 Tired of the everyday grind? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Wanna get away from it all? We offer you escape. Escape, designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure. You are walking the streets of an Indian city. Purifying, sweltering streets. While the man you fear has already made his mark on you. A mark from which there can be no escape. So listen now, as escape brings you James Leal Henderson's frightening story, The Untouchable. It was a shame about Riedels having to go to India. It was a shame about the leprosy too. He was a little man, balding, pale, and in his early 40s he was fussy and precise, an absolute fanatic about cleanliness. So you can see he was the last man on earth to send to India, even with his wife Prudence along to take care of him. Riedel and I were thrown together on a job. We met for the first time in the Hotel Imperial in Delhi. He was a chemical engineer and I'm a construction engineer. We'd been hired separately to look over the possibilities of a chemical plant in India. It was a job I needed, needed badly. I bounced around the globe a lot. Asia is not too bad when you get to know it, but Riedel... Well, the poor guy was in misery. He was right out of a Cleveland suburb and terrorized by a germ. We had been in New Delhi a week and I couldn't move Henry Riedel out of the hotel even for business. He'd walled himself off and just sat brooding about India's squalor beyond the window. I'd worked my head off for the two of us getting things set up and then it came time to go on tour around the country and look for a plant site. I went to his hotel room one afternoon. He was standing at the open window, looking down at the street. Back eh? I've been in 14 government offices. Count them Henry, 14. But we're squared away now. Oh boy, I'm knocked out. I'm sorry, but I just didn't feel up to going with you today. You know, how do you feel? Take all your bills? Yes, but I'd feel a lot better if that snake charmer would stop playing that screechy pipe. It's been driving me crazy and those cobras being so near. And believe me, Henry, those are the sickest snakes on earth. They wouldn't bite on invitation. Why don't you just tell them to go away? He's filthy. Fred, I wouldn't go near him. He doesn't want to dance with you. He wants money. Well, I'll get rid of him. Hey, snake, voila. There you are, voila, nice fat rupee. Now no more music, understand? No more. Go. Now we can talk, Henry. First, how about a drink? Sure, Fred. I'll have one with you. Scott? Yeah, fine, fine. Afraid I've only got one glass left that's been put in boiling water? Just give me a glass, Henry. Any glass will do. You should be more careful. A British fellow was telling me yesterday... A whiskey will kill the germs, if any. Look, Henry, I know you've asked the company for a replacement, but we haven't got time to wait for them. You're going to have to go on this trip yourself. I... I... You'll have to. We made an agreement. I know, but nobody told me it was going to be like this. Nothing safe to eat, water buffalo. Whoever heard of eating a water buffalo and the vegetables will kill you if you touch them. No, let's not go through that again. Oh, hello, Fred. How are you? You look tired. Oh, hello, Prue. I am tired. Rough day. Yeah, that's a nice piece of ivory. Isn't it, Buddha? It's very old. I wanted you and Henry to see it. I bought it down in the bazaar. How can you stand it down in those dirty bazaars? Oh, Henry, don't be silly. Well, if you two are going to... No, I'd like you to stay for a minute. If you will, Prue, I think you ought to hear this. I just told Henry that we can't stall on this trip one day longer, so I've bought two tickets for tonight's flight to Bombay. That's going to be our first stop. Tonight? I won't do it, Fred. I just can't. Jumping around this terrible country, you can never tell what will happen to you. And what about Prudence? No, Fred, you've got to wait. I just don't feel well at all. We've got a job to do, Henry. Now pull yourself together. Prue can't come. Accommodations are tightened. We'll probably have to travel around the sticks. I'll take good care of you. We'll boil everything. We'll boil a whiskey, if you insist. How long do you think it'll be, Fred? Oh, three weeks, maybe. No longer. Three weeks? Henry, it'll be all over soon and we'll be back home. Yes, but Prudence, I just don't feel right about this. I'm afraid. You must go, Henry. Fred's depending on you. We'll be ready, Fred. I'll pack for him. Well, we got off all right with Prudence pushing from behind. We flew down from Delhi and landed at the Bombay Airport at first light. Then we climbed aboard the airline bus for the long ride through town to the Taj Mahal Hotel. Good Lord, it was hot. Vicious. The air was pure steam, couldn't breathe. None of the walks the homeless were beginning to stir. A thousand of them. No place to live, no place to go. The human wreckage of Asia. It is so hot. Bad. It always is just before the monsoon. Well, we'll get us an air-conditioned room, Henry. A cool bath, nice mango for breakfast. Fresh fruit? Oh, not for me. The Taj is a good hotel, Henry. Bombay is pretty modern, even with all the poor you've been seeing on the streets, you'll see. Well, come on, this is it. It's a nice, cool bath waiting. Look, look. What, you're a devil? Look at him. What is it? I've never seen anything so horrible. His hands, look. He's a leper, Henry. Come on, he won't hurt you. Fred, don't let him touch me, don't let him. Come on, Henry, I'm hot and I want to get out of here. Now come on. He's a sick man, sir. Sir. One rupee, sir. Here, take it easy, Willem. All right, Henry, let's go. Oh, Fred, his hands. They were horrible. After seeing the leper, it was three days before I could drag Henry Rydell out of the hotel for a business meeting in town. And when I did, he clung to me like a little boy lost. But we did make some headway on our plans and I felt more cheerful after the meeting. I talked Henry into having dinner in a Chinese restaurant a few blocks from the hotel. The place was spotless, the food was good. Henry stoked up on rice and I almost caught him smiling once. Then afterwards we sauted back to the hotel through the dark, stifling night. That's the first decent meal I've seen you eat in India, Henry. It was good. I'd like to eat there again tomorrow, Fred. Sure, why not? But of course, you never can tell. The bugs might be anywhere. I'll take some tablets when we get back to the room. Yeah, you do that. Now, you out with those bugs every time, Henry. Oh, say, look, give the store prudence of it like nothing but ivory. Fred, wait a moment, will you? I want to look. I look back. That same poor devil of a leper had moved out of the darkened doorway of the store and was pawing Henry. Get away from me, don't touch me. Please, please, no, leave me alone. Fred, his hands, they've touched. Here, walla, walla, pick them up. By heaven's sake, get away, get away. Right on my skin, he touched me. Come out of it, Henry, nothing's going to happen. Don't look. Come on, let's get back to the hotel. Fred, his hands. He can hold the flame to them and feel nothing. And he touched me with them. He rubbed me on the bare skin, on my hands and here, on my arm and wrist. I felt it, Fred. I felt it rubbing into me. Henry, believe me, you don't catch leprosy that way. Now, nothing's going to happen to you. I've got to wash. Right now, I've got to wash. Henry washed all right thoroughly. He washed for half an hour. This, I didn't mind, but as I turned and twisted in bed through the hot blanketing night, I could hear him every few minutes, washing, washing. He kept it up day and night, wherever we were, washing harder and harder. He scrubbed those places on his arm and wrist with a brush until the skin was rubbed raw. For two days it went on like that, but I let it pass. I didn't say anything. I needed him for the tour good or bad. Gosh knows he wasn't worth much in that state, but he was docile, nice and docile. Nothing seemed to bother him so long as he had a place to wash. Henry, you're clean enough for tonight. You've got to grab some sleep. If I keep at this thing, maybe I can prevent infection. If you keep at it, you'll wear your arm away. No, I figure if I just scrub down in there below the skin, I'm sure to kill it. Henry, we're pretty well finished up here in Bombay. Tomorrow I thought we'd shove off for Bangalore and look around. Sure, Fred, that's fine by me, anything you say. A day there ought to be enough and then Madras. The way things are shaping up, Madras may be the spot for the plant. Henry, Madras, I thought we'd stick around Madras about a week. Okay, Fred. I thought you might wire Prudence and ask her to meet us there. No. No, I don't want to do that, not now. Why, Henry? There's no point in it. I'd rather she stayed in Delhi until this tour has finished. She's used to it there, Fred, and there's no telling what you and I will be doing. Why, Henry? I don't want Prudence to come. That's final. All right. Let's forget it. But Henry, listen to me. Please. Stop worrying about that leopard touching you. Nothing's going to happen. We will return to escape in just a moment. But first, tomorrow night the Lux Radio Theater brings Joan Fontaine and Charlton Heston to its microphones, co-starring in The President's Lady. It's the true scandal-ridden story of President Andrew Jackson and his wife Rachel, with Joan in the title role and Charlton as Old Hickory. That's on the Lux Radio Theater, the same night CBS Radio stars Mr. John Hodiak in suspense's production of Hellfire. Yes, tomorrow night on most of the same CBS radio stations. Now, back to Escape. Madras, South India. A warm, wet wind off the Bay of Bengal. The ceaseless rustle of the cocoa palms outside our hotel and the inevitable snake charmer with his toneless pipe. I worked hard at Madras. Maybe too hard. I didn't see that Henry was cracking up badly. But don't get me wrong, he made good sense. And on the business side was perfect. When I said yes, he said yes. Anything I didn't like, Henry didn't like it either. Ideal for me. He had the big reputation from the states which the Indian people wanted and I ran the show. I was hoping to nail down a deal right there. There two more and it would be all set. And it had been a long time. A long, long time. But as I said, poor old Henry. Coming apart. One afternoon I was going over plans in our room. Yes, yes I understand. Then, with the plan here, we'd have to put in a railroad sighting leading somewhere through just about in here. There's room for a landing strip just to... Henry, what's the matter? Nothing. What the devil are you up to? What are you doing to your arm? It's all right, Fred. Nothing. Go ahead with the plan. No, I want to say, you've been pinching yourself. Henry for heaven's sake. I want to make sure that I can feel it when I pinch myself. Sometimes I don't. Henry, now sit still and listen to me and try to get this through your head. You haven't got leprosy. No, there's not a chance in a million or even ten million that you've got it. Yes, but that man... I know, I know, the leopard touched you, but the disease is just not that contagious. If he rubbed you all night with his hands, you wouldn't get it. Now take my word for it. There are exceptions, Fred. Maybe, but I doubt it. And you're not one of them anyway. Now, Henry, believe me, there's not a chance in the world that you're having leprosy. Much things easily, Fred, I always have. And when I pinch myself here on the wrist real hard, I don't feel a thing. Honestly, up here I can feel it on my arm, so there must be something. I'm going to get a doctor. No, no, Fred, no, please. He might send me to one of those awful colonies here in India. I might never get home. I'm going to get a doctor. Fred, please, I believe you now. I don't have it. I couldn't have it. You don't have to get a doctor. Okay, Henry. We'll let it go for now. But forget leprosy, will you? Just hang on to yourself for a few more days until we get this deal set and then everything will be fine. Did I say everything would be fine? Just how wrong can you be? I wired Prudence and Deli and told her to hustle down to Madras on the first available plane and meanwhile I just played for time, but there wasn't enough of it. Then one night I woke up when I heard Henry moving about during the quiet hours of the early morning. His bed lamp was on. What is it, Henry? Henry, what's the matter? I have it. I'm diseased. I have leprosy. No. Go back to bed, Henry, please. We'll talk about it in the morning. Everything will seem different in a daylight. You won't help to talk about it. I've got it, that's all. I'm unclean. Fred, I'm a leper. Please, Henry, try to sleep. Fred, I can prove it. Watch. See, I don't feel a thing. The flesh is dead. Stop it, Henry. I'm diseased, a leper and untouchable. No, you're not. I'm Henry Ridell, an American businessman from Cleveland, Ohio, with an obsession. You're all right, Henry. You do it, Fred. Stick me with this. Anywhere on my lower arm. I'll show you, I don't feel it. Henry, stop it. I know, I'm diseased, but I won't touch you, Fred. Just stick me with the pen as deep as you want. Do it, Fred. Go on, stick me, stick me, stick me, stick me. A leper? Yeah. I guess that's right. You try to sleep now, Henry. Yes. I'll sleep now. I'm tired, but, Fred, you won't tell anyone about this. I mean a doctor or anyone like that. No, of course not, no. It's got to be our secret, Fred. Not even prudence can know. You see, they might try to send me to one of those colonies and I couldn't stand it, Fred. Fred, you promised. I promised, Henry. Now go to sleep. When this deal is signed for you, I'll just disappear, Fred. I don't know where yet, but nobody will ever hear from me again. I got up early the next morning to meet the plane from Delhi. Prudence was coming. Thank heaven she was coming. Henry was still sleeping like a stone. I left quietly, praying to get back with Prudence before he waked. I was scared and, well, I didn't like myself much. I had dragged Henry into this appalling mess and then let it get out of hand because I wanted that contract. I wanted to make a buck. On the way from the airport to the hotel, I tried to break Prudence in gently, but the simple fact that I and not Henry had wired her was enough to convince her that something was seriously wrong. Fred, please, you can stop beating about the bush. Just tell me what's wrong with Henry. Well, Prudence, he has an obsession. He thinks he has leprosy. Oh, no. He's not in his right mind, Prudence. You've got to be prepared for that. But why didn't you send for me sooner, Fred? Why didn't you? Well, he didn't want me to. He doesn't want to see me, but he's needed me so much, all our lives. All I've ever done is take care of Henry at home. I always... Prudence, now, try to understand. This isn't home. It's India. And Henry thinks he's a leper. At the hotel, Prudence and I hurried to the room. But the door was locked from the inside. Henry! I know he's in there. Forget me. I'm unclean. Go back home. Henry! Prudence, don't just say, I'm dead. Will you? I'm dead. After a doctor then, fast. Fortunately, there was one with offices right in the hotel building. Nice-looking young fellow, an Indian, dark and slender, and he wore Indian rather than European clothing. And certainly wasn't very coherent, and the perplexed expression came into his face. But he took up his kit and came along with me. We may have to force our way in, doctor. So? This is a very strange case, Mr. McAllister. Sure is. Now, here we are. Anything happened, Prudence? No. He won't even answer me anymore. Henry! Who's that? Fred, who's that Indian? Have disease, leprosy, leprosy. That was it. End of chapter. Dr. Padaswamy shot him full of drugs, knocked him out. A few days later, Henry Rydell left India by plane and on a stretcher, tied down, too. But Prudence was along to take care of him. As for me, tough. I lost the contract, deserved to, I guess. The way I treated Henry, dragging him around India in that condition. End of chapter, but not quite the end of the story. I knocked around Asia for months after that and all the time I wondered how poor old Henry came out. But never a word. Then one day I found myself back in the States again in Cleveland, as a matter of fact. I went out to see what had happened to him. Henry was not in a leper colony, or even an insane asylum. Henry was in front of his own house, raking leaves. He looked older, but otherwise fit enough. Funny thing, though. I said hello, and he said hello, and then he said... I have to go in now. But Henry, no, wait a moment. Well, I just want to tell you that... I'm glad you're well again. You don't know how glad. It's a load off my mind. Henry... Henry, you remember me, don't you? Fred McAllister. Yes? I remember you. How's Prudence? Prudence is in good health, thank you. Fine. Fine, happy to hear it. Well, um... Aren't you going to... What's the matter? Nothing, huh? I'm all right. Henry had grabbed his left arm, as if it had suddenly been scalded, burned. And you know what it was? An ant. A tiny ant crawling on the skin. Feeling it come back to his arm all right, with a vengeance. Well, I have to go in now. Goodbye, Fred. Bye, Henry. I'm glad to see you home again. Here's the direction of Anthony Ellis. Escape has brought you The Untouchable, a story by James Leal Henderson, starring John Daner as Fred, and Parley Baer as Henry. Featured in the cast were Joan Denton, Jack Krushen, and Charles Davis. The special music for Escape was composed and conducted by Leith Stevens. Next week... You are in your house, surrounded by all that is secure and normal. While outside, your children are playing a new and wonderful game. The result of which will mean for you a fate from which there is no escape. So listen, next week, when Escape will bring you Ray Bradbury's terrifying story, Zero Hour. When Arthur Godfrey beckons to the new talent scouts and their discoveries, they are the role of popular songman, Martha Flowers, who has a way with semi-classical songs, and the Fletcher-Pectrio, as unusual a novel to group as you've heard in a long, long time. They're all potential winners on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. Yours for fun and human interest. Tomorrow night, on most of the same CBS radio stations. Be sure to hear it. Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. This is Roy Rowan speaking. And remember, there's action as a policeman really finds it in 21st Precinct. Tuesdays on the CBS Radio Network.