 African drums are talking. The drums bring you a story of Africa. That dark continent of jungle swamp and arid belt of native intrigue and unbelievable mystery. Listen. Professor Anton Edwards, while traveling in French Equatorial Africa with his daughter Lorna, comes into possession of a preserved human head that talks. Jack Martin, the professor's assistant, joins them. The two men were discussing the talking head when a scream from Lorna brings them running to her tent. What is that flashlight? Here's one, sir. Lorna's not here. Our bed's empty. Great heavens. What's become of the girl? What in the name of gold? Don't take notice of the back jacket. It's only the head in the other tent. Where is it? There it is. Where, sir? There. Walking across the open space. Look. Come on, we'll have to hurry. What's the matter with her? Her arms are stretched out. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Don't go too close. See her feet? They're there. She's in her sleeping suit. Good. Good. She's sleepwalking. Yes. We can't wake her up. I'm excited no Lorna was subject to things like this. Possibly the change of climate has something to do with it. Has she ever been known to wander this way before, sir? Not to my knowledge. I thought she was perfectly normal. Who's that on the other side of the clearing? There's someone watching her. Looks like Nguro. What's he doing out here at this time? He ought to be bedded down. Don't worry about him. He must have seen her start out. He's probably following to see that no harm comes to her. He's really, very attached to her. I've had Nguro for years, Jack. You know that? Well, he's an ugly-looking customer in any case. I'd hate to make an enemy of him. Don't worry about him. I'd trust Nguro anywhere. Look. She stopped. He's talking to someone. But there's no one near him. I know she's just dreaming it, that's all. Let's get closer and hear what she's saying. Let's get her back to bed, sir. If we wait too long, she'll be done with fever in the morning. Not yet. I want to hear what she's saying. I might give her some ideas to what's worrying her. But there's something I want to tell you, sir. Wait, Jack. I don't want to miss anything she says. But it's about Lana. She told me tonight that she thought that if something out in the bush was calling to her. Something that gave her an almost overpowering impulse to walk out of Camp alone. She did. Wait, Scott, when did she tell you this? Tonight. When you want to see if her quarters are properly set. You know what some witch doctors can do with hypnosis. Let's get her back quickly, sir. I don't like this business. All right. Only it's imperative to avoid any kind of a shock. Whatever we do, we must not wake her abruptly. Why wake her at all? Can't we guide her gently back to her tent? Yes, that's better still. Come on. No, wait. Wait a minute. You're talking again? This vault of time, my beloved. Have I come to fulfill the promise made to thee when the sun's light rested upon the altar and the sacrificial knife of the priest returned its fire? So were we sent into the oblivion village. You're talking about the ancient sun worshipers. Must have read that paragraph somewhere. Do you recognize it, Jack? No, I don't, sir. Let's get her back. I can't stand all right. Here's Nguro coming across. Take her gently by the arm, Jack. That's fine. We'll take her back in a minute. That you, Nguro? I've won her. Devil spirit, him come from hill, look plenty for missy. What's that? What does he mean, devil spirit? He said that devil has come from the mountain and cast long eyes on Lorna. Asante, Nguro. Now, tell me what your eyes have seen. Nguro see nothing. Knows him smell him devil, devil plenty. Lord, this gets worse and worse. All right, Nguro. Get me a rope from the store tent. I've won her. Careful, Jack. Let her sink back on the bed gently. That's it. Good Lord, sir. I'm worried still. Well, it's nothing to worry about. Quite a natural thing at times. Walking is caused by excitement or mental stress of some kind. Oh, well, got the rope, Nguro? I've won her. Rope him no good for devil spirit, doc. You mean even if we tie her down, she'll walk out if she wants to? I, little boy, Nguro. Devil, devil, him call she go. Now, after I get through tying her up, I'll give her plenty of room. Not to tie, Jack. No, sir. I'm taking the rope around her bed several times. That's enough play for a natural turn of the body, but she'll never get out of it unless the rope is cut. Yeah, yeah, that's it. Well, that looks safe enough. No spirit I've ever met would get her out of that. She seems to be sleeping very heavily. Do you think she's been hypnotized, sir? No. No, you see, her eyes react to touch. Come on, she's safe enough now at all events. Let's go to the other tenant and finish our talk. Thanks for watching, Nguro. Asante sana. You can sleep now. Aye, boy, now. Haven't we better place a guard outside here? Oh, no, there's no need, Jack. She's all right now, I'm sure. There'll only be a few feet from her. Well, I still think a guard will be the safest plan. Don't worry, my boy. Nguro is always on duty. He never seems to sleep. The slightest unnatural sound in camp at night brings him up as silently as a shadow. Yes, he seems to move just like a cat. He moves just as quickly, too. Oh, uh, was King Soda? Yes, thanks. I need one after that. What about this body servant of yours, sir, Nguro? He certainly is a tough-looking customer. Nguro is all right. And he's not exactly a body servant, you know. I've spoken of him several times at home, and you remember? Yes, but you've never really described him properly. He's as big as you are and fully as strong, which you must admit is unusual. He's a fine specimen of the warrior. He's a prince in his own right, blue blood through and through. I've had him good over years. We did quite a lot of secret fevers work together for the British government during the war in Germany's Africa. He saved my life on more than one occasion. Does he always carry that great spear with him? Never lets him out of his sight. He calls it the snake woman. The snake woman? Why is that? Because just one kiss means death. That is, unless he wants to prolong the operation. Good Lord, does he do that sort of thing often? I've only seen him do it once. When he fought the man who ran off with his wife, and he cut him into ribbons before delivering the final thrust. Well, it's nice to know he has some sort of feeling anyway. Since I've met him, the expression on his face hasn't changed one job. It never does, under any circumstance. But I trust in Guru with my life at any time. Let's get back to talking about that talking head jack. I wanted to tell you that the chatter of the head is not at all gibberish as you probably think. There's sense to what it says. Good heavens, sir. How can the thing talk of its severed from the body? There's some trick to it. No, I don't think so. And I sense enough not to bother about that part of the phenomenon. What I'm interested in is what the head says. Do you mean the thing actually speaks words? Yes. Jack, my boy, we're on the verge of something that's going to make the scientific world sit up and take notice. In what way, sir? This head speaks the language of the lost Atlantis, or as near to it as anything can be. Well, there's never been a language discovered that was attributed to the Atlanteans. No, as far as you know there hasn't. But you know what my hobby has been for the last 20 years? Well, yes, ancient languages. Very well. About 20 years ago, on my second trip to Africa, I was with Sam Birdie then. But the man you exposed for fraud, isn't it? Yes. Well, we came upon some writings on submerged rocks off the coast. These things set me the thinking. I'd come across other similar markings in other parts of the world. And with all the data I'd kept, I concocted, I use the word advisedly, I concocted a language that might have been used by the perpetrators of those writings. Yes, I know, sir. You've often spoken of it at home. Now, the old witch doctor gave me the head, spoke of a legend, that the spirit of the head would never rest until it was laid in the arms of its own people. I sat with the head hour after hour. Some of the sounds it was making seemed familiar. Then it came to me. It was speaking the language I'd been working on. But all this sounds so. Rightfully fantastic. I don't care whether it's fantastic or not, Jack. This whole thing leads to the native legend of the perfect race of people. You know the myth of the golden race? Superb, perfect men and women. Yes, of course, I've heard it, but I've always taken it with a pinch of salt. Well, possibly you'll take it with a pinch of something else after I've found what I'm seeking. What do you mean? Just this. It's well known that the Atlanteans held a secret, natural formula that kept their bodies in perfect health. And if this head belongs to one of that lost race of people, it's going to lead us to the place where they are. Because it's chatter, according to the language I've been working on, is nothing but directions of travel. Good heavens, sir. Would you trust yourself in this wilderness to a guide like that? If what I am after is at the end of it, I'd trust myself to a headless body that'll loan a bodyless head. Well, it's taking a great risk. Don't you see, Jack? That's where the native legend comes from. The head won't rest until it's back with its own people. And it's giving directions all the time how to get there. Yes, of course, but you'll excuse me for asking you, sir, especially just now, but have you... have you been taking your quinine regularly? Hmm. I see. Well, Jack, if you're going to take that attitude, I'll be forced to leave you behind and go on loan. Then in that case, I'm afraid you'll have to put up with my company. Because madness or no madness, I'm staying with you. Well, that's more like it, Jack. I knew you would. That's why I sent for you to join me. You needn't worry about my health. My temperature is perfectly normal and my pulse quite regular. Nevertheless, I think I'll keep an eye on you. Oh, by the way, we've forgotten all about Lorna. Haven't we better go and see if she's all right? Yes, we'll go now. Oh, good. Me and the old warrior. What is it? Lorna, devil he speak. Missy, she go for beloved. Come with us. He says the devil called and Lorna's gone. Come on, Jack. Lorna, say it quick. I'm with you, sir. Confound that devil. Where's the flashlight? Have you got it, one, Jack? Yeah, here you are. Great heavens. She's gone. Lorna's gone and the ropes on the bed are still intact. They haven't been moved.