else in Millie's eyes There was a plea and I knew there'd be another meeting between me and Nicholas That night a storm broke a raging wind and rain to match my tortured mood I Hardly slept Millie's face was always before my eyes and by morning. I knew that I must do something I rode the tendering through a drizzling rain and went up through the orange grove and stopped in some bushes by the house Someone was coming out of house, and so I crouched down out of sight It was Millie I rose and I called her Millie. Oh Oh, it's you I was just coming out to look I was afraid you'd gone out the seas like a pack of woes I won't go alone. Are you you not without you? I what are you saying? That's madness. No, no I've got to talk to you. There's a lot. There's a lot that needs explaining things that I have a right to know No, not here come She led me into one of the smaller ruined buildings. We crouched far back in the dripping shadows of a corner For the first time in 12 years, I'm living again Darling, I'm in love with you. I Know nothing of it's it's quickly learned Millie Don't you feel anything anything for me at all? I don't know Perhaps if things were different someplace else. I might care very much, but I'm going to take you away someplace else I'm going to make things different. I'm gonna give you a chance. No Too late. Why why Millie? What what is this? What is this fear? Nicholas oh that's foolish. She's nothing to be afraid of has he been bothering you He says he's crazy about me. He says I must marry him. Where is he now? No, John, you mustn't something frightful would happen just not frightful just unfortunate for Nick. Oh, but you don't understand He's not human. There's something about what about him. He came here in April We were glad to get him serving some possible to get back here in the wilderness need work for the smallest wages Only only a few days ago. I found out why he was glad to be here. I was spinning his room. I found this He wanted a murder Isaac Nicholas a Homicidal maniac knows I found it knows and he's been furious and then you came and he ran and hid in the pines But he told me if I spoke about him it would happen to me And if I left with you it would happen to father now. He thinks I'm in love with you He told me to send you away. He said you must leave today. Milly. Milly. I should have realized this I'm not to stay away for longer than now. I must go look Milly He'll take us a couple of hours to get our boat ready I'm going to come for you tonight at eight Now you tell him that you saw me and I promised to go at quietly Say that you were upset that you'll give him his answer tomorrow Then at eight you bring your father and walk out to the war now. That's all but do it without hesitation or preparation Don't let him hurt us. Please don't not now. He's finished, but do just as I say Won't be long hardly three hours And then you're gonna be free Now that I knew Now that there was to be action I felt better not that I minimized the risk Halvard and I got the catch ready for sailing at eight o'clock Halvard and I tied up to the little pier The storm had led up a little but it was still raining. I Got up on the dock and I waited for Milly 10 minutes past And then 20 Something was wrong. I told Halvard to wait there with the tender then I walked slowly up to the house It was dark I Went up to the side port to go to the heavy door It was a tiny crack of light showing under I I pushed it open the light came from a parlor to the right I Looked in on the floor lay a body her father. He was dead. He was crushed his arm Twisted grotesquely under him. There was there wasn't a sound in the house Slowly I walked through the downstairs rooms nothing Then back in the hall. I heard a slight creak Upstairs someone moved was it Milly alive or Was it necklace slang and weight Groke slowly up the stairs. I didn't dare to use my flashlight would have made me a target for his knife The upstairs hall was pitch black Still there was no sound I Inched my way along the wall slowly and then Stumbled on a loose board the pistol flew out of my hand But the stumble saved my life at the same instant I felt Nicholas lunch heard the knife sing past my ear and thud in the wall I felt his great book smashing on my shoulder Somewhere on the dark floor his night was embedded in the wall now. We were grappling hand Rolling on the floor kicking tearing gouging crushing My strength and wit against the massive bulk of a maniacal killer How many minutes to that unusual and an unequal struggle last I don't know it seemed an hour Several times as if by common consent. We rested for a minute at a time Once we rolled apart me panting breast aching in my throat And then I I heard him groping along the wall searching for the knife or gun I threw myself at him again He was too big. He was too furious. I felt my strength ebbing away his fingers were Closing over my truth with one last every night. I tried to throw him off to roll him over Staggered to my feet. I was dazed. I I looked up We had fallen through the banister down the stairwell Nicholas had landed on the bottom. He lay there on the stairs sprawled his head that Grotesque angle He wasn't that he's only stunned I Leamed against the wall looking at him stupidly There was It was something that I must remember Was it then and she came down the steps and I remembered Milly I Had to walk right past him. There was no other way right past his head in my skirt. I Think we better go away. Oh Yes, yes, we'll we'll leave at once. I must tell you about my father You know in Virginia the women tied an apron on the door Because he wouldn't go to war and that prayed on his mind and he was afraid of the slightest. Yes. Yes I know but we must go upset him so he had no strength Here talk like this like a sick child was almost more than I could bear Then then I heard something Nicholas had got up He stood up and stared at us for a moment and then he started slowly up the stairs Was going after that night the least little thing upset Milly Milly look we've got to go I was to meet a man We were going away someplace where it would be peaceful But Nicholas suspected you see he asked why father'd put on his heavy winter clothes Then when I tried to go out he pushed me and do you know what father did then he came up and said Don't do that. Take your hands off my daughter His lips shook a little but he said it. That's the important thing Yes, of course your father was a brave man after over please now come you you were supposed to meet a man that man's waiting for you There's no time to lose father said take your hands off my daughter Nicholas killed him of course But it was a brave thing to do is now come I Couldn't wait any longer. I I could hear Nicholas coming back I picked her up and carried her out into the night down the path to the pier Behind me I could hear Nicholas crashing through the brush like a giant animal in pursuit Are you all right, sir? Yes I'm about done in that. I'm all right here. Help me. Help me get her into the boat. Yes, sir Yeah, oh There's someone coming. This is Nicholas. He's got a knife good. I wanted to get back at him You get in sir. I'll take care of him. All right, but I I wouldn't be much help anyway Halvard went to intercept Nicholas on the path I heard them meet and struggle for a moment and then a figure came walking slowly stooped onto the pier I Got ready to shove the boat out into the water and then it's all right, sir. It's me. How about where's Nicholas? I stopped it. It was all pumped out. Are you hurt? Oh, it's just a scratch sir. I missed his hand at first in the dark It's nothing good. Well, let's get away from here then I Held Millie in my arms as Halvard wrote to the catch Eradically, I suppose because of the storm We're ready to cast off in two minutes. The last obstacle would be the narrow passage out of the Cove in this storm It would be very dangerous. I started to take Millie into the cabin. No There's Nicholas in the doorway. No nonsense. Nicholas is dead. You're on my boat. You're safe Millie safe with John I am John Wilford Yes, I came Millie you're safe, please come I'd rather stay up here You sit here beside I'm going up front to take soundings and this wind you won't be able to hear me if I call no But you can hear me remember. We only have three quick clearance now You will have to hold it steady through that passage. Yes, sir. Halvard now. This is no time to be brave How do you feel I feel all right, sir? I've taken names before all right just a scratch all right fine No, no, we'll fix it just as soon as we get outside right now. Let's go pull up your anchor and turn over the engine. Yes, sir The boat headed into the tearing wind of the storm straight toward the narrow inlet They'd foot too far on either side and we'd hit and this sea that would mean death for all of us I stood far up on the bow taking soundings feeling out the passage Howling wind carried the call back to Halvard Now the boat veered again, I realized that he must have lost an awful lot of blood Slowly holding me it came around But it was anything but steady that boat wavered and swung as if an inexperienced hand was at the wheel in a moment We might hit In the passage and a half were through what I called But when I went back it wasn't Halvard at the wheel. It was Millie Millie her hand steady her eyes washed clear of any madness Millie with a little tight smile on her face, but no fear and Halvard lay rolling with the swells in the bottom of the cockpit I'm afraid John He was wounded worse than you thought. Oh Howard good heavens told me to take the wheel Said it was life or death and then he slipped down when when was this back there in the passage Just when you said three and a half I'm afraid I wasn't very good, but I held on. Oh Millie you were wonderful. No not yet But I learned John I'll learn Escape was produced and directed by Gordon T Hughes with Van Heflin starring as John Wolfook tonight We have presented Wild Oranges by Joseph Hergeshimer adapted for radio by John Dunkel Featured in the cast were Betty Lou Gerson Bill Conrad Edmund McDonald Wilms Herbert Special music was conceived and conducted by Del Castillo Next week you are following a man whom you must kill to the bleak wastes of the tiny island at the bottom of the world And you know that one of you can never escape Next week we escape with John Russell's grim story of revenge the primitive Good night, then until next week when once again we offer you escape Van Heflin is currently starring with Jennifer Jones James Mason and Louis Jordan in Metro Golden Mayors Madame Bovary Starting one week from next Saturday October 8th escape will take a regular place in the CBS Saturday night schedule That's one week from next Saturday October 8th escape Next week at this time you will hear CBS's latest addition to its fine Wednesday night shows You bet your life starring Groucho Marx this outstanding comedy quiz Highlighted by Groucho's fast ad libs has won a Peabody Award in the high place in America's comedy favorites Next Wednesday it joins the parade on CBS where it will be heard along with the Bing Crosby show and Burns and Allen on most of these same CBS stations Stay tuned now for the Bing Crosby show which follows immediately over most of these same stations All masters and speaking this is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system