 Let every ghost signal remind you that you do go farther with signal gasoline The signal oil program The signal oil company and your neighborhood signal dealer bring you another strange tale by the whistler Tonight the tale of a man who betrayed his country for money the story of how death Carries a lunch kit. I am the whistler and I know many things for I walk by night Secrets from the hearts of men and women who stepped into the shadows Presently I'll tell you of nameless terrors. They dare not speak In a moment the whistler will tell you his gripping story But first I'd like to pass along an interesting comparison made by a signal gasoline dealer who changed my motor oil recently Signal four-star motor oil is like a bank. He said the bank not only protects your money, but also pays you interest This fine pre-war quality motor oil protects your motor by coating every part with a tough Lasting film of lubrication that resists heat and wear. I Know signal four-star is pre-war quality and I know it protects my motor. I replied but tell me where does the interest come in? That he said is something extra you get the carbon removing property in signal four-star motor oil You see laboratory tests prove that while it's lubricating your motor signal four-star motor oil Actually dissolves out carbon that could cause serious motor damage Well, then tell me I asked how come more people aren't using signal four-star motor oil When they find out about this feature he replied smart motorists switch to four-star in a hurry Especially operators of fleets of cars and trucks who keep a record of performance and can't afford to have vehicles laid up Well, I said I can't afford to have my car laid up either and from now on I'm giving my motor the oil that helps keep out carbon while it lubricates signal four-star motor oil and now the whistler What is it that makes a man or a woman take that first fatal step down the wrong road? That's step that looks so simple and so easy, but from which there is no turning back There are many reasons of course many in Peter's case It was simply money a man offered him a lot of money to forget something one morning and he couldn't resist it It didn't matter to Peter's that the man had a foreign accent or that his country was at war Or that his crime was to be one of the lowest in the book It was the money that mattered to Peter's and he didn't think much beyond that at first that is But then the time came and he was pulling his car up in front of the house where he was to meet the man with a foreign accent Hey Jerry, why are we stopping? Oh, I forgot to tell you pop I have to stop here for just a minute have to see a sick friend, but Jerry we haven't got much time We'll be late for work. Don't worry pop. I won't be long. I'll get you there in time be right with you Yes, this is it Jerry your throat feels a little tight as you go upstairs and knock on the door Peters you are late come in Yeah, I had to pick up a guy. What do you mean pick up a guy pop my ride? I take him to work every night. Where's he now out in the car waiting your fool That might be dangerous. Oh, no, it would have been more suspicious if I hadn't picked him up What did you tell him? I said I had to see a sick friend a sick friend Good all right Peters. This is Gus the one I told you about hi Keith. Hello He's putting the finishing touches on now They'll be ready in a minute Peters watched Fascinated as old Gus continued his work three four minutes slipped by by then pop out in the car began to get impatient Are the old fool Why doesn't he stop honking that horn? Yes, why doesn't he? I'll tell him to stop please do I think we need publicity. I'll call down to him. I'll tell him to stop Hey pop pop lay off the horn didn't I tell you this guy was sick? I'll be down in a few minutes. Take it easy Whistler's pop Is he all right? Will he cause us any trouble? No, I did what you said. I made friends with one of the old timers down at the plant Now I can't get rid of them How is it coming Gus? It's almost finished Yes, Gus the mechanic an old hand and a good one was almost finished Peters is watched as he chipped out the inside of the thermos bottle and now he was working on a detonator It looked like one of those old-fashioned watches Peters old man used to own and as Gus started winding it Somehow the sound was so familiar It's sort of got Peters for the first time he wished he'd never started the thing What time you got kid? Huh? What time have you got? What's the matter with you? Are you getting too nervous for us nervous? Don't worry about me being nervous. It's a 829 829 Okay kid What are you sweating about huh? Who me mr. Sharkton sweating? There she'll go off at 6 30 tomorrow morning. Is that okay mr. Shark fine Gus. Oh, thank you. Yeah, yeah, okay okay Gus went to the steel cupboard and took down a metal jug He came back to the table with it cradled in his arms Shocked lean forward Peters felt himself tightening up inside Without thinking about it He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket and put one in his mouth He was about to strike the match when shock looked up put that match out you fool. What what's wrong with you? Haven't you any sense at all? What do you mean? Tell him Gus kid if one spark got into this nitro they wouldn't find enough of us to fill that matchbox. Oh The unlit cigarette turned a garbage in Peters mouth. He spit it out and stamped it to pieces on the cement floor Shocked and Gus looked at each other and grin When it came to the payoff it'll be up to him not these wise guys You're a lunch kid. Here it is. I just bought it this afternoon Well, look how pretty it is mr. Shark. It's a shame to spoil it. All right finish with it Gus will make the jokes later He screwed the detonator into the cap and when it fitted right he laid it aside Then he put a siphon into the thermos bottle and open the jug of nitroglycerin He poured out a thick yellowish liquid and when the thermos bottle was full He put the top on the jug and carried it carefully back to the cupboard You better be far away when this goes off kid. I'll be far away alright. Ha Peters is a smart boy guys He comes to us well recommended Gus didn't say anything after that He bent down over his table and his eyes tightened up till you could barely see them You are quickly and you could see knew what he was doing Watching him Peters began to feel a little better about everything Now Gus was finished. He put the thermos bottle of nitro back inside the lunch kit and then the sandwich in the orange Then he closed the kit and handed it to Peters Here you are and don't drop it. I won't are you sure everything is alright. Yeah, everything's alright, mr. Shocked. I want to see you here tomorrow afternoon at one. I'll be here. Don't worry Peters stop using that expression. We never worry There's your friend again. All right Peters get out of here. Oh before the old fool gets us all into trouble Peters had been with Gus and mr. Shocked for some time and it was almost nine now It was a nice night, but Peters wasn't going to enjoy it The old man was sitting in the Chevy smoking his pipe as Peters walked up Is that you Jerry? Yeah It's about time what kept it. We got to talking. He's pretty sick. We're going to be late for work Jerry Is that any way you should have taken the bus and what about you? I'd have been late. So what so what? That ain't no attitude Jerry. Okay. Okay here put this lunch kit in the dashboard compartment and be careful with it The drive to the plant was something Peters would never forget Just thinking about what was in that lunch kit was enough to drive him nuts He ran into something the tire blew the speck of dust got into his eye and he ran off the road He stayed off the main highway too much traffic This ain't the right road Jerry. It'll get us there. We've been going 25 all the way. Can't you go any faster? We're going to be late Jerry. We'll get there. Oh you young fellas of the day You're a strange disturbing lot You've a fever in your blood. You're restless and you don't know why You're a strange lot And I don't know what the end will be. What's that? What's what that rattling? What is it? I don't know Jerry. It sounds like your lunch kit Here. Let me at it Well, what are you worrying about that for we're going to be like I'm telling me we're going to be late Stop jabbering. Let me alone. Would you? Yes, Jerry You think the lunch kit will be okay now You packed it in pretty well, okay, but if it starts rattling and I don't hear it. Let me know right away hear me pop I'll let you know Jerry You sure think a lot of that lunch kit. Yeah Yeah, I sure do At last they got to the plant the night shift was already at work the parking lot was jammed with cars They were late, but Peters was glad of that now he'd be able to park near the entrance Later on he'd be able to get out in a hurry Okay, pop this is it. I'm sorry. I made you late. Oh, that's all right, Jerry You mind if I go back with you in the morning. Okay, just be here prompt. I won't wait for you Peters took out the lunch kit and started for the main gate the guard was standing there inspecting everybody with a flashlight Peters grinned at him and snapped the lunch kit open How are you tonight? Okay, not eating much. Are you know not much? Well, you ought to put some weight on you pass Peters punched in changed his clothes quickly and left the lunch kit in his locker Stomach felt funny Figured he probably looked pretty haggard so he went up to the washroom and washed his face and let the cold water run on his wrists It was then he noticed that he'd left his wristwatch in his street clothes It was against the rules to go back into the locker room until the shift was over Now all night long He wouldn't know what time it was have to ask have to guess the ache and the pit of his stomach got worse It wouldn't do to get sick tonight So we drank a lot of water and the pain went away Then he picked up his riveting gun and went to work in the shop. What's wrong, Mr. Davis? What's wrong? Don't you see with your own eyes? What's wrong? Is that any way to rivet a flap? Where's your clamps? We're just saying Well, I'm sorry mr. Davis don't be sorry do it right come on get on the ball Peters Yeah, get on the ball Peters. Don't be so nervous. Don't show how you feel down inside concentrate think But you can't think can you Peters all you can find in your consciousness is the thought of that lunch kit Sitting in your locker all you can remember is that thermos bottle filled to the top with nitro All you can think of is that detonator set for 6 30 Hey pop what time is it? 130 Jerry Hey pop what time is it? It's 10 after 3 Hey pop what time is it? Oh, what's eating you Jerry? It's a 425 Pop what time is it Jerry? What's wrong with you? Why you're as white as a sheet? I don't know my son most Hey, hey guys Jerry's passed out come over here quick You were listening to the signal oil program Let every go signal remind you that you do go farther with signal gasoline Peters woke up. He was lying on a cot in the plant dispensary and the staff doctor was bending over him How do you feel now son? Better you ever had a spell like this before No, I never did Pretty nervous aren't you? No, I'm all right. I don't know your pulse was going 50 miles an hour when they brought you in Yeah, but I'm all right now doc. I want to go back to the job. You want to what? What kind of a doctor would I be to send you back to your job? Come on relax, but I'm okay now Take it easy Doc What time is it? It's 5 30 now the shift ends in half an hour. Oh Here you hold this glass of water. What are you gonna do? I'm gonna give you a couple of grains of barbita. I'll take you in the next room and put you to sleep for a couple of hours I'll fix you up. What's the matter with you? I'll look at that mess. I don't want to go to sleep. I'm all right Yes, you're all right. You can't even hold a glass of water You're in fine, but But I got things to do as soon as the shift's over they can wait your health is more important I'll hold this glass myself doc. Look, I'm okay. I don't like to take dope This isn't dope it'll slow you down and you'll wake up feeling like a new man you little fellows You don't know how to relax. It's a wonder you live as long as you do here Take the pill I'll put it in your mouth All right, swallow some water now Come along with me. There's a cop in the next room How you just lie there and behave yourself a few minutes you feel sleeping like a baby, okay That's right. I will put these blankets up over you Okay now. Yes, doc. All right. I'll turn out the light. Good night young fellow. Good night You spit out the pill didn't your penis good thing You thought of holding that pill under your tongue if you'd swallow it and gone to sleep Well, you don't even want to think about that There's a window in the room. He said it was 5 30 when the whistle blows at sex you get up slip out the window and outside It'll work now you better rest rest Only you can't rest can you the doctor said it was 5 30 and that was a long time ago It's holding up that whistle. Why did you forget your wrist watch? Relax you have to control yourself If you cramp up again, you're sunk But what if something's wrong? What if the whistle doesn't go off when it should and no one notices before it's too late What then a pint of pure nitro? With all this oil and paint and airplane dope this place will explode like an ammunition dump Where's that whistle? Something's happened to it. I gotta get out of here get out That's over Now I got out fast get out of here do everything right Getting out of the dispensary was easy. There was a shed right below the window Peter's dropped to the roof of that and then to the ground It didn't feel too good. It was still weak from the cramp. There was no time to think about that now When he got to the locker room the boys were climbing out of their work clothes getting ready for the shower room Hi, Peter's you okay now. Yeah, feel fine. Let us stop drinking that turpentine. Jerry Boy, you had me worried Jerry. I'm okay now pop. Do I still get the ride? Huh? Yeah. Yeah. I'll see you later then. I'm going to take a shower It is changed into a street clothes and nothing flat not caring particularly how he looked What if that doctor looked in and found him gone? Don't give him a chance to catch up with you Jerry when he was ready The other guys were in the shower room. That was the break. He wanted he took the lunch kit out of his locker and slid it underneath Then he looked at his wrist watch four minutes after six. He had 25 minutes to get away He was walking down past the front offices no one else around yet couldn't walk too fast not too fast Not too slow act natural Passed the foreman's office not too fast Peter's oh Hello, mr. Davis Peter's how you feeling now? I'm all right, mr. Davis good good good say come into the office for a minute I want to talk to you been meaning to first sometime now now sure sure sure now I'm in a kind of a hurry mr. Davis. Oh, it's six o'clock in the morning. Nobody's in a hurry. Come in come in come in All right, but just for a minute close the door Sit down. I really can't stay long mr. Davis I'm supposed to meet someone meet someone It's six o'clock in the morning You still look pale Peters. Sure you feel all right. Oh, yes Mr. Davis if it's about the mistake I made tonight and riveting it's just no no no no forget it forget it Everybody makes mistakes on the forum and I make mistakes. Well, and I look at you squirming in that chair Must be a blonde you're gonna meet Haha, yeah, it takes a woman to get a man upset like you are Mr. Davis. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you got to go you got to go. Well, look I Always have a little talk with the new boys sort of a well a bull session Couldn't we get together tomorrow? How do you like our little plan? Fine fine mr. Davis. Yeah, we're all mighty proud of the job. We're doing here mr. Davis I've got a son overseas myself feel that this is the best way to back him up. Yes, most everybody who works here feels the same Hey, slow down Peters. He's not chasing you. Look at your watch There's still plenty of time to get away leave the main building start across the yard for the main gate It's still dark. You're one of the first out. Hey slow down How far have I got a chase here? What do you want? You know as well as I do what I want you forgot something What did I forget you forgot to punch the time clock? I'll do it tomorrow tomorrow Then it will be my neck. You're not leaving this plant till you punch out, mr. All right. All right. I'll go back and punch out Where's the fire? Where's the fire you ought to work that energy out during your shift young fellow Yeah, yeah, okay Hey, what there are 20 guys in line ahead of me. Oh sure. What did you expect? You ain't the only one on this shift, you know Hey, look fella. I gotta get to town early. How about letting me punch out now into the line But it'll just take me a second under the line. Yeah, we all want to get to town early, but Okay, okay Take it easy Peters. You still got time get down at the end of the line and stop making yourself conspicuous Hi, hi there Peters. Hello. Say I think pop's looking for you. Yeah, the old guys sort of adopted you, ain't he? Yeah, sure a long line tonight, huh? Yeah. Yeah, well not much to do. It's 6 o'clock in the morning My missus. I'll be sleeping when I get home. Yeah Yeah, how are you feeling now? Huh, right. Okay. Say is my watch right? I have 618. Well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah 619 I got I could be wrong Peters Name Thomas Thomas He finally got to the parking lot but a whole lot of people are out now and it's going to be crowded if you don't hurry Peters It's a little cold too and it takes a couple of seconds for the motor to catch It's 621 Peters. No time to waste now. You're fighting for your life start backing out quick My headlights it's a matter with you come out here and see what you did to my headlights. I'm sorry I'll pay for them. That ain't the idea. You can't buy headlights like this anymore All right, Peters is my name Jerry Peters. I work in shop five. I'll see you tonight. We'll work out some not so fast Not so fast. I've got to write this down. You got a pencil Here's my pen use it Jerry Peters shop five. Yeah, okay. Here's your pen. I'll see you tonight You ought to watch where you're going this time of the morning Back up and let me out with your fella. Are you guys always in a hurry? That's how trouble starts All right, my partner's backed her up. It's clear now. Thanks You gotta hurry. You gotta hurry for me. Wait, will you? Quistler will bring us the ending of tonight's story in just a moment Means I'm let me tell you how you can get absolutely free the very game that's now top favorite among american troops overseas It's salvo s a l v o the exciting battleship game Thousands of these fascinating games printed in color with complete instructions have been sent by the signal oil company to american troops all over the world So many men returning from overseas have been telling friends about salvo people at home are wanting to play this exciting game too Recently signal was able to get a limited number of extra salvo games for civilian home use One is waiting for you now at your neighborhood signal dealers There are no strings to this gift nothing to buy You just ask your nearest signal dealer for your salvo game and get it free Naturally, they'll go fast because salvo is on the way to becoming as popular here as it is in berma france and iceland Better see your signal dealer tomorrow When you find what a friendly conscientious fellow he is you will understand why signal service cars do go farther And when you see how much fun salvo is you'll thank me for getting you in on this offer early Before your signal dealer's limited supply of salvo games is gone Stop by and see him tomorrow sure And now back to the whistler Yes, jerry peter's got away from the plant by 6 29 He was a good mile from the plant racing along to safety And back in the parking lot pop had something to say about the younger generation Ah, how do you like that these young fellas? I don't know what the end will be What's the matter pop? You look like you got your dander up. Well, who wouldn't he went off and left me? These young people got no sense of responsibility at all Last night. He drives like a turtle this morning. He races out of here like a demon and leaves me standing Too bad pop. Maybe somebody else will give you a ride. Oh, I can get a bus But this will teach me to do a guy a favor What do you mean pop? Well that jerry He was going to ride me into town So I come out here looking for him and he's not at the car So I'll go back in the plant to look and I miss him when I get back here. He's driving off Yeah, but what's the favor you did him? Well, he was so darn particular about it Then he goes off and leaves it under his locker But I found it and I put it in his car for him. What his lunch kit Hey Now wonder what in the world that could have been Nine o'clock the signal oil program will bring you another strange tale by the whistler The signal oil program is broadcast for your entertainment by the signal oil company Marketers of signals famous go farther gasoline and motor oil And by your neighborhood signal oil dealer Who is at your service daily to keep your car running for the duration? The signal oil program Directed by George W. Allen with story by lorence marcus And music by wilbur hatch Is transmitted to our troops overseas by the armed forces radio service Bob anderson speaking for your friend the signal oil company And suggesting once again That you let every ghost signal remind you That you do go farther With signal gasoline This is cbs the columbia broadcasting system