 Tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to 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 Escape brought to you by your richfield gasoline dealer and the richfield oil corporation of New York marketers of richfield gasoline's with xyleen rich loop all weather motor oil and other famous petroleum products Look for the richfield eagle on the cream and blue pumps Tonight we escape to a tropic harbor in Venezuela And the story of a grim voyage of impending death which started from there as Martin storm tells it in his exciting story a Shipment of mute fate I stopped on the wharf at leguira looked up at the gang plank toward the liner chankey Standing there quietly or a moorings The day was warm under a bright tropic sun and the harbor beyond the ship laid drowsy and silent But all at once in the midst of those peaceful surroundings a cold chill gripped me and I shivered with sudden dread Dread of the thing I was doing and was about to do But too much had happened to turn back now. I'd gone too far to stop I set the box down on the edge of the wharf placed it carefully so as to be in plain sight and within gunshot of the captain's bridge And I turned and started up the gang plank. I knew what I was going to do I couldn't forget that a certain pair of beady eyes were watching every move I made eyes that never blinked and never closed Just watched and made Mr.. Darryl me, sir. I didn't oh like mr. Warner. Hello, Mother Welles. How's the best-looking stewardess on the seven seas? Oh, I'm I'm fine mr. Warner. It's nice to see you again. Wait a minute. It's a fine greeting after two months Well, it's just that I'm so busy. Oh, don't believe a word of it sailing days tomorrow. You're simply avoiding me That's all no no really I'm on the trip down from New York. You said I was your favorite passenger, but I'm here What's that you're carrying in your apron? Oh, it's nothing. It's just supplies Supplies on let's have a look. Oh, no, please It's a cat it's Clara mr. Warner mr. Bowman said I had to leave her sure but I just couldn't who's mr. Bowman the new chief steward Clara's been aboard with me for two years And I just can't leave her here in a foreign country Especially with her conditions so delicate. No, yes, sir. I see what you mean Well, I hope you get away with it. You won't tell anyone. Not a soul Matter of fact mother Willis if I don't get my way with the captain you and I may both end up smuggling Happy to have had your board on the trip down two months ago, Christopher I'm very glad you're coming along with us on the run back to New York. Thanks Captain Wood There is one thing though. I'm having a little trouble with the customs man here and I wondered if I can't do it Christopher I just cabled your father this morning told him I'd have done it for you if I possibly could he sent a request from New York You know, yes, I thought he would I wired him from upriver last week Well, I hated to refuse but it's absolutely out of the question. I can't what I'm afraid. I don't follow you Responsibility to the passengers son We'll have women and children aboard and on a liner the safety of the passengers comes ahead of anything else But with proper precaution something might happen. I don't know what but something might you've carried worse things captain There isn't anything worse Christopher and any skipper a float will bear me out Now I simply can't take the chance And that's final Final wasn't final if I could do anything about it I hadn't come down here to spend two months in that stinking back country and then be stopped on the edge of the wharf Two months of it heat rain insects malaria I'd gone clear in past the headwaters of the Orinoco travel through country where every step along the jungle trail might be the last one Losages Better tell the man to start looking for a place to camp be dark in a little while This is and you are very soon. We turn to river camp on rocks by water This is very bad country. It's very bad country. You've been saying that for ten days now very bad country This is and your water is very bad. I skip it. Will you for all the luck we've had so far It might as well be central park central park. I know I understand never mind never mind, but if we don't find something Yeah, what's the matter quiet now? Yes, what's wrong there in the past? Bushmaster Bushmaster the deadliest snake in the world Bushmaster its Latin name was laquises mutus Mute fate it lay there in the center of the path an eight-foot length of silent death Coiled loosely in an undulating loop ready to strike violently at the least movement Here was the one snake that would go after any animal that walked or any man It lay there and watched us not moving not afraid ready for anything The splotch of its color stood out like a horribly gaudy floor mat lying there on the bottom background of the jungle waiting for someone to step on it Here was what I'd come 2,000 miles for a bushmaster Sanchez I didn't want that snake killed in no kill senior he gone bushmaster very smart very quick See bullet in time to dodge anyway is gone the only one we've seen in five weeks Oh, we find other this very bad country will lay off that gun next time. Don't shoot you understand Why you say no shoot you want bushmaster sure, but I want it alive Number is a crystal Senior warning you tell me what bushmaster, but you know say a lie you're getting $200 for it for dead man What is $200 tomorrow? We go back to Caracas. I'll make it 500 Sanchez I catch water snake rattlesnake any other time, but I know catch bushmaster. We go back to Caracas Sanchez. I'll give you a thousand dollars Caused me 1500 Three days later Sanchez brought me the snake in a rubber bag He was shaking so hard. I thought for a moment the thing it struck him one thing you make sure senior one No, turn him loose in Venezuela Because he know I the one who catch him and he know where I live all right Sanchez I'll keep an eye on him Tommy and he know you pay me to catch him all the time. He watching wait for you, too You know forget that senior Warner because he know forget not ever After going through all that trouble and danger. I wasn't gonna let a pig-headed ships captain stop me at the last minute At least not as long as the cables were still in operation between like wire in New York Morning Captain Wood boy at the hotel said you wanted to see me as that's right Christopher now sit on nice Now it seems you weren't willing to let matters stand the way we left them yesterday I was sorry to go over your head captain, but I had to the museum sent me all the way down here for it And I'm not gonna be stopped by red tape Don't you realize this will be the only live bushmaster ever brought to the United States. Well if I had my way orders are orders Got a cable from the head office this morning All right, suppose we talk about precautions I'll handle it any way you say now let's got to have a stronger box that crates to flimsy stronger than it looks captain That wire screen on top it hold a wildcat But anyway, I bought a heavy sea chest this morning. We'll put the crate inside of that Yeah, and that sounds all right. I've got a lock on it heavy padlock It's fixed so the lid can be propped open a crack without unlocking it the snakes gotta have air You know, but in dirty weather that lid stays shut. I'll take no chances fair enough We'll keep the thing in my inside cabin where I sleep Can't have it in the baggage room and nobody on boards to know about it on whatever you say captain But we won't have any trouble after all it's only a snake doesn't have any magical powers You know Christopher I saw a bushmaster in the zoo at Caracas once Had it in a glass cage with double walls It had never moved just lay there and look at you as long as you were in sight Give a man the creeps. I didn't know they had a bushmaster at the Caracas zoo. They don't now Found the glass broken one morning and the snake gone the night watchman was dead They never found out what happened Well, the watchman must have broken the glass by accident some way the way they figured it the glass was broken from the inside We're sailing four hours Into the Caribbean with perfect weather and the sea as smooth as an inland lake a Barometer dropped a little on the third day, but cleared up overnight and left nothing worse than a heavy swell But in spite of the calm seas and the pleasant weather I Was becoming possessed with an ominous anxiety. I Was developing an obsessive fear of that snake. I Stayed clear of the passengers pretty much got the habit of dropping into captain woods quarters several times a day He kept the heavy box underneath his birth I'd approach it quietly and shine my flashlight through the open crack Never once could I catch that eight-foot devil asleep or even excited? He'd be lying there half-coiled his head raised a little staring at me with those beady black eyes waiting It still be like that when I turn away to leave Maybe that's what bothered me horrible and constant watchful waiting What in the name of heaven was he waiting for? Well, hello there, mr. Warner. Oh How are you mother Willis my but you and the captain spend an awful lot of time around this cabin I'm beginning to think the two of you must have some guilty secrets. Ah, nothing like that mother Willis I don't know about captain wood, but I certainly don't have any guilty secret He's running quite a swell out there mr. Bumman. Yeah, it's a little heavy. All right, mr. Warner Guess the storm passed through to the west of us yesterday when the glass dropped think it missed us then, huh? Yeah, that's what the mate figures sure start up some water though This will put half the passengers in their bunks makes it great for my department two-thirds up a want of steward to hold their heads They'll keep mother Willis so busy shit Hey, look at the size of that wave. What great your husband. We're gonna take it on the port bow. Hang on Wow That was a freak if there ever was one Another wave that size in sight you see him like that sometimes even in a calm sea I got to get topside mr. Warner that water probably did some damage on the opposite there Yeah, I spoke wait a minute. Yeah What did you say the wheel companion way was open on the port side bridge cabins must have taken a pretty bad smashing. They're right below Something wrong mr. Warner No Now nothing at all mr. Bumman At least I hope not Of course, I knew it was only one chance in the thousand The chances against that freak waver one on the thousand two I Stumbled up the companion way and along the passage to the captain's cabin. Oh Come on in mr. Warner mother will is why isn't this cabin a mess? I'm trying to get some of these things out to dry Yeah, I just wanted to check Where's that box that was under the captain's bunk all that well, I just threw it out on deck here What well the desk over there slid into it was all smashed the small box inside of it What happened it? Oh, they were both splittered mr. Warner broke wide open. Oh No, why mr. Warner your white as a sheet mother willis Will you go find captain wood? Tell him to come down here immediately. Well, of course, mr. Warner. I'll go tell him right away I pulled open the top drawer of the bureau beside me and took out the captain's flashlight and the loaded pistol Mother willis had left a mop standing by the door. I put my foot on the head of it and snapped off the handle Every move I made turned into slow motion. I could hear my own heart beating Slowly I started to search the cabin Sudden heaps of clothing was scattered around on the wet black floor I punched at them one at a time. Holy the gun cocked the flashlight pointing along the stick nothing I Worked around the room throwing the light into the dark corners back at the desk under the bunk Wherever I turned I could feel those cold unblinking eyes at my back Watching and waiting Using the stick I pushed open the closet door and through the light inside Carefully, I poked at the boxes and the junk on the floor The snake was not in the closet Inch by inch I covered the entire cabin And then I realized the horrible truth Mother willis just told me Christopher captain. So it's happened. That's right captain It's happened. I see you found the gun. We'd better start searching the cabin captain wood I just finished searching it then women kids That thing loose on board thousand places to hide Heaven help us christopher Can you guess what this is? Research scientists worked for years to produce it. It gives your car new high antinoc. 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Bowman, but I don't quite see how we can avoid it They got a right to know as long as that snakes lose everybody on boards in the same danger And they all ought to know about captain wood that thing is eight feet long It can't simply crawl into a crack Why don't we make a quick search of the whole ship before we spread any alarm Yes, I've thought of that Christopher as far as I can see the only place It couldn't be as in the boilers are on top of the galley stove might have crawled overboard We can't count on that. We've got to assume. It's on the ship somewhere That could be anywhere The coil of rope or in a pile of clothes. Yes or under some woman's birth Or a baby's crib or even you've already said it that bush master could be anywhere We've got to do something. We've got to do it fast. All right gentlemen I think the best idea is to follow mr. Werner's suggestion and make a quick search first You agree to that I don't then if we don't find it We'll have to warn the passengers captain. We've got to find it Alone in the dim baggage room I went through the same movements as I had earlier in the captain's cabin Gun in one hand flashlight in the other poking into every dark corner behind every trunk in every box Since there was no one in the baggage room. I could keep the gun cocked and ready The rest of those poor devils were having to do the same thing barehanded All over the ship the search went on Here now steward, what are you doing rum and jig through my cabin just checking up, ma'am Well, I'm quite sure there's nothing in here that has to be checked. Sorry ma'am captain's orders It'll only take a few minutes. Well, I never heard of such a thing a passenger simply doesn't have any privacy at all I've traveled on a lot of different lines, but I've certainly never heard of anything so completely high I'm sorry sir. I wonder if you wouldn't mind moving over to the other rail I'd like to look through these lockers. Yeah, sure go ahead. It's a matter. You lost something No, no just looking things over nothing in there, but life preservers. Yeah, that's right Must be getting ready to sink the boat, huh? Gonna collect all the insurance. Hey gonna send us all to the bottom, huh? Not one of us could find that deadly shape Perhaps coil in some dark corner or outstretched along a window seat Not one of us caught a glimpse of that horrid head with its beady black watchful eyes It was nearly dark when we met again together in the chart room Well, gentlemen, there's no other way around it. We've risked all the time we can we've got to warn the passengers But how do we do it captain call them all together in the lounge? No If we did anything like that we'd be asking for a panic We'll get one whether we ask for it or not Uh pick a few men and go through the cabin decks tell them individually inside their cabins Watch for any that act like they might cause trouble and we'll keep an eye on them And all the crew the same way. Yes, sir. Now as soon as you're finished arm all the deck officers and start searching again Our only chance of preventing a panic is to find that snake The slow nightmare that followed grew works by the hour none of us slept All the ship's officers not on duty kept on with that endless search Passengers lock themselves in their cabins or huddled together in the lounges knowing all the time that no spot on board could be called safe Fear was a heavy fog in the lungs of a soul and every light on the vessel burned throughout the night Morning came and brought no relief Terror and tension mounted by the hour There now mrs. Crane go back to your cabin the horrid things probably crawled overboard in now You're just saying that you're made to say it you don't know nobody now now everything's gonna be all right Oh, if we can only get off the ship they could fumigate it Yes, yes, that's what we've got to do. We've got to get off the ship Mr. Bowman, she's gotta jump. No you don't Let me go. Let me go Mr. Bowman, nice work. I'll get her down to work cabin and whatever you do. Don't turn her loose I'm telling you you don't know where it might strike you But you can't put on a coat or move a chair without risking your life Something's got to be done. I might be right here in this lounge. All right, mister You better quiet down and take it easy. Take it easy, huh? You're a great officer Why don't you do something about it thing might be crawling around here right under our feet somewhere I said shut up. Are you trying to start a panic? I got a right to talk. I don't want to die Nobody's gonna tell me what The second night passed and morning came around again The gray and rainy day that dragged by with leaden hours And the night came down again third night of the terror Again every light burned and the whole ship sieved in the throes of incipient panic Faced by a horror they'd never met on the sea before Crew and officers alike were on the verge of revolt Passengers huddled in a trance like stupor ready to scream at the slightest unknown sound At seven bells. I made my way forward to the chart room and found captain wood bent over a desk Oh, hello, Christopher Come on in sit down. It's got to be somewhere captain. Would it's got to be? Well, I don't know you could search this ship for six months and never touch all the hiding places aboard If we can only hold out for two more days, we'll be in port. What's your home office say? Here's the latest wireless from them Keep quiet and keep coming Well, what else can we do? You want a cigarette? Uh, yeah, yeah, thanks. Yeah How's it below, Christopher? That's pretty bad Anything could happen. Yeah That's why I took the guns away from the men one pistol shot and we'd have a riot on our hands Whole thing's my fault captain. Well, that's what I can't forget. Oh, take it. There was only one way I could pay for it myself alone. Oh now. I know how you feel, but it's no more your fault than mine Or the man who asked you to bring that snake back alive Nobody planned this I look Christopher. I think you'd better try to get a little sleep Mr. Bowman made some coffee down in the stewards galley a while ago You better go down and get yourself a cup and then rest for a couple of hours rest I can't rest. Christopher, it's not going to help any if you stumble through a hatch half asleep and break your neck Now go on and get some coffee One way or another we've got to hold out for two more days The light was on in the stewards galley the coffee pot was standing on the stove It was still warm so I didn't bother to heat it I poured out a cup carried it over and set it on the porcelain tabletop in the center of the room I started a light of cigarette The door of the pan covered beneath the sink was standing slightly ajar I happened to glance toward it I dropped the cigarette and moved slowly backward I'd found the bush master As I moved the snake slid out of the cupboard in a single sinuous slide and drew back into a loose coil on the galley floor Never taking his eyes off me I backed slowly away waiting any moment for that deadly slithering strike how he known it was me Each day quiet when bowman was here how he picked the first time in five days that I was without a gun My hands touched the wall behind me and I stopped in terror The call button and the door were on the far side of the room I backed into a dead end I stared at the snake in fascination Expecting any moment the ripping slash of those poisoned fangs The lethal coils tightened a little Then we're still again 10 million years of evolution to produce this moment homo sapiens versus lacesa smutus A man against mute fate And all the odds were on fate I knew then that I was going to die I could feel the sweat run down between the wall and the palms of my hands pressing against it My skin crawled and twitched and the pit of my stomach was cold as ice There was no sound but the rush of blood in my ears The snake shifted again drawing into a tighter coil always tighter. Why didn't the devil get it over with? And for an instant his head veered away Something moved by the stove. I didn't dare turn to look at it Slowly it entered my line of vision It was a cat That scrawny cat Clara that mother willis had sneaked aboard in leguira Its back was arched and every hair stood on end It moved stiff legged now walking in a half circle around the snake The bush master moved slowly and kept watching the cat He tightened He was going to strike at any second She struck a mist The cat was barely out of reach Now she was walking back and forth again She was asking to die Missed again by a fraction of an inch. He was striking now without even going into full coil Missed again and again always missing by the barest margin Each time the cat danced barely out of reach and each time she countered with one precise spot of a dainty paw Gracing her skinny frame on three stiff legs And then suddenly I realized what she was doing The bush master was tiring and one strike was just an instant slow But in that split second sharp claws raked across the evil head and ripped out both the littlest eyes The cat has deliberately blinded the snake He didn't bother the coil now, but slid after her in a fury striking wildly But always missing and every strike was a little slower than the last one Until finally as the snake's neck stretched out at the end of a strike The cat made one leap and sank her razor sharp teeth just back at the ugly head Sank him until they crunched bone With tooth and claw she clung as the monstrous snake flailed and lashed on the floor Striving to get those hideous coils around her Trying to break her hold to shake off the slow and certain paralyzing death That gradually crept over him And at last Stilled his struggles forever I took a deep breath The first in minutes The cat lay on her side on the floor panting resting from a fight just over while she had a right to rest That mangy brave beautiful alley cat had just saved my life and maybe others as well But as I turned toward the stove I suddenly became very humble And I knew all at once what a small thing a human being really is There were three reasons why that cat had fought and killed the world's deadliest snake And those three reasons came tottering out from under the stove on shaky little legs Three kittens with their eyes bright with wonder and their tails stiff as pokers Up on the decks hundreds of passengers were waiting for the news that the days and nights of terror were ended Well, they could wait a little longer I pulled open the doors of the cabinet and found a can of milk and a saucer And I dropped down on my knees on the floor of the galley In summer heat when the old sun beats down and the thermometer goes up and up your car's motor gets really hot And that can mean trouble because that searing heat is mighty hard on your motor oil In summertime, especially you need the protection of oil that holds its body under the toughest driving conditions You need rich lube all-weather motor oil Rich lube is refined 100 percent from the costliest pennsylvania crude obtainable Rich lube is tough It protects your motor by drawing excess heat away from moving parts And by its great lubricating qualities Moreover, it contains special chemicals that combat carbon and harmful deposits It cleans your motor as you drive So get real motor protection this summer Ask the rich field gasoline dealer to change your oil to rich lube All-weather motor oil keep your motor clean Keep your motor young Escape is produced and directed by william n robson And tonight has presented a shipment of mute fate by martin storm adapted for radio by less crutchfield david ellis was chris bill conrad the captain sarah selby was mother willis and david light was clara the cat Others in the cast were verna felton ted decorsia harry bartel and paul freeze Special music arranged and played by ivand at mars Next week You're running a charter fishing boat in the waters off nicaragua Until one day a client suddenly offers to shoot you in the lake And throw you overboard to the ravenous sharks and barracuda From which there can be no escape Next week at this time the richfield oil corporation of new york invites you to escape to central america With a story of murderous intrigue along the tropic coast as antony allis tells it in his exciting story shark bait Be listening. Goodbye then until this same time next week when once again we offer you escape Tom hanlon speaking over cbs the columbia broadcasting system