 Adventures by Morse. Carlton E. Morse presents The Girl on Shipwreck Island, 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. Six months ago when the ocean-going yacht Carlotta went ashore on a two-by-four South Sea island during a typhoon, only four persons got to the beach alive. They included the captain of the craft, two Abel Seaman, Cockney and Manuel, and an English lady's maid named Gracie. My mistress had a neck broken when the master of the ship came down on the storm and my master was washed overboard trying to save her body from the storm. It was a bloody mess and now I came through it alive I'll never know. But there I was ashore on a desert island along with three sailors. None of them I'd ever spoke a word to in my life before. That is except the captain, two of them I'd said yes sir and no sir. But the captain didn't last long. The second night ashore Cockney and Manuel set on him and cut him to ribbons in a knife fight. That was enough for me. I took a gun and some cartridges in my Paul Peretville shaza and set up housekeeping on the far end of the island in a bit of a cave. And for six months Gracie protected herself against Cockney and Manuel, living off the berries and fruit and small bird and animal life of the island. And then Captain Friday and Skip Turner earlier this afternoon came fluttering down out of the sky in a French army plane whose engines had conked out. Yeah, we were en route from French Indochina to Australia, flying over the Dutch East Indies and a lot of the China Sea. Well out over the South China Sea, something in the mechanical department went haywire and we had to make an emergency landing. Fortunately we were in the vicinity of a minute tall with a sandy beach. We landed without doing the ship any damage. Before beginning our repair job we surveyed the tiny island and that's when we discovered the setup here. Tell them about it Skip. Yeah. Well when we arrived there was three people on the island besides ourselves. Cockney, Manuel the pirate and the babe Gracie. Oh yeah and Belle Shaza the parrot. But before we'd been here an hour we saw Manuel the pirate stalk Cockney to the edge of the swimming hole and shoot him in the back. It was cause Cockney was trying to get friendly with Gracie behind the pirate's back. So now there's only Manuel and Gracie on the island. That is except for Captain Friday and me. And both Gracie and Manuel the pirate are very skittish specimens of the human species. With the exception of the moment when they saw Manuel kill Cockney they have not laid eyes on the swore the pirate looking figure with the turban about his head. They haven't seen Gracie at all. They've talked to her but she's kept hidden back in the jungle. She's a girl all alone in this little isolated world and she doesn't trust anything masculine. And now at 7 o'clock in the afternoon Captain Friday and Skip are up to their ears in piston rings, spark plugs and engine oil as they attempt to adjust their motors for the remainder of the trip to Australia. Boy, talk about rebuilding the motor the hard way. Yeah. That sun smacking me on the back of the neck like a baseball bat. Okay, I guess you can screw that head down again. Yeah. You think we found the trouble? We found one of the troubles. Our gas line on an aeroplane can get stopped up, I don't know. Screwed down hard? Yeah, won't get in the oil leak there. Well, I'd say we were all set to take off then. Okay, how about trying the motors? I'd like to but I don't want to take the chance. Well hey, we can't take off without tuning the motors. Well I have to tune them at the last minute. I don't get it. You heard what Gracie said. Well you mean about the pirate being a desperate character? Look, why did he and Cockney kill the captain? Fight over Gracie? Then why did he kill Cockney? Over Gracie. You think for one minute he's going to let you and me fly off with Gracie if he can help it? You mean we're taking Gracie with us? We're not leaving her here for that ape. Oh, I get it and the pirate knows it. So the minute he thinks we got this airplane fixed to fly again, the real slaughter begins. Right. Not only does he want to keep Gracie but he doesn't want us to get back to civilization and report him. Remember, he's a two-time killer and he's stuck here until the authorities come and get him. So what are we going to do? When it gets dark we're going back in the jungles where we met Gracie before. We're going to talk fast and get her to come down to the plane with us. Once we get her inside we'll turn over the motors, adjust them if they need it, and get the heck out of here before Manuel the pirate knows what's going on. Uh, does Gracie know she's going on an airplane ride? Not yet. Well, she's awful skittish. I don't think she'll come. She's got to come. We have to hog-tire. Yeah, well remember, she's got a gun and she's been fighting off Cockney and the pirate for six months. We'll have to sneak up on her if she won't trust us. I don't intend to stay here forever and I don't intend to leave her behind. Kidnapper for her own good, huh? She'll see reason when we explain what we're up to. Maybe. What time is it now? After seven. Be as dark as the inside of your hatband in another three-quarters of an hour. So what do we do until dark? First climb up and close the cabin door and lock it. Yeah. You've got everything you want out of the cabin? Yeah. Okay, here she goes in. And that's that. There. Hey, you think we can take off on this beach in the dark? How can I miss? Got a half-mile straight beach? Wind's been blowing in the right direction all afternoon. Still, it's going to be awful dark. Well, maybe there'll be moon and stars. Well, that'll be your worry, Chief. I'll just shut my eyes and hope you don't run into the China Sea. Come on. Where are we going? Got to get back up on the plateau before dark and find the path in the jungle where we talked with Gracie. And suppose a pirate's hiding along the path and lets us have both barrels. We've got to be too smart for him. Yeah, that's what Cockney said, and look at him. Fly bait. Okay, okay. You get killed, I'll see you get buried, won't I? You know, Chief, sometimes you're in awful comfort to me. And then sometimes you give me goose pimples up and down my spine. Well, it's dark enough to suit anybody's taste now. Yeah. The sun's skidded out of the sky like it had stepped on a banana peel. This seems to be the path. Come on. Hey, you think we'll ever be able to find our way back to the plane? No, it's downhill in that direction. Yeah, and plenty of places to break your neck in between. Quit worrying. Hey, you know something that's funny to me? What's that? Why are we having that trouble with the pirates so far? It's probably laying low watching to see what we intend to do. After all, we're two to his one. Yeah, but he could have stood up here on the plateau and popped us off while we was working on the plane down on the beach this afternoon. Couldn't have been sure of hitting us at the distance. All he'd done was put us on the warpath. Ouch! Hey! Skip! Skip, where are you? Hey, Captain Friday. I'm in the bottom of a well. Are you hurt? Well, I'm scared. Now wait till I turn a flashlight down on you. There. Hello? Hey, what kind of a dog going to set up is this anyway? You've fallen into a trap. Well, say I have a man trap. And I got a couple of skin shins that some of us are going to pay for too. Apparently this hole was covered up with grass and leaves and used to trap animals in, maybe for food. And you mean animals are fool enough to fall down in a hole and break their silly necks? Well, you fell in, didn't you? Okay, okay. You're going to stand there talking or you're going to reach down a hand and haul me out of here? Sure. I'll get down to my knees and reach down. Now then, reach up as far as you can. Yeah. Just reach your hand. Yeah. Okay. Up. You come. Yeah. Yeah, there. Now, who do you suppose set that trap? And why didn't you fall into it? He was ahead of me. Look, trap's right on the edge of the path. I was walking right down the middle. Apparently you got too close to the edge. Some of the pirates work, would you bet? Maybe. Well, come on. Next time, keep in the path. Yeah. Pardon me if I limp. Sure, go ahead. Limp. Keep close behind. We get ourselves in the dog-gownest messes. Hey, listen. Bell Shazer. Dog-gown talking parrot. Gracie said the parrot always warned her when anyone came near, so we must be getting close. You're gracing. Makes Gracie sound like a lost puppy dog. Listen. I never heard that version before. Skip for the little mic, shut up. Huh? What's the matter? Somebody's in the jungle and alongside the path. Just a head of us. You sure? Either a person or an animal. Just easing my gun around where it's handy. Don't do any shooting without knowing what you're shooting at. Yeah. Rock this old bird. I don't hear anything up ahead. Something's there. Lying and waiting. Well, why don't you say something to it? I have the pirate open up at this range with this rifle. Oh, yeah. I see what you mean. Get Gracie, get Gracie, get Gracie. Listen, Skip. Yeah. Get down and lie flat, but keep your gun handy. You gonna try something? Yeah. Okay, I'm down. I'm on my stomach right beside you. I'm gonna try to open a conversation. If anyone fires now, it'll probably be over our head. Okay, shoot. Hello up there. I know you're up there, so there's no use pretending you're not. Then it's you, Captain Friday. Huh. Oh. Oh, Gracie, I thought it was the pirate. Who? Manuel, the pirate. And I thought you were Manuel. You seen anything of him? Yes, he's on the prowl. I've had a bad time keeping out of his way all afternoon. You know where he is now? No. Now that night has set in, I've lost him. Is the other one with you, too? Are you talking about me? Keep your voice down, Skip. Oh, yeah. Sure, Gracie, I'm here. I had a talk with Manuel once this afternoon. What kind of talk? He don't argue people being on the island. I don't suppose he does. No. He says he went to the trouble of killing the captain of the yacht, and then this afternoon he killed Cockney. Hey, he come right out and admit it? He did. He said just when he thought he had me all to himself, a pop's you too. Yeah. And so, now, he has to kill you two. Well, why didn't he try it this afternoon while we were working on the plane? Because I didn't let him. Well, how did you stop him? I kept close to him. I kept making him think he just about had me cornered. I kept his mind away from you two. You must be a pretty tricky babe in the jungle to play hide and seek like that. I can take care of myself. Hey, look, Gracie, how would you like to get out of this? Meaning what? We got the plane, so it'll run again. We can take off anytime we like. So what? We want you to come with us. Oh, no, you don't. But look, Gracie. No, sir. Gracie, don't put yourself in the hands of a couple of strangers like that. Not Gracie. But all we want to do is to get you off this island and away from Annwell. Fly her to Australia so you can get back home. How do I know that? You'll have to take us on faith. Ha! When all you ever take a man on faith again, there'll be two moons in the sky. And I mean blue moons made of cheese. Hey, keep talking to her, Cap. Skip, come back here. What did you say? I said you're acting like a little fool. We want to help you. Skip, you crazy fool. Come back. You want to get off this island, don't you? When a ship comes along and gets me, yes. Well, this is off the beaten lanes of ocean traffic, you know. It might be years of... Oh, no! I gotta, Bob. I gotta. But she's fighting like a tiger. On the lonely little atoll in the China Sea, Manwell, the pirate, has killed two men so that he may have the girl Gracie all to himself. And then Captain Friday and Skip drop down on their disabled plane to complicate matters. Now the plane is mended, and Captain Friday wants to take Gracie off the island with them. But not if Manwell can prevent it. Also, not if Gracie can prevent it because she doesn't trust any man. In the darkness on the jungle trail, Captain Friday kept Gracie's attention while Skip slipped into the jungle and grabbed the girl from behind. If she won't leave with them of her own free will, then they intend taking her by force. Captain Friday, if you don't give me a hand. Here I am. Gracie, stop it. Stop it, you hear? You're the worst of the lot. We're not going to hurt you. Throwing a girl down in the dark and sitting on her. And what are you doing? Tying your hands behind you. You can't do that. Hang on to her, Skip. She's as strong as a box full of tiger tracks. There. Shall I let her up? No. Keep sitting on her until I tie her feet. I've never been treated like this in all my born days. Well, it's what you get for being so skittish. If you trusted us and come out in the open, we wouldn't have had to do this. I suppose you wouldn't show a young lady no mercy. Okay. Hey, Peter Tide. Expect the worst, do you, Gracie? I know reason to expect anything better. Hey, Chief, turn your flash on her. Let's see what we got, huh? I want too much light around here. I'm liable to attack the pirate. I hope he does come, too, and butchers the both of you. What, were you tied up and helpless the way you are? Shame on you, Gracie. Now, what's the matter? Why don't you turn on a flash? I dropped it. Oh, here it is. Okay, click it on. There. Hey. Well, how do you do if it isn't Miss Dorothy Lamour herself? Just because I'm reduced to wearing a sarong out here in the island ain't no reason for calling me Dorothy Lamour. Who was wrong with Dorothy Lamour for, guys? Well, I ain't her, is all I'm saying. You're a very good-looking young woman, Gracie. And suppose I am? It's only a danger and indreance to me out here away from civilization. Don't put clothes on my back, no food in my mouth. You say you're reduced to wearing a sarong. Well, where are the clothes you were wearing when you came ashore? I was asleep in my nightgown. When the ship struck, all I had in my mind was to get on deck. Once up there, I was washed overboard. When I woke up, I was lying on the beach. And the birds were singing, and it was as nice a day as the body could hope for. So you made your nightgown into a sarong, huh? What else could a lady do? Well, you did yourself proud if you asked me. That also explains why you have no shoes or stockings. Well, that was the worst part of all, learning to walk barefoot. You seem to be doing all right now. Oh, yes. Now my feet are tuff and up. I can hop about the jungle with the best of them. Hey, why'd you turn off the flashlight? You've seen enough. Besides, we're getting Gracie down the plane and getting out of here. You ain't fooling the poor girl. Is that why you sit on me like a pack of wolves and tie me up just to rescue me? Sure. You've got to learn to trust folks, Gracie. I come of age the hard way. All my life, a girl's had to watch out for herself. It was her against the world, and always it's been a man's world. Well, for once in your life, you've got somebody on your side. Now, maybe I ever that. You do begin to act like a pair of gents. Well, we've stood here talking too much as it is. Skip, you want to scout the trail ahead while I carry Gracie? I do not. I want to carry Gracie while you scout the trail ahead. You've got some pretty rugged terrain to cross, getting down to the beach. Well, with Dorothy Lemoy and my arms, I'll just float down. But Washington, the girl walked on around two feet. Will you come willingly? What's the girl got to lose? Now they don't begin to trust you. No, I don't go for that, Captain Friday. I think I ought to carry Gracie. Cut it out, Skip. Hello, Gracie. If I untie your feet, will you come along with us without any trouble? I will, and gladly. It's a deal. Untie your feet, Skip. In moving pitches, the hero always gets a chance to carry the heroine. Skip. Okay, okay. I'm untying her, aren't I? Well, hurry up and don't talk so much. Is his name Skip? Uh-huh. Skip Turner. And who are you, please? Bart Friday. Captain Bart Friday. Okay. Captain Bart Friday, then. Okay, Gracie, your feet are untied. But my hands? Your hands stay tied. What if we trust each other? When we get on the plane, we'll untie your hands. For the present, they stay tied behind you. Here, get up on your feet. There. Hey, Captain, even with just the moonlight, she looks like something out of a South Sea moon picture. Hair down her back, just the right amount of sarong. All right, Romeo, let's go. You bring up the rear. Gracie, you walk between us. I'll keep an eye open ahead. Now that the moon has come up, be careful. Huh? Careful of what? Have you forgotten Manuel is stalking this island? Hey, that's right, the pirate does want our scalps at that. All right, here we go. Don't fall behind, Skip. I'm right on Gracie's heels. Honest to goodness. Don't you sharp stones and briars and stuff hurt your bare feet. Oh, not at all. I don't know whether I'm ever going to be able to put shoes on again. Yeah, and I bet you're going to miss the old swimming hole down in the ravine, too. Oh, you saw me down there? Yeah, that was our first peek at you. Of course, we were so far off that all we could tell was that she was a white girl. Yes, I will miss the swimming. As a matter of fact, I've got to like my island quite a bit. Except for Manuel, the pirate. Well, after all, it was nice knowing there was a man on the island. I thought you'd been fighting him off for six months. And so I have, and I would have shot him down like a dog if he'd bothered me. But still and all, it was comforting, knowing that there was a man about. You're a queer one, Gracie. Well, after all, when you're living in the wilderness you're just about to forget everything you learned in civilization. Nothing seems to apply if you know it, Army. I think I do. Okay, now we're coming out of the jungle. The path gets pretty rugged. We're going to have to keep low so as not to show up against the skyline. Skip, you're not going to have to help Gracie with her hands tied behind her. Skip, are you paying attention? Skip! That's queer. Did you know he wasn't right behind you? He was. Well, he's not. That's queer. It's not queer at all. He was bringing up the rear, and like it's not the pirate slipped up behind him and knocked him over the head. See, that is right, Capitan. What's that? It's my whale. See, I did slip up behind the unwary skip turn and tap him on the skull. It was so simple. If you've killed Skip Turner... Oh, no, no, no, no. That I have not done yet. What do you mean, yet? But just what it sound like. This friend of yours is not dead because I need him as a hostage. Hostage? See, you have in your possession something which belongs to me. I, therefore, have in my possession something which belongs to you. I don't get it. Perhaps the senor do no wish to get it. What have I that belongs to you? This so beautiful senorita. Gracie. See, but, of course, for six months I have been on this shipwreck island with Gracie. During this time I have killed two men because of her. If that does not give a man false rise to a woman, then please tell me what does. I'm a free girl and I belong to no man. But, naturally, that is what a senorita is supposed to say. I know you killed the ship's captain and I know you killed Cockney, but if you think that entitled you to any special favors... Oh, senorita, how many men would you have me kill before I may win your favor? What's killing got to do with love? It is always that way in nature. The strongest male kills the weaker males and then he becomes the one whom the female love. Well, nature can take that sort of business and go jump in the lake with it. You see, Manuel? See what, Capita? Gracie doesn't agree that she belongs to you. Therefore, I don't have anything of yours. So? Yes, so. You'd better turn over Skip to me and be glad we don't nail your skin to a tree before we leave this island. Oh, so you expect to leave this island? Any minute now. Well, I will tell you this, senorita. Unless you turn over to me the senorita whom you have in your possession, your friend Skip Turner will never leave here alive. And I think that goes for you also, Captain Friday. Look, Manuel, I'll make a deal with you. Deal? Yeah. Why didn't I think of it before? You want to get off this lonely out of the way island, don't you? Oh, see, naturally I hope not to spend all my life here. Okay. Come on and join us. No, no. How do you mean join with you? We were going to take Gracie out. We've got room for you, too. You are speaking of the airship on the beach? That's it. We had engine trouble, but we've got that fixed up. So bring along Skip and we'll all four be away from here in a half hour. Senorita, that is the most handsome offer I have had the pleasure of receiving my whole life. Can you accept? No. But Manuel... No. It doesn't make sense. Why not? Why not? I am two-time killer, confess with my own lips. Besides, this Gracie saw me kill the captain. And Gracie told me that you and this key portion who is my prisoner, saw me kill Cockney. What of it? The minute you arrive in Australia, you tell the stories to the authorities, and what become of poor Manuel. Oh, nonsense. Why shouldn't you... Hang by the neck until he is dead. That is what happened to poor Manuel. Gracie, talk to him. Tell him you'll keep your mouth shut. But I will not. See, the senorita is the truthful one. You mean you wouldn't give Manuel a break even to save your own honor, perhaps your own life? If you take Manuel back to Australia with us, I'll point him out as a murderer to the very first policeman. You haven't got any more sense. So you see, Captain Fry, the best thing for you to do is to give the senorita to me. When you have done this, I will return, skip the honor to you. How does that appeal to you, Gracie? You wouldn't do that to a poor girl. Turn her over to a dirty, killing sea pirate. That's just what I ought to do. Now you are talking sense. Give Gracie and you two fly away about your own business. And what about after they fly away, Manuel? And what about it, senorita? That's something else you haven't thought about. Once they're away, what's to prevent them from reporting to the barbers that you're a killer and you're on this island? See, see, that could happen. And they can come back and get you at their leisure. Because how can you possibly get off? Ah, see, they must not be allowed to leave. Hey, what is this, anyway? Who's side are you on, Gracie? They must not be allowed to leave. They must be killed, see? And their airplane burns. Oh, it's the pirate. There's somebody praying up near my cave. What's that? Impossible, senorita. Yes, there is. That's the signal the pirate always gives when somebody comes near. It's my warning. But we three and skip are the only ones on the island. Have you really got skipped there with your Manuel? See, I have him tied to a tree besides he's unconscious. Then there's somebody else on this island. Manuel, maybe you didn't kill Cockney after all. Can a man walk about with the back of his head blown away? Perhaps it's his ghost walking. Senorita, do not say such a thing. It's somebody, somebody praying around the mouth of my cave in the jungle. There are supposed to be only four living persons and a parrot on Shipwreck Island. Then who is the fifth shadow prowling near Gracie's cave? The third episode of The Girl on Shipwreck Island is entitled, There is more about Gracie than meets the eye and will come to you next week at the same hour. You are listening to another in the series of Adventures by Morse.