Favorite Story 46-10-29 Ep020 Phantom Rickshaw

Summary

Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio – "Favorite Story 46-10-29 Ep020: Phantom Rickshaw"

Introduction

In the July 25, 2025 release of "Harold's Old Time Radio," host Harolds Old Time Radio presents Episode 020 of the "Favorite Story" series: "Phantom Rickshaw." This episode dramatizes Rudyard Kipling's enigmatic and eerie tale, brought to life by esteemed Hollywood producer Jesse L. Lasky. Set against the backdrop of colonial India, the story delves into themes of guilt, supernatural vengeance, and the psychological unraveling of its protagonist.

Plot Overview

The narrative centers around Jack Panze (voiced by William Conrad), a man haunted by the ghost of Agnes, a woman he unwittingly caused to die. Agnes's spirit is perpetually linked to a mysterious black rickshaw with yellow panels, symbolizing her lingering presence and Jack's unresolved guilt.

Jack grapples with his past actions, attempting to move forward with a new relationship with Kitty. However, Agnes's ghost persistently torments him, leading to hallucinations and a deteriorating mental state. Jack seeks help from Doctor Man (voiced by Edmund McDonald), who dismisses his supernatural claims as mere illusions caused by overwork and stress from the demanding conditions of the Katabundi settlement in India.

As the story unfolds, Jack's past resurfaces, revealing his relationship with Agnes and the tragic incident that binds him to her spectral presence. The climax intensifies when Jack and Doctor Man encounter the phantom rickshaw near a cliff, forcing Jack to confront the tangible manifestation of his guilt. The episode concludes with a mysterious death investigation, intertwining the supernatural elements with a police procedural twist, leaving listeners pondering the thin veil between reality and the supernatural.

Key Characters

• Jack Panze: The protagonist haunted by his past actions and the ghost of Agnes.

• Agnes: The vengeful spirit whose death Jack inadvertently caused, now connected to the Phantom Rickshaw.

• Kitty: Jack's new love interest, whose relationship with Jack becomes strained under the weight of his guilt and Agnes's haunting.

• Doctor Man: Jack's physician, skeptical of supernatural explanations and focused on treating Jack's perceived psychological ailments.

• Narrator: Provides contextual background and transitions between scenes, maintaining the old-time radio ambiance.

Key Scenes and Discussions

1. Introduction of the Haunting ([00:31] - [01:40])

   • Jesse L. Lasky introduces the favorite story, setting the stage for the supernatural elements intertwined with human emotions.
   • Quote: "Tonight, in keeping with the spirit of Halloween, Bullock's brings you a story to fit the occasion." ([01:40])

2. Jack's Confrontation with Agnes ([02:23] - [04:25])

   • Jack pleads with Agnes to leave him alone, escalating his frustration and despair.
   • Quote: "You're dead, Agnes. Dead for a month. Now let me rest. Leave me alone." ([02:55])

3. Jack's Interaction with Kitty ([05:33] - [11:50])

   • The strained relationship between Jack and Kitty unfolds, highlighting Jack's inability to move past his guilt.
   • Quote: "I can't pretend to love you any longer." ([11:36])

4. The Phantom Rickshaw Encounter ([14:10] - [20:35])

   • Jack and Doctor Man encounter the phantom rickshaw near a cliff, blurring the lines between reality and hallucination.
   • Quote: "Agnes's rickshaw. Kitty, stop the rickshaw. He's trying to run us down." ([14:27])

5. The Investigation and Revelation ([25:14] - [29:28])

   • A police investigation into Jack's mysterious death intertwines with the supernatural aspects of the story.
   • Quote: "A crown fit for a queen." ([10:22])

Themes and Insights

• Guilt and Redemption: Jack's relentless pursuit of peace is thwarted by his overwhelming guilt over Agnes's death, illustrating how unresolved emotions can haunt an individual.

• Supernatural vs. Reality: The story masterfully blurs the lines between Jack's psychological turmoil and genuine supernatural occurrences, leaving listeners questioning what is real.

• Colonial India Setting: The backdrop of India’s Katabundi settlement adds layers of cultural context, highlighting the pressures and societal expectations faced by expatriates like Jack.

• Psychological Breakdown: Jack's interactions with Doctor Man emphasize the dismissal of mental health struggles, a commentary on the stigma surrounding psychological ailments.

Notable Quotes

• "You're dead, Agnes. Dead for a month. Now let me rest. Leave me alone." ([02:55]) – Jack’s plea to the ghost of Agnes, showcasing his desperation.

• "We walked together. We rode together, had tea, had dinner. Now you don't even want to see me." ([09:38]) – Kitty expressing her hurt over Jack’s changed demeanor.

• "You're blind. The black rickshaw's there. It's turning around now. It's coming toward us." ([14:22]) – Jack confronting the phantom rickshaw, questioning Doctor Man’s skepticism.

• "I killed Agnes. And now she won't let me alone." ([17:50]) – Jack’s confession revealing the crux of his haunting.

• "I'll just say he was run down by a phantom Rickshaw." ([28:44]) – Doctor marking the cause of death, blending the supernatural with official records.

Conclusion

"Phantom Rickshaw" is a compelling installment in Harold's Old Time Radio series, seamlessly blending supernatural horror with human drama. Through Jack Panze's tormented journey, the episode explores profound themes of guilt, redemption, and the fine boundary between reality and the supernatural. Jesse L. Lasky's adept narration, combined with a stellar voice cast and atmospheric sound design, transports listeners back to the Golden Age of Radio, delivering a timeless tale that resonates with the complexities of the human psyche.

Production Credits

• Cast:

  • William Conrad as Panse (Jack Panze)
  • Eric Snowden
  • Edmund McDonald as Doctor Man
  • Lois Corbett
  • Gene Vanderpile
  • Guy Kingsford
  • Ramsey Hill
  • George Barkley as Announcer

• Director: True Boardman

• Sound Design: Jack Hayes

• Music: Composed by Bob Mitchell, conducted by Claude Sweeten's orchestra

• Production: Lawrence and Lee Productions

Next Episode Teaser

In the following week's episode, host Jesse L. Lasky introduces an excursion into Jules Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon," promising an adventurous journey to the crater of Copernicus. Tune in next Tuesday at 9 PM to continue the captivating series.

Transcript

[Bubba Wallace]

Bubba Wallace here from 2311 Racing. Funny thing about being fast. You end up waiting a lot.

[Jesse L. Lasky]

First to show up, first in line, then just waiting. Me, I rev up Chumba casino with.

[Bubba Wallace]

Over 200 social casino games. No slow lanes here.

[Jesse L. Lasky]

Why sit around when you can spin?

[Bubba Wallace]

I'm already racing.

[Agnes]

Your turn.

[Jesse L. Lasky]

Play for [e-mail]. let's Chumba.

[Bubba Wallace]

Sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary.

[Ryan Seacrest]

VGW Group voidware prohibited by Law 21. Terms and conditions apply.

[Jesse L. Lasky]

We went to one of Hollywood's veteran motion picture producers, Mr. Jesse L. Lasky. We asked this maker of hits to tell us his favorite story so that we could dramatize it on this series. Well, he told us one yarn which had always fascinated him was Rudyard Kipling's weird and imaginative tale called the Phantom Rickshaw. So for Jesse L. Laski and for all of you who like a good spine tingling yarn, that's this week's favorite story.

[Narrator]

Bullocks. In downtown Los Angeles, one of America's great stores, proudly originates this radio program for the nation. Favorite story.

[Jesse L. Lasky]

This is the program which stars the story. And that means our star this week is Rudyard Kipling's the Phantom Rickshaw.

[Narrator]

Tonight, in keeping with the spirit of Halloween, Bullock's brings you a story to fit the occasion. Here is Jesse Lasky's favorite story. Act One.

[Agnes]

No.

[Bubba Wallace]

No. Not the rickshaw again. Not again. Agnes. Agnes. Why don't you let me alone?

[Kitty]

I'll stay with you all the rest of your life.

[Doctor]

Panze. Snap out of it.

[Bubba Wallace]

Agnes. Where do you haunt me?

[Doctor]

Pansae? Stop this nonsense. Lie back in bed now.

[Bubba Wallace]

She's calling me.

[Doctor]

There's no one calling you. You've got a fever and you're imagining things.

[Kitty]

I'm sure it's all a mistake. A hideous mistake.

[Bubba Wallace]

You're dead, Agnes. Dead for a month. Now let me rest. Leave me alone. Go away. And take that ghastly rickshaw with you. I hear it continually. The rickshaw. The black rickshaw with the yellow panels, the rickshaw and your voice.

[Kitty]

We shall be his good friends someday, Jack. As we ever were.

[Bubba Wallace]

No, Agnes. You're dead. Go away.

[Doctor]

Stop it, Panse. Talk to me if you like. There's no one else here.

[Bubba Wallace]

You're wrong. Agnes is here. April is gone. Agnes. April is over and you're dead. And now there's Kitty.

[Kitty]

Agnes, I'm sure it's all a mistake. A hideous mistake.

[Bubba Wallace]

I'm sick of you. Agnes.

[Kitty]

It's all a mistake.

[Bubba Wallace]

Do you hear me? I'm sick of you let me alone. Let me rest or let me die, but let me alone.

[Doctor]

Man, you've got to snap out of this. If I have to slap it out of you. Pansy. Are you listening to me?

[Bubba Wallace]

Yes, I'm. I'm. I'm listening.

[Doctor]

There's no one here. Do you understand? There's no one here.

[Bubba Wallace]

It's no use. She keeps calling me. No one's calling you.

[Doctor]

And I want you to stop this nonsense about a phantom rickshaw.

[Bubba Wallace]

Is it nonsense, Doctor?

[Doctor]

Take my word for it. The hospital has handled hundreds like you. It's the fault of the system. They expect you over at the Katabundi settlement to do the work of three men. That's India. But it's no reason for you to get these strange spectral illusions.

[Bubba Wallace]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Doctor]

In cases like this, what we need most is a brain purge. Now, lie back and tell me all about it from the start.

[Bubba Wallace]

From the start.

[Doctor]

This woman, Agnes, was she married?

[Bubba Wallace]

Widowed. The wife of a fellow on the Bombay side, Keith Wessington.

[Doctor]

Where did you meet her?

[Bubba Wallace]

On the boat coming back to Bombay. But it only got serious when we were together again the next spring in seminar.

[Kitty]

Darling, let's sit down here a moment and rest.

[Bubba Wallace]

All right, my dear.

[Kitty]

Oh, I could listen to those temple bells forever. Jack, do you suppose we can afford a bungalow here? Someday for the year round, perhaps, darling. Oh, it could be so wonderful. Looking up to the snow peaks, feeling the crisp air. Don't you love the snow?

[Bubba Wallace]

Not when I have to climb a mountain for it.

[Kitty]

Oh, beer. It's late. I must change.

[Bubba Wallace]

Change?

[Kitty]

We're going to a party at the Kernows.

[Bubba Wallace]

Oh, must we go?

[Kitty]

Well, if you love me, you won't say another word. But, darling, I won't listen to you. You don't want to go anywhere with me. You only want to make love to me.

[Bubba Wallace]

Is that bad?

[Kitty]

But I have a new dress, and if I don't get shored off tonight, I'll be angry. Good heavens, what's that?

[Bubba Wallace]

The sacred monkeys at the temple. You're disturbing them with your chatter.

[Kitty]

I don't chatter. All right, I don't chatter. Do I, darling?

[Bubba Wallace]

No. But sometimes you talk too much. Jack, if there's anything I detest, it's a garrulous darling.

[Kitty]

Darling, do you suppose we could ever fall out of love?

[Bubba Wallace]

I never gave it a thought. No.

[Kitty]

We've been too much to each other, haven't we?

[Bubba Wallace]

Yes.

[Kitty]

I'll stay with you all the rest of your life, Jack. You'll never be Rid of me.

[Bubba Wallace]

Oh, come, my dear. Don't sound so grim.

[Kitty]

That's how much I love you, darling. That's how much I love you.

[Bubba Wallace]

That's how it was that first year in Simla. Doctor.

[Doctor]

Did you love her?

[Bubba Wallace]

At first she was very beautiful. The most golden hair. But then she became possessive. She hung on me every moment and everywhere we went.

[Doctor]

When did you see her again?

[Bubba Wallace]

The next year. But then things were different. I had not seen Agnes for many months. I'm afraid I had purposely not seen her. And then one day I had business that took me into the bazaar. It was there that it happened. The incident that was to change the course of my life. The incident that I shall have cause to regret till the hour I die.

[Agnes]

Gems.

[Doctor]

Beautiful gems.

[Agnes]

Ivory. Gems.

[Kitty]

Beautiful ivory.

[Agnes]

If you would buy a walking stick. This is a walking stick the gods might envy.

[Bubba Wallace]

Is it a tough wood?

[Agnes]

Like an elephant, sahib. And yet it has spring, sahib, like a fine blade. Listen. Huh, Sahib. The Verriere sings to this stick.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Jack.

[Agnes]

Sahib. A woman calls.

[Bubba Wallace]

Where?

[Agnes]

There, sahib, in the black rickshaw. The woman with the golden hair, Sahib. You will take this wonderful stick.

[Bubba Wallace]

I suppose so.

[Agnes]

Here, sahib. It is two coins of such a brightness for such a stick.

[Bubba Wallace]

Rubber.

[Kitty]

Jack.

[Agnes]

Cirque, sahib, Cirque. The best from China, sahib. The finest Persian rum. Red wine, sahib. Red wine from the south side. Wine.

[Kitty]

Jack. There you are. For a moment, I was afraid you weren't going to hear me. Or come to me if you did.

[Bubba Wallace]

Don't be ridiculous. Agnes, how are you?

[Kitty]

Oh, darling, it's good to see you again.

[Bubba Wallace]

Is it?

[Kitty]

Jack, why do you treat me like this?

[Bubba Wallace]

Like what?

[Kitty]

You've been avoiding me deliberately.

[Bubba Wallace]

Have I?

[Kitty]

Last year it was different.

[Bubba Wallace]

How?

[Agnes]

Well, we.

[Kitty]

We walked together. We rode together, had tea, had dinner. Now you don't even want to see me.

[Bubba Wallace]

People change.

[Kitty]

Yes. Yes, they do. You've changed so much, I hardly know you.

[Bubba Wallace]

12 months is a long time. Especially in India.

[Kitty]

You were very happy here last year.

[Agnes]

That was last year, Sahib. I have lovely gems.

[Kitty]

No, nothing today.

[Agnes]

I have here a ruby. A ruby? Moss crimson.

[Bubba Wallace]

We don't want any.

[Agnes]

The mem sahib in the black rickshaw has hair as golden as the wheat of Samarkand.

[Bubba Wallace]

Go away.

[Agnes]

For hair so golden, I have two exquisite combs set with the tiniest and finest of sapphires. The blue, sahib, on a field of gold.

[Bubba Wallace]

The mem sahib wants nothing.

[Agnes]

A crown fit for a queen. Sa'.

[Bubba Wallace]

Ev. Get away, or I'll have the mem sahib's rickshaw boys beat you.

[Agnes]

Sahib. In another Land, it was once said, whom the gods would destroy, they first drive mad.

[Bubba Wallace]

Then I am ready for destruction. For fools like you will drive me mad.

[Agnes]

Before the gods work their will on you, Sahiba. You would perhaps buy for them a Saiba brooch of purest gold. Fashioned by the craftsman of Kashmir.

[Bubba Wallace]

One more word and I'll use a stick on you myself.

[Agnes]

May Allah preserve you from Fare, sahib.

[Bubba Wallace]

You devil.

[Agnes]

My back is broken in a dozen places. Oh, Allah, have pity on my children. May you have a short life, sahib. And one of misery. May the gods of darkness creep into your mind. And fill it with the fear of night.

[Kitty]

Jack, you shouldn't have hit him.

[Bubba Wallace]

The swine deserved it.

[Kitty]

Jack, you've changed so. You were never like this before.

[Bubba Wallace]

Flowers fade, grass turns yellow. And the bloom of love is gone with the dawn or last year's rains.

[Kitty]

Oh, please, please forgive me, dear.

[Bubba Wallace]

What for?

[Kitty]

I must have failed you somehow. You wouldn't treat me like this.

[Bubba Wallace]

I can't pretend to love you any longer.

[Kitty]

Oh, Jack, don't.

[Bubba Wallace]

I'm fed up. I'm tired of your monotonous voice and weary of your appeals. I'm sick to death of your whining.

[Kitty]

Oh, I'm sure it's all a mistake, Jack. A hideous mistake. We should be as good friends someday as we ever were.

[Bubba Wallace]

Don't you get it through your head that I don't want to be friends. I want to be rid of you. Completely rid of you. I wish you were dead. Dead. That's what I said. I said to her. That's what I said. And a week later, she was dead.

[Doctor]

Dead. Had she been ill?

[Bubba Wallace]

For several months. Only hope had kept her alive. And then I took the last hope from her. I'll never forget her sitting there in the black rickshaw. Her golden head bowed. I'll never forget it.

[Doctor]

Did you know this other woman then?

[Bubba Wallace]

Kitty? Yes. We'd become quite thick all of a sudden. And everything was going fine until. Until the afternoon we bought the ring. The ring? Yes. We had just left the jewelers. Hamilton's just outside the bazaar.

[Kitty]

Jack, dear, there's never been such a ring in the whole world.

[Bubba Wallace]

Ah, my darling. There's never been a love like ours in the whole world.

[Kitty]

Oh.

[Bubba Wallace]

Oh, Kitty, if you but knew what your coming into my life has meant to me. The freshness, the beauty, the. The understanding of you. And, yes, the unselfishness.

[Kitty]

Jack, you don't have to say such things, you know. We're already engaged. Unless it's all been a dream these last days. Is it true, darling? Are we engaged?

[Bubba Wallace]

Well, let me see your left hand. We must be.

[Kitty]

Kitty, what's the matter?

[Bubba Wallace]

Jack, those rickshaw boys, they used to work for Agnes.

[Kitty]

Who?

[Bubba Wallace]

Agnes. Mrs. Keith Wessington.

[Kitty]

Is she the poor woman who died last month?

[Bubba Wallace]

Yes, that's the one.

[Kitty]

Someone said she died of a broken heart. I didn't think anyone died of a broken heart. So old fashioned.

[Bubba Wallace]

That's her rickshaw over there.

[Kitty]

Where?

[Bubba Wallace]

On the bridge, near the railing.

[Kitty]

Are you joking? There's no rickshaw on the bridge.

[Bubba Wallace]

No rickshaw.

[Kitty]

Did you have too many brandies this afternoon?

[Bubba Wallace]

Kitty, I'm not joking. Look again. On the bridge.

[Kitty]

There's nothing there.

[Bubba Wallace]

You're blind. The black rickshaw's there. It's turning around now.

[Kitty]

Jack, are you all right?

[Bubba Wallace]

Tell me you see the rickshaw. It's off the bridge now. It's coming toward us.

[Kitty]

Oh, let's not stand here in the middle of the street, dear.

[Bubba Wallace]

It's the rickshaw. Agnes's rickshaw. Kitty, stop the rickshaw. He's trying to run us down. Kitty. Doctor. Rickshaw. Stop it. Kitty.

[Narrator]

In a moment, act two of Rudyard Kipling's Phantom Rickshaw. Tonight, Bullock's Downtown issues a call to arms. A call to protect you and your children against the threat of the most dangerous enemies you have ever faced. Disease, delinquency, hate crime. Divorce, maladjustment, hunger.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hello, it is Ryan. And I was on a flight the other day playing one of my favorite social spin slot games on chumbacasino.com I looked over the person sitting next to me and you know what they were doing? They were also playing Chumba Casino. Everybody's loving having fun with it. Chumba Casino is home to hundreds of casino style games that you can play for free, anytime, anywhere. So sign up [e-mail] to claim your free welcome bonus. That's chumbacasino.com and live the Chumba life.

[Bubba Wallace]

Sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary VGW Group void where prohibited by law 21/ terms and conditions apply.

[Narrator]

Poverty, whose poisonous fangs right now are being sunk deeply into your community are driving Los Angeles youth to appalling acts. Are making the Los angeles divorce rate 3 out of 5 marriages the most disgraceful of any large community in America. These ruthless forces threaten you and your family every second of every minute of every day. They are not thousands of miles away across oceans. They are right outside your door. They are strong, ruthless, forceful, Thriving on the disrupted conditions of our post war world. And they don't let up for one second, don't give one inch until you fight back and fight back hard. No, halfway. Let the other fellow do it. Defensive will check these evil forces only. A full scale major offensive made by you individually through the army that knows how to handle them, the Red Feather community chest. The 152 separate agencies of the Community Chest are real frontline fighters. They know the cunning of their enemies, know the threat to you, and they know the kind of powder it takes to win this fight. But these fighters can do nothing without you. Because you, not they, need your help. Now, Bullock's downtown urges you give to your Community Chest. Remember, it is your future and the future of your children that is in danger. Give now and give enough. And now. Act of Jesse Elaski's favorite story. The Phantom Rickshaw with William Conrad as Panse.

[Bubba Wallace]

When I woke up, Doctor, I realized that Kitty knew. She knew about Agnes. Doctor, don't you see how I've paid for it? As surely as any woman was ever killed by man. I killed Agnes. And now she won't let me alone.

[Doctor]

Pansy, that's ridiculous. You're suffering from some spectral illusion, nothing more.

[Bubba Wallace]

An illusion. If it only were, Doctor. If it only were.

[Doctor]

Pansy, listen to me. In medicine we have something we call a shock treatment. Right now, we're going to saddle up a couple of horses, ride to the spot where you saw that specter, and I'm going to prove to you that it was merely a combination of overwork nerves on the hot sun of India. Shall we take it at a faster gate? It's only a mile to the bridge.

[Bubba Wallace]

You don't have to go to the bridge, Doctor. It's there, just ahead of us.

[Doctor]

What's ahead of us?

[Bubba Wallace]

The phantom rickshaw. It left the house when we did. It's about 20 yards ahead of us.

[Doctor]

Maybe it's your eyes. I'll examine them more closely when we get back.

[Bubba Wallace]

Doctor.

[Agnes]

Doctor.

[Doctor]

Pansy. You're sweating and trembling like a frightened pony. Yes, I think it's your eyes.

[Bubba Wallace]

Perhaps. My eyes see the rickshaw as surely as they see you riding beside me. My eyes see the four rickshaw boys. Do you know that all four of them died of cholera on their way to their new owner? And the rickshaw was broken up by the man she hired it from. Told me he'd never used a dead memsa. Its rickshaw spoiled his luck. Queer notion, wasn't it, Tanse?

[Doctor]

The presence of the rickshaw is in itself enough to prove the existence of a spectral illusion. Perhaps one may see ghosts of men and women. But surely never of a carriage. The whole thing's absurd. Fancy the ghost of a carriage.

[Bubba Wallace]

Yes, fancy. And yet there it is ahead of us. The dead travel fast and by shortcuts unknown to ordinary rickshaw boys. Wait a minute. Pull up.

[Doctor]

What's the matter, Pansy?

[Bubba Wallace]

The rickshaw's come to a dead stop.

[Doctor]

Where?

[Bubba Wallace]

By the cliff.

[Doctor]

Well, what do we do? Spend a cold night on the hillside for the sake of a blasted illusion? Let's ride on.

[Bubba Wallace]

Wait.

[Doctor]

Good Lord, Pansae. The whole cliff's coming down.

[Bubba Wallace]

I told you we should stop, Dr. Man.

[Doctor]

If we'd gone forward, we should have been 10ft deep in our graves by now. We'll have to turn round and go by way of the church ridge. I want to drink badly, Pansy. Well, you've had 10 days of my treatment.

[Bubba Wallace]

How do you like it? It's simple enough.

[Doctor]

Liver pills, cold water baths and strong exercise. And you agree the little incident at the cliff had nothing to do with the rickshaw, don't you? Don't you?

[Agnes]

Yes.

[Bubba Wallace]

Yes, Doctor. It's eyes, brain and stomach, isn't that it?

[Doctor]

Exactly. At the end of the week you won't know yourself.

[Bubba Wallace]

You're sure of that, Doctor? You're very sure of that?

[Doctor]

What do you mean? What's the matter with you this morning, Pansy?

[Bubba Wallace]

Kitty sent back my letters. And here's a note from her father. Says that a man who behaved as I did to Mrs. Wessington ought to kill himself. And Agnes won't let me rest. I keep repeating to myself I'm on leave in Simla. Ordinary, everyday Simla. I'm in Semla and there are no phantoms here. But sometimes it seems that the rickshaw and I are the only realities in a world of shadows. That Kitty was a ghost and that all the other men and women I know are all phantoms and the hills themselves are just shadows to torture me. Why can't I be left alone?

[Doctor]

Don't get excited now. Get back into bed and rest. A few more days and you'll be fit. You'll be laughing yourself at these fantasies of yours. Well, Pansy, after much examination of pupil and pulse, I'm ready to dismiss you. I certify to your mental cure, which is to say I've cured most of your bodily ailments. Now get your traps out of here as soon as you can.

[Bubba Wallace]

You've been very good to me, Doctor, and very good for me.

[Doctor]

Go out and see if you can find this phantom rickshaw business again. I'll give you a rupee for each time you see it.

[Narrator]

Two more brandy, sweet home.

[Agnes]

How's your most celebrated case, doctor?

[Bubba Wallace]

Heathery.

[Doctor]

What's that?

[Agnes]

Panzy. How's Pansy doing now?

[Doctor]

Fine. He's been released, you know.

[Agnes]

Really?

[Doctor]

You know, the natives will have you.

[Agnes]

Believe that there's a crack in Panzy's head and a little bit of the dark world is coming through and pressing to death. But that's in there for you.

[Doctor]

Always the most involved explanation, eh? My notion is that the work of the Katabundi settlement ran him off his legs. That he took to brooding and making very much of a very ordinary affair. But I've handled too many of that sort. Liver pills.

[Agnes]

What?

[Doctor]

Liver pills. Liver pills and exercise. That's all they need.

[Agnes]

Well, I'm glad to hear that he's all right again. Only met him once, but he seemed like a fairly decent sort of chap.

[Doctor]

First rate. But he encountered the two great destroyers of Englishmen in India.

[Agnes]

What are those?

[Doctor]

Bad food and good women.

[Agnes]

Very profound, doctor. Much too profound for a hot day like this.

[Doctor]

Oh.

[Agnes]

Oh, there's Elkins. Just came in. Elkins? Oh, the fellow would drink, so may as well have him over. Gentlemen, I need a drink.

[Bubba Wallace]

He's getting you? Oh, no, but he's getting someone.

[Agnes]

There's a chap walking down the middle of the street down by the bridge.

[Doctor]

Talking to a woman. Seems to me that's been done before.

[Agnes]

Yes, old fellow, but there's no woman there. What chap's walking down the middle of.

[Doctor]

The street talking to a woman?

[Agnes]

Who isn't there?

[Narrator]

Mad as a hat.

[Bubba Wallace]

A poor devil or drunk.

[Doctor]

Does he call her by name?

[Bubba Wallace]

No, he just talks to her.

[Doctor]

What does he say?

[Agnes]

Oh, he tells that April's gone and.

[Bubba Wallace]

For her to stop hounding him.

[Doctor]

Anything else?

[Bubba Wallace]

Yeah, to take Eric Shaw away.

[Doctor]

Hansai.

[Agnes]

No, no. Heathery, come back here. Well, this must be my bad day. That's the second daft one I met in an hour.

[Bubba Wallace]

What's got into him anyway?

[Agnes]

I think someone couldn't quite stomach his liver pills. Your friend is here, Saib. He was carried into my humble shop just after he fell hurt in the street. As you see, the commissioner is already here.

[Doctor]

Oh, Commissioner.

[Agnes]

Doctor, I fear your friend is near death. Saeed.

[Bubba Wallace]

Hanse.

[Doctor]

Hansi, can you hear me?

[Bubba Wallace]

Yes. Yes, doctor, I can hear you.

[Doctor]

Are you all right now?

[Bubba Wallace]

You've been much too good to me already, old man, but I. I don't think I'll trouble you further.

[Doctor]

Are you hurt?

[Bubba Wallace]

Should I be?

[Doctor]

I don't know, Commissioner. Tell me what happened.

[Agnes]

When we got to him, he was lying in the middle of the mail.

[Narrator]

Like he'd been run over. Picked him up and brought him to the shop.

[Bubba Wallace]

Tell me, Commissioner, will you carry the investigation of my death into the spirit world?

[Doctor]

Well, you're gonna be all right, Pansy.

[Bubba Wallace]

Never. You know, I debated with myself. Shall I die in my bed decently and as an English gentleman should die? Or in one last walk on the marrow, will my soul be wrenched from me to take its place by the side of that ghost of a woman? The ghost of Agnes.

[Doctor]

Stop it, Pansy.

[Bubba Wallace]

Shall I return to my old lost allegiance in the next world? Or shall I meet her, loathing her, and riding by her side in that rickshaw through all eternity? Shall we show Panzer?

[Doctor]

It's an awful thing to go down quick among the dead.

[Agnes]

Only one half of your life completed, Commissioner. Yes.

[Doctor]

There are no marks on his body.

[Agnes]

But he must have been struck.

[Doctor]

Did anyone see him fall?

[Bubba Wallace]

Oh, no.

[Agnes]

That's the strangest part of it all.

[Narrator]

He was found on one of the.

[Agnes]

Busiest streets, and yet no one saw him go down.

[Doctor]

How about the Sadhu?

[Agnes]

The holy man?

[Bubba Wallace]

Yes, all right.

[Agnes]

I'll bring him in. Go on with your examination, Doctor.

[Doctor]

You there. You say you own this shop?

[Agnes]

Yes, it is my shop. I sell gems. Beautiful gems, I am.

[Doctor]

What do you know of this?

[Agnes]

Only that the man was cursed, Saeb.

[Doctor]

How do you know?

[Agnes]

It came on the wind and died in the tree, Saeb.

[Doctor]

What does that mumbo jumbo mean?

[Agnes]

That the man was cast, Saeb.

[Doctor]

Ah, Commissioner, what nonsense is. Oh, yes. There you are, Commissioner.

[Agnes]

Here's the holy man. Let's see what he has to say.

[Doctor]

Do you know this man Sadhu?

[Agnes]

The one who stands there and sells bits of glass? Saive. Or the one on the floor now sells his soul to the powers of darkness.

[Narrator]

None of that nonsense now. You know who I am, don't you?

[Agnes]

You are the commissioner of police, sir.

[Narrator]

I want you to tell me if.

[Agnes]

Anyone was with this man when he.

[Narrator]

Fell in the street.

[Agnes]

All men are alone when they die, sir. After he fell, did you see anything? When the soul is in flight, no one can see it or know whence it goes.

[Doctor]

Did you see something on a more material plane? Anything on the street after the man fell?

[Agnes]

Yes.

[Doctor]

What?

[Agnes]

A rickshaw cybe moving very fast.

[Doctor]

Fast? What did it look like?

[Agnes]

It was a black rickshaw, sahib. A black rickshaw with yellow panel. It was his destiny to die slowly and a little every day. You can go. Yes, sir.

[Doctor]

Commissioner. I don't know what you want to make in the nature of an examination, but I don't need to go any further. I'm satisfied as to the cause of death.

[Agnes]

You are?

[Doctor]

Yes.

[Agnes]

What are you going to put on the death certificate?

[Doctor]

I'll just say he was run down by a phantom Rickshaw.

[Narrator]

You have been listening to Rudyard Kipling's the Phantom Rickshaw, the favorite starry choice of motion picture producer Jesse L. Laski. Favorite story is brought to you by Bullocks in downtown Los Angeles, one of America's great stores. Heard in the cast were William Conrad as Panse with Eric Snowden, Edmund McDonald, Lois Corbett, Gene Vanderpile, Guy Kingsford, Ramsey Hill, and your announcer, George Barkley. This week's program was directed by True Boardman with sound designs by Jack Hayes. Music was composed by Bob Mitchell, who conducted Claude Sweeten's orchestra. This was a Lawrence and Lee production. Bullock's proudly originates it for the nation. Now here is True Boardman to tell you about next week's favorite story.

[Jesse L. Lasky]

Next week we bring you the favorite story of one of the world's greatest travelers, Mr. Carveth Wells. Mr. Wells has suggested an excursion which should be most welcome to all travel hungry radio listeners. Next week, Jules Verne takes us from the Earth to the moon. We hope you'll be listening until next Tuesday at 9 when we meet you in the crater of Copernicus. Good night to you from Bullocks.

[Kitty]

Foreign.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest. Life comes at you fast, which is why it's important to find some time to relax a little you time. Enter Chumba Casino. With no download required, you can jump on anytime, anywhere for the chance to redeem some serious prizes. So treat yourself with Chumba Casino and play over 100 online casino style games, all for free. Go to Chumbacasino.com to collect your free welcome bonus. Sponsored by Chumba casino.

[Bubba Wallace]

Purchase necessary vgw group void where prohibited by law. 21+ terms and conditions apply.