 Adventures by Morse. Carlton E. Morse presents It's Dismal to Die, featuring Captain Friday. If you like high adventure, come with me. If you like the stealth of entry, come with me. If you like blood and thunder, come with me. Dead of knights in a desolate heart of a dismal swamp. And in the lonely hideout, Dr. Reckhart has just raised his gun to shoot down Johnny Lane, before his young wife's eyes. Captain Friday and Skip Turner came here with Julie Lane in an attempt to rescue her kidnapped husband. But Julie was stolen from them and they themselves were ambushed. Crept along the narrow path between the quicksands into the kitchen lean-to of the main cabin. Through a crack in the door that leads to the living quarters they watched the doctor shoot down his assistant Morales in a quarrel over Julie. But Johnny lost his head and rushed to his wife's assistance. In a cold fury, the doctor leveled his gun. Now, Mr. Lane, it is your turn. Fool, a crazy young idiot. Yep, that's torn little bitty pieces. This interruption was ill-advised, Mr. Lane. You might have had several more days in which to enjoy your miserable little life. As it is, you forced me to eliminate you now. No, no, please. Mrs. Lane, remain where you are. If you move by a hair's breadth, I shall shoot your husband in the abdomen. It will kill him just as surely as a bullet through the brain. But he will not die so quickly. No, I can assure you as a doctor and a scientist, so painlessly. Johnny, Johnny. Better stay still, darling. Now, Mr. Lane. Hey, boss, are we just going to stand by like that? Quiet, quiet. You aren't going to kill me, Dr. Eckhart. No? You interest me. The fantasy of a disordered mind or possibly the wanted American tendency to laugh at death. I do not approve. Death is serious, Mr. Lane, as life is serious. That is why we are the master race. That is why in the end we cannot fail. Oh, yes, you can. As a matter of fact, you already have. Another joke? The plain truth. You can't kill all of us, you know. All of you? You're pretty good with a gun here, doctor. But even Annie Oakley would have her troubles potting three active men. Three? Captain Friday and Skip. They're loose, too. Of course they are. Wouldn't you think the doctor would have realized that when he saw me up here? Where are they? Getting a little careless in your old age here, doctor? Maybe you ought to keep that super mind of yours on business and leave running it. He said it. Answer me. Well, make up your mind, can't you? Johnny, please. All right, Julie. Glad to tell the doctor all about it. Let's see now. Did you know I broke a glass one day, doctor? Too bad the dummy isn't as careful as you are. I managed to keep a piece with a knife. Good boy. We can stall a few minutes. And a few minutes is over. That's all we need. Yeah, you got something in mind? Wait till I get the door shut so we can talk. I didn't tell me, dude. Skip, there's only one lamp in that room. You can't see it from here, but it's on a straight line from the window. How do you know that? Saw it when Johnny and I were snooping around. Now, if we rush the doctor with that light on, somebody's going to get hurt. Do you think you can get it out? Can I? Just let me wrap my paw around a hunk of rock. There are plenty of those outside. But smash the window before you let fly. Smash the window? What for? The rock will do that going through. Listen, dope. If the doctor pressed that trigger by reflex action when the light went out, Johnny'd end up with a smashed skull. But when the window crashes behind him, he's practically bound to whirl around. You get it? Oh, sure, I get it. He spins around and ain't squares for me. Yeah. Now, you'll have to get that lamp fast. Yeah. Don't worry yourself, nun. But I got my skin to think about. Grease, lighten and don't hold a candle to me. Okay. That smashed window will be my cue. I'll rush him from here. And don't miss that lamp. Brother, it's sure too bad you never seen me pitchin' sandlot baseball down home. Man, I coulda give Grover Cleveland Alexander pointers if I were mine, too. I guess you oughta watch those impulsive little gestures of yours there, doctor. Too bad you bumped Moralesaw. You coulda used him about now. As it is, you're one against three. Now it is you who forget. There is still the dummy. A formidable opponent, my young friend. Oh, yes, the dummy. Didn't I tell you? Tell me what? I wouldn't count on him if I were you. He's lying in the storage cabin, tied up like a bundle of laundry. You got the dummy? Oh, thank heaven. When you talk about formidable opponents, Dr. Eckhart, don't underrate Captain Friday and skip Turner. And no mean shakes himself. As I said, you're one against the three of us. So? And you imagine the balance is in your favor. I hold in my hand a powerful assistant, Mr. Lane. One against three. But the one is armed. If you fire, they'll be on you like wolves. You can't get all of us. I do not admit that. However, there is a possibility that I might not. A slim possibility. But I have considered it. The light is dim. I'm a careful man. I take no chances. Congratulate your husband, Mrs. Lane. What do you mean? He has convinced me of the advisability of changing my tactics. Captain Friday. Say what the devil is? May I be silent? Captain Friday. I have no time for childish games. Naturally, I'm within hearing distance. Reply, if you please. OK, Doc. Spare your voice. I'm here. Ah, behind the door of the lean-to. No doubt Mr. Turner is with you. You're doing the talking. I am. Listen carefully, please. With both ears. In one moment, I shall leave this cabin. You, Mr. Turner, and Mr. Lane will remain here. You will make no move to follow me. Oh, that right? You will not raise a finger to prevent my escape. I see. You wouldn't be taking Mrs. Lane with you, I suppose. Excellent. For once, I need not point out the obvious. Naturally, Mrs. Lane accompanies me. Julie? Oh, no, you don't. Julie stays right here. Mr. Lane, may I remind you again that I hold a weapon in my hand? Do not move. Weapon or no weapon, Julie stays here. My dear young man, are you totally devoid of intelligence? Her dead body may remain here. Better get it straight, Johnny. One false move out of you and he'll shoot your wife. I'll get you. I'll get you if it's the last thing I do. Perhaps you might. That is a possibility which I also admit. But it will scarcely restore your wife to life. How about you, Julie? Seems to me you're the one most concerned. I'll go with the doctor. Splendid, my dear. Julie, you can't. Don't you see, Johnny, I can't do anything else. If I refuse, he'd kill you. If you try to stop me, he'll shoot me and probably you too. It's our only chance. A clear summation of the facts. No need to concern yourself about the young woman. Due to this unexpected alteration in my schedule, I shall not have time for her excellent company. I wouldn't believe you on a stack of bibles. You can this time, Johnny. He'll be too busy saving his own hide. Won't be quite so easy to get to Florida now. Florida? Why do you say Florida? Oh, come now, Doc. I know all about it. You know nothing. No? Let's start back a few years. Your Führer's pals had quite an organization built up in this country before the war. But the FBI wasn't as sound asleep as you thought. After Pearl Harbor, the boys made mincemeat out of your setup. So? So you had to get new agents in to take the places of the ones you lost. You tried sending a few in by submarine, not so hot. If they managed to land, they were picked up a few miles inland. You had to find a safer route. That's where you proved useful. Go on. I'm listening. You've been running a neat little underground railway here, Doctor. You smuggled your boys into Florida from South America. There's a huge track of swamp down in Florida, too. The Everglades. They'd hide out until it was safe to bring them up here. You know too how they were brought? Well, that's clear as glass. Through the inland waterway in the dismal swamp canal. Hey, you were pretty smart. Morales posed as a rich ranchero and got hold of Johnny's father. He had a big houseboat. No money to run it. You hired his boat and supplied him with crews. New agents coming in. Old ones and escaped prisoners of war going out. No one suspected. No one. No. Not until Mr. Lane caught on and refused to play any longer. Why should they catch on? He'd been making that trip for 30 years. Everybody along the waterways knew him and his boat. You were safe as houses. Well, how does that stack up? You know much. But there is much you do not know. No? You stupid Americans. You think because you have won two little victories that we are finished. Kaput. It is laughable. You think because your soldiers rule our country that we are helpless. Like children, you are incapable of understanding what it is to prepare for every emergency. Got your plans all made, huh? They were made before a gun was fired. There are still places on this earth where we are welcomed. There are hidden and inaccessible spots where we can live and work without interference until we are ready. You? I go now, Captain. But in time I shall return to this country. I and my men will seep into your homes, your towns, your public offices. This time we shall not strike until we are sure the final victory. Mrs. Lane. Yes? You will walk ahead of me to the door. You will open it and precede me through it. Mr. Lane, I advise you to remain quite still. Captain Friday, isn't there anything we can do? No, Mr. Lane. There is nothing you can do. You may proceed. Hey, Doc! Duck, kids. What's that? The landscape. Coming up. Keep away from me. I warn you. That's what you think. Just let me get my hands on you. Julie. Julie, are you all right? Yes, I think so. Ken frotted. The Captain. It's on fire. Get her out of here, Johnny. Fast. Skip, where's the doctor? I don't know. He couldn't have got out the window. I come in that way. The front door. It's open, Captain. Yeah, that's the way he went, all right. We'll get Julie out of here. Terrorist seen all over the place, growing up like a haystack. Come on, darling. All right. Come on, come on, Julie. Skip. Yeah, boss? The guns. They'll be in here somewhere. You get the table. I'll try the chest. Right. Any luck? Not yet. This dog on smoke. Hey. You got him? Yes, sir. Both of them. Flashlights, too. Whoopee. I don't stop to gloat. Grab them and run. And don't spare the horses. Murder has moved into the black decaying heart of the dismal swamp, which Dr. Eckhart has used as a headquarters for a band of enemy agents. A few moments ago, the hair doctor shot down his assistant Morales. He intended to kill his prisoners, too. But Captain Friday and Skip made their escape and released young Johnny Lane. At the main cabin, Skip threw a rock through the window of the room where the doctor was holding Julie Lane, smashing the lamp and setting the cabin on fire. In the mix-up, Dr. Eckhart made his escape. Now, outside the burning building, Johnny and Julie are anxiously waiting for Captain Friday and Skip. Johnny, Johnny, what's happened to them? Why don't they come out? No, darling, don't worry. Captain Friday and Mr. Turner can take care of themselves. But the hole inside of the cabins and flames, the bar's licking at the roof. Johnny, those shots are Dr. Fried. They may have been hurt. They both sounded all right. I don't know, though. Everything happened so fast. We've got to go back in there. Drag them out. Wait a second. Captain Friday, Turner, you all right? Keep your shirt on, fella. There's one of them running out of the door. It's Skip. And Captain Friday, right behind him. Over here. Here we are. Hey, OK. Be right with you. Dog gone, Smoke. Ain't enough. It stings the man's eyes out. Got to choke him to death, too. You're not hurt. You're both all right. Hey, Sugar, what's the matter with you? I thought you'd been hurt. The flames, you might have been burned to death. No, not us, Mrs. Lane. We just had a little business to attend to. Uh-huh. Getting back to guns, the doc lifted off us. Yeah. Oh, look at that. Hey, G.S., sweetheart. You know, I seen a lot of pretty little females in my time, but never one that fitted the palm of my hand like this here shooting pistol. Look, I hope we could stand here in the light from the fire. If the doctor's hanging around out there in the dark. Not a chance. He won't be hanging around here. Come daylight, we'd have him cold. Yeah, he'd make tracks out of the swamp. Right. And we're going after him, fast as we can make it. Johnny. Yeah? I gather this quicksand all around this camp. You know the path through it? Well, I've seen the men take it from the window of the cabin where they held me. Uh-huh. I was going to try it if I'd managed to get away. How do you think you can show it to us now? I don't know. It's tricky even in the daytime. Yeah, we'll have to try it. Here, take the flashlight. I'll be right at your heels in case you get into trouble. All right, let's go, boys. Yeah. Hey, uh, what about little Julie? Me? What about me? Well, we can't leave you here all by yourself. I'll say you can't. How do you think you'd find the trail without me? Yeah, she's right at that skip. She's the only one who knows it. Yeah, but honey, your plum tuckered out. Tuckered nothing. I brought you in here, skip, turn her, now I'm taking you out. Right, Johnny? Swallowed, Julie. If these gentlemen can go looking for trouble, I guess it's up to us to help them find it. So let me get the flashlight on. That'll be a path through the marsh leading off close to here. Hey, is that it? Looks like it. Come on. We can make time at first. All right. Yeah, better make an Indian file skip, Julie. And no straying. Hang on to my coattails, honey. I got them. Oh, slow down, everybody. Marshgrass coming up. All right, hold it, skip. Yeah. What's marshgrass got to do with it? Mark's the place where the quicksand begins. Oh, yeah. We, uh, we seem to make a three- or four-foot jump here. Sort of at an angle. Funny. Can't tell where we're supposed to land. No, wait a minute. Hold it. You're going to swing your flashlight to the right again. OK. A little further. Yeah. Yeah, I thought so. Flat rock. That must be the place. Yeah, Johnny. Hand over that flashlight. I'll try it. If it's safe, I'll hold the light for the rest of you. All right, Captain. But don't miss. No worry. I won't. Yeah, good. Yeah, she's sound as a dollar. All right, come ahead, Johnny. All right. Right with you. Yeah, it's fine. All right. You next, Julie. God. Think you can make it? Well, that's an awful big jump for awful little gal. Oh, thank you. I'm the original mongod. Gotcha. Let's see if you can do it that well, Mr. Turner. Well, that'll be a tough job at that. Well, I'll stand back here, buddy. Give a guy room. There. All right. Come on, now, and don't talk. Oh, boy, it sure feels good to plank my feet on firm ground again. If I had to jump one more, then quaking balls. All right, Skip. Yeah, we can't be far from the boats now. Hey, you think you'll have left us one? Might've kind of. Nope. It's just sensible. It takes time to scuttle the boat, Skip. Guess you'll be right after him. Yeah, it's so, ain't it. And he couldn't trail an extra boat behind him either, unless he wanted to snarl up for a fair you well. Hey, wait a minute. See? Water head. You see the gleam? Yeah. Cut that light. Right. Good. Now listen, everybody. Down on your hands and knees. We creep up within sight of the stream. Then Johnny snaps the light on. But stay down. We've made good time, and the dock can't be far away. Now, you got it? Sure thing. OK. Here we go. OK, Johnny, the light. Right. There. There it is, the boat. Yeah, one boat, and that's all. That means the dock's still ahead of us. Well, they can't be far. Come on, let's get a move on. Uh-uh, wait. Better look at that boat first. Come on, bring the light, Johnny. I'm with you. Great. Now throw the beam in the boat. Yeah. Hey, why, dog gone his hide. What's the matter? Look for yourself. All that means, you're buzzard. He ain't nothing but a low-down thief. He done stole our oars. Well, what do you expect, Skip? Yeah, it won't delay us for long, though. Plenty of stuff around to pull with. Johnny, swing that beam along shore so we can pick it up. Don't cut that light. Julie. Julie, where are you? I'm here. But so's the doctor. Quite right, my dear Mrs. Lane. I have been here since you reached the stream. It was time to make my presence known. Yeah? Why right now? I cannot permit you to provide yourself with substitute poles, not at the moment. Had you reached this stream two minutes later, it would have made no difference. Uh-huh. Got here a little too early for you, eh, doctor? I believed it would take you longer. I'd expect it to be through the floodgate before you reach this place. But I always take precautions in the event. The floodgate? Exactly, up to Friday. The barrier which closes the stream leading to our camp. I must ask you and your friends to remain without moving until I have opened it and closed it behind me. And then what? Then, Captain, nothing you do will concern me. As you have no doubt observed, the barrier is extremely heavy. It is operated by a most ingenious mechanism. When I am outside, I shall destroy the mechanism. Hey, that a trap person here. Yeah, he'd be halfway to Florida before we get out. Listen, my excellent friends. Look at that flash. Look at the flat on your faces, you and Julie. What? Get down. Ready, Skip? For air and to go? I'll be the zane until I return. Watch it now, Skip. I'm going to use the flashlight. There he is. Let's take it. Brother, you ain't never going to get that gate shut. Stuck you fools. Stay where you are. Oh, so that's the way you want it, huh? Well, two can play at that game. Don't kill him, Skip. We want him alive. Sure. I'm just keeping him bothered. I warn you. Stay away from me. Grab the boat, Skip, and spill him out. The water's shallow. I'll keep the light on him. Now you're talking. Over you go. No, no. And that does it. I'd stay still, don't go. Take your hands off me. Let go. Oh, no, you don't. Watch out, Skip. I called you. You will never take me. Skip. Skip. Are you all right, fella? Sure. I just slipped in the mud. A little blow like that had never pushed me over. I'll never mind that now. He's making for the bend. If he gets around it, we may lose him. Well, come on. Keep that light steady. Well, it's not so easy in this mud. Well, we're gaining on him just the same. You better give up, Doc. You ain't got a coon's chance. I will never give up. Ain't you will never? Skip, don't move another step. Help! Yeah, but what's got into him? Don't you see? He's in quicksand. Quicksand? Great glory. Help me, please. Please, you cannot let me die like this. Fella, I reckon you're right. Not even a rat like you. Doctor, listen. Their vine's above you. Grab them. Now, hang on till I can get back with the door. But I still think I can uphold. Sure you can. Anyways, you better. Hey, don't try to pull. Keep working your body from side to side. All right, here we are. Now, when I reach the oar here, let go the vines and grab it. Okay? Yeah, yeah. All right, now, come on. Just keep working your body. That's it. We'll pull from this end. Give me your hand, Skip. Yeah, slow and steady ought to do it, huh? Yeah. We went to too much trouble to nab you alive, Doctor, to hand you over to quicksand. I reckon FBI will want to have a little talk with you about them hideouts you and your friends fixed up to hatch another war in. That's it, baby. Come on. Come to papa. Are you coming, Skip? Dr. Eckhart giving you any trouble? Well, I wrapped up in vines like he is. Heck, fine, though. He and the dummy are laying in the bottom of my boat peaceful as babies. Now, how are you folks coming in your boat? Everything under control. You know, one thing's still nagging at me, though. What's that? The same thing that's bothered me all along. Julie, why in thunder didn't Johnny's old man come with instead of sending you? Oh, but don't you see he couldn't come. The ransom notes ordered him to be read it and leave when they sent word. He had to stay with a houseboat. Thought Johnny's life depended on it. Poor dad. What'll they do to him, Captain Friday? He didn't know he was running enemy agents in and out of the country. And he still doesn't. He never suspected Morales at all till the last trip. Then he thought the men were criminals, gangsters, skipping the country. Just about killing him when he finds out. You think El Jalen? I can't answer for the FBI, Johnny. But your father didn't know the score. They might figure you Lanes did the country a pretty big service after all. What do you mean? Well, the government men know these enemy agents had bases of retreat lined up in case of defeat. Locating those bases and wiping them out is important to the whole world. We're giving them a guy who can spot those hideouts. No, I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. We hand the dock over to the FBI. I'd say it'll be all over but the shouting. Like all who live by the sword, Herr Dr. Eckhart finally has come to the time in his life where he must face the consequences. You are listening to Adventures by Morse.