Welcome. I'm E .G. Marshall. I have the lunch
all packed and I'm ready to take you on a picnic
in the woods. There's a beautiful little glade
deep in the forest. Birds singing. That wonderful
clean aroma of fresh growth mixed with leaf mold
and last year's pine needles. The cool touch
of grass to your bare feet if you care to take
your shoes off. Doesn't sound very mysterious?
Doesn't frighten you? Well, stay with us. It
will. Lou, I can't stand it, thinking about them
two nice young folks out there, lost in the woods.
I feel bad about it too, Sarah, but I don't know
what I can do. It's raining cats and dogs out
there, and it's turning down my code. Now we've
got to do something. I called the sheriff over
at Fenebeck. Sheriff Larkin? You think for one
minute he's gonna go into them woods, looking
for Ronnie and Peg? I'll get somebody else to
go. No, surely the truth will do. Then I'd have
to be out of his mind to go on them woods night
like this. And the other time for that matter.
Well, what are you going to do about it? You're
going to just sit there? Eh? I reckon that's
about all there is to do. One thing's sure, I
aim to stay out of Dutchman's woods. Our mystery
drama, Stay Out of Dutchman's Woods, was written
especially for the Mystery Theatre by Field and
Farrington and stars Paul Hecht. I'll be back
shortly with Act One. I think you'll agree there's
nothing more delightful than that first day of
vacation. You've shut off all your cares. Your
freedom is still new and exhilarating. Your inevitable
return to workaday things is too far in the future
to dampen your high spirits. Of course, vacations,
like other pleasant seeming prospects, may take
unpredictable turns. You just can't look more
than a few seconds into the future without facing
an uncertainty. Ronnie and Peg Andrews have driven
all day to get to their chosen vacation spot
in the Maine Northwoods. But are they tired?
How about down by the old mill stream? I think
I can even do a pretty good tenner on part of
that one. Uh, down by the old mill... Oh, Ronnie,
I love you dearly, for better or worse, like
I told the man. But if you hit one more sour
note, I'm going to get out of this car and walk
the rest of the way. You know what your trouble
is, Peg? You got a tin ear. How far do you think
we are from the inn? Can't be more than a few
miles now. You tired? Not really. I don't know.
We've been driving through this forest for miles.
So it gives me the creeps. So dark and gloomy.
The creeps? You're kidding. It's absolutely beautiful.
In a way. I look so... I don't know. Brooding.
Contrast. That's all. The sun's so bright, where
it gets through to the road, it makes the woods
seem dark. What are you doing? I just want to
show you. Ten steps into the woods and you'll
see there's nothing gloomy about it. It's just
the contrast. I don't want to go in there, Ronnie.
Oh, well. Okay. We can come back another day.
Maybe tomorrow. It really is a beautiful forest.
We could bring a picnic lunch. Well, okay. Maybe
it'll look better to me tomorrow. Oh, I love
it, Ronnie. I just love it. It really looks the
way a cliffside inn ought to look. Even nicer
than Bill and Edna said. Isolated, that's for
sure. Now, you'd be Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, wouldn't
you? That's right. We have reservations. Good
thing you made him, too. He might just have closed
down. End of season for us. Are we the only guests?
Only ones. My name's Lou Griffin. I'm the proprietor.
Sarah? Coming. I was just putting up a fresh
pot of coffee. Figured we'd be wanting some.
Long trip and all. I thought I smelled coffee.
Just what I need. Now, I hope you ain't disappointed
in the place, Miss Andrews. Disappointed? I adore
it. It's even nicer than Bill and Edna told us.
Bill and Edna White. They were up here earlier
in the summer. White? Oh, yes. They're the couple
with the two young boys, huh? Ken and Eddie,
yes. Never did say two youngins could be in so
many different places at one time. I've been
thinking some about seeing if I can't get hold
of some hex -signs to keep young 'uns out next
season. I noticed the hex -signs outside and
even in here. Yeah? Anything we got plenty of,
it's hex -signs. Are they just for decoration
or do you really mean them to keep evil spirits
away? They're just for what you call color. And
it don't hurt to be on the safe side. What do
you mean? Maybe there's evil spirits, maybe there
ain't. Maybe they want to get in. Maybe they
don't. But I never heard of a hex sign doing
any harm. Morning, Mr. Griffin. Morning. Uh,
Sarah, you can put the eggs on now. Lou and Sarah,
what we like to be called. Friendlier that way.
Okay, we're Peg and Ronnie. I brought your coffee
out. Eggs won't be ready for a minute or so.
I brought you a cup too, Lou. Fine. As long as
these good folks don't mind me sitting down with
them. Oh, no, no. Please do. I'll be right out
with the rest. Already, but they... How are you
folks planning to spend the day? Well... Well,
we had a discussion about that, and I won. He
wants to take a hike into the woods. Dutchman's
Woods? Oh, is that what they're called? I wouldn't
go in there if I was you. You wouldn't? Folks
get lost in there. Been a lot of that. Oh, we
won't get lost. I have a very good sense of direction.
But all the same, you take my advice. You stay
out of Dutchman's woods. See, Ronnie? Oh, that's
ridiculous. We can take care of ourselves. We're
not gonna get lost. Nobody aims to a cause. Folks
do it, though. Yeah, I was going to ask you if
Mrs. Griffin, oh, Sarah, would be willing to
put up a picnic lunch for us. Oh, she'll fix
you up something for lunch. No trouble about
that. Only thing is... We'll be very careful.
Well, I'll just go to talk to Sarah about the
lunch then. Thanks. But if I was you, I'd stay
out of Dutchman's Woods. Oh, Ronnie, I'm hungry
and I'm tired. Some kind of bug bit me on the
arm. And I want a sandwich and then I want to
go home. This place gives me the creep I can't
understand you pay we've taken hikes in the woods
before You never acted like this. I know I don't
really understand it either There's just something
about this place Can't explain it any better
than that. Hey, hey look up ahead. Hey, there's
a clearing up there Sunlight. Oh, I didn't think
I'd ever live to see it again. Oh, don't be a
nut Maybe it's a good place to stop for lunch.
Come on Hey Hey, it's like a garden, isn't it?
It's pretty, all right. Especially after all
that glue. And if we can spread the cloth Sarah
gave us on that flat rock, huh? All the comforts
of home. And then after we eat, we go home, right
back the way we came. Except that you're pointing
in the wrong direction, Peg. I am not. We just
came right out between those two bushes. Between
those two bushes. All I can say is it's a good
thing you married a man who can find his way
around. Ronnie, I'm sure. I'm nearly just as
sure as can be. Yeah, well, don't worry about
a thing. They don't call me Ron the Pathfinder
for nothing. Well, come on, let's eat. Okay,
but I could have sworn. Lou Griffin, do you mean
to sit there and tell me you let them two wander
off into Dutchman's woods? Wasn't a matter of
letting them, sir. Dead set on it. They were
he was in here. Oh if I'd known where them two
was fixing to go I never would have put up that
lunch for them. I tried to talk them out of it
She didn't much want to go in the first place
But he wouldn't budge an inch you could have
told him the truth about that place and got nothing
from her trouble But laughter telling a tale
like that No, sir comes to talk about Dutchman's
wards. I'm on my own business Ronnie, Ronnie,
will you stop and listen to me? Oh, all right.
Ronnie, the underbrush wasn't this thick before.
It didn't come this way. Well, I have to admit
I don't remember it being quite this overgrown
before. But I know we're going in the right direction.
I'm very sure of that now, Peg. You're not sure
at all, are you, Ronnie? Well, maybe I am just
a little disoriented. Lost, I think, would be
the word. All right, I'm lost. You like it better
that way? It's not as if we were lost in an African
jungle or something with wilderness for miles
around. We're in a tame woods in Maine. There's
no cause to panic. I'm not panicking, Ronnie.
I just... Let's go back, shall we? See if we
can find the clearing where we had lunch. All
right. Ronnie, I think it's over this way. I'm
sure we weren't coming from that direction before.
All right! All right! I've got to stop and catch
my breath, Ronnie. We can't be far from the crane
now, can we? Well, I wouldn't think so. I believe
we passed that row and tree over there when we
came this way before. That's west, Ronnie, right
into the sun. Where? Is it so? Don't you think
we ought to keep walking east? I mean, the road
is east of here. We know that. It doesn't really
matter where we come out on the road, does it?
As long as we do come out. Oh, okay. Well, you...
Do you feel rested now? Oh, enough. That you,
Lou? It's me. Oh, did you see anything of them?
Seen their car park there alongside the woods.
They're lost all right. Well, why didn't you
keep on looking? Did you go into the woods? Oh,
a few steps here and there. Not very far, eh?
Well, land sakes, how do you expect to find somebody
that's lost in the woods if you don't go into
the woods? Well, do you think he was aiming to
get rid of me or something? The way you keep
trying to run me off into them woods. Well, them
young folks is our responsibility, Lou. Honey.
Is it late enough to start getting dark? No,
not yet. It's not quite five yet. Then why is
it getting dark? Maybe it's going to rain, Peg.
Oh, Lord, that's all we need. The worst of it
is, without the sun to guide us, we can't be
sure we're still going east. It's getting cold,
too. Yeah. Ronnie? Yeah. I'm scared. Don't be
frightened, Peg. There's really no reason to
be. Sure, we're lost. It's going to be inconvenient
as hell. If it starts raining, we're going to
get drenched and be damned uncomfortable, but
there's nothing to be scared of. I am scared
all the same. Oh, now come on, let's keep moving.
The underbrush has thinned out some, at least,
and I'm pretty sure we're still going east. You
were right about that. If we keep going on east,
we can't miss the road. So, we're really not
in such bad shape as we... Hey! Hey, Peg! There's
a clearing up ahead. What do you want to bet
it's ours? Peg? Hey, where are you? Peg? Isn't
that a clearing over there, Ronnie? Oh, and bless
me. It's lighter in there. Ronnie? Ronnie, don't
play games with me. I'm scared enough already.
Ronnie Peg Peg is that you over this way Ronnie?
That's right Ronnie over this way. Yes, that's
fine. Keep on just the way you're going Yeah
Hello, Ronnie you're You you aren't peg of course.
I'm not but won't I do? Don't you think I'm as
beautiful as she is? Well, I was I was looking
for don't you Ronnie well, I I Think you're the
most beautiful woman I've ever seen Sirens abound
in legend and folklore and if I may say so without
starting a controversy they're not unheard of
even in real life. Few men, no matter how virtuous,
are completely siren proof. So, if there's a
siren operating deep in a Maine woods, it shouldn't
surprise us too much. The question is, will she
lead, or try to lead, Ronnie Andrews to his destruction?
We'll investigate further when I return with
Act Two. of their stay at Lou Griffin's Cliffside
Inn, Ronnie and Peg Andrews decided to take a
picnic lunch and go exploring Dutchman's Woods.
As Lou had warned them, this turned out to be
a mistake. First, they lost their way, and then
they became mysteriously separated. In searching
for Peg, Ronnie has come upon a strange and extraordinarily
beautiful woman. In fact, almost his first words
to her were, I think. You're the most beautiful
woman I've ever seen. Thank you. And you must
be as good as you are beautiful, so I'm sure
you'll help me. Of course. My wife and I, Peg,
Peg, my wife and I, we lost our way in the woods
earlier in the day, and we've been wandering
around in circles, I guess, all afternoon. People
do get lost in Dutchman's Woods. Didn't anybody
tell you? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, but... Well,
you see, I wanted to come anyway. It was... I
don't know, it was as if the woods... Drew me.
I understand. Yeah, and then somehow Peg and
I got separated. Oh, now I can't find her. Do
you know the woods well? I know every tree, every
stone, every flower, every path. Oh, yes. I know
Dutchman's Wood. Great, great. Will you please
help me find my wife? My name's Katrina. Last
names aren't important, are they? We'll just
be Ronnie and Katrina. Yeah, well, I'm very glad
to know you, Katrina. It wasn't far from here,
the place where my wife and I got separated.
Ronnie and Katrina. Would you like to see my
house? House? Oh, you mean you have a house in
the middle of this jungle? A very beautiful house,
yes. Come, I'll show it to you. Oh, thanks very
much. Maybe Peg and I could see it together.
After we found her, I... Well, I just can't go
wandering off with you while Peg's lost somewhere
and probably looking for me right this minute.
You must be hungry. You can have dinner with
me, Ronnie. And I'll give you some of my special
wine. Aren't you listening to me? My wife is
lost. I can't just leave her out there. I gotta
find her. Will you please stop talking about
that woman? It's very rude of you talking to
me about another woman. I won't have it. Look,
I don't think you understand. My wife and I got
separated somehow in the woods. I'm not looking
for her. Oh, you can't mean that you I've offered
you my hospitality I said I'd give you dinner
and I've I've even asked you to have my wine
I'm very angry with you Ronnie. Please I'm begging
you Why won't you help me if you wish to come
with me? Perhaps I'll help you find your wife
later on you'll never find her without my help.
I promise you that Well, I must be going You're
making a very stupid mistake, but if you don't
know any better Okay, Katrina. Wait. Are you
coming with me? Oh, well Oh, yes. All right.
I'll come with you Them two ain't back yet. What
do we... Oh, we're... We knew they was lost.
It's still raining. It's turned cold as winter
just about. Them two lost out there. Only thing
she ain't back yet. Did not expect him. But you
think... If you think I'm gonna let you go back
to sleep again, you got another thing coming.
Turn that lamp on, will you? I'm gonna get up.
Maybe put on a pot of fresh coffee. Does that
sound good to you? Yeah? Well, I expect a glass
of apple, Jack. We're doing a lot more good.
Lou, all you had to do was just tell them. You
think he'd believe a tale like that, fed up in
the city? That frightened my face, he would have.
Well, I wish you'd told him. Sarah, we don't
even know if it's cool. We know men get lost,
that we do know. But we don't know why they get
lost. I couldn't tell that story as gospel. Who's
that? Lou! Sarah! Somebody help me! We're coming,
Peg. Now, now, now, ballin' about it ain't gonna
do no good. Guess what happened? I can't find
him. I can't find him anywhere. Somebody has
to help. Yes, sir. Happens every time I didn't
hear. He was standing right there together and
then... All of a sudden, he just wasn't there.
He wasn't there. You better come back in the
kitchen and have a nice cup of hot coffee, Peg.
There's no time. We have to find Ronnie. Louie,
will you help me look for him? Will somebody
have to help me? Yes, I'll go with you. I would
appreciate it. What if you get lost? Women don't.
Peg found a way home, all right, didn't she?
And I've been in them woods before. I just can't
understand it. And I thought at first he was
hiding from me, playing some silly kind of game.
And he was there, and then he wasn't. Two seconds
later. I told him not to go into them woods.
You gotta admit I told him. Man just ain't safe
in Dutchman's woods. You see that big boulder
just ahead, Ronnie? The one shaped sort of like
a boat? Yes. Just when you go around to the left
of it, you can see the house. Take my hand. Oh,
all right. Uh, Katrina. Yes? We are going to
look for Peg, aren't we? I mean, afterwards.
After I've seen your house and had some of this
wine of yours. You can be so tiresome. Well,
I'm sorry. Just a minute now. There. I don't
believe it. I knew you'd be surprised. The others
always have to... Others? Well, you don't think
you're the first guest I've ever had, do you?
All I meant was nobody ever expects to find a
house like this out in the middle of the woods.
Gee, it isn't a house at all. It's a castle.
It really is. A perfect replica of one, anyway.
My husband had it built exactly like a castle
in... Oh, I don't remember. Somewhere in Holland.
Your husband? You're so chumpy. He's been dead
for years. I can't figure out how we missed seeing
this place from the road when we drove in yesterday.
Peg, you feel like you're up to it. Back into
them woods and all. Oh, yes. I think we ought
to go right now. I mean the longer we wait...
I think maybe we'd better take this with us.
Pec -Sign? What's it supposed to do? It's a strong
one this year. meant to ward off witches and
evil spirits and, well, just about anything else
that walks the night. Well, like Lou says, it
don't hurt to be on the safe side. Come, let's
get out of here. Never find that man of yours
standing around here telling old wives tales.
Here you are, honey. A glass of the most unusual
wine you've ever tasted. Aren't you having any?
Oh, no. Not just now. Well, don't sip it, Ronnie.
Drink it right down. Doesn't really taste like
wine after all. You don't like my wine. No, no,
no. I didn't mean that. It's just that... Oh.
Oh, yeah. Now it does. Hey, it leaves a very
pleasant aftertaste. Exactly. You can have another
glass when we go in for dinner. You know. Well,
what I really ought to do is... The thing that
makes my wine so different is a special ingredient.
I'm not sure you can find it anywhere at all
except right here in Dutchman's Wood. It grows
wild like the grapes. All the ingredients I use
to make the wine grow wild. I have to go out
later and find Peg. I can't just leave Peg wandering
around out there. Of course not. But would you
like to come inside now, Ronnie? Sure. Sure,
why not? Can you point out where it was you stopped
the car and went into the woods, Peg? I'm not
sure. It all sort of looks alike. Well, no matter.
You mustn't think ill of Lou because he didn't
want to come out and help you look for your husband,
Peg. It did seem odd. See, he knows I'm safe
enough. It's only men that get lost in Dutchman's
woods. That doesn't make sense. Well, it does
if you know the story. Katrina's got no interest
in women. Katrina? Choose the cause of it all,
if there's any truth in the tale they tell. When
men get lost in there, in the woods, they don't
just disappear, do they? I mean, they... They're
found eventually, aren't they? Oh, they're found,
all right. What's left of them. What do you mean?
Well, I shouldn't have said that, but the truth
is... they're found dead. Dead? Now it's going
to be different with brownie pig, and you've
got to believe that. Dead of what? Oh, exposure.
Sometimes starvation. Whatever it is that kills
people lost in the woods. Though if you ask me,
there's a whole lot more to it than that. You
like my house, Ronnie? Oh, yeah. It's extraordinary,
Katrina. This is the most extraordinary house
I ever saw. At first, I didn't like it. Can you
believe that? I thought it was too far away from
everybody and everything, and I hated my husband
for making me live in it. Oh, yeah, your husband.
He's dead, did you say? Oh, yes, a long time
ago. My wife is alive. She's lost in the woods.
But she's alive. Drink your wine, Ronnie. Oh,
yeah, I'm so sleepy. Wait until you see the banquet
hall. Do you know I could seat over a hundred
people if I wanted to? But I like to entertain
one at a time. Just one at a time. Three -sicker.
What is it? What is it? Three is. Oh, a crowd.
Exactly. We're going to like each other, aren't
we, Ronnie? Are you sleepy, Ronnie? You know
you're quite handsome. I used to call me a witch
a long time ago. People believed in things more
then. Oh yes, you're very handsome. I may keep
you for quite a long time. Several weeks even.
Oh yes, that would be nice. Oblique. rainy night
in a dense forest that already has an evil reputation.
A good time and place for unnatural goings on.
Well, there's a good deal going on in Dutchman's
woods that seems unnatural, if you accept Webster's
definition of natural. Occurring in conformity
with the ordinary course of nature, Webster says.
The abrupt and unexplained separation of Ronnie
from Peg. Doesn't seem to qualify as natural
according to that definition. I'll be back shortly
with act three A beautiful woman named Katrina
has lured Ronnie Andrews into her castle -like
stronghold and plied him with wine which she
herself describes as most unusual. Peg, Ronnie's
wife, along with Sarah Griffin, had gone into
Dutchman's woods looking for Ronnie. Peg still
thinks of Ronnie as simply lost in the woods
on a miserable rainy night. But Sarah obviously
knows, or suspects, a lot more than she's telling.
When you shine your flashlight round about, Peg,
I'll keep mine straight ahead so I can see where
we're going. All right. Ronnie! All I don't know
is it'll do much good to keep on calling for
him. Sarah, what did you mean when you said somebody
called Petrina was the cause of it all? That's
a long story, that one. You don't seem like a
very good time to go into it right now. I want
to know. Well, yes, I guess you would. Sarah,
tell me. I guess I ought to, yes, now that I've
gone this far. Hey, keep on flashing your light
around. Yes, I will. Well, it starts back a long
while ago. Not much after the revolution was
over. The American Revolution? That's the one.
Seems there was this man, Dutch trader, named
Hans Groot. And he fell head over teakettle in
love with this young girl that was taxing around
New York society at the time. Her name was Katrina.
Katrina? But that was around the time of the
revolution, you see. Just keep on shining your
light around now. Must have been filthy rich,
this Hans Groot. There was no spring chicken
at that time, and yet Katrina agreed to marry
him without so much as a maybe. And her hardly
out of her teens yet. So they had a big, fancy
wedding and settled down in a house he'd bought
in New York. Think if we find Ronnie, he'll already
be... Oh, stop worrying, honey. Well, anyway,
they didn't exactly live happy ever after there
in that house. Katrina was a wanton. Only word
that suits her, wanton, pure and simple. Got
so she would spend more of her time with the
young blades around town than she was with her
own husband. and it didn't take him long to get
good and sick of it. I can't see what all this
has to do with... Well, now you ask me to tell
you a thing. All right. I'm... I'm sorry. But
he was still as stuck on Katrina as ever, so
he got a hold of this great big wooded acreage
up here in Maine, reminded me of all woods anyway,
them days, and he built such a house on it as
you wouldn't believe if you was to see it. Regular
castle it was, right out there, in the middle
of the woods, millions of miles from nowhere.
And he brought Katrina up here and put her in
that house, and that was that way he figured.
Here? You mean right here in this forest? Mmm,
Dutchman's Woods, it's called. Hans Groot was
the Dutchman. Trouble was, you see, that Dutchman
himself couldn't spend his whole time in his
castle. He still had his business affairs in
New York. And even some interests overseas are
same. So he had to leave Katrina alone in that
big old house now and again. And that Katrina,
oh, she must have been a resourceful one. She
found her men all right. Wasn't no stopping her.
Even shut up in the house? The castle? Well,
she wasn't exactly shut up in it. Just didn't
have no means of travel. She took to roaming
around the woods. You see, there was plenty of
poaching went on in them days. Lots of it. So
Katrina had run across a poacher hunting on her
husband's property. And she'd taken him home
with her and... Might as well have left her in
New York for all the good it done Hans Groot.
Yes, sir. Castle still standing. No, not properly
speaking. Anyway, Hans Groot come home and caught
Katrina with one of them poachers. And he killed
them both. Katrina along with a man. And you
think the same Katrina? That's the way the story
goes. If you're superstitious enough to believe
it, Katrina still walks Dutchman's woods. And
any man that comes her way is fair game. How
did I get into a place like this? Oh, yeah. Yeah,
I remember. You fell asleep, Ronnie. Oh, I'm
sorry. I must have been more tired than I realize.
I still feel sort of sluggish. You were tired.
Hey, look, we've got to get moving. We've got
to find Peg. Peg. Peg, Peg, Peg. That's all I
hear from you. My name is Katrina, not Peg. I'm
not accustomed to having my guests talk about
other women. Well, we... We ought to go out and
see if we can find Peg. You'll only lose yourself
again if you go out there. But you promised you'd
help me. I didn't promise at all. She'll find
her way home. She's probably back at the inn
right now, safe and sound. She's a woman. I don't
enjoy another woman's company. I don't want women
here. Can't you understand that? Are... are you
saying that... that you cause people to get lost?
You aren't lost, Ronnie. You're here. Right in
this room with me. There's a clearing up ahead.
I don't think it's the place where we had lunch,
though. No, Peg. No, it's the ruins. The ruins?
Yeah, the place the old castle used to stand.
Ain't much left now but rubble where the masonry
fell down. Mostly overgrown with weeds and vines
and the like. The old foundation's still there.
You can't see it too well after dark, of course.
And you think this is where? Yes, if there is
a Katrina. And if she's dragged your young man
off somewhere. I'd say this is the most likely
place. Ronnie! Now, what my opinion, it won't
do a lick of good yelling for him. There's just
go hunting through the rubble. I feel funny,
Katrina. Fuzzy, yeah. Must be that wine of yours
again. It's partly the wine, I'm sure. But also
partly just me. Oh Ronnie, we're going to be
very happy. Happier than you've ever been. I
promise you that is it raining outside. I can't
tell It look like you're not listening to me.
Oh, yes. I am you were talking about Happiness,
you've never been happy Ronnie. I mean wildly
happy happy with nothing to intrude You've never
been happy that way. Have you Ronnie what? You're
you're very beautiful It's all for you right
now Not forever. I don't promise that but right
now You're my only reason for being beautiful.
Very beautiful. What? What was that? We'll belong
to each other. I'll be completely yours. Listen.
Somebody called me. I have a feeling, Sarah.
I have this crazy feeling that he heard me. It's
no crazier than anything else. Maybe he did.
Not just an old heap of... It's a castle. Sarah,
can you see it? Sarah? Sarah, where are you?
Oh no, she's... Dear Lord, help me. Mommy! It
was Peg. It was Peg calling me. Can you hear
me? I can! I can hear you, Mommy! This way, Peg!
Come toward my voice! Stop talking to that woman!
Don't come and hear you, I forbid it! Oh, Mommy!
Oh, I looked everywhere, and I... Oh, I thought
I'd never... I thought I'd never see you again.
Come on, take your hands off that woman. Who
is this? Oh, uh, Katrina. Her name's Katrina.
She found me in the woods. I... I think she...
You'll find out soon enough who I am, you little
fool. What are you doing here? I came here looking
for my husband. Your husband doesn't want to
see you. Get out! I'm not going to leave without
him. He doesn't want to go with you. Do you,
Ronnie? You don't want to leave with her. Tell
her! You do want to come with me, don't you,
Ronnie? Well, I... Ronnie, wouldn't you like
another glass of wine? I don't... I don't think...
Wine? Has he been... He doesn't drink. No, Peg,
you don't... Had you seen, he doesn't want to
talk to you. Why don't you leave? How can you
stay where you're not wanted? I don't know who
you are. Or what you are. Whether you're a ghost
or a witch Or maybe both I don't know and I don't
care much you're not going to take my husband
away from me how very brave she is and What if
I tell you I am a ghost and I am a witch and
I can destroy you both What if I tell you that
first I have to call you a liar because I've
never believed in such things and then If it
should turn out you're not a liar I'd have to
say, go ahead and destroy us. Both of us, though.
Not just one, both. A liar! I'll... I'll... Ronnie,
tell her to get out of here! Peg... Well, Ronnie...
Katrina, I can't... What kind of a spineless
creature are you? Tell her! Peg... I... I want
to come with you. Yes, Peg, I... I want to leave
here and go with you. No! All right, you witch,
ghost, harlot, whatever you are. Stop us if you
think you can. I think I'm all right now, Peg.
I don't know what she did to me, but... Stop
this! You stop this, both of you! Don't you know
who I am? I'm Katrina! You idiots, I can bring
this castle down in a heap on top of you. Don't
you know that? It's already down in a heap. I
saw it. I'll show you. I'll show you! Peg! Peg,
here! Under this table! The whole house! It's
Ronnie. Oh, help me with him, will you? We've
got to get him up off this wet ground. Ronnie!
Is that you, Peg? Yes, Ronnie. Can you stand
up? Well, I think so. Oh, I feel sort of dizzy.
I don't understand what's going on. How do you
get here, anyhow? We must walk past this spotter
half a dozen times. I'm not quite sure. He was
all right just a minute ago. I was with him in
the house, the castle. He was all right except
for the effects of the wine. And it seemed to
be wearing out. Now just hold on a minute. You
know, you ain't making no kind of sense. I'm
so cold. Oh, he's soaked to the skin. The rain
stopped, thank goodness, but we'd better get
him inside. He was perfectly dry a minute ago.
And then the house actually did just crumble
around us the way she said it would. Only of
course it wasn't real or we'd both be... How
did he get that wet? I hope you know what you're
talking about. I sure don't. Oh, I feel stiff.
And I ache all over. We've got to get you home
and into a nice, warm, dry bed before you catch
your death. The house fell down all around us,
Sarah. Just the way she said it would. Only,
I didn't think it could hurt us because, oh,
you see, I knew the house had already fallen
down. Well, I'm out. We must have imagined the
whole thing. I must have been lying there on
the ground and in the ruins the whole time. All
I know is we walked past there a half dozen times,
and you wasn't there. You just wasn't. So I don't
see how we can say it was all imagination. It
was real, all right. While it blasted, it was
real. Here's the car. Now once we get you in
there with the heater turned on, you'll feel
a lot better, Ronnie. I feel a lot better already.
What in the world was that? That... That was
your Katrina. I wouldn't be surprised. Katrina?
I left my Hicks sign back there in them ruins.
Reckon if it works as well as the superstitious
folks claim it works, we won't be having no more
trouble with Katrina. Katrina certainly was.
Any woman who was killed by her jealous husband
in the 18th century and shows up again in 1975
must be considered a ghost. But is it really
fair to call her a siren and a witch? By Ronnie's
admission, one thing is certain. Whether Katrina
was a siren, a ghost, a witch, or all three,
Ronnie was lucky to get out of that one alive.
I'll be back in a few moments. Ronnie and Peg
spent the remainder of their vacation in Maine.
It's a beautiful state, why shouldn't they? But
they gave Dutchman's Woods a wide berth. To this
day, when Ronnie Andrews sees more than three
trees forming a clump, he crosses to the other
side of the road. So between now and our next
look into the nature of things, stay away from
all suspicious -looking forests. We're saving
you for another and quite different kind of jeopardy.
Our cast included Paul Hecht, Jada Rowland, Santos
Ortega, Joan Loring and Mary Jane Higby. The
entire production was under the direction of
Hyman Brown. And now, a preview of our next tale.
William, what are you doing? I've got a little
bit of hay here. I was saving it to give to my
horse. You're not lighting it! Of course I am!
Now, let's add a little something. Let's see
what we've got here. Here's a few pages from
the London Tattoo. That'll do the trick. Oh,
God, you stop it! You brute! You brute! I don't
move him, all right! He doesn't want his feet
burnt to a crisp! All right, move, boy! I can't
bear it! I can't! This is EG Marshall inviting
you to return to our mystery theater for another
adventure in the macabre until next time pleasant
dreams This is KOIN in Portland. It's 12 midnight.