 America's number one adventurer, K-7, former United States secret agent who operated in 22 countries on land, on sea, and in the air, brings you a story of today. Here is K-7. Ladies and gentlemen, recently the words suicide ships have appeared in public print. It is a sailor's term for freighters carrying what appears to be harmless cargo, yet often found to be bales and boxes bearing commercial labels, but concealing smuggled ammunition and arms. When, as frequently happens, such criminally dangerous cargoes catch fire, the simplest thing is to accuse the dockers and seamen in foreign ports of planting explosive infernal machines. Such is the background of my story, which John Holbrooke will introduce. Thank you, K-7. The suicide ships case first came to Special Agent B-9's attention through commercial sources. Underwriters, suspicious of the frequent fires aboard the ships of one particular line, asked him to investigate. The assignment took B-9 and his assistant, Rita Drake, to the office of the harbormaster of a foreign port. Oh, come in, Special Agent B-9 and Mr. Ake. Glad to see both of you again. Thank you. You have discovered something since you were here yesterday. Very little, Monsieur. However, thanks to your letter, I'm to start work tomorrow morning as a stevedore. That may give me the lead I want. Good, I hope you will be successful. I want to ask you a few more questions. These ships, before giving them clearance papers, do you inspect them? Well, yes, of course. My men go below and look over the cargo and then examine the ship's papers. You accept the labels on all cargo as being authentic. We are forced to, Monsieur. I have no right to order cargo open unless I have reason to believe it contains smuggled goods. I see. Then it's my job to discover whether or not there is smuggling going on. If you can do that, Monsieur, I'll see that it is stopped. I'm sure you will. Now, about my assistant, Miss Drake, I'm going to need her help and I want you to make her your secretary. But, Pina... If you will take her aboard a few of the ships with you on one of your inspection trips and introduce her, then the captains will allow her to come and go at will. That arrangement will give me a chance to send messages back to you and to K-7. K-7? He is also in the case? He is agreed to help me, if I call on him. About Miss Drake. I will do what you request. I'm going on a trip of inspection in about an hour. She can come with me. Good. The ship I suspect sails tomorrow. We haven't much time. Rita, I've got several things to do before tomorrow morning. Be careful. Don't take any unnecessary chances. I won't be nine. And thank you, Monsieur. Remember, Rita, it's up to you to keep your eye on my dinner pail. I'll contact you later. I'll remember. Oh, you were to keep your eye on his dinner pail. That is strange. What did he mean by that? Well, nothing. Nothing, Monsieur. Only that I'm to arrange for the little restaurant near the waterfront to have his lunch is sent to him while he's working. Oh, that is all I see. Now, if you will wait outside, we will be ready to leave in a few minutes. The next morning, B-9 went to work dressed as a stevedor. He became one of the workmen who wheeled cases and bails of the gangplank. And into the hold of the ship. B-9 kept a sharp lookout, but he was able to discover nothing. Then he came to a packing case that seemed unusually heavy for its size. This one is heavy. That's all I can do to move it. Let one of the other men take that case. It's all right. I'm putting it on my truck now. I can handle it. He didn't want me to take it. Something funny about this case. This label, typewriters, weighs too much for the number it's size would contain. I think this is the packing case I'll drop. Look out! You're too near the side of the gangplank with that. Look out! You fool. It's broken open. Well, though, throw a canvas over that. You're honest here. You'll go aboard ship. And if I refuse... If you refuse, you will get a bullet in your back. A bullet like the ones you saw spilled out of that dish. You'll mind if I take my dinner there. Oh, good. You may need it before you get back. I'll get a bottle. All right. To the bridge. What do you want? You're nearly ready to sail? This man deliberately dropped the packing case. He wheeled it off the side of the gangplank. It broke open. I see. It is one of the ones which contain typewriters. It was labeled typewriters captain, but it contained ammunition. That is most unfortunate for you, being nine. So you know who I am. Yes. Yes. Very well. You see, we were warned. Search him. He has no gun. What is that in his hand? A dinner pail. I opened it when he first started work. It contains only sandwiches. Lock him in one of the rooms below. Let him have his lunch. It may be the last he eats for a long time. Come along. If the girl should come here again, see that she's not allowed aboard. A few minutes later, the gangplanks were drawn in. The crater inched away from the dock. As this happened, Rita appeared. Wait. Wait. I've got to come aboard. Wait back, mademoiselle. I have orders from the harbour master. I've got to give them to the captain. The harbour master was here a few minutes ago. He left with your friend. My friend? Who do you mean? The man with whom you talked when you were here this morning. I talked with no one? Well, perhaps I was wrong, mademoiselle. In any event, it does not matter. The ship is gone. Good day, mademoiselle. I hope you find what you are looking for. As the ship made its way slowly into the harbour, Rita was left alone on the dock. Suddenly, she saw something floating in the oily water. V-9's dinner pail. If I had a stick, I could pull it in. There's one. Now, if I can climb down near the water, it's long enough. It's coming. Now, if only there's a message in it. There it is. Contact K-7. Tell him to arrest harbour master. Follow ship down harbour. Stay off port side and watch bridge. The ship made its way through the great harbour. An hour later, it was almost at sea. In a cabin below decks, V-9 port hole. She got my message. She should be alongside by now. I can't wait much longer. We'll be at sea. I'm out in sight. I'll take a chance alone. Luckily they didn't examine my dinner pail too closely. I may be able to shoot the lock off this door. It worked. The sound of the ship probably covered the noise. Now to get to the bridge. V-9 made his way cautiously along a passageway. Meanwhile on the bridge, the captain issued orders. We're almost out of the harbour. Increase speed ahead. Aye, aye, sir. Increase speed. Captain, there's a cruiser coming up behind us, sir. Hand me the glasses. Here, sir. It's a girl. I can see her on the cruiser's bridge. Full speed. Full speed. Never mind giving the signal, mate. How did you get up here? It isn't important how I got here, Captain. Issue orders to heave to... You can't touch us. We're out of the harbour. Oh, no you're not. Heave to, I said. Give the order to the engine room or I'll use this gun. And don't try any tricks. I know engine room signals. Well, what are you waiting for? That shot went over your head. The next one won't. I'll give the signal. Don't shoot. Now see that both of you will keep your hands over your heads. You'll have more company in a minute. Where did you get that gun? If you had looked for yourself, Captain, you were found under the sandwiches at my dinner pail. B-9, we're coming along, sir. All ready for you, Rita? Have your men seize the cruise. What are you going to do with us? You will both go to prison for a long time. B-9, I make your proposition. If you'll let us go... Oh, wasting your breath, Captain. Look, the cruiser is coming alongside now. They're boarding. B-9, where are you? Up here, on the bridge. Come on up, Rita. I was afraid we'd be too late. I was lucky you found my dinner pail for me. Yes, just after the ship sailed. This Captain, he works for the harbour master. You were left to prove that. It's already proved. Look, B-9, this message came by radio to the cruiser just before we came alongside. Read it. Harbour master arrested. He is Dmitri Varga, international crook and munitions smuggler. He has confessed everything. Seized Captain of Crater. Captain, this message is signed K-7. Within the last few months, many suicide ships have burned at sea. Many others have been seized in world ports. More of these stories may appear in newspapers. For it is known that certain militaristic nations are employing international crooks and spies to smuggle arms to sympathisers in foreign lands. Every nation must guard against this menace. Listen for my next story. This is K-7 speaking.