 And now, a tale well-calculated to keep you in... Suspense. In a moment, Act 1 of The Lost Ship, written especially for suspense by Irwin Lewis. There's a sharp curve ahead, Harry. Be careful. Don't worry, I see it. Do you hear something? What? Sounds like a siren. It does sound like a siren, doesn't it? Shut up, look at this. Yeah, I think you're right. Maybe it's the police. How could it be? We lost some hours ago. I don't know, but it's getting louder. Don't take any chances. We better get off this main road fast. Yeah, that looks like it cut off. I'm going to leave straight across the desert. It isn't much of a road. No time to be choosy. Hang on. Those police might be patrolling the highway. We'll wait until dark. Well, can't you slow down up? I'm getting sick. That's just no longer, honey. I want to put as much distance between us from the highway as possible. It's got to leave someplace. Let's try those hills. What about the suitcase? Leave it in the car. This little bag is all the luggage we need. A lot of good it'll do us out here. Where there's a road, there's bound to be a house of people. What's in this bag talks any language. Come on, let's go. I'll buy a jacket. I'll get it all dirty. So what? We'll buy a thousand jackets once we hit the border. Sit down. Oh, really. It's so hot. That sounds like a coyote. Don't worry about it. Oh, I already am scared. Don't go hysterical. Well, aren't you frightened? Even a little? Sure I am. Down to my shoes. Oh, we're not going to be crazy. There's 50,000 arguments in this little bag to prove we're not crazy. We'll spend the rest of our lives running. Once we get to Mexico, we'll stop running. But we're leaving our home, our friends, everything, and everybody we know. Is it worth it? What are we giving up? A stinking two-room flat with peeling paint and crawling roaches this big? You won't miss that for a minute. You think I enjoyed standing in that teller's cage handing out money all day long to little people who had no more right to it than I did? They weren't stealing. Don't go moral on me. Listen, I'm past 40. A man gets to that age and gets tired wanting things and not being able to afford them. Hey, didn't that smoke up there? Where? Over to the right, between those two hills. Sure it is. That's chimney smoke. I'll bet there's a house up there. Come on, Viola. You're wandering? No sense wandering outside. Come in and make yourself comfortable. Why do you say that? Well, nobody would walk here if they could ride. And take a look at your shoes. Lady, I'll bet your feet are full of bliss. You're so right. Well, take off your shoes and set down with the fire. I'll poke it up. Starting to get nippy now, the sun's gone down. Thank you. I was fixing myself some supper. Forking beans. You might be proud if you'll join me. Thank you, Mr.... Mr. Townley. Pete Townley. I'm Harry Turner. And this is Mrs. Townley. Pleased to meet you. I'll open another can of beans. Ain't much, but it's stillin'. You live here all alone, Mr. Townley? Pete, man. No sense being formal. Yep, yep. I live here all by my lonesome. 20 years of record? 20 years. You ever have visitors? Oh, once in a while. Expectin' a neighbor of mine. Let's see now. Day after tomorrow. Neighbor? Sam Higgins. Lives about 40 miles from here. Drops in regular, twice a year. What do you do about supplies, food and things? I got a jeep in the back. I use it to go to town once a month for supplies. A jeep? Yeah, yeah. I guess you didn't see it comin' up here. I'll drive into town first thing in the mornin', get Bill Jenkins from the garage to come out and fix up your car. Can't you go right now? By the time I get back, it'd be pitch dark. No, no, better wait'll tomorrow. Well, let's see if the beans is... Oh, see. There sure are. Yeah, yeah, I hope you don't mind 10 plates. Yeah, well, let's dig in. The beans are pretty good. Either you folks care for any more? No, no, thank you. No, thank you, Peter. Here, I'll give you a hand with the dishes. No, don't bother, ma'am. Won't take more in a minute. I'd like to get that jeep and take off right now. No, we couldn't do that. He's a nice old man. I don't like spending all night here. Thanks enough. Here, let me know when you folks is ready to hit the hay. I'll bunk down in the shed and back. Oh, no, we wouldn't think of putting you to such trouble. Oh, don't worry about it, ma'am. I can sleep anywhere, anytime. Besides, that bed ain't much softer than the floor. Pete, and don't you ever get lonely living here by yourself? No, no, I like it like this. Just me and the hills. I spent nearly 30 years prospecting for gold. Didn't find much. And now, as I can buy a little food and a few other things I need every now and then, so why look for more? Now, most folks dream about a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Well, I got that too. Waiting for me over in the hills in the desert out there. I guess that's what you call a great beyond, huh? Oh, shucks, no, I don't mean when I'm dead. I'm talking about a real pot of gold. Bigger than anything you've ever seen or dreamed of, probably. In the desert? I don't understand. What is in the desert? A ship, ma'am. A great Spanish galleon. And it rides the sand dunes of the desert like it was sailing the seas again. A ship in the desert? That's impossible. I'll tell you how it was, son. There's a legend that hundreds of years ago, a Spanish ship from sailing up the Gulf of California haven't come from Mexico or Peru or one of their mother's South American places. And as it was sailing up right close to shore, a huge storm come along, followed by a tremendous tidal wave which swept it clean onto the desert. Must have been the granddaddy of all waves, I reckon. Well, after many years, the waters went back, leaving the ship high and dry miles from the Gulf or the river that feeds into it. In a couple of hundred years, the ship and the sands have varied, of course. But sometimes, when the wind blows up just right, it blows away a lot of the sand. And you can see the upper deck of that old ship from the top of that hill just over there. According to the legend, too, the hold of that ship is just jam-full of treasure. What a lovely story. A pretty fairy tale for children and old men. Oh, Harry, that's not a nice thing to say. Oh, that's all right, ma'am. Of course, he's right. But it is a pretty fairy tale. Just so happens, this fairy tale is true. Show me something. Now, what are you so excited about? I was drinking out things in the cabin after you left. I found these. Of course. Yes, but what kind? Gold coins. And look at the words on them. Fons, uh, oh, that sounds Spanish, doesn't it? Look how old they are. I see. There's a date on this one, 1542. What kind of coins are they, Harry? I've seen some like them at an exhibit. They're Spanish to blows. Where would Pete get them? Don't you remember his story last night? What, the Spanish galleon? Don't be ridiculous. All right, how do you explain them? I can't, it's impossible. My wife found these in the cabin. Where did they come from? Oh, damn things. I reckon they come from the ship. What do you mean? Well, some years ago, a young fellow came staggering in from the desert. He was pretty bad shape. Hadn't had food or water for days, it seemed like. I tried to fix him up, but he was too far gone. But before he died, he moaned something about finding the ship out in the desert. I found them coins in his pocket. I don't believe a word you say. You're either crazy or the biggest liar I've ever met. Harry. Son, if you're so all fired skeptical, why don't you climb that hill and take a look for yourself? Although we don't see it to be coming up kind of strong, you might be lucky. In fact, I got an old pair of field glasses you can take along. But son, if you do see the ship for your own sake, don't let it give you any fool ideas. Grab my hand. Here, what? I can't see a thing with the wind blowing sand in my face. I doubt if there is anything to see. I doubt if an old man tells us a fairy tale that we buy it. Well, we'll get to our troubles as our lungs full of desert. Why did I let you talk me into climbing up here? Yeah, I might as well head back to that old man. Wait a minute. The wind is dying out. Take a look through these glasses. Yeah. I still can't see a blaster thing but sand in the sagebrush. Did you see something? Can't tell for sure. I like it a better focus. What is it, Harry? I don't believe it. What, Harry? I see a broken mast and a part of a hull buried in the sand. By all of the old man was right. There is a ship out there in the desert. But you might see it. Haven't seen it myself in a spell. Figured it was about time for it to show up again. It was there just like you said it would be. You've known it there all this time and yet you never went to look for it? Well, I could tell you, son. What for? Because of the gold. All right, you do what you want. I'm going after that ship. No, no, that ain't sensible, son. I could see it clearly. It isn't far from here. Distances are deceiving in the desert. That ship's a lot further than it looks. And that's mighty rough country out there. It's easy to get lost. And if you run out of water, you're finished. And chances are by the time you got to where you think the ship is, a sandstorm will come up and bury it under tons of sand again. You better forget it. Not on your life. Your Jeep is equipped with sand tires. And gas water tools. That's all I need. Ma'am, I surely think it ain't smart. You ought to try to talk him out of it. Maybe it is too dangerous. What's a danger? Because Pete can't get up enough energy to drive a few minutes into the desert to make a fortune. What about the other man who found the ship and died? I don't know anything about him and I don't care. There's gold in that ship. I'm going to get it. But why? We have enough. Now you said so yourself. How can you compare 50,000 of what could be in that ship? And the gold's probably only part of it. Those old Spanish galleons used to come home with their hauls buzzing with Inca and Mayan treasures. Why, God, by all, we can be rich. We can be rich. We can make a deal with the bank. Return to 50,000 and go scot-free. But you'd be risking your life. It's worth it. I'm taking the Jeep. You'll see. I'll be back before night. Now I've seen what the desert does to people who know it, son. A tender foot like you ain't got a chance. Thanks for the advice, Pete, but I'm going. Oh, no, Harry, wait. Listen to me. But go for it. Pete, stop him, please. You're your wife, right, son? You ain't thinking clear. At least wait until you can get a well-organized party together. I haven't got time. Now get out of my way, Pete. I can't let you go home, son. You'll never come back out of my way. Get out of my way! Why are you doing this? I can't be much better. There's nothing underneath. There's dug itself a nice little hole. Well, it's a shovel in the Jeep. I jam it up against the tire. Maybe I... Here it is. Well, well, if I just... Well, what's over that ridge? Looks like some sort of structure. Can't be a house that could live out here. I better take a look. He said distances were deceiving. The top of this ridge looked like it was within a few yards of the Jeep, but I seem to be walking forever. The way the heat waves make the air shimmer, I'm not even sure where I am. I'm getting to the top. Now, let's find out just what I saw. There comes that wind again. Can I get the sand out of my eyes? That's better. This is what I saw from the hill. Look at her buried in the sand with a little more than part of the top deck visible. But it's a ship all right. Look at the carvings and the rain. I wonder if it's safe to walk on. Yeah, it seems solid enough. There's something inscribed in the railing. Found the ship! This is only half a bottle. You don't know if the hull is filled with sand or what. Now, let's look for a hatch. Find a hatch and open it. It leads to the interior. Gotta find out what I hit. Come on out, boy. This is the beginning of something. There's not much time left. Ship was she hit the desert 400 years ago. Seems to be getting stronger. Maybe I better go back and get some help. No, no, not until I find what I came for. Hey, here we are. Maybe you can tell me. Where is the treasure, huh? Maybe you were left here to guard it, huh? No talk. All right, let's take a look. Looks like this lighter doesn't help much. What's this? Looks like some sort of chest. You gotta see what's inside. Oh! It's a bag and a jeep. I'll get that. Oh, by all our feet. What do you say when I come up and push it open? Apple Hubert. Sound patterned by Walter Otto. Technical direction by... This is Stuart Metz speaking. Listen again next week. When we return with another tale, well calculated to keep you in. Three times each weekday, share a woman's world with Betty Perness on the CBS Radio Network.