Sherlock Holmes Speckled Band Monday, November 12, 1945

Transcription

1 Announcer: This episode from the life of Sherlock Holmes will be transmitted to our men and women overseas by short wave and through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service. Petri Wine brings you Sting Cue # Announcer: Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." Sting Up and Out Cue # Announcer: The Petri family -- the family that took time to bring you good wine -- invites you to listen to Doc Watson tell us another exciting adventure he shared with his old friend, that master detective, Sherlock Holmes. And if you don t mind, I d like to suggest something that you might share with your friends; and that something is a glass of Sherry before dinner. Naturally a glass of Petri California Sherry. I say Petri Sherry because it s the perfect before dinner wine. You couldn t think of a better way to begin a meal. A Petri Sherry has a beautiful, inviting color like like dark amber. And for flavor, well you heard Sherry described many times as having a rich nut-like flavor but if you want to learn for the first time what those words, rich and nut-like, really mean, you just taste Petri Sherry. It s wonderful. Serve Petri Sherry by itself, or serve it with hors d oeuvres, or those little cocktail sandwiches. And incidentally, if you prefer Sherry dry, you know not sweet, just ask your wine merchant for Petri Pale Dry Sherry Well, the important thing to remember is if you want Sherry, you want Petri Sherry because that means good Sherry. Sherlock Organ Theme Cue # Announcer: And now let s look in on our genial friend and good host, Doctor Watson Good evening, Doctor. {Coming on Mic} Good Evening Mr. Bartell. {On Mic} Punctual to the minute, as usual. Announcer: Never Keep a Doctor waiting I always say; Particularly Dr. Watson. Ha, ha, ha. Draw up a chair ol boy. Page 1 of 26

2 Announcer: Thank you. Chair move on floor That s it. That s it. That s it. Announcer: All ready to tell us the Sherlock Holmes adventure of the Speckled Band, Doctor? Yes, I m already, Mr. Bartell. Announcer: Say Doctor, just what does this Speckled Band mean? Ha, ha. If you wait until I ve told you the story young fellow, my lad. You ll find out for yourself. Announcer: Sorry. The floor is all yours Doctor. The Adventure of the Speckled Band began on a rainy April morning in eighteen hundred and eighty three. An urgent call from one of my patients had kept me up most of the night before. And in consequence, I came down to my breakfast rather later than usual to find that Holmes already left the house some hours earlier. As I sat there reading the morning paper, consuming my two lightly, boiled eggs, there was a knock at the door. It opened, to disclose a typical example of the British working man; a bag of tools in one hand, and a grimy cap in the other. As he spoke to me from the doorway Foot steps {Cockney Accent} You sent for me Mr. Holmes? I am not Mr. Holmes. {Cockney Accent} Oh beg your pardon governor. But I came to fix the gas bracket over the mantel piece. Oh, what s wrong with it? {Cockney Accent} It s got a leak in it. Page 2 of 26

3 Oh. A leak? Then go on with your work. {Cockney Accent} Yes sir. Hope I won t be disturbing you, sir. No, no, no. That s all right, my man. Don t mind me, don t mind me. {Cockney Accent} Oh dear. Very untidy man Mr. Holmes, sir. What do you mean by that? {Cockney Accent} Well, you can t help noticing the mess this room s in. I heard it say he was tidy as anybody when it started. But he learned bad habits from a bloke what lived with him eh, Doctor Watson I think his name is. You impertinent fellow. Chair move How dare you to talk to me like that. I got a good mind to oh where d he go Foot steps Here, you come out of there. That s Mr. Holmes room. {As himself} Don t be angry with me Watson. What? Slipping out of these grimy rags into a dressing gown. Good gracious me. It s only you, Holmes. Well, Ha, ha, ha... the problem is, well, a, I never recognized you, but, Ha, ha, ha... why the disguise? A case my dear Watson, a case. One of those small problems which a trusting public occasionally confides to my investigation Ah, ha. The British workman ol chap all doors are open. His costume is unostentatious and his habits are sociable. Tool bag is an excellent passport, and the tawny mustache, will obscure the, ha, ha, cooperation of aides. Page 3 of 26

4 But what s the case? A modest little drama of the life in a kitchen. One of those in seemly inconsequential affairs, and yet Watson, the honor of a Duchess is at stake. Duchess? A Mad World My Masters, a Mad World. Ah now I feel a little more comfortable. Let s return to the sitting room, shall we? A strong cup of tea would be acceptable. Oh, I wish you d tell me about the Duchess and life in the kitchen? Some other time ol fellow, some other time. At the moment, suppose you tell me what you know about Miss Helen Stoner. I received a letter from her this morning in which she informed me that she d be calling here at eleven and also that she was a friend of yours. Miss Helen Stoner Oh yes, yes. Charming girl indeed. Well, pour me a cup of tea Watson and tell me about her. Tea Cup placed on saucer Well I befriended her at the time of the tragic death of her sister two years ago. I told you about the case, do you remember? The sudden death of Violet Stoner at an old house in Stoke Moran. Oh, yes, yes, yes. It all comes back to me now. There was a, there was an inquest wasn t there, with a string of stupid ineffective witnesses. Huh, what, Uh, I was one of them. Oh, I m sorry old fellow. Then you were the exception, of course. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Foot steps Page 4 of 26

5 Let me see. I docketed the evidence on the case. Where is it? Uh, my scrap book. Ah, here we are, here we are. Foot steps. Footsteps stop. Flipping through pages of note book. Let me see S, S, S. Slasberry hatchet murder, Lords and Simon. Here we are, here we are. Stoke Moran. Yes. I remember the affair well now. The villain of the piece was Doctor Grimesby Roylott wasn t he? Yes, a dreadful fellow. He s the step father of the girls; Violet the one that died so mysteriously Helen, the one who s coming here to see you. Doctor Roylott has a pretty record. Fifty five years of age. Killed his butler - Calcutta, India. Once in an insane asylum. Married money. Wife died. Distinguished surgeon. Well Watson, hmm. I wonder what the distinguished surgeon has been up to now? Some deviltry I fear. Why do you say that? You remember that Violet s Stoner s death followed close upon the announcement of her engagement. Yes. Well, I met Miss Helen Stoner on the streets a few weeks ago. She told me that she d just become engaged to a young fellow in the Army who s leaving for the Far East. She was very upset at the thought of being alone with her step father at Stoke Moran. Who naturally was hmmm. Doctor Roylott stands to lose a considerable sum of money in the event of his step daughter s marriage. Yes. They both had a trust fund which he administered only as long as the girls were unmarried. That fact was brought out at the corners inquest two years ago. But if Roylott did poison the other step daughter, and I m pretty convinced that Page 5 of 26

6 he did, it seems unlikely that he d try it again. Two sudden deaths in the same household would hardly pass the corner. Oh my dear Watson. You re making the mistake of putting your normal brain into Roylott s abnormal being. Victorian Door Bell Oh, that, that must be Miss Stoner now. Yes. Let me see. It s precisely eleven o clock. Well, let s see what we can do for her. Well, I hope you can help her Holmes, she s an extremely nice girl. Knock on door. Come in. Door open Yes Mrs. Hudson? Mrs. Hudson: There is a Miss Helen Stoner to see you Sir. She says she has an appointment. Show her in please, Mrs. Hudson. Mrs. Hudson: Aye, Sir. Foot steps Mrs. Hudson: Come in my Dear. Thank you. Oh, oh Miss Stoner, I m, I m so glad to see you again. Foot steps. Door Close. How do you do Doctor Watson, and this must be your friend. Page 6 of 26

7 Yes Miss Stoner, I m Sherlock Holmes. Sit down by the fire, won t you. Yes, yes. Please do my dear. Hello, you re you re trembling with cold. It s not cold that makes me shiver Tell me Mr. Holmes, has my step father, Doctor Grimesby Roylott been here? No he hasn t. He saw me in the street. I dashed by him in a Hansom cab, but he saw me. Our eyes met and he waved me to stop but I came here as fast as I could. Very sensible move. Doctor Watson has already given me several hinters to your present problem as well has having refreshed my memorious to the circumstances to your sister s death. My problem is a simple enough one, Mr. Holmes. I m I m waiting to be murdered now. Now, now, now, my dear girl You ll have to be more explicit Miss Stoner. Very well, Mr. Holmes. My fiancé is leaving for the Far East today. When he leaves, I shall be alone with my step father at Stoke Moran. He plans to murder me just as he murdered my sister. Shhh. What makes you say that Miss Stoner? {fighting back tears} Many strange things have happened recently. For instance, he s just moved me into the bedroom in which my sister died. What reason did he give for changing your room? That my old one needed repainting. It didn t need it. But Doctor Roylott did mean to put me in that horrible room. And other things have happened. I.. I ve heard the music again. Music? What music? Page 7 of 26

8 My sister first heard it a few days before she died. I heard it myself on that dreadful night she breathed her last. {break down crying} Oh Mr. Holmes I m terrified! Oh, my, my, my dear, please don t worry any more. You ve got friends to help you. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? {pause - trying to hold back tears} No Course not. Now this music. Does it seem to come from inside the house or outside? Well it it s hard to say. It..It sounds so faint. What s it like? A sort of soft droning sound. Like a flute or a pipe? Yes. It, it reminds me of native music I heard during my childhood in India. India? Hey, oh. Yet another thing that puzzles me, Mr. Holmes. Oh, what s that? My sister s dying words. As she lay in my arms, she gasped out two words Oh? What were they? Band and Speckled. You remember that evidence from the inquest, do you Doctor Watson? Yes, yes, yes, yes, I do. Couldn t make head or tail of it. Ah Band, speckled Indian music. Miss Stoner, do you sleep with your door and windows fastened? Page 8 of 26

9 Yes, Mr. Holmes, but so did poor Violet. It didn t save her though. What did you gather from your sister s dying illusion to the band the speckled band? Well sometimes I thought it was merely the wild talk of delirium. And sometimes that it referred to a band of people. Oh, yes. I remember that there were some gypsies encamped quiet near us at the time of Violet s death. Gypsies, eh? Yes. And it occurred to me that they spotted gaily colored kerchiefs, which so many of them wear over their heads, might have suggested the unusual adjective which my sister used. Miss Stoner, how long is it since you ve heard this strange music that you told us about? I heard it last night. What? So your fiancé leaves today, you say? Yes, Mr. Holmes. Well Miss Stoner, I shall do everything I can to help you. If we could come to Stoke Moran today, would it be possible to see all your rooms without the knowledge of your step father? I, I think so. He told me this morning that he intended to take a late train home tonight. Ah, that s splendid. Watson, out with the timetable old fellow and look up the trains to Stoke Moran. Page 9 of 26

10 Right you are, Holmes. Victorian Door Bell {gasps} Ahhhh That s my stepfather. I know it is! Foot steps {elevated panic level} Oh yes! Yes, there he is on the door step! Oh, Mr. Holmes he s followed me! What should I do if he finds me here? Don t worry, Miss Stoner. Please don t worry. There s a private exit through that room there Watson, show her the way, would you? Come along with me, my young Lady. Foot steps then stop And, and you will come down today won t you Mr. Holmes? Certainly, my dear Miss Stoner. I ll telegraph you the time of our arrival. Good bye and courage my Dear. Good Bye, Mr. Holmes and Thank You. Come along Miss Stoner, quickly! Foot steps. Private Exit Door opens and closes. Knocking on Door Come in. Door opens. Yes Mrs. Hudson? Mrs. Hudson: It s It s a gentleman sir. I told him you wouldn t see anyone without an appointment but he Page 10 of 26

11 {loud, mad} Out of the way, woman! Mrs. Hudson: {to Roylott} Don t push me like that! I m sorry, Mr. Homes. That s alright Mrs. Hudson, you can leave us. Mrs. Hudson: What kind of gentleman does he call himself pushing an old lady. Door closes So you re Sherlock Holmes! You have the advantage of me sir, your name is ah My name sir is Roylott! Doctor Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran! Oh, yes, yes, of course. A charming place I hear, and obviously good for the lungs. You won t trifle with me, if know what s good for you! Ah. Door opens. Foot steps Oh Watson, there you are. Door Closes. Foot steps And how was the, uh the uh, experiment? Very successful Holmes. Good day to you Doctor Roylott. I haven t seen you since I gave evidence at your step daughter s inquest. Yes. Yes. I remember you Doctor Watson Now listen to me you two. My step daughter s been here. I chased her. What s she been saying to you? A little cold for this time of year, isn t it? You answer me! Page 11 of 26

12 I hear that the crocuses promise well. You dear try to put me off do you? I know you, you scoundrel! You re Holmes, the meddler! Am I? Holmes, the busy body! I believe that a man should occupy his time. Holmes, the Scotland Yard, Jack-in-Office! Ah, when you go out, close the door won t you? There s a draft. I ll go when I had my say. Keep your nose out of my affairs, you hear! Oh yes. My hearing is excellent, thank you; and your diction and delivery, most forceful. But time flies, my dear Doctor. Time flies. And life has its duties as well as its pleasures. Good Bye. Insolent rascal! Here! Foot steps. Pulls Coal poker out See this poker? {laughing} Oh, the fire doesn t need poking, thank you Doctor. But, I should be obliged if you d put some more coal on for me. You laugh at me! You don t know my strength! Look! {Noise Bending Poker} Argh There! Your poker s bent double! Throws Poker on Floor That s what I ll do to both of you if you don t keep out of my affairs! Door Opens and Slams Shut Page 12 of 26

13 I had a presentment that he d slam the door. shoo... He s an ugly customer, Holmes. Literally as well as figuratively. Watson, I d be much obliged if you d get your revolver. It may prove to be an excellent argument with the gentleman who twists iron pokers into knots. The fellow is amazing strong. Just look at it! I don t want to appear flamboyant, but, uh, {Noise Bending Poker} Argh, ahh there we are. Great Scott, Holmes! You ve straightened the poker out again. Yes, it was absolutely useless in its former shape. And now Watson, the time table. We ll catch the next fast train to Stoke Moran. Bridge Organ music Cue # Oh, Mr. Holmes, Doctor Watson; I m so relieved that you come. But don t you think that my step father might have followed you down here? We ll have to take that chance Miss Stoner. A few hours delay might make the difference between life and death. It is imperative that we examine this room of yours before Doctor Roylott returns. Anyway my Dear, you mustn t worry anymore. We re here in your house and we are going to take good care of you. No matter what harm befalls you. Thank you Doctor Watson. So this is the room in which your sister died Is it? Hmmm. As much as I pictured it. Uh, Doctor Roylott s room adjoins this one, you say Miss Stoner? Yes Doctor, on that side. The room just adjoined on the other side is my regular bedroom. Page 13 of 26

14 The one that s being so conveniently painted, eh? Yes. Well, let s examine this room. No trap doors or no sliding panels I suppose. Knocking on Wooden Walls It sounds solid enough Holmes. Yes, I think it is. Hello. What s this? Metal Bed Springs try moving bed up/down Are you aware this bed is clamped to the floor Miss Stoner? Why no, no Mr. Holmes, I did not know that? What an extraordinary thing. Was the bed in your other room anchored also? Why no, I don t think it was. Very illuminating. And this bell-pull hanging against the wall above your bed. Oh, that. It doesn t work. What do you do if you want to ring? There s another one on the other wall, over there. Then why this one? Well, I I don t know. My step father made a number of changes after we came here. Yes. Quite a burst of activity apparently And it took some strange shapes. Foot steps. Metal Bed Springs from standing on bed. Page 14 of 26

15 Why you standing on the bed Holmes? I m curious my dear fellow. Ah, ha! It may interest you to know that this bell rope is fastened to a brass hook with no wire attachment. It s a dummy. A dummy? Why? There s a small screen above it. It s a ventilator I suppose. Yes, Mr. Holmes. Step down on floor. Foot steps Yes A ventilator leading into your step father s room Curious. I noticed there s no means of opening the ventilator on this side. It can only be operated from your step father s room next door. I wonder if you mind taking us in there. Why of course, Mr. Holmes. Follow me. Foot steps What do you make of it Holmes? There s devil s work afoot, old Chap. Here we are Mr. Holmes. Foot steps. Door opens. Foot steps. Well, it s much the same as the other room. A bit bigger perhaps. That large safe against the wall seems to be an unusual piece of bedroom furniture. What is it Miss Stoner? Um, my step father s business papers. Oh, yes. Page 15 of 26

16 You ve seen inside it then. Only once, some years ago. I remember that it was full of documents. What s this saucer of milk doing on top of it? Does Doctor Roylott keep a cat? No, but he does have a Cheetah and a Baboon as pets. He brought them with him from India. Well Holmes, a Cheetah is just a big cat. True. But I doubt that a saucer of milk would go very far in satisfying the appetite of a Cheetah. Well, I think I ve seen enough. This matter is too serious for hesitation Your life may depend upon your following of my instructions, Miss Stoner. I ll do anything you say, Mr. Holmes. Anything! Hmm. Is that the village inn I see through the trees from this window? Yes, the Queen s Arms. And your bedroom windows would be visible from there? Yes, Mr. Holmes. Very well then. Watson and I will go there now and obtain accommodations. When your step father returns, you must confine yourself to your room on the pretense of a headache You follow me? Perfectly. When Doctor Roylott retires for the night, you must open your bedroom window and put your lamp on the sill as a signal to us at the inn. Then, withdrawal quietly to your usual bedroom; the one that s being painted. I m sure that you can manage that for one night. Of course. But what will you do? Page 16 of 26

17 When we get your signal, Doctor Watson and I will come here and spend the night in your dead sister s room. We are going to solve this mystery of the dummy pull-rope and the unusual ventilator and the strange music in the night. Bridge Organ music Cue # Announcer: You ll hear the remainder of Doctor Watson s story in just a second. So, I m just going to point out that at any really important dinner, you know, like when Diplomats get together, you ll find wine on the table. Because for years it s been a known fact that good wine makes good food taste better Prove that to yourself tomorrow night by having your dinner together with a glass of Petri wine. If you prefer a red wine for any meat or meat dish, try a Petri California Burgundy. That rich, hearty red Petri Burgundy is really out of this world... Now, if you would rather have a subtle, intriguing white wine, let s say to go with chicken or fish, then, try Petri California Sauterne. But Sauterne or Burgundy, to make sure it s good, make sure it s Petri, won t you? Announcer: Well Doctor, it s a rattling good story so far. What happened next? You went to the local inn I guess and waited for that lantern to appear in the bedroom window at Doctor Roylott s house? That s right, Mr. Bartell. We had an early dinner at the Queen s Arms then, retired to our upstairs bedroom. And sat there side by side, puffing away at our pipes. Our eyes staining through the darkness for that telltale lantern to give us the signal, that there was dangerous work ahead for us. As we sat there discussing the various aspects of the case, I remember that Holmes was very concerned about my own safety. You know Watson, I I really have some scruples about taking you with me tonight. This is an infernally dangerous business. Yeah, well what about that poor girl, alone in the house with that fiend, Roylott? I ll handle the case by myself, old Chap. I m coming with you Holmes. You speak of danger. Evidently you ve seen more in those rooms than was visible to me? Page 17 of 26

18 No, but possibly I deduced a little more, and I image you saw all that I did. I so nothing remarkable except the bell-rope and what purpose that could answer I confess is more than I could image. You saw the ventilator too. Yes, but I don t think it s such an unusual thing to have an opening between two rooms. It s so small that a mouse could hardly pass through it. True. But at least you will admit that there was a curious sequence of coincidences. A ventilator is constructed, a bell cord is hung from it, a lady sleeps in a bed directly below the ventilator... A bed that is anchored to the floor; a lady dies. Oh, I m beginning to see what you are driving at Holmes Look, look, look, look! There s a lantern in Miss Stoner s window. That s our signal alright. Come on Watson, our night s vigil begins. Bridge Organ music Cue # Wind. Footsteps in grass. Both continue under next lines. Bleh. What a foul night. A foul night for a foul business, Watson. Come on through these laurel bushes. It s only another fifty yards to the house. The lantern still burning away in the bedroom window. Yes. All the other lights are out. Including the one in Doc Roylott s room. He must have gone to sleep To bed, possibly Watson, but not I think to sleep. Monster baboon sound Cue # Page 18 of 26

19 Good heavens Holmes! Look at that frightful foot creature leaping about in the moon light. Louder baboon sound Cue # It looks like some hideous child. That s Doctor Roylott s pet baboon. It looks positively human. Yes, probably a great deal more so than its master Shh, Shhhhh. {quietly } We are directly below the window now. This ivy provides a most convenient ladder. I ll go up first. Sherlock Climbing in Vines {quietly grunting climbing up ivy} Careful Holmes. Careful now. Wait a minute. I hope the thing s strong enough to hold us both. We ll look pretty stupid, flat on our backs in the mud. Get a hold of me Holmes. I can t quite get my leg up over this window ledge. Thanks old boy. Woo. Say. Shoo. Now to close the window shutters. Shutters being closed This room looks exactly the same as it did this afternoon. Shh, Shhhh... {speaks quietly } These sounds would be fatal to our plans. Keep the lamp covered, so if the ventilator is open from Doctor Roylott s room, no light will show from in there... That s it. {whisper} Why you carrying that stick, Holmes? {whisper} I m prepared for a visitor that I expect before the night is over. A visitor who ll herald his entrance with faint music from an Indian pipe. {whisper} You mean the music is the signal? Page 19 of 26

20 {whisper} Exactly old fellow. The signal to an accomplice who can enter a room with locked doors. An accomplice who kills and leaves no trace. {whisper} You mean that {whisper} Shh, Shhhh No more talking Watson I ll sit on the edge of the bed here. You sit on that chair Have your revolver ready in case you you should need it. {whisper} I shall. {whisper} Have a lantern ready too. When I shout now, turn the light to fall on the top of the bell rope. Understand? {whisper} Yes, perfectly. {whisper} Good Now we must wait. Perhaps for some time. If you re going to sleep, don t go to sleep. Your very life may depend upon it. Bridge Organ music Cue # Grandfather Clock Bells strike three Cue # {whisper} Watson? {whisper} Yes? {whisper} You re not smoking are you? {whisper} No, Holmes. {whisper} I smell tobacco smoke. {whisper} It must be drifting through the ventilator. {whisper} Exactly. Doctor Roylott s up. Bed spring noise. Page 20 of 26

21 {whisper} Look, look, look. There s a tiny shaft of light, shining up through the ventilator. Flute music Cue # {whisper} Shhhh. {whisper} Listen. There s the music. {whisper} Yes. Heralding a messenger of death. Have your lantern ready Watson. Flute music louder {pauses} Now Watson, Now! Running footsteps Great heavens! It s a snake slithering down the bell rope. Stick hitting on bed multiple times Argh!. Argh! You can t get it with that stick, Holmes. Move out of the way; let me get a shot at it. I m just trying to get it back to where it came! Get out! Argh! There is goes, back through the ventilator! Woo... What a fiendish plan! Flute music Stop {bitten, screams} Argh! Whaaaa! Owwwww! Body Falls Look out. What s that? Page 21 of 26

22 I think the devil has turned on its master. Come on Watson, into Doctor Roylott s room. Door Open. Running Foot Steps. Door Open. Doctor Roylott! Doctor Roylott! Doctor! Doctor Good Lord, Holmes! Look at him sprawled on the bed. Look at his eyes! Yes. And see what is coiled around his forehead. It s the snake! Yes. The band the speckled band. He s dead Holmes. Yes. He s been bitten by the deadliest snake in the world, the Indian Swamp Adder. The deadly fangs produce death within ten seconds. Well Watson Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another. What should we do now, Holmes? We must remove the macabre headgear from the dead doctor and return the snake to its den. Ah and I suggest that we tell Miss Stoner there s no more danger under this roof After that, we can turn the matter over to the local police. Our work is done. Bridge Organ music Cue # Oh Mr. Holmes, Doctor Watson. I can t tell you how grateful I am that you brought me back to Baker Street. Ah, Miss Stoner, it would have been inhuman to leave you in the house of horror and death. We have a spare bedroom, and Mrs. Hudson is motherly and understanding woman. And I can assure you that Doctor Watson and I would be delighted to have you stay with us here, until you decided on your future plans. Page 22 of 26

23 Yes. Of course we will my dear. As a matter of fact, it will be rather refreshing to have a touch of youth about the place. Ha, ha.ha. You re both so kind. Mr. Holmes, I think it s wonderful how you foiled my step father s devilish plans. Yes, wasn t it remarkable example of logical deduction. No it wasn t old fellow. At first, um your mention of the gypsies, Miss Stoner, and use of the word band put me on an entirely wrong scent. However, when we examined the fatal room, I drew the obvious conclusions. The dummy bell-rope, the ventilator and the immovable bed. Yes, old fellow. It instantly gave rise to the suspicion that the rope was there as a bridge for something coming through the ventilator and traveling to the bed. I at once thought of a snake. When I saw the saucer of milk on top of the safe, my suspicions crystallized into certainty. Aw, it was a fiendish plot. Yes, and an extremely clever one too. Exactly. My step father must have trained the snake to return to him when he played the music. Yes. He put it through the ventilator with the certainty that it would crawl down the rope and land on the bed. It might or might not bite the occupant. Perhaps she might have escaped every night for a week, but sooner or later, she must fall a victim. Thank heaven I came to you, Mr. Holmes. Amen to that, Miss Stoner. Page 23 of 26

24 You know Holmes, if you hadn t lashed at the snake with your stick; I bet it wouldn t have turned back on its owner. True old chap. In that way, I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Doctor Grimesby Roylott s death. Ha, ha But, I, I can t say it s a fact that will likely weigh too heavily upon my conscious. Closing Organ music Cue # Announcer: Doctor that was quite a fascinating story. You know something, I m not exactly a coward, but no kidding, my toes really curl when I get mixed up with snakes {shiver} Ooh. Oh, you re not alone in that respect. I must admit, that I like to have a revolver and at least twenty feet between me and any snake that wants to cross my path ha, ha. Announcer: Well, if you want a revolver and twenty feet, I ll take a canon and twenty miles. Ha, ha. It s fortunate that you re a wine expert Mr. Bartell and not a detective. I m afraid you wouldn t, ah, shall we say, find detecting to your liking. Announcer: We certainly shall say it he, he. Ha, ha. Announcer: And incidentally, I m not a wine expert, Doctor. All I know about wine is that it either tastes good or it doesn t. And I also know that Petri wine always tastes good. The Petri family sees to that. The name Petri on the label is the personal assurance of the Petri family that every drop of wine in that bottle is good wine. And they know how to make it good because they ve been making fine wine for generations. Handing down from father to son -- from father to son every secret, every skill of the wine maker s art. Yes, the Petri family took time to bring you good wine. That s why, no matter what type of wine you wish, you can t go wrong with a Petri wine Well, Doctor Watson what new Sherlock Holmes story you planning to tell us next week? Page 24 of 26

25 Well now, let me see now. Next week Mr. Bartell, I I think I ll tell you an adventure that took place at a gambling casino in the South of France. It s a strange story of sudden tragedy and death. I call it, The Adventure of the Double Zero. Announcer: Sounds swell. We ll all be listening. Good Night, Mr. Bartell. But before I go, I want to say that every one of our friends bought war bonds to help our boys win the war. Now let s all buy Victory Bonds to help bring our boys back home again. Yes. And let s buy Victory Bonds to make sure that the men that were wounded will get the finest possible care. Those same Victory Bonds will help makes the GI bill of rights a success too. It will help provide for the families of those men who gave everything including their lives. The men of our armed forces finished their job, now let s finish ours. Buy Victory Bonds. Organ music Up and Under Cue # Announcer: Tonight's Sherlock Holmes adventure was written by Denis Green and Anthony Boucher, and is an adaptation of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story "The Adventure of the Speckled Band." Music is by Dean Fosler. Mr. Rathbone appears through the courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Mr. Bruce through the courtesy of Universal Pictures, where they are now starring in the Sherlock Holmes series. The Petri Wine Company of San Francisco, California invites you to tune in again next week -- same time, same station. Out Announcer: Heard in today s program was: as Dr. John H. Watson, as Sherlock Holmes, as Mrs. Hudson(Scottish accent), as Helen Stoner, Page 25 of 26

26 Sherlock Holmes Speckled Band as Doctor Roylott. Sounds effects were by, Music and other effects by. Announcer: This is Harry Bartell saying "Good night" for the Petri family. {PAUSE} "Sherlock Holmes" comes to you from our Hollywood studios. Announcer: This is the Mutual Broadcasting System. Page 26 of 26