 And now stay tuned for the mystery program that is unique among all mystery programs because even when you know who is guilty you always receive a startling surprise at the final curtain in the signal oil program the whistler the famous go farther gasoline invite you to sit back and enjoy another strange story by the whistler i'm the whistler and i know many things before i walk by i know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadow yes i know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak and now for the signal oil company the whistler strange story break away water stone was a big man presenting a formidable appearance it was seen as if he would be capable of standing up to almost anything in some men there's the will to do that but in others there's an instinct to run to take the easy way out and in spite of his forceful look his seeming aggressive walrus stone was one of those he'd settled many things in his life by running settled them at least in his own mind by pushing them into the background through the satisfaction of motion escape and now because water stone found himself in a situation from which he couldn't rock he felt trapped and fenced in his reactions were not of reason but of a quivering bewilderment and every shout and cry that reached his ears added to his frustration and confusion rising falling the shouting and muttering of the crowd milling around outside the jail and weathered the arizona inside there was fear and a desperation the fear in the heart of walrus stone because the crowd wanted the desperation in the minds of the sheriff in his deputy because they weren't certain they could prevent the crowd from taking it and then the tide rose to a terrifying heat a fury that somehow had to be resolved the sheriff had not given up see better get over the prison he wouldn't do sure can't you talk to them explain explain what mr. stone that you're sorry now sorry you ran down and killed one of the most beloved citizens old friend whether they couldn't help it tell him I couldn't help it you're gonna help running off leaving Fred to die in the street I got rattled rattled that you made it 10 times worse how do you mean you deny that making your getaway you ran directly through a crosswalk full of school children I didn't hit any of them I didn't it wasn't your fault that you didn't the miracle those children managed to escape that's what got the crowd completely out of hand sure what do you think I think we're not going to be able to stop you look look you can't give me up to him you can't do that I got my right sorry I've got your right so all those school children old friend whether they are the good his rights did him it doesn't make any difference the important thing is what's happening now right now sure what's happening to you a mr. stone or what's about to happen you you're going to give him up sure all right no no I'm not going to give him up my duty to protect my prisoners I swore on duty I'll let Jim yeah better take stone upstairs upstairs yes get him out of back window to the roof of the next building then over to the courthouse yes my car is parked so here yeah yeah I'm driving to Milburg have them put him in jail there okay come on stone oh what if I get it there's a chance they won't this way otherwise I can't guarantee anything well sure I'm right with you all right up these stairs remember stick close a chair yes can you call ahead to know a bird tell them we're coming no I've got the phone wires if I hadn't I'd have some state troopers down here I'd go on Jim we just have to take a chance all the way around it's terrifying isn't it watered like a nightmare ever since you were caught only a few miles from the spot where you ran a man down and tried to get away got caught put in jail on a hit and run charge but there's more to it than that isn't there yes there's the cold simple fact that you can't stand any heavy questioning by the police because of your past record a record of unsavory escapades occasional crime in one prison term you must escape more than that milling crowd in the street below and almost without thinking about it you know that you're watching for your chance even as you and the sheriff's deputy make your way along a lead drop to the roof of the building next door we'll make it stone nobody out back here the courthouse it's just around the corner that's right you don't have to pass the mob you've been a big help I haven't meant to be I just follow orders I got no stomach for hitting run artists no I guess not come on you can drop into the alley from the fire escape here you mean I can drop into the alley this is as far as you go Jim I just want the keys to the sheriff's car and your gun okay Jim looks like you need a little more certain the deputy won't revive for a while aren't you all quite a while and not without medical attention you make your way down into the alley dart swiftly around the corner to the courthouse where the sheriff's car is parked but there's a girl standing there waiting for someone you wonder what to do and decide very suddenly get in the car get in I said I'm not yelling for anybody now get in or I'll drag you in nobody's telling the sheriff I drove off alone sister not even you so you're going to ride for a few miles that's better and not bad not bad at all sheriff's car nobody will stop it you just keep quiet sister and everything will be all right for both of us if you're like most drivers bombing spring days such as we have at this time of year make you want to head your car for the open highway and go somewhere and going places just naturally makes you more concerned about gasoline mileage the thing signal gasoline is famous for mileage in fact has been one of the principle reasons for signals amazing growth in popularity from a small start in southern california signals popularity has grown and grown until today signal stations serve seven pacific coast states from canada to mexico and wherever signal is sold it is known as the go farther gasoline but mileage mind you is just one of the benefits you notice when you switch to signal after all to give you such good mileage signal gasoline has to help your engine run more efficiently and when your engine runs more efficiently you also enjoy peppy pickups smooth power the things that make driving more fun that's why motorists with a zest for driving pleasure as well as those who appreciate economy are both enthusiastic about signal the famous go farther gasoline momentarily hasn't it water the dread dulling fear that encircled your heart and mind back in the tiny jail it's gone and the shouts of the angry determined crowd are gone too and there's only an open highway ahead of you the almost certain prospect of escape the sheriff's car will help because until they find his deputy on the roof of that building find him and revive him you're certain that no one will know you're driving the car yourself you let up on the accelerator now glance at the terrified girl beside you he's very quiet isn't she Walter almost numb with fear i guess you wonder what i'm going to do with you you got yourself into this you know couldn't leave any witnesses back there you have a witness anyone who does this thing is terrible as you did always has a witness look don't start preaching i'll catch you you must know that what we are doing at the courthouse waiting for the sheriff i wanted to talk to him about about uncle fred who's he fred wetherby the man you ran down killed in the street your uncle i'm doris wetherby my uncle fred was one of the kindest most beloved men in the town he's been county road commissioner for years listen i couldn't help but i didn't see him step out they said you drove off why i had my reason no one could have good enough reasons to do a thing like that they said if you'd help jib call the doctor right away and train you gotta stop you do stop for something don't you for your own life is involved i get it i feel sorry for you in a way mr chone such a big man in appearance i mean it's so small so very very small inside forget it i said stop talking like that all right mr chone because you really hit me here what are you doing come back here leave from the car so suddenly that it leaves you helpless doesn't it water you weren't even watching her because of her remark about the police and of course there were not just a trick but you must catch your water you're not far enough away from the town are you and if doris reaches the sheriff talks to him you'll have to abandon his car immediately you jump out race down the railroad tracks in pursuit but it's no use you stop and listen for her peering into the darkness wondering what to do the fear is starting again isn't it water you're confused and trembling as you head back and stop just in time to see a pair of highway patrolmen looking over the car you're so close you can hear their voices jerry's car from whetherby funny he'd leave it here it's a close to the railroad track well maybe he's around here somewhere Dave maybe hey what's wrong somebody hiding out there you see in the field come on there you another chance you cut across the field running a zigzag course the shots of the highway patrolmen whistling over your head and then you can hear them coming after you you wonder if you can go on don't you want it perhaps you shouldn't give up somehow you don't somehow you summon the strength to out distance make your way down a shallow creek there stumble into a growth of underbrush and huddle there quietly almost afraid to breathe you'll hear the two patrolmen coming towards you awesome great show why didn't I was firing over his head whoever he was he must have been driving the sheriff's car beats me let's go back we'll call in a report right like looking for needle in a sex it was close wasn't it long and you wonder what you're going to do now for one thing you remain hidden for at least another 20 minutes finally move out of the creek then through the trees you catch sight of a light in the farmhouse cautiously make your way up to the front door who's there that you hang look mister my name's edwards ran out of gas have to get to the next town my my wife's sick oh i'm just jensen out of gas huh yeah well that's too bad quiet skip back in the house now let's see you say you're out of gas huh that's right well i got a drum of gasoline out in the garage i'll fill up the can for you young fella yes i can do that you uh have a car yeah oh you mean you'd like me to drive you back to yours yeah well i can do that yes i can do that is wait here young fella a little bit here thanks thanks a lot it's a break isn't it water finding a man is cooperative is just jensen your hand tightens around the gun you hold in your coat pocket but you don't want any noise do you awaken the others in the house so you wait for him to come down and follow him out to the garage you decide to maneuver into position get behind him bring the gun butt down on his head hard you're sure it will be as simple as that then you can get away in his car you watch for an opening he's a big man isn't he water and you know you can't afford to miss i don't think this container will do it yeah it'll be fine enough gas to get you to the next town there's a couple stations there okay how about a hand here hold it while i tip the drum over well here take it yeah yeah you uh you knew around these parts no just traveling through okay here we go move over a little huh yeah sure hold that can up a bit that's it easy now easy go oh that does it sort of spill over a little didn't it get any on you no no okay how far down the road you say you were a couple miles i guess i'll be waiting a second soon as i mop this gas up i don't like to leave it like that it's the opportunity you've been waiting for isn't it water you watch him as he picks up a rag and he kneels his back to you you move slowly toward him then as you bring the gun out of your pocket stop it mr so what stop it i said hey what's going on here what's the idea the idea mr jensen is you're about to help an escaped prisoner escape prisoner what but hey that's my gun you got there that's right we're just coming into your yard when i saw the two of you leaving the house i've lived in these arizona parts long enough to know there's usually a shotgun behind every ranch kitchen door say i see you somewhere before any time doors whether they do not defend the county assessor's office that's right here well let me have that gun with pleasure thanks all right now then what's this all about that man his name is walters tone he escaped from the jail back in webby did it that's ridiculous she doesn't know what she's talking about give me that gun what were you aiming to do with this 45 and fella when my back was carrying huh look you got this all wrong i don't think so do you have a phone mr jensen yes we just have taken back town and picked up here you drive me yes of course i get going so okay okay you win i uh don't suppose the condemned man could have a cigarette i never use them i've got some here she's the past thanks thanks sweetheart i mean eternally great very grateful aren't you walters the idea occurs to you suddenly doesn't as you're gaze wandered to the gas spilled on the floor of the garage it's a gamble isn't it but well worth the try you like the cigarette then as you inhale deeply you flip the match toward the gas soap rag on the floor a sudden rush of air a bright blue flame startles jessony turn you reach out and come to shotgun smith the door but you know that jess isn't going to shoot right away don't you want with your gun and his lying on the floor and the fire rising rapidly over your shoulder you can see doris helping him try to battle the flames then you lose sight of them through the trees good evening what you the doc oh yes i'm dr summick okay inside now see here what i don't want any trouble see a little guy and you're going to stand any rough stuff so play it smart do as i say and you won't get hurt your water stone aren't you the radio yeah that's right skip the lecture what is it you want i've got a couple of bad cuts from barbed wire fence patch me up no take your car keys my that is yours isn't it parked alongside the house yes i'll be a fool he won't get away sure i will doc and you're going to help pick up that telephone pick it up i said i'm not afraid of you stone you might as well take your hand out of your pocket i don't think you have a gun you're smart aren't you maybe i can find something to persuade you what's in this cabinet be careful be careful those tests what's in them doc i i've been making some experiments what kind of experiments you wouldn't understand important when people's lives are at stake i would consider sure sure doc look with a sweep of my hand i could no don't pick up the phone all right call the police the police you see doc i'm figuring on heading south the mexican border isn't far away i don't understand you call the cops telling me just came from a farmhouse 20 miles north of here you treated a man for a bullet wound didn't like the story he told you you think he's walled his stone get the picture yes yes i get the picture all right the phone take care of it operator this is dr summaries do you connect me with the police say it's an emergency it's uh an emergency thank you come on i'm excited now we gotta believe you and no tricks no tricks just think of those test tubes i wouldn't hesitate you know i know hello a sergeant now this is dr summaries out on turner road that's right i uh i want to report something suspicious character a suspicious character yes yes a man i was forced to treat for a bullet wound he go on kill him he told me a strange story i think he might be that man they were talking about on the radio waller stone the one who killed fred weatherby that's a ticket but oh yes sergeant he's hiding in the old wilson farmhouse about 20 miles north of here good all right you got a basement here yes show me down the stairs but i down the stairs don't don't worry just gonna tie you up job see i can't head you're getting back on that phone the second i leave or holler will you really expect to get away with this your car is almost as good as the sheriffs maybe better i'll stick to the back roads look i i wouldn't win what i wouldn't keep running that's running i'll decide that i'm the only one who decides whether i run or not as you leave dr summaries bound and gagged in the basement of his home it doesn't seem possible that only a few hours have passed since you heard the angry crowd outside the jail following your arrest for running down and then leaving old fred weatherby you slip behind the wheel of dr summaries car and head south the road to mexico is open you're certain of that aren't you okay because you know at this moment the police cars in the area are converging on a farmhouse 20 miles to the north a few minutes after you leave the doctor's house you turn off the main highway into a side road presently pull up for the gas station isn't it go up yeah might as well almost can't be drifting you stop there isn't another station between here in the border how far is it to the border oh about 30 miles let you take a shortcut huh yeah knock off about five miles cops again they sure been busy tonight looking for somebody i guess seems to be in an awful very heading north if you did say fill her up then that's right good thing too that you got here when you did i was just about ready to close up and go home yeah i guess i'm pretty lucky that you are missy that you are the two things you want to make sure of when you buy a new battery for your car are one power plenty of power for quick starting plus the many electrical needs of your car and two long life so you won't have the expense of buying another battery soon well tonight i want to tell you why for power and economical long life you just can't beat today's new signal deluxe battery first of all improve micro porous rubber separators allow free of flow of acid between the plates yet are impervious to the action of the action results signal deluxe batteries deliver up to 35 percent more power secondly signal deluxe batteries are guaranteed not just for the usual 12 or 18 months but for a full 30 months on a service basis that makes the cost per month so low you're actually saving money while you're enjoying the extra power and dependability of a signal deluxe battery so before you buy any battery get your signal dealer straight in offer for your old battery find out his convenient credit terms prove for yourself that today's smartest battery bar is today's finest battery the new improved signal deluxe battery at signal service station in the glare of the spotlight from the ambulance and police cars on the road the sheriff made his way down the steepen bankman to the wreck auto in the ravine he examined the skilled figure in the car talked briefly with the ambulance doctor then turned away walked to where another man was standing you were followed to put in the car yeah you're my partner on the signal gas station down the road do you see this happen no but i must have come by right afterwards i'm away home i spotted the busted guardrail and stopped i saw the wrecked car here funny thing the dead man stopped at our station and asked me how far it was to the border his name is walrus stone he's still alive any fun yeah the ambulance driver over there said stone would have come out of it okay if i'd reach dr summer time couldn't get it no phone him but he didn't get any answers because he must have been tied up somewhere huh well it isn't hard to figure out how this happened the road during the thing don't look at them going along in a good clip smack them to the rock and do it at first i'd known the landslide hadn't been cleared off to the warranted i saw the landslide pile up earlier this afternoon called the road commissioners office they said they sent a crew out the road commissioners who'd be torched it but fred weatherby of course he's a county road commission you haven't heard about fred then what do you mean i guess you never got to tell that road crew to come out here if the old fred weatherby was killed in town the if the run driver is dead man here in the car walrus stone the man that hit him no for the signal oil program though whistler each sunday night at the same time because this month marks the 50th anniversary of the american automobile association signal oil company is happy tonight to congratulate the triple a and its three and one half million members for the splendid job this worthy organization has done not only in promoting driving pleasure but also driving courtesy and driving safety everyone who uses america streets and highways whether it be for driving riding or walking can be thankful there's a triple a featured in tonight's story were bill foreman as the whistler raymond burr elizabeth root bill buchet harley bear brit wood and herbert listen the whistler was produced and directed by george w allen which solely by adrian john dole music by wilbur hat and the transmitted overseas by the armed forces radio service the whistler is entirely fictional and all characters portrayed on the whistler are also fictional any similarity of names or resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental remember to tune in at the same time next sunday when the signal oil company will bring you another strange story by the whistler marvin miller speaking for the signal oil company they do now for our next book starring eve ardent which follows immediately over most of the state this is the cbs radio network