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Chapter 1: What sets the scene for the mutiny aboard the Swan?
Aye, Captain Harlan. Oh, come in, Mr. Peterson. Always a distinct privilege to welcome my first mate to my humble quarters. Aye? Well, the fog's lifting the starboard, Captain. We'll be out of the worst of it soon. It is not why I sent for you. This fog isn't what disturbs me, Mr. Peterson. It's just that I have a strange premonition that the good ship Swan will emerge from it.
into even greater difficulties. Funny you should say that, Captain Harlan, because I come up to tell you the crew ain't happy. So the crew isn't happy, Mr. Peterson. You might dispatch my deepest sympathies to the members of this crew. Now look, Captain, it's worse than you think. It's mutiny. Mutiny? And you condone it? Well, doesn't have to be mutiny, Captain, if you'll come in with us.
Oh, I think I understand. You're suggesting robbery of a sort. You contemplate rerouting this vessel? Mm-hmm. And then splitting the cargo between you, me, the other officers, and the crew. Your scheme has much to commend it, Mr. Peterson. Tell the crew I've taken their suggestion under advisement. I'll let them know by sundown what... Yes? Oh, Mr. Crandall. Come in.
I sure intend to, I'll tell you that. Captain's quarters are no place for passengers, Mr. Crandall. Well, Mr. Peterson, I think in view of the fact that Mr. Crandall is our only passenger on board, I'll make an exception of him and bid him welcome. Welcome, huh? Captain, I just heard through the bulkhead what you and your first mate were talking about. That's quite possible.
Your cabin is next to this one, isn't it? Yes. Too bad you didn't think of that a moment ago. Now, look, Crandall, keep out of this. The cargo on the ship ain't nothing to you. It's nothing to me. I happen to own the cargo you're carrying. And if you steal it, it'll be over my dead body. Oh, really? Well, Mr. Crandall, maybe that could be arranged, too. Mary, I wish you wouldn't do all that work.
Oh, I'm enjoying it, Blackie. And besides, what would your apartment look like if you made me stick next week, too? It would look like a dust bowl. But I'll get a girl in tomorrow. Look, I said I'm enjoying this.
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Chapter 2: How does Captain Harlan respond to the crew's discontent?
I'm glad you asked me to come over. It gives me a chance to straighten up a few things around here. Such as what? Well, such as these pictures on your piano, for one thing. What's the matter with them? Well, the glass in my picture was dirty. Shorty's picture's crooked. Uh, there, now it was crooked. Look, you don't have to do all... Uh-oh. I'll get it. All right. Hello? Hello, Blackie?
This is Shorty. Oh, hiya, Shorty. I'm in a jam, Blackie. Oh, now what have you done? Oh, it's nothing serious, boss. I just gotta leave town. I won't be back till 8 o'clock tonight. And I gotta meet a boat this afternoon. What boat, Shorty? The Gulf Island Ferry? Oh, no, boss. A real big boat that's been all the way across the ocean from the other side.
A good friend of mine's coming in on this boat. Somebody's gotta meet him for me. And I'm that somebody, huh? Oh, gee, you're the best somebody I can think of, Blackie. My pal's name is Jimmy Adams. He's a cabin boy on the boat they call the Swan. Now, you go meet him for me, will you, Blackie? The ship's going to anchor in the bay at four. At four, huh? Uh-huh. All right, Shorty, I'll meet him.
Aw, gee, thanks, Blackie. I hope it won't mean any trouble. Oh, there won't be any difficulty, Shorty. Out in the harbor, it should be easy to hold trouble at bay. Well, there's the swan, Mary. What kind of a boat is it, Blackie? A freighter, and it's not a boat, Mary. This dory we're in is a boat. The swan is a ship. They're both on water, and they both float. Why aren't they both boats?
Well, ship would be timbers, but landlubbers are dumb. Yes, yes. Aren't we?
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Chapter 3: What implications does the suggestion of mutiny have for the crew?
Ahoy there, swan. I'm pulling alongside. Got a boarding party for you. Aye, aye. Thunder Mountain. All right, you go right up the rope ladder there, mister. Oh, really? I never guessed. Up you go, lady. Aye, aye, sir. Naughty girl, but nice. That's me. Here I go. I'm right behind you. Shall I tie up and wait for you, mate, or do you want me to shove off? Better tie up and wait for us.
We won't be long. Aye, aye, sir. How you doing, Mary? I'm practically up on deck. There, I made it. Whoo! Hey. Hey, where is everybody? Nobody up there? Not even that sailor, Mary? Nope. Hold everything. I'll be right with you. Look around. You keep an eye on the other side. Faraday. Uh-oh. No. No, it can't be you. Not aboard this ship.
I'll look around, and if I find I'm not me, I'll let you know. Now take it easy, Faraday. I'm just calling for a friend of Shorty's. Only I didn't expect to run into an enemy of mine. No? Well, I might have known I'd run into you. Oh, no, not out here, Inspector. Yes, out here, Miss Wesley. Because where there's a body, sooner or later I find you and Blackie. And there's a body on this ship.
Not a fellow named Jimmy Adams. A guy by the name of Crandall. Passenger on board the ship. Owned the cargo the ship is carrying and... Say, what am I telling you all this for?
Chapter 4: Who is the mysterious passenger on the ship?
Who's Jimmy Adams? He's a cabin boy on this ship. Oh, yeah? Rollins. Yes, sir? There isn't any Jimmy Adams on this ship, is there? Yes, sir, there is. We took his fingerprints along with everybody else's on board. He's cabin boy. Satisfied, Faraday? Okay, you came to see a cabin boy, so see him. But leave me alone, do you hear? Rollins, I'm going up to the captain's cabin.
Make sure that Blanky doesn't bother me, or I'll bother you. All right, Captain Holland. Crandall was killed in the cabin right next to yours. Now, who did it? Now, that's difficult to determine, Inspector Faraday. Only three people are allowed in this part of the ship. And any one of us could have done it. Three people, huh? Who?
Well, I for one, and Mr. Peterson, the first mate here for another. Yeah, I could have done it, but I didn't. See? That's up to me to decide. See? How's the third person? Oh, excuse me. Come in. I heard the police were here, Captain. Yeah, the police are here. Right here. Who are you? Hi, sir. I'm the... This fellow's the third person allowed up in this part of the ship, Inspector Faraday.
He's my executive officer, Bill Kemp. What do you know about this, Kemp? Nothing. Nothing at all, sir. Where were you when Crandall was killed? Hi, sir. I was... He was up here somewhere, Inspector, and had just as much chance as we to kill Mr. Crandall. I see. So all three of you could have done it, huh? We would be decidedly stupid if we didn't admit it, Inspector Faraday.
But I'm inclined to believe you have a rather difficult time proving which one of us actually did commit the crime. Yeah? I'll find out, all right. Now, look.
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Chapter 5: What critical event occurs involving Inspector Faraday?
Did you have any trouble with Crandall before the murder? None whatever, Inspector. Any trouble anywhere on the ship? Trouble? No, this was the most uneventful voyage this ship has ever made. Okay. Okay. I don't want any of you leaving here. You're all under suspicion. Of course, of course, Inspector. You find it rather simple to place under suspicion.
But to determine which of us to place under arrest... Well, I'm afraid, Inspector, that's where you'll run aground. Gee, Blackie, it sure swell a shorty to send you and Miss Wesley out here to pick me up. I'm sorry there's a mess here on board. We are too, Jimmy. But I don't think the police will keep you confined to quarters much longer. I'd like to solve this murder while I'm here.
Yeah, would you? Well, maybe this will help you. There was to be a mutiny on board, see? The crew was going to take the ship and steal the cargo. The first mate was the leader. Well, yes, but what does that have to do with Mr. Crandall being killed? Well, Lenny, Crandall owned the cargo we're carrying. Uh-huh, this is beginning to add up. A mutiny and a murder. I've got an idea.
This isn't going to be too tough. Blackie, do you know who killed Crandall? I have a rough idea. I'm going to leave now, but I'll be back to smooth it out. Oh, tell me something, Jimmy. Oh, you've got to excuse me, Blackie. I just remembered something I've got to do. I'll be right back. Honest. Now, wait right here for me, and I'll be back. Sure.
Blackie, you said you had a, well, a rough idea who killed Mr. Crandall. What's the rough idea? I can't tell you yet, Mary, but I'll tell you this. This is a very interesting case. Very interesting. Well, here comes somebody who thinks you're not very interesting. I don't even have to turn around to know who you mean. Mikey, I want you off this ship. I'm fast. Oh, not too fast, Inspector.
I've just found out something you ought to know. There was an... I know all about that. There was an attempted mutiny on board this ship. The captain denied it, but I found out from one of the crew. Now I'm going to tell you something. You've got five minutes to get off this ship, or I'll throw you off. Aye, aye, sir. I'll spend those five minutes solving your case. You hope. Hey, Rollins.
Yes, sir. Here's Inspector Faraday. Keep an eye on Blackie. See that he's off this ship inside of five minutes. If he isn't, arrest him for loitering or something. Right. You going ashore, Inspector? Yeah, right now. Where's that rope ladder? Oh, here it is, right here. I'm taking these fingerprints of the officers and crew of the ship to headquarters. See what I can find out about them.
Good luck, Inspector. Never mind about wishing me good luck on the fingerprints. Wish me good luck on this rope ladder. I'm not sure these things are safe. Why don't they... Hey, Inspector! Hey, Blackie! Blackie, hey, somebody! Inspector Faraday's overboard! Hey, Blackie! Inspector Faraday fell overboard, Blackie, and he can't swim a stroke. Oh, well, here goes. Hey! Too late, Miss Wesley.
There he goes. Step over here, Miss Wesley. All right, but what about Blackie? He'll be okay, ain't he, always? Are you thinking the same thing I am, Roland? About Blackie going after the inspector, Miss Wesley? Yeah, it's funny, isn't it, Roland? Yeah. Blackie pretends to dislike Inspector Faraday. And you just let the inspector get into trouble. Yeah, and Blackie dives in after him. Sure does.
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Chapter 6: How does Blackie plan to investigate the murder?
Now, come on. All right. We're pulling them aboard now. Come on. Hey, why don't you grab that policeman? I'll take care of the other one. I'll get him. That's what I've always told you. Come on now. Up you come now. Thanks. You okay, Barney? Yeah. Yeah, I'm all right. But I lost most of the fingerprints. I was taken to headquarters. You almost lost your life. Kind of clumsy, wasn't it, Inspector?
Look, I didn't fall overboard. One of the steps in that rope ladder was cut. But I suppose I ought to thank you for going in after me. So thanks. You're welcome. But I'll never be able to explain to myself why I did it. You say the ladder was cut? Now, I suppose you know who cut it. Sure I do. All right, who? The captain, the executive officer, or the first mate. One of those three.
They had a chance while we were talking. Brilliant, Friday. Positively brilliant. But so what? You still don't know which one of the three. You know... Maybe I ought to throw you back. The only passenger aboard the freighter Swan has been murdered. Three people aboard the ship could have committed the crime. The captain, the executive officer, and the first mate.
Inspector Faraday was leaving the ship for headquarters when a severed step on the rope ladder caused him to fall into the water. Blackie, on board to meet the cabin boy Jimmy as a favor to his friend Shorty, saved the inspector. It's several hours later as we return to our story, and Blackie is with Faraday in the inspector's office.
Well, Faraday, now that you're sitting behind your nice warm desk and dressed in nice dry clothes again, may I go back to the ship and start to work on your case? You don't have to, Blackie. While you were changing your clothes, I checked the fingerprints I saved when I went overboard. One of them was the mate's. So, uh... So? So my fingerprint file says the mate is an ex-convict. So?
So I figure the mate killed Crandall because Randall recognized him as an ex-convict. So? One more so and you'll have me in stitches. Yeah? Well, in a few minutes I'll have that mate in jail. My radio drama's on the ship to arrest him. Faraday, sometimes you... Yeah? Yes, Smith? You're wanted in the radio room, Inspector. It's Rollins. Good. Come on, Blackie.
I'll let you see how fast I close a case. I want to see this. It'll be something to tell my grandchildren. I understand grandchildren love fairy stories. Now, just why are we in the radio room? Because Rollins is on the ship, and I've got two-way communication open from here to the radio room on board. That's why. Smith, which mic is open to the ship? This one right here, Inspector.
Rollins is waiting. Go ahead. Thanks. Benno Rollins. Yes, Inspector. Did you pick up the mate? Peterson? Yeah, I picked him up. Good. Bring him right down to headquarters. I want to talk to him. To headquarters, Inspector? I can't do that. Why not? You picked him up, didn't you? Yeah, off the floor of his cabin, Inspector. He's dead. What? Yeah, he's dead. Dead, Inspector. K-I-L-L-E-D. Dead.
Quiet, Blackie. Get me a squad car, Smith. Yes, sir. Where are you going, Faraday? Crazy? No, I'm going out to the Swan. What for?
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Chapter 7: What revelations come to light about the crew and the murder?
To cook somebody's goose? No. Get me that squad car, Smith, and hurry. Yes, sir. So you're going to waste your time out on the ocean on a Friday? Why don't you stay here? You're at sea no matter where you are. Where's Captain Harlan, Mr. Kemp? He's gone below, Inspector Faraday. I'm glad you're aboard, sir. Yeah, why? You've got to get me off this ship. Are you crazy? I'm scared, sir.
First it was our passenger, then it was Mr. Peterson. And I'm the next to be killed. Now, why? I don't know why. I just feel it, that's all. Well, you stay right here and keep on feeling it. I'll have a police guard with you all the time. You'll be safe enough. Please, I'll tell you something if you take me ashore. Yeah? What? I can't tell you now. I can't. No.
Well, you're staying right on this ship till you can. And don't go overboard the way I did. Because when you get hauled in, it'll be all the way to headquarters. Who is it? It's me. Who's me? Jimmy. Jimmy Adams. Is that you, Blackie? Yes. Let me in your apartment, Blackie. Quick. Jimmy, how'd you get off that ship? You shouldn't... Hey, what's the matter? You're soaking wet. Yeah. Yeah, I know.
I had to jump overboard and swim ashore. You swam ashore? Uh-huh. You'd better come in or you'll start floating down the hall. Come on. Jimmy, you shouldn't have done this. If Artie finds out you've skipped, he'll be telling me you killed Crandall and the first mate. Well, let's get you out of those wet clothes. I think I can find something for you to wear. Gee, thanks, Blackie.
Boy, it sure could be good out of these wet rags. I'll bet. Now, suppose you tell me why you went overboard. Oh, I had to, Blackie. There's plenty going on aboard that ship, and I didn't want to be any part of it. Well, we've still got to get you back. Here, I think these clothes will fit you, almost. Swell, Blackie. Say, you're an all right guy. Well, you're an all wet guy.
Better let me get you a towel. Here, swell. Be right with you. Okay, Blackie. Hey, there's a nice joint you got here. I like it. Hey, that's some oil paint you got over the fireplace. Got you plenty of it. Oh, a few. Yeah, a few to you. You know, that Wesley baby's sure a looker. Is that a picture on the piano? Uh-huh. Not very good of a doll. That ain't bad.
Hey, who's the guy in the picture on the piano? Your brother? My brother? Yes, yes it is. Here's your towel. Oh, gee, thanks. Get yourself good and dry and get into those clothes while I call Faraday. He'll be angry you jumped ship, but after you've had a change of clothes, maybe I can get him to have a change of heart. Look, Captain Harlan, you know something you won't tell me.
So maybe you better start talking. Who gave you this idea, Inspector Faraday? Your friend, Boston Blackie? I understand he was on board earlier today. Mark, I'm conducting this investigation. But rather badly, I'd say. Look, Inspector, this kind of attitude isn't going to get you anywhere. If you think I'm at the bottom of this, why don't you go ahead and prove it?
I intend to do just that, Captain. There's only one... Stand right where you are, Inspector Faraday. Put that gun down, Mr. Kemp. No, no, I won't. What's the matter with you, Kemp? You're in trouble enough without pointing it at... Let me handle this, Inspector Faraday. Put that gun down, Mr. Kemp. No, no, I won't put it down until I'm allowed to go ashore.
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Chapter 8: How does the episode conclude with the resolution of the case?
That was the easy way. I became Jimmy Adams. And now up against the other wall, both of you. It won't do you any good to kill us. Inspector Faraday has heard every word you said. Oh, now, Blackie, don't give me that stuff. Inspector Faraday ain't nowhere around here. Oh, no? I'm right here. I heard everything you said. Blackie, I've got two men coming out there right away.
Hey, where'd that voice come from? Not the same place that this fifth discovered. Ah, nice poke you gave him, Blackie. He'll be out for a week. Blackie, you got him? Yes, I got him, Faraday. I'm glad you stayed in the radio room at headquarters. Did you get his confession? Every word of it. Well, have it typed up, and I'll have Rawlins bring him in to sign it.
And so, until next time, this is your commentator, Boston Blackie, speaking to you from aboard the good ship Swan and saying goodbye, good luck, and to you especially, Faraday, good riddance. Well, Captain Holland, seems as if the good ship Swan can set sail anytime. Anytime you want to shove off. Yes, Blackie, so it seems. No more trouble. You know, I'm sorry, Blackie.
I didn't remember that the cabin boy is allowed in the captain's quarters. That'll save you a lot of trouble. Well, this has taught me a lesson. I'm afraid it taught Crandall and Peterson a lesson, too, Captain. They're dead because they recognized that phony cabin boy as an escaped convict. So I understand. I'm glad I didn't recognize him or this craft would be sailing under a new skipper.
Police headquarters was almost sailing under a new skipper, too, thanks to me. Thanks to you, Blackie. Yes, Mary, it was my fault that Faraday went overboard. Why was it your fault? Blackie, I was under the impression it was a severed rung in the rope ladder that caused the inspector's fall. Yes, that's right, Captain.
But that rung was cut because the phony Jimmy Adams was under the impression I knew who killed Crandall. Remember, Mary, as soon as I said I had a rough idea who did the killing, he went... Yes, I do remember. He suddenly left. He said he had something to do. And that something was to cut the rung in that rope ladder in hopes that I'd drop into the water and trip out of this case.
Well, Captain Holland, I guess we'll be going ashore. You know, it was lucky the phony Jimmy Adams jumped ship and came to my apartment where he gave himself away. Lucky Blackie? Why? Well, if he'd stayed aboard this tramp steamer, he sure would have made a bum out of me.
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