 You finding life rather dull dreaming again of exotic places Wishing you were somewhere else We offer you escape Escape with us now to Melea where a young doctor and a beautiful girl are faced with a horrors of plague and the bloody Holocaust of a native revolt as Charles Israel tells it in funeral fires They were burning the dead The column of flames sucked up against the night sky of the River town leaned against it held and From far away the dirge the Melea is mourning their debt then Drifting down to the landing where I stood somehow the word Always the word in Melea and Chinese and English plague Plague had come to La Porte plague. That's why I was here All the way from Delhi I'd come my plague ceremony The police left tenant who met me at the rickety little wharf had been there for five days already It was very young He didn't like his job ready awful show this don't you think so, sir? And it's going to get worse you've brought serum sir that should do the trick it should But it's not that easy every time a native sees a needle He takes up for the hills thinks it's something they kill him quicker not these natives So there was a plague epidemic here about 15 years ago serum wiped it out Natives call it foreign devil medicine, but they respect that's good. I'll save us some time There'll be a boy here in a minute for your luggage good I'm glad you've finally arrived, sir. It's good to have a doctor here Well, they told me there was a doctor here a doctor Grimes It says doctor on his side, sir. Fine need his help. I Wouldn't count on it, sir Why not you'll see sir? What are you talking about wait will you meet dr. Grimes? If you want a bit of free advice, sir, I'd rely more on miss Randall miss Randall Who's she an American sir an American or what's she doing here? I don't know sir, but she walked in and took over the whole ruddy show Converted an old warehouse into a hospital been slaving day and night wonderful, sir Someone's calling you a lieutenant He'll find me who? Compatriate of yours. Oh I've looked all over town for you Now I'd like to know who's allowed all this you're responsible for this lieutenant Responsible for what mr. Ford for this year funeral business Every native in LaPorte down there by that fire. Is there anything wrong with that mr. Ford? I'll tell the world there's something wrong my whole nice every last man down there singing and carrying on I'm afraid I can't stop them mr. Ford. You'd better stop the lieutenant Get down there and send them back on the job. He can't stop them for it. Huh? Who are you my name is Donovan dr. Mark Donovan so your name is Donovan so that don't give you a right Hey, wait a minute Holy smoke man. You're an American. That's right. Well now. That's different. Take care of stock Holy smoke. Why didn't you say so Ford is my monarchy? That name is American is the hole in the life saver Oscar our Ford Cleveland, Ohio Ever been to Cleveland doc. What are you doing in LaPorte Ford rubber on a rubber plantation near here? That's a lot of it in the whole shebang And you know why doc because it's run by an American. That's why efficiency Say hey doc. You'll get my men back to work. Won't you I'm here to wipe out plague in LaPorte Ford Oh, sure doc. That's what I mean wipe out the place We'll show him doc and if you need help you can count on Oscar our Ford remember that doc. Yeah I'll call you when I need you Lieutenant. Yes, sir. I'll be going over to the hospital right there, sir straight down this road So you can't miss it. Thanks. I'll let you know when we're ready to set up our serum station, right? You are I left him standing there with Ford and walk through the town Everywhere I turned I brushed against death Got into my nostrils crept into the landing of my clothes The deserted streets shrieked of it so did a ravaged facing through the door of a straw hut Plague And only the serum I brought with me could stop it. I walked into the warehouse that had been converted into a hospital Rows of people lying on the wooden floor hundreds of them the dying and the dead and I saw her The lieutenant's girl on her knees beside a dying man She looked up at me Hand me that cloth, please. Oh this one. No There in the basin bring out the water first Miss Randall. Yes, what do you want? My name is Mark Dunlman. I'm just coming from Delhi. That's fine. I'm busy I'm a doctor. Did you bring the serum with you? Yes. Well get it and get to work Miss Randall, I'm in charge here now. It's just that I'm tired. I know I I need your help We're gonna set up a serum station. It's about time. When do we start as soon as we can get organized good? Oh, by the way, Miss Randall is Dr. Grimes around the rum pot The resident medical officer Look, if you want to find Grimes, there's only one gin parlor in LaPore. They call it the nine dragons He'll be there. Thanks. Miss Randall get yourself some sleep, huh? Sure, doctor As soon as they stop dying You're there boy, you seen dr. Grimes Grimes, sir, you will find him there, sir at that corner table. Oh, thanks Your doctor Grimes or what if I am who wants to know I'm dr. Mark Donovan World Health Organization. I just got in from deli Yeah, well, now that's a fancy introduction, buddy. It's worth the drink Yeah, buddy. God drink up. No, thanks. I didn't be that way. Let it take it. No, thanks Take the glass, laddie. Take it. Well, have a wheat toast. Ha, that'll be the ticket. Ha, wheat toast. I said no Didn't have to knock the drink from my hand, laddie. Dr. Grimes, how soon can you be ready to give plague injections? Ah, there's no blasted plague here young man. You're drunk. I say there's no plague here No plague you hear. That's what I say and that's what I mean. Come on Grimes. We'll get some coffee You're insolent young man. I'm in charge here. Let's go Grimes You come to send a bad report on me. Have you not? Well, you'll not do it. I said come on. Hey, I'm coming young man. I ain't coming Put that knife down. I'm coming right at you, laddie. I told you to put that knife away. Get up You won't send a bad report on me, laddie. Tell me you won't. Get up Now What is it you want from me, laddie? Meet me at the hospital in one hour We're gonna begin shooting serum. I hear anything you say, laddie. If you please, no bad report. Just be there I'll be there. I looked back at him He was standing propped up against the table staring at me He was grinning like a great evil cat Grinning I walked through the swinging doors into the street outside was silence The cool silence just before dawn I Stood there letting it surround me He stood barring my way on his shoulder was perched a tiny black monkey The Chinese leaned his face close to mine Pleased to talk with me. And if you are kind also with mr. Wu Another time. I'm in a big hurry. Mr. Wu is my greatest friend The ruler of King Puspets shop. I am cool. I'm I'm sorry No, dr. Danevan. It is to save your life that I desire to enter into conversation How do you know my name? I know many things Please to talk with me All right To make it quick to waste time is not contest. Yes The whole time is his greatest ambition. This is not mr. Wu Go ahead mr. Kung my father was Chinese my mother melee What the Chinese and love poor choose not to tell I learned from the family of my mother look mr. Kung if you value your Life leave love or leave at once. What are you talking about? Why should I leave? What a pity doctor mr. Wu says is time. Just a minute mr. Kung we haven't finished talking yet another time other doctor Mr. Wu says he must go now say goodbye mr. Wu He backed away from me nodding and bowing The monkey on his shoulder doing the same. I Turned and started for the hotel Dawn was coming the funeral fires were spent the dirges finished the melee's gone back to their huts to sleep It was almost daylight when I climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to my room I've been waiting for you. Have you been? What are you doing here mr. Randall? I'm here. That's enough. I asked you why you're here to help with the serum You're going to need help aren't you? Yes, good Well, do we get the serum? Remind me to ask you a question mr. Randall like what like what brought you to the poor? I'll remind you the serum doctor. All right here in this closet I I Yes Doctor what's the matter? doctor Why I said what's the matter with you? The serum what about it? It's been stolen Escape under the direction of Norman McDonald returns in just a moment The new CBS comedy star Frank Fontaine will pay a visit to CBS's Jack Benny this evening The young comedian who's celebrated for his impression of a sweepstakes winner and for his other impressions will be given a royal Welcome even though Jack believes in buying a sweepstakes ticket only when a single horse is in the race Mary Dennis Don Phil in Rochester will be on hand too So join the fun that only the Jack Benny show can bring tonight on CBS And now back to escape When they sent me from Delhi to LaPore, they said it was plague and they said it was bad Now I was here and it was the way they said it would be plague and bad Only from here on it was gonna be worse because the serum I brought with me was gone Someone had stolen it from the closet where I'd locked it Someone who wanted to keep the plague in LaPore. I Stood there in my hotel room staring into the empty closet How long are you gonna stand there doctor? I? Can't believe it face it. There's no serum well. It was there I put it there myself right next to that bromo quinine cold tablets won't stop a plague doctor I said I put it there. I heard you, but I don't have to believe you. I don't care what you believe Maybe you sold the serum before you ever came to LaPore Maybe you're trying to cover yourself sold it. Why would I want to do that? How do I know why you'd sell it? You would have an angle All right, you've said what you wanted to say get out. All right Wait a minute I'll ask you a question and I'll give you an answer the police left tenant. That's where I'm going How long were you in my room before I got here? I'm going to the police doctor. How long were you here? You won't get out of it. How long I don't know 15 minutes maybe 20 not very long long enough to take the serum yourself Sure, I was here that long enough to hide it and then come back here. You're forgetting something Like what I had no reason to take it you've got a reason like what What are you doing in LaPore? Maybe I write books. Maybe you steal serum You'd better get that serum back doctor There are people dying. It's your fault. Get it back Goodbye doctor And I had a couple of things to do Ask the lieutenant to organize a search patrol Cable deli for more serum Four days it would take to get here four days of raging death Because I had no serum people would die before the Sun went down people didn't have to die and Miss Randall had said it It was my fault All right, just a minute Master you know move you listen who are you? Number one boy in shop of one conch there conch all the other old man with a monkey that same conch there All right, you got a message. What is it conch he say master fire pay five dollars here message here Now what's the message conch he say he knew master have trouble conch he say master come see him chop chop Look up chop chop too late. Is that all him say come chop chop chop chop, master Anything was worth a try. I found kung-tae's pet shop in a narrow musty street just off the marketplace Wasn't difficult to pick out because there was a crowd jammed around the door holding them back with two melee police I pushed through the crowd and up to the open door. Oh good morning, sir I didn't expect to see you. Yeah, it's always a bad look tenant. You haven't heard sir. What what about the Unpleasantness what unpleasantness? What are you trying to tell me? You'd better come inside with me, sir. All right. Oh No, what's this unpleasantness you're talking about whatever there sir in the corner Conch hey What happened with tonight murder? And I'll just caliber bullet. I'd say probably a 45 You'll want to examine himself. Oh, that won't be necessary quite right, sir You know, I can't understand it what You see sir beside yourself There are only three foreigners in that pool Miss Randall mr. Ford and dr. Gray. Well Well, that's it, sir Why should one of them want to kill the old man? Oh How do you know is one of them weapon? Native skill with a knife for a rope mostly a rope never with a gun Yes, that's interesting lieutenant and there's something else. I don't think natives do What's that sir steel serum I meant to ask you about the serum sir miss Randall mentioned it to me There's going to be trouble sir with miss Randall with the natives, sir. I Told you they're waiting for medicine Somehow it's gotten out of them. They know you don't have the serum. They're right lieutenant. It's been stolen Look, I want all the foreigners in the poor at your office an hour from now Can you arrange it? Yes, sir You think there's some connection between the murder and the serum maybe You have them there if you don't mind my saying so this sounds like a police matter. You're wrong lieutenant. It's medical strictly medical I don't understand sir. You will just get those people to your office and yes, sir Miss Randall mr. Ford and dr. Grimes You forgot somebody lieutenant Who sir you? me sir What right I forgot sir I Turned and walked out of the shop into the street. I had trouble getting through the crowd Didn't mean much when somebody poked an elbow in my face I could have been an accident, but not the man who jumped out in front of me and spat on the ground at my feet This was no accident this was meant for me All at once they were silent watching me and from the hills outside the town the sound of a drum slow ominous and from somewhere in LePore itself the answer urgent threatening Finally I understood it had gotten out to the natives somehow the people had found out that I had lost the serum and in their Minds I was the medicine man who had failed the man who was making them die My plan for getting the serum back had to work I picked up my medical bag from the hotel hurried to the lieutenant's office One room wooden shack near the edge of town. I had things almost set up when the first person arrived It was miss Randall What's all this about? What are you trying to do? It'll take a little while miss Randall sit down I don't want to sit down She stood and watched me take things out of my bag and place them on the table the hypodermic syringes needles alcohol and Finally the little vial of colorless liquid Then dr. Grimes came in Cold sober he walked across the room sat down where he could look at me the natives know something a lotty Something you didn't want them to know They're heading this way And you're gonna have more so help sit down for it. Why you little two-bit quack I said sit down Whoa That's better well levy you've got us all here now. Perhaps you'll tell us why There is an epidemic on I'm going to inoculate all of you with plague serum What are you talking about? You haven't got any serum just this one vial from my bag miss Randall the rest was stolen All right for you first roll up your sleeve It's right here Oh I wasn't that bad for it All right now you miss Randall your gentle doctor Grimes hey, let me get it over with Okay doc now we've had the shots how to go now now just a minute. Nobody leaves here I said nobody leaves here. Don't stand by the door. Yes, sir. Yeah, what's the big idea? This morning somebody stole plague serum from my room Want that serum back that's your worry doctor. Yeah my worry and yours now all of you Because one of you took that serum you're off your rocket back. Maybe you took it for it You got a rubber plantation. You could shoot your workers full of serum. What would I want to do that for? Efficiency Ford the workers on the other plantations would die and you'd have to feel to yourself Are you Grimes? You were afraid I'd tell you I had office about you. I know you were wrong Ladi You've had it pretty good till now. I haven't you know worked plenty of gin. You're afraid I'd spoil it So all you thought you'd make it look bad for me too. No, no, you've got it wrong All right doc. You've got us here Now what are you gonna do? I've already done it you've done what? That injection I gave all of you. It wasn't serum that was plague bacteria Straight plague So What does that mean doc? That means I have to get that serum within an hour Otherwise every one of you is going to get plague. That's right And think about it plague Pain a human can't stand and when you get used to it you die Each one of you This is ridiculous. You're going to die all of you because there's no serum Serum would save you Serum I haven't got look doctor Those sick people at the hospital They need me Let me go there. You forget miss Randall. You're sick too. You've got plague. You're gonna die. I'm not forgetting Let me go to the hospital doctor Please what could you do there put coattails on their heads doesn't help. It doesn't help much. I know that They died just the same But at least they're comfortable. Don't do it doc. Don't let it go. It ain't right if she goes we all you keep out of this Doctor, please I can't miss Randall. Mr. Ford says it wouldn't be right to let you go keep her here doc Here with the rest of it. I told you to keep out of it What a weasel on me. Don't you you're a fool fat and a fool. Yeah I'd be a fool to let you get out of here doctor. You'll stay here miss Randall But there's no point you had with the doc says stay here. This is your fault Ford. It's all your fault the whole thing I said shut up. I'm gonna say something miss Randall. I Got nothing to say all right We'll wait we'll wait here as long as Rooks lady. They're throwing rocks Ford. What do you want? How do you feel? I I feel all right That's funny. You're sweating But if you say you feel all right fine Because in a little while you won't feel so good And you won't feel anything You'll be dead have anything to tell me Ford. All right We'll wait Where's the serum make him tell make Ford tell where it is Tell him how you paid me to steal it. Don't listen to him for you wanted the serum for your own workers You kill Kung-Tay because he found out you Covered lieutenant. All right for it. Where's that serum? How do you like that? Trust it. I'm for it. Why is it? It's in my house the living room Under the floor boy get a doctor. I don't want to die. Please You speak Malay. Yes, sir. Get out there and tell those people I'll have serum in 30 minutes, right? That's a pleasure and take these two will you You're a hard one laddie You're ready for work Grimes. I have a lot of you. You'll be taking care of me first. Well, you're not. Oh You're taking care of Grimes. I I'm taking care of You fill me full of plague. Oh not plague water Yeah, water Don't worry. It was distilled Under the direction of Norman McDonald escape has brought you funeral fires by Charles Israel LaMonte Johnson was starred as Mark with Georgia Ellis as the girl Alice Featured in the cast were Don Diamond, Ben Wright, Wilms Herbert and Leon Lundtuck The special music for escape was composed and conducted by Ivan Dittmar's Next week escape with us to the barren wastes of northern Mexico and the story of a million dollars in cash To be had for the asking If you live as Anthony Ellis tells it in his exciting story This side of nowhere Wouldn't you like to help wipe out tuberculosis wouldn't you like to help those now afflicted with the dread disease and prevent others from getting it All the wonderful work carried on by the National Tuberculosis Association is financed by the sale of the Christmas seals you buy each year So don't forget help to fight TB by putting a Christmas seal on every letter you write Escape is one of the fine programs the CBS brings you every Sunday afternoon on most of these same stations You can also hear the New York Philharmonic Symphony the symphonette the Arthur Godfrey digest the new meet Frank Sinatra show Earn your vacation and make believe town Stay tuned now for make believe town which follows immediately on most of these same CBS stations This is Roy Rowan speaking This is CBS where you spend an hour with Frank Sinatra every Saturday Sunday afternoon on the Columbia broadcasting system