 Welcome again to the inner sanctum. I'm Raymond, your host. Come in, won't you, and sit down? Very nice to see so many of you here. People who believe in black magic, haunting and ghosts. Oh, you don't believe in them? Our story tonight is about some sailors who didn't believe in them either. But it didn't take very long to find out that such things did exist. That they were wrong, dead wrong. Inner sanctum mysteries brings you one of Broadway's and radio's best-known stars, Arthur Vincent. Tonight, Mr. Vincent appears as Captain B, the in-dead reckoning, an original radio drama by Robert Newman. When you have that all-in-down-and-out feeling, you may be a victim of irregularity. Then you can help restore your usual cabin figure by taking one or two Carter's little liver pills with a glass of water when you go to bed tonight. Carter's little liver pills help you feel better by providing remarkable two-way relief. Relief you cannot expect from a simple toxicity below. Here's what happens. First, Carter's little liver pills wake up the flow of a vinyl digestive tube, and they do this usually within 30 minutes after taking. Second, they help restore regularity. If there's two-way reliefs that work so fast and so differently, they help you feel up on your toes again. So don't go on feeling way below par when you can get this kind of relief with Carter's little liver pills. Get a box from your druggist now, only 25 cents. And now I think we're ready. Ready to begin as weird and eerie a tale as I've ever made a sailor wish he'd never seen saltwater. A story of something that came out of a fog, the drag meant that there's a watery grave. So if your nerves are good and you're not afraid of nightmares, then turn down the lights and listen to dead reckoning. The great banks would fly off our eastern seaboard with perilous waters. Trotters throughout most of the year by heavy fog. Flipping through the thick gray fog. The fog on wailing like a lost soul. The small, cramped sea mist. It is late afternoon. There are two men on the bridge. Suddenly, the door of the wheelhouse opens. Afternoon, Mr. Ross. Afternoon, Kevin. Well, this film is pretty dirty, eh? That's thicker than ever. You got lookout posted? That's the one man in the bow and one of us. Good. I've been sailing these waters for 20 years and I'm never really happy till I'm off the bank. I know, sir. I guess it's the fog. But knowing what's ahead of you, it's likely to come out of it. Something's ahead, sir. Just off the port bow. What? Where? That is the school. It's almost dead ahead. Put your helm over hard. Hard over it, sir. I was just there at the half-minute we'd have cut her in two. Oh, how are you, lovers? Nothing's done to the matter with you. Why aren't you sounding a fog horn? Something doesn't seem to be the matter, sir. There's no one in the wheel. Yes, you're right. No one at the wheel, no one on deck. Look there. A distress signal. You'd better look into this. Half feet of stern. Half feet of stern, sir. What do you think it is? Maybe you'd better lower a boat, Mr. Rossin. There is someone aboard it, sir. Look, just coming up from below. Right, Scottie's dived overboard. He's swimming this way. Up-forward, Mr. Rossin, heat my line. And when you get him on board, bring him up here. There he is, Captain. And a rocky. I hanged up with that before we call him on board. I'm all right. Listen, Captain, get away from here fast. Get away? What about the school that you jumped off? Dead. Every last man. Dead? I'm the only one left alive. Dead or what? That scene got them. Went after another. That crazy thing from the sea. If I hadn't locked myself in the galley, it would have... I'm sure you'd better lower a boat. Take a look, Mr. Rossin. No, no, no, you fools. Don't you realize that it's still there in the room? Don't you realize? Oh, here, catch him on. I've got it. Good. Oh, I can try to get him out of my cabin. Oh, I'll put him in my bus, the headset. Maybe we'll shot. Maybe not in his headset? I don't know. It might be all imagination. On the other hand, we should investigate. I'll take a boat over and see what I can see. Oh, man, what a rush. Here's the name, sir. The C-3. Grab that line and make it fast. Aye, aye, sir. That's the ticket. I'll hold a steady man while Garson and I climb on board. You want me to come with you, sir? No, I'll be able to search it that much more quickly. You're afraid of it. I don't know, sir. I mean... Come on. We've still got all those fields, sir. And everything's batten down. Just as if there was nothing wrong. Aye, anybody around? Aye. What's the need of that, sir? If there was anybody down there, wouldn't they answer it? Or the sex, or the plague, or something. They'll sit down here, too. Those... Still under all the books? That must be the galley. Take a look at that, Garson. Nothing in here, either. I'm still on the stove like the cook had just been fixed in slippers. Couldn't it be the pirates? There had been a lake, a crew taking care of the boats because they thought she was sinking. She's not riding as if she was waterlogged. Let's get out of here, sir. Hey, what are you so jumpy about? Jumpy? Who's jumpy? He's just a... Well, suppose I am. A crew don't abandon ship out in the middle of the banks for no reason. No, that's true. They don't. I'd give it funny to know what that reason was. Well... Well, okay, Garson, come on. Let's get back to the ship. It's in place and everything is so properly before we get on the way, man. Right where we will. What'd you find out? Nothing, sir. Nothing? No, what do you mean? That's that, sir. We didn't find out a pleasant thing. They looked her over from stem to stern. Everything was ship-shaped. There seemed to be a single reason why they should have abandoned her. But there wasn't a soul on board. Strange? Probably strange. Well, that's going inside to see if our friends come through yet, Garson. They signed us for that. Oh, yeah, now let me help you. Yeah. I'm sure you're all right now. Thank you a little bit, Garson. I guess that was in Washington. I thought I was. You'll be like that tomorrow. I'll forget it. What's your name? Fanny, sir. Joe Fanny. Fanny, yes. Excuse me, sir. Are we underway now? Yeah, it's just got started. Why? Oh, it's a schoolman. We're away. Then we're away from the cursed ship, the H up here on B. You hadn't come along when you did. We'll have to spend one more night on board that ship. Easy, Fanny. Easy. There's nothing to worry about now. The road began two nights ago. We put an ad on this. Out on the bank. We're fishing. We're fishing. We're about three weeks. Food's just starting back to port when the water went funny. Funny? No. Turned salty and red. Red is blood. Plus, erosion in your tank. That's what we thought at the time. But that night, men started disappearing. What? Erring? Captain bastard himself was the worst. I left him at the wheel. I went below to get some growth. When he came back on deck, he was gone. Gone? Gone where? We didn't know. We went back looking for him. We never found him. The students were late to go over to the next trick of the wheel. It was time to change watches. We found that he was gone too. What are you getting at? The truth. Well, we figured we could still make port even though we were shorthanded. Anyway, we were pretty sure we'd be off the boat. Anyway, we were pretty sure we'd be off the bank. Out of the park. Out by morning. So that if we blew a distress signal, it'd be seen. But in the morning, there were still clouds all around us. It was like we couldn't get away from him. And the other man was gone. I don't care about that. Just a second, Mr. Ross. Let him finish. And that's the way it went. One man after another disappearing. There was no way of telling where they'd gone or what had happened to them. How did that get you? One man went that way. Another that night. That left only two of us lost in myself. It was crazy about that time. We tried to get together. But we had to have someone at the wheel and we had to weave it. I went down to the gallery to get some hard drink. While I was down there, I heard Larsen scream. I went back to the bridge. And there he was fighting with... with it. What? I couldn't really see it. Larsen let out that one yell. Then went backward over the rails. I stood there staring. And then there was something I thought to be. Something salty. Larsen was trying to take cool of me. I died back down at the gallery. Climbed the door. Right, um... Something had come out of the fog and boarded the school. Something you couldn't see. It got all the rest of the crew and if you hadn't come along when you did, it would have gotten me too. Larsen, if you had anything to eat, Fanny. Don't you have any real rest? About two days. Well, I suppose you see the cook. Have him give you something hot and then go for it and get some sleep, eh? We'll talk about this again in the morning. We don't believe you, sir, do you? Do you think I'm out of my head? Oh, no, no, Fanny. You run along and like I said, we'll talk about this some more tomorrow, eh? Yes, sir. Say it, sir. You mean you do? But I won't be shy when we get off the banks out of this fog tomorrow. Morning, Mr. Larsen. Well, good morning, Fanny. Oh, you feel well enough today to stand and pick up the wheel, eh? Yes, sir. I'm no deadhead. I don't mind working my passage. Good. Fine. Have breakfast yet, Mr. Larsen? Oh, sir. The fog's still so thick. I thought I'd better stay on the bridge till you came outside. Funny thing, I thought we'd be clear of the banks by now. Me too. Well, I asked the cook to bring some coffee up here to us. And later on, the weather starts clearing. Oh, sit it down here, cook. Aye, aye, sir. Anything that matters? What are you waiting for? Yes, for you to try the coffee, sir. Try it? What's wrong with it? It's bad. What is wrong with it? It tastes terrible. What did you put in it? I didn't put anything in it, sir. It's the water. It's grown funny. Funny? Turn kind of red and clear. Cut them, that's... That's what happened on the sea spray just before. I'm fine, buddy. It's probably just rust, cook. Is it, sir? Just rust? Say, salty? I say it's rust. I don't want you to mention this to the crew. Very well, sir. So how are you going to keep them from finding it out for themselves, sir? Oh, I almost forgot, sir. Sparks, Lars, can you give you these? Oh, yes. A radio check in our position. Check it with a chart. Will you, Mr. Larsen? Yes, sir. I'm taking the log reading and working it out on it. Great. Got it. This doesn't make sense. What doesn't? Look here. Here's where I figured we should be, sir, at the bank. Well, and here's our radio position, still in the middle of the bank. Like where we were yesterday. What? Well, that's impossible. We've done it with 200 miles from just today. Of course, that's just by, just reckoning. Just reckoning. That's just what it is. Fanning. You fools, I warned you, but you didn't believe it. You were turning to blood, the ship sailing around and around in the park, unable to get away. That's what happened on the sea spray. That's what's happening to us. Don't you realize what that means? That thing from the sea. It's here on board this ship. The thing from the sea. The thing that can't be seen. It came out of the fog and dragged an entire crew to assume it's taken possession of enough. Yes. Well, the same thing that happened to the sea spray happened again in just a moment. I don't want to find out. Meanwhile, don't sit back and envy the life of the party all that pep and ginger. You may suffer a headache-y sluggish feeling due to irregularity, but thousands of others do too. And many of them shake it off by taking Carter's Little liver pills. Try them tonight according to the directions on the package. Then, tomorrow morning, see if you don't feel you can lick your weight in Wildcat. Here's the sound medical reason why Carter's Little liver pills are so effective. They can give you a two-way relief for sluggishness, something you cannot expect from a simple lack of this. First, Carter's Little liver pills wake up the flow of a vital digestive tube, and they start to do this usually within 30 minutes after taking. Second, they help restore regularity. It's this two-way relief that helps you feel better. Well, how are you feeling now? You have a chance to catch a breath, wipe the cold, perspiration of your brows. Oh? Well, what you've heard so far hasn't bothered you, you know? Hmm... Wait. Just a moment later now, in the three minutes, fill in the bridge. Banning it with a wheel, Ross and Captain Grave staring at an incredulous thing. All right, Terry, you're mad banning out of your head. Well, you still don't believe me, eh? Did the water turn into blood or not? Of course it didn't. That's nonsense. It was just rust, corrosion, and a tank. We're still in the same place you were yesterday, appetizing for 24 hours. No, I'm figuring we're just off, that's all. That wrecking's never completely accurate. All right, Captain. That's the way you want it to line. Well, I wonder what you're going to say when the men start disappearing? They're not banning. Who else is on watching, sir Ross? Who's the lookout? Let it, huh? I'll go get him. Tell him to come up here and take Banning's place with a wheel. Aye, sir. Let it! Aye, there! Hey! Now, as for you, Banning, you'd better get back to your bunk and lie down. Yes, you're sick. And, sir Ross, it never lets you stand to watch. Oh, I'm sick, am I? It's all my imagination. Okay, Captain. Let's tell you right about the war. Our position. What about the sea fray? What happened to my shipmates? The rest of the crew? I don't know, and I can't worry about that right now. I don't think the coast you're out there looking. But I'm not going to have you scaring the wits out of my crew. So if you say one more word about this to any of my captain... Hold on, Captain. I won't. I've got a hunch I won't have to. What do you mean? Nothing except that... Captain, but he's not there. He's... He's gone. Gone? Gone where? I don't know. He was boarded here at 8,000, went up to the bar to relieve Blake. That's the last anyone saw of him. He's not Miguel? He's a fool? No, sir. He must have dropped off to sleep or something. Falling overboard. Falling overboard. That's what we thought about the sea spray when Captain Baxter disappeared. But he didn't fall. He was dragged overboard by that... that sink. Will you shut up, standing here? I won't shut up. What can I say to make you believe me? I tell you, we're here on board this ship and it's going to get the rest of us one by one unless... there's only one thing to do. Take to the boat. Step out to the ship and abandon it. What? No, I know you're mad. Get aboard and stay there. All right, Captain. I'll go. But remember, I warned you. Anything that happens from now on is on your country. Take bells and alls well. Keep where she goes, Garth. South, southward. Aye, sir. South, southward. I'll take the fog. Go as thick as ever. That's the ship's length ahead. Oh, sir. Thank you, your pardon, sir. Yes. Shouldn't we be off the banks out of the front window? I know, Garth. We haven't really made a mistake in our reckoning. According to the radio compass bearing we get this morning, we're still around the middle of the banks. Won't be clear till tomorrow. I see, sir. Oh, by the way, Garth, one of the men's saying about the committee is just staring that way. Why, nothing, sir. Except... Well, sir, we can't understand how he could have fallen overboard with the sea to come. And then there's this huge business of the water turning funny. The sea didn't kind of jump. You thought that too. Hmm. Well, like a small craft. Like a small craft fishing boat, as Becky is off to start it. Tell him we're far out of it. That's Conan. Who's up at the bowels? Look out. Well, what's the matter with him? Why didn't he sing out when he saw us? I don't know, sir. What's the date? What's the date? I thought I told you to stay below, buddy. You did, but... That's Conan. Do you recognize him? Recognize her. She does look familiar. Great. Garth. It's for sea spray. What? Can't be. We're not expecting a 200 miles from here. You only think you want to talk. Besides, when we left her yesterday, she was deserted. But now, she's just out of the park. We're men aboard her. You can see them. Yes, men. But what kind of men? Look at them through your glasses. That's what I'm doing. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. All right. Good, good. Phew. Good. Yes. There we go. You're getting me in trouble, don't worry. They're all just jumping out of hand. Ah, it's all right. There's Blake, leaning against the rail. Blake, look again. It's not Blake. It's Smitty. And look at him, sir. He's dead. Bringing weapon with seaweed in a pair. He was drowned. But he came back from the sea just like my mates on the Seathway. Bless you, Panning. No wonder what you wouldn't listen. Now when you were burned in tip, take to the boat. Now I've had enough of this. Enough of you and your warning. I won't go boat again. I can't. Having one man had another go over the sidetrack to attack me. I'm not going to let him do that. He's rather commit suicide than stay on board this ship. We're not going to stay either. Come on, men. We're abandoned in ship. Fuck, you can't do that. Who's going to stop us? We are. Quick, Mr. Ross. They're gone to my cab. Oh, no, you don't. Stay on, men. I think they're here. Hey, man. Hey, leave them there in the back. If this plastic ship means so much to them, let them stay on it. They're taking us to the boat. Now what happened? Don't you remember? The men had to banding some trouble board. They went crazy. They swarmed all over us. Did they really go abandoned ship? They were last men. We're all alone, just the two of us. Help me up with it, Mr. Ross. They didn't take the life raft, sir. We could probably get one of them over the side, and you mean you want to abandon ship too? Well, not exactly, but after all the two of us couldn't get her in the port. Is that the reason, or is it because you're afraid? Because you're starting to believe in that thing from the sea also. About half and half. I mean, after all, everything that's happened so far, finding the sea parade is added. Mitty and Blake just appearing. Then Mitty coming back. Very well, Mr. Ross. I'll help you launch a life raft if you like, you can go. But I am staying with my ship. Well, in that case, I'll stay with you, sir. Good, man. I kind of thought you would. What's our first move? Up to the radio room. We'll send out an SOS. That's what happens. Right, sir. Even if you do think there's some explanation for everything that's happened, the ship there is kind of spooky now, isn't it? Fog, dead light. What's that? The engine room telegraph. Someone ranked by half speed ahead of me. Why, we're moving, getting on the way. But who? There's no one on board with the two of us. Maybe one of the engineers didn't go. Stay below. No one stayed. I tell you, no one. There's just the two of us on board. And... Mr. Ross, I don't like it. I'm glad to see what Cuda would be behind all this. I don't know what you mean, sir. You listen to me, Banny. The two of my men have been killed. The rest of them are out there in that parking place. Easy, you talk. Tell me what you were up to, how you did it. I'll let you have it right between the eyes. You... You wouldn't dare. Oh, I wouldn't, eh? Give me that gun, Ross. No, no, don't. All right. All right, I'll tell you. It wasn't me that was behind it. It was Abner Dean. Abner Dean? Yes, he told us this idea. Scaring a crew into abandoning ship, then picking it up and claiming salvage. Salvage? Oh, of course. Why didn't I think of that? How did it work? There wasn't anybody on the sea spray when I boarded there. Of course not. Soon as we spotted you, Dean and the rest of the crew got into the doorway, pulled away into the farth until I've used the search for the sooner. Meanwhile, I have two jobs to do. I've been to the Vennico Victoria Conference to ask for your bail and a ticket. And got the chemical into the water tank so it would turn to water red. Then what about the city of Lake? I kill them. I draft a new body over the side with a rope tied to it's like to fall it up again. If Lake can change last while you're cold, blood is in my brain. Listen. Farthorn and it's found the sea spray. They're cruising around waiting for you to pick them up. So there they are. Get ahead. Get to the wheelhouse, Ross. Hurry, where's the straight one? If we don't get her up, we'll hit her. Run them down. Duke, do you think? Yes. I'm afraid she'll catch me. The propellers must have gotten those that shouldn't go down with us sooner. But maybe it's better that way. They say that crowning is easier than hanging as you'll probably find out to yourself. Oh, is that? You knew there was no such thing all the time? Of course, you did. But just the same as I were you, I wouldn't try to stand up just yet with your knees knocking together like that. You might find it a bit difficult, huh? But I do hope you enjoyed tonight's story. Glad to be with you again next week, at the same time. And if in the meantime you should have to take an ocean clip, if while you're out you should run into heavy weather and while you're standing alone on the deck at night, something should reach out of the darkness and grab hold of you. But don't worry. It won't be the thing from the sea unless we're one of the other passengers trying to find his way to the rail. Oh, yes. If you haven't done so, be sure to read this month's Inner Sanctum Mystery. What's Steps Behind There by Mitchell Wilson. Will you wake up tomorrow morning feeling chipper and spry, or will you call out of bed with that sluggish, headachey, what-the-use feeling? Duty irregularity. Well, try this. Just before you go to bed tonight, take one or two Carter's little liver pills with a glass of water. Then see if tomorrow morning isn't rosy and bright. See if your usual pep and cheerfulness aren't bad. There's a sound medical reason why Carter's bring you these remarkable results. Carter's little liver pills provide two-way reliefs. Relief you cannot expect from a simple laxative alone. First, they wake up the floor of a vital digestive tube and they start to do this usually within 30 minutes after taking. Second, they help restore regularity. It's this two-way relief that helps you feel better so fast and so differently. Tonight, present, present. This is the Blue Network.