 Let every go 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 curious story 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 walked 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 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, I have to see a sick friend. Maybe 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. Knock on the door. Oh Peter, you're 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. You 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. Good. All right Peter, this is Gus, the one I told you about. Hi Pete, hello. He's putting the finishing touches on now. He'll be ready in a minute. Peter's watched. Fascinated as old Gus continued his work. Three, four minutes slipped by. By then Pop out in the car began to get impatient. Oh the old fool. The old fool, why doesn't he stop hocking that horn? Why doesn't he? I'll tell him to stop. Please do, do you 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? But we're going to be late for work. I'll be down in a few minutes, take it easy. Yeah, yeah. Who is this 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 him. It's almost finished. Yes, Gus the mechanic, an old hand and a good one was almost finished. Peter's 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 Peter's old man used to own. And as Gus started winding it, somehow the sound was so familiar. It sort of got Peter's. For the first time he wished he'd never started the thing. What time have you got, kid? 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 eight twenty-nine. Eight twenty-nine. Okay, kid. What are you sweating about? Who me? Mr. Sharpe ain't sweating. There she'll go off at six thirty tomorrow morning. Is that okay, Mr. Sharpe? Fine, Gus. 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. Shark leaned forward. Peter's 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 Shark 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 Peter's mouth. He spit it out and stamped it to pieces on the cement floor. Shocked and Gus looked at each other and grinned. That didn't help Peter's feelings, any. When it came to the payoff, it'll be up to him, not these wise guys. Your lunch kit. 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. We'll make the jokes later. The lunch kit and took the bottle out. 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 opened the jug of nitroglycerin. He poured out a thick yellowish liquid and when the 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 all right. Peter's a smart boy, Gus. 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 worked quickly and you could see he knew what he was doing. Watching him, Peter's 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 Peter's. Here you are and don't drop it. I won't. Are you sure everything is all right? Yeah, everything's all right, Mr. Shocked. I want to see you here tomorrow afternoon at one. I'll be here, don't worry. Peter, stop using that expression. We never worry. There's your friend again. All right, Peter, get out of here. Oh, before the old fool gets us all into trouble. Peter's had been with Gus and Mr. Shocked for some time and it was almost nine now. It was a nice night, but Peter's wasn't going to enjoy it. The old man was sitting in the Chevy smoking his pipe as Peter's walked up. Is that you, Jerry? Yeah. It's about time. What kept you? We got the 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 Peter's would never forget. Just thinking about what was in that lunch kit was enough to drive him nuts. He ran into something. 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 have 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? That rattling, what is it? I don't know, Jerry. It sounds like your lunch kit. Here, let me at it. What are you worrying about that for? We're going to be late. Stop telling me we're going to be late. Stop jabbering. Let me alone, will you? Yes, Jerry. You think the lunch kit will be okay now? You packed it in pretty well. No, 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. Yes, they were late, but Peters was glad in that. Now he'd be able to park near the entrance. And 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? No, not much. Well, you ought to put some weight on you. Peters punched in, changed his clothes quickly and left the lunch kit in his locker. The stomach felt funny. Figured he'd probably look 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. And now, all night long, he wouldn't know what time it was. Have to ask, have to guess. The ache in the pit of his stomach got worse. It wouldn't do to get sick tonight. So he 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? Where's your seeds? 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? 1.30, 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 4.25. 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. Hey, hey, guys, Jerry's passed out. Come over here, quick. You are listening to the signal oil program. Let every go signal remind you that you do go farther with signal gasoline. He's 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, Doc. You're 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 a what? What kind of a doctor would I be to send you back to your job? Come on, relax. But I'm okay now. It's pretty 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 going to do? I'm going to give you a couple of grains of barbatol. Take you in the next room and put you to sleep for a couple of hours. I'll pick you up. What's the matter with you? I don't want to go to sleep. I'm all right. Yes, you're all right. You're in fine shape. But I've got things to do as soon as the shift's over. They can wait. Your help 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 cart in the next room. Now you just lie there and behave yourself. In a few minutes you'll feel sleeping like a baby. Okay. That's right. I'll put these blankets up over you. You okay now? Yes, Doc. All right, I'll turn out the light. Good night, young fellow. You spit out the pill, didn't you, Peter? Good thing you thought of holding that pill under your tongue. If you'd swallowed 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. Yeah, 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 wristwatch? 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. Gotta get out of here. Get out. That's over. Now I gotta act 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 den, then to the ground. He didn't feel too good. He was still weak from the cramp, but 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. Hiya, Peters. You okay now? Yeah, I feel fine. Look at that turpentine, Jerry. Boy, you had me worried, Jerry. I'm okay now, Pop. Do I still get to ride? Let me handle it. Yeah, I'll see you later then. I'm going to take a shower. Peters changed into his 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 wristwatch, 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. Past the foreman's office, not too fast. Peters. Oh, hello, Mr. Davis. Peters, how are you feeling now? Good, good, good. Say, come into the office for a minute. I want to talk to you. You've been meaning to for us some time now. Now? Sure, sure, sure now. I'm in a kind of a hurry, Mr. Davis. 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. Yeah, close the door. Sit down. I really can't stay long, Mr. Davis. I'm supposed to meet someone. You still look pale, Peters. Sure you feel all right? Oh, yes. Mr. Davis, it's about the mistake I made tonight in riveting. No, no, no, no, forget it, forget it. Everybody makes mistakes. I'm the foreman, I make mistakes. Look at you squirming in that chair. Must be your blondes you're going to meet. It takes a woman to get a man upset like you. Mr. Davis. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you gotta go, you gotta go. Well, look, I always have a little talk with the new boys. Sort of a bail-up full session. Couldn't we get together tomorrow? How do you like our little plan? It's fine, fine, Mr. Davis. Yeah, we're all mighty proud of the job we're doing here. Look, Mr. Davis, I... I've got a son overseas, myself. Feel that this is the best way to back him up. I guess most everybody who works here feels the same. Hey, Peters. Okay, okay, slow down, Peters. He's not chasing you. Look at your watch. 614. 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, you! Hey, hey, slow down, will you? How far have I got to chase you? What do you want? You know as well as I do what I want. You forgot something. Tomorrow, then it'll 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 fella. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey! What? There are 20 guys in line ahead of me. For 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? Well, it'll just take me a second. Yeah, we all want to get to town early. Okay, okay. Take it easy, Peter, as you've still got time. Get down at the end of the line and stop making yourself conspicuous. Hi, hi there, Peter. Hello. The old guy sort of adopted you, ain't he? Yeah. Sure, a long line tonight, huh? Yeah, well, not much to do. Yeah? Yeah, how you feeling now? Huh? Well, okay. Say, is my watch right? I have 618. Well, yeah, yeah, yeah. 618, I got. I could be wrong. Name? Peter's. Jack. 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, Peter. It's a little cold, too, and it takes a couple of seconds for the motor to catch. It's 621, Peter's. No time to waste now. You're fighting for your life. Start backing out quick. Hey, you! Look at my headlights. It doesn't 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, Peter's is my name. Jerry Peter's. I work in Shop 5. I'll see you tonight. We'll work out something. Not so fast. Not so fast. I've got to write this down. Got a pencil? Here's my pen. Use it. Jerry Peter's. Shop 5? 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 you, fella. Are you guys always in a hurry? That's how trouble starts. All right, my partner's back to rough. It's clear now. Thanks. You've got to hurry. You've got to hurry. Jerry! Jerry, wait! You're forgetting me. Hey, Jerry, wait for me. Wait! Wait! Hey, Jerry! You've got to wait. The wrestler 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 Burma, 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 Peters got away from the plant. By 629, he was a good mile from the plant, raising along to safety. And back in the parking lot, Pop had something to say about the younger generation. 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. Hell, 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. Not 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, let 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 darned 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? I found it under his lunch kit. Hey. Now, I wonder what in the world that could have been. Night at 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 Lawrence 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 go signal remind you that you do go farther with Signal Gasoline. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.