Plot: Andy Ellington is convalescing at a house in the country after a bad illness. Walking his dog in the forest one day, the animal falls into a forgotten cavern, awakening the spirit of 9th Century magician Cawdroc, a pawn of the Evil Time. Cawdroc plans to use Andy as his conduit out of the tunnel of time and into present day reality where he shall wreak havoc. Time spirits Andy back to the era of knights on horseback. Sapphire and Steel travel back to battle Cawdroc and rescue Andy - before Cawdroc can adminster his magic potion he is rushed by Andy's dog, Porridge, and is knocked out. Before he can regain consciousness, Sapphire and Steel whisk the boy back to his own time.
Comments: Ranson seems to enjoy rendering the bearded old magician Cawdroc and the strip builds the tension nicely, only to have the powerful sorceror thwarted by a bloomin' dog! How Famous Five can you get? There's a nice character moment when Steel disparages Andy's mother for fainting in panic: "Bah! I might have guessed a woman would faint!" and Sapphire chides him for his lack of understanding of human nature. The text recap at the start of episode 4 is rendered as an ancient scroll - a nice touch. This strip opens the second run. Now moved to pages 24 and 25, this places the second page on the reverse of the (intended) cut out Collect-A-Page posters - you have been warned!
