 Tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you escape Escape designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure Escape brought to you by your richfield gasoline dealer and the richfield oil corporation of New York Marketers of richfield gasoline's motor oils and other petroleum products look for the richfield eagle on the cream and blue pumps Tonight we escape to India in the story of an ex-army pilot Caught up in murderous intrigue As Joel Murkart tells it in his exciting tale Serenade for a cobra He's got to keep playing He's got to keep playing that music and I've got to listen He keeps it up long enough. I'll have a chance, but if he stops I'm going to die And he may stop he may stop any minute because that's what he wants. He wants me to die My name's monk Slavin. I'm a flyer. I don't know whatever brought me to Calcutta But something about the name had the smell of gold Sounded like the kind of place where a good pilot who didn't ask questions might make a deal a big deal in a fast one But nothing seemed to be drifting my way Nothing but the intense hot wind of the monsoon and the fog from the Ganges and the sea Rolling over the city from all sides and strangling it There was nothing to do but drink gin and quinine water at the airport bar and pray that you didn't get malaria Hello Slavin. Oh, hello Grant you back again just flew in with a small cargo a very small one Mind if I sit down help yourself You go and get out of Calcutta tonight another five minutes of that fog and there'll be a better ceiling in here than there is out there You sound like the monsoon is getting on your nerves What you need is a job doing what flying stinking hides down here from Kathmandu You know call that a job. Do you it's the best work? I can get at the moment Now if I had a chap like you to handle the flights I'd have time to dig up some new business You don't have to dig it up Grant. It's waiting for you used to ferry a lot of stuff in and out of China Yes, but that was before the present situation You could still make a buck out of China a good fat profit anytime you want it. I don't fly contraband Oh ethics if you care to call it that yes, that's why you're starving with a lousy one ship freight line I could take offense at that, but I won't You don't even have a ship Slavin, and I'll wager you have very little cash. Well, that's a safe wager You'd win. Why not be practical boy? I Can offer you a hundred pounds a month and meals and quarters at the base at Kathmandu You know I don't know how I can resist this chance to become a millionaire, but I'll try it's better than nothing cushy enough 420 miles down 420 back and no flying over the hump. No, thanks Oh Here's my mechanic. I have completed your errands. Oh, that's fine Jaffa. I'll be right with you You change your mind Slavin. You know where to find me. Yeah, leave a light burning in the window But don't wait up for me That's all I got two-bit offers from men like Grant a beggar just like the reform beggar that followed him around is native man Jaffa a Hindu street faker who learned about planes at an RAF base during the war Now Grant had him for a grease monkey and a radio operator at the base. Yeah, you couldn't beat the British They found a way to hang on I reached for my half empty glass There's another drink beside it a phone a drink. I hadn't ordered Is it permissible for a lady to buy the drinks permissible It's a big happy new custom and thank the lady for me if you ever see her the American flyer speak sharply like the eagle But the poor eagle has no wings. You were gonna fix that for me, baby Remember you had big connections while I'm still sitting here waiting. My friends can use a flyer But only if he has a plane, but just wait here. I'll go out and buy one How come your hot shot connections can't afford a plane is not the case of affording Plains are difficult to get the license the questions. The authorities are forever asking questions But my friends they never ask questions If you had a plane for instance They would not ask who owned it Yeah, I see what you mean. I heard Grant offer you a job If you worked for him, there would be days when you would be waiting here for cargo Enough time to make a little extra flight a flight not on mr. Grant's schedule and remember My friends pay well Yeah Yeah, maybe Grant's gonna get himself a pilot after all Took Grant's job the next morning when the weather cleared we drove to the field Through the teeming streets with hot oppressive Suffocating wind carrying the stench of the salt marshes across the city Seemed like an eternity before we were off the ground and feeling the cool mercy of being airport Well, oh boy, what do you think about she handles all right? I just don't like the havelins. What is it more surplus? Yes, but completely reconditioned pressurized cabin heating and air conditioning system I've changed everything for comfort. Yeah, even the radio. Why the open speaker instead of the headphones picked up a fungus infection in my ears in Barma during the war headphones were painful. So I put in a speaker. I thought the British philosophy about pain was grin and bear it Only when we can't do anything about it old boy. Oh, yeah, I see What's our ETA on a half? How's your landing strip? We call the base black cat Your plane identification is red kitten It feels a bit like a like a waffle on so set it out as gently as you can I'll treat her like she was my own Grant. Just like she was my very own Mondo was no improvement on Calcutta I could see it from the air as we came in the ancient wooden buildings and the temples thousands of them But outnumbered by the throngs of humanity in the dirty streets We barely hit the strip before the rain started again brought in from nowhere by the wind We were weathered down again at the stinking base outside the town And that's when Jafar the mechanic started with the Pungi. It kind of a native flute I say slavin do sit down. No wearing me out. I'm wearing you out. Listen to that thing. Don't he ever stop He's just amusing himself sit down man How about a hand of cards how can I concentrate on cards while he's playing that thing can't you make him stop? It can't make him do anything. He's in his own heart and well frankly. He's not bothering me. He's bothering me Why the slicker where you going to turn that thing off before drives me nuts slavin These Hindus are strange people. They resist pressure. I'd advise you to save it Grease monkeys handle the same way in India as they do anywhere else But I did There was something eerie about the room Something in Jafar's burning black eyes that held me. I watched the flute moving slowly as he played Then I saw it in the dim light The weaving puffed head of a cobra The snake was dancing in front of him. Oh, I'd seen cobras before in the bazaars and in the streets No matter how many times I saw them the side of that deadly slowly moving puffed head was enough to turn my blood ice I back slowly out of the room close the door He played it every night after that every waking hour of the night until I could hear it even in my sleep The strange whining dirge bringing with it the memory of a weaving head of a snake In clear weather I I could get away from it for a while But it would be waiting for me when I get back and in Jeff ours eyes. There was a challenge I could feel his hot stare burning into me as we worked on the plane What's on your mind jeff are what do you keep staring at before? Why did you change your mind, sir? Why do you now work for mr. Grant? What's it to you jeff are mr. Grant is good to jafar Mr.. Grant is too quick to trust people. I don't know what you're talking about. Yes. You do sir You know Get out of here jeff are Did you hear me? I said get out of here. I must work on mr. Grant planes. That's an order Go jeff are please All right, if you say so mr. Grant Slavin I Don't know what started this but I do know that I don't want to happen again and keep him out of my hair I don't like any of these people and he rates number one on my list. You made that pain enough I'll try to keep him away from you. I only hope he will stay away from you What do you mean by that you've hurt him in his pride slapping you don't understand these Hindus You won't come back at you with force But he will come back. Oh Willie well. He knows who's boss now I'll be in Calcutta with this load tonight Tell him to get that flute out of his system while I'm gone if he plays it when I get back I'll ram it down his throat Aren't you going to buy me a drink you don't make me any money, baby So don't cost me any but I am going to make you money a lot of money. You better come up with it fast My job looks temporary is tomorrow fast enough tomorrow. I'm bringing another load of hides down from Kathmandu I'm going back there tonight. Oh, that will fit in nicely when you leave Kathmandu tomorrow You will make a short side trip one stop in China then come back here to Calcutta China, huh? Well now you're beginning to interest me, baby Where in China my friend knows His name is Karkanov. He will be waiting for you tonight when you return to Kathmandu Meet him at midnight at the rear of Great Temple of Vishnu at edge of town. How big is the job big? But very little trouble That is if you are not squeenish when I say how big I mean how much for you 10,000 American dollars 10,000 how much of that do you expect? Oh Karkanov pays me the 10,000 is all yours Now will you buy me a drink? Yeah now buy both of us a drink Did you know that gasoline is one of the most mysterious chemical compounds in the world? Gasoline can contain hundreds of different components, but one stands out for its remarkable antinoch quality. It's xylene Xylene is one of the highest adenot gasoline components ever discovered and today xylene is contained in every gallon of richfield gasoline Xylene in richfield gasoline helps give your car that quick surge of knock-free power and you feel the silent power of xylene when you zip up a long hill Moreover your richfield dealer offers you a choice of two great richfield gasolines with xylene Richfield high octane at regular price for motors of average compression and Richfield ethyl for motors of highest compression Let your richfield dealer help you decide which richfield gasoline is best for your car Stop where you see the richfield eagle on the cream in blue pumps Get the gasoline that contains one of the highest adenot components known to science Get richfield gasoline with xylene and now we return you to escape $10,000 enough to get out of the trap I can go back to the States on that by my own plane pick up my own spots for a smart deal I thought of it all the way back to Kathmandu. This would be my last night in that hole my last night Black cat calling black cat. This is red kitten calling black cat over Black cat go ahead ETA 15 minutes visibility poor. How is it there poor but all right for landings are light landing fields on On all corners of the field flares. You hear me Mr. Bant has already left to do that sir good Would you like some? music sir What do you mean music? my music sir Why that dirty little swine? Just trying to needle me, but I wouldn't let him I couldn't afford it now Just this one night. I could forget anything thinking about that I spotted the oil fires the four corners of the field burning a clear spot through the ground haze I turned on my landing lights and set her down like an old lady's rocking chair I'd never land on this field again. I'd use it for one more takeoff tomorrow, but I'd never land on it again Music Flesh like Mr. Sleven Karkanov? Where are you? On the steps of the temple. No, no, no. Don't flesh the light. Keep it off, please You you are very prompt mr. Sleven. $10,000 worth. What time do you expect to take off tomorrow? I'm scheduled to leave for Calcutta at noon. Excellent As you have been told I want you to go into China. Oh, that's vague. It's a big country Inner Mongolia, it's just out of the city of Suchao. Oh, that's about a thousand miles in 1200 Here is a map What's the deal? On the map is the location of a field not a regular air base, but good enough for a landing You will time your landing for just before sundown You will take off again almost immediate and return by night back over the hump at night Makes it interesting to be dull really as all well-planned things should be dull, but profitable a Country man of mine named Leon Tovich will meet you when you land at Suchao With him will be an old Chinese. They will return with you Too hot for him up there. The old Chinese is a wealthy merchant. He will bring his wealth out with him Through connections. We have arranged this escape for him like there's something else. You'll have to arrange I don't carry enough fuel to get me to Suchao and back to Calcutta. You will be refueled. Nothing has been overlooked Where do I contact you when I get back? When you land at Calcutta, taxi to the north end of the field I will be there with automobile to pick up your passenger and his cargo Passenger you mean passengers. Don't you you said that be to your man Leon Tovich and the old Chinese A trifle I forgot to mention. They will both start back with you Of course, but the old Chinese will not complete the trip You understand Yeah, I understand He disappeared into the darkness and I started back to the field The night was full of sound even the damp heat had a sound of its own like nothing else in the world, but that There was something else Jafar Why? Jafar Jafar, where are you Jafar? Where are you? Answer me I'll find you. I'll get you. I'll get you you dog No, no, no, no, no, no the devil he's right. I Can't afford to think about him now. I got to think about tomorrow Just get back to the field and think about tomorrow He was on the field in the morning checking the plane as though nothing had happened But I could see the glitter in his black eyes like the glitter of a snake I wanted to smash his face with my fist, but I couldn't I had to fly out as though nothing was wrong The motors caught sweetly and I lifted off the strip like a feather and then headed south for Calcutta Until I was out of sight of the field and I met a half circle to the north and headed for the hump She took it like a swallow past the white peak of Mount Everest the top of the world and out over the great plateau of Tibet Then the northern rim of the Himalayas dipped beneath my wings I was over the hill country of Mongolia I hit it right on the nose the field outside the town of Suchao and made my landing just as the bottom edge of the Sun was kissing the horizon I am Lee and Tovich the Chinese have a truck with the fuel quickly by so many of them Karkanov said there'd be one Chinese they are the old man's friends They come to see him off safely That is why we must go to the bother of taking him along for a way all right, but watch them An armored car will come over the hill as we are ready to take off do not be alarmed I thought you had everything fixed here quiet they will not be after us They will take care of the Chinese we leave behind. Well, there better not be any slip-ups. Let's get out of here fast Give me that hose up here There were five of the Chinese and deep in their impressive eyes was quiet terror One was an old man clutching a wicker basket, but the terror in his eyes was tempered with a glint of hope The others just stared at the plane with a terrible yearning the last of the gas trickled into the tanks We took the hose down the truck backed off. You're ready. Yeah, boost them in calm old one They lifted the old man into the plane Leon Tovich climbed in after him closing the hatch The motors caught and I noticed her into the wind just as the four Chinese on the ground made a dash for the plane The reason was clear coming across the hill at the end of the field an armored car Hey, what is this they're shooting not that us, but hurry don't worry here We go Our friends on the ground seem to be dead that was nicely arranged now They won't be able to talk about the old man in the cabin. He saw nothing It is almost dark. We can persuade them to leave us at any time now wait some place over to bet as you say Carcass man hadn't flown before I could see it in his face. I was thinking thinking about the wicker basket That was a cargo. I could carry alone all alone I didn't have to land at Calcutta I could go on to Bombay and be out of India on the ship to Africa before morning The moon was bright over Tibet and look like a ghost land the old Chinese seemed to be sleeping when I glance back His head bent down over the precious basket in his lap. I nodded to Leon Tovich He moved slowly methodically He slipped an arm under the old man's head jerked an elbow tight against his throat I Saw the old man's eyes the terror and the hope mixed with surprise then realization then resignation He slumped in the basket slid to the Florida's feet I set the ship on the automatic pilot and went back into the cabin. He is ready to leave us I'll open a hatch you carry him over and dump him out such a shame But at least we shall keep the basket for remembrance. He picked the old man up. I opened the hatch As land tovich came to the door. He felt the vacuum pull of the rushing air sliding past the plane He tried to draw back, but I caught him with my foot and shoved him both I was alone in the cabin with the basket When I opened it, I didn't even mind the stink of the hides American dollars British pounds and jewelry in a few hours. I'd be sailing from Bombay a millionaire sailing from Bombay Something was wrong. I Felt it as I started back over the hump. It was bumpy and the ship slithered and kicked and there was a wall of darkness outside There was something inside too something or somebody in the cabin of the ship. I Turned on the cabin lights and looked back and there was nothing but a load of hides, but the feeling wouldn't go away I tried to shake it off An half an hour be passing over Katmandu just a sound in the night. I Had to have a look through the cap. I set the ship in the automatic pilot and slid from the seat But she bucked me and I had to grab the controls Mount Everest was someplace nearby in the dark. I Was sweating I couldn't leave the controls now. I had to stay with But I kept looking back into the cabin with that same feeling Then I saw it. I saw something long and then slithering across the hides A loose rope. I tried to tell myself it was a loose rope, but but a rope doesn't move like that And the head lifted the hooded the hooded head of a cobra a Cobra in the plane playing in the nearest base was Katmandu still 20 minutes away And I couldn't take my hands off the controls. I flick the radio switch Like cat. This is red kitten calling black cat come in black cat red kitten calling come in black cat over Black cat to red kid It is a surprise to hear from you, sir. You should be in Calcutta, sir You know where I am you devil you filthy little devil has my pet awakened. He wants to be fed, sir The cobra is very mean when he is not fed you put him in the plane Sting of the cobra kill swiftly mr. Slavin What what can I do? Jeff are I'm begging you. What can I do? Nothing, sir. There's nothing you can do. I could help you. He's getting closer Please he's getting closer, please Please You do not like my music, sir Music a serenade on the fluke might distract him, but you do not care for the flute for heaven's sake man He's only six feet away from me Yes, yes, yes only play it play Snake came closer That ugly hooded head Spreading and raising and weaving in time with the music coming over the radio It was only two feet away Death only two feet away and if Jafar stopped playing it strike An ugly ill-tempered hungry cobra deadly to anybody but Jafar who knew when he wanted to be fed He knew the only thing in the world that could hold him was that flute that flute as long as Jafar kept playing it I saw the oil fires being lit on the strip of black cat that meant that Grant knew I was coming in But a flute was driving me mad And the cobra I never knew when he'd strike at some movement of my hands on the controls and yet I had to move him to land Oh, Grant Grant. Where are you? I'm here Please give me landing instructions, please please grant over to the operation shack as close as you can get Jafar can keep the flute going. We'll open the hatch and try to distract the snake Maybe we can get you out making keep playing grand making keep playing Coming out to watch your landing. I Have the police with me slavin your friends in Calcutta have already been arrested on Jafar's information I made my approach to the strip the head of the snake never stopped weaving I could see Grant and the police in the light of the oil fires Cut the motors drop down at the edge of the field Another minute if Jafar could just keep playing another minute I was ready to set it down the ground was right under the wings and then the food stop What do you think officer will he live bad crash free not too bad about your play oh, it's in short I'll get another you might possibly get the money in the jewels too if nobody claims them I doubt if anybody will no matter. I only want what is my own well Jafar. I'm afraid I shall have to arrest you Why sir? There is no law that says I must play my flute. No, but you deliberately put the snake in the plane The snake lies there dead sir. Have you examined it? It is not poisonous the poison suck and the fangs I removed long ago You mean the snake couldn't have hurt him He couldn't have been killed by that snake anymore, and he could have been shot by an unloaded gun. I did not harm him sir My people do not use violence It is against our belief Say there's a strange one No matter how long I'm out here. I'll never understand them Now they will slab in I'm afraid You better cover him He's dead Here's a weather forecast that's guaranteed to be accurate There is a lot of hot weather coming and driving and hot weather can spell trouble for your car cause serious wear sudden breakdowns Don't take chances See the richfield gasoline dealer tomorrow and ask him to protect all points of your car with richfield all-point safety service Richfield all-point safety service is especially designed to guard your car against wear and breakdowns The richfield gasoline dealer will change your oil to rich lube all-weather motor oil The Pennsylvania premium grade oil that cleans as it lubricates He'll safely lubricate your chassis differential wheel bearings and transmission And he can care for automatic transmissions to with top-rated richfield automatic transmission fluid and finally The richfield dealer will safety check your car for all likely trouble spots Get richfield all-point safety service for your car tomorrow Stop where you see the richfield eagle on the cream and blue pumps Escape is produced and directed by William M. Robson and tonight has presented serenade for a cobra by Joel Mercott Featured in the cast where Charles McGraw is Slaven Ramsey Hill is Grant Jane Ovello was Jafar Also heard were Lucille Meredith Joseph Kearns and Paul Freese special music arranged and played by Ivan Dittmar's next week You're slowly walking down the deserted street of a small cow town Coming toward you is one of the bloodiest gunfighters of the west who has sworn to kill you and from whom there is no escape Next week at this time the richfield oil corporation of New York Invite you to escape to the range country of the early west and to the story of a boy who grew up to be a gunfighter as Joel Mercott tells it in his exciting story sundown Goodbye, then until the same time next week when once again we offer you escape Tom Hanlon speaking. This is CBS the Columbia Broadcasting System