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The Perishing of the Pendragons: A Family Curse, a Race Against Tragedy | Father Brown · Father Brown | G. K. Chesterton Detective Stories

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The Father Brown Stories by G.K.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: Chesterton.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: We present The Perishing of the Pendragons, adapted by John
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Scottney with Andrew Sachs as Father Brown. The Perishing of
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: the Pendragons.
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: Out of oaks are our men. Jolly towels are our ships.
• 0:31
  Speaker 4: Ah, no.
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: Out of oaks are our ships. Jolly towels are our men.
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: We always are ready. Steady, boys, steady.
• 0:42
  Speaker 5: Well done, Monsieur Flambeau.
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: Thank you, Sir Cecil. Ah, the life on the briny, eh,
• 0:48
  Speaker 3: Father Brown? The ozone. I told you a sea trip
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: would do you good. You've been working too hard. Yes.
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: Most kind of you, Sir Cecil, to take us out
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: on your yacht. Is this the harbour?
• 1:01
  Speaker 4: Harbour? Yes.
• 1:02
  Speaker 5: Good Lord, no, Father Brown. We've tons of time yet
• 1:05
  Speaker 5: to get the roses back in the cheeks.
• 1:08
  Speaker 6: Look at that.
• 1:09
  Speaker 5: Always say Cornwall looks its best from the sea. especially
• 1:12
  Speaker 5: this time in the evening.
• 1:14
  Speaker 4: I'm sure you're right. When exactly will we put into
• 1:17
  Speaker 4: the harbour?
• 1:17
  Speaker 5: I thought we'd put into Newlyn, a pretty little fishing
• 1:20
  Speaker 5: place full of these painter johnnies.
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: Yes, it's very far to Newlyn.
• 1:25
  Speaker 7: What?
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: Do we get there quite soon? I say, look at
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: those rocks. Do you see them far around? Do you see? Yes,
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: I do.
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: You were saying how far it is to Newlyn.
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: Oh, that's funny. It's just like Newlyn. Like old Merlin,
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: the wizard. And the other. I swear it's a... it's
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: a dragon. Yes, a dragon.
• 1:47
  Speaker 5: Say, Father Brian, are you all right? You're looking a
• 1:49
  Speaker 5: bit green about the gills.
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: A bit of the old Maldemare?
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: Yes. Well, no.
• 1:53
  Speaker 4: I mean.
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: Oh, dear.
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: I'm afraid I'm not a very good sailor. Is it
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: a long way to New Lynn, Sir Cecil?
• 2:00
  Speaker 5: New Lynn?
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: Not.
• 2:03
  Speaker 5: Well, yes, to be honest, it is a bit of.
• 2:05
  Speaker 7: Oh, dear.
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: Oh, dear.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: Look, I'll tell you what we'll do.
• 2:08
  Speaker 5: You see that river mouth coming up?
• 2:10
  Speaker 8: Yes.
• 2:10
  Speaker 5: We'll put in there. Glorious, isn't it?
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes, yes.
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: Looks very pretty in the sunset.
• 2:15
  Speaker 4: In there.
• 2:16
  Speaker 5: Marvellous sunsets in these parts. Yes, there's a splendid old boy,
• 2:20
  Speaker 5: let's say.
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: I'd like you to meet him.
• 2:21
  Speaker 6: Harder port, Mr.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: Tregear.
• 2:23
  Speaker 7: Begging your pardon, sir, but no. Won't do. We can't
• 2:27
  Speaker 7: turn yet. How do you mean, ma'am? Them rocks this
• 2:30
  Speaker 7: gentleman mentioned... There's Ed and Reese about them.
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: Ah.
• 2:34
  Speaker 7: Turn in now, and we'll certainly strike them.
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: Oh, well, perhaps then... It wouldn't do you no good.
• 2:39
  Speaker 7: Swimming, neither.
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: Good Lord.
• 2:41
  Speaker 7: Turn now, sir, and we wouldn't be the first to
• 2:43
  Speaker 7: get ourselves drowned there.
• 2:45
  Speaker 6: Oh, yes.
• 2:46
  Speaker 7: Oh, no, nor the second, neither.
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: Well, maybe we'd better press on, then, huh? Turn in
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: over there.
• 2:52
  Speaker 7: Go too far, sir, and we strike those rocks you
• 2:55
  Speaker 7: said was like a dragon.
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: But does that mean we can't put in at all, Mr.
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: Tugger?
• 2:59
  Speaker 7: I'll be well if we bide our time, sir.
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: But it'll be dark soon. Won't that make it even
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: more dangerous?
• 3:06
  Speaker 7: Same for in the dark, Your Honor. See that coast
• 3:09
  Speaker 7: light up there? We were saying in these parts.
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: Yes?
• 3:14
  Speaker 6: Both eyes bright.
• 3:16
  Speaker 7: She's all right. One eye winked. Down she sinks.
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: What is it you say?
• 3:24
  Speaker 5: Look here, sir.
• 3:25
  Speaker 7: See there? If you can only see that one light,
• 3:30
  Speaker 7: you doesn't turn in. But in a few minutes, we'll
• 3:34
  Speaker 7: see a second light.
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes.
• 3:37
  Speaker 7: Iron thing, full of blazing pitch. When you can see both,
• 3:41
  Speaker 7: you turn sharp apart.
• 3:43
  Speaker 8: Ah.
• 3:44
  Speaker 7: You go too far, why then you lose sight of
• 3:47
  Speaker 7: this here light.
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: Pardon me.
• 3:49
  Speaker 7: Of course, that's dangerous, too.
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: Father Brown?
• 3:52
  Speaker 7: Turning too late, see? You've got to be nipping.
• 3:56
  Speaker 4: Really?
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: Oh, that is interesting. Very interesting. Don't you think so,
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: Father Brown? Father Brown? Yes.
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I think I'd better go below.
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: Oh, poor, poor Father Brown. Poor chap. Hearts of oak
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: are our ships. Jolly towels are our hands.
• 4:15
  Speaker 6: We always are ready.
• 4:22
  Speaker 5: Two eyes bright, and she's all right.
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: One eye blinks, down she sinks.
• 4:31
  Speaker 5: You're right, Mr.
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: Tregear, it works.
• 4:33
  Speaker 7: Why, sir, it do work.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: But supposing there was some other light, wouldn't that confuse you?
• 4:39
  Speaker 7: They passed a special art department against any other light
• 4:42
  Speaker 7: showing seaward, sir. Seeing as there'd been some incidents.
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: Incidents?
• 4:48
  Speaker 5: I think Mr. Tregear means wreckers. People who set up
• 4:51
  Speaker 5: false lights to lure ships onto the rocks and steal
• 4:53
  Speaker 5: the cargo.
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: Yes, I have known such dreadful people. Why, I too once.
• 4:57
  Speaker 5: The seafaring tradition on these coasts isn't all wicked, of course.
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: As great or greater seamen came from Cornwall as from Devon.
• 5:05
  Speaker 5: You'll meet one when we meet the old sea dog
• 5:06
  Speaker 5: we call the Admiral.
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: The Admiral? Yes.
• 5:09
  Speaker 5: There's his landing stage now.
• 5:11
  Speaker 3: Ah, yes.
• 5:12
  Speaker 5: Shouldn't you call Father Brown? The river water's calm enough.
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: Oh, I think he'd rather wait until we're safely tied up. Oh,
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: there you are. That's it. She's all tied up, safe
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: and secure, Mr. Tregear.
• 5:31
  Speaker 7: Thank you kindly, Sir Cecil. But I'll just take the
• 5:35
  Speaker 7: floor and take him myself, if you don't mind.
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: Very well, as you wish.
• 5:41
  Speaker 5: Now, Father Brown, how do you feel now you're safe
• 5:43
  Speaker 5: on dry land?
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: Oh, much better, thank you.
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: Oh, in the evening air, the scents are so much stronger.
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: That's strange. What's that?
• 5:55
  Speaker 5: Oh, that'll be some exotic plant the old admiral brought
• 5:58
  Speaker 5: back from his travels. He sailed all over the world,
• 6:00
  Speaker 5: you know, trying to make his fortune and bring back
• 6:02
  Speaker 5: a bit of the old ready. But he reckons all
• 6:05
  Speaker 5: he made was a few enemies and all he brought
• 6:07
  Speaker 5: back were these plants you can smell. And a few curios.
• 6:10
  Speaker 5: Got no cash, though he lives as if he really
• 6:13
  Speaker 5: were an admiral.
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: Ah, yes, you said before you call him the admiral.
• 6:17
  Speaker 5: Everyone calls Captain Pendragon that, though really he was in
• 6:20
  Speaker 5: the merchant service. Mind you, his ward, his nephew, he's
• 6:23
  Speaker 5: just been commissioned in the King's Navy. Tickle the old
• 6:26
  Speaker 5: boy pink, that did.
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: No, no, no, there's another smell. Is there a kerosene
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: lamp about?
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: Oh, never mind the smells. Have you seen this wooden tower? Oh,
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: good heavens, it's huge.
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: As if it were built by a giant carpenter.
• 6:40
  Speaker 5: Rather a cack-handed giant.
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: Oh, look, there. Maybe that's where the smell came from.
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: Do you see? There are some people with a little fire.
• 6:49
  Speaker 5: Just some campers, I expect. You always get a few
• 6:51
  Speaker 5: at this time. Though usually the old admiral chases them away.
• 6:54
  Speaker 4: If he doesn't like the campers, are you sure he'll
• 6:56
  Speaker 4: want to meet us? Turning up out of the blue
• 6:58
  Speaker 4: like this?
• 6:59
  Speaker 5: Of course he will. New Walter. That's his nephew at school.
• 7:03
  Speaker 5: The rich little tyke was my fag.
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: Fag? Yes.
• 7:07
  Speaker 5: He inherited the family fortune when he was 12.
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: Ghastly accident.
• 7:10
  Speaker 5: Killed his father and mother and the admiral became his guardian.
• 7:14
  Speaker 5: Didn't let young Walter see much of the money. Reckoned
• 7:16
  Speaker 5: it'd spoil him. Wanted to keep it intact till he
• 7:18
  Speaker 5: came of age. Anyway, come on. We must meet the
• 7:21
  Speaker 5: old pirate.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: How do we find our way to the house? It
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: seems very dark.
• 7:25
  Speaker 6: Simpler, boy.
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: Just follow this wooden fence. It's not far.
• 7:33
  Speaker 4: Look, there's the house.
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: It's hard to see.
• 7:35
  Speaker 5: Got no windows facing seawards.
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: There's a man there with a cutlass.
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: Dash it all, no windows.
• 7:41
  Speaker 5: That must be because of the Bally Act of Parliament
• 7:43
  Speaker 5: Tregear told us about.
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: He's attacking. He's attacking a fence. Who's that?
• 7:49
  Speaker 6: This is private land. What do you think you're doing?
• 7:52
  Speaker 3: Who are you?
• 7:52
  Speaker 5: Admiral, it's only me.
• 7:54
  Speaker 6: Cecil?
• 7:55
  Speaker 5: Fanshawe? Sir Cecil Fanshawe.
• 7:57
  Speaker 6: Fanshawe?
• 7:58
  Speaker 7: Oh, yes.
• 8:00
  Speaker 6: Cecil Fanshawe, water's friend. Look, Fancho, I'm afraid you've chosen rather.
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: An awkward moment. I feel we've come at the wrong moment.
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: Yes, perhaps we should... Look, Admiral, if.
• 8:11
  Speaker 5: You'd rather we... Well, it's not.
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: No, what am I saying?
• 8:17
  Speaker 7: Come on up.
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: Delighted to see you.
• 8:20
  Speaker 6: Of course, of course. These friends of.
• 8:23
  Speaker 7: Yours are these?
• 8:24
  Speaker 5: Father Brown and Monsieur Flambeau. We met in Falmouth, where
• 8:28
  Speaker 5: Father Brown is convalescing.
• 8:29
  Speaker 6: Pleasure to meet you, Quentin, gentlemen.
• 8:31
  Speaker 5: Tell me, Admiral, do you generally attack the scenery with
• 8:36
  Speaker 5: a sword whenever you want to go for a walk?
• 8:40
  Speaker 4: No.
• 8:40
  Speaker 6: You've got to cut down this fence somehow. It's spoiling
• 8:43
  Speaker 6: all the plants, and this old cutler's come to have it. Besides,
• 8:48
  Speaker 6: it gives me a chance to work off the frustration
• 8:50
  Speaker 6: of being stuck here when I'm used to sailing all
• 8:52
  Speaker 6: over the world. For that matter, hacking me way through
• 8:56
  Speaker 6: the green point. Not this half-rotten fence in here.
• 9:01
  Speaker 3: Why do you stay here, then, sir, instead of going
• 9:04
  Speaker 3: back to the sea?
• 9:05
  Speaker 6: I saw some confounded old bargain scribble.
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: In her family Bible. Oh?
• 9:10
  Speaker 6: But, uh, to what do I owe the pleasure of
• 9:12
  Speaker 6: this visit?
• 9:13
  Speaker 5: Father Brown felt a little seasick.
• 9:16
  Speaker 4: Oh.
• 9:18
  Speaker 5: I wanted them to see your famous tower.
• 9:19
  Speaker 6: What, that old monstrosity?
• 9:22
  Speaker 5: Oh, come on, now, Admiral. It mayn't look pretty, but
• 9:25
  Speaker 5: it's a romantic old place. They say, Monsieur Flambeau, that
• 9:28
  Speaker 5: the wife of one of the Admiral's ancestors built it
• 9:30
  Speaker 5: so she could see her husband's ship returning from fighting
• 9:33
  Speaker 5: the Armada.
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: Oh, really? Oh, stuff and nonsense, Fanshawe.
• 9:38
  Speaker 6: You live in Cornwall a bit longer, you'll soon learn
• 9:40
  Speaker 6: that the Cornish spin these yarns.
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: For the benefit of you foreigners. Behind the fairy stories,
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: we're a practical people. Trevelyan, he was a Cornishman, don't forget.
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: Who is this? A locomotive engineer.
• 9:52
  Speaker 7: Ah, that's it.
• 9:53
  Speaker 6: Ensor Humphrey Davy, the miner's safety lamp man. And that tower, too,
• 9:58
  Speaker 6: that had a purely practical purpose. I'll tell you about it.
• 10:02
  Speaker 6: If you join me for dinner, tell the truth, I'd be.
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: Glad of a bit of company. Well, that is extremely
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: kind of you, but I'm not sure... Father Brown?
• 10:10
  Speaker 4: Well, yes, I'd like to stay very much, if it's
• 10:14
  Speaker 4: convenient for you.
• 10:15
  Speaker 3: Sir Cesar. Oh, yes, splendid.
• 10:17
  Speaker 5: I'll just nip back and tell Tregear to rustle himself
• 10:20
  Speaker 5: up something on board.
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: Excuse me. This way, gentlemen.
• 10:24
  Speaker 6: Oh, I'd better warn you, don't be frightened by my servants.
• 10:28
  Speaker 6: They're a couple of fellas I brought back.
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: From the cannibal islands. Cannibal?
• 10:32
  Speaker 6: Fearsome-looking, but wonderful sailors and as loyal as dogs.
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: Oh, I see your house is a little sturdier than
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: the tower.
• 10:40
  Speaker 6: Ah, yes, most of the building round here is good,
• 10:42
  Speaker 6: solid granite.
• 10:43
  Speaker 3: But the tower had to be built quickly.
• 10:45
  Speaker 6: And it happened that a brigantine had smashed herself against
• 10:47
  Speaker 6: the rocks, so they used the timbers and planks. You
• 10:50
  Speaker 6: probably noticed the.
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: Wood was covered in tar and pitch. Aha, that was
• 10:54
  Speaker 3: your kerosene smell, Father Brown. Perhaps it was.
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: But doesn't all that wood and tar make for something.
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: Of a fire, is it? I say, we saw some
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: people camping there, and they'd lit a fire.
• 11:05
  Speaker 6: That may be good.
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: Thank you for telling me.
• 11:09
  Speaker 7: Here we are.
• 11:11
  Speaker 6: Come in, gentlemen.
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: Come in. Merci.
• 11:18
  Speaker 6: Now, what will you drink? The choice is small, but
• 11:21
  Speaker 6: there's plenty of it. I can offer you rum, brandy, champagne,
• 11:24
  Speaker 6: or the little cider.
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: Oh, rum, brandy, champagne. Rum, please.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: And may I have the cider?
• 11:30
  Speaker 6: Now, tell me, you bring quick, quick, two big fella rum,
• 11:32
  Speaker 6: one jug cider, chop, chop. Yes, I move on.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: You bear a famous name, Captain Pendragon.
• 11:39
  Speaker 6: Yes, I suppose I do. All Cornishmen claim to be
• 11:42
  Speaker 6: related to King Arthur, but maybe we have a better
• 11:45
  Speaker 6: claim than most. Well, I did hear... Was the admiral
• 11:48
  Speaker 6: telling you about his family?
• 11:50
  Speaker 5: Comes from great seafaring stock, Dantrenor.
• 11:53
  Speaker 6: Captain, Mr.
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: Fanshaw was telling us before that Devon seamen weren't a
• 11:57
  Speaker 3: patch on their Cornish neighbors. That is maybe.
• 12:00
  Speaker 6: But I'll tell you they weren't like the swashbuckling Devon
• 12:03
  Speaker 6: men the Cornish sailors were. They were hard and stubborn men,
• 12:07
  Speaker 6: like Grenville of the Revenge, Captain Bly, or my old forebear,
• 12:11
  Speaker 6: Sir Peter Pendragon.
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: Speaking of ships and sailors, there seems to be Some
• 12:15
  Speaker 4: sort of carving of a ship on this beam.
• 12:18
  Speaker 3: How strange.
• 12:20
  Speaker 4: Do you mind if I clamber up and have a
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: look at it?
• 12:23
  Speaker 6: Oh, why not?
• 12:24
  Speaker 3: We're bound to hear of it sooner or later.
• 12:27
  Speaker 7: Yes, thank you.
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: Thank you so much. Oh, yes. Ah, there's an old
• 12:32
  Speaker 3: sailing ship. What's this? Well, it could be a man
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: standing up in the water, waving his arms.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: And this must be the tower.
• 12:40
  Speaker 6: It was first built in the late 18th century against
• 12:43
  Speaker 6: French privateers.
• 12:44
  Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.
• 12:45
  Speaker 6: It was a lookout tower. You Frenchies used to raid
• 12:49
  Speaker 6: these coves.
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: Look here.
• 12:50
  Speaker 6: Anyway, my ancestor, Peter Pendragon, and some other local gentlemen
• 12:54
  Speaker 6: got together to equip a fast brig with guns, got
• 12:57
  Speaker 6: letters of mark from the king, and set out to
• 12:59
  Speaker 6: give you lot a taste of your own medicine.
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: I saw you.
• 13:02
  Speaker 6: And the old wooden tower was their lookout.
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: Yes, I see.
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: Now, would you just help me down?
• 13:07
  Speaker 6: One day, our brig, the bus gown, went out to
• 13:10
  Speaker 6: intercept a privateer, or rather, a pirate. For it turned
• 13:13
  Speaker 6: out she was a Barbary corsair from Algiers.
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: No, not France.
• 13:17
  Speaker 6: Well, anyway, she was sunk with all hands.
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: Except for three.
• 13:21
  Speaker 6: Officers, or whatever they call themselves. They escaped in a
• 13:24
  Speaker 6: boat with a chest of treasure. But they were picked
• 13:26
  Speaker 6: up by the brig, her master being my ancestor.
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: Oh, that's Peter Pendragon.
• 13:30
  Speaker 6: Yes.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: Yes, now, could you just.
• 13:32
  Speaker 6: Anyway, as they were coming into these rivers, Old Peter
• 13:35
  Speaker 6: threw all three overboard.
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: What?
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: Could you just help me, Doctor?
• 13:39
  Speaker 3: I'm so sorry.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Oh, that's so kind.
• 13:41
  Speaker 3: Thank you so much. Two drowned immediately.
• 13:44
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 13:44
  Speaker 6: But the third struck shallower water and raised his arms
• 13:48
  Speaker 6: and shouted something in their heathen tongue before the current
• 13:51
  Speaker 6: caught him and swept him away. And the superstitious folk
• 13:55
  Speaker 6: round here reckoned he was cursing my family. That's a
• 13:58
  Speaker 6: story you can see carved on the beam, Father Brown.
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: Aye, aye, aye. Quelle histoire. Anyway.
• 14:04
  Speaker 6: That money was the foundation of our family fortunes. All
• 14:07
  Speaker 6: founded on a Blackamoor pirate's gold. Yeah, and speaking of Blackamoors,
• 14:12
  Speaker 6: where's our drinks?
• 14:13
  Speaker 7: Tommy!
• 14:13
  Speaker 6: Tommy, why you long time bugger off?
• 14:15
  Speaker 7: Quick, quick!
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: Me coming, Admiral Boss. Me coming. Me sorry, me sorry.
• 14:25
  Speaker 8: Ah.
• 14:26
  Speaker 3: Thank you, Captain. That was an excellent meal. Yes, I
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: do myself badly.
• 14:31
  Speaker 6: And Jackie, he's the other boy. He's a half-decent cook.
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: Oh, from the Cannibal Islands, you say? Would you.
• 14:39
  Speaker 6: Have some brandy with your coffee?
• 14:41
  Speaker 4: Oh, thanks.
• 14:42
  Speaker 6: Thank you very much, yes.
• 14:43
  Speaker 4: Cheers.
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: I fear we must be away soon.
• 14:45
  Speaker 4: Captain Pendragon.
• 14:46
  Speaker 7: No, no, no.
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: Stay the night.
• 14:47
  Speaker 6: There's plenty of room.
• 14:49
  Speaker 7: Oh.
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: Oh, quite really slow.
• 14:51
  Speaker 6: Anyway, I'd like you to meet my nephew.
• 14:52
  Speaker 7: Walter?
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 14:53
  Speaker 4: Ah.
• 14:54
  Speaker 6: He's bringing his fiancée over in his sloop from Plymouth.
• 14:56
  Speaker 6: Telegraph to say he'd arrive about midnight.
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: Fiancée? I say, what's this?
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: Charming girl.
• 15:02
  Speaker 6: Mind you, I told him he can't marry till he
• 15:05
  Speaker 6: comes of age. But that won't be long.
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: Is it dangerous sailing in so late?
• 15:10
  Speaker 8: Maybe.
• 15:12
  Speaker 6: But he knows these waters well enough. Besides, there's a
• 15:14
  Speaker 6: trick to finding the passage at night.
• 15:17
  Speaker 3: Both eyes bright. She's all right. By Jove, Captain, your
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: brandy is as good as your champagne.
• 15:25
  Speaker 6: As I say, I like to do myself well. Some
• 15:28
  Speaker 6: consolation for being stuck here instead of being at sea.
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes, you said there was some reason for this.
• 15:34
  Speaker 3: Something to do with the family Bible.
• 15:36
  Speaker 7: Ah, yes.
• 15:37
  Speaker 6: I'll show you. Thank you, sir.
• 15:41
  Speaker 4: Here.
• 15:42
  Speaker 6: There we are.
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: See?
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: We all set our hand to it.
• 15:46
  Speaker 7: See?
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: Me.
• 15:48
  Speaker 6: My father and my brother, and that childish hand, that's Walter.
• 15:52
  Speaker 4: We, the undersigned, do hear by... What's the point of it?
• 15:56
  Speaker 6: The point? My father had just two boys, me and
• 16:01
  Speaker 6: my older brother, John. Our poor mother died young. I've
• 16:05
  Speaker 6: always been a bachelor, but John married. Walter, my ward,
• 16:09
  Speaker 6: is his son.
• 16:10
  Speaker 8: Yes.
• 16:11
  Speaker 6: The sea was in our blood, and we were each
• 16:13
  Speaker 6: master of one of the family vessels, a business I
• 16:16
  Speaker 6: was left to our agency.
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: My father commanded the Buscown. The name had become a
• 16:22
  Speaker 3: family tradition.
• 16:23
  Speaker 6: It was our largest vessel on the Australian run. We
• 16:26
  Speaker 6: had mining interests there.
• 16:27
  Speaker 3: And you were on the South Seas. I was.
• 16:30
  Speaker 4: I'm sorry, I still don't understand.
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: This has something to do with the Muslims' curse?
• 16:34
  Speaker 6: That it has. Over the years, we had our share
• 16:38
  Speaker 6: of tragedies and misfortunes as a family. Perhaps no more
• 16:41
  Speaker 6: than happens to any other family that votes all its
• 16:44
  Speaker 6: sons to sea. But my father now.
• 16:47
  Speaker 6: He was a strange man, and as he grew older,
• 16:51
  Speaker 6: he grew stranger. In many ways, he was as sceptical
• 16:54
  Speaker 6: as I am, but he became obsessed with this curse idea. Eventually,
• 17:00
  Speaker 6: he developed a notion to settle whether it was truth
• 17:02
  Speaker 6: or trash. If all us pentagons sailed about anyhow, he
• 17:07
  Speaker 6: thought there'd be too much chance of natural.
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: Catastrophes to prove anything.
• 17:11
  Speaker 6: But if we went to sea, one at a time,
• 17:14
  Speaker 6: and in strict order of succession to the family property...
• 17:18
  Speaker 6: He reckoned it would show whether any connected fate followed
• 17:20
  Speaker 6: the family. So you are recalled?
• 17:23
  Speaker 8: Yes.
• 17:24
  Speaker 6: And my elder brother. The mate is swear on this
• 17:27
  Speaker 6: here Bible. It was a silly, superstitious notion, I thought.
• 17:33
  Speaker 6: And I quarreled with my father pretty heartily over it.
• 17:35
  Speaker 6: For I was ambitious and, besides, had to make my
• 17:37
  Speaker 6: own way in life. Yet I was to be left
• 17:40
  Speaker 6: to the last, coming in succession even after my young
• 17:43
  Speaker 6: nephew and his.
• 17:44
  Speaker 3: Son, should he have any.
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: What about your nephew?
• 17:47
  Speaker 6: I tried to dissuade him from the sea. Reckon if
• 17:48
  Speaker 6: he stayed ashore, I could go back. But salt water's
• 17:52
  Speaker 6: in the blood. And I'm proud enough of him that
• 17:54
  Speaker 6: he bears the king's commission. Anyway, it's a foolish, irrational thing.
• 17:59
  Speaker 6: And I yarned on far too long about it. You'll
• 18:01
  Speaker 6: never drop more brandy.
• 18:04
  Speaker 4: Your handshaking, Captain, is something troubling you.
• 18:07
  Speaker 6: No, gentlemen, no. I will not believe the pentagons are accursed.
• 18:10
  Speaker 3: I will not. Admiral, are you all right? I tell you,
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: if you don't detract, I.
• 18:15
  Speaker 6: Even you, even you, Father Brown, would have to become
• 18:18
  Speaker 6: an atheist and a sceptic at each scene and all
• 18:20
  Speaker 6: this derry.
• 18:24
  Speaker 3: I'm sorry I didn't mean that. I'm at least strong. Hello,
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: I wish you'd sit down.
• 18:29
  Speaker 6: If you'll excuse me, I'll just take myself for a
• 18:34
  Speaker 6: breath of fresh air.
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: That's a trick.
• 18:36
  Speaker 6: Help yourselves. There's more brandy and coffee. Excuse me.
• 18:41
  Speaker 3: Would you like us to come with you?
• 18:42
  Speaker 6: No, no, no, thank you. I'd rather be alone.
• 18:46
  Speaker 6: He won't be long.
• 18:54
  Speaker 4: Well, um.
• 18:58
  Speaker 5: You can't blame the old boy for being a bit
• 18:59
  Speaker 5: het up.
• 19:01
  Speaker 8: I don't care what he says. I reckon there must
• 19:02
  Speaker 8: be something in the curse idea after what happened to
• 19:04
  Speaker 8: his family.
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: His father and brother both died at sea out here?
• 19:08
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 19:09
  Speaker 8: His father's ship was wrecked off Tasmania. Then only a
• 19:12
  Speaker 8: few months later, the Admiral's brother and sister-in-law, Walter's parents...
• 19:15
  Speaker 8: were drowned.
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: Off this very coast.
• 19:17
  Speaker 3: Really?
• 19:18
  Speaker 8: They'd been out in their little pleasure boat. Got a
• 19:19
  Speaker 8: bit late.
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: They were apparently coming back, and then.
• 19:24
  Speaker 8: Well, no one quite knows what happened. But the incident
• 19:28
  Speaker 8: certainly reinforced the old idea of the curse.
• 19:31
  Speaker 7: How?
• 19:33
  Speaker 8: They seemed to have drowned in roughly the same place
• 19:35
  Speaker 8: where Sir Peter threw the pirates overboard. The sunken reef
• 19:38
  Speaker 8: by the rock you saw. Then, the very same night
• 19:42
  Speaker 8: it happened, the old tower caught fire. The Admiral and
• 19:45
  Speaker 8: his two servants spent half the night fighting the flames.
• 19:47
  Speaker 8: People around here saw it as a sign.
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: Hmm. Do you know, I think I might imitate the
• 19:53
  Speaker 4: Admiral and take a stroll in the night air.
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: Will you come too, Flambeau? Certainly.
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: I won't, if you don't mind. Too comfortable here.
• 20:00
  Speaker 4: No, no, no, no. Perhaps you could ask the cannibal
• 20:02
  Speaker 4: gentleman to brew up some more coffee.
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: This has got a little cold.
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: Come, Flambeau, you'll need your stick.
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: Ah, here we are again, the tower. There should be
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: a hose somewhere, Flambeau.
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: Do you see one? Um, yeah, there's one here. Yes, well,
• 20:18
  Speaker 3: bring it over, would you? What do you want it for?
• 20:20
  Speaker 4: Can't you smell anything?
• 20:21
  Speaker 3: Good Lord, smoke.
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: Yes, and there's no smoke without fire.
• 20:24
  Speaker 7: Look, the tower.
• 20:25
  Speaker 3: Mon Dieu, it's alight.
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: Help me with the hose.
• 20:27
  Speaker 3: We might be in time to contain it. Here, lucky
• 20:30
  Speaker 3: we hadn't gone to bed. I suppose it can't spread
• 20:32
  Speaker 3: to the house. You may remember that that fence that
• 20:34
  Speaker 3: might have carried it was cut away. Look, the door's open.
• 20:37
  Speaker 3: Point the hose inside.
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes.
• 20:39
  Speaker 3: This way, over here.
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: Over here. I'm doing my best here.
• 20:43
  Speaker 3: Come on. Great God, there's someone in the tower. It's
• 20:45
  Speaker 3: the Admiral.
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: Put that hose down.
• 20:47
  Speaker 6: Put that hose down, all right.
• 20:49
  Speaker 5: Sir, look out, Tombo.
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: He's got his cutlass.
• 20:51
  Speaker 7: Why, you.
• 20:52
  Speaker 6: There's a gun for the round.
• 20:54
  Speaker 3: Flambeau, your sword stick. I have it.
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: Hang on.
• 20:57
  Speaker 6: Try and hold him.
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: I'll deal with the fire.
• 21:00
  Speaker 3: Flambeau, what's happening? The hose is... Oh, I see.
• 21:05
  Speaker 2: The loyal retainers.
• 21:06
  Speaker 5: We're here.
• 21:07
  Speaker 3: We're here, Admiral Boss.
• 21:08
  Speaker 6: What do you want us to do?
• 21:09
  Speaker 3: Kill us, Admiral Boss.
• 21:10
  Speaker 6: Kill us. Joey, Jackie, good man. Look out, Flambeau.
• 21:13
  Speaker 3: He's got some kind of blowpipe. Won't you?
• 21:17
  Speaker 6: Won't you, my friends?
• 21:19
  Speaker 7: Blowpipe. Quickly, that was just to warn you.
• 21:22
  Speaker 3: Oh, Mr.
• 21:23
  Speaker 2: Tregear, you arrived in the nick of time.
• 21:25
  Speaker 7: Don't say that.
• 21:26
  Speaker 3: Never!
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: Never!
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: Never!
• 21:29
  Speaker 3: Shoot, man! Oh, he's escaped. He's dived in.
• 21:33
  Speaker 7: No, sir, he's not escaped. I told you, there's no
• 21:36
  Speaker 7: escape from the caverns here.
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: Oh, my goodness me, is there nothing we can do?
• 21:41
  Speaker 4: No, nothing.
• 21:43
  Speaker 7: Now, if you tied up these two headhunters, there's some
• 21:46
  Speaker 7: rope over there.
• 21:46
  Speaker 3: Of course, I.
• 21:49
  Speaker 3: I say, what's happening? There's no time to explain now.
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: You weren't able to keep the servants in the house?
• 21:56
  Speaker 5: No, as soon as I mentioned you'd popped out for
• 21:58
  Speaker 5: a stroll, they jabbered something and dashed off themselves.
• 22:01
  Speaker 3: Right, they are secure now. Ah, Sir Cecil.
• 22:06
  Speaker 5: What are you doing here? And why have you got
• 22:09
  Speaker 5: my starting pistol?
• 22:10
  Speaker 3: A starting pistol? The bullets are all blanks.
• 22:13
  Speaker 7: Yes, well, you see, I heard the commotion. And it
• 22:16
  Speaker 7: was the only weapon of any.
• 22:17
  Speaker 3: Kind on the yacht. You're a brave man, sir. I
• 22:19
  Speaker 3: salute you. But, Father Brown, I still don't understand what
• 22:22
  Speaker 3: it's all about.
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: Both eyes bright, she's all right. One eye blinks, down
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: she sinks. Mr.
• 22:27
  Speaker 4: Tregear, you said that in entering the river, you had
• 22:29
  Speaker 4: to be very nippy as soon as you saw the
• 22:31
  Speaker 4: second light.
• 22:31
  Speaker 7: That's right, sir.
• 22:32
  Speaker 4: And Walter Pendragon, coming down the channel, could easily mistake
• 22:35
  Speaker 4: the burning tower for the second light.
• 22:37
  Speaker 5: We must sail out and try and catch it.
• 22:38
  Speaker 7: Yes, I was expecting you gentlemen back.
• 22:40
  Speaker 6: I've got the auxiliary engine going.
• 22:42
  Speaker 3: Oh, come then.
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: There's not a moment to lose.
• 22:43
  Speaker 6: Come on, there's a bit.
• 22:51
  Speaker 3: Still no sign, and it's nearly one o'clock.
• 22:53
  Speaker 7: If he's under sail, he's got a hard job coming
• 22:55
  Speaker 7: here with the wind in this quarter.
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: It's possible, but slow.
• 22:59
  Speaker 4: Tell me, did Captain Pendragon ever do any amateur acting?
• 23:03
  Speaker 5: Yes, yes, he did, as a matter of fact. He
• 23:06
  Speaker 5: was Sir Richard Grenville in the local pageant. He was
• 23:08
  Speaker 5: very good when Grenville was mad after the sinking of
• 23:11
  Speaker 5: the Revenge.
• 23:11
  Speaker 4: Ah, I thought he acted his little breakdown rather well
• 23:15
  Speaker 4: when the clock struck eleven and he needed an excuse
• 23:17
  Speaker 4: to get outside and start his bonfire.
• 23:20
  Speaker 3: Is that when you first suspected him?
• 23:22
  Speaker 4: No.
• 23:23
  Speaker 3: No, I didn't really.
• 23:24
  Speaker 4: Trust him from the first. To begin with, he wanted
• 23:27
  Speaker 4: to get rid of us, and I thought, ah, he's
• 23:29
  Speaker 4: up to something. Then he welcomed us with open arms,
• 23:32
  Speaker 4: and I wondered if he decided we might be useful
• 23:34
  Speaker 4: as witnesses to establish some sort of alibi.
• 23:38
  Speaker 3: And so it proved.
• 23:39
  Speaker 4: We were to bear witness the fire was an accident,
• 23:42
  Speaker 4: started by the campers, no doubt, so he would claim.
• 23:45
  Speaker 3: You know... I thought it was strange that when I
• 23:48
  Speaker 3: told him about that fire, he complained to us, but
• 23:50
  Speaker 3: he didn't go and tell them to put it out.
• 23:52
  Speaker 3: Why didn't I think?
• 23:54
  Speaker 5: But he seemed such a decent old stick.
• 23:57
  Speaker 4: Few men are what they seem. He felt he hadn't
• 24:00
  Speaker 4: got the station in life he deserved. He complained of poverty,
• 24:03
  Speaker 4: but he certainly lived well. And with Walter coming up
• 24:06
  Speaker 4: to his 21st birthday and getting married, he saw the
• 24:10
  Speaker 4: money slipping away from him forever.
• 24:12
  Speaker 2: Yes, so he made his plans.
• 24:14
  Speaker 4: He couldn't display another light to entrap the boat because
• 24:17
  Speaker 4: of the act of parliament. But an accidental fire in
• 24:20
  Speaker 4: the pitch-covered wooden tower helped along with a can or
• 24:23
  Speaker 4: two of kerosene?
• 24:24
  Speaker 3: And I suppose that's how he killed his brother, too.
• 24:28
  Speaker 3: With fire and water. So it seems the wicked uncle
• 24:32
  Speaker 3: of legend very nearly got his estate. Well, well, well, I... Wait, look, look,
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: over there. A sail, a white sail. It's coming this way.
• 24:44
  Speaker 7: She's a sloop, all right. Who be the one?
• 24:48
  Speaker 5: Hello there. Hello.
• 24:51
  Speaker 7: Hello. No answer.
• 24:56
  Speaker 5: What's her name, Sir Cecil? No, dash it all. I've
• 24:59
  Speaker 5: no idea.
• 25:00
  Speaker 3: No, no, wait a minute.
• 25:01
  Speaker 7: It's, uh, Seaspray.
• 25:03
  Speaker 3: Hello, Seaspray.
• 25:06
  Speaker 7: Hello. Hello.
• 25:07
  Speaker 5: Hello. Is Sub-Lieutenant Pendragon aboard?
• 25:15
  Speaker 3: Yes, that's me. What is it? Repeat, what is it?
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: Imperative, you heave to it once, sir.
• 25:24
  Speaker 7: You must heave to.
• 25:27
  Speaker 3: Very well. I'm heaving to.
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: Yes, yes, yes, he's stopping.
• 25:34
  Speaker 5: All's well.
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: Oh, I feel better now.
• 25:39
  Speaker 3: Oh, oh dear, no. No, no, I feel worse.
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: In all the excitement, I'd quite forgotten about my seasickness.
• 25:46
  Speaker 3: But now, oh dear, oh dear. Oh, my poor friend. Oh, well. Oh, well,
• 25:51
  Speaker 3: never mind. After we get to Newland, you need never
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: go near the sea again for months.
• 25:56
  Speaker 7: Oh, no.
• 25:57
  Speaker 5: Oh, no, no, no.
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: That's just the trouble.
• 26:00
  Speaker 2: You see, I'm sailing to America next week.
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: In The Perishing of the Pendragons by G.K. Chesterton, the
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: part of Father Brown was played by Andrew Sachs, Flambeau
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: by Olivier Pierre, the Admiral, Edward Kelsey, Sir Cecil Fanshaw,
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: Brian Hewlett, Tregear, Keith Crawshaw, Tommy and Walter, James Goode.
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: The Perishing of the Pendragons was adapted by John Scottney
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: and directed from Bristol by Alec Reid.