 And now, tonight's presentation of Radio's outstanding theatre of thrills, Suspense. Tonight, we bring you the story of a tramp steamer and piracy in the Atlantic. So now, starring Mr. Ben Wright, here is tonight's suspense play, The Tramp. Smell a rotten clavishly. What a stinker. She'll sail like a ruddy ace tech. You know that, Art. She's what we've been looking for, Guardie. Eight knots with the wind behind her. If she don't blow up, I don't like it. She was six thousand tons of the ugliest tramp I'd ever seen. The paint was scaling off her plates and you could see the patches of rust. In the fog and mist she loomed over as dark in the night. We stood on the Liverpool dock, Guardie, Winkle-Jones and me, and we sized her up. It's what we've been looking for, all right? Where's she bound? Baron Killer. Where'd you find that at? Oh, at the pub a bit ago. She's shorthanded on crew, too. Well, what's her cargo? What we've been waiting for, Jonesy. Scrap. God. Skipper's name is Blee. He should be easy. He drinks too much all the time, you know the kind. He was in the pub, too. I still say she's too bloody slow. Scrapping her old and all, Jonesy. You're a never-lasting warrior. Why don't you lead the thing into Art and me? Do you think she'll do Art? The way I see it, she'll have to do. You might not find another for months. Then we'll lose the deal. Well, that's all. I'm with you. Well, I'm with you, too. But I don't like the looks that are in that straight. You bloody black hippopotamus. Be safer doing the blag than this, I hope they choke. You're getting milky, Jonesy. No, I ain't milky. Use milky. Don't you go calling me milky, Bert Gowdy, or I'll stroke your shibby. Come on, you bloody little maggot. All right, come on, beat both of you. All right, all right. Now, what's to lay out? I'm going back to the pub. You boys wait at the hotel. I'll get things lined up with a skipper. You think he'll take us on? I told you he's short-handed. He'll take us on. You get your stuff back. I'll see you later. Righto, chum. I walked up the frog and towed to a wallopper called the jug. Inside were seamen mostly, and the rest were a lot of dirty muck from narks to dodoes. I spotted the captain, Blee, sitting in a corner, dipping his yellow moustache in a mug. And after I got my own pint, I walked over to him. Oh, he was well canned. I could see that. Captain. What? Captain Blee, aren't you the skipper of the lacewing over at the docks? Yeah. Aye. Oh, you mind if I sit down? You mind? Arthur Jennings, captain. I want to talk to you about shipping on. On the lacewing? Woof-woof. I need a birth. I heard you were short-handed. That's a dirty lie. Full compliment. Well, I must have made a mistake. Hey, what's your name? Oh, I'm not up to any game. I don't follow you. Oh, you trying to up the twig or something, huh? Oh, I'm clean with the police, captain. If that's what you mean, you're not up to me. Then why do you want to sign up on a Brista-Bladrin's cow like the lacewing? Well, like I said, I need a birth. I got me papers, second office in my last ship. Yeah, let's see. Arthur Jennings. There, blah. Well? Well? Well, am I hired? 34? You know how old I'm 60. I'm 60. And I'm hauling around a built stinking slouch of rubbish like the lacewing. You know what that means? I might have had a Cunada, but I ain't. I'm a failure. I know some of the rest. Well, job's a job. I'm telling you. I need a man like you. I need a first officer, a second and a third. I need a chief engine bloody near. And I'm going to settle for scraping. That's what I always get. Scraping, scraping. Oh, go on, go on. I still want to sign on. I hear you're bound for Baron Killer. There's no bonus on my ship. Oh, now doesn't believe in it, that dirty dog. That's all right. You'll have laskers and mugs on you. I'm used to it. I've been around. On the sea, one man's the same as another. I need a mate. Yes. If you want to hire the men, we're short 18, and the pay's not worth a button. Oh, get him. We're saving at six in the morning. All right? Yeah, you're a fool. Don't turn up. I need me another pint, I do. Right, you are. Skipper, you stay here and enjoy yourself, and I'll take care of things top-side. Hey, what's your name? Jennings. Half a Jennings. Oh, Jennings. All right, all right, Jennings. Tell that steward of mine who you are. He's a bored ice-wing named Seddon, sneaking a little pig. Don't you trust him? Yes, sir. Oi, Jennings. I'll tell you something else. I don't trust you neither, see. I'll get too smooth, but you're not Skipper and me, see. And don't you forget. It was as easy as pie. Of course it had taken the time to find the right ship and the right Skipper. Better than four months. We had to be sure. Most tramps these days belong to the big companies, part of a fleet. Now, we couldn't use anything like that. It had to be what it was, the lace-wing, Panama Registry, a general trader that nobody else would touch with a Skipper to go with a ship that wouldn't be missed for a while. We found her. I picked up Jones and Gowdy and we went back to the ship. The steward certainly was the only man aboard. He was a nervous little rat who looked all the time like he'd been caught doing something nasty. And Mr. Jennings? What do you take me for? Call this a cabin, it's not fit for a pig. Get it cleaned out. Oh, yes, sir. Sorry, sir. Now, look here, Seddon. Mr. Gowdy is the new second officer. Mr. Jones is Chief Engineer. That's Captain Blee's orders, see. Yes, sir. All see their quarters is put to rights immediately, sir. Ready, well, better. Okay, that's all. Shall I clean up in here first, sir? No, hop it. Yes, sir. Well, I must say. Nice work, Art. Nice work. Well, it's a starter. All very nice for you, blokes, but me. I've got to go down in the bowels of this bucket of bog, your Chief Engineer. Think I want to blow myself up? I know what the vengeance is like without even looking at him. You've got engineer papers. We need you down there. If you don't like it, you know what you can do. Now, notice that Jones, he's hungry. Now, what next? Well, as soon as the old man comes aboard, we'll see that he's all tucked in bed nice and comfy, and he doesn't wake up till we're out of here. How about the rest of the crew? Well, what there is we can manage. The ones I'm supposed to wire wouldn't sign up, see. That'll be the story, and don't you forget it. And the guns? We'll keep them in my cabin till we need them. It'll be safer. Right. You better get on the job now. I'll go ashore and send the boss a cable that we found it. We're shoving off at six. Skipper was carried aboard by a couple of crew men at three o'clock that morning. He was no trouble. Beer coming out of his ears. The five, the rest of the men had straggled up the gangway. And at six, we eased away from the dock. And after a bit, the lice wing was buried in a dirty nose in the cross-chop of the Irish Sea. We were three days out of Liverpool. I got off the regular ship lanes as soon as I could, and there was no questions asked. Captain Bleed didn't budge from his cabin. I hadn't even seen him since putting out. And I made sure that the steward kept him well supplied with whiskey. Guarani Jones and me were having grub in my cabin on that third night. The ship was pitching and heaving like a donkey with the itch. Oh, what a ship! Smooth as glass out there, look at it. Gosh, you'll never make it. Engines won't stand in either. We're pushing it too hard. Never mind that. But you'll do it. What about the crew, Bert? Ah, let me there to push over. Usual bunch. Any troublemakers in this lot? Don't make me laugh. Just a bunch of mugs. Well, we ought to be able to make it, then. The important thing is to keep the radio man quiet. That'll be your job, Bert. Right. What about them engines? I tell you, I've got to slow down. They won't even hang together! Evening, Captain. You were a bit under the weather, Captain. I took them on in Liverpool as you requested. Your second officer, Mr. Gowdy, and Chief Engineer, Mr. Jones. What do you think you're doing with my ship, Mr? Any complaints, sir? I knew I didn't trust you, you blister-bladdered. Oh, it's a good thing Seddon told me. We're ten degrees off course! You know that? That's right, Captain. Not anymore. It's not. I've set her back. You'd have had a sailing to the Indies. That's right, sir. That's where we're going. Well, not on my ship. Barren tears my port. And you want to blow us up? She's running too fast! Close the door, will you, Bert. Right. You're relieved, you are, Mr. The running lot of your fire! You hear that? Now, look, I've put it to you, Captain. Either way you like. Go along with us, and you won't get hurt. Make any trouble, and we'll chuck you overboard. Sorry, Captain. You want to take seconds now? Come in with us, and we'll give you a share. Or overboard. Now, no arguments this minute. I'll give you a share of my foot in your... Knock him out, will you? Have a look outside, see if it's clear, John-Z. All right. Better this way, Art. I was afraid he might come in, and we'd have to divvy up. I didn't think he would. All clear. All right, come on, Bert. Give me your hand. Oh, he's heavy! Morning will break the sad news to the crew. Now, let's get this hulk back off course. Listening to the tramp. Tonight's presentation on radio's outstanding theatre of thrills. Suspense. Thomas on the agenda for tomorrow night, too, as once again the men of 21st Precinct come to grips with the problem of enforcing the law in a crowded city. With James Gregory in the role of Captain Cronin, the daily routine of a station house comes to life. And even as crime is taking it on the chin, the human side of the story is always at the surface. No idle children's game of cops and robbers is this. For 21st Precinct is written with an eye and reality and an ear for whatever it may be that makes a particular criminal mind tick. For Thursday night excitement, don't miss 21st Precinct over most of these same stations at this time tomorrow night. And now we bring back to our Hollywood soundstage Mr. Ben Wright starring in tonight's production, The Tramp. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. The next morning I called a crew together on the upper deck. I had a slip of paper ready in me and when they quieted down I gave them the speech. Ben, I've got a sad duty to perform. Last night Captain Bleed did away with himself. He jumped overboard. He committed suicide. He left a note for me which I'll turn over to the proper parties when we reach Port. Also it is his instructions that we proceed to Dominica instead of Baron Killer. I am carrying out that order. Until we get to Port, I shall be the acting captain. That's all. Get back to work. What an attitude a maid art. Lovely. Do you think they swallowed it? I think so. I'm not too sure about a couple of them though. That's Stuart Seddon and the bloke with the mouth full of teeth, the donkey man. Austin? Him? Looking this way? Yes. I'll keep an eye on both of them. Yes. And now you better get a message off to our boy in Dominica. Do you think the radio man will get nosy? There's no reason he should and don't you give him any call to bevert. Don't you worry. It looked good. It was all going our way. The ship and her cargo of scrap was going to be worth $15,000 to us when we took her into Port. That's the way we fixed it six months before. A couple of blokes I met in Liverpool. We were to find them a ship, hijacker, and sail her into Dominica with her cargo, scrap if possible. Then they were going to sail her out again to China. And Gowdy, Jones, and me, it blow down to Argentina with our $15,000 and had some fun. That's the way it was. And it looked like it was going to be stone ginger from Iran. That's the way it looked until we were two days out of Port. Come in. What do you want Seddon? What do I have a word with you, Captain? I'm busy. It's important, sir. All right, what? It's about Captain Blee, sir. What about it? Where's it? I hate to say this, sir, but I don't think he met with no accidents. You don't? No, sir. And seeing as how I know what really happened to him, I was thinking maybe it'd be worth the nicker or so if I kept my face shut. Captain Blee jumped over the side. I've got his note that says so. Could I see the note, sir? I know the captain's riding like me own. What makes you think it wasn't an accident, Seddon? Seeing as how I saw what happened, sir, seeing as how it would be important a couple of days, I wouldn't want to make any trouble for you or the other gentlemen, sir. Did you think perhaps something might happen to you? Oh, yes, sir. I did. That's why a friend of mine, Mr. Austin, he knows about it too. Just in case. Now, what you do, sir, is your own business, I'm sure, but don't you think it might be worth a little bit of a fact to us? You're a ruddy fool, Seddon. You should have waited. You should have waited. Fair as fair, isn't it? You did murder. You don't want to... Don't forget. Austin knows too. We'll take care of Austin. Now, look here. No need to get nasty. I'll give you traps shut up. Mr. Jennings, I'll give you my word. If you don't let me play... The explosion threw us both off our feet and Seddon was first up. He got out of the cabin like a wippet. The engines had stopped and I knew whatever had happened was in the engine room. I got up to the bridge. Gowdy was already there. Can't raise anybody down there, Art. Jonesy, below? I think so. Give it here. Come on. I'd better get down there. Look at the crew. Gore, we're in for you, Art. It'd be worse if they'd get off in the boats. Seddon and Austin know what happened to the captain. I'll get James up then. It's me, Art. What happened, Jonesy? The boy is busted. Fire? No, but she's shipping water like a bloody sand. You all right? Smash me on. Stoke has caught it. They're done. I'll send some men. How many do you need to stop the leak? You can't stop it. There's an old six feet or more and another behind the boiler. I'm coming up. Gore, we're done with you all. Get over to the radio cabin. We can't send an SOS. We've got you on. We might not get picked up. You heard what I said. We've still got a chance after we take care of Seddon and Austin. If they split it's all up with us. Now go on. Okay, Ben. Forward O's, buddy. Should I give you off to a bandit, sir? No, get the pumps going. Aye, sir. With the cargo shipping with the explosion, she's going fast, sir. Get on the pumps. Bert, get down there with him. I'll take care of the other thing. Will you listen to me? It's too late. Move it! We had to stop the call from going out because if there was a ship in the vicinity and it got to us before we'd put the quiet on Seddon and Austin, the three of us would hang. And a sinking ship was a sightless worry. And I heard the message before I even opened the door. Stop it! I said stop it! We're sinking! It's my duty. I have to. We are not under yet. Do you think I want us hauled in for salvage rights? You send out. They were okay, see? Now do it now. Need no assistance. Send it. There's a ship about 20 miles off, sir. She could stand by in case. She's on her way. What will you do as you're told? Need no assistance. They're getting them boats out with the sword. We're done for. Five minutes. Not even that. Come out here. Listen, John Z. We've got to get the steward and one of the crewmen, Austin. They've twigged. We've got to do it before we leave the ship. Now, what are you going to do? Feud them in front of the crew? Well, we wouldn't stand a chance. They'd carb us up. Let's get off this tub. There's sharks out there. I want a boat around me. Not until we've taken care of those two. Now listen. You do what you want. I'm clearing out now. I told you them engines wouldn't stand it. Well, they haven't. Now, I'll take me chances with the law. But not again. She's 18 now. I told him to get the boats out with the sword. Come on. Let's get that. I'm with you, Bert. Abandon ship! Abandon ship! There was still a chance. I could do it myself. Find Austin and find that dirty little rat sedan. Do them both in, and there was still a chance that nobody would know. I went looking for him. The tramp was listing and settling lower in the sea. I ran from one side to the other, and then... then I spotted them. The lifeboat was already in the water. I saw a sedan looking up at me, pointing, and then Austin saw me. I jumped for the boat and I missed. She'd pulled away from the side. How's it feeling there? You know what, old please, felt like now. Give us a hand, will you? Or to let you drown, dirty murderer. He was gonna kill me. Leave him in there. No, no, get me out. Make a confession, sir. All these other blokes' witnesses, you confess. Now. Or you can swim for it. All right, I did it. What did you do? I killed the captain. You and their mother, too? Yes. All right. Come on now. First time I saw it. First time I knew that tramp was a stinker. Knew them engines weren't no bloody good. Oh, shut it off, Jonesy. Oi, Art. What? Lovely grub, wasn't it? All right, if you like, Jayle grub. Wish I had some vile beings. Well, you won't have to worry about it for long. Well, it's all right for you, Bert Gowdy. Ain't your stomach. I should have knelt better than to screw up to a couple of half-wide mugs like you. $15,000. First time I saw that ruddy sky. Come off it, Jonesy. I want to get some sleep. Always complaining. Ain't it wicked, Art? When you think we're all going down to the same place, and he'll be there with us. I'll tell you, Bert, it's hopeless. He'll complain the ropes too tight around his neck when the yang is in the morning. What do you bet? Suspense. In which Mr. Ben Wright starred in tonight's presentation of The Tramp. Be sure to join us next Wednesday when we bring you an account based upon fact, the story of Custer's last stand. That's next week on Radio's Outstanding, Theatre of Thrills. Suspense. Suspense is produced and directed in Hollywood by Anthony Ellis. The night script was written for suspense by Essay Bolt. The music was composed by Rene Garagank and conducted by Wilbur Hatch. Featured in the cast were Stan Jones, Joseph Kearns, Charlie Lung, Raymond Lawrence, Lou Krugman, and Bill Shepard. You know that wherever you live, a forest is in the very heart of your life. Wipe out that forest and very soon you may be living in a barren wilderness. Or if matters get out of hand, you may not be living at all. That forest provides wood and lumber for the house you live in. The furniture that makes it livable. But that's really only the start. Wood pulp from the forest gives you paper for newspapers, magazines, and books you read. Not to mention such trimmings as wallpapers, shopping bags, and stationery. But we've barely begun to assess your dependence on the forest in your life. Wherever that forest is located, in actuality, it is vital in providing electricity and power because of its function as a watershed. The roots of your forest hold rainwater and help channel it through natural means to streams and rivers where it can be damned for hydroelectric power. And all this can be destroyed by one spark, flying from a carelessly discarded cigarette thrown from a car window, or by an ember from a campfire only half out. One spark and a pile of dead leaves consume become a holocaust, consuming acres and acres of woodland, acres and acres of the very heart of national life. It's your forest you're protecting. This has been a public service message from CBS Radio. Stay tuned for five minutes of CBS News to be followed over most of these same stations by my son Jeep. You hear America's favorite shows on the CBS Radio Network.