The_Secret_Box

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 OSSordinary citizens who, to this question answered

(00:26):
yes. This is cloak and dagger, black warfare, espionage, international intrigue.

(00:52):
These are the weapons of the OSS. In today's adventure, the secret
Box concerning an American agent was sentinto a Japanese infested jungle to take back
a prisoner. The role of JohnMarco, the OSS agent, is played
by comedy star Jerry Lester. Thestory is suggested by actual incidents recorded in
the Washington files of the Office ofStrategic Services, a story that can now

(01:19):
be told. I always carry thislittle box. I never knew when it
might come in handy. It wasabout as big as a small lunch boxer.
Well, to begin at the beginning, I happen to be in the
radio room at OSS headquarters in Bamothat night when the message came through important

(01:46):
chap on these captif for you canyou come get him? Come soom chop,
but only hullo mar away Okayama TomohnTerry. So that's how Harry Stevens

(02:20):
and I happened to be in aneighty eighteen flying over Agent Terry's position about
eighty six miles behind enemy lines inBurma. And like I say, I
had this little box in my knapsack. Oh oh, in case I forgot
to mention it. My name isJohnny Marco Snappy songs and what are he
sayings? Just mentioned my name inSheboygan. Oh they loved me in Sheboygan.

(02:43):
Yeah, yeah, I know.Hey, Harry, did I ever
tell you about my last dayton Friscobefore I went overseas? I can hardly
wait. Her name was Rose.She had a name like a flower and
a face like a weed. Icalled her cream a weed because she was
so mushy. Marco, I havebut one thing to say to you.
Well, talk to me. Ihope you'll live to be as old as

(03:04):
your jokes. You know the troublewith you, Harry. You don't realize
you're carting around a million dollars worthof talent. I tell you they love
me and your boy I in thecity, But hang on, I'm gonna
take a dive see if I canfind a landing strip. We had figured

(03:30):
our checkpoints carefully, but when wereached our rendezvous. All we could see
was a rough field with a Buddhistpagoda at the fire end. Nothing else,
no landing strip, no markers,no one waiting downstairs. Just a
rough field covered with brush. Weknew something must have gone wrong. I
don't get if Marco. Well,the jap's probably closed in and they're afraid

(03:53):
to come out of hiding. Ohgreat, live jab Prisoners aren't dropped in
our laps every day. Hey,Harry, huh this agent Terry anyway?
Oh missionary. It's been working witha tribe of Anglo Burmese for years.
Colonel says he's already radioed back alot of information on enemy positions. This
is the first prisoner he's ever taken. What a rotten break. Will look

(04:13):
circle around again, maybe we'll seesomething. No better, head back before
we run into trouble ourselves. HeyHarry, Harry, Look look the brush
it's being yanked away. Yeah,yeah, I see it. Look those
natives they're putting up the white Marcusstripes, the safety land panels out.
It just like seeing something pumped beforeyour eyes. Let's go. And landing

(04:42):
strip came out of nowhere, justall of a sudden there it was.
The plane bumped the ground and rolledin, but we kept the motors 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 out ofthat plump of bamboo at the end of
the field. Keep your hand onyour gun. I'll make a quick getaway

(05:06):
if I have check. Check Harry, Harry, natives. Yeah, but
are they friendly spears? Hey thearm let's get out of here. Yeah.
Hey, wait a minute, there'sa white woman with him. I

(05:29):
am missus Terry. Gentlemen, onewould never suspect I was a Natron two
A one. Well what's the angle? I mean, well, I beg
your part. Oh it's very simple. Really, My husband, the late
Reverend Oscar Terry of God Killing Man, went to his rest a few months
ago. You mean, man thatyou're the agent who's been sending all that

(05:49):
information to OSS headquarters in Bambo.Naturally, this is Lynn Tau. I
suppose you'd call him the right handman. Say how'd you do? Lynn?
How you hi? Lynn incidentally sentthe radio message. He does so
enjoy tinkering with mechanical devices. Ishowed him how to use it. Unfortunately,

(06:11):
however, my husband, the latereferend Oscar Terry, a god fearing
man, is the only one ofus who knew how to take it apart
and put it together again. Lynn, Yes, miss Tarring, that radio
you have it? I have ithere, excellent captain. Would you either
have this replaced in Bambo with newparts or have a new radio dropped over

(06:32):
to us by sure, missus Terry. I'll see what can be done for
you. Oh, thank you somuch, Oh Fancy, I almost forgot.
We have a Japanese prisoner for you. About a half a dozen natives
a short distance away standing around thecart in it. They had a jab
officer with his hands and feet tight. They dragged him over. He was

(07:00):
a surly character. Maybe I wouldbe under the same circumstances. Anyway.
He didn't say a word, justglared at us from under the bloody bandage
around his head. Here is yourguest, gentlemen, Colonel Siwaka, the
Japanese High Command. He resisted arrestrather strenuously, so it was impossible to

(07:21):
avoid banging around a bit. Well, goodbye, now, good luck.
Do give my regards to your colonel. We loaded Colonel Slowaka into the small
plane and a few seconds later,as we swung over the field, we

(07:46):
looked down and saw that all traceof the strip had completely disappeared. The
brush was replaced and there was nothingonly jungle. How's our friend, Colonel
Slowaka doing, Marco? While he'sa little tight up at the moment?
Hey friend, how you doing?Friend doesn't want to talk? You know

(08:07):
something, that's the best audience you'llever have, Marco. One who can't
understand English? Oh come on now, will your hair? Hey? Maybe
you got something? Hey friend?Did you know that the former ruler of
Russia was called the tzar His wifewas called the Czarina? And you know
what they call his kids? Geta load of this tzardines? Yeah,

(08:35):
you know? I think you're right, Harry. Friend obviously doesn't understand a
word of comedy English. Oh what'sthat? Chat? Backack? They've spotted
us. Can we get away fromthem? Now? We can try.
That's climbing, Harry, to youa thousand feet in about a half a
minute. It's not good hacking outof rage? That's way. Well,

(08:56):
what do we do? I'll leveloff and head for home. I can't
get away from him just climbing.You did it. We're not arranged now.
I think I just spoke too fast. Trouble Black must have hit one
of the engines. It's not Johnall fine that it could have been worse.
I can get us back on one. Oh brother, if you or

(09:20):
your sister i'd marry. Oh you'rea big hearted guy. You know that.
Marco. Well, I don't goout for rosing every day. You
better go back and see how friendis doing. When the Colonel Somaka doing
extreme well, thank you keep meyour hands on the flying instruments, a
captain, hey, and you,lieutenant, keep me your hands and their

(09:41):
way in there. I thank you, Oh you dirty dog face. You
spoke English all the time enough totell you that if you do not as
you are told, I put theboy through your heads. I thank you,
lieutenant for being gone with you easierreach you do anything more that he's
got a talk just to continual tofly a plane. So Harry kept the

(10:09):
plane steady, his back to ourfriend, and I just stood there and
watched Colonel Siwaka as he manipulated theparachute and buckle it on, changing the
gun from one hand to the otheras he put his arms through the straps
of the choote. Then he openedthe handle of the waist door. I
we say good bye now it wason a pleasant to ride. Why you

(10:31):
had it in their keep my handsin the air much better now I shoot
you both. Then I tuk down. Goodbye, friend, don't forget to
ride. Jerk. Should have openedthe waistoff first. All I had to
do was bank the plane over onits side and we lost. Yeah,

(10:52):
we lost him all right? Ohhe shoot open? Oh fine? Uh
mission unaccomplished. Well anyway, itwas a nice ride. Glad you thought.
Uh, second engine couldn't take thestrain of that flip flop was punking
out? Yeah, it cut allright, hit the silk MARKO, we

(11:13):
better bail out. I made itokay, rolled over a couple of times
when I landed and pulled the shootdown. But it was another story with
Harry. As he bailed out,his slipstream caught him, flung him back

(11:33):
against the horizontal stabilizer and cut agash in his head. Miraculously, his
shoot open and he drifted into thegreen jungle and landed upside down in the
top of a tall mahogany tree.Harry, Harry, are you all right?
Can you talk? Marc scribline ina shoe? It tangled, kick

(11:56):
it out my head, cut it, yeah, I see Barco. Get
me done. Yeah, yeah,easy boy. Now I'll do something something.
But what I tried to climb thetree to reach them, but it
was no use. The trump wasbare smooth. I kept slipping back.

(12:20):
It was the two of us werein the middle of a nightmare. Harry,
Harry, can you hear me?Yeah? I can't climb that lousy
tree. It's too slippery. There'snothing for me to hold on. Marco.
It's no use. Well, ohwhat do you mean? It's no
use? No waste time standing there. You'll be caught. Jap's all around.
You know that as well as I. Harry. When you're listening now,

(12:41):
you're listening to me, get awaynow, will you? They may
have seen the place. Shut upnow when you're shut it out of a
boat dead ducks, I know Iam. Anyway, Just do one thing,
Marco. Yeah, don't leave mehere to start or falling the jeff
heads. Maybe you can, Icould back along. You're nuts now,
I couldn't do that. Just don'tleave me to starve. Marker, please,

(13:05):
please, Huh showed me first throughthe head, Marker. Please.
I knew he was right. Icouldn't leave him, please, Marker,
not that way, and I couldn'tstay well. I took the forty five
from the holster at my belt.When I heard the dry click of the

(13:28):
hammer being drawn back, I brokeout in a sweat. My hands started
to get wet. Marcle. Icounted one, two, and the looks
of it, we are right intime, Glynn towing. The natives went

(13:50):
to work swiftly knocking down a second, smaller tree against the mahogany. They
scaled it like cats to the baseof the branch where Harry was hanging,
tossed a loop of rattan across thebranch and pulled a torrent. Then they
lifted Harry and passed him from handto hand and lowered him gently to the
ground. And all the time Ijust stood there next to missus Terry,

(14:11):
feeling the blood pounding in my head. And I put the pistol back into
my holster. Then that of thebandage. Please here here you are,
miss Terry. That's a good fellow. Thank you so much. How's your
head now, Captain Stevens, muchbetter thing. I still don't understand.

(14:33):
How did you have saw the Japaneseact gut hit your plane almost immediately after
you left us. We came alongwith the jungle in case this should be
need of us. Lady, noone ever needed you more, you say,
Colonel Silwalker, escape de deer forthe pity he now I think that

(14:54):
bandage will do. Do you getback Miss Terry? Yes? Lynn,
Lynn say leave now? Do notstay back to Oh? Yes, great,
but that poses a problem. AsI told you earlier, our radio
is out of use, so there'sno way of contacting headquarters and telling them
to send a plane for us,exactly, Lieutnant Marco, Well do you

(15:15):
think we can make it back throughenemy lines on foot? Possibly take five
or six days anyway? No,but it could be done, couldn't it.
I mean we could sneak through.Couldn't we by passed the JAP So
I don't can't do? Blynd Car, help take your capitalize your Lynn Tau
My husband, the late repend OscarTerry, a god fearing man, Thank

(15:39):
you, he would approve heartily.Lynn taw knew plenty of shortcuts and we
followed him, skirting JAP patrols allthe way. There was something uncanny about
the way he let us over milesof jungles. We kept our packs light

(16:03):
because we had a pretty long hikeahead, but just the same, I
kept that little box with me.I never knew when it might come in
handy. Then we came to asmall stream, ah Moscow stream. Here
take off shore. Well wait aminute, then why bother? We'll be
wading through a lot of water,and why take our shoes off and on?

(16:25):
But do Ashlyn say if she getwet feet wet or time many saw
come on feet, we'll not beeasy for you to walk much distance to
Obama. We crossed several more brooks, and we kept taking our shoes off
than not, on and off.The jungle along the banks grew thinner,

(16:48):
and so did we. The sunbeat down harder, the water washed stand
up around our knees, the shoesoff, the nih on off. We'd
splash him and that's stumping, andthen start walking again. A couple of
days of this, we're pretty beatexcept for Iron Man. N Ah,

(17:12):
feel good, Linden. Then thesun had to hold up a while.
We'll rest here near scream. Hey, this is an ideal spot for a
picnic. Fifty million insects can't berough. Got your first, you little
foreigner. Marca got in the water, left my canteens dry. Yeah,
sure, here it's all you got. It's okay, go ahead right when

(17:36):
the swallow water we could when Docsay, do not worry, watch,
I will show what to do.So you know, hey, wait a
minute, what are you taking thehole in the sand? Watch first dick
small hall in sand near stream waysleave in bombed ikeys Now I water come

(17:56):
to shine and leave it not bemuddy. Can drink Hey, that's the
greatest. The leaves act like afielder. Our water is clear. Uh,
drink with your hand. Will nothurt you. Now this lind Tao
had a dozen cute little tricks likethat, he'd have been a riot and

(18:17):
voda. Well. The next morningwe 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.Helen, what's that escape book? Elephant
coming? Thank to us, Villayour in jungle put iron feller on neck
to one. Thanks to us.Guns We've got guns let's shoot at shoot,
yeah, but left not go toohide only let the elephant much anyway,

(18:41):
Do not sooth still the size ofthem. Look at the size of
them. It's like being charged atby a six story Still do not shoot
yet, or only if we mustshot, passed right by it. Yeah,
maybe he didn't think we were worthnoticing. You know something, Harry,

(19:04):
One thing I can't figure out aboutan elephant with a tail at both
ends. How does he know whichend to sit on? Funny man,
Come on, let's make time.Lynn Tau did our seeing and our thinking
for us. He did everything butwalked for us, and we got sort
of used to leaning on. Nothingcould happen to iron man Lynn. Only

(19:26):
it did, Lynn, Lynn.Harry, Harry, he's dead. That
knife went right in his back.Where did it come from? What?
They came out of the jungle,at least fifty of them, half naked
savages, carrying long stalks of bamboothat had been sharpened to deadly points.

(19:49):
Their leader was a giant, musthave been about six foot seven. He
held up his hand, and thesudden silence scared us more than the noise
done thee What did he say?Did you understand him Harry, look,
friend France heavy frimpt nuh no friend, dune Lee, white devil, white

(20:21):
devils. That was us. Theyslashed off pieces of the vine ropes around
the tree and twisted them about usso we could just move our legs.
Then they pushed us ahead of themthrough the great daylight of the jungle,
through the dim passages of winding leanas, the climbing tropical plants. The bove
us stray bird shot the color throughthe overhanging trees. After about a mile

(20:51):
the path became a trail. Theleannas were cut away. We tripped over
some coconut husks by the side ofa chidfire. We were coming in of
the village. Then Harry saw themfirst up there in the pole human heads
Rowers calls head hunters, Marca.Therese are head hunters wolf Guang Dunley wolf.

(21:17):
Hey, look, chief, Chief, you got it all wrong.
Now now we're not devils, we'refriends. Friends. No, it's American.
You are right, it's no yours, Colonel Swagger. I am a
great the friends of these ahead,the hunters, so I want them a
your coming. Told them you arequan Dunlee, what devils? Who come

(21:41):
to bring a plague and the questionand stood them jeef, what the devils
away? Then Guang Dunley Bosha theyoung Titus and threw us in a straw
thatched hut they called a basher.Through the makeshift door, we could see

(22:03):
the skulls on the poles, anendless row of them under the hot sun,
and up the poles streamed columns ofjungle ants, giving them an ancient
burial. It looks like the endof the line marker. Yeah, hey,
wait a minute, Harry, thatchief speaks a little pigeon English.
He understands a little. Do youthink we could reason with him? It

(22:25):
doesn't look like a reasonable type.Besides, our friend Colonel Slowaka got to
him first. The tribes convinced withdangerous. Yeah, but as dangerous as
a glass of buttermilk. Lot moneybucket at Waka outside talking to the curt
we got company. I the uare coft captain. Why don't you climb

(22:45):
a tree? A little monkey?Watch your tongue was the most affortunate for
me. I found a way hereto a friend a camp. Sorry,
I don't like your friends. Myweddings do not to work. You eat
it? Think you are devil Americanswill bring evil to their people. Sleep

(23:07):
well, tomorrow you will join theheads on the poles. In the morning,
they brought us out. I guesswe were pretty important because the big
Chief himself came over to tie usto the poles. Then I got an

(23:30):
idea. I snipped my hand inmy pocket and grabbed a coin. Just
held it tight, Wan Dunlee tieyou now, hey, chief, what
are this? What are you doingcarrying dimes around in your ear m?
Well, what do you know?Another in your other ear and here's one

(23:51):
in your nose. Uba say,you're a pretty sly character. Aren't you
a regular walking bank of Englandbaka?What are you working to? There's a
couple of magic tricks. If Ican get away with them, I'll tell
you they love me, Muggie.That's right, Hoba magic. Now,
if you get me that knapsack yougrab for me, I'll do more.
See knapsack bag from back, Savbie, remember will do Toba? Look off

(24:21):
a head? Now hate you lookat this? Look at this? Now
you see it? Now you don'tresto coins disappear? Oh, get knapsack
or you'll disappear. Savvy, goodsharp goom by guma yea boy, that

(24:42):
coin trick got him in the cheek, pushed Swaka's side. Send one of
his rover boys to get my knapsack. They brought it to me, and
I took out the little bottle.I always knew it would come in handy
sometime. Then the chief held uphis hand again mhm, and I went
into my act. Ruther. Whatan audience and what a performance. I'll

(25:08):
watch closely, ladies and gentlemen.The hand is quicker than the eye.
Rest to change. Oh, Itake this little glass of water, just
an ordinary glass of water. Ifyou will observe closely and resto, it
turns color. And you're telling great, I tell you. Cut off of

(25:29):
the hats. You tell them cheefdevil, go away, little man,
you bother me. Now for thenext bit of magic, ladies and gentlemen.
I pulled every trick in the bookout of that little box, two
cigarettes from the chiefs here, pulledflowers out of empty pots, yanked a

(25:52):
dozen colored scarves out of a singlewhite handkerchief. And then I broke a
stick in half and put together.Boy did they love it. And now
by my final bit of hocus pocus, ladies, and gentlemen. When was
it tried saka and have them forgetto put them together? I got something
better. As I was saying overthere, coming after, maybe this will

(26:19):
stop him. Look what sign signfrom God's stopped him? All right?
I pulled a beam blower out ofthe box, blue hat, and out
came a tiny doll dressed in ajack uniform. Without his head. He

(26:44):
floated to earth. A superstitious nativestepped back, afraid to come any closer.
See see sign Japanese is Kwandan LeeGod say so Americans, friends,
friends, doll, they're on theground. Japanese doll signed from Gods follow,

(27:07):
great wife, father and white Japanesechief. You tell them, I'll
he told them all right, bigtrouble we had keeping them from tearing sawaka
apart. We wanted them alive totake back to os S headquarters in Bambo.

(27:30):
Well that's the story. The nextday the headhunters let us back through
the jungle with our prisoner. There'sonly 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 andLieutenant John Marco safely delivered Colonel Slowaka to

(27:55):
os S headquarters in Bambo, wherehe gave valuable information on Japanese war,
in history, in finance. Andso 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 OSSon K and Dagger. Starred in Today's

(28:38):
Cloak and Dagger Adventure as Marco wasJerry Leicester, with Larry Haynes as Harry,
Colonel Sewaka, Daniel Locoe, Missus, Terry Irene Hubbard, the Colonel
Raymond Edward Johnson. Others were CarlWeber, Arnold Robertson and Jerry Jarrett.
The script was written by Wonterfred Wolfand Jack Gordon. The music was on

(29:00):
under the direction of Murray Ross.Today's true OSS adventure was based on the
book Cloak and Dagger by Corey Fordand Alistair mc bain. This has been
a Lewis g Con production in associationwith Alfred Hollander, as was under the
direction and supervision of Sherman Marx Programs. Get your Programs here, Mystery fans,
There's an exciting evening waiting for youtonight on NBC First. Some listener

(29:22):
will have a chance to win onethousand dollars for solving the case. On
one thousand dollars Reward