 the Ketch Scarlet Queen, Philip Carney master. Position 14 degrees 20 minutes south, 170 degrees 40 minutes west. Sky fair wind brisk remarks. Departed pango pango island of Tupwila after involvement in murder. Reason for involvement, Hattie McCormick and the patient stowaway. It was a fair trip in a fast one down across the line from Christmas Island until we raised the atolls of the northern cooks. We touched there at Penrin where we took on a cargo of fresh fruit for the American Naval base at pango pango. The wind deserted us after we cleared the harbor and the Scarlet Queen rolled sluggishly through glassy water. The mats and rigging carried all the canvas we could send aloft but it hung there, barely disturbed by the faint humid breeze. The slow progress got to the crew too with the oppressive heat that pulled at their nerves, shortened their tempers. Even the gulls circling overhead were belly aching. I was sweating out my trick at the wheel. We were a day off the eastern tip of Tupwila when the monotony aboard the Scarlet Queen suddenly came to an end. Hey Skipper, look at the passenger I dug out at a ball peak. My chief mate Gallagher was walking after me pushing in front of him a burly dark haired man whose face was covered with a three-day stubble of blue-black beard whose eyes looked out sullenly from beneath heavy brows. He sneaked on at Penrin, he says. I found him in the rope locker when I went in after some lying. Who are you? George Craven. You came aboard at Penrin? That's right. Such a thing is working in your passage instead of stealing it. I had to be sure. Yeah, sure that nobody saw you leave. Where are you bound? Same place you are, Pango Pango. That's why I picked your ship. Where are you getting away from? Nobody. I'm going to start the new year right. There are three people on Pango Pango I'm going to kill. And so mutual continues the voyage of the Scarlet Queen written by Gildowd and Bob Tolman and starring Elliot Lewis. Scarlet Queen proudest ship to plow the seas, bound for uncharted adventure, every week complete entry in the log, and every week a league further in the voyage of the Scarlet Queen. Please give her a gun. Go on into the cabin Craven. Sure. That way. All right, through here. Sit down. I don't know what you're going to start in on, but you can save your breath, Captain. Nobody's going to keep me from getting in a dame in a flunkies. Oh. I don't mind telling you she's a big fat chiseler named Patty McCormick. She runs a joint in Pango Pango called the McCormick House. You or nobody else is going to stop her. Sure, that's all fine, but look, you're a stowaway. This is an American ship going into an American port. I want to stay out of trouble. To do that, I turn you over to the naval officials when we dock. That's all right. I expected it. I'm going to get this into my log. When did you come aboard it, Peter? Your last day there. Boarded December. Wouldn't have found me if that wind hadn't dropped in that blast that heat hadn't driven me out of that hole for some air. Yeah, yeah. Where are you from? I said where are you from? Just put down a log. I don't feel like answering no more questions, Captain. You like to make it tough for yourself, don't you? You don't make friends very fast. I ain't had much practice. I'll talk to the Navy. All right, Craven. We'll be in tomorrow. In the meantime, you'll stay on the after deck during the day where we can see you. And you'll spend tonight under guard and locked in the cabin through that passageway. You don't have to worry. It's taken me 11 years to get this close. I'd be nuts to waste him by causing you any trouble now. By noon the next day, we'd made Pango Pango Harbor. Craven was a model prisoner as far as he went with us. And it wasn't far enough. When I got to his cabin, it wasn't empty. But instead of Craven, the man inside was my crewman who'd been on guard. Nielsen! Nielsen! He'd been slugged and he was bound and gagged. I didn't know where Craven had gotten the tools of the education, but the lock on the door had been neatly jimmied. Outside of the lump on Nielsen's head, the only thing he'd left for us to remember him by was his murder threat. And now he was ashore and free to carry it out. 20 minutes after I'd put Gallagher in charge of the Queen, I'd located the McCormick House. It was a typical island building, two-story frame with a corrugated tin roof. Most of the ground floor was taken up by the bar room. The usual group of island customers were pretending to enjoy what was coming out of the ancient play of piano in the corner. The floor had the face of the bartender smiled with a half-hearted welcome as I walked up to him. Happy new year, ma'am. How are you? Well, what do you have? Nothing right now. I'm looking for Hattie McCormick. Is she here? Oh, you'll never find her anyplace else. And did you bring something for her? Yeah, some bad news. Oh, what is it? I'm Lester Nord. We are partners here, so anything for her is for me, too. Well, maybe you'd be interested then. Do you know George Craven? Oh, what about him? He's here in town. Are you crazy? He stowed away on my ship from Penrin in the Northern Cooks. We found him yesterday. I had him locked in the cabin, but he jimmied his way out after we got into the harbor. He must have slipped over the side. Hey, what did this fellow look like? Big guy, black-haired, bushy eyebrows. Hattie, come out front quick. She'll be out. But Dora at the back of the room opened, and Hattie McCormick took up the full width of the opening as she came through it. She might have been the Sadie Thompson type when she was younger. There were some traces of past attractiveness shining through the weight the years that loaded her with, but it was easy to see that Hattie hadn't given up the fight. Her plump hands and fat wrists were crusted with costume jewelry. Her hair was just off platinum. Her face was brilliant with makeup. Her eyelashes were beaded like a burlesque queen, but they barely did justice to the sparkle behind them. Well, who is this Lester? You called me from chapter three of a mad love story, so I do hope he's something special. I think he says Craven's here in town. George Craven? That's impossible. I described him all right. He says he stowed away on his ship to get here. Oh, well, if he said so, that's enough for me. Honey, did anyone ever tell you that most women would believe anything that came from that appealing face you wear? Well, your approach is a little startling, Hattie, if you know what I mean. Honesty and impulsiveness. I've used them all my life since leaving the mountains of Nebraska. What's your name, honey? Phil Charny. That's nice. Oh, let's go back to my room, shall we? I want to hear more about this and get away from the dinner of that infernal piano. Honey, maybe I'd better close up. I can't stay. Lester, of course you won't. To help me, I don't know why I bother with you. To get more like an old woman every day. Oh, come on, honey. We'll have a couple of shots back in the room. Hattie, you old rascal, you sound as though you read that line before. Ha-ha, plenty, honey. It's my favorite. The bottle's in the cabinet, honey. Bring it over, will you? I'll just sit out. All right, honey. Oh, God, great. Now he's back, huh? Oh, if one day one would pass without a man causing me trouble. You look like you've thrived on it so far, honey. Yes, I guess I have. Bless them all. Oh, I've loved a lot of men in my 35 years. Oh, but tell me, honey, what did George Craven have to say? You won't like it. Huh? He said he was on his way here to kill three people. Idiot. He made that statement to you? Yeah, and it sounded like you were number one. Oh, but it doesn't have to ruin our drink. Here, let's get this down. All right. You work for money, Phil? That sounds like the buildup to an offer. You're right, honey. I need help. Oh, I'm not exactly afraid of George Craven, but I'm not as fast on my pins as I used to be. I'd like to hire you to be my bodyguard. That could be quite a chore, honey. Tell me, why is Craven gunning for you? Oh, he used to be married to my niece. He's no good, Phil. I took her away from him with Lester's help. Craven tried to get her back with a gun. We had him sent up for 10 years hunting the salt charge. Now he's out of stir and out to pay us back for the rap, I suppose. Why don't you go to the Navy, honey? They'll give you a protection. Oh, no, no, no, not the Navy. I'm in enough hot water with them and the missionaries as it is. They'll send me back to the States if anything else happens. I need somebody like you around, Phil. Well, I don't know, Hattie. I'd like to help you out, but I've got shipwork to do. We've got a cargo to load. Hattie, Lester just told me that Craven... Who's this? Phil, this is my niece Viola. Dearie, this is Captain Carney, the man who brought Craven to us. What are we going to do, Hattie? He'll kill me. He'll kill me, Captain. Well, that's no news to me, but I didn't invite him to Pangopango. He stowed away. Phil, it's worth $200 if you'll just stand by us. We really need your help. Now look at this poor child. She's terrified. Lester's gone all to peace and you're the only one we have. After all, Captain, he came on your ship. All right. You'll let him escape. Hattie. Now the least you can do is... Hattie, all right. We're going to lay over for a few days until we get a cargo. I'll do what I can for you. Oh, Phil, honey, that's my boy. I knew I didn't make a mistake in that honest Irish face. Poor us another day. It didn't take much selling to get Lester to close the McCormick House to customers. By nightfall, we had every door and window in the place locked and after Hattie had heard of the others of their rooms and she'd gone to hers, I slipped outside to stand my watch. I found a spot just outside the door from which I could cover the approach from town. There was a faintly perfumed breeze floating through the grove of Nipah palms that surrounded the place. A half moon shot rays of light down between the trunks. I'd been there maybe 15 minutes when I heard the door behind me crack open and the niece Viola slipped out. She was wrapped in something sheer that matched the moonlight. Her eyes were wide with fright and her fingers picked nervously at her mouth. Viola! Oh, Phil, I wanted to find you. What are you doing wandering around? I couldn't stand it any longer. Can I stay with you for a little while? Yeah, sure, I guess. Thanks, Phil. Do you think he'll come, Phil? You know him better than I do, don't you? I know him better than anybody does. Well, you think he'll come? I know he will. If he comes to me first, oh, I think I'd go back to him if that's what he wanted. Maybe you should have thought of that 11 years ago. You can build up a pretty good hate during a 10-year stretch. I know you can't, Phil. I don't think I would have done to him alone, but I was just a kid. Hattie and Lester. Oh, I don't know Phil. Yeah, you know. Well, relax, Viola. Phil, have you seen anything? With all these shadows, you might have slipped past. Nobody slipped past. You're all right. I guess I am. Now that you're here, Phil... Look, I was thinking, maybe instead of sitting here watching you get the jitters, I ought to go find him, turn him over to the authorities. Really, I can't do anything. He stowed away on my ship. Slugged my crewman. Don't leave. I do feel better if you're here. Don't leave. Did you see that? Over there on the other side of the house? I'm sure, Phil. Oh, Phil, I'm so frightened. I think it's your imagination, but if it'll make you feel any better, I'll take a look. Don't leave me here alone. Wait for me, Phil. We found nothing in the shadows. Better see if the house is all right. Phil, I'm so frightened. We walked slowly around the house. I checked the windows. Everything was secure on three sides. But on the fourth, we stopped. The job wasn't as neat as the one on my cabin door, but it was just as effective. The window was raised, and I looked in on a ground floor hallway. I ran my fingers across the bottom of the window and felt the torn grooves were a bar had been pushed in and forced upward to break the lock. Hattie's room was at the end of the hall, and I headed for that first. Hattie! The first sound of life was the creak of bed springs under her weight. Then the lights went on. Phil, what in heaven's name is the matter? Somebody forced the window at the end of the hall. Where's Lester? Up here's his room, I think. We'd like to put on some slippers and get something around me. I'll go up with you. I'll meet you up there. Phil, don't leave me alone. Is that maniac in the house? By the time I got to Lester's room, I figured I'd done her a favor by leaving her behind. The door was closed but unlocked, and he lay with his feet taught it sprawled on his face. It looked to me like the weapon that had caved in the back of his head was the same bar that had been used on the window. It lay on the floor beside him. I didn't even bother to check his pulse. I just left him. Is he all right, Phil? Phil! I'm not doing much of a job for you, Hattie. He's dead. Oh, no, Phil. Oh! He was a good man, Phil. Lester was a real good man. I'm sorry, Hattie. Would you be all right? We were together for a long time. Sure, honey. I'll be all right. I think I saw Graven. He was running away. What? What are you going to do? I'm going after him. I think it's about time, don't you? Oh, gee. Honey, don't do that. Why not? I'd rather you stay here. I hired you as a bodyguard, and I need you. Look, my oldest is Caracal. And now it's poor Lester. Oh, I need you more than ever. Don't go. You got a gun, haven't you? Yes. Well, get it in your hand and keep it there. Phil, you don't even know where he is. He can't be far. Rest easy, Hattie. I'll be back. Not easy, honey. But I'll do the best I can. By the time I got outside, there was nobody in sight. The first place I checked was the small waterfront hotel. Not only was George Graven registered under his own name, the desk clerk told me he was in. I didn't bother to knock when I got to his door. All right, Graven, just stay in that chair. Connie, who's chasing you? Stow it and settle down. You and I are going to have a talk about a murder. Oh, we are? What murder should we start with? I told you, stow it. Another guy who started all this murder talk, remember? Yeah, I think I do. But you're wasting your time, Connie. I got more alibis and teeth. I got one for everything you can think of. There's a way to take care of alibis and the teeth along with them. Come on, Craven. Spill. Get out of here, Connie. I don't know what you're talking about. Are you going? Look, Craven, I'll be in paid money to get the story you're going to tell me. Then we're leaving together. I ain't be a muscle tonight. Come on, Craven. Make it easy for yourself. You aren't going anywhere this way. Give away, Connie. Give away from me now. I've got plenty of time if you have. What matter with you, Connie? I watched him get up. I didn't realize what was bringing him to his feet. When I did it was too late. He was crouched in front of me, but when I heard a movement behind me, I spun. All I had time for was a glimpse of Viola Saxon's face and the piece of pipe she was swinging. It landed across the side of my head and erased everything. First thing that found its way through the pounding in my head was a question. Why Viola Saxon? I got to my feet still working on a question. But when the room settled into focus, I knew she'd never answer it. Viola Saxon was still there. She was lying next to a toppled chair. She'd been killed by the same piece of pipe she'd used on me. I started digging for some new answers. In a woman's purse I found one. A bank book on a New Zealand bank. $140,000 balance in the name of the McCormick Company. In an envelope I found an address of draw. There was another Craven's prison release form. I shoved both answers into a pocket covered by Viola's body with a blanket and left. It somehow didn't surprise me that Craven was sitting at a table in the hotel bar instead of hiding out somewhere. I didn't bother trying to talk to him this time. I sent a note into him. But I went back to report to Hattie McCormick. What in worried about you? Where have you been? Feeding my head against the biggest stone wall on the island. I'm resigning. Phil, honey, what's the trouble? Tell Hattie. Oh, I gotta tell you, I guess. Viola's in Craven's room at the hotel. The hotel? She's dead. Dead? Oh, no. Oh, I can't believe it. Oh, I told him once he met that man that something dreadful would happen. I did everything I could. I told her to be careful. You know, Phil, we had to have him arrested, wasn't it? Yeah, I know for a thought. But here's his prison release form. It says grand larceny. Oh, it's a forgery. I know him. He wouldn't stop at anything. You know what I think, honey? I think you wouldn't stop at anything. I think you and Lester and Viola would make stuff in it. That you framed him into taking the rap. I think that's what he came to pango-pango to pay you off for. Phil, honey, what in the world makes you say that? A bank book. A bank book? With a $200,000 deposit in the name of the McCormick company, the year Craven went up. And enough balance to make murder worthwhile. Where did you see it, Phil? That bank book. Viola took it to him. Why that little cheat? Excuse me, honey. Hon, I'll have a look. You could see her blanch even beneath the layers of powder when the bank book was mentioned. She waddled toward a roll-top desk in the corner. When her back was turned, I scooped up the 38 revolvers she'd left on the table. I broke it, emptied the shelves into my pocket, snapped it closed again, put it back on the table before she moved toward me. It's gone. It's gone. I've got to have that bank book. I think that bank book's caused about enough trouble. That's mean. That's mean, yes. It's dangerous letting him run around loose. Phil, you've got to go to the officials immediately and have him arrested. You mean it? You've got to help me, Phil. It may mean my life. Oh, how right you are, Hattie. All right, I'll go. But here's the story I'm going to have to tell him to begin with Craven didn't kill Lester Nord. Phil, how do you talk him? Lester was killed from behind. Like somebody must have trusted. I don't think he would have turned his back on Craven. You want more, Hattie? Go ahead, Phil. Then Viola must have done it. You know, honey, I think you're half right, but Viola must have lost confidence in you, Hattie. After you two knocked off Lester, she followed me to Craven's room and laid a pipe across my head to keep me from turning him in. I feel, honey, that's the most. All right, Craven, come on in. You're double-crossing me, Phil. You're double-crossing me. But you won't get away with it. Her move for the gun on the table is the fastest one I've seen her make. She held it at her generous waist and backed into the middle of the room as Craven came in. Hello, Hattie. I haven't changed a bit. Last time I saw you, you were holding the gun on me. I was your patsy for that little haul that your master minded. Things have changed. Haven't they, Hattie? Don't come any closer. Either one of you. You had a good idea about the murders, Hattie. A man with a revenge motive who even made a threat. You were always too greedy, Hattie. You should have been happy with Lester gone and just a two-way split. You wouldn't have had to follow a little Vi up to my room and kill her. As you are, dear, there can still be a two-way split. You and me... Oh, no. Vi tried it. When I left her in the room, I told her the same thing I'm going to tell you. I waited 11 years for this payoff. Money won't do it. You're taking care of the other two for me. Now I want you. That sounds like about it, Hattie. I'm only sorry for you, Phil. Thanks. I had a soft spot in my heart for you, too. All right, this is gone far enough. I'll take the gun, Hattie. No, no, Phil. Don't try it. You'll go with Craven if you do. I want you. You did this to me. You did it. Stop Craven. Okay, Hattie. It's all over. The authorities will get one of them anyway. Okay, there you are, Connie. I've waited 11 years. There's the last of the payoff. They're all taken care of. What are you bragging about? You didn't kill anybody? That's what you came here for, wasn't it? I came here because I knew those three were sitting on a keg of dynamite from that frame they slipped on me. I knew just showing my face it. Blow it. Yeah? Well, you just stay here and gloat over it for a while. I'll go round up a naval shore patrol. Don't wait to say goodbye to Hattie McCormick when they loaded her aboard a ship for the States. We'd picked up a cargo of Cobra bound for the market in New Guinea. And the day before her departure, we cleared Pangopango Harbor and stood out into a sea ruffled by the Southeast Prays. Stand by to make... We were passing a sleek destroyer when Gallagher balled his orders. And the crewmen driven by the pride that's found in those who ship on the sail instead of steam snapped to their stations in front of the audience gathered on the ship. The audience gathered on the destroyer's deck. With force, please make sail! The mainsail climbed smoothly into place under the pull of eager arms. The jib went up, then the mizzen, and the scarlet queen as though she too felt superior to the steel machine offer. Starved, took the push of the wind gracefully, bowed her tall mask before it, and seemed to dance through the white cap to speckle the water ahead. We gave that destroyer crew quite a show, didn't we? You better mind the show, Gallagher. What I want to know is if you check the ship for stowaway. Oh, Skipper, I'm the guy that found him. Remember? I didn't let him aboard. But there ought to be a New Year's resolution in this, Red. You mean maybe we can work out something like a rat guard to keep stowaways off? No, it goes deeper than that. Oh, you mean start teaching the kids in kindergarten that if you want to go to sea, you'd either pay for it or work for it? Oh, no, you got the wrong slab, Red. Teach them that if they got an urge for grand larceny to stowaway before they do it, set them out to it. Well, the guy didn't do so bad at that, Skipper. $140,000 bank account. Which he may have to give back. Yeah, well, in a private business in Pangalpango. And with the memories he's got, he can have it. So what's the New Year's resolution, Skipper? Well, I'll slip my mind, Red. Ah, but what's the difference? What happened to the resolutions you made last year? Oh, I wish you hadn't brought that up, Skipper. I made a terrible mistake. I swore off this kind of life. Yeah, I was going to settle down in a good, solid, respectable job in Nebraska. Well, like you say, what happened to resolution? Here, Skipper, to the queen of the Scarlet Queen. After you, mate. After you. Log entry, the catch Scarlet Queen. 5.30 p.m. Wind, fresh to moderate. Sea cresting, mainsail and mizzen reefed. Chip secured the night. Signed Philip Carney. Master. Mute will invite you to sail into further adventure on the voyage of the Scarlet Queen next week at the same time. The voyage of the Scarlet Queen stars Elliot Lewis as Phil Carney with Ed Max as Gelliger. And tonight featured Verna Felton as Hattie, Jack Cushion played Craven, and Lillian Bayef was Viola. Music scored and conducted by Richard O'Roth. The voyage of the Scarlet Queen has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.