Favorite Story 46-10-29 Ep020 Phantom Rickshaw

Summary

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

Title: Phantom Rickshaw
Host/Producer: Jesse L. Lasky
Featured Actor: William Conrad as Panse
Release Date: May 23, 2025

---

Introduction

In this episode of Harold's Old Time Radio, listeners are transported to the Golden Age of Radio with a captivating dramatization of Rudyard Kipling's enigmatic tale, Phantom Rickshaw. Produced by the esteemed Hollywood motion picture producer Jesse L. Lasky, this episode promises a spine-tingling narrative that intertwines love, loss, and supernatural elements.

Jesse L. Lasky introduces the story:

"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."
[00:32]

---

Act One: The Haunting Begins

The story centers around Panse (William Conrad), a man tormented by the ghostly presence of his deceased wife, Agnes, and the elusive phantom rickshaw that seems to follow him relentlessly.

Agnes's Return:

"I'll stay with you all the rest of your life."
[02:36]

Panse struggles to come to terms with Agnes's death, which occurred a month prior. His attempts to dismiss her haunting presence are met with increasing desperation.

Panse's Plea:

"You're dead, Agnes. Dead for a month. Now let me rest. Leave me alone."
[02:55]

The Doctor intervenes, attempting to rationalize the supernatural occurrences as figments of Panse's fevered imagination:

"There's no one calling you. You've got a fever and you're imagining things."
[04:24]

Despite the Doctor's reassurances, Panse remains haunted by Agnes and the mysterious black rickshaw with yellow panels.

---

Act Two: The Descent into Madness

Panse's mental state deteriorates as he becomes increasingly obsessed with Agnes's apparition and the phantom rickshaw.

Memories of Love:

"I had just left the jewelers. Hamilton's just outside the Baz."
[13:12]

Panse reflects on his past relationship with Agnes and his current engagement to another woman, Kitty, highlighting his internal conflict:

"We've been too much to each other, haven't we?"
[06:38]

The tension culminates when Panse confronts the phantom rickshaw, leading to a dramatic and supernatural encounter:

Final Confrontation:

"Kitty, stop the rickshaw. He's trying to run us down."
[14:33]

This moment blurs the lines between reality and the spectral, pushing Panse to the brink of madness.

---

Climax and Revelation

As Panse grapples with his haunted visions, the narrative reveals a tragic connection between his dismissive behavior towards Agnes and her untimely death.

Panse's Realization:

"I wish you were dead. Dead. That's what I said to her. And a week later, she was dead."
[11:50]

The Doctor's skepticism contrasts sharply with Panse's belief in the supernatural elements, leading to a tense investigation into Panse's state of mind and the true nature of the phantom rickshaw.

Doctor's Doubt:

"Pansy, listen to me. In medicine we have something we call a shock treatment."
[18:15]

---

Resolution and Aftermath

The story reaches its zenith as Panse confronts the phantom rickshaw one last time, resulting in his tragic demise.

Panse's Final Struggle:

"Never. You know, I debated with myself. Shall I die in my decency and as an English gentleman should die? Or in one last walk on the mall, will my soul be wrenched from me to take its place by the side of that ghost of a woman?"
[25:05]

The Doctor and the Commissioner investigate Panse's unexplained death, uncovering the chilling truth behind the phantom rickshaw's existence and its link to Panse's tormented soul.

---

Characters and Performances

• William Conrad as Panse: Delivers a masterful portrayal of a man torn between love, guilt, and madness. His nuanced performance captures Panse's gradual descent into obsession and despair.

  "I'm sick of you. Agnes."
  [03:54]

• The Doctor: Represents rationality and attempts to anchor Panse back to reality, highlighting the conflict between science and the supernatural.

  "There's no one here. You're imagining things."
  [04:24]

• Agnes (Ghost): Although a spectral character, Agnes's presence is felt profoundly through her haunting dialogue and emotional pleas.

---

Themes and Insights

Phantom Rickshaw delves into themes of guilt, obsession, and the interplay between reality and the supernatural. It explores how unresolved emotions and remorse can manifest into haunting visions, blurring the lines between the living and the dead.

The narrative also touches upon cultural intersections, set against the backdrop of India, where East meets West, and traditional beliefs clash with modern rationality.

---

Conclusion

This episode of Harold's Old Time Radio masterfully brings Rudyard Kipling's Phantom Rickshaw to life, blending dramatic storytelling with atmospheric sound design. Through compelling performances and a gripping plot, it offers listeners a memorable journey into the haunted psyche of Panse, leaving them pondering the thin veil between the living and the spectral.

Notable Production Credits:

• Director: True Boardman
• Sound Designs: Jack Hayes
• Music: Bob Mitchell, conducting Claude Sweeten's orchestra
• Production: Lawrence and Lee Production for Bullock's Downtown

---

Looking Ahead

In the next episode, Jesse L. Lasky presents the adventures of renowned traveler Carveth Wells as Jules Verne takes listeners on an extraordinary journey "From the Earth to the Moon", promising an exhilarating exploration of the crater of Copernicus. Tune in next Tuesday at 9 for another enthralling story.

---

This summary encapsulates the key elements, discussions, and dramatic arcs of the Phantom Rickshaw episode, providing a comprehensive overview for both longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

It is Ryan Seacrest here. There was a recent social media trend which consisted of flying on a plane with no music, no movies, no entertainment. But a better trend would be going to chumbacasino.com it's like having a mini social casino in your pocket. Chumba casino has over 100 online casino style games, all absolutely free. It's the most fun you can have online and on a plane. So grab your free welcome bonus [e-mail] sponsored by Chumba Casino.

[William Conrad]

No purchase necessary vgw group void where.

[Doctor]

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.

[Bullocks]

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.

[Bullocks]

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

[William Conrad]

Sat the Rickshaw again. Not again. Agnes. Agnes. Why don't you let me alone?

[Agnes]

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

[Doctor]

Panze. Snap out of it, Agnes.

[William Conrad]

Where do you haunt me?

[Doctor]

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

[William Conrad]

She's calling me.

[Doctor]

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

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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.

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Doctor]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

I'm sick of You. Agnes.

[Agnes]

It's all a mistake.

[William Conrad]

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. Pansie. Are you listening to me?

[William Conrad]

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

[Doctor]

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

[William Conrad]

It's no use. She keeps calling me.

[Doctor]

No one's calling you. And I want you to stop this nonsense about a phantom rickshaw.

[William Conrad]

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.

[William Conrad]

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.

[William Conrad]

From the start.

[Doctor]

This woman, Agnes, was she married?

[William Conrad]

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

[Doctor]

Where did you meet her?

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

All right, my dear.

[Agnes]

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?

[William Conrad]

Not when I have to climb a mountain for it.

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

Change?

[Agnes]

We're going to a party. The Konos.

[William Conrad]

Oh, must we go?

[Agnes]

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.

[William Conrad]

Is that bad?

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

I never gave it a thought.

[Agnes]

No. We've been too much to each other, haven't we?

[William Conrad]

Yes.

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Doctor]

Did you love her?

[William Conrad]

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?

[William Conrad]

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. Gems.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

Beautiful gems.

[William Conrad]

Ivory gems.

[Keith Wessington]

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

[William Conrad]

Is it a tough wood?

[Keith Wessington]

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

[Agnes]

Jack.

[Keith Wessington]

Sahib. A woman calls.

[William Conrad]

Where?

[Keith Wessington]

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

[William Conrad]

I suppose so.

[Keith Wessington]

Here, sahib, it is. Two coins of such a brightness for such a stick.

[William Conrad]

Rubber.

[Agnes]

Jack.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

Cirque, sahib. Cirque. The best from China, sahib.

[Keith Wessington]

The finest Persian rhyme.

[William Conrad]

Red wine, sahib.

[Bullocks]

Red wine from the south side.

[William Conrad]

Red.

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

Is it?

[Agnes]

Jack, why do you treat me like this?

[William Conrad]

Like what?

[Agnes]

You've been avoiding me deliberately.

[William Conrad]

Have I?

[Agnes]

Last year it was different.

[William Conrad]

How?

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

People change.

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

12 months is a long time. Especially in India.

[Agnes]

You were very happy here last year.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

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

[Agnes]

No, nothing today.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

I have here a ruby. A ruby most crimson.

[William Conrad]

We don't want anything.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

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

[William Conrad]

Go away.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

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.

[William Conrad]

The mem sahib wants nothing.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

A crown fit for a queen. Sahib.

[William Conrad]

Get away or I'll have The mem sahib's rickshaw boys beat you, sahib?

[Rickshaw Vendor]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Rickshaw Vendor]

Before the gods work their will on you, sahib, you would perhaps buy for the Mahm Saiba brooch of purest gold, fashioned by the craftsmen of Kashmir.

[William Conrad]

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

[Rickshaw Vendor]

May Allah preserve you from Farrell sahib.

[William Conrad]

You devil.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

My back is broken in a thousand places.

[Agnes]

Allah.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

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.

[Agnes]

Jack, you shouldn't have hit him.

[William Conrad]

The swine deserved it.

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

Oh, please, please forgive me, dear.

[William Conrad]

What for?

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

I can't pretend to love you any longer.

[Agnes]

Oh, Jack, don't.

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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 to her. That's what I said. And a week later, she was dead.

[Doctor]

Dead? Had she been ill?

[William Conrad]

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?

[William Conrad]

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 Baz.

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

Oh.

[William Conrad]

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.

[Agnes]

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?

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

What's the matter?

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

Who?

[William Conrad]

Agnes. Mrs. Keith Wessington.

[Agnes]

Is she the poor woman who died last month?

[William Conrad]

Yes, that's the one.

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

That's her rickshaw over there.

[Agnes]

Where?

[William Conrad]

On the bridge, near the railing.

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

No rickshaw.

[Agnes]

Did you have too many brandies this afternoon?

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

There's nothing there.

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

Jack, are you all right?

[William Conrad]

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

[Agnes]

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

[William Conrad]

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

[Rickshaw Vendor]

Stop it.

[William Conrad]

Kitty.

[Bullocks]

In a moment, Act 2 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]

It is Ryan Seacrest here. There was a recent social media trend which consisted of flying on a plane with no music, no movies, no entertainment. But a better trend would be going to chumbacasino.com. it's like having a mini social casino in your pocket. Chumba casino has over 100 online casino style games, all absolutely free. It's the most fun you can have online and on a plane. So grab your free welcome bonus [e-mail] sponsored by Chumba Casino.

[William Conrad]

No purchase necessary vgw group void where.

[Doctor]

Prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply.

[Bullocks]

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 three 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. We'll check these evil forces only. A full scale major offensive made by you individually through the army that knows how to handle them. The Redfeather 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 two of Jesse Elaski's favorite story. The Phantom Rickshaw with William Conrad as Panse.

[William Conrad]

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]

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

[William Conrad]

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 spectre. 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.

[William Conrad]

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

[Doctor]

What's ahead of us?

[William Conrad]

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.

[William Conrad]

Doctor. Doctor.

[Doctor]

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

[William Conrad]

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 crime? 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 mimsa. The 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.

[William Conrad]

Chess. 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?

[William Conrad]

The rickshaw's come to a dead stop.

[Doctor]

Where?

[William Conrad]

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.

[William Conrad]

Wait.

[Doctor]

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

[William Conrad]

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. How do you like it?

[William Conrad]

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?

[William Conrad]

Don't you? Yes. 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.

[William Conrad]

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?

[William Conrad]

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 Semla. 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 certified 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.

[William Conrad]

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.

[Keith Wessington]

Two more brandy, sweetheart.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

How's your most celebrated case, Dr. Heathery.

[Doctor]

What's that?

[Rickshaw Vendor]

Panzy. How's pansy doing now?

[Doctor]

Fine. He's been released, you know. Really?

[Rickshaw Vendor]

You know, the natives will have you believe that there's a crack in panzy's head and a little bit of the dark world is coming through, 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 and 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.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

What?

[Doctor]

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

[Rickshaw Vendor]

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.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

What are those?

[Doctor]

Bad food and good women.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

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

[William Conrad]

Oh.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

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

[William Conrad]

Gentlemen, I need a drink.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

He's getting you?

[William Conrad]

Oh, no, but he's getting someone. There's a chap walking down the middle.

[Bullocks]

Of the street down by the bridge.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

Talking to a woman.

[Doctor]

Seems to me that's been done before.

[William Conrad]

Yes, old fellow, but there's no woman there.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

What chap's walking down the middle of.

[William Conrad]

The street talking to a woman? Who isn't there? Mad as a hat, A poor devil or drunk.

[Doctor]

Does he call her by name?

[William Conrad]

No, he just talks to her.

[Doctor]

What does he say?

[William Conrad]

Oh, he tells that April's gone and for her to stop hounding him.

[Doctor]

Anything else?

[William Conrad]

Yeah, to take erickshaw away.

[Bullocks]

Hansai.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

No, no. Heatherly, come back here.

[William Conrad]

Well, this must be my bad day. That's the second daft one I met in an hour. What's got into him anyway?

[Rickshaw Vendor]

I think someone couldn't quite stomach his liver pills. Your friend is saeeb. 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.

[Keith Wessington]

Doctor.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

I fear your friend is near death. Sahib Hanzi.

[Doctor]

Hansi, can you hear me?

[William Conrad]

Yes. Yes, doctor, I can hear you.

[Doctor]

Are you all right now?

[William Conrad]

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?

[William Conrad]

Should I be?

[Doctor]

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

[Keith Wessington]

When we got to him, he was lying in the middle of the mail like he'd been run over. Picked him up and brought him to the shop.

[William Conrad]

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

[Doctor]

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

[William Conrad]

Never. You know, I debated with myself. Shall I die in my decently and as an English gentleman should die? Or in one last walk on the mall, 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.

[William Conrad]

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.

[Doctor]

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

[Keith Wessington]

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

[Doctor]

There are no marks on his body.

[Keith Wessington]

But he must have been struck.

[Doctor]

Did anyone see him fall?

[Keith Wessington]

Oh, no. That's the strangest part of it all. He was found on one of the busiest streets, and yet no one saw him go down.

[Doctor]

How about the Sadhu?

[Keith Wessington]

The holy man? Yes, all right. I'll bring him in along with your examination, Doctor.

[Doctor]

You there. You say you own this shop?

[Rickshaw Vendor]

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

[Doctor]

What do you know of this?

[Rickshaw Vendor]

Only that the man was cursed, sahib.

[Doctor]

How do you know?

[Rickshaw Vendor]

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

[Doctor]

What does that mumbo jumbo mean?

[Rickshaw Vendor]

That the man was cast. Saeb.

[Doctor]

Ah, Commissioner, what nonsense is.

[William Conrad]

Oh, yes.

[Doctor]

There you are, Commissioner.

[Keith Wessington]

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

[Doctor]

Do you know this man, Sadhu?

[William Conrad]

The one who stands there and sells bits of glass? Saeb. Or the one on the floor now.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

Sells his soul to the powers of darkness?

[Keith Wessington]

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

[William Conrad]

You are the commissioner of police, sir.

[Keith Wessington]

I want you to tell me if anyone was with this man when he fell in the street. All men are alone when they die, sir. After he fell, did you see anything?

[William Conrad]

When the soul is in flight, no.

[Keith Wessington]

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?

[Keith Wessington]

Yes.

[Doctor]

What?

[Keith Wessington]

A rickshaw sahib moving very fast.

[Doctor]

What did it look like?

[William Conrad]

It was a black rickshaw, sahib.

[Keith Wessington]

A black rickshaw with yellow panel. It was his destiny to die slowly.

[Rickshaw Vendor]

And a little every day.

[Keith Wessington]

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.

[Keith Wessington]

You are?

[William Conrad]

Yes.

[Keith Wessington]

What are you going to put on the death certificate?

[Doctor]

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

[Bullocks]

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 Vanderpyle, Guy Kingsford, Ramsay 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 would 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.

[William Conrad]

Foreign.

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