 Suspense. This is the man in black here again to introduce Columbia's program. Suspense. From Hollywood we bring you a star, Mr. Orson Wells, who this evening begins a four-week engagement as guest of these proceedings. In the interest of prime suspense, Mr. Wells and the producer of this series have scheduled four radio stories which they feel are particularly distinguished in our chosen field. The first of these is The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Gone. And so with the performance of Orson Wells and the character of General Zaraff and Keenan Wynne as Sanger Rainsford, who learned from Zaraff what was the most dangerous game we again hope to keep you in suspense. Any moment now he may come in and when he does, I'm going to kill him. It's him or me. And I'm going to do my best to make it him. Oh maybe it sounds crazy to you. I guess it does. It would have sounded crazy to me a few days ago when I was with Whitney on the yacht. I was on a pleasure trip. Ha! A pleasure trip. How could I or anyone realize then the horror and torment I was to go through? How was I to know of Yvonne and the death swamp and the hounds? How was I to know of Zaraff? Think of it. It was only four nights ago that the ship went down. We've been talking about this island, Ship Trap Island with Whitney. He said it was called in the charts. He was sleepy and started on down below to turn in. I was mixing myself in nightcap when I looked up and saw it. A tremendous reef racing at us out of the fog. I screamed out a warning but it was too late. We were right upon it. I alone was standing safe out on the prowl but the force of the explosion hurled me into the blood warm waters. Terrified at the suddenness and surprise my stomach weak and sick at the thought of the others. The sea was eddying furiously around the sinking remnants of the ship. The certain cool hiddenness came to me and made me swim desperately away. Or I might not have lived to go through the horror which was soon to come. I struck out to the right in the direction of the island about which Whitney had been telling me. I had no recollection of how long I swam but all at once I heard the mustering and growling of the sea raking on the rocky shore. With my remaining strength I dragged myself from the swirling waters. All in gasping my hands raw I had last reached a flat place at the top. I flung myself down at the jungle edge and tumbled headlong into the deepest sleep of my life. When I awoke I was in a strange place having no idea how I had done it. Our friend seems to be awakening. Where is this? Where am I? Do not be alarmed my friend. My man Yvonne found you out on the cliff and brought you here to be taken care of. Well thank god there's life on this island I hardly believed. Few people do. Yes you aren't quite safe here in my castle Mr. Rainsford. Rainsford. I sang a Rainsford of New York. Rainsford? Sanger Rainsford? Yes. Well it is indeed a very great pleasure and honor to welcome you Mr. Sanger Rainsford. You're the celebrated hunter are you not? Yes yes you know me? By reputation only. I've read your book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet you see. My name is General Zaroff I am not English Mr. Rainsford but I went to a good school perhaps you recognize the colors of my tie. No it makes no difference. I've lived too long in the jungle to be a snob. Well I can't tell you how happy I am to meet you General. And I can't tell you how happy I am to meet you Mr. Rainsford. And come we shouldn't be chatting here we can talk later you must be hungry. Yes I am rather. Yvonne thought you'd like a robe he's drying your clothes for you. Oh thank you. He's an incredibly strong fellow which you must mind his looks his ears were cut off in battle and he has the misfortune to be deaf and dumb. He is sensitive about his appearance. A simple fellow rarely but I'm afraid a bit savage. He's been in our family for years. Follow Yvonne if you please Mr. Rainsford I was about to have my lunch and just before you awoke. You can have it together now. Does the robe fit you all right? Well yes yes perfectly thanks. I'm so glad. You have quite a collection of heads here lions tigers elephants moose bears I don't believe I've ever seen a more perfect specimen. They are nice I take great pride in them. You have good cause coming from you Mr. Rainsford that is a great compliment here we are you sit over there. Thank you. To talk. Hi Yvonne. We do our best to preserve the amenities of civilization here please forgive many lapses. Of course. Well off the beaten track you know are. Sousou. Sousou. Sousou. This is my little pet Mr. Rainsford as a hunting falcon. Sousou is of no further usefulness in the field but I'm fond of its company my not so sweet heart. Patience my darling I know you're hungry my dear we hunt tonight. Your heads are really remarkable general that the Cape Buffalo is the largest I've ever seen. That's fair he's a monster and did he charge you. Held me against a tree fractured my skull left me the scar and I got the brute. I've always thought the Cape Buffalo is the most dangerous of all games. Oh no no you're wrong. The Cape Buffalo is not the most dangerous game. Yvonne the wine. How does he understand you. He reads my lips. You like the champagne Mr. Rainsford Yvonne chills it expertly. No no the Cape Buffalo is not the most dangerous game. Here in my preserve on this island I hunt more dangerous game. Well is there a big game on this island. The biggest. Really. Well it isn't here naturally of course I have to stock the island. What have you imported general Jaguars. Jaguars I hope you like feeling in your Mr. Rainsford I do very much thank you. Is it Jaguars general. No no no hunting Jaguar ceased to interest me some years ago I exhausted their possibilities. No thrill left in Jaguars you understand a real danger. I live for danger Mr. Rainsford. We will have some capital hunting you and I I should be most glad to have your company. Yes but you'll be amused I know I think you may say in all modesty that I've done a rare thing. Yes I've invented a new sensation. May I pour you another glass of champagne Mr. Rainsford. Thank you general God makes some men poets some he makes king some beggars me he made a hunter. My hand was made for the trigger. My father once said that's made for the trigger. My whole life has been one prolonged hunt I've hunted every kind of game in every land it'd be impossible for me to tell you how many animals I've killed grizzlies and your Rockies crocodiles and the Ganges rhinoceroses and East Africa and Africa by the way that keep Buffalo hit me and made me up for six months as soon as I recovered I started the Amazon to hunt Jaguars but I'd heard they were unusually cunning. They weren't they were no match at all for a hunter with his wits about him the high-powered rifle I was bitterly disappointed as I in my tent with the splitting headache one night a terrible thought pushed his way into my head hunting was beginning to bore me and hunting remembered being my life I've heard that in America businessmen often go to pieces and they give up the business it's been their life yes yes I had no wish to go to pieces I must do something now mine is an analytical mind Mr. Rainsford doubtless that is why I enjoy the problems of the chase oh no doubt so I asked myself why the hunt no longer fascinated me you are much younger than I am Mr. Rainsford and have not hunted as much but you perhaps can guess the answer what is it simply this hunting had ceased to be what you call a sporting proposition it had become too easy I always got my quarry always no greater bore than perfection cigarette the nothing no animal had a chance of me anymore not a chance that is no boast it is a mathematical certainty the animal had nothing but his legs and his instinct instinct is no match for reason when I thought of this it was a tragic moment for me I can tell you it came to me as an inspiration what I must do and that was I had to invent a new animal to hunt new animal when you're joking not at all I never joke about hunting I needed a new animal I found one so I bought this island built this castle here I do my hunting the island is perfect for my purposes there are jungles of the maze of trails in them hills swamps yes but the animal the animal generals are it surprised me with the most exciting hunting in the world no other hunting compares of that for an instant every day I hunt I never grow bored now for I have a quarry with which I can match my wits yes but you still I wanted the ideal animal to hunt so I said what are the attributes of an ideal quarry and the answer was of course it must have courage cunning and above all it must be able to reason well no animal I guess hello there is one that can one but you can't mean and why not well I I can't believe you're serious generals are you're just joking joking and quite serious speaking about hunting hunting you're speaking about murder oh dear me that unpleasant word I think I can show you that your scruples are quite ill founded yes I hunt the scum of the earth sailors from tramp ships laska's jabs mongrels a thoroughbred horse hounders worth more than a score but these are men precisely that is why I use them it gives me pleasure they can reason after a fashion so they are dangerous but where do you get them oh we visit my training school which is in the cellar I have about a dozen pupils down there now they're from the Spanish park San Lucar that had the bad luck to go the rocks out there very inferior lot I regret to say poor specimens more accustomed to the deck than to the jungle other class you know me it's a game you see sort of game I I suggest to one of them that we go hunting give I give him a supply of food and an excellent hunting knife I give him three hours start I'm to follow armed only with a pistol of the smallest caliber and range if my quarry eludes me for three whole days he wins the game if I find him if he loses suppose he refuses to be hunted oh I give him his choice of course he need not play that game if he does not wish to if he does not wish to hunt I turn him over to Ivan Ivan once had the honor of serving as official now to my old king and he has his own ideas of sport the invariably Mr. Rainsford's invariably they choose the hunt and if they win to date I have not lost I do not wish you to sink me a braggart Mr. Rainsford many of them afford only the most elementary sort of problem I show you occasionally I strike a tartar she remembers the tartar don't you don't know yes he almost did win I eventually had to use the hounds hounds yes this way please I'll show you you see wait a moment I'll open the window rather good lot I think they let out at seven every night anyone should try to get into my castle or out of it something extremely regrettable to curtain have it enough of this come out show you a collection of heads I'm quite sure you've never seen before join the library for coffee I uh hope that you will excuse me tonight general I'm really not feeling well at all indeed I know what it is my old complaints aren't you we bored and you need some excitement tonight we'll hunt hey Mr. Rainsford you and I you're wrong general I won't hunt I won't murder as you wish my friend the choice lasts entirely with you but may I not venture to suggest that you will find my idea sport more diverting than naivans you my dear fellow you don't mean that you plan to hunt me my dear fellow have I not told you I always mean what I say about hunting this is really an inspiration I drink to a foreman worthy of my steel at last I simply can't believe this must be some sort of dream you'll find the game worse playing Mr. Rainsford think of it your brain against mine your woodcraft against mine your strength your stamina against mine outdoor chess and the steak is not without value and if I will now carefully acknowledge myself defeated if I do not find you by midnight of the third day my sloop will place you on the mainland near a town or you can trust me and give you my word as a gentleman not a sportsman of course you in turn must agree to say nothing of your visit here I will agree to nothing of the kind oh well in that case but why discuss that now three days hence we can discuss it over a bottle of roof deco unless uh well your choice Mr. Rainsford I'm a hunter you know my choice Ivan here will supply you with hunting clothes food and knife I suggest you wear moccasins they leave a poorer trail I suggest to that you avoid the big swamp in the southeast corner of the island we call it death swamp this quicksand there well I must beg you to excuse me now we always take our siesta after our lunch don't we show show come my little pet you'll hardly have time for a nap I fear Mr. Rainsford you you'll want to start of course I shall not follow too dusk hunting at night is so much more exciting than by day don't you think I'd fought my way through the bush for two hours repeating to myself over and over again I must keep my nerve I must keep my mind my whole idea at first was to put distance between myself and generals off and at this end I had plunged along through the thicket spurred on by the sharp rowls of something very much like panic now I had got a grip on myself I'd stopped I was taking stock of the situation I saw that straight flight was futile inevitably it would bring me face to face with the sea now I'll give him a trail I muttered and I struck off from the road path I had been following and into the trackless wilderness I made a series of intricate loops I doubled back on my trail again and again recalling all the lore of the fox hunt all the dodgers of the fox night found me exhausted my hands and face lashed by the branches on a thickly wooden bridge my need for rest was imperative and I thought I played the fox now I must play the cat of the faith a big tree with a thick trunk and outspread branches was nearby and taking care not to leave the slightest mark I climbed up and stretched out among the broad lambs rest brought me new confidence and almost a feeling of security even so expert a hunter as general Zara cannot face me here I'd show myself an apprehensive night crawl slowly by my mind keenly alert for any sound any warning towards the dawn and instinct I'd ever knew existed like an animal was possessed and held me to look far off in the distance in the western direction sure enough following the trail with the sureness of a bloodhound came general Zara nothing escaped those searching black eyes no crushed blade of grass no bent twig no mark no matter how fine in the moss my heart pounding furiously I slid down quickly from the tree and struck off again into the woods I knew I had to do something desperate I knew that I had little time to do it 300 yards from my hiding place I stopped for a huge dead tree lean precariously on a smaller living one throwing off my sack of food I took my knife from its sheath and began to work with all my energy the job was finished at last and I threw myself down behind a fallen log 300 feet away I did not have to not many men know how to make a melee mancatter luckily for me I too have hunted in Malacca you're proving interesting Mr. Redford very interesting the tree brushed my shoulders I jumped back I'm going to have a wound rest so in slight I should be back Mr. Redford I should be back it was flight now a desperate hopeless flight that carried me on for hours I don't know where I got the strength I kept telling myself over and over again that I must keep my nerve I was competing with a monster super huntsman dust came then docked us and still I managed to press up the ground grew softer under my moccasins the vegetation grew rancor denser insects bit at me savagely suddenly as I stepped forward my foot sank into the use I tried to wrench it back but the muck sucked viciously at my foot like a giant leech but I'm violent and but I tore my foot loose I know where I was then death swamp and its quicksand the softness of the earth had given me an idea I stepped back from the quicksand a dozen feet of soaring began to dig the pick was above my shoulders I climbed out and from some hard saplings cut steaks and sharpened them to fine points these steaks I planted in the bottom of the pitch with the point sticking up as fast as I could I wore a rough carpet of weeds and branches and with it covered the mouth of the pit and wet with sweat and aching with tiredness I crouched behind the stump of a lightning charm tree oh I knew Zaraf was coming I could hear the paddling sound of his feet on the softer Zaraf was coming and coming fast he was not feeling his way along foot by foot Crouching there I could not see him nor see the pit I lived a year and a minute frozen every muscle tensed back to get them now for a most amusing evening a break lying near the swamp I was awakened by a sound that made me know I had new things to learn about fear it was a distant sound faint and wavering but I knew it it was the baying of a pack of hounds I could do one of two things I could stay where I was and wait that was suicide I could flee that was postponing the inevitable I had put my very last hope into that tiger pit for a moment I stood there thinking all at once an idea that held a wild chance came to me and tightening my belt I headed away from the swamp the baying of the hounds drew near it would be on me any minute now my mind worked practically I thought of a native trick I had learned in Uganda I caught hold of a springy young sapling and to it fastened my hunting knife with a blade pointing down the trail with a bit of wild grapevine I tied back the sapling then I ran for my life I was raised in that type of flying course as if they heard the fresh scent I knew then how an animal at bay feels at least I had to stop to get my breath the baying of the hounds stopped just as suddenly and with it my heart stopped too they must have reached the knife excitedly I should eat up a tree and look back my pursuers had stopped all right but the hope that had been in my brain when I climbed died for in the shallow valley I saw the general sorrow was still on his feet but I was not apparently had come along to hold the hounds the knife driven by the recoil of the springing tree had splintered through his chest I'd hardly tumbled to the ground when the pack took up the cry again nerve nerve nerve I patted as I dashed a blue gap showed between the trees dead ahead the hounds were almost on top of me I forced myself on towards that gap I reached it it was the shore of the sea across a cove I could see the gloomy gray stone of the castle 20 feet below me the sea rumbled in haste I hesitated I heard the hounds then I leaped far out into the sea the sea was good to me and I'm here safe in the general's bedroom waiting for him three days are up and I've eluded him but now I must go further in a moment we will meet he and I and he will be unarmed only one of us is going to live you understand that now let's be patient dear you must forgive me if you're hungry I know how on earth did you get the swam I found it easier and quicker than walking through the jungle I congratulate you've won the game oh no general I'm still a beast at bay here get ready general Zaraf swords yes two of them I see oh very good very good rents but one of us then is to furnish a repost for the hounds the other will sleep in this this very excellent bed on guard rents just as my late host said it would be be a very excellent bed and so closes the most dangerous game by Richard Connell starring Orson Welles tonight's tale of suspense Mr. Wells was general Zaraf and Keenan Wynn Reinsberg this is your narrator the man in black who conveys to you columbia's invitation to spend this half hour in suspense next week same time when Orson Wells will again be our star in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story the last special producer of suspense is William Spear who tonight also directed the broadcast and who was Bernard Herman the conductor Lucian Marowick composed the original score and Private Jacques Amson Pink the radio author collaborated on tonight's suspense this is CBS the columbia broadcasting system