 Escape! You are groping in the dark of the African jungle night, trapped on a wharf of a crocodile infested river, fighting for your life against a ruthless giant from whom you must escape. Escape! Designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure. Tonight we escape to the dank jungles of the Seguanga Valley in Africa into the heart of a courageous man. As Robert Simpson told it in his story, John Jock Todd. No doubt you may presume my Scotch answers away from a wee bit of the old speech that still clings to my voice. Though it's been some years now since I last walked in the Heather of the Helens of Abergorie. My name is John Todd, the same as my father's, though to be sure he's more often called Jock Todd. Jock being the fighter's equivalent to John, and a name which in no ways applies to me. I am a peach-loving man, not a fighter, and no man can deny it, even today. However, in other respects, I was a raw lad for certain when I sailed up from Glasgow and came here to this heathen land of Africa, and that's a thing which cannot be said of me at present. If a man lives at all in this steaming-hot jungle of the Niger River, then he must learn very quickly, and most especially so if he lands at that dirty little trading post on Seguanga Creek. Upside-by, London coming up. Here you are, Mr. Dirt. Seguanga landing, and you can have it as far as I'm concerned. Well, I might say the parlor company had somewhat more elaborate offices in Glasgow, Mr. Simpson. Hey, no doubt about that. And how long did you sign up for? Four years. Four years. Looking for them, they catch your fellas in Glasgow before they ever see in the place. Oh, kind of, it's so bad. Those are fair-looking buildings there on the bank. Fair-looking buildings? Hey, what's that help? He's into it. You want to tear out the wharf? I don't suppose you've heard anything about Brock. Well, they told me I should report to the agent in charge here, a man named Captain Brock. Captain Brock? Every agent in this stinking jungle calls himself the Captain. That's him there in the wharf. Easy, boy. Get a line ready now. All right. Pat the model. He's a fair-sized man for certain. He's big enough, all right, in some ways. So is a gorilla. Watch out for him. Can I say I understand you. You will, Mr. Todd. If you live long enough. Up there, topside. Close the line, boy. Yes, sir. Me catch quick. That little fellow with him is named Ganson. You get nothing to fear from him till after Brock's made a move. He's a sneaky little jackal, but he never makes his own kill. I still can't understand what you're talking about, Mr. Simpson. You'll find out soon enough. Couldn't help you know how to go ahead of time. I dock here once a week on the river run. But you're still on your own. You'd better know it right now. Mr. Simpson, you will have to explain. All right. Open up, Mr. Simpson. All same, plenty fast. All right, boy. Come on, Mr. Todd. You may as well meet your new boss. Don't blow on me. Look what the young wolf has sent out to us this time. Shut up, Ganson. Well, Simpson, you are half a day late. When I start running my boat on a schedule, I'll send you a copy of it, Brock. If there was another boat on this river I could ship my stuff on. You know what I would do then, don't you? No, you wouldn't, Brock. Not as long as you know I carry a gun. You there. You the new junior assistant. That's all right, sir. My name is John Todd, and I assume you're coming. I'll take the time to find out your name later. And I do not give two cents for what you assume. That's telling the boss I get. Ganson did not I tell you to shut up. Yes, sir. And get out. Clear those natives of the wharf. All right, your captain. All right, move along now, you ready, Pegas. Come on, move now. You there. Oh! I have some brandy over the bungalow, Simpson, if you would like a drink while the boys are loading. I just had a drink. I'm bored. You there, whatever your name is. It's John Todd, sir. So it is John Todd, is it? And I suppose you call yourself Jock, like the rest of your blasted countrymen. No, sir. Jock is the name for a fighting man, such as my father. Kind of say it fits me. So you are not a fighting man, eh? It makes things a lot easier, your daughter, Brock. As soon as you're both unloaded, you can bring the lading bills up to the office. Well, Todd, are you going to stand here on the wharf the rest of the day? No, sir, but I thought you'd be one... You thought! You are not paid to think. Get your stuff up to the bungalow and be quick about it. Whatever you say, Captain Brock. Four years of it, Mr. Todd. Welcome to Seguanga. I didn't understand it at all. The reason for Captain Brock having acted in such a strange way. I'd never met the man, nor could I think that he'd ever heard of me before. And I couldn't be certain of the extent of the man's authority here in the jungle. The Home Office and Glasgow having been a wee bit unclear about the matter. They had said only that the agent was very much like the captain aboard a ship, and that he carried full responsibility in his own two hands. But about the attitude of Captain Brock himself, I very soon had few doubts left in my head. I didn't see the man again the afternoon I arrived, but a house boy came and wakened me in the middle of the night and said the captain wished to see me in the main room of the bungalow. Immediately. Captain Brock, the boy said you'd sent for me, sir. You do not have to tell me that. It took you long enough to get here, too. Oh, it took no more time than to pull on a pair of pants. Oh. So it makes you argumentative to wake you up in the middle of the night. I was not intended to be so. I am not interested in your intentions, Mr. Todd. You will learn to keep a civil tongue in your head. I was not me. Shut up! That's better. And I suppose you're wondering why I had you waked up like this in the middle of the night. I presume you had a reason. Oh, you presume, do you? Oh, yes. And what do you presume the reason is? I'm afraid I couldn't say. Then I will tell you. I sent for you, Mr. Todd. Simply to show you I can have you waked up any time I pleased you. You had no other reason than that? None at all, Mr. Todd. A fighting man might resent it, but then you are not one, are you? Too bad. If that's all you've got to say to me, then I'll go back to my bed. That is all. Now get out of my office. Just as you say, Captain Brock. The attitude of the man didn't change none of the next few weeks, and I couldn't have find in my head any reason for his hatred. And it was hatred. It was in his eyes every time he spoke to me. I took care of my duties and stayed clear of them otherwise, and for the most part, we came to no head on clash. That with the two exceptions, however. The first one happened about a week after I arrived. I was supervising a group of natives at the time, working on the breakwater at the end of the wharf. Mr. Todd, what the devil are those boys supposed to be doing? They're repairing the breakwater. I can see that without being told. Now where did you get the authority to buy the timber? Why, you ordered it last week yourself from Cheedy Lorrie. Maybe I told you to accept delivery without having me look at it first. Well, you told me to receive it when it came in, and that's what I did. It's good timber, I checked it myself. How would you know if it is good timber? My father happens to be a forester back in Scotland. The devil take you and your father both. I'd advise you never to say that in my father's hearing. Are you threatening me? No, I'm nothing like that. But I'm sort of suggesting it isn't always wise to insult a man you've never seen. I see. Now that I come to think of it, he is the one that is a fighter, isn't he? That's correct. The one they call Jack Todd, huh? Well, it is too bad he is not around here. Mr. John Todd. Boy, you there. Theo, what's the macuba? Throw out that piece of timber you're using, and if fool could see it, it's too short. Up on the deal. I said throw it out. I will teach you to argue. Get back on your feet. I said get up. Get on your feet before I kick your head up. I'd seen him knock Gunson down the same way, and then kick him like he did the natives. And Gunson took it, and saved his curses until Brock was not around. I wondered what I might do if he ever tried it on me. And the next week, I saw that he would try it, sooner or later. Chief Diwona and his boys were coming from back country with a dozen canoes full of palm nuts, and I was out in the warehouse checking in the load. We used a big wicker basket for measuring called a cooler, for some reason or other, and Diwona's boys would fill this, and then we'd dump it on the pile at the end of the building. Gunson was boss in the load, and then I'd check off each cooler in the tally book, as it was dumped. It was late in the afternoon when we finally finished. All right, all right, step loudly now you, then blighters here. Right no more to trouble about after this one. All right, Todd, here's the last one. You got it marked, have you? All right, Gunson. All right, now you're ready beggars. Let's take it back and dump it. Come on, put your backs to it now. Eve, Eve, here now. Chipper up, let's go. Come on, shake him out, shake him out every time the last one happens. Come on, shake him out. Now that does it. How many coolers did we have, Todd? Eight, ten, twelve, fourteen... How many you count? How many cooler you'll get, or same me, maybe? Seventeen, eight, nineteen, Diwona. Nineteen. Me count all same, twenty. Well, Locke, it's not you miss one, Todd. Give Miss twenty. I didn't miss one, Mr. Gunson. The tally is nineteen. Chippok, don't make all the way, Todd. Stand along. You pay me twenty, make all our trouble. Sorry, Diwona, the count stands at nineteen. Don't be a crazy fool, Todd. Give it to him. What's one cooler, more or less? Me tell Captain Brock, he fix good. That will not be necessary, Diwona. What is the trouble here, Todd? I mean, you got sense enough to take in a few palm nuts without getting your feet twisted. I'm afraid I have nothing to do with it, Captain Brock. He claims twenty coolers, and I count at nineteen. Then you missed one. Give him twenty. Can I do that, sir? You what? Can I sign my name to help cheat the company? Cool. Blimey if it ain't downright news. Shut up, Gunson. Mr. Todd. Out here, I am the company. Now, write out that credit check. Whatever you say, Captain Brock. It's taking your orders like a good chat, Mr. Todd. I thought you cheated. Shut up, Gunson. Well, have you got it written, Mr. Todd? There you are, Captain Brock. Well, it is lucky you decided. Mr. Todd, you have made this out for nineteen. Which is, according to my count. Still not to write. I'll advise you to stop and think before you move. Well, now, you wouldn't be picking up that shovel with any hostile intent, would you? No, man. No more than you'd be advanced and taught me with a hostile intent. Like that, eh? Duana, I am tearing up this check. I will give you one myself for twenty. You always come to me. I will make it right with you. Yes, Captain. All same like you say. And Mr. Todd, I will make it right with you, too. You can depend on that. Brock stayed clear of me for a few weeks, and outside of the job of work I was hired to do, I had no words with him. I recall Mr. Simpson saying to watch out for him. And I was there, certainly, was only waiting for the chance to make his move. He outweighed me for fifty pound, and I knew beyond doubt that I couldn't stand up to him. But what really worried me was not knowing of any reason for the man's attitude. It made no sense that a man should go looking for a fight without no reason at all. At any rate, the weeks passed. The jungle steamed, and the muddy river rolled past the wharf. And then one day it happened. Sunday was my one three-day in the week. So I'd hired a canoe and paddled upstream for a visit with a fellow countryman at another trading post, some few miles away. It was just getting dark when I came back to the wharf, and when I got in close, I saw Brock standing there, smoking and leaning on a pylon at the far side. The watch boy squatted near the edge, waiting to take the line from my canoe. He caught it and pulled the boat in and made it fast. And I climbed out onto the wharf. Did you have a good trip, Mr. Todd? Not so bad, a bit hot, that was all. Uh, you, Savvy, which place canoe man live? Yes, sir. Live on Brockwood's side. Then go tell him, come get canoe. Tell him, two days pass. I give him check for pay. Oh, yes, sir. We'll go now. Tell man, plenty soon. Boy! Huh? You're there. Yes, sir, Captain Brock. Did I give you permission to leave the wharf? No, sir. But, Mr. Todd... Did I tell you you could leave? No, sir. All right. Then go get the head man. Tell him I want him here right away. And you come back with him. But, but... Captain Brock, sir... Move, boy! Yes, sir. All right, Todd, get up to your quarters. I think he'll be staying right here, Captain Brock. If you're planning to tie that boy to a post and flog him, as I've no doubt you've decided to do, then you'll be having a word with me first. Don't fly me. Genson, is that you? All right, y'all, Captain. I heard what he said. If it's a witness, you want him. I will tell you when I want anything. All right, Captain. No arm, that's enough. Take Mr. Todd up to his room and keep him there. I will attend to him later. If either of you lay a hand on me, it'll be a most unfortunate day in your lives. Oh, you don't say so, Mr. Todd. Mr. John Todd. I've told you what you may expect. So you have. I am not to lay a hand on you. Not even like this. Oh, still not proper, Captain. Eat him again. Come on, Mr. Todd, get up! That is for smashing him aside. I tried to get up onto my knees and I couldn't. I told you to get up! Again. I knew it wouldn't take many to finish me off. My head hung over the side of the wall. I made one effort and rolled off into the water. Please, call it to the water, Captain. Maybe call a swim. That is his hard luck. What suppose he trials it? The resident commissioner will be down on us for certain. I don't want to... Shut up, Ganson! Yes, sir. He can swim all right. There he is now, climbing out in the bank. Come on, Mayfeeite. What's the matter, Mr. Todd? You are not leaving us, are you? You have not changed your mind about having a word with me, have you? Mr. John Todd? Back in my own quarters, I changed into dry clothes. Haring as fast as I could. I couldn't have find it in my heart to be angry with a man. He had struck me without warning and kicked me while I was down. And he was panning out to flog a native boy without the Lord having committed a fault. It was not a thing to become angry about. Cops then broke hard to be punished, that was all. And though it would mean my own life most likely, it had to be done. It was no more than a matter of simple justice. Within five minutes I was back at the wharf. The watchboy had come back with a headman and a group of natives had gathered around the circle of light thrown out by a hurricane lantern. They didn't see me at first. All right, Ganson. Pull his hands up over his head and tie them there. Stretch him out. Right there, Captain. The watchboy stood there trembling with fear while Ganson bound his hands to the heavy pole. Hurry up, you clumsy fool, and make it tight. I want him to hang there after I'm through with him. Oh, he'll do that all right. Captain is Todd. Well, Mr. Todd, you are just in time to see the boy get what is coming to him. Rock, I told you before. You'll not be doing this without having a word with me. I was under the impression that you had already had your word, Mr. Todd. You've been laying into me ever since I came here for reasons of your own, whatever they might be. And what do you plan to do about it, Mr. Todd? You may be somewhat within your rights and that respect, but you're not so when you hit a man without warning and kick him while he's lying on the ground. Go on, Captain. Give him what for? Go on. I take it then, Mr. Todd, you have objections to hitting a man without warning. Perhaps it is a thing your father would not think of doing. No objections, Mr. Rock. Now that I know you do it, for it's a thing that one can do as well as the other. Well, I'm here at you, Captain. I don't mind, now that I know it. I cuffed him along one side of the head and then again of the other, and a wide ear rock back from the blower clenched my hands around his thick neck and sank my fingers into his throat. Stop him, Captain. Boy, it tears out your bloody throat. Stop. He struggled and twitched, but I held on and kept choking him, clenching my hands tighter and tighter. He struck at me and I let go with one hand and cuffed him again, and then I lay him. Last set, look. That was somewhat of a mistake on my part. For the blow, he raised him so he tore himself loose and smashed his fist into my face. You got him now, Captain. Give it to him. No, give it to him. I will show you if you can. Kill him, Captain. Go on, kill him. Get up, Todd. Get up. Go on, Captain. Get his bloody head in for him. Look out, Captain. Look out. He's got your ankle. That guy, you dirty little... Have him go like a chicken man when he's done. Rack. You bloody fool. You're breaking his leg. That's right, Ganson. Get up, Brock. On your feet, man. I hear through. I've only pretended. Come on. Get up on your feet. I can feel up here. Kill him. Blimey, if you ain't broke, he's blimey. I doubt it. I'm thinking it's only twisted. Ganson. Yes, sir? Half the boys give him a hand to his room if he needs it. I'm going to my quarters and clean up a bit. All right, you are. Mr. Todd. And Captain Brock, you have no reason to be calling me a killer. I'm a peace-loving man and I have no good opinion of such things as killing and fighting. You tried to dump me in, Todd. You are going to pay for it. I'm going to kill you for it maybe today or maybe next month, but I'm going to kill you. You can count on it. I went to my quarters then and I didn't know what happened just after that. I didn't know about Brock kicking Ganson off the stairs while the little man was trying to help him. Nor about Ganson going to the captain's room a few minutes after. How are you feeling, Captain? Oh, shut your mouth, Ganson, or I will shut it for you. You've got no call to be treating me like that. I'd have helped you if I could, but they just want no chance. They'd have done for me the same as you can. Shut up! I'm not even moving my leg. They want no call to kick me a while ago, neither. I could get out of this chair. I do the same again. You can't get up, Captain Brock. How could I hope to... Well, what is in your mind, you little beggar? You've been booting me around for nearly two years now, haven't you? The optonomy, the first minute I landed like you got an appetite of doing when the bloke is new. And I will break your dirty little neck as soon as I can walk. You've been treating me like a ruddy dog, Captain. And I've been taking it, too. Until now. Oh, what are you up to, Ganson? Ganson? G-Ganson? I sat there in my room for a long time, holding the pistol I'd taken from a drawer of the desk. I couldn't see any way out of it. Sooner or later, at the first chance he could find, Brock was going to kill me. And aside from murder and the man in cold blood, I didn't see any way of preventing him. I couldn't leave the trading post, and for certain, I couldn't stay on my guard for 24 hours a day. I couldn't say how long it was I sat there, holding the pistol in my hand, and trying to think how I might keep from dying. And not even knowing why the man hated me enough to wish to kill me. Then I heard somebody coming down the hall outside my door. I thought for a moment they might be going past, but then I raised the gun and pointed it at the door. Ganson! Ganson! Man, what have you done to your hands? Man? Oh, you ought to see him, Mr. Todd. You ought to come take a look at him. Oh, blimey, if I ain't marked him up all right. I marked him good. What are you saying, man? What have you done? He must always thought he was so much, just because he was bigger than me. I'll show him all right. What have you done? Oh, and you can't take a look for yourself, Mr. Todd. Come and see what used to be so I and Mighty calling itself Captain Brock. Take a look at him, Mr. Todd. He ain't quite so tough now as he was before. What have you done to him? Please, please do not let him hit me. Please, don't let him hit me again. With my own two hands I've done it, Mr. Todd. I beat his face to a pulp, I did. No, man, while he's helpless, get as bad as he is, Ganson. Please do not let him hit me again, Mr. Todd. He's not going to hit you, Brock. Get your own, Ganson. Come on. All right, Mr. Todd. Anyway, I marked him. I've marked his face up good so it'll show for a long time. Don't let him hit me again. Shut up, you great blubbering baby. Most likely you'll live through it all right, though you may never look the same again. Well, you've been having a bit of excitement. Oh, Mr. Simpson. I ducked at the warp ten minutes ago. The boys told me what had happened. Good Lord. You did all that. Oh, not to his face. Ganson has been settling up an old score. I'm afraid the little man has a vicious disposition. They never thought I'd see it. Brock, cry like a baby. Aye, and it sounded a bit fairly sick in me. Suppose we step outside and let him be? It's all right. Let me please go. Mr. Simpson, I've found out why Captain Brock hated me the way he did, why he threatened to kill me. Huh? Who do you think it is? The man of the coward, that's all. You saw him in there just now. He knew he was a coward, and he was afraid I'd find it out. You may be right. There's no doubt of it. And I'm thinking you'll have him for a passenger when you go back downriver. You'll not be able to stay here now that we understand him. And I'll see to it that Ganson goes along with him. Well, I can't say that I'll mind the change. I mean, doing business here from now on is a gent by the name of Jock Todd. Jock? Oh, no. You're taking me all wrong. I'm a peace-loving man, and my name is John. It's no wise proper to call a man Jock, unless he's a fighter. Now, you take my father, for instance. There's a man who can hold his own in any kind of company. But I don't know. Escape, produced and directed by Norman McDonnell, tonight brought you John Jock Todd by Robert Simpson, adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield, featuring Wilms Herbert as John Todd, Jack Krushen as Captain Brock, and Tony Barrett as Ganson, with Don Diamond and Paul McVeigh. The musical score was conducted by Wilbur Hatch. Next week. You are rushing forward through time, far into the future, trying desperately to flee the clutching fingers of a band of night-creatures, a dream-like horror from whom there seems no escape. Next week, we Escape with H.G. Wells' awesome story, The Time Machine. Good night, then, until the same time, next week, when, once again, we offer you Escape. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.