 Adventures by Morse. Courtney Morse presents a coffin for the lady featuring Captain Friday. If you like high adventure come with me. If you like the stealth of intrigue, come with me. If you like blood and thunder, come with me. The evening dusk was fast settling on Port Lancer far up on the Canadian coastline as Captain Friday and his operative Skip Turner picked up the trail of Judith Wright. She led them down the main street of the Canadian seaport village and then off into the woods. She finally came to a log cabin just as darkness settled, knocked and was received inside. Captain Friday and Skip tiptoed to the window but let Captain Friday tell you what brought them to this out-of-the-world settlement. My office in San Francisco was approached by a major Lawrence of a branch of army intelligence. I was asked to bring one of my men and do a job for the government. I chose Skip Turner as he was a good outdoor man and was fast with his fists in a tight place. We were transported by seaplane and put down in an isolated cove off the coast of Canada. There was a fast speedboat waiting for us. With Major Lawrence we crossed over to a tiny atoll called Mama Duke Island some 10 miles from the mainland. Major Lawrence hit us in the underbrush near the shore and told us to be ready for action at any moment. Then he went inland. At the end of three hours a man in the uniform of a GI burst into view carrying a girl in his arms and in his back was a knife blade. The girl was bound and gagged. The GI lived long enough to gasp, get the girl to Port Lancer and then he died. We grabbed her up just as rifle fire began to pour in on us from behind. We got her on the boat and got her to the mainland where horses had been planted for us. In six hours we were in Port Lancer. Yeah Captain, but once in Port Lancer stuff began to happen. All right Skip you tell it. Well we took our horses to the only stable in the dump. What the old coo to run the stable tried to do but not Captain Fried in me over the head. Well in the Rumpus Judith, that was the girl's name, Judith Wright tried to give us a slip and that's when we followed her. We slipped up to the window and peeked in. There she was laying on the floor. And some big goon was picking her up and putting her in a coffin. I'm telling you the honest truth. There was a coffin there sitting on two chairs. And this guy in the room picked up the girl and put her in it. And she wasn't dead either. I saw her face. And just at that point a voice said, If any of you gentlemen so much as twitching eyebrow, I'll blast you to kingdom come. Captain Fried, did you hear what I did? Yeah. Well are we going to take it? Put up your hands Skip, don't be a fool. Very excellent advice Captain Fried. So our hands are up so what do we do now? March over to the front door. Come on Skip. But Captain. Do I have to tell you twice? You're the boss. That's far enough. You want me to open the door? Keep your hands right where they are. Arvid. Didn't hear you. Capestell. What is the matter? Oh, who are these men? Such me. Found them picking in the window. What is that? Yeah, I thought you'd want to interview them. Yes. Come in gentlemen. Sure. Hello. Wolfskins and bear rugs on the floor. You will please keep your hands up. Close the door, English. Yeah. I have them covered. Take away their weapons. We don't carry guns. Such them. It's a pleasure. If you touch my extra pack of cigarettes. I'll tell you. Uh, what does your name? You're talking to me? I am. Bart Friday. This other guy called him Captain. Okay, Captain Bart Friday, the title's honorary. Yeah, I see. And this man, what's his name? My sidekick, Skip Turner. Eh, nothing on either of them, Arvid. You can put your hands down. Okay, Smo. Go ahead. Sit down if you wish. Thanks, we'll stand. Suit yourself. Now then, what are you two men doing here? We're strangers here. We got away from Port Lancen and got a little mixed up. That shall I. They traded a girl here. You saw them? I did. Uh, what do you mean, say to that? Then you admit you're holding Judith Wright prisoner. Judith, who is Judith Wright? That blonde blue-eyed girl who came in this cabin less than 15 minutes ago. Her name is Judith Wright? That's the name we know her by. What did you do? Invite her in and then slug her behind the ear? That is rather a strange accusation. Oh, don't try to be so mealy now. We got a glimpse in the window. We saw her stretched out on the floor. We saw you pick her up and put her in the coffin. Coffin? That's what I say at Coffin. You saw me pick up this Judith Wright girl and put her in the coffin? You're repeating yourself. But you can see for yourself there is no coffin. That curtain wasn't pulled across the far end of the cabin when we looked in the window. Are you saying that I have a coffin hidden behind that curtain? A coffin with a girl in it. English? Yeah, I'll be... Pull that curtain aside. These men apparently have hallucinations. Go ahead. Pull it back. Sure. Why not? There you are. Hey, Captain. As you can see for yourself, these are my sleeping quarters. There was a coffin in here. My good man. Don't give me none of that my good man stuff. I saw what I saw. But you can see for yourself, there is only one entrance to the cabin. One door and one window. You came in the front door and the window is nailed shut as you may observe. There's a closet over there. What's in that? You may look for yourself. Thanks. What's in there, Captain Friday? Canned goods. Looks like you're planning to hold up for the winter. Does that satisfy you? I must have done it with mirrors or else we were mistaken. We saw what we saw. English? Yeah, I'll be tying them up with pleasure. Here, put your hands behind you. Captain, are we... Put your hands behind you. Better do it, Skip. Go with the way we get pushed around. Look, how would you like to be a lip body on a floor? Put your hands behind you or I'll give you a headache with the butt of my gun. Yeah, that's better. But I don't have to like hate. You don't have to cut my wrists in, too. Yeah, well, when I tie a man's hands behind him, they stay tight. Those buckskin thongs don't hold you till you rot up. All right, now you. Go ahead. Nice and tame, huh? Well, that don't mean you're not going to get tied up just as tight as your partner. You're cutting off the circulation, you know that? Yeah, it's just a burning shame now, ain't it? Now what, Albert? Take them out to the stable and tie their feet and lock them in. You want them gagged? Why bother? No one can hear them. All right. Okay, outside, you two. You coming, Albert? No, time is getting short. You take care of them. Sure. I said, come on, you two. Close the door, Albert. Now down the steps and take the path to the left around the cabin. Huh? What's that? Sounds like a wolf. That ain't what the wolf sound like down in California. You're thinking of the Hollywood kind. This is the real McCoy. When you hear a dog howl like that, you say he's sitting on somebody's grave. Never mind the conversation. Take the path to the right. Right through the bushes? Right through the bushes. All right, hold it. Hey, there is a building back here. Hidden back here in the brush. Okay, inside with you now. It's a barn, all right, but no horses. Hey, on the floor, though. Okay, both of you lie down on the floor. Now, Jess, I'm mad at you. Why, you lousy. Hitting a man with his hands tied. When I tell you to do something, I don't want any backtalk. You lie down on the floor. Come on, Skip. Okay. All right, turn around your faces and stretch out. Great stuff. Just love being somebody's prisoner. Yeah, put your feet together. Yeah, I'll lace your ankles together with this buckskin thong. I want you boys to be here when we get back. Why don't you just saw my feet off and be done with it? Yeah, now you, feet together. You know, a person could freeze to death like this overnight, this kind of weather. It's a thought. Now, you two boys just make yourselves at home. I got to be gone. If you get cold, you could play Eskimo. Now, I ain't this great. Listen, Skip, they didn't examine my shoes. I've still got that razor blade tucked in the sole of my shoe. Hey, I forgot about that. Squirm around in a hay. If you can get your fingers on it. Yeah. No, my left shoe. Yeah, that's it. Run your fingers along the edge of the sole. Yeah, with my hands behind me. Tied so tight it. Oh, there, there, I felt it. Yeah, can you pull it out? Yeah, my fingers are so numb. I got it, I got it. Had it, boy. Now, squirm around so we're back to back. Yeah. Then you can cut through my wristbands. Yeah. Okay, how's that? I'm having a heck of a time hanging on to the razor blade. It's so thin and my hands are so numb. Hey, hang onto it. If you ever drop it in this hay, we'll never find it. I think I'm getting it. I'm sawing on something. It's the buckskin thongs. Keep at it. Hey, you got it. My hands are free. Good boys, kid. Now, let me take the blade. I'll have you free. Atta boy. My hands feel like I was wearing boxing gloves myself. Here, there you are. Oh, it's swell. Now, I'll cut our ankles free. That's mine. Hold still a minute. There you are. And now let's get out of this place and settle up with a couple of ugly customers. Why did I slip this blade back in the sole of my shoe? Let's don't go off half cocked. How about what? I mean, let's don't go rushing around until we get this thing figured out. Well, we know the Judith Wright went into the cabin. We saw. And we saw a coffin through the window. But neither Judith nor the coffin were in the cabin when we went in. They had to be. Got any ideas? No. You? How about a trap door on the floor? Hey, of course. I think so, too. And I didn't like to weigh that obit bird so they didn't have much time. Much time for what? Search me. Well, I think it concerned Judith right in the coffin. Well, then, brother, we better get out of here and fast. Okay. We'll work on the principle that there was a trap door and the girl was hidden below in the basement. How are we going to get out of here? Break down the door? Can't make too much noise. What else? There's no window and they take a coon's age to cut through these logs. Let's look around a minute. Hey, all over the floor. Yeah, plenty of hay. But it doesn't look or smell like there's ever been a horse in here. I wouldn't know. I'm strictly a city boy in the south. Let's walk along this passage. Maybe there's another one. Look out! Skippy, all right. Yes, sir. What happened? We fell through a hole in the floor. It was covered with hay. Where are we now? I don't know. About 10 feet underground would be my guess. What has become of the girl in the coffin? Are Captain Friday in skipping a trap? Or will this underground passage lead toward the solution of events? Is Judith right friend or enemy? And who are English and obit? But more of this in just a moment. If we've fallen down, oh well. Who dig a well under the floor of a barn? Besides, look. There's a passage leading off to the left. What do you mean, look? So black in this hole in the ground? I know it, but we can feel our way along. Yeah, I'm probably falling some underground river and we never will be hurt of again. A very sad state of affairs. Nevertheless, take hold of my coat tail and keep close to me. You wouldn't have a flashlight on you. Never mind. I got a box of matches. Don't you think we ought to make a little fire and see what kind of a hole we got here? Keep your voice down. What's the matter? Are you afraid? Keep still. There's a light up ahead. Daylight? It was after dark when we fell into this hole. You're dope. Oh, yeah. What you guess it is? I think this passage is leading us back to the basement under the cabin. Hey, if that's the way it is... Come on. Make it easy on the footsteps. Yeah. It's a cellar under the cabin, all right. Skip. The coffin. You were right. They lowered it into the basement when we come in the front door. Yeah. It doesn't seem to be anybody on guard. Well, what are we waiting for? If Judas laid out in that coffin... Easy there, Skip. Keep on your tiptoes. Man, basement? They got here. Never mind. Captain Friday. They got the lead screwed down on the casket. You sure? Yeah, look. Just freshly screwed down. Mm-hmm. Hey, here's the screwdriver the hose handle's still warm. You think the girl's inside? We saw them put her in. But she was alive. Hey, wait a minute. Hey, what are you doing? I just thought if she was alive in there... Hey, hey, you hear that? Listen. Try it again. Now, listen. There it is. She's alive in there. More than dirty. Here, give me that screwdriver. Can you imagine anybody cruel enough to bury a beautiful girl alive? Yeah. Especially a beautiful girl. Yeah, especially a... Okay, okay. What are you doing? I'm finding the screwdriver. Quicker, we can get that lid off. Yeah. I got two of them out. Come on, easy. Just freshly screwed in. Trouble is, I don't get the idea. Judith Wright gave us the slip to come here with her own free will. Why'd she want to get herself buried alive? She don't. Nobody does. Somebody's double-crossing her. There. They're all out on my side. I got one more. Here, let me take it. I was a predest out to a carpenter when I was a kid. Amazing how much light one co-oil lantern gives off. Mm-hmm. Lights up this old basin. You got it? Yeah. Now, let's slide this lid off. Okay. Up with it. Heavy. Yeah, easy. Okay, that's enough. Who are you? Who are you? Hello, Judith. The Marines have landed. You? It is you? Yes, Miss Wright. Who did you expect? You fools. You unutterable meddlesome fools. Hey, man. Hey, let me help you out of that casket. You keep your hands off me. You keep away from me. You mean you like it in there? They said you were prisoners. How did you escape? Oh, we're like that. Houdini could do it? Skip Turner and Cap Friday could do it. Oh, this is rather ridiculous. Look, do you mean to say you refuse to get up out of that coffin? All I tell you is go away. We're supposed to be protecting you. I do not wish protecting. You mean you just want us to go away and let him bury you alive in peace, is that it? Burry me alive? Is that what you said? Burry me alive? Well, Ash, usually what to do with folks that put in caskets, ain't it? Burry him? I never heard such crazy talk in my life. What's your idea of what they're going to do with you, Miss Wright? That I do not wish to talk about. But you don't expect to be stowed away in the ground. Stop talking about things like that. Huh? What's the matter? If either of you men move... Oh, here we go again, our friend Abid. Be quiet. If either man moves, he will be shot in the back. How did you guys sneak in here? I said be quiet. Mr. English, use that blackjacket. With pleasure. Hey, hitting a man behind the ear with his hands up. Oh! Good. That... That was terrible. Exactly what they deserve. Now then, Mr. English, tie these men up this time so they will stay tight. All I can do is my best. And make it quickly. And then screw the lid back on this casket and we will get the girl and coffin away from here. Scab, wake up. Come on. He didn't hit you that hard. Oh, what fell on me? They sapped us with a blackjack. Oh, oh, yeah. Oh, what a hit I got. More than that, we're cinched up again with buckskin thongs. Oh, just let me lay here and die. Come on. You got to use that safety razor blade again. You think you can get it out of the sole of my shoe? Where are we? In the basement of the cabin. Laying on this cold cement floor ain't going to help my arthritis. Hey, is the casket gone? And the girl. Well, she asked for it. What kind of a day would want a hole up in the casket anyway? Come on, come on. Scram around on the floor and try to get the razor blade. How's that? I don't think... Oh, yeah, yeah, I got it. Yeah, good boy. We ain't repeating ourselves by any chance. Never mind that. It's a good gag as long as it works. Now, slide around here so we're back-to-back and saw my bonds loose again. Quite of the dirty villains always have to tie your hands behind you. That's what makes them villains. Can you reach me? I'm cutting on something. Oh, that's my wrist, your thumb, halfway. Now, my fingers are synom. That's it. Now you got the bonds. Hey, look, Captain, the next time anybody wants to tie us up, let's put up a fight. Yeah, of course. According to how many guns they got pointed at my spine. Yeah. Oh, that's it. Okay, I'll give it to me and I'll cut you free. Oh, it won't be no use. I'm gonna lay right here and die anyhow. There. Now, your ankles. Man, he sure is cinched up on these thumbs. Man. Hey, get up and move around while I cut me free. I couldn't move. Dead-up skip. Get that circulation started. You can feel better. Yeah. Okay, just tuck the blade back in the sole and we'll shoot. There we are. Now, come on. Up on your feet. There. I feel like I'm walking around on the stumps of my ankles. Same here. Oh, it'll be all right. Come on, move around. Oh, dog gone. Torture chamber. Hey, look there. Step's gone up to the trap door on the floor of Bob. Is that where they come from when they nailed us? Yeah. Let's try it. The trap door's probably locked. All we can do is try. It ain't got full control over my feet. Now, circulation's beginning to take hold. Oh, just a minute. Hey, the trap door's on fast. It seems to be. Up we go. There it is. Okay, come on up. Shall I close the trap door again? Yeah, you might as well. Now, huh? Huh? Well, now that we're up here, what? I'm looking for something that'll give us a clue. About the coffin? They're taking a coffin with a live girl inside it. Well, it's got to be someplace the girl wants to go. On the count of she's cooperating with her kidnappers like nobody's business. Yeah. He's putting a lot of trust in friend of it. I wouldn't trust that East Indian with a plume-tailed pole cat. Huh? What you got there? Never mind. Come on. You mean outside? I mean down to the waterfront. Come on. What's down at the waterfront? That's where they've taken the girl. You mean they're taking her down and dumping her in the harbor? I hope he's so dumb. There's a steamship in the harbor. We heard the whistles earlier tonight. Stow away. That's what this is all about. She's going aboard in a coffin as a stowaway. Well, one idea is penetrated that thick skull anyway. Well? Come on. If we cut through this underbrush, we'll save a little time. And get all our clothes torn off to boot. Now, now, you can see the lights in the harbor through the trees. Running through leaves up to my knees. We'll be through them in a minute. I feel like I was trying to run on inner spring mattresses. That's where we hit the main street. Now, just another block and a half to the waterfront. Wonder we ain't no car next in the dark. Hey, hey, listen. That ship's more than a block and a half away. She's pulled out into the harbor. Come on. You mean the boat's gone with our baby in the coffin? Well, what did it sound like to you? Maybe she missed the boat, too. Oh, you're a great help. Hey, there's a group of people down on the wharf. They got the floodlights on. I'm more interested in that searchlight out in the bay. That's our ship pulling out. Hey, well, if it ain't Mr. English. How did you do, man? Never mind about that. Did that casket go aboard? Now, look, Joe. Answer Captain Fry to plenty of talks to you. Well, I'm supposing it did. Was the girl in it? Careful, skip the crowd. It's drifting over this way. Well, we got what we want out of this bird. Now for a little revenge. Skip. If I wanted him conscious. Well, you should have talked faster, then. Here, here, what's going on? Major Lawrence. Captain Fryty. Turner. What are you two doing here? We thought we left you dead on Mama Duke Island. Never mind that. Why are you here? Did you see a coffin put on that ship out there? Coffin? Yes. A dead Chinese being returned. Dead Chinese, my eye. That was Judith Wright in that coffin. What? The girl we... Yes. And if we don't stop that ship, she's headed right straight for the bay of Bengal's slave market. What does that mean? Why is Major Lawrence of military intelligence interested in this headstrong Norwegian girl? And why is she so anxious to put herself into the hands of unscrupulous persons? The answers to all these questions will be given next week when you will hear the closing episode of A Coffin for the Lady. A new series in Adventures by Morse. Listen next week at this same time for episode three, entitled The Deepest Grave in the World. This is a Courtney Morse production.