The_Kachin_Story

Cloak and Dagger is an NBC radio series, a foreign intrigue adventure adapted from the book Cloak and Dagger by Corey Ford and Alistair McBain. Ford also was host of the series. Cloak and Dagger was broadcast from May 7 to October 22, 1950, as part of "a mystery block with several other shows of far inferior quality". The program was sustaining for all 22 episodes

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Are you willing to undertake a dangerousmission behind the enemy lines, knowing you
may never return alive. What youhave just heard is the question asked during
the war to agents of the OSS, ordinary citizens who, to this question

(00:22):
answered yes. This is cloak anddagger, black warfare, espionage, international

(00:47):
intrigue. These are the weapons ofthe OSS. Today's adventure. The Cutchin
story tells of an agent, anAmerican agent dropped behind Japanese lines in Burma,
a story suggested by actually incidents recordedin the Washington files of the Office
of Strategic Services, A story thatcan now be told. The sky hangs

(01:19):
low over Burner in nineteen forty four. It was more than just the smoke
and dust haze that blankets in thedry season. It was the tension in
the air that weighed the clouds downso that they almost seem to be pressing
against the wings of our plane.You gotta reach your objective in a few
minutes, Mike good, I'll tellyou when to hit the cell. You
got everything, yep, radio splies, I'm all set. Why that's strict

(01:44):
jungle down there, thick with jaffThat's what I mean. I looked down
on the towering jungle colored mountains ofNorth Burma. I thought of the small
band of Cutching natives who are waitingto meet. I thought about how pitifully
outnumbered they were behind the enemy.Now they hated the jets, And then,
all of a sudden, I didn'thave time to think anymore. Lousy

(02:07):
jet fighter? What cloud did?He crawl out him? It's too like
to run. We're in for it. Sorry, you're gonna be late for
your appoint brother. What I coulddo with a tail gunner? Now,
hold on the stomach. MIC gonnasee if I can loop and get behind
him. Hi, he's still ina tail. Yeah, he looked right

(02:30):
behind me. He hit or rented. I'm quiet, lousy, I squirt,
you caught him? How better wehit? We all making gotta try
to belly laugh? Can we jump? Hold out for that? Hold on,

(02:52):
watch those trees. I can't pullher up. Fight, I can't.
I can't. I was thrown fromthe plane when we crashed. I
got off with nothing more than aleg that was bleeding pretty bad. When

(03:13):
I crawled back to the wreck,I found a pilot. He wasn't so
lucky. I started to run.I didn't know where I was going,
but I started to run anyway throughthe bamboo thickets. My leg was throbbing
with pain, and I tripped.The pistol dropped out of my hoster and

(03:36):
disappeared into the high grass. Ididn't have time to look for it somewhere
to the north with the Cutchins.I had to get to them. This
was headhunter the country. In thosedays, Japs paid high prices for American
scalps. After a while, mybreath cater I couldn't go any further.

(04:00):
My imagination put Japs and headhunters behindevery tree. I told myself I had
to stop. I told myself Ididn't have enough wind to take another step.
But I changed my mind when behindme I heard a twig snap.
It was someone following, a quiet, stealthy someone un padded cat's feet.
I kept up running into the river. I didn't bother and looked first for

(04:21):
crocodiles. A numbness from my badlegs spread all over me. I could
hardly swim. All I wanted todo was get away from that shadow behind
me. When I reached the oppositeshore, I climbed it under a second
part safe safe, and then Ilooked back I saw the tireless shadow emerge

(04:46):
from the bushes and flicked silently acrossthe river on a fallen tree truck.
My lungs were ready to burst.I pulled myself up again and pull over
some roots and waited. I waitedfor that shadow to catch up with me.
I just laid there and waited.Okay, okay, you win.

(05:14):
Where do we go from here?We'll say something? Won't you stand there?
I probably won't be able to understandyou, but say something anyway I
have to make of warrior just stoodthere staring at me, saying nothing.
I hadn't given anything to have happened. A gun back again, and all

(05:38):
of a sudden I did. Hejust reached down and handed it to me.
Hey, I I don't get it. What's that? What's I cad?
You hold followed this guide? Hewill lead you to safety. Well,

(05:59):
well, now you're talking. He'ssure. And you couldn't look more
surprised, Captain than if the tallgrass potted and you came on a field

(06:21):
of fall leaf clovers. I feelthat whit father, like you turned over
a stone and there we were.What's about it? I thought that might
have following him? It was ahead hunter. I know they'd turned any
American over the Japs for a twopounds bag of salt. Ay. You're
right there on the holy savages thatthey are. We saw your plane fall,

(06:43):
and I sent you here after youwith that message written on the card.
He's the fastest runner in the Kutchinvillage. I'm sorry he puts witch's
care into you. Oh, oh, forgive me, Captain, say,
did I pull the bandage too tightly? Then? No, that's okay.
I don't want it too much.When I think of would have happened to
the pilot, I was lucky.Yes, it was a pity about the

(07:09):
pilots ying this scissus. If youdon't mind, thank you there almost don't.
Now. Then we'll go out andyou will meet the villages. The
women have prepared a special banquet foryou, and that's very nice in them.

(07:30):
Have you been a missionary here inBurma long, father, Oh,
for almost twelve years now, Ihardly remember any other life. These good
natives have all become sons and daughtersto me. We've taught each other.
I speak their language. They allspeak English now I do as well as

(07:53):
I almost. Then I have aquestion, father, yes, I'll come
ying over there. Took ten yearsoff my life, chased me through the
jungle. Why didn't he say something? Well, Yean didn't speak to your
captain, Shay because she wasn't ableto r He was a prisoner of the
Japanese some time ago. They cutout his tongue that other old bandage.

(08:22):
Pleasing, thank you, Colleen.Put more wine in the bamboo cup for

(08:45):
our guest. Yes, I willbe happy to here you are. What
did you call her, father,Colleen? To make it easier for me,
I've renamed many of the villagers.That woman stirring the big ket list
clean and the other beside her bridget. I get the general idea. And

(09:05):
your name is say ah ah,Mike shey a good Irish name if I
ever heard one. Well, actually, father, it's Michael Chicalikov. Would
you mind repeating that Chicagnicov. It'sPolish, I shorten because everybody has trouble
pronouncer. Sometimes I have trouble myselfspelling it. I see, well,

(09:31):
no matter, no matter. Tellme more about your mission. When I
was sent by the OSS to establishradio contact father with the Northern Area Combat
Command in Burman, give them anyinformation and help by cam that is,
with your help, of course.Yes, well you'll find us of great
assistance immediately after the bank which youcan find a place to shut up your

(09:54):
radio. See, how are youenjoying? You mean? My wife never
made anything of text this? Didyou like it? Well? Let me
feel your plate some more. Thanks, that's very good. What is it
we make it special for you today? White bee sweep boy for hours?

(10:16):
Uh, I guess I've had enough. I don't feel right moving you out
of your hot father gosh, quiteall right, I can easily find another

(10:37):
basher. This is the best spotfor your radio. I'll even leave you
the decorations on the walls to inspireyou. Ginger Rogers, that's your favorite
pinupp Well, she's a fair lass, all right. She brightens up the
basher with your permission. Then I'llstick a snapchat of my wife up with
the rest of these pictures. Andthat doesn't you know? When I think

(11:01):
of my wife, will phil littleguilty? Why is that? Michah Oh,
I don't know, thought of hergoing blind, squeezing all the nose
from home in the female wearing herselfsick about me, and all the time
I never felt more free in mylife. Hey, I know just what
you mean. I love this lifein the jungle as well as the people,
my people here. I don't thinkI could ever leave now check Bitherby,

(11:30):
Do you mind if I call you? Oh, Shay, No,
No, not at all, Father, do them not at all? This
jungle home was a far cry froma third flour walk up in New York
and the job behind the desk andthe insurance office. The Cutching Warriors aren't

(11:52):
imposing figures, the short squat withlong matted hair and teeth worn to a
black stub by beetlenut. They leta simple life, eating rice, trapping
wild pigs, the technique they alsoused in trapping wild Japs. But they
were friendly, happy people, andlife for them was pleasant until one afternoon

(12:13):
when a report came in on theradio North Area Combat Command to Agent Chakolnikov
Asian Chakolnikov for the OSS to NorthArea Combat Command. You're coming in clear
A waiting message come in over.Capture of jungle town of Mitchina and its
airstrip is vital to aid a lightadvance in Burma. Battalions of American marauders

(12:35):
will attempt capture. They will relyon your help to get them through the
jungle. Over Agian Chakolnikov the headquartersa small band of Cutchins organized. We
will do what we can, awaitingfurther instructions over Other native armies under Oss
leadership have been alerted. Stand by, stand by. This is imperative over

(12:58):
and out. Well, oh,father, at all, I didn't see
who standing there? You heard?I heard o'sha. This is a big
push, all right. That airportat Mitchener could mean successive failure of the
whole American campaign and Bermit He'll gethow warriors ready. In the meantime,
there's nothing we can do but waitfor orders. That's always the worst part
of it. Wait quite quite,my children, quite now. It is

(13:41):
as I have told you. Whenthe order comes from the Americans, we
will advance upon the enemy. Weleave now, father, catch enemy ourselves.
No, no, no, no, that's not the way we must
work from now on. The Americanwill be our leader. We will do
as he said. We will followCaptain o'shan North area comeback command to Agent

(14:16):
Chkalnikov in Burma. A battalion ofmarauders on the way to Minchina has been
caught off from the main body ofthe column and lost in the jungle.
Radio contact, gone find them andsupply reinforcements. Bovert Asian Chakhonakov the headquarters.
Well to the best we can overNot well, we've waited two weeks

(14:37):
for an assignment, but when itcame it was a beauty. Well,
the problem oshe is locating that battalion. Now it occurs to me, yes,
yes, father, it occurs tome that if they're surrounded by the
Japanese somewhere in the jungle, theJapanese themselves would know exactly where that spot
is. Father, I don't getyou. Well, there's a Japanese bivouac

(15:00):
cless than six miles from here.There are undoubtedly Japanese high command who have
the information we're after. I've gotyou now, father, But one of
the scouts come with me to showme the ways with the jungle. We'll
sneak into that Jap camp and bringone of the officers back with us here.
Lord sure sure to wo my neighborsand will liably get caught. Just
a couple of us can make itall right. Wait till the moon is

(15:22):
halfway across the sky. Then goand the Lord go with you. When
the moon was halfway across the sky, the Scout and I set out back
through the jungle I had come from. Only this time I was a shadow

(15:43):
too, slipping behind the bamboo thickets, cutting my way through a dense jungle
foliage. We didn't talk much,only what was necessary. Jap camp claw,
no good jab camp there I hadset your bushes. Yeah, yeah,

(16:07):
I see all those fires with mustbe some kind of a power going
on center. There were finger points. Yeah, yeah, I see it.
We will surprise and sneak in campfrom there right behind you. Not
duck, cry, not tuck,nice spring, many japs. Okay,

(16:33):
through the bushes, follow me.Watch what snakes? That your word about?
What about the time it's wild boardskimodo? Listen, whatch what snake?
Snake? Your move is? Strike? What do we do? Can
you get him with a stick?A rock gun? Best gun, the

(16:56):
hearers gun, best rock? Nogood stick no? If I miss,
you'd die then then boom and Istood there like somebody who had been frozen,
dumb and stiff. My heart waspounding like a jungle tom top.
If he killed the snake, theJaps were sure to come running if he

(17:17):
didn't. He raised his gun,slow slow. The snake was swaying back
and forth. That snake much dead. He killed him all right, if
we didn't have time to escape backinto the foliage. After that, nothing
was there in my mind. WoreJaps all around us, yelling like crazy,

(17:38):
and lots of guns going, andthe cutching scout fell flat on his
face dead. Then somebody buttered mefrom behind with a pistol, and the
moon went out of the heavens,and the sky that hangs low over Burma
came down and hit him her face. Wake up, American, Wake up?

(18:14):
What happened? Oh? Oh myhead? I am kind of Haiji
of Japanese High Command. I regretthat we were forced to render you such
stormy. Welcome, Colonel Hiaji.Eh you speak English pretty well. Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, class thirty seven. They were Clinton High School, the

(18:37):
Bronx class of thirty three. Wewill get along well. I think if
we make a little trade. Whatkind of a trade you're right? For
little information? I see the Americanmarauders. I want to know their numbers,
their positions, their objective. Idon't know if I did, I

(18:57):
wouldn't tell you God that whip wassimple. We have much more in store
for you. If you do notagree to be more agreeable to our simple
requests, I give you twenty fourhours to take it over, American.

(19:25):
The hot they threw me under wassmall and dark. There was a sentry
postal at the entrance. What Iremember most about those twenty four hours was
the heat, wet, sticky heatthat made my skin crawl and my lips
dry. It was a cute trickthing in my TEA graduate class of thirty
seven, to let the water dripfrom a pipe right outside the barred window.

(19:48):
After a while, it begins toget you when you're thirsty. You
get up, Get up? Kindof ETI three you and I up?
American Up? Okay, okay,get your hands? What's that? Stampede?
Stampede elephants? Oh ying, goodwork. That's one less Japanese to

(20:11):
worry? Is the true where youcome from? What is this? No
time for long explanations, now,lad They out numbered fifty to one,
and we needed heavy ammunition elephants withthe heaviest we could find. Yeah,
but how to tell when you didn'tcome back? I sent a runnerut.
We found the body of this guy. Come, we must leave now.
Yeah, but the information I cameto get that we'll take it with us.

(20:42):
Cutching warriors in this village have agrudge against your people, Colonel Hayachi,
maybe you can tell us why youcannot fight to me American, you'll
get no information from me. Shoeson the other foot, now, huh
So it would seem ying. I'dlike you to meet Ying Colonel Ah some

(21:04):
months ago. He was a Japaneseprisoner. His tongue was cut out.
I'm gonna turn you over to Ying. No no, he can ask your
questions his own way. Go on, take him. No, no,
no, no, get you awayfrom me. I will tell you what
you want to know. I won'ttell you why we hust around and lost,
but tell you I tell you wherethey are. That's more like it's

(21:26):
not talk. Warriors got ready toattack, and a great holiday spirit took
over the village. But we mustcome. We always come, oshe when

(21:51):
our warriors go ambush Japanese. Butthis is crazy. I can't have a
lot of women and kids and oldmen tagging along. We go, we
go, old men, I thinkluck muzzle loader. Women, we do
our Jap or so now wait aminute, when bat'll finish? Women,
cook big party, somebody dear monkeymeat what and serve a type and hot

(22:12):
in the front lines. Nothing doing. I'm gonna see father o'tool about this.
You have your probles, I havemy noy. But we can't let
that whole tribe come along. Itisn't kids play. They'll come with your
life in poor or not oshay,they always do in the mean. Why

(22:33):
look at my predicament jump turner shaitand stole me false teeth? Whatn't I
to do without mer tea? Fatherout told, please, we have much
time I eat. You gave usa map. We know what the marauders
and the JAP attackers are, butwe won't do the many could just sit
me. I'm not just sitting here, chey. I'm trying to find me
teeth. The whole village went along, whether I liked it or not,

(23:06):
and Father Road too came along toowithout his teeth. The Cutching warrior knew
the black trails of the jungle aswell as I knew forty second street.
Ying seemed to be the leader,and he met us through a little known
passes along hidden underbrush, closer andcloser than the spot where we knew.
The Japs had the American battalion cutoff helpless, just what they wanted them.

(23:27):
No one made a sound, andYing held up his hand. What
is it? Ying? This junctionof the two trails. He's not sure
which one to take. That's it? Change, isn't it may don't we'll
split up half us go one way. No, no, no, they're
on to no purpose. The cutcheonchugged their own methods. Why is Ying
pointing at me? He's given youthe honor of contributing the hair from your

(23:51):
head? And what the hair fromyour head? He let me have one?
Ah, thank you, hideot Ying? Why was he trowing on the
ground. We'll go in the directionto hair points. It's not very scientific,
but tirage works. Ah, eightpoints to the right. We'll go

(24:11):
to the right the right father toldthe did work. There are the chaps,
never the marauders down here to thosefoxhorts. Yeah, they're surrounded or

(24:32):
right point ash. So when ifthey held out this long? Our business
there is to attack the enemy fromthe rear and give them battalion a chance
to hit back. We can't attackthem. There's so many of them.
We'll have to ambush. Hey,he's true. I for only I had
my teeth, or you could thinkbetter, gin, some of you others
come here. Listen. The onlychance is to draw them off from the

(24:55):
left is a clearing er. They'llgive the marauders a chance to get out
of them and circlement chap So oh, here we set traps for them.
That's the idea. Panji do makepanji? Panjy? What's that? Hey?
You want a trap set? Whatdid about to witness the cutching secret
weapons? What are they doing?They're wit and those tamboo pools to sharp

(25:15):
peers. Then they'll stick them withthe slangs beneath the underbrush. I'll neither
show you to the trail. Whenthe enemy passes our wile is your ployer,
and the Japanese will dive to thesives. I get it and cut
themselves the ribbons. Very effect,very quid. The natives work quickly,
the women helping them whittle the bambooto raising points. When everything was ready,

(25:38):
I took a few of them underthe left flank, and we fired
and they ran right into what trap. Very effective? Not so quitted.
I committed mass Harry, carry allalong the trail. That's all there was
to it. Well, I neverthought we'd get out of those foxholes alive.

(26:07):
Captain Cherkhlakov, thanks for helping uschase the rest of the chaps off.
I'm glad we've got to help Najor. The cutcheons will lead you to
the rest of the Whites through thejungle, so you can rejoin the main
body of your column. Can weleave now? Oh? No, maysure.
The women would be inserted iRED inthe battle table, busy preparing the
victory feast. Pretty sure of themselves. Weren't they good wives? They have

(26:30):
confidence in their husbands. The feastis ready. They're even dressed for it.
Look at that flowers and their hairand everything all dressed up. One
of them may show a dressed Colleencomb here, yes, father, don't
you? Yes? Father me?What do you got around your neck?
Well, I vow for the victimmy fag teeth. Now you point yourself

(26:56):
another necklation give them back to him. No, I have nothing, shall
listened to me. Here here's somethingprettier. My shop shoot is mad shop
shooter. Mm hmm. Every Americansoldier has one to give to the previous
girly meats. Would you like itso shiny? Driven pretty too? Father

(27:21):
too, you have back your teeth, Captain Shakolnikov, You're worthy of the
name of or shame. The captureof the Vital airstrip and the ultimate conquest

(27:45):
of Mitchener was due to the combinedefforts of the marauders who attacked it and
the Kuchin warriors who helped them andharass the enemy all along the way.
And once more, the report ofan OSS agent closes with the words mission
accomplished. A further adventure in blWar Fairies next week's Cloak and Dagger.

(28:19):
Heard in Today's Cloak and Dagger Adventurewere Raymond Edward Johnson, Carl Weber,
Bill Quinn, Joe Julian Everett,Sloan Inga Adams, Jackson Beck and Jerry
Jarrett. The script was written byWinterfred Wolf and Jack Gordon. Music was
under the direction of John Gart.Today's True Oss Adventure was based on the

(28:41):
book Cloak and Dagger by Cory Fordand Allister McBain. This has been a
Lewis G. Cohn production in associationwith Alfred Hollander and was under the direction
and supervision of Sherman Marx Robert Warren. Speaking do you enjoy a capricious caper
or a melodramatic mystery? NBC offersthree of the best for your pleasure.

(29:03):
Later to day, a giant amongmen, the Big Guy, leads off
with Vincent Price as the Saint closebehind. Topping off this list is Sam
Spade licensed number one, three,seven, five, nine six in the
Elmer Longtail Caper. So listen forthree top mysteries on NBC