 Escape to escape into the world of adventure time to forget for the next half hour the four walls of today And escape beyond the horizons of the mind to yesterday and tomorrow CBS and its affiliated stations present escape Tonight we escape with Rudyard Kipling and the two gentle scoundrels he created in his immortal story the man who would be king the time sometime before yesterday The place the north of India the man who tells the story Rudyard Kipling One Saturday night. It was my unpleasant duty to put the paper to bed alone It was a pitchy black night as stifling as night can be in India in June It was very still save for the ticking of the clock above my desk Which seemed to shatter the black heat of the night as the hands crept toward 3 a.m. And Then from the passage outside my door. I heard voices Who's there? Who are you? He don't remember us Dan. How could he forget having us turned back at the John Paul border? Told the authorities we was impersonating newspaper reporters. He did wait that flaming red beard and that bald head Why for your Daniel Dravet and peachy cornering the same well, what do you want if it's money? I haven't any if it's a fight. It's simply too beastly hot You can rest yourself easy sir because we've come asking for naught except some information We've been all over this country And we've concluded that India isn't big enough for such as Daniel and me So we are going away to be kingings in our own divine right what I we shall be king We've signed a solemn contract each day up the other and neither of us to take a look at liquor or women Until we become king what I've never heard of such a fantastic idea But what is it you wanted me know what to look at such maps of Kofiristan as you might have about maps of Kofiristan that's where we've decided to go But don't you realize that not one single Englishman has ever gone into the Kofiristan mountains and live to come out again If you're really mad enough to go there You're a good deal more likely to become dead men than kings We shall see any way I don't believe you have the slightest intention of traveling a mile outside of Delhi then you should come down to the Serai marketplace in the morning down where the caravans leave for the north Yes, come down to the serai in the morning and see then if we be liars The witless are under the protection of Allah quite so boy. Who is the fellow anyway a mad preside who has arrived only this morning from Here now go about your business. I haven't any use for toys. These are wondrous toys indeed, sahib Fit for a king of Kaffiristan What good Lord Daniel Dravid come along I've two camels just beyond the wall here the blessings of pure can on the gracious sahib Who can sense to look at the poor toys of a priest from as me Over this way. Where's carnahan? Here we are permit me to present my servant has ear mere calm at your service good man. Well, I'll be Good Did you like our disguises do they pass if they fool this crowd in the serai? They're probably good enough to get you across the border and good enough to get you killed getting killed There's no part of the contract peachy and me draw it up Although perhaps killing fits in with our plans in a different sense Feel around underneath the toys there in the camel bags. What go ahead Good Lord rifles 20 brand new martinis with ammunition to match and 20 good reasons to make Your death certain any pathan of the hill tribes would kill his own mother to get a rifle now Who would harm a poor mad priest sahib? Ella protects me mad is right then so was Lord Clive and Rhodes and Bonaparte drive out the camel's peachy We belong way to go before we become kings As I stood and listened to the camel bells fade away in the distance I Wondered wondered if it might not be a glorious thing to go to kafiristan and be a king Three years pass in India much as they pass in any other land It grows hot then the rains come and then the heat again Some colonel at a hill station puts down and uprising a new vice-roy comes out from London and the paper Dealer records the death of a sultan in Rajputana and the trees in the courtyard grow a few feet taller Finally time in its circle turned up another night Much like the one three years before Once again, I sat alone in the office listening to the clock and waiting for some unimportant item to come over the wire from Europe It was long after midnight when my office door slowly opened. I Say look here you you might knock first, you know Good lord man. What's wrong? I? You don't know who I am Do you know? No, I haven't the faintest idea, but here you'd better sit down old fellow. You're in a bad way Yes Thank you It's a whole year. I've been walking right here in this very office. We settled it You setting right there and giving us the maps You you've been sitting there ever since Three years. No. Oh, no Why a man couldn't change that much in three years You're not peachy carna. Yes, I was king of kafiristan me and Daniel Robert Real crown kings we was just as true as gospel What in the name of heaven had they done to you peachy? peachy I I knew peachy carna and once He's a king Where's the real golden crown on his head? So Hey He's dead. No, no, no, you're you're peachy carna. You must pull yourself together Pull myself to keep looking into my eyes Then maybe Everything will go to pieces. All right now. Tell me what happened peachy We left the caravan of Jagdala We struck off into the hills alone go on Weeks it was we travel Daniel and me First there wasn't no roads After a while No food But there was always the drums Sometimes there was close and sometimes farther off But most of the time we could hear them somewhere Yeah, no, it's not place to be stopping up with you I'm fearing. It's no use Daniel. What's got into the poor beasts are done in and starved same as ourselves They'll go no further then we'll go on without them I've not come this far to die on the side of a mountain wait Look Daniel over the edge of the rocks. What men they are. There'll be a score or more than One goes ahead of the rest and nor but bows and arrows Break out a pair of the rifles peachy right you are Daniel. It's now that we start to become kings Yeah, yeah and some countries is to easy now peachy I'll drop the straggler at the rear first and then we'll lay a few at their feet no arm to the one in front We may need him now Flat on their blooming faces a leader is come out alone Well and good and we'll go part way to meet him peachy, but keep your rifle by look at him Daniel He'd be as fair as us with yellow hair. So he does Part of the lost tribes these people are he stopped The Lord Harry peachy. We're in luck. It's the old Afghan tongue. He speaks Speak up. Who are you and whence do you come? This bash guy how many people there are more villages in the hills Yeah, that peachy is our kingdom made to order and you you're going to take us to bash guy Do you understand? I understand the voice of thunder that you speak. Oh, he's a smooth one peachy. He knows a thing or two What's your name? That's too long What should we call him peachy? He has a look about him of an old soldier in friend of ours Billy fish. So he does we bestow a new name on you From now on you will be billy fish As you command All right, put this on your drums Tell them two kings have come out from the mountaintops Two kings that speak in words of thunder. So the earth trembles Tell them two kings have come to kafiristan That's you preachy Daniel Why be you sitting here in the dark? I've been thinking a man has to stop and think sometimes Out anything special anion look at them peachy Look at their blinking campfires are gleaming in the dark like the jewels in a crown Hi, Daniel, you've done a fine job for sure All 23 villages you join together as one is the army you train to be thanked for it 2,000 men with a fair knowledge of bearing arms seems a bit green at it yet There are hours now every man jack woman and child We own a body and soul. I we're kings now daniel Not proper kings yet, but we will be sooner than you think peachy. How's that? Billy fish told me something today that fair amaze me These people know the craft you mean they're free masons daniel It ain't no wise possible. So help me it's gospel true He give me the grip and everything it's all the craft is older than the memory of man And up here in the hills they've been preserving it all these years Why some of the high priests know up through the fellow craft, but they don't know the third degree See it peachy. They don't know the third degree, but we do Daniel, what is it you're fixing to do? Do we're going to be proper kings We're going to get them going and coming now I'm going to turn the whole country into one grand lodge Raise some of the priests to third degree and for me I'll be the grand master of kafiristan. Oh, but you ain't got the right to We never been officers in no lodge, right? What's a king got to do with asking for a right? Oh, I'm against it daniel It's no good to go fooling around with the craft. Ah, you talk like an old woman the thing'll work I know it will we'll make it a blooming ceremony regular aprons with the symbol and the marks All of us peachy the kings of kafiristan Everything is prepared master and the priests and the people wait. Well, they don't have to wait much longer billy here now peachy How do you like my apron? It's our wondrous sight for fair daniel made a white home in skin It is and the master's mark with emerald studded the mark You know the meaning of the mark that I do What's got into you billy not But there's a thing that's passing strange master strange and rubbish come along now Ready peachy right with you daniel then out we go Onto the temple steps We'll give them what for knock their flinking eyes out. That's what we'll do Peachy right down. What's wrong with the priest billy? It looks like trouble daniel. No Stand where you are master They recognize the mark that great stone in the floor Why do they turn it over wait? Speak up billy fish. What's the meaning of it? See for yourself Look daniel Carved under back of the stone is the master's mark all right and the same as the sign you wear Only a few of the priests have known of the hidden mark on the stone What does it mean the many who have doubted you were a god? Doubt no longer and you billy. What do you think? I master I think that now it is the time for these Daniel golden crumbs I how they glitter Fit for the brow of a king is what we came for here now put them on We'll crown ourselves in our own right Listen to them you know something peachy we come here to be kings and that we are all right But blamed if we ain't a couple of blooming gods to boot with a million people bowing on their knees before us Well enough peachy So it was gods you became as well as kings, but then what happened? What became of daniel dravet? Dravet I knew daniel dravet once He's a king now daniel is Where's the golden crown? Karnan was with him peachy try to pull yourself together I'll try now You became kings you and daniel kings of orca furistan. He was a fine figure daniel was With his red head wearing that golden crown Kept himself aloof from the people so to speak And when he walked up for the temple The fair crawled on their stomachs to worship But what happened man? Well, I figure mostly it was winter coming on The winds were starting up And the clouds was blowing down from the north Oh It could blow Bishly cold that winter wind Hey Who's out there? That's you billy Can't sound it anyway Here now, what's this? Brought you food master of the wire ship With curry and rice Up off your knees girl bring it inside place it there Now you're a well favored wench I do not understand Why were you crawling on your knees? It is a fitting way to approach the god of kafiristan What's your name girl? Marum of danger Marum, eh? You married? It has not yet been my happy fortune master You're afraid of me? You are a god I mean, how do I seem to you? Do you find me pleasing or what? Your face is more wondrous than the noonday sun And your look, the look of eagles Hmm, very well, you may leave now Thank you master Marum, eh? Peachy Peachy You calling me Daniel? Oh the food here ain't good Mark that wind outside Winter's about due to strike and fill the trail with snow There'll be little moving about for spring Brought you out Peachy, I've decided to take a wife But you can't do it Daniel We made a contract That was till we was kings Well kings we've been many months now Oh but it's no good I'll tell you now, I'm against it Against it? You was against using the craft too But look what it done for us Oh but this is different Billy fish'll tell you no too, the same as I do Billy fish, huh? Who's the king here, him or me? My mind's made up Three days from now I slab me away And you can put it on the drums And tell every blighter out there in the hills The kingdom of Kaffiristan is going to have a queen Let's keep an eye Peachy They should have brought her in here half an hour ago I don't know Daniel How about you Billy fish? You put them up to stall in off deliberate like? Certain preparations must be made master She's across the court with some of the priests Maybe they're trying to hearten her up a bit Daniel She thinks she's going to die you know Die indeed Well I hunt only Master, it is against the laws of heaven for a woman to marry a god I'm not a god, I'm a man You know that by now Billy No, and they should not want to think so master But either way this can mean only trouble I beg you to reconsider And I beg you to shut up Billy I'm through waiting I'm going over there Master please We've got to go with him Billy And I'm thinking it's going to mean trouble How many men can you defend and depend on? No more than 20 with rifles Most of my men are in Boshkai Then what should we do? We shall have to make a run for it I fear We might be safe in Boshkai Come on now you buckling fools Bring out the girl That's better Here girl this is no way for a bride to behave A smile now and give us a kiss Oh! The wench has bitten me Blood master, don't let them see the blood We're all still in this too late Mark Daniel is coming with naïves They can't do this I'm the king You've got to run for it master Come on Daniel come on Back on feet they're blasted heads in That's what I'll do Oh Daniel we'll be back all right How much further Billy? Oh only short way beyond this ridge master Well so far so good Then blooming drums are stopped We're at the top Daniel You're right good climate's been in here Wait Look seems the drums have come before us master Less than a thousand of them stand in the acquired lake With them wiki long knives in their hands There'll be no getting past them Daniel Go back Billy Fish and take your men away with you Go with him Peachy It's me they want I did it me the king No Dan I'm sticking with you Billy Fish you clear out I am your friend I stay with you You're a good man Billy They be coming now Daniel Peachy forget it Daniel I forgive you Freely and fully Then let them come There'll be one thing they can't change Peachy We've been kings Kings in our right Kings of all Capulistan Stope and poor Billy Fish like a Blooming Hell in their dead They're in the snow and the rocks Good Lord man But you Peachy you got away from Like no way did I get away from Bayard is prepared all right Stroke me out on a tree Drove nails right through my hands they did See but I fooled them all right Because morning came I wasn't no wise dead And then I made them think I'd lost my senses I was afraid of me because I was protected by Allah They cut me down then And after a while they let me go You poor devil But what a rabbit what happened to Daniel Daniel is a king He wears a golden crown But now what happened to him He's never left me All them long months walking on the road back He kept me safe The mountains they danced at night But Daniel held up his hand and Peachy came along Bent double I'd never let go of Daniel's hand Not Daniel's hand, but they gave me in the temple As a present here in this bundle You knew old Daniel sir Him that was a monarch once Look at him now and now you've seen That we was really kings beyond the way You'll pardon me sir I let him go There was little else to do He was only hours away from his death I sat there and stared at the bundle he'd left lying on my desk Stared as the pale shafts of dawn struck fire in the red beard Stared at the golden crown sitting too large and heavy Upon the wrinkled, mummified head of Daniel Dravitt The man who would be king Escape is produced and directed by William N. Robeson Tonight's story, Rudyard Kipling is the man who would be king Was adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield And Peachy to Raymond Lawrence is Peachy Eric Snowden is Daniel Dravitt And Herbert Rawlinson is Kipling Musical effects were created and conducted by Sy Fuhr Next week CBS at its affiliated stations Invite you to escape in Operation Florida League An episode from the files of the OSS And so good night until a week from tonight When again we invite you to escape This is CBS the Columbia Broadcasting System