(27) Escape - Snake Doctor

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: (27) Escape - "Snake Doctor"

Aired: August 8, 2026
Source Series: Escape
Original story by: Irvin S. Cobb

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Episode Overview

This episode of Harold's Old Time Radio revives "Escape"—the classic series designed to "free you from the four walls of today." The story, “Snake Doctor,” explores themes of rural suspicion, jealousy, and vengeance in the Southern backwoods. It centers on the tense relationship between a feared, eccentric snake oil farmer ("Snake Doctor") and his hostile neighbor, Jafe Morner, whose jealousy and ignorance drive the narrative toward tragedy and a twist ending.

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Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Setting the Scene: The Snake Doctor and His Neighbors

• The story opens by distinguishing two types of men: those afraid of snakes, like Jafe Morner, and those unafraid, like the Snake Doctor (Mr. Rives). (02:17)
• Snake Doctor is a solitary figure, surviving by selling snake oil in a region rife with superstition, which makes him an object of fear and gossip.
• Jafe Morner is characterized as a lazy, shiftless, and prejudiced man, inclined to fear things he cannot understand.

2. Superstition and Suspicion (03:54–07:01)

• While fishing with his son Finny, Jafe’s paranoia over cottonmouths and his growing envy toward the Snake Doctor's rumored wealth emerges.
• Jafe discourages Finny from handling snakes, reinforcing his own fear:

  "I don't like the squirming things around me." — Jafe Morner (05:57)

• The community suspects the Snake Doctor keeps a live cottonmouth to guard his hidden fortune.

  "Whenever old snake doctor sets foot out in his place, he's got the granddaddy of all cottonmouths that he leaves out in the cabin to stand guard on his money." — Jafe (07:01)

3. Jealousy, Domestic Tension, and Brewing Malice (10:34–15:14)

• Jafe's home life is tense. He is abusive toward his wife Kizzy and dismissive of her compassion for the Snake Doctor.
• Jafe plans to "warn" the Snake Doctor about snakes on his property but is thinly veiled in an ulterior motive — intending to search for his supposed hoard.
• Domestic strife is underscored by violence:

  "Kizzy Morner rubbed the ugly red welt on her scrawny arm..." (13:02)

4. The Plot to Kill and Mistaken Identity (16:15–18:41)

• Jafe uses an alibi (hunting squirrels) to mask his true intent: murdering the Snake Doctor for money and revenge over a suspected affair with Kizzy.
• In the confusion at dusk, Jafe shoots a figure he presumes is the Snake Doctor, only to see the ‘dead man’ appear alive in the doorway, leading him to flee in terror.

  "He had just killed the snake doctor... And there on his door sill stood Snake Doctor, whole and sound and staring at him." (17:56) "The scream came at last, for Jake Mourner had seen the devil..." (18:41)

5. Community Reaction & Tragic Reveal (20:52–23:44)

• Local men discuss the shooting. It’s revealed the victim was not Snake Doctor but Kizzy, Jafe's own wife, who was in the wrong place, dressed in the Snake Doctor's coat and hat.
• Her compassion led to her demise:

  "She put on his old hat and throwed his coat around her to keep off the worst of the wet. Then she started out the back door to do the feeding herself and no more than she got outside, a shot come from the edge of the woods..." — Davis, neighbor (21:50)

6. Comeuppance in the Swamp (24:07–26:25)

• Fleeing from vengeance and justice, Jafe attempts to evade bloodhounds and make off with Snake Doctor's alleged fortune.
• In the dark, he reaches into a log chink to find the treasure—but is bitten by what he believes is a deadly snake and collapses from fear and heart failure.

7. Truth and Irony: Snakebite or Something Worse? (26:25–29:00)

• Dr. Bradshaw assesses Jafe’s corpse: no swelling, only puncture marks. The “snake” in the log is revealed to be a stuffed cottonmouth, the hole lined with barbed wire for protection—a trick, not a trap.
• The implication: Jafe’s own rotten heart and terror, not a snakebite, led to his death.

  “I tell you that in all my life I've never known but two or three people actually being bitten by water moccasins. And until tonight, I never had the personal knowledge of anybody dying from a bite of any kind of a snake.” — Dr. Bradshaw (26:56)
  "Lot stronger hearts than Jafe mourner's would have stopped beating at a scare like that." — Dr. Bradshaw (29:36)

8. Final Reflection (29:46–30:00)

• The tale closes with acknowledgment of "rough justice," as the two men's fates are sealed by their own characters, not by any occult or supernatural force.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On superstition and community suspicion:

  “Snake Doctor was harmless enough, but there were folks who honestly believed that he was a colleague of Beelzebub just because he wasn't afraid of snakes.” (02:17)

• Twist of mistaken identity:

  “Then she started out the back door to do the feeding herself and no more than she got outside. And a shot come from the edge of the woods and down she went with a bullet through her brain and killed her dead as a dog.” — Davis (21:50)

• On poetic/rough justice:

  “Well, I reckon there's sort of a rough justice in the way he died. Look... his hand, reaching out just about touches the blood where his woman fell.” — Dr. Bradshaw (26:30)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

| Time | Segment / Quote | |-------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 02:17 | Introduction of Snake Doctor and Jafe Morner | | 07:01 | Community rumors about Snake Doctor’s fortune | | 13:02 | Domestic abuse shows home tension | | 17:56 | Jafe kills who he thinks is Snake Doctor | | 21:50 | True victim revealed to be Kizzy Morner | | 24:07 | Jafe tries to escape, seeks the hidden fortune | | 26:56 | Medical verdict on the "snakebite" | | 29:36 | Explanation of barbed wire and stuffed snake |

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Overall Tone & Legacy

The tone of the episode is tense, atmospheric, and charged with rural suspicion, ultimately blending dark humor with Southern Gothic fatalism. The use of dialect throughout creates authenticity and a sense of time and place:

• The characters’ language is direct, colloquial, and often deeply prejudiced.
• The plot’s "rough justice" conclusion is downbeat but satisfying, providing a classic morality play in the guise of backwoods noir.

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Next Week's Teaser:

"Next week, you are alone in a remote Old World village inhabited by cat people... we escape with Algernon Blackwood's eerie story titled Ancient Sorcerers." (30:31)

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Summary prepared for listeners who want to revisit classic radio drama or appreciate old-time storytelling.

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Transcript

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[Radio Host]

the Adventures of Christopher Wells program, formerly scheduled at this time, is now broadcast at a new time on Tuesday evenings. Tune in for the Adventures of Christopher Wells next Tuesday and every Tuesday at 9:30pm Eastern Standard Time.

[Narrator]

You are standing at the doorway of a cabin on Cashier Creek upon the ridge. The bloodhounds have caught your scent and between you and a fortune between you and escape Yawn the white jaws of a deadly cottonmouth.

[Radio Host]

Escape Produced and directed by William N. Robeson and carefully contrived to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Tonight we escape to the worn out acres of a poor white trash farmer

[Narrator]

somewhere in the southern mountains in Irvine S. Cobb's great tale of vengeance. Snake do.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

You this story is about snakes and two men. One man was afraid of snakes and the other wasn't. The one who wasn't was known along Cashier Creek as Snake Doctor. His cabin was near the creek bottomland where there's a powerful lot of cottonmouths and he earned his meager living by rendering down their soft fats, bottling the oil and selling it for everyone knew there was no remedy for rheumatism like snake oil. Snake Doctor was harmless enough, but there were folks who honestly believed that he was a colleague of Beelzebub just because he wasn't afraid of snakes. And that's not all they believed about. Now the man who was afraid of snakes was Jay Morner, who was snake doctor's nearest neighbor. JayF was the kind of man we all know who suspected, feared and hated anything he didn't understand. And he understood neither cottonmouths nor the snake Doctor. In short, Jafe was orner. Ignorant and shiftless. He'd rather shoot squirrels than chop cotton. He'd rather fish than hoe corn. And that's just what he's doing now. Fishing down the big hole with his son and heir Finny, who's old enough but not quite bright enough to handle a gun.

[Jafe Morner]

Missed him. Doggy.

[Finny Morner]

Finny.

[Jafe Morner]

You plain fool.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

I told you not.

[Jafe Morner]

He gets in the creek. What the cottonmouth tramp on him in front of him. Cottonmouth?

[Dr. Bradshaw]

Where?

[Jafe Morner]

The vomit.

[Finny Morner]

The unearthly.

[Jafe Morner]

You got him. You got him. Keep your foot on him while I fetch a stick.

[Narrator]

You don't need to, son. Hey, he's dead now. Come here.

[Jafe Morner]

How'd you hear anything of that rifle, Pa? I had a beat rod on him riding. I couldn't.

[Narrator]

You darn fool. I fought a blame snake whilst I'm a fishing Heck.

[Jafe Morner]

He was son of himself. Not more than to there from you. How'd you like to get yourself bit?

[Narrator]

Won't be no fish around here till thunderation after all that racket. Well, come on. Let's go home and get us some vittles.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Jay Morner tossed his bait can into the creek and threw a stick after it. He stood there watching the stick drift slowly toward the big hole where the creek widened behind a jam of driftwood. Jake watched as the eddie caught the stick and sucked it beneath the dam. Jeff was curious. He moved downstream a rod or two and waited, watching the water boil up from under the driftwood. But the stick didn't come up. That was strange. Must have caught under there and a tangle of water soaked and sunken logs. Probably it stayed there for months. Maybe stay there always. Jave considered this and an idea began to form in his slow mind as he and Finnish started home.

[Jafe Morner]

Hey, Pa. How much oil you reckon's in this one, Pa?

[Narrator]

What you jawing about, son?

[Jafe Morner]

This old cotton man. How much oil?

[Narrator]

Throw it down.

[Jafe Morner]

Throw it down? Why?

[Narrator]

Lower down. Like I say, I'll make you wish.

[Jafe Morner]

I was aiming on rentalin. The old cottonmouth's fat like the snake doctor does. Maybe sell it and make myself some money.

[Narrator]

I don't like the squirming things around me.

[Jafe Morner]

But it's dead.

[Narrator]

Leave it where it dropped. Now come on home.

[Jafe Morner]

You were scared on cotton Mouse.

[Narrator]

Pa, I know better than to get myself bit by Em Tip Bailey.

[Jafe Morner]

Know the fellow got hisself bit once and there weren't a drop of liquor for Myers. So he goes to work and cuts open a live chicken and puts it by his leg. Where the bite was and fella lived, too. Reckon Mr. Rives ever gets himself bit, Pa Handlin cottonmouths like he does.

[Dr. Bradshaw]

Who?

[Jafe Morner]

Mr. Rives?

[Finny Morner]

Who?

[Jafe Morner]

Mr. Rives? That's old snake doctor's real name. Ma says I oughtn't to call him snake Doctor.

[Narrator]

Never mind what your ma says. Nobody in my family's calling no snake loving scum, Mr. Ribes.

[Jafe Morner]

Heck, that's what I say.

[Narrator]

We'll see what you do.

[Jafe Morner]

Sure, Pa. You know, I could have made myself some money renting that cottonmouth's fat down into oil. How much you reckon old snake doctor makes out in the oil he sells?

[Narrator]

I don't know.

[Jafe Morner]

Tip Bailey says old snake doctor's got more than a thousand dollars hid away somewheres in his cabin.

[Narrator]

More than that, most likely. Cussed old miser don't spend nothing, ain't got nothing save that old rack of bones.

[Jafe Morner]

Mare Dip Bailey says whenever old snake doctor sets foot out in his place, he's got the granddaddy of all cottonmouths that he leaves out in the cabin to stand guard on his money. Dip Bailey says he see the old snake doctor put him in his pocket.

[Narrator]

Live cat and mouth Snake doctor ain't fitting to be alive hisself.

[Jafe Morner]

Oh, Ma says he ain't bad. Says he don't mean nobody. Huh.

[Narrator]

Your ma better be careful who she's sociating with.

[Jafe Morner]

She says he don't have good sense. Had the fever too much, he says. You ever been in the snake doctor's cabin, Pa?

[Narrator]

I don't have nothing more than I have to to do with that snake loving hoodoo.

[Jafe Morner]

Tip Bailey says he bet. Wouldn't be no task at all for some no good. Poke around in the snake doctor's shack and find all the money and make off with it.

[Narrator]

Hmm.

[Jafe Morner]

Oh, this blame son durn near rendering me down. Look at my head full of sweat, Pa. Here, look here. See? Done near gourd full of sweat come off me. Why turn down that a way, Pa? It's come on noon dinner be most ready.

[Narrator]

I gonna tell the snake loving hoodoo that there's some of them cottonmouths on the creekside of our deadening.

[Jafe Morner]

Oh, heck, he knows that.

[Narrator]

I'm gonna tell him. He's got my leave to catch him. You don't need to come along if you don't want it.

[Jafe Morner]

Well, if you're going over to his place, I'd kind of like to see it my own, sir. Go on in, Pa. He ain't to home. L steeda showed hisself by Now, I reckon so. Can you see any of the snakes?

[Narrator]

I told you to keep an eye

[Jafe Morner]

out for him by bets in one of them chinks. Paul, I bet the money's.

[Narrator]

I ain't looking for no money. Must be a dang snake itself living in a place like this.

[Jafe Morner]

Pa, I know you ain't looking for any money, but if' n you was, wouldn't you look in that chink right up there?

[Narrator]

Oh, where, son?

[Jafe Morner]

Right there. Second log by the fireplace on the right. You see that there hole?

[Narrator]

Yeah, I reckon I would look up there.

[Jafe Morner]

Well, since we're here, but might as

[Narrator]

well see for myself.

[Finny Morner]

Pa.

[Jafe Morner]

I wouldn't be a might surprised if old snaked out there.

[Narrator]

Pa, somebody's out on the porch.

[Finny Morner]

It's a snake doctor. You're looking for something, Chief Mourner? Yeah.

[Narrator]

I was looking for you.

[Finny Morner]

I want you.

[Narrator]

Yeah?

[Finny Morner]

Yeah. Look here, you old hoodoo.

[Narrator]

What's the idea of sneaking up on folks who took the trouble to come all the way down here to do you a favor?

[Jafe Morner]

Yes, sir. Like as not, that old snake doctor had a dang moccasin switching around in his pocket whilst he was talking to you. Pa, did you mind how his eyes was when he come in? Dang, if it wasn't blazing like. Like when you run across a little rabbit or a cat in the dark. Skid me out of 10 years. GROSS DANG if it didn't. And did you mind I kept looking up at the war where I said, I bet he had money tween le Chink something, huh?

[Narrator]

Vinnie, don't you say nothing to your ma about us being at the snake doctor's place. You understand?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Why should I?

[Narrator]

Just don't. And don't you go nigh it again. Cuss old vomit. You'd have thought we was prowlers the way you acted.

[Kizzy Morner]

Phoebe, that you out there?

[Jafe Morner]

Yep. Ma, dinner about ready?

[Kizzy Morner]

You pour with your tongue?

[Jafe Morner]

Yeah. Have I time enough for dinner to go down the spring? Get me some more cold water.

[Narrator]

Hurry it up, son. I'm hungry.

[Finny Morner]

Got one.

[Kizzy Morner]

Catch anything, Jake?

[Narrator]

How you think I can catch fish with Finny? Fine. Off my gun at Cottonmouth all the time.

[Kizzy Morner]

Ain't this heat more than a body can bear?

[Narrator]

No.

[Kizzy Morner]

Any cooler by the creek?

[Dr. Bradshaw]

No.

[Kizzy Morner]

Poor old Miss Ribes come by here a spell ago. My knife shook to pieces with a chill.

[Narrator]

Oh, he come by, did he? Where did he come in?

[Kizzy Morner]

Just for a minute.

[Narrator]

Just for a minute, eh? What'd he want?

[Kizzy Morner]

He wanted. Could have gave him something for his ailment. He just about could drag one sour foot fore the other. Barely could make it up here from his place. I reckon he must be down bed with a fever by now. I could tell by the touch it was rising in him. When he left here and started back home again, I gave him a dose out in our butler's agar drops. I would have given a little smidgen of liquor.

[Narrator]

Oh, you would, huh?

[Kizzy Morner]

Oh, please don't, James.

[Finny Morner]

Don't do the dough of me.

[Kizzy Morner]

Poor old Ms. Rice.

[Finny Morner]

Mr. Rhymes.

[Narrator]

Mr. Rice. How many times I gotta tell you that the old hoodoo's name is Snake Doctor?

[Kizzy Morner]

He don't mean nobody know how emitted

[Narrator]

skin allows for its hiding taller. And you calling him Mr. Rice. You'll be calling him honey and Sugar next. Well, without I learn you better.

[Finny Morner]

Please, James, please.

[Narrator]

Bad names, huh? Tail by the tetch, could you? Well, I aim to learn. What's his name now? Well, what's your poor Mr. R's name now?

[Kizzy Morner]

Nate? Dr.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Kizzy. Mourner rubbed the ugly red welt on a scrawny arm and gave the frying pan full of sizzling side meat a hopeless nudge. She prayed that the weight of the vittles might take the edge off Jape's temper. Finney slouched in from the spring, saw the mark on her arm.

[Jafe Morner]

Pa been whomping you again, Ma?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

She didn't answer.

[Jafe Morner]

What'd you do this time?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

She silently dished up the hardback and cornbread for two men, and while they sat at a table, she ate on her feet, serving them between bites, as was the custom in the morning household. After dinner, Finny stretched out under the chinaberry tree and Kizzy sat on the porch, fanning herself and dipping snuff with a peach twig, scouring it back and forth on her gums. Jeff took Kizzy's on the floor of the back room, but he didn't sleep. One thing he'd seen that day and another thing he'd heard, he was adding them together. That stick that had disappeared under the log jam and the snake doctor's money. It was 4 o' clock before any of them stirred. And then James spoke to his wife for the first time since noon.

[Narrator]

Where's that there vial of drinking liquor, Kizzy?

[Kizzy Morner]

By the window. You took it out in your pocket after you laid down.

[Jafe Morner]

I ought to carry a vial of drinking liquor with me, Ma. I might get bit by an old moccasin as soon as Pa would.

[Kizzy Morner]

Well, you better not let me catch you.

[Finny Morner]

You find it jest membered.

[Narrator]

I won't Be needing to tow no spritz along with me while I'm going.

[Kizzy Morner]

I wouldn't take no chance, Jake. Just one cottonmouth bite.

[Narrator]

Cottonmouth's all down the slashers. Else along a creek. Well, I'll be. This evenin's up on Bailey's Ridge in the high ground.

[Kizzy Morner]

You vexin to go shootin'.

[Narrator]

I aim to gun me a chance of young squirrels between now and dusk time. Reckon I'll come along, Pa. You're stayin here, son.

[Jafe Morner]

Oh, dang it be steaming in the place when the rain comes down. Pa, you might be needing me.

[Finny Morner]

You stay here.

[Narrator]

Oh, Pa and Kizzy set me up a snack of cold supper on the shelf. Likely I won't get back to his plum tar.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Jayner turned north through his struggling corn rows, and in a minute he was lost from sight. He kept on for nearly a mile until he came to a wild red mulberry tree. Where mulberries are, they're bound to be squirrels. Very neatly he shot two young grays through the head. But Jaff was a master marksman and unsuspected by any who knew him. Jaff had another quality denied most of his kind. He had an imagination. Today it was in excellent working order. He tied the brain squirrels together and swung them over his shoulder. If needed, they would be his alibi. Then he sat down under a tree a while.

[Narrator]

Hey, I got plenty of time. Don't need to get down to snake doctor's place about dusk when he comes out to feed that sway back mare hisn Mr. Vines.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

He set out two brisk thunder showers and the intervals between them. Then he started off in a wide arc down Bailey's Branch along the skirts of little cypress slats to the sunken flats edging Cashier Creek. Took more than an hour of careful traveling before he came to his destination, a screen of haw bushes less than 50 yards behind the snake doctor's cabin.

[Narrator]

No matter how ailing he is, he'll get up and come out to feed that rack of bones. Mayor, Mr. Rhymes. I learned him to go colleagueing around another man's woman.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Chief Mourner let his jealousy heat him to a white hatred. At this moment he was avenging his honor and thus was spared the embarrassment of admitting to himself that the real reason he was here was the snake doctor's money hidden behind the log by the fireplace.

[Narrator]

The home wrecking snake loving vomit. Ten minutes from now, I'll chunk him down the big hole in a creek like I did at Stick this morning, and he'll go down and never come out. And nobody'll miss him. Nobody'll know he's gone for at leastwise a week. Maybe a month. Maybe, if I get around to it. I might come back this way someday, poke around that cabin of his'.

[Kizzy Morner]

N.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Jay Forna's speculations were cut short. The cabin door opened and a figure stepped out into the growing dusk and walked toward the stable. He saw the snake doctor's loppy old straw hat and his dark coat drawn over a pair of hunched narrow shoulders. At this distance he couldn't miss. And it didn't. The figure jerked backward and then went face forward. Jake started for him and then he stopped. His eyes bugged his mouth formed a scream that it couldn't utter. His rifle dropped to the ground. He had just killed the snake doctor. Killed him dead with a.32 caliber slug through the head. And there on his door sill stood Snake Doctor, whole and sound and staring at him.

[Finny Morner]

Chief Mourner, what you done?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

The scream came at last, for Jake Mourner had seen the devil, this snake doctor who arose alive from his bullet riddled body. Jay whirled and ran into the deep, darkening woods, whimpering like a whipped puppy as he tore through the brush.

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[Finny Morner]

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[Finny Morner]

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[Narrator/Storyteller]

to credit approval terms apply. He must escape. He must get under the shelter Of a sound roof have the protection of four walls around him. So he ran and ran for hours. It was close to midnight when he came out on a dirt road a short distance southeast of his deadman. Beyond the next bend, he'd be inside a home. Then it stopped around the bend. Coming toward him was a jogging light, a lantern hanging on a buggy. Jake flattened himself in a clump of brush to hide until the traveler passed. And then, just as the rig was opposite him, he heard a call coming from the other direction.

[Finny Morner]

Hold there. Hold down. Siri. It's me, Steve as ware. Is that you, Tip Billy? Yep. Hooping it out from the junction. Tolerable. Tired, if anyone should ask you. What brings you out this time of night, Davis? Somebody see sec? Nothing. There's been hell a popping in these here bottoms tonight. Did he? Boy asked steady. What you mean? A killing? That's what I mean. A dirty, cold blooded killing if ever was one. Don't say who's gotten killed. I'm a fixin to tell you. It happened just around dusk time at old snake doctor's place. Yeah, was him was killed. Now just give me time. Now it seems like snake doctor's been chilling lately. He's pretty bad off today. Yeah, I mean yesterday and so long. About 5 o' clock when the rain was a lulling a little bit. Why, Miss Kitty Mourner, see, she footed it down from her place to his and fetchin some physic with her. Had a plate of hot vittles. Ms. Morny's a mighty sardi one for doing things for folks. Don't you want to hear this? Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead. Well, seems like she wasn't afeared of the snake doctor's play. Well, I'd have been all onto that. Well, pretty soon after she got there, seems like he tried to get up out of his bed to go feed that old crow bait nag of his. Uh huh. Rain had started in again, but then it was pouring down hard so she made him stay where he was at and she put on his old hat and throwed his old coat around her to keep off the worst of the wet. Then she started out the back door to do the feeding herself and no more than she got outside. And a shot come from the edge of the woods and down she went with a bullet through her brain and killed her dead as a dog. But who done it? Well, that low flung husband of hers done it, that's who. He must have followed her down to snake doctors and then just laid and wait for her they certain twas him then. Why, sure thing. Snake Doctor jumped up when he heard the shot and he catched a quick look at Jay over the fence.

[Narrator]

He did?

[Finny Morner]

Yeah. There was a long streak on Kiz's arm where he must have whooped her at during the day. Well, hanging's a sight too good for him to catch him. No, but. Well, some thinks that he's made for the slashes and hid out there. Tracks let off that away or there'd be a line of men throwed all the way around Little Cypress for Sunday. Sheriff got there yet? No, but he's due any minute with his pack of dogs. They telephoned in from Gallup Mills that he's on his way. That trail ought to lay good ground being damp like it is. Sure should. Old Snake Doctor, he's crying on and raving around up at Mourner's place that the Lord's gonna strike the murder down this track. I'm putting my main confidence in them bloodhounds on them first and then maybe on a stout plow line and a limb of a tree. Yeah, it's more certain. I'm just putting out from my place to fetch my oldest boy. I wouldn't want him to miss a lynching. There's a good sized crowd up there already. I'll go up and join him. I got a pistol here on my hip pocket. Poor Ms. Moyner. She always wants a good hearted heart.

[Narrator]

She's dead. A shot.

[Kizzy Morner]

Kizzy, did you hear something just there?

[Finny Morner]

I can't say I did. Probably a rabbit breaking through the brush. Listen. Listen. Huh? Sheriff's are coming. You can hear them hounds of his and I got to hurry. Get up there. I see you back to. Well, you sure will.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

J didn't have time to waste Mon on his dead wife. He was even a little relieved to know that the snake doctor wasn't the devil incarnate. He had a chance against a lynch mob and a pack of bloodhounds. This was the kind of antagonist he could understand and outsmart. James imagination went to work again as he backtracked along the creek bottom in the spotted moonlight.

[Narrator]

Gotta throw them dogs off the trail. Gotta wait to creek, even if it is full of cottonmouths. They must be all around me now. But folks says they don't strike in the water. Well, I hope them folks is right. Gotta get back to the snake doctors, get his money while he's still up at my place with Kizzy's remainings. Get his money, then the rest will be easy. Make for the deep timber cross country river. Make it for tomorrow sundown. Hire a shanty boater to fer me to the Arkansas side. Get a haircut and catch a train for some as hells. Gotta get Snake Doctor's money first.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Snake doctor's cabin was dark and empty when Jay reached it, and he needed light for his search. There were a few dull embers in the fireplace. He threw on some kindling, but it didn't light very well. He knew where the chink was. He'd find it in the dark. He scrambled at the logs, felt some bark give, felt the clay mortar crumble under his fingernails. Here it was, a hole big enough for a man's arm. He plunged his hand into it, touched something slick and smooth, and then something sharp plunged into his thumb. That moment the fire flickered to life. Jake yanked his hand out of the hole, saw two tiny bleeding punctures in his thumb. At the mouth of the hole stretched the wide open jaws of a cottonmouth. It worked fast. He felt the pain leaping from his thumb to his hand, seeping up his arm. If he only had some liquor. But he had a fresh killed chicken to slap on the wound. He had nothing. Then a sharp, horrible pain wrenched his heart and a second. And there in the firelight, the huge cottonmouth poised in its crevice. Jay fleeped out of the shack and started blindly for the timber, staggered, stumbled and pitched forward on his face, his open mouth full of weeds and muddy grass stems. The cramping fingers of his outstretched right hand almost touching a reddish black smear on the wet, trampled grass.

[Finny Morner]

Good riddance. By gravy. That's good riddance. I'd call it that, wouldn't you, Dr. Bradshaw?

[Dr. Bradshaw]

Well, I reckon there's sort of a rough justice in the way he died. Look. Look. His hand, reaching out just about touches the blood where his woman fell. This has been quite a night, Davis. I've just examined the body of a man who appears to have been killed by snakebite. Killed good and quick, too, judging by the evidence.

[Finny Morner]

Well, Doc, ain't that the way a cottonmouth always does? Kill a man sudden, like I always heard tell.

[Dr. Bradshaw]

Never mind what you hear. I'm going by the facts. I've been practicing medicine in this county for going on to 46 years. And I tell you that in all my life I've never known but two or three people actually being bitten by water moccasins. And until tonight, I never had the personal knowledge of anybody dying from a bite of any kind of a snake.

[Finny Morner]

Well, Is that a fact? Hey, what's going on over there, Doc?

[Dr. Bradshaw]

That mourner's boy kicking up the fuss.

[Finny Morner]

Yeah, he's a no good, just like his Paul. What's your trouble, tip?

[Jafe Morner]

I'm gonna kill a snake a bit in my paw. Man, I'm gonna give that old snake doctor a weapon for keeping a reptile in this place.

[Finny Morner]

Your paw got just what is his due, Fanny. Snake doctor ain't to blame none.

[Jafe Morner]

He's a hoodoo devil.

[Dr. Bradshaw]

Now looky here, boy. Mr. R promised all his savings, nearly a hundred dollars to pay for burying your ma decent. That's how much he thought of her. Now, now, go on home behavior show.

[Finny Morner]

Go on, Penny.

[Narrator]

Ain't nobody.

[Jafe Morner]

Somebody ought to kill that reptile.

[Finny Morner]

I bit my paw. I'm gonna do. Hey, Doc, just a minute ago you started to say something about snakebite not killing. How you account for Jay here?

[Dr. Bradshaw]

Well, the late Jaff mourner had a rotten bad heart, Davis.

[Finny Morner]

Oh, he sure did. Yes, it proves that.

[Dr. Bradshaw]

I don't mean in that sense. I mean there was an organic weakness. A curious thing, though. There was no swelling anywhere.

[Finny Morner]

Well, there's them two marks on his thumb. Them snake gashes like some I've seen.

[Dr. Bradshaw]

Now that dude explain what.

[Finny Morner]

Hey, it's Finny Morton. He's in the cab act. Fool kid. Come on, Doc. He's probably shot somebody. I shot at it. I shot at it, but I didn't hit it. It's going to get me like it got my paw. Come on, doc.

[Kizzy Morner]

Come on.

[Finny Morner]

He said he was he shot or something in the cabin.

[Dr. Bradshaw]

All right. I don't see anything.

[Finny Morner]

Oh, Finny's had enough happen to him yesterday to upset even a bright boy. So we can.

[Narrator]

Oh.

[Finny Morner]

Oh, there it is. What at cotton mouth up there to hold that long?

[Dr. Bradshaw]

Oh, hold that. Snake doctor told me about that varmint. Look at him closer, David.

[Finny Morner]

Oh, no, sir, he. Nothing.

[Jafe Morner]

Go ahead.

[Dr. Bradshaw]

Go ahead. It's just a stuffed snake stuff.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Dr. Bradshaw]

Snake doctor believes in precautions. Cause that hole's where he hides his money. That snake could scare anybody away who didn't know it was stuffed. But just to be sure, old snake doctor lined a hole with coils of barbed wire. Oh.

[Finny Morner]

Oh, I see. You think that them marks on Jay's thumb was. Was got off of the barbed wire, huh?

[Dr. Bradshaw]

It could be. Lot stronger hearts than Jafe mourners would have stopped beating at a scare like that.

[Narrator]

Well, I'll be sweat.

[Finny Morner]

Oh, snake doctor's a cute one, ain't he?

[Radio Host]

Escape produced and directed by William N. Robeson has brought you Snake Doctor by Irvine S. Cobb. Adapted for radio by Fred Howard, who also played Doc Bradshaw. With Bill Conrad as Jafe, Paul Freeze as Finney, Ruth Parrott as Kizzy. Martin Yarborough played Davis, Louis Van Rutten played Snake Doctor and Tip Bailey. The original musical score was conceived and conducted by Cy Fuhrer.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Next week, you are alone in a

[Narrator]

remote Old World village inhabited by cat people. And you were desired by a beautiful cat girl who wants your soul.

[Radio Host]

Next week we escape with Algernon Blackwood's eerie story titled Ancient Sorcerers. Good night, then, until the same time next week when we again offer you escape. This is CBS, where 99 million people gather every week. The Columbia Broadcasting System.