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REPEATING
GONG AND AIRPLANE
The
Skelly Oil Company presents...Captain-n-n-n Midnight.
GONG AND
PLANE DIVE
Captain Midnight...brought to you everyday, Monday through
Friday, at the same time...by the Skelly Oil Company, Skelly
Jobbers and Dealers.
(PAUSE)
The Skelly
Oil Company, you know, was the originator of tailor-made gasoline. But now,
here’s a special tip for the fellows and girls who have not already joined
Captain Midnight’s new 1940 Flight Patrol. You’d better hurry up and join at
once because there’s a big adventure ahead. There’s a real job ahead of us,
helping Chuck Ramsay and Patsy Donovan and our good friend, Captain Midnight,
himself in a thrilling mystery. And every Flight Patrol member can take part
in it, when the time comes.
But the thing to do now, is to get started. Because we’re going to have, not
only barrels of fun, but loads of free gifts and prizes too, for every member
of Captain Midnight’s new 1940 Flight Patrol.
Now, here’s what you get as soon as you
join:
(PAUSE)
First, you get your official Junior Pilot’s
application card. And besides that...a burnished-bronze Medal of Membership
that’s different from any club pin or button you ever saw.
On the front, just like on a real Medal of
Honor, are the faces of Captain Midnight and Chuck and Patsy. And also, the
mysterious secret password, that only Flight Patrol members
themselves, can tell the meaning of. But that’s not all.
On this medal, is a three-blade airplane propeller, that will spin like a top. On the other side,
is a face of a mystic midnight clock. You look
to see where the hands of the coin are pointing when they stop spinning. It
helps you decide things like who goes to the store for mother? Or who’s
captain of the team? Why say, you’ll
use this spinning medal a hundred different ways.
But most important, this medal proves
you’re a member of the new 1940 Flight Patrol. You see, only members can take
part in the big adventure ahead, and get all the other free gifts that are
coming. So, you’ll want to join and get your Medal of Membership right away.
But now, and
here’s the best part of all – it doesn’t cost you a single penny! No boxtops, or seals or anything.
Here’s
all you do: Just have mother or dad drive you over to your Skelly service station and tell your Skelly
man, you want to join the new 1940 Flight Patrol. He’ll give you your
official application card right away. And he’ll send right in to Skelly headquarters, for your free Medal of Membership
with the three-blade spinning propeller and the mysterious secret password.
But
hurry now, won’t you. See your friendly Skelly man
and join the new 1940 Flight Patrol tonight!
(PAUSE)
And
now to Captain Midnight!
(PAUSE)
Fortune...good
and bad is helping and hurting Captain Midnight and his friends.
(PAUSE)
In
the upper end of the valley, on the outskirts of the vast Perada
estate, now controlled illegally by Ivan Shark, Captain Midnight and Chuck Ramsay rescued a hard-pressed
fugitive from his pursuers, who, after he was revived, whispered that his
name is Juan Perada.
(PAUSE)
Our scene
today is again with Perada, shortly after he
regained consciousness. Chuck is speaking...
Juan Perada?
Si, señor. I am
Juan Perada.
Juan
Perada? I
see it, Chuck. I see the whole thing now.
You are Major Barry Steele?
Red!
He must know Major Steele.
No he doesn’t, Chuck, or he wouldn’t ask. You, uh...you were
expecting Major Steele?
No, señor. I did
not hope for such good luck.
But you knew his name?
I do not understand?
Well...do you know, of him?
Si, señor. Major
Steele, he was good friend
to my wife, Señora Perada.
That’s what Major Steele told us...
(INTERRUPTS) But, Señor
Perada, why did you mention Major Steele’s name?
My daughter, Dolores...she wanted to write
letter to Major Steele. But then...I do not see her any more.
Well, what happened to her?
I do not know, Señor. I am very much afraid I will never see her again.
Gosh, Red. That’s terrible!
Well, we’ve got to get his story, Chuck,
but I’m afraid he’s too weak to tell it!
What you say, señor?
Oh, uh...listen, Señor
Perada...my friend and I wish to help you.
That is good, señor.
I need help very much.
I’m afraid he’s going to faint, Red. He
doesn’t look very well.
Yes.
I feel very sick, señor.
My lips, they are so dry. Please, a little more water.
Yes...quick Chuck, give him some more
water. Tip your helmet up there so he can drink. Hurry.
There you are señor.
(DRINKS) Ahh,
that is so good.
Gee,
Red. That’s helped him a lot!
Yes,
you bet it is...uh, some more water, Señor?
Please,
a little bit more.
There
you are.
(DRINKS)
Is
that enough?
That
is plenty.
Oh
wait, don’t throw that water away, Chuck. I’m going to ring my handkerchief
in it and wipe his face.
OK,
Red. Here you are.
Hold
it there.
HANDS SOAKING HANDKERCHIEF IN WATER
OK,
Chuck. You can throw the rest away now.
Right!
(PAUSE)
Ah,
señor. Now I feel better.
Gee,
he’s coming along swell.
Yes,
you bet. Do you feel like sitting up?
Si, señor.
Let’s
move him back a little so he rest against the trunk of the tree.
All right, that’s the ticket.
Here, uh...get on this other side...
OK,
(WITH EXERTION) I’m ready.
(WITH
EXERTION) Easy now.
LIFTING AND
MOVING
Ehhh...there
now.
(RELIEVED) There, thank you so
much. I feel much
better now!
Do
you feel like talking, Señor?
Si, Señor. I will be myself very soon.
I, uh...I couldn’t help seeing
your back, Señor. You have been wounded.
You
see my back? Then you can guess.
They
look like the marks of a whip!
Si, señor. I have been whipped. Just like you would whip some
beast. But they have not broken me. They can never break the spirit of the Perada... (CUT OFF)
(INTERRUPTS) I can see that, señor. But, uh, tell me why you were beaten?
It is a long story, señor. (SUSPICIOUSLY) I do not know...
(INTERRUPTS) Now, wait...we
are friends of Major Barry Steele. We’re here to help you. You mustn’t be
afraid to tell us your troubles.
Tell me, what do you call yourselves?
What are your names?
My young friend here is Chuck
Ramsay. As for me my name doesn’t matter.
But,
señor, how should I address you?
I am known as Captain
Midnight.
(ELATED)
El Capitan Midnight! The blackness of the night. What a
strange name?
It
is not one of my own choosing, señor.
The name, it does not matter.
The man, he counts very much.
You,
you will trust us then?
Si,
I will trust you. But I must warn you we are all in danger. Enemies surround
us.
Yes.
We found that out all right. And let me
remind you, Chuck. Keep your eyes open.
I’m
watching all around us, Red.
Good.
Your
young friend, Chuck...he is very much on the alert.
Yes, señor.
And Chuck has keen eyes. He’ll see any enemies which may approach.
Good.
Then I will begin.
(PAUSE)
My
name is Perada, señor.
And my family have lived in this valley for many
years. Close to my hacienda, there is a small chapel and a graveyard. And on
one stone, which is crumbling
with age, you will see the numerals – 1 – 6 – 5 – 1.
Blazing
beacons! The year 1651!
Si.
In that grave lie the bones of señor Francisco Perada, who was a mighty general in The Imperial Army of
Spain. This land were given him by the king.
An
original Spanish land grant, huh?
That is right, señor. The Perada family owns
this valley and many others nearby.
It’s
a beautiful place, señor.
No where in the world is there
such a valley, señor. I love it as my family before it loved it.
Well,
uh...when did the present trouble start?
A
month ago, señor, but I wish to explain some.
‘Kay
When I was a young man, I
studied in the University in Spain.
And there studying music was a beautiful American girl. I married her, señor, and brought her back with me to the valley.
She was a very good friend of
Major Barry Steele and his wife. Is that not so?
That
is true, señor...
I see.
I
did not have the pleasure of meeting Major Steele and his señora.
To be truthful, I did not like to leave this valley, but my wife, she had the
desire that our daughter should study in her mother’s country. So I sent her
to school in Washington.
And there, she became well acquainted with Major and Mrs. Steele, huh?
Si, señor. She visit at their home
many times.
Señor Perada...she’s not living now?
(SOLEMNLY) No, señor. Two years ago, she died. She go
on to the better world.
I
am very sorry, señor.
Life is not the same now, señor. But then...we must all be brave. I still have my
beautiful Delores. But now she too is gone.
(SURPRISED)
You...you mean she’s dead?
I do not know. But if they
have made her suffer as I have. I hope, señor, she
is dead.
Well,
who do you mean by “they?”
I am coming to that. About a
month ago we had visitors in this valley. A thing, which is very rare.
Who were these visitors?
They
were Americanos, señor,
like yourself. But they were different...(WITH EMPHASIS) very different. You are good and
honorable, but they...they are fiends!
Well, uh, just a minute. How did these visitors arrive?
They
arrive from the air, señor, just as you.
Uh!
They had an airplane with a
big cabin. And they come down and land and they say they had the engine
trouble.
Uh, oh! They pretended to have a forced landing.
Si.
That is the name they call it. So, since they say they are Americanos, I make them come into my hacienda. I treat
them as the honored guests.
What
were their names?
Their names, señor? I remember
that very well. There was a father and his daughter. He says his name is Señor Douglas Chadwick and she is the Señorita
Chadwick.
Blazing beacons, Red! That was Ivan Shark and his daughter Fury!
Yes,
Chuck, I’m sure of it.
When I see who fly the black
plane, I am very much afraid! I do not
think you will help me. But then, when you fire the gun at my enemies...my
hope becomes very strong!
Well, you
see, señor, this black plane is not the one we came
in. (PAUSE) Uh, but never mind I’ll explain that to you L
later.
Very good, señor.
I will go ahead with my
story...
Yes, please do.
I raise
the very big herds of cattle. Thousands upon thousands. This Señor Chadwick...he becomes very much interested in my
cattle, and he likes this valley very much.
The dirty crook.
We always
have some trouble, señor. There are bad men in
these mountains...and they sometimes stealing my
cattle. So, señor Chadwick, he tells me I should
guard my cattle with airplanes.
So, you bought some airplanes?
Si. This señor
Chadwick, he says he has the connections. He can buy the airplanes for me. So
I signed a contract with him. Also this señor
Chadwick, he has the radio in his airplane, he send the order for me.
Yeah, this is running true to
form, Chuck. Sounds just like one of Ivan Shark’s tricks.
And then, very soon, the
airplanes arrive. There are very many pilots and very many mechanos. But these men are very bad, señor. I look at them and I know, and my heart becomes very troubled.
And
you had good cause to be...Well, then what happened?
These señor
Chadwick, he’s very clever. Some of my people talk and he finds out I have a
fortune, besides the lands and cattle.
Well,
what kind of a fortune? That is, if I may ask?
I will tell you, señor, because I can trust you. This fortune is in
precious stones of great richness.
Did
Chadwick get hold of ‘em?
No,
señor! That
is why you see the marks of the whip upon my back! He does not know and he
never will. But you are my friend, I will tell you...
(INTERRUPTS) No, no, no!
Please señor Perada.
Don’t tell me. Keep it always to yourself.
Si, señor. Perhaps that is better
after all.
Now, um, what did Chadwick
do? He was your guest. Well, how did he...
That, I will tell you. When I
signed the contract with señor Chadwick, I trust
what he says. I do not read all the words carefully. But after the airplanes arrive, he comes to
me
and demands a big sum of money. A hundred times bigger than I have
agreed to. Then he shows me the contract. And I see I’ve been tricked.
Can
you imagine that?
Then I lose my temper. I say,
“you dog of an Americano, you get out! You take your airplanes and you go!
And do not come back again!”
Yes,
and then?
His men, they seize me. My
daughter Delores, she disappeared. This señor
Chadwick, he tells me Delores will be |