 Adventures by Morse. Carlton E. Morse presents the Cobra King Strikes Back, featuring Captain Friday. If you like high adventure, come with me. If you like the stealth of intrigue, come with me. If you like blood and thunder, come with me. Tonight, we are plunging toward the land of the Cobra King, toward Cambodia, which is in the jungle country of French Indochina, Cambodia, the land of the mysterious ancient folk, the land now under the sway of the cobra and the wild elephant and the tiger, the land of Oriental myth and Oriental wonder, a land to the east. To reach it from San Francisco, one travels to Hawaii, to Hong Kong, to Saigon, which is the capital of Indochina, and then through the jungles northward. This is where the Carter expedition is headed. And right now is a good time for you to meet Dr. Carter, archeologist, scientist, explorer. Dr. Carter. At the moment, my party and I are aboard the steamship Westphalia between Hawaii and Hong Kong. The object of this expedition into the wiles of Cambodia will be explained shortly. But right now, I want you to know the other members of my party. First, you must meet my daughter, Celia. She's especially trained by me to be historian of this expedition. Celia, please. Daughter, secretary, historian. That's quite an order for one girl to fulfill on one expedition. It's all right to be flippant, my dear, but just remember, there's bitter intrigue and danger connected with this expedition. I love danger. I eat it up. Well, that's my daughter, Celia. The second member of my party, you must know, is Professor Ernst Lebrun, medical advisor and scientific technician. Professor Lebrun, my friend. Oui, Dr. Carter. I was just remarking that I feel I've added greatly to our expedition's chances of success by persuading you to become a member of my party. If I did not have confidence in your abilities to lead such an expedition to a successful conclusion, I doubt if you would have persuaded me. A mutual admiration, society. Mademoiselle Celia, your father is a wonderful man. And I don't doubt he'll bring this whole business off with flying colors. Well, you have more confidence than I have then. And now, where's Perry Mills? Here, Doctor. Oh, so you are, so you are. Now, Perry, besides being an admirable young man, is business manager and assistant collector for the trip. I hope and pray, young man, you didn't leave any of our paraphernalia on the dock back at San Francisco. I certainly hope and pray so myself. I've checked and double checked. And triple checked. Honestly, Father, Perry's done nothing since we left San Francisco, but rummage around among our effects down in the whole of the ship. Well, I got to phase your father when we unloaded Saigon. And I want to phase him with everything in order and ready to start for our expedition into the back country. And now the last member of our party. Taquan. Well, you let him go to his state room, Father. Well, that's right. That's right, I did. What's the matter, C-Zick? Squeamish. Queer fish. Oh, a brilliant scholar, agridden by the superstitions of his people, but brilliant. Well, all Chinese are superstitious, aren't they? My dear, Taquan is not Chinese. Well, Oriental. Yes, Oriental. Taquan, Celia, is a pure descendant of the ancient Khmer's, a dead race. And it's from this vanished people that the last member of our party is descended. He will hear more of Taquan. But unknown to Dr. Carter and his group, there is a second party aboard the Westphalia, steaming westward under the great golden moon. The mission of this latter group is a carefully guarded secret, a dangerous secret. Heading it is Captain Bart Bridie. Accompanying him is his fellow operative, Skip Turner, and his secretary, Patricia Young. And then there's a fourth member of the party, a figure of mystery, a prisoner, two expeditions, and at the moment, each unaware of the other's presence on the ship, each unaware that it has friends in the other party. And now darkness has settled on the vessel, throbbing under its pounding propeller. The moon is riding high, is gigantic, is golden, and on the main deck, Perry Mills and Celia Carter are leaning against the rail. Oh, a lovely, lovely moon on the water. First trip at sea, Celia. Oh, yes. Imagine me going way off to such a wilderness as Cambodia. Clear around the world from San Francisco. Ah, lucky girl, all right. You know, I feel rather lucky myself to be Dr. Carter's assistant archeologist. Dad's a dear. Well, thank you, my dear. Hey, where did you pop from, father? Evening, Dr. Carter. Evening, Perry. See, Lea Professor Lebrun will join us in a moment. Then we'll go into the main salon for a short conference. Bring your shorthand book. Yes, Dad. Where's Taquan? Still in his state room. He's having a bad time with his seasickness. Wished to retire. You say he's Oriental, but not Chinese. That's right. Taquan is a pure descendant of the ancient Commerge, that race that built such marvels as the anchor what? Which means temple of Angkor. That's a good literal translation, Perry. You see, some 2,000 years ago, this race of Commerge arose to mighty strength. As civilization's sufficient under itself. That's right, Perry. The kingdom grew until it must have held some 30 million souls. They built great whats or temples. They had trained armies in a remarkable background, both historical and mythological. In fact, they had everything that should have made them a lasting nation. And yet 30 million people vanished from the face of the earth. That's exactly the word, vanished. When anchor what was first discovered some 80 years ago by the Frenchman, Mouhou, it looked as though the entire population had one day laid down their implements, walked out, never returned. But what did happen to them? If we knew, my dear, we'd not be on this expedition. And we're going to anchor what to see what we can find. We is good. Well, I'm part of the expedition for goodness' sakes. Of course you are, my dear. Yes, we're going into the old Khmer realm. But we're not going to stop an anchor what. That particular region has been milked dry of information. Further to the north, however, are other abandoned cities, some of which have been recently discovered, others of which are well or only known to exist by rumors and legend. And we're going to hunt for one of those legendary cities? Well, something like that. Only it isn't going to be quite such a hopeless proposition. That's where Tequan comes into the picture. I wondered about him. Professor Lebrun picked him up over at the University of California. His brilliant mind so attracted Lebrun that he struck up an acquaintance and discovered that Tequan was a descendant of the Khmer's. And it only recently come from Saigon, the French capital in the east. He's an interesting chap, all right. Yes, it seems that he'd come in from the agricultural region and nothing more than a breach cloud, and he demanded to be taught. He was turned over to a French parochial mission. Fathers dressed him and taught him. His brilliance delighted them so. They laid aside an allowance to send him to the University of California. Oh, interesting. Yeah, I remember the day Lebrun brought him to see you, Dr. Carter. Yes, the professor knew I was interested in the Cambodia problem, and so he brought to Kwan to see me. Developed that he knew the region north of Angkor Wat unusually well. In fact, knew of a city back in the wilderness that has not yet been discovered by explorers. Well, well, it's lecturing Cambodian archaeology. Oh, there you are, Lebrun. As you say, here I am. There we all are. All except a little Pamir. Where is he? He's not receiving visitors, having a little private trouble with the old devil sea. Sorry I was delayed, the doctor. But coming up the companion way, the most amazing thing happened to us. It would be unpleasant, I hope. Quite the opposite. Would you think I bumped squirrely in two? You met someone you know. I say, or depth of discernment. You're making fun of me. Oh, really, I am not. I did meet an old friend, a very brilliant fellow. None other than Captain Friday. Say, you don't mean that Captain Friday in charge of the worth murders in the city of the dead mystery. Remember him, though, you peri, the very same Captain Friday. And you just ran into him tonight? Isn't that brother Pecugel, Lebrun? Not at all, doctor. You see, he and his party boarded the ship at Honolulu last night. Well, what on earth is he doing on his way to Hong Kong? Oh, most mysterious. I had to tear myself away to join you folks. Or perhaps I would have found out. He's waiting, though, in the salon for us to join him. That's a pleasant surprise. We'll just postpone our conference until tomorrow. See, Lee, we won't need you tonight, after all. All right. And I'll stay right out here on deck and soak up some more moonlight. Don't you want to come along and join us? Me go down there and sit around in a cloud of cigar smoke while half a dozen men hold the floor? I should say not. Wise girl. Hey, don't lean too far over the rail. We don't want to lose our history in this early. Good night, everyone. And we'll take this companion away. Captain Friday said the men salon. Ah, oui. Here we are. Oh, go ahead, Dr. Carter. Oh, so you brought them down. Well, this is a great meeting. Skip the Turner. You were too. Ah, they prefer the Lebrun. I'm here, playing guard of honor for Captain Friday and his secretary, Patricia. But I say, Captain, who's running your agency back in San Francisco, eh? Oh, I'd rather think it'll get along somehow for a while without skipping me. Dr. Carter, this is Captain Bart Friday. My pleasure, Captain. And this is Mr. Skip Turner, Captain Friday's right-hand man. Glad to know you. Captain Friday, this is Perry Mills, Dr. Carter's assistant. What do you do, Mills? And Skip Turner. Say, this is great. Well, sit down, gentlemen. Drop some chairs. Here's the card. There you are. Captain, if it isn't a state secret, often else are you in skip doing air so far off your beads. Well, Professor, as a matter of fact, it comes very nearly being just that, state secrets. Well, don't say. I wouldn't care to have our business made general knowledge on shipwork. Oh, by no means. I have a crack my question. Oh, no, no. That isn't at all necessary. I intended to tell you. It's a very unusual story. And it rather fits in with your own work. Something, uh, something to do with the anchor region? Quite a bit. I've, um, I've got a prisoner aboard this ship. Prisoner? Murderer? That's first a young peacock. There's not so wrong with that. The last man who tried to keep him in chains got himself strangled with a wet silk cord. An Indian thuggy trip. It isn't pleasant. I'd rather have the news a sharp knife myself. The Trans-Pacific Line of Westphalia, two groups of people have met. One headed by Dr. Carter, archeologist. The other headed by Captain Friday, private operator. Captain Friday is telling about a prisoner he has taken to Saigon, French Indochina. The same port from which Dr. Carter is launching his expedition. Captain Friday has just said. I've got a prisoner aboard this ship. His last keeper was strangled. He's an international plotter, a troublemaker. Well, looks like you're getting into big business, Captain Friday. After a manor, perhaps. He's a subject of coach in China. I'm taking him to Saigon, the French capital. Remarkable. You're going right into our territory. Yes. But there's a closer relationship between your scientific expedition and my little party than that, Dr. Carter. Of course, you know the story of how France got hold of the Cambodia territory. Yes, smooth the Frenchman when he discovered the ruins, carried the word back to France. And by being on their toes, French diplomats took the territory over before the rest of the world learned of the Khmer ruins. Fast workers, huh? Any nation would have jumped at the chance to get French into China? Had they known about it? Yes. It was a rich land. Lying fellow for someone to take it. After all, Mr. Turner, Siam was in no position to investigate the Cambodia ruins, even if she knew none of them. France immediately opened this new and rich scientific field. All right, all right. I'm squelched. I'll take it back. Well, this skip doesn't want to argue the point. Captain Friday, suppose you continue. Well, as you just explained, France got Cambodia by means of a diplomatic coup. It didn't set well with a lot of people in that region, especially those with the Siamese leaning. Many felt that Siam had lost a vast treasure. But France has gotten little return for the amount of money expended in that territory to date, anyway. That's true, Mills. And yet, there is much dissatisfaction. Well, that's easily explained. There are innumerable legends of tremendous Khmer treasure which are supposed to be buried beneath the ruins of those old cities. Treasure? You mean casts of gold and jewels? Oh, now, much more fascinating loot than that. For instance, there's supposed to be a huge emerald Buddha seated on a golden-coiled cobra. Numerous golden buddhas, altar furnishings, priests, and kings regalia, golden lions, golden howders, and chairs. My word, Perry. That is a lot. Well, I won't be reciting from the legends. According to the myths, the Thais vandals came down from the north in great hordes in Overland, Cambodia. To save their treasures of the palaces and temples, priests buried them beneath the cities with the aid of slaves. Afterwards, the slaves were slaughtered. Jolly sort of folk, these Khmeres. Well, these rumors are probably at the bottom of the dissatisfaction. Anyway, a certain Cambodian element feel that they've been robbed. Up until the time the French missionaries entered the field and began to educate them, the resentment was unorganized and latent. They were ignorant, had no idea how to go about revenging themselves. The old old story. Yes, Dr. Carter. But French fathers continued to educate the people. The French government even assisted their efforts with appropriations. They selected brilliant Cambodian youths and gave them what corresponds to a high school education right in Saigon. Then they selected the brightest of their pupils and sent them to American and European universities. Hey, we have just such a student in our party. What's that, Mills? Sure, a chap named Taquan. Well, we have another locked in Skip's cabin. Extraordinary, Captain Friday. You mean a Cambodian college graduate has become an international criminal? Hardly that, Dr. He's a representative of the rebellious element in Cambodia. He's been in the United States trying to raise a secret expedition to penetrate the jungles north of the city of Angkor, claiming that he knows the location of another of the lost Khmer cities. Say, you don't suppose I say. Oh, I say, Perrie, let's not speculate. Speculation's a bad business. Sure, I, well, of course. Excuse me for breaking in, Captain Friday. It looks as though I'm telling you a story you already know. You mind the telling us who these chap is. You were in Angkor, not at all. A fellow called Fen Lowe. Never heard of him. Have you, Dr. Carter? I don't recall the name. Please go on, Captain. Well, it appears that Fen Lowe has been telling that he knows the location of this new city's buried treasures. How the odd he didn't dig it up for himself and his friends then, isn't it? According to his story, it'll take many men and some very modern evacuation machinery to get at it. That corresponds with the legends. The priests are supposed to have filled the passages leading down to the treasures with rock and a sort of cement. But they wouldn't have to tunnel in the original passage. Couldn't they dig in the earth paralleling the rocked input? No, no, Perrie, it's too big a job for the natives. Even so, the treasure room would undoubtedly be cased in by a wall many feet in thickness. Yeah, but look here, if there's all this treasure under these cities, why don't the French government dig for it? That's just the point, Skip. The French are not convinced that there is any treasure. It's all rumor and native legend. They're not willing to spend the great sums necessary to excavate on the mere chance of finding something. And another thing, France hasn't had the money to put into such work, not under present conditions. In the meantime, she doesn't want other people nosing around too closely. By the way, Dr. Carter, how did you ever get permission to take an expedition into the country? By agreeing to turn over 90% of anything we should run across to the French government? No, it seemed like that would be very profitable. This is a scientific expedition, not a treasure hunt. Frankly, Captain Friday, I'm quite dubious about there being any treasure. I see. Well, anyway, the French government heard about Fenlo's activities in the United States and demanded his apprehension. We caught him in San Francisco and turned him over to the French consulate. A French attaché was started on the trip with him to Saigon. En route to Honolulu, the Frenchman was murdered. You don't say. By Fenlo? No. Now Fenlo was manacled to his birth. The attaché was killed on the aft deck, strangled with a cord. Aha, the worthy Fenlo had friends aboard. If he did, they were never apprehended. Fenlo was taken from the ship at Honolulu and the French consulate, unwilling to subject another of its attachés to a like fate, called for a couple of volunteers to escort the fellow the rest of the way to Saigon. And you and Skip Turner responded. I'll say we did. A two and a half month's vacation and all expenses paid. Every peace officer in San Francisco volunteered. Finally, they put me in charge and I selected Skip to come along. We picked up Fenlo and Honolulu and boarded their ship. And that's the story. But Mr. Turner mentioned your secretary, Captain. Yes, I promised her she could come along on the next case. I didn't know, though, it would take us halfway around the world. But weren't you afraid to have her come after? After what happened to the French attachés? You don't know our secretary, Mr. Mail. Skip's right. Patricia's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. However, she's in no danger. It's quite apparent that the whole object of the attaché's death was the release of Fenlo. There are any attacks on my party. It certainly won't be against my secretary. A remarkable story, Captain Friday. A remarkable story. Doubly so, since our pads have crossed. Captain, I think I'll take a look in the cabin. I want to give the only Cambodian in captivity the once over. All right, Skip. Skip's as nervous as a cat. He believes there's something mysterious about our oriental. All orientals are just Fenlo. Well, Skip Turner's philosophy says that an oriental at your back is a dangerous oriental. Well, the death of the French attaché probably has a good deal to do with his anisiness. Very likely, Professor. Fenlo has been in a sort of cold rage since we picked him up in Honolulu. Prophecized innumerable deaths to pay for the outrage to his person. However, everything's gone smoothly so far. Listen, what's the matter, Mills? That I heard someone call out. I don't yell anything. All sorts of queer creaks and groans on a steamship. I remember. Someone's running. Captain, Captain Friday. The prisoner's gone. Fenlo's escaped? Here, look at the handcuffs. Incredible. My word. Did he do that? Scraped the flesh off his hands, forcing them through the manacles? He did, and he had someone to help him. There is no doubt about that. He couldn't have done this to himself alone. This is a flesh still clinging to the manacles. You're certain about that, Captain Friday? I've seen some strange and terrible things take place in the east. Dr. Carter, I don't believe there's a man in existence that have gotten out of those handcuffs alone. His hands were cuffed behind him and fastened to his bunk. And I saw to it that the cuffs were tight to his wrists. Sure, he couldn't have got away without help. But hadn't we about to get on his trail? I don't think there's any hurry, Skip. He can't escape from the ship, and we're still a good number of days from Saigon. But if he finds out that she was murdered... The first thing to do is to inform the master of the ship. He'll warn everybody aboard to remain in his cabin, then form a searching party. I'll attend to that myself. Please excuse me. Yes, of course. Look here, Dr. Carter. Supposing I go give Celia an earful of this and send her to a cabin if she's still on deck. Good idea, Perry. Tell her to keep to her stateroom and keep door and portholes locked. I certainly will. Oh, that lad does crave excitement. Up to now, the party's been just fish and beans to Perry. But now things are looking up a bit. A mighty fine youngster. Oh, but aren't we all... Again, man. I just happen to think of Captain Friday's secretary. Patrice ought to be warned. Oh, by all means. Don't hang back on our account. We'll survive somehow. I don't know whether you will or not if you get in the road of that there. Fan low, guy. Oh, I see, Dr. Carter. Yes, LeBron? Now that we're alone, what odds will you give that our own little camea playmate, Taquan, hasn't got a finger in Penlo's pie? Be careful, LeBron. Uh-huh. Right the first guess. I'm afraid so. The chances are that Taquan and Fenlo are close friends. Both of them have been sent to American universities by French missionaries. Oh, undoubtedly. Take care, Professor. Don't put the idea into Captain Friday's head. If Taquan becomes mixed up with the authorities, we may never get him farther than Saigon. Our expedition is hopeless without him to guide us. Are you certain Captain Friday doesn't already suspect? I've been afraid of it. In fact, I have a hunch that he went to Taquan's state room on his way to organize the searching party. Do you think so? I do. Perhaps we'd best go see for ourselves. Come along with me. If he is guilty, I hope he had sense enough to get back in his cabin after he has escaped. I hope our suspicions are wrong. And still the ship plows on. Taquan's cabin's this way. Righto. Well, anyway, the moon is still grinning down at us. Doctor, quick, quick. We've got to do something. Oh, I see. You don't understand. Celia's gone. My daughter's gone? Yes, she's gone. I can't find her anywhere. Come, come, old chap. You look ghastly. I feel ghastly. Oh, look here. Oh, I should do. Why should I? Why should I? Didn't you hear me say that Celia's disappeared? That maniac came here loosing roaming the deck? Suppose he's found her. But why do you want to suppose that? But the fellow's loose and Celia's gone. Come on, both of you. We'll get the captain. Just a moment, Dr. Carter. Now, look here, Perry. Are you going off half-cocked? Or do you know what you're talking about? Oh, I tell you, it's true. Every word of it's true. Where have you looked? Everywhere. I've been on both decks. I've been in all the salons. I even went into a cabin. Was it unlocked? Yes, I. What's that? Quiet, Perry. It's coming from the lower deck. Do you recognize that? No, doctor. What is it? It's an ancient, comrade death chant. Death chant? What did I tell you? Come on, it's Celia. You have just heard the opening episode of The Cobra King Strikes Back, the newest adventure thriller by Carlton E. Morse. Adventures by Morse bring you new excitement week after week. Next week brings you the second episode, laid in Saigon, that weird and wonderful seaport of Cochin, China, known as the French capital of the East. The deadly shadow of the ancient Cobra King already has fallen upon both the party headed by Dr. Carter and that led by Captain Friday. But not until the two groups land on the shores of French Indochina does the deadly force of evil descend in all its venom. Watch for next week's episode entitled Something About the Hooded Snake.