Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Good evening.

The hourglass is a wonderful invention.

But I'm afraid it will never replace the sundial.

Certainly not in my garden.

This one doesn't even work.

I sent it to a jeweler's to be cleaned and he removed all the sand.

Fortunately, the second hand still functions.

Time is very important to the characters in tonight's story.

One of them is doing it.

For another, time seems to be running out.

Time is also very important in television.

We fill it.

We must start on it.

We must finish on it.

And, appropriately enough, we occasionally kill it.

I refer, of course, to my own fumbling efforts.

Certainly not to the stellar entertainment which follows.

It's The Eagle.

I can't talk to them now.

But it's the editor.

He said you might not look quite so silly...

if you release some kind of a statement of how he got out.

Do they know who it is? Sure. He knows it's Cobbett.

They have sources in the prison. They pay for tips.

All right.

Warden Jacobs speaking.

Yes.

That's right.

No.

No.

Of course not.

He wanted to know if we made Sam Cobbett a trustee.

See if we can get Willis in the helicopter.

Bart, contact Willis, helicopter.

Yes, sir.

We haven't been able to see anything so far.

There's 20 miles of road where he could have dropped off the truck...

and plenty of cover.

If he gets hold of some clothes he'll be hard to catch.

Yes, sir, I will.

Over.

The warden didn't release an all points on this guy...

before the newspapers could get it, but he'll have to now.

Yeah, here it comes.

All points.:

Sam Cobbett, 26...

weight 160...

height 5 feet 9 inches...

brown hair, dark heavy eyebrows...

sallow complexion.

Escaped state penitentiary approximately 3.:13 p.m.

May be heading south on foot.

Cobbett was serving four consecutive 99-year-terms...

for armed robbery, criminal assault and murder.

He is extremely dangerous...

has the letters M-A tattooed on the back of his right hand.

No other distinguishing marks.

How did he get out? In a laundry basket.

You want out? I'm letting you out. Come on, Mike.

Atta dog.

Here. Let's see.

"Milk, butter.

"B-R-N rice."

Brn rice? Brown rice, silly.

Oh! Yeah, thought it was burnt rice.

"Vegs." I know what that is.

We ought to have a garden of our own.

We really should, I guess.

Then there's...

"horseradish marmalade!"

Now wait a minute. What's that?

Don't be so smart, now.

I see, that's horseradish and marmalade. Sorry, it was all on the same line.

I got it.

I better be off.

I'm late already.

I should be back by 8:00 this evening. Well, try to.

Don't worry, I will.

I hate leaving you alone like this. Why? What could happen?

I don't know. I just worry.

I'd better get Mike back in here for you.

You let him out just a minute ago.

He's probably off chasing rabbits.

Come on, boy.

Hey, Mike.

Here, Mike. Here, Mike.

Where do you suppose he went?

He's up in the hills.

He fancies himself a mighty hunter.

Come on, Mike.

Suppose he ever gets anything? I doubt it.

Now, look, you be careful, will you? I'll be fine.

Bye-bye, sweetie.

Well, how do you do? I knew this was my day.

What do you want?

Well, that's an easy question.

But I'm in a little bit of a hurry.

Little bit of a rush.

You're a convict. I was, but I'm out now.

I'm gonna stay out and you're gonna help me.

You'd better get out of here. My husband will be back in a few minutes.

Now, you see, you're off to a bad start already.

Your husband won't be back till late. Now you shouldn't lie to me, chick.

We won't get along so good.

We want to get along real good, don't we?

What do you want me to do? That's better.

Now, you just do what I say and we'll get along fine.

I need some clothes.

Answer the phone.

Now, talk natural.

Wait a minute, ain't this a party line? What's your ring?

A long, two shorts and a long.

What do you think you're doing? What's the matter with you?

I'm sorry. You told me to answer it.

I told you no tricks, too, didn't I?

I was not trying to do anything. What sort of...

Chick, you got any idea... Whatever...

What you mean to a guy who' s been in the stir for three years, do you?

And here's the 5.:00 edition of the news.

Sam Cobbett, the killer and bank robber...

who was serving a sentence of 396 years in the state penitentiary...

escaped this afternoon and is still at large.

The search for Cobbett, who has been free for two hours...

has shifted upstate, since motorist Tom Robellos...

reported a hitchhiker, answering Cobbett's description...

to whom Robellos had offered a ride...

had forced him from his automobile at gunpoint and fled northward.

Cobbett is about 5 feet 9...

weighs about 160 pounds, with dark heavy eyebrows...

and a sallow complexion. In Washington-

That does it. This is my day.

I knew it. I told you, didn't I?

I'm hungry. Fix me something to eat.

We haven't got much. Eggs...

Would eggs be all right? Okay, make me some eggs.

Make it two. No, you'd better make it three.

Okay. Now let's you and me get something straight between us.

You know what they could do to me, if I were to kill you or something?

No.

Nothing, that's all. Just nothing.

You see, you don't burn for murder in this state...

and I'm already up for life.

So anything I could do to you would be for absolutely free.

Do you understand? Yes.

All right, just remember that. We'll get along fine.

Now put them on the fire.

So they're looking for me upstate? That's fine.

You can bet your sweet life they won't call it off down here right away.

But it's gonna make things a lot easier for me.

Hey, fix me some bacon with those eggs.

You got some bacon? No, the bacon is all gone.

All right, skip the bacon.

You wanna know something, chick? What?

You got to have luck.

Yeah, that's all it is. You got it, you can do anything.

You ain't, and you're dead.

But you gotta know it, see. That's the thing.

You got to recognize it when the time comes, and you gotta jump.

What, you think it's easy to bust out of that jail?

No, it must be very hard.

Chick, it was impossible. That's all.

But I did it. Because I knew.

The lid was off this laundry basket, see.

The driver drops his cigarette, he leans down to pick it up.

I got that long to make up my mind.

But I do it.

And I get in, and I'm out.

Then I hit here...

chow, clothes, a little time...

even a nice doll, like you.

What's your name? Mary.

I like the way you talk, Mary.

What, are you one of these Italian girls or something?

My parents came from Italy.

I like your wrist. It's just the way I like-

You must like your mother very much, I guess.

Yeah.

That's why I got her there, so I can look at her all the time.

I'll get you some butter.

I want some coffee. What did you say?

You got some coffee? Yes, it's already made. I'll warm it up.

Make some fresh. I'm not in any rush now.