 Pennsylvania Turnpike. Mind if I come in set a while? Oh, reckon it all. Get sort of that blame loathsome on this highway. My surprise. My feet wouldn't hold up another mile. Are you hitching? Yep. Going for? I don't know. Come for? Yep. Come around, smart piece. Getting pretty old would be a hitch, I can. Get many rides? Yep. Had anything to eat lately? Had much. Coffee smells good. It is good. Make it myself. I'm about a cup. Warm me up. All right. Matter of fact, I'll have one with you. I didn't need man's bread. Any what? Man's bread. Ever heard of it? No. I forgot. Reckon you never have. Here you are, mister. Nice and hot. How much? Oh, just a nickel. Well, what a nickel is. Take it out of there. What's the blight? Hey, hold on. This ain't no nickel. What's that, mister? I say this ain't no nickel. It's a gold coin. Hey, don't you know it's against the law to have gold in your possession these days? Against what law? Why, well... Well, we went off the gold standard years ago. Everybody turned in their gold. Well, they turned into government. Well, they got silver in exchange. I see. You best return my coin. Well, this coin is old. Ain't it, stranger? Somewhat. Yeah. Oh. Got the head of the King of England on it. And see the date very well. See... 1700 and so on. Yeah, take this coin instead. I gave you the gold one by mistake. Well, brother, I'm making no mistake, and I give it back to you. To my way of thinking right now, that gold coin ain't worth a plug nickel. Yeah. I think you'll find this one's legal tender. Yeah, thanks. How about a sandwich? A what? A sandwich. I don't know what you're talking about. You're a queer one. Yeah. Wrapped up in this wax paper. A sandwich. I've never seen nothing like that before. Well... I want you to try one on the house. I said try one. Oh, Charles, yours. Coffee. Yeah, got to admit it is. Oaks around here always have a good word to say for Joe Davis and his coffee. Don't you know where you're heading for, stranger? No. I haven't his slightest idea. How come? You mean you're just a Roman about with no particular hand in mind? No. I've planned what I intend to do for years. Well, what are you intended to do? That I'll discuss with no one. Okay, okay. Don't get the idea I'm nosing into your business. How's the sandwich? I said how's the sandwich? Oh, oh, this. Not so good. It tastes funny. That's good-boiled ham. Don't like it. Well, you got no kick coming. Didn't have to pay for it. I intend to pay you. Nope, no, Charles. But I always pay all my debts. Well, this is one you don't have to, stranger. Especially since you don't like the thing. I've paid every debt I ever owed. Except one. Well, one's not so bad. You'll probably get it paid off someday. Yeah. I'll pay it. I waited long enough. I can wait a while longer. Want more coping, stranger? No. This is plenty. By the way, do you happen to know many people in these parts? Quite a few, yes. Ever run on to any folks with red hair? Red hair? Yeah. Well, let me think. Don't care to say it's a hair. Why? Oh, I'm just interested in folks with red hair. Are you? Only take rides in cars with men with red hair. Why is that? Well, I got a pretty good reason. You see, the man I owe that debt to has red hair. Oh, has he? President Red. Hmm. Where are you putting up for the night? I'm sure. Bands. Well, there's a tourist cabin about two miles up the turnpipe. Might stop in there. Place have many customers? Yeah, quite a few, long this time of year. Might stop there then, have a look around. Mister, if you don't mind my saying so, you've got me puzzled. And so? Yeah, you sure have. Those clothes you're wearing, never seen anything like them before in my life. You probably never will again. What do you mean by that? Oh, nothing, especially. You're sure the mysterious one. Ah, you better have another cup of coffee. Oh, thanks. Look at that then, huh? No, I'm old-fashioned. I smoke pipe. Well, okay, throw up then. Say, what kind of tobacco is that? Hey, oh, it's King's Choice. Never heard of it. No, I reckon you never have. Something new? Older than you are. Working your body. Breaking your cane, anymore. Oh, quit making it, huh? About a hundred years or so back. You wouldn't remember. Oh, you're ribbing me, huh? Of course I wouldn't remember a hundred years back. Neither would you. You'd be surprised, mister. What do you mean? Nothing, especially. I don't get it. Look, you smoking tobacco a hundred years old. Nothing particularly remarkable about that, is there? I always say what's old belongs to the old. I reckon you're a lot more than sixty. Sixty? Sure, sixty-five at most. My friend, suppose you take sixty, double it and add a century. What? Double sixty and add a hundred? Well, that's two hundred and twenty. Your arithmetic is excellent. Have a match? A match? A match? Oh, yes. That's sure a match. Now, here you be. Thank you. Now, you have a customer. Oh, yes. Generally, somebody stops for a few gallons of gas. Long about this time. There's no way that you're ready to run that gasoline. Be back a minute, old Hammer. Yes, sir. Gas? No, I'd like a little information. Well, got a lot of that, too. Can you tell me the way to Pine Knob? Pine Knob? What's that? Tourist camp? No, it's a town. Pine Knob, Pennsylvania. I've never heard of it. It's out this way someplace. It's supposed to be about eighty miles out of Pittsburgh in this direction. Well, see, Pittsburgh's about seventy-eight miles back. Well, then I should be pretty close. Never heard of telling no Pine Knob, then living here man and boy for forty years. Have you ever seen nothing of the place or heard tell of it? Well, I know it's out here someplace. I've followed my directions here. I don't know whether to take that crossroad or follow the turnpike. Sorry, I can't tell you, mister. Right, sorry, kid. Huh? Oh, you. Pine Knob, you say, mister? Yes, it's a small town somewhere in this neighborhood. Not in this neighborhood, it ain't. You don't happen to remember anything about it, do you, old Hammer? That's a nice hat, your word. Huh? I said, that's a nice hat, your word. Yeah, thanks. Did you ever hear of Pine Knob? Mind if I see it? See what? Your hat. Oh, forget my hat. You know anything about Pine Knob. I might after I've seen the hat. Look here, if you know how I can get to Pine Knob, I've. Hey, hey, hey, look, mister. Let him have a gander at the hat. You were the old boy. He hasn't got all these marbles. Oh, oh, very well. Hey, here, you can buy it in any hat shop for $10. Pre-initials if you want them. Yeah, quite nice. What's that? The hat? Oh, you haven't even looked at it. No, I was admiring the gentleman's hair. What about my hair? I said it's nice. Right? Now, how about the hat back and a little information? Oh, your initial's in the band. K.M. Could the last name be Miner? Yeah. Well, that's right. Oh, you saw my driver's license on the steering pole. No. Well, how'd you know? I just hoped I was right. Oh, hang it all. Don't you know how I can get to Pine Knob? Yes, I know. Will you tell me then? No, I can't do that. Why not? Because the way is seldom traveled. You'd never find it by direction. Then can you go there with me to show me the way? There's nothing I'd like better to take you to Pine Knob. Well, now, that's more like it. I'll pay you for whatever your time for it. I collect all right. I assure you my times are practically no value whatsoever. Come on around, get in. All right, in the back. No, boy, come on in front with me. No, thank you. I prefer the back. Same as to you. Better you move your old boy as much as you can. He ain't as bright as he probably used to be. All right. All right, old timer, hop in. Thanks a lot. Oh, you're welcome. Come back and see me. Well, I see him come and I see him go. But that old gent beats anything I've ever set eyes on. Oh, old man dropped his bag of tobacco. Hmm, almost half full. King's Choice, the smoker's friend. Raymond Tobacco Company, established 1756. Then how far? I say, does my chatter bore you, old timer? Oh, not especially. You give me the impression you don't want to talk. People talk too much nowadays. Me? I like to talk. Especially when I'm driving. Helps make the miles go faster. The turn up ahead. Yeah, where? Off to the right. There's no place to turn off. Yes, there is. You see it. See? Oh, yes. But that road, it wasn't there a moment ago. It's been there a road to take. This isn't any ordinary road. No automobile tracks. Never been an automobile on this road. I don't understand. You will, presently. And a stagecoach. Stagecoach? Yes. You can see the hoof marks in the soft earth. Oh, I was noticing. Six cold black horses that pride of Pennsylvania. What's that? Nothing important. I see. Look behind. Behind? Yes. Look, where's the turnpike? We have left it. Far behind. Oh, not far. Less than a half a mile. We should be able to see it from here. No. It's nowhere in view. The buildings along the turnpike. Where are they? All of that is past. Yes. There is no turnpike. There are no buildings. Nothing but open prairie land. Trees. Hills. Tall grass. No fences. No other roads except this one. The only road from my own ground. But where does it take us? To Pine Mountain. That's where you wanted to go? Well, yes, but I... You asked me to show you the way to Pine Mountain. This is it. Everything's changed so suddenly. Everything's different. Yes, naturally. But why? Did you ever ask yourself what time really is? Time? Yes, Mr. Minor. Time. I don't follow you. Suppose a long time ago something had happened to you. Suppose that incident was so important, so outstanding in your life, it was necessary for you to do something about it. I still don't understand. Let me put it into the present instead of the past. Suppose today something should happen to you. Suppose it is so out of the ordinary that you'd never forget it. Probably something you think needs revenge. Revenge? Suppose you decided your spirit would never rest until you'd found that revenge, even though many scores of years had passed away. I don't understand. What would you do, Mr. Minor? What could you do but roam from place to place seeking that revenge? You're talking over my head. Am I? You certainly are. What I'm getting at is this. If you'd find yourself in just such a situation, time would suddenly have no meaning to you. Think no more about the past or the present or the future. Time would be something unknown to you. Things you call the future now wouldn't be future at all. Incidents you called past wouldn't be past. They'd be now what you call present, all rolled up into one. That's a strange way of reasoning. That's a strange one you've experienced it. Have you ever experienced it? I assure you, yes. You mean the things that have happened in the past are actually happening now? Precisely. And things in the future are taking place now too? Naturally. One case being possible, the other naturally follows. Oh, I just some philosopher's theory. It's much more than a mere theory. Oh, you know better than that, and so do I. What's happened in the past has happened. What's going to happen certainly isn't taking place now. Possibly I'll change your mind about that before this day ends. Not me, mister. By the way, you haven't told me your name. Names are unimportant. Only incidents are important. Yeah, you haven't said how you knew my name. That was quite obvious. Your red hair, the initials in your hat band. I still don't see how you knew. Where's Pine Knobhead? Yeah, down in the valley. Where did it get its name, Pine Knobhead? Because in the center of the town you'll find a little mound with three pine trees growing from it. It was under these trees that men had been trying for their lives. It's from them that men have been hanged. That's a pleasant thought. The town seems deserted. Yes, I suppose it is, Pine Knobhead. What do you mean? You'd see. The stage office is over there. The stage is in. See, across the road. Pull up here, across from it. Yeah, right. So this is Pine Knobhead. I see. I've been on the stagecoach with the reins in his hands. Other men handing up that metal box. Listen to what they say. All right, Hank. That's a goal. I'm not going to get this gold. It's going right on through to Kelby. Up the stage this trip. I've been ready for him. There's two men. The one on the stagecoach. Exactly. He looks and talks exactly like you and the other one like me. We must follow that stage. Start the car. I don't understand all this. Start the car. Follow the stage. I'd take my oath that those two men are exactly... It's not time to talk. Follow the stage. What is this, a dream? I waited a long time for this day. What do you mean? Yes, nine score years I waited. Nine score? More than three normal lifetimes. And finally the day is here. Look here. Whoever you are, would you mind telling me just what this is all about? Why are we pulling that stagecoach? See, it's beginning. What's beginning? Stage. See, it's stopped. Yeah. Something's wrong. More than you think. Drive right up behind it. Maybe we can help. No, there's nothing we can do. Stop right behind the stage. Yeah. Hey, look. Look at that man standing at the side of the stagecoach talking to the driver. He's the man with the red hair. The man who looks exactly like me and the other one on the stage. He's the exact image of you. Folks is settling out west. I'll shoot you if I have to. Those hands on the reins. Don't go for that gun. For heaven's sakes, this isn't real. I've never fired a gun in my life. It can't be. Understand what I meant by no past, future. That animal stage, you. 180 years ago on this spot. But it can't be you. That man on the stage was shot. He fell. He's lying there on the ground now. Yes, hey, turn around. See for yourself. Everything's gone. Everything but you and me. I didn't kill you. That man with the red hair. The one who spoke like you, looked like you was the first member of your family to settle in this country. He was my partner. I trusted him. He murdered me. But I didn't. The debt is about to be paid. No. No, you can't blame me for something that happened almost 200 years ago. I waited this long for my revenge. I won't let it pass by now. Get into the car. No. No, keep away. Don't come near me. Don't touch that wheel. Time has come. I'm driving now. No, no, I say. There's no way to escape. You can't murder me. I have nothing to do with that shooting. You can't escape. I will escape. I will, I will. You. I knew you were some devil. You brought me here to kill me. But you can't. You can't. You can't. The road ends around the train up there. Nothing but a thousand foot present down the mountain side. Pennsylvania Turnpike. Tonight's original tale of dark fantasy by Scott Bishop. Originating in the studios of WKY. When Morris played Ken Minor, Red Wayne was heard as Hank and Muir Height, was the filling station attendant. Next Friday night at the same time, listen to the 19th in this series of unusual and original tales of dark fantasy created by Scott Bishop. Next week's story is called Convoy for Atlantis, a fantastic yarn of ships that disappear, disappear in the night and of strange and valuable treasures which arise from the sea. An adventure that takes us down to the very bottom of the mighty Atlantic Ocean for a special observation of the convoy for Atlantis. Don't miss this weird tale of an ancient race that lives again on a mighty sunken continent. Tom Paxton speaking, dark fantasy comes to you from Oklahoma City. This is the National Broadcasting Company.