Are you willing to undertake a dangerous mission behind the enemy lines, knowing you may never
return alive?
What you have just heard is the question asked during the war to agents of the OSS, ordinary
citizens who to this question answered, yes.
This is Cloak and Dagger.
Black warfare, espionage, international intrigue, these are the weapons of the OSS.
In today's adventure, the secret box concerning an American agent who was sent into a Japanese
infested jungle to take back a prisoner.
The role of John Marco, the OSS agent, is played by comedy star Jerry Lester.
The story is suggested by actual incidents recorded in the Washington files of the Office
of Strategic Services.
A story that can now be told.
I always carry this little box around with me.
I never knew when it might come in handy.
It was about as big as a small lunch box.
Well, to begin at the beginning, I happened to be in the radio room at OSS headquarters
in Bammo that night when the message came through.
Have important Japanese captive for you.
Can you come get him?
Come soon.
Chop a toe only a few miles away.
Again, for OSS headquarters in Bammo from Agent Terry.
Well that's how Harry Stevens and I happened to be in an AT-18 flying over Agent Terry's
position about 86 miles behind enemy lines in Burma.
And like I say, I had this little box in my knapsack.
Oh, in case I forgot to mention it, my name is Johnny Marco.
Snappy songs and witty sayings.
Just mentioned my name in Sheboygan.
Oh, they loved me in Sheboygan.
Yeah, yeah, I know Marco.
Hey Harry, did I ever tell you about my last date in Frisco before I went overseas?
I can hardly wait.
Her name was Rose.
She had a name like a flower and a face like a weed.
I called her cream of wheat because she was so mushy.
Marco, I have but one thing to say to you.
Well, talk to me.
I hope you live to be as old as your jokes.
You know the trouble with you, Harry.
You don't realize you're carting around a million dollars worth of talent.
I tell you they love me in Sheboygan.
In Sheboygan, I know.
That's the city, yeah.
Now hang on, I'm going to take a dive, see if I can find the landing strip.
We had figured our checkpoints carefully.
But when we reached our rendezvous, all we could see was a rough field with a Buddhist
pagoda at the far end.
Nothing else.
No landing strip, no markers, no one waiting downstairs.
Just a rough field covered with brush.
We knew something must have gone wrong.
I don't get it, Marco.
Well, the Japs probably closed in and are afraid to come out of hiding.
Oh, great.
Live Jap prisoners aren't dropped in our laps every day.
Hey, Harry.
Huh?
Who is this agent, Terry, anyway?
Oh, missionary.
He's been working with a tribe of Anglo-Burmese for years.
Colonel says he's already radioed back a lot of information on enemy positions.
This is the first prisoner he's ever taken.
What a rotten break.
Well, look, circle around again.
Maybe we'll see something.
Nope.
Better head back before we run into trouble ourselves.
Hey, Harry, Harry, look.
Look, the brush.
It's being yanked away.
Yeah, yeah, I see it.
Look, those natives.
They're putting up the white marker stripes.
The safe to land panel's out.
Gee, it's like seeing something pop before your eyes.
Let's go.
That landing strip came out of nowhere.
Just all of a sudden, there it was.
The plane bumped the ground and rolled in.
But we kept the motor still running in case of a jab trick.
And we sat there and waited for whatever was going to happen next.
Harry, Harry, look, look, look.
Something or somebody's coming out of that clump of bamboo at the end of the field.
Yeah.
Keep your hand on your gun.
I'll make a quick getaway if I have to.
Check, check.
Harry.
Harry, natives.
Yeah, but are they friendly?
Spears.
Hey, they're armed.
Let's get out of here.
Yeah.
Hey, wait a minute.
What's the matter?
There's a white woman with them.
I am Mrs. Terry, gentlemen.
One would never suspect I was an agent, would one?
Well, what's the angle?
I mean, well, I beg your pardon.
Oh, it's very simple, really.
My husband, the late Reverend Oscar Terry, a God fearing man, went to his rest a few
months ago.
You mean, ma'am, that you're the agent who's been sending all that information to OSS headquarters
in Bamu?
Naturally.
This is Lin Tao.
I suppose you'd call him the right hand man.
Say, how'd you do, Lin?
How you do?
Hi.
Lin, incidentally, sent the radio message.
He does so enjoy tinkering with mechanical devices.
I showed him how to use it.
Unfortunately, however, my husband, the late Reverend Oscar Terry, a God fearing man, was
the only one of us who knew how to take it apart and put it together again.
Lin.
Yes, Miss Terry?
That radio, you have it?
I have it here.
Excellent.
Captain, would you either have this replaced in Bamu with new parts or have a new radio
dropped over to us?
By sure, Mrs. Terry.
I'll see what can be done for you.
Oh, thank you so much.
Oh, fancy.
I almost forgot.
We have a Japanese prisoner for you.
There were about a half a dozen natives a short distance away standing around the cart.
In it they had a Jap officer with his hands and feet tied.
They dragged him over.
Get off.
Get off of cart.
Get off.
He was a surly character.
Maybe I would be under the same circumstances.
Anyway, he didn't say a word.
Just glared at us from under the bloody baggage around his head.
Here is your guest, gentlemen, Colonel Sawaka, the Japanese high command.
He resisted arrest rather strenuously, so it was impossible to avoid banging him around
a bit.
Well, goodbye now and good luck and do give my regards to your colonel.
We loaded Colonel Sawaka into the small plane.
And a few seconds later, as we swung over the field, we looked down and saw that all
trace of the strip had completely disappeared.
The brush was replaced and there was nothing, only jungle.
How's our friend Colonel Sawaka doing, Marco?
Well, he's a little tied up at the moment.
Hey, friend, how you doing?
Friend doesn't want to talk.
You know something?
That's the best audience you'll ever have, Marco, one who can't understand English.
Oh, come on, now will you, Harv?
Hey, maybe you got something.
Hey, friend, did you know that the former ruler of Russia was called the Tsar?
His wife was called the Tsarina?
And you know what they called his kids?
Get a load of this.
You know, I think you're right, Harry.
Friend obviously doesn't understand a word of comedy English.
What's that?
Chap back, they've spotted us.
Can we get away from them?
We can try.
That's climbing, Harry.
Gee, a thousand feet in about a half a minute.
Ah, it's no good.
Can't get out of range this way.
Well, what do we do?
I level off and head for home.
I can't get away from them, I'm just climbing.
You did it.
We're out of range now.
I think.
You spoke too fast.
Trouble?
A flak must have hit one of the engines.
It's knocked out.
Oh, fine.
Well, it could have been worse.
I can get us back on one.
Oh, brother, if you were your sister, I'd marry you.
Oh, you're a big hearted guy, you know that, Marco?
Well, I don't go around proposing every day.
You better go back and see how friend is doing.
When the Colonel's back, you'll be the first to know.
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Why you jerk!
Hands in the air!
Keep the hands in the air!
Much better!
Now I shoot you both, then I jump...
Goodbye friend!
Don't forget to write!
The jerk shouldn't have opened the waste off first.
All I had to do was bank the plane over on its side and we lost him.
Yeah, we lost him all right.
Uh oh.
He shoot open.
Oh fine.
Mission unaccomplished.
Well anyway, it was a nice ride.
Glad you thought so.
Uh oh.
Second engine couldn't take the strain of that flip flop.
Is it conking out?
Yeah.
It cocked.
All right, hit the silk Marco.
We better bail out.
I made it okay.
Rolled over a couple of times when I landed and pulled the chute down.
But it was another story with Harry.
As he bailed out his slipstream caught him.
Flung him back against the horizontal stabilizer and cut a gash in his head.
Miraculously his chute opened.
And he drifted into the green jungle and landed upside down in the top of a tall mahogany tree.
Harry!
Harry, are you all right?
Can you talk?
Marco.
The strap line of the chute, it tangled.
Can't get out.
My head, I cut it.
Yeah, I see.
Marco, get me down.
Yeah, yeah, easy boy now.
I'll do something.
Something?
But what?
I tried to climb the tree to reach him.
But it was no use.
The trunk was bare and smooth and I kept slipping back.
It was as if the two of us were in the middle of a nightmare.
Harry.
Harry, can you hear me?
Yeah, yeah.
I can't climb that lousy tree.
It's too slippery.
There's nothing for me to hold on.
Marco, it's no use.
Well, what do you mean it's no use?
If you waste time standing there, you'll be caught.
Japs all around, you know that as well as I do.
Harry, will you listen to me?
Now you listen to me.
Get away now, will you?
They may have seen the plane.
Oh, shut up. Now will you shut up?
Get out of it with both dead ducks.
I know I am anyway.
Just do one thing.
Marco.
Yeah?
Don't leave me here to starve a fallen a Jap hands.
Maybe you can make it back alone.
You're nuts.
Now I couldn't do that.
Just don't leave me to starve, Marco.
Please, please, huh?
Shoot me first through the head, Marco.
Please.
I knew he was right.
I couldn't leave him.
Please, Marco.
Not that way.
And I couldn't stay.
Marco.
Well, I took the 45 from the holster at my belt.
When I heard the dry click of the hammer being drawn back,
I broke out in a sweat.
My hands started to get wet too.
Marco.
I counted one, two.
Well, listen.
What?
From the looks of it, we are right in time.
Lin Tao and the natives went to work swiftly,
knocking down a second smaller tree against the mahogany.
They scaled it like cats to the base of the branch where Harry was hanging,
tossed a loop of rat tan across the branch and pulled it toward him.
Then they lifted Harry and passed him from hand to hand,
lowered him gently to the ground.
And all the time I just stood there next to Mrs. Terry,
feeling the blood pounding in my head.
And I put the pistol back into my holster.
Lin, that other bandage, please.
Here.
Here you are, Mrs. Terry.
That's a good fellow.
Thank you so much.
How's your head now, Captain Stevens?
Much better, thanks.
I still don't understand.
How did you happen...
Oh, we saw the Japanese at-gak hit your plane almost immediately after you left us.
We came along through the jungle in case they should be need of us.
Lady, no one ever needed you more.
You say Colonel Sawaka escaped?
Dear, dear, what a pity.
Well now, I think that bandage will do till you get back.
Miss Terry.
Yes, Lin?
Lin Tao say leave now.
Do not stay.
Back to village.
Oh, yes, great.
But that poses a problem.
As I told you earlier, our radio is out of use, so...
So there's no way of contacting headquarters and telling them to send a plane for us.
Exactly, Lieutenant Marco.
Well, do you think we can make it back through enemy lines on foot?
Possibly.
Take five or six days anyway.
Yeah, but it could be done, couldn't it?
I mean, we could sneak through, couldn't we?
I pass the Japs, so I don't care.
Can do.
Lin Tao help.
Thank you.
Capital idea, Lin Tao.
May husband, the late Reverend Oscar Terry...
A god-fearing man.
Thank you.
He would approve heartily.
Lin Tao knew plenty of shortcuts and we followed him,
skirting Jap patrols all the way.
There was something uncanny about the way he led us over miles of jungles.
We kept our packs light because we had a pretty long hike ahead.
But just the same, I kept that little box with me.
I never knew when it might come in handy.
Then we came to a small stream.
Ah, Moscow to stream here.
Take off shoe.
Well, wait a minute, Lin. Why bother?
We'll be wading through a lot of water and why take our shoes off and on?
Oh, don't ask Lin, say.
If shoe get wet, feet wet, or time, many saw come on feet.
Well, not be easy for you to walk much distance to Bamok.
We crossed several more brooks and we kept taking our shoes off and on.
On and off.
The jungle along the banks grew thinner.
And so did we.
The sun beat down harder.
The water washed sand up around our knees.
We took our shoes off and on.
On and off.
We'd splash and stumble.
Then start walking again.
Couple of days of this, we were pretty beat.
Except for Iron Man Lin.
Ah, feel good.
Lin, Lin, this sun I'll have to hold up a while.
Ah, we'll rest here near stream.
Hey, this is an ideal spot for a picnic.
Fifty million insects can't be wrong.
Got you first, you little foreigner.
Hey, Marco, got any water left in my canteen's dry?
Yeah, sure, here.
That's all you got?
That's okay, go ahead, drink it.
Lin, is that all the water we got?
Lin, Tao say, do not worry.
Watch.
I will show what to do so you know.
Hey, wait a minute, what are you digging a hole in the sand?
Watch.
First, dig small hole in sand near stream.
Place leaf in bottom like this.
And when water come through, sand and leaf, it not be muddy.
Can drink.
Hey, that's the greatest.
The leaves act like a filter, you mean.
Ah, water is clear.
Drink it with your hand.
Will not hurt you now.
This Lin Tao had a dozen cute little tricks like that.
He'd have been a rioting vodgo.
Well, the next morning we were back on the trail.
Pushing our way through sharp blades of grass.
And all of a sudden we heard the tinkle of an iron bell.
Hey, Lin, what's that?
Escape hook, elephant coming.
Dangerous, villager in jungle put iron bell around neck to warn.
Dangerous.
We've got guns, we've got guns.
Let's shoot at them from three sides.
No, no, no, no, do not shoot.
If bullets not go too high, only make elephant much angry.
Do not shoot.
Still.
The size of them.
Look at the size of them.
It's like being charged at by a six-story building.
Still, still.
Do not shoot yet.
Only if we must.
Phew.
Passed right by us.
Yeah.
Maybe he didn't think we were worth noticing.
You know something, Harry?
One thing I can't figure out about an elephant.
With a tail at both ends, how does he know which end to sit on?
Oh, funny man.
Come on, let's make time.
Lin Tao did our seeing and our thinking for us.
He did everything but walk for us and we got sort of used to leaning on him.
Nothing could happen to Iron Man Lin.
Only it did.
Lin.
Harry.
Harry, he's dead.
That knife went right in his back.
Where did it come from?
They came out of the jungle.
At least 50 of them.
Half naked savages carrying long stalks of bamboo that had been sharpened to deadly points.
Their leader was a giant.
Must have been about six foot seven.
He held up his hand.
And the sudden silence scared us more than the noise.
One.
Don't leave.
What did he say?
Did you understand him, Harry?
Look.
Friends.
Have he friends?
No.
No friend.
Friends.
One.
Don't leave.
White devils.
That was us.
They slashed off pieces of the vine ropes around the tree and twisted them about us so we could just move our legs.
Then they pushed us ahead of them through the great daylight of the jungle.
Through the dim passages of winding lianas and climbing tropical plants.
And above a stray bird shot color through the overhanging trees.
After about a mile the path became a trail.
The lianas were cut away.
We tripped over some coconut husks by the side of a charred fire.
We were coming into the village.
Then Harry saw them first.
Mark, look.
Up there on the poles.
Human heads.
A row of skulls.
Head hunters.
Marko, these are head hunters.
Move.
Come down here.
Move.
Hey, look, Chief.
Chief, you got it all wrong.
Now, now, we're not devils.
We're friends.
Friends.
No.
It's no use, Marko.
American, you are right.
It's no use.
Colonel Sawaka.
I am a great friend of these head hunters.
For I am a great friend of these head hunters.
For I want them of your coming.
Tell them you are Kwan Dhan Lee.
White devils who come to bring plague and pestilence to them.
You've got me right.
It's no use.
Chief, put the devils away.
Deng Kwan Dhan Lee, T'al Basha.
They untied us and threw us in a straw thatched hut they called the Basha.
Through the makeshift door we could see the skulls on the poles.
An endless row of them under the hot sun.
And up the poles streamed columns of jungle ants, giving them an ancient burial.
Looks like the end of the line, Marko.
Yeah.
Hey, wait a minute, Harry.
That chief speaks a little Pidgin English.
He understands a little.
Do you think we could reason with him?
It doesn't look like a reasonable type.
Besides, our friend Colonel Sawaka got to him first.
The tribe's convinced we're dangerous.
Yeah.
About as dangerous as a glass of buttermilk.
A bonnie bucket.
That Sawaka outside talking to the guard.
Oh, no.
We got company.
I trust you are comfortable, Captain, Lieutenant?
Why don't you climb a tree, you little monkey?
Watch your tongue.
Was the most fortunate for me.
I found a way here to a friendly camp.
Sorry, I don't like your friends.
My friends do not like you either.
Think you are devil Americans who bring evil to their people.
Sleep well.
Tomorrow you will join heads on the poles.
In the morning, they brought us out.
I guess we were pretty important because the big chief
came over to tie us to the poles.
Then I got an idea.
I sneaked my hand in my pocket and grabbed a coin.
Just held it tight.
One done lie.
Tie you now.
Hey, chief, look at this.
What are you doing carrying dimes around in your ear?
Oh.
Well, what do you know?
Another in your other ear.
Huh?
And here's one in your nose.
Toba.
Say, you're a pretty good man.
Say, you're a pretty sly character, aren't you?
Regular walking bank of England.
Hey, Marco, what are you up to?
Just a couple of magic tricks if I can get away with them.
I tell you, they love me in Sheboygan.
Toba.
Magic.
That's right.
Toba magic.
Toba.
Now, if you get me that knapsack you grabbed from me,
I'll do more.
See?
Knapsack.
Bag from back.
Savvy?
Remember, we'll do Toba.
Do not listen to Kwan Dali, but offer heads.
Now.
Hey, Chief, look at this.
Look at this.
Now you see it.
Now you don't.
Pesto.
Coins disappear.
Get knapsack or you'll disappear.
Savvy?
Good shot, plume by.
Kuna.
Boy, that coin trick got him and the chief pushed Sawaka aside
and sent one of his rover boys to get my knapsack.
They brought it to me and I took out the little box.
I always knew it would come in handy sometime.
Then the chief held up his hand again.
And I went into my act.
Brother, what an audience.
And what a performance.
Now watch closely, ladies and gentlemen.
The hand is quicker than the eye.
Resto chango.
I take this little glass of water,
just an ordinary glass of water, if you will observe closely.
And presto, it turns color.
You're doing great, kid.
This is one of my best shows.
I tell you, cut off of the heads.
We still.
You tell him, Chief.
Devils is devils.
Go away, little man.
You bother me.
Now for the next bit of magic, ladies and gentlemen.
I pulled every trick in the book out of that little box.
Drew cigarettes from the chief's ear.
Pulled fire.
Pulled flowers out of empty pots.
Yanked a dozen colored scarves out of a single white handkerchief.
And then I broke a stick in half and put it together.
Boy, did they love it.
And now for my final bit of hocus pocus, ladies and gentlemen.
Hey, Marco.
Why don't you try saw a sawaka in half
and forget to put them together again?
I got something better.
As I was saying, devils is American devils human.
Marco, he's getting them over on his side.
They're coming after us.
Maybe this will stop him.
Look.
Look, watch.
Sign.
Sign from gods.
Marco.
Look.
It stopped him all right.
I pulled a bean blower out of the box, blew hot,
and out came a tiny doll dressed in a Jap uniform.
Without his head.
And he floated to Earth.
A superstitious native stepped back,
afraid to come any closer.
See?
Sign.
Japanese is Kwandang Lee.
God say so.
Americans, friends.
Friends.
Doll there on the ground.
Japanese doll.
Sign from gods.
Follow Great White Father and fight Japanese.
Chief, you tell him.
I agree to my request.
He told him all right.
The big trouble we had afterwards was keeping them from tearing Sawaka apart.
We wanted him alive to take back to OSS headquarters in Bamo.
Well, that's the story.
The next day, the head hunters led us back through the jungle with our prisoner.
There's only one thing I'm sorry about.
Too bad Variety couldn't have caught my act.
I tell you, they loved me in Burma.
Captain Harry Stevens and Lieutenant John Marco
safely delivered Colonel Sawaka to OSS headquarters in Bamo,
where he gave valuable information on Japanese war industry and finance.
And so, once again, the report of another OSS agent closes with the words,
Mission accomplished.
Listen again next week for another true adventure from the files of the OSS on...
Cloak and Dagger.
Episode 2
Starring in today's Cloak and Dagger adventure as Marco
was Jerry Lester with Larry Haines as Harry,
Colonel Sawaka, Daniel Occo, Mrs. Terry, Irene Hubbard, the Colonel Raymond Edward Johnson.
Others were Carl Weber, Arnold Robertson, and Jerry Jarrett.
The script was written by Winifred Wolfe and Jack Gordon.
The music was under the direction of Murray Ross.
Today's true OSS adventure was based on the book, Locandagger, by Corey Ford and Alistair McBain.
This has been a Louis G. Conn production in association with Alfred Hollander,
as it was under the direction and supervision of Sherman Marks.
Programs. Get your programs here.
Mystery fans, there's an exciting evening waiting for you tonight on NBC.
First, some listener will have a chance to win $1,000 for solving the case on $1,000 reward.