 The challenge of the Yukon It's Yukon King swiftest and strongest lead dog of the Northwest Placing the trail for Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police in his relentless pursuit of lawbreakers Gold gold discovered in the Yukon a Stampede to the Klondike in the wild race for riches back to the days of the gold rush With Sergeant Preston and his Wonder Dog Yukon King as they meet the challenge of the Yukon For several moments after opening his eyes Sergeant Preston lay quietly and tried to remember where he was Judging from the crude unfinished walls and the bare surroundings. He was in some miners or trappers cabin Turning his head slightly. He saw a man seated at a table Evidently dealing himself a game of solitaire The man's back was toward him a Sudden impulse made the sergeant raise one hand and feel his jaw To his surprise it was covered with a stiff growth of beard And then the sergeant heard a familiar whine King old fella At the sound of sergeant Preston's voice the man at the table turned around and glanced at the bunk Oh, you finally got your eyes open. You mind telling me where I am Well, if you go south for a couple of days, you'll hit the Peel River Aside from that you ain't much of any place Peel River, right? Now the vague recollection of making a patrol upon the porcupine Seems to me. I was on my way back to Dawson. That's about all I remember. You've been sort of under the weather. So I got it What was the matter with me pneumonia? I reckon Anyway, you were out of your head and burning up with fever Thought you were gonna there for a while. What'd you find me? About 20 miles from here. You were flopped down in the snow beside your team At big husky there was crouched down next to you trying to keep you warm with his body good old King You brought me here to this cabin and nurse me. Yeah, I get fed up playing solitaire all the time I figured you had the makings of a good poker player. How long have I been here? Around nine days or I can can't say for sure Every so often I forget to mark the calendar. Oh my life to you It'll be a hard bet to pay Shucks in a country like this you never can tell Maybe you'll get a chance to return the compliment one of these days. I don't even know your name. Well, call me Smith Bill Smith. I'm Sergeant Preston Northwest Mother Police. Glad to know you, Sarge. Not half as glad as I am to know you Sergeant Preston stayed on at the cabin for several days while he regained his strength Then with King breaking trail for the team. He headed back for Dawson City Two weeks from the day he first opened his eyes and Bill Smith's cabin The sergeant stood an inspector Maynard's office at mounted police headquarters at his side with the great dog King Sergeant, I'd like to give you a little rest after the experience. You've just been through but I'm afraid you're out of luck With the present at least once all right, sir. I had plenty of rest at Bill Smith's cabin a little too much in fact I'm glad to hear it because I have another job for you Sort of a job a little over a month ago a gold convoy was held up by foregunmen Happened just north of Selkirk. They killed the officer who was guarding the shipment and got away with a hundred thousand dollars and gold bullion Who was the man who was killed? Corporal Douglas Too bad Douglas was a good man one of the best Which is one reason incidentally why I'm assigning you to the case if it's humanly possible, sir I'll bring in the killers any line on who they were. Yes, we have descriptions on all four of them And I think we've identified the leader. Who is he? His name is Buck Crowley Got a record as long as your arm and he's wanted by the American authorities for shooting up in normal Alaska Luckily, they had a circular out on him. That's how we were able to spot him just a minute I got it right here in my desk Shows a picture Sergeant like a sir inspector. What is it sergeant? I? Request very earnestly, sir that you relieve me of this particular assignment. What's that? I can't go after this man sergeant There's no such word as canned in the vocabulary of the Northwest mounted police What makes you think that you can't go after him because book Crowley saved my life, sir He did what what Crowley is a man who told me his name is Bill Smith He's a man who picked me out of the snow when I was half dead with pneumonia and nursed me back down Are you sure of that sergeant? No doubt of it, sir. This is Bill Smith's face in the picture the description tally is exactly I'm sorry to hear that sergeant, but I'm not going to relieve you of this assignment Your orders still stand if I bring in buck Crowley. I'll be bringing him into the hangman and all probability You will this Crowley who shot Corporal Douglas He killed another human being in cold blood The legal penalty for murder is death, but I owe my life to Crowley sir How can you expect me to take his away from him? I expect it because you wear the uniform of the Northwest mounted police When you enlisted in the force you swore to uphold the Queen's laws That oath takes precedence over all personal ties and obligations Frankly sergeant. I'm surprised that you even raised a question very well, sir. I'll bring buck Crowley in But when this case is closed inspector, I intend to submit my resignation from the force suit yourself about that sergeant I hope you will reconsider when the time comes in the meantime your duty is clear Inspector Maynard assigned constable Tom Blake to assist the sergeant in the capture of buck Crowley and his gang A short time after sergeant Preston's conversation with the inspector Constable break reported the sergeant for orders. How much is the inspector told you about this case down? Not much sergeant I heard about the holdup of course and the killing of Corporal Douglas But I still don't know any of the details Who was it the goal belong to the rest of you can't express company? You probably know how they operate Tom The cash in gold dust for the miners melted down into bullion and ship at the saltwater by dogs Any idea which way the holdup men went after the robbery? Yes constable from Selkirk got on their trail as soon as the case was reported Their tracks led to a small cabin about five miles in the scene of the robbery Apparently when they got to the cabin they split up the gold and each one headed in a different direction pretty smart What did the constable do? Not knowing which crook to follow. We went back to town for help By the time the chase was resumed the tracks were snowed over the holdup men had made a clean gut away And we haven't a blessed thing to go on on the contrary We know exactly where to lay our hands on the leader or so As it happens Tom, I stayed at his cabin for several days and the way back from my last patrol At the time, of course, I didn't know who he was. He called himself Bill Smith His real name is Buck Crowley. Here's a circular on him So the American authorities want him to Where is this cabin of his location? About 50 miles north of the Peel River. Oh, it's a way in the middle of nowhere What do you suppose he's doing up there? Hard to say Maybe the Carly's pals plan to meet him there later on Or it may be that each of them is holed up in his own hideout Waiting for the human cry to die down. What's your plan, Sergeant? First thing we're going to do is arrest Buck Crowley and bring him back to Dawson Get your gear together and be ready to hit the trail within an hour. Right, Sergeant The same day that Sergeant Preston set out from Dawson with Constable Blake, Buck Crowley received a visitor at his cabin The visitor was one of the three gunmen who had helped him hold up the Yukon Express Company's gold shipping His name was Mike Jerome Jerome, what in places are you doing here? Hello, Crowley? Hitchcock was getting worried He's wondering why you haven't shown up at Grand Forks with a gold why that I Never promised him I'd be there by any particular time I know you didn't buck but me and Quentler and Whitey have all cashed in our share of the bullion You're the only one who hasn't shown up Hitchcock thought maybe something had happened to you. Well, he was wrong. I'm just taking it easy. That's all Besides, I was taking care of a sick Mountie for down there two weeks. You were doing what you heard me I said I was taking care of a sick Mountie. I found him passed out in the snow It's about dead with pneumonia and you brought him here to the cabin certainly. I brought him here What else did you expect me to do? I couldn't let him die out there in the snow. Could I buck sometimes? I think you're pretty smart and sometimes I think you're just plain crazy You think nothing of drilling a Mountie if you're in a holdup and then you turn right around and play nurse Mate to another one forget it. I just did it for a laugh for a laugh sure it was really funny Imagine a Mountie living under the same roof with a guy that's wanted for murder Not only that he thinks I'm a wonderful guy says he hopes he can pay me back someday boy You sure have got a queer sense of humor What do you think that Mountie's gonna do when he finds out who you are? Stop worrying. I told him my name was Bill Smith I'll never find out who I really am I'll tell you how by looking at your picture in the post office at Dawson What are you talking about in case you don't know what the yanks are after you for that shooting up at known what they've issued a Circular with your picture on it. I saw it myself just before I came up here It says wanted but Crowley $500 reward Holy smoke. I better start drawing myself some whiskers right now. What if that Mountie comes back here looking for you? I've got a hunch you won't do that. Why not? Because I saved his life. That's why But just in case he does we'd better make tracks out of here Mike Jerome stated Buck Crowley's cabin overnight The following morning the two crooks prepared to head south Jerome help Crowley load the ladder share of the stolen gold bullion on Buck's dog It's enough ain't it here put it right down on top of that last low now cover it all over with a tarp. All right Yeah Okay, that money did not cross this stuff. He was staying here if he had he'd never have gotten over that attack of pneumonia. Why not? Oh sudden complications would have set him Such as lead poisoning. What do you think? Well joking aside Buck How long ago was it that that money left here? Let's see been over a week about nine or ten days ago I guess that means he must have just got back to Dawson by now Yeah, I suppose so why I was just wondering how soon he might come back here if he does come back that is Even if he spots that picture right away, it'll still take him another nine or ten days to make the trip back here I guess our trail ought to be pretty cold by then sure it will so stop your worry Come on. Let's get out of here. Okay, Buck. I'm ready whenever you are all right done. Jake line them up boy That's it. Oh then must you have these Eight days later a sergeant Preston and Constable Blake arrived at the abandoned They halted their teams a short distance away and looked around for signs of life Wonder if he's home, sir. I'm wondering the same thing. I don't see any sign of his dog team. Maybe he's gone, honey I was soon find out munging King ran forward and knows suspiciously around the door of the cabin He sensed that the cabin was empty But he also discovered that the owner of the cabin had another visitor since his master had left Bad there are no windows in the place You can see whether anyone's inside the way King's acting on the cabin's entrance. That's the same. We'd better not take any chances And have my gun here stand backs. You'll be out of his mind of fire if he is inside Apparently he is gone. Let's take a look inside As Sergeant Preston opened the door King rushed forward into the cabin ready to shield his master from any unexpected dangers One time it's all right. There were anyone inside King would have smelled him out Still plenty of food on the shelf And look He left this pack of cards lying on the table. Yes, but there are no blankets on the box Maybe he went out hunting for a few days and he's planning to come back. Yeah, it's possible Tom I'm wondering if Buck Crowley had his share of the gold hidden somewhere around the cabin. Oh, I was staying here Hey, that's an idea If he did, maybe it's still here. Let's take a look around a Thorough search soon proved that the gold was nowhere in or around the cabin Well, if he had the gold here, he's evidently taking it with him that case. He wants to clear it out for good He'd probably head of north for the border. We won't have to guess about that. That's one thing King can tell us Bill Smith boy Bill Smith man who lived here, which way to go come on. Let's go outside and see where he points Probably must have gone south don't forget John the American authorities are looking for him to Me think it's too risky to cross the border into Alaska. Well, that's right. I've forgotten about that But if he's not going out that way what the dickens as he intend to do You'll never get by the inspection post a chilled food pass a white pass with that load of bullion and He certainly can't carry enough supplies on his sled to try beating his way out through the wilderness The answer would seem to be that he intends staying in the territory One time. There's no use wasting time trying to guess what he's up to only way will ever find out go after him I guess you're right, I guess you're right Line up the team follow But Crawley's trail was eight days old and the tracks of his sled had long since been snowed over But King's sensitive nostrils enabled him to follow the outlaw without difficulty The trail led south across the frozen surface of the Peel River and then veered southwest toward Dawson City in the Gold Creek Eventually it ended at Grand Forks a mining community which had grown up at the junction of El Dorado and Bonanza Creek Oh What's the matter with King Sergeant? I'm afraid he's lost the trail Once the dog gets to a busy place like the Forks is pretty hard to untangle all the different scent. Well, at least we followed in this far I Wonder why in thunder Crawley should come here may have just stopped off of supplies Somehow I don't think so. I don't think so either Looks to me like this is the place he was heading for Tom Has it occurred to you that gold bullion is a very unnegotiable form of wealth What do you mean sighted no miner ever melts down his gold into bullion? Either uses his gold directly as money or else he cashes it in for paper currency Imagine what would happen if Crowley or his pals tried to cash in a bar of solid gold Especially a bar stamped with the mark of the Yukon Express company They could always file off the stamp Mike even so they'd have some tall explaining to do I guess you're right But they must have some way of getting rid of the stuff unless they leave the territory the only outfits It will take that bullion off their hands of banks or shipping company. There are no banks in Grand Forrest There is a shipping company the Yukon Express has a branch office here. Hey golly. That's right sergeant Do you suppose Crowley and his pals are in cahoots with some employee of the Express company? I don't know Tom if the idea is worth looking into Let's stop in and have a talk with the manager of the Express office a A short time later the sergeant of the constable halted their teams outside the express office in Grand Forrest Let me do the talking Ezra Hitchcock the manager of the Express office was fat and elderly His face was framed between carefully tended gray side whiskers while a series of chins bulged down over his collar He stared at the tomb out. He suspiciously if they approached the counter. Are you the manager of this office? That's right. Ezra Hitchcock is my name. I'm sergeant Preston, Northwest Mounted Police. This is constable Blake Yeah, what can I do for you gentlemen? We're trying to put a stop to some of these petty gold robberies They've been taking place on the Greeks. We thought maybe you could help us. Why certainly I'll be glad to do what I can So far we hadn't been able to get the goods on any of the suspects. We've arrested Trouble is they apparently cash in the gold dust as soon as they steal it I see and all probability are good Many of the thieves have cashed in their loot right here in this office. I wouldn't doubt it sergeant We do a tremendous business with the miners around these parts And of course we have no way of taking up on that credentials. You keep a record of every transaction I mean by that to you record the name of every person who cashes in gold We do as they ask for a bank graph Otherwise if they just want to exchange their gold for cash We write down the amount of the transaction and let it go at that. Oh, that's too bad I was hoping we could use your records as evidence Who is it that actually hands out the money on these transactions? Why I do sergeant in other words. No one can cash in gold in this office without your knowledge and consent That's right Why do you ask me that why I'm just wondering if you might be able to identify any suspects we bring in Well, I have a fair memory for faces I dare say I could tell you whether or not they had been in here if you can do that It'll be just as good as finding the gold. No possession. Thanks very much. Mr. Hitchcock. We won't bother you any farther No bother gentlemen. No bother at all I Don't suppose hitchcock gets suspicious when we were there, I don't know certainly no fool Wouldn't surprise me a bit if he saw through that story. I told him that's why we're stopping here. What do you mean if it's Cock really does have the windows as a chance. They'll try to communicate with crowning if that happens You may lead us to call these hideout. That's a smart idea Suppose he can spot us here if he comes out of his office. No, not necessarily if we keep back behind the corner of this building He's coming out now. Yes. I see him And he's calling that boy Looks like he's handing him a message or something stand back down. So he won't see us We'll stop the boy as it comes by Oh safe. He's going back in his office Hello there son. Oh, hello Who are you? Sergeant Preston Northwest Mount of Leeds. This is possible, Blake What's your name? Joey. Well Joey, we're working on a case. I wonder if you'd help us Gee Yes, sir. I'd like that fine What was it that mr. Hitchcock gave you just now? It's a note. He told me to take it to a man named buck He did he He told you where to find this man He told me I'd find him in a shack at the end of stony canyon. That's about three miles out of town Yes, I know the place Let me see the note Joey. Yes, sir What does it say sergeant two mounties just came to the office and asked me a lot of questions I think they're wise You and the others had better clear out of the neighborhood immediately signed Hitchcock Gee Does that mean mr. Hitchcock is working with a a gang of crooks looks that way, Joey The man you were supposed to deliver this note to is wanted for murder God What should I do now sergeant just lie low and keep out of Hitchcock's way I want him to think you went ahead and delivered the note just as he told you to What about you two? Are you gonna capture the crooks? We're going to try Gee Can I come with you? I'm afraid not Joey. We'll tell you all about it and we get back. All right, Tom Sergeant Preston and Constable Blake headed out of town in the direction of stony canyon A few minutes later Ezra Hitchcock emerged from the express office and went to a room located on the second floor of a nearby building He knocked on the door Hitchcock What are you doing here? I'll tell you in a minute. Crawley are the other three here? Yeah, they're all here. Good. Let me come inside What's up Hitchcock? Yeah Something wrong. Plenty's wrong. A mountie named sergeant Preston is in town sergeant Preston Yes, he's got another mountie with him They came to the office a little while ago and asked me a lot of questions about cashing in gold They're wise to the whole game. Holy necklace. What are we gonna do? Just a minute. I'm not through I've laid a trap for them. What what kind of a trap? I figured Preston would be watching to see if I got in touch with him So I wrote a note addressed to you I gave it to a kid and told him to take it to you and that shag at the end of stony canyon What happened? I went back in the office and watched out the window Sure enough Preston intercepted the note He and the other mountie are on their way out to stony canyon right this minute. What's the idea? Now Preston knows for sure you're in on the deal when he comes back from the canyon The first thing he'll do is arrest you and try to make you talk Preston isn't coming back from that canyon not a few four do your parts. What do you mean? There's only one entrance to stony canyon. It's strewn with big boulders The shack is at the other end when the mounties come back from looking at that shack I want you four to be hiding behind those boulders With guns Do I make myself clear? Plenty clear Hitchcock Plenty clear Half an hour later a sergeant Preston and Constable Blake arrived at the shack and found that it was deserted The sergeant realized at once that he had been tricked. No one's lived here for months I'm afraid those were a hedgecock a smarter than they thought. What do you mean? That note was a trick just one to get us out here the canyon. But why? You mean to gain time? That's all we had in mind. We'll be getting off lucky. Oh, so we may have walked right into a death trap Tom death trap. There's only one way out of this canyon. That's the way we came in The entrance is narrow and it's strewn with boulders. Right sergeant. It's a perfect setup for an ambush You think we can fight our way out? I may have to town in any case. I'm glad we have King along to help us The two mouties left the shack and headed their teams back toward the canyon entrance About halfway along the canyon sergeant Preston called the horse What's up sergeant loosen your carbine and his food and be ready to try not to give the impression that we're on guard Right sergeant. King Listen fella. I want you to run ahead of the team up there fellow way ahead understand That's it boy. That's the idea They're trying to take us by surprise. They won't shoot at King try to hold their friend or we come at in range The king will smell the mountain go for them even though they're hidden I'll give us a chance to get a bead on them and take cover before they start firing sounds good to me. All right. Let's mush King was running a good 50 yards ahead of the two teams Suddenly as he entered the narrow defile that led out of the canyon. He peered right in charge toward a clump of boulders Two of the crooks were hidden behind the boulders king lept at them snarling and slashing viciously with his fangs Sergeant saw what had happened. Well, your huskies. Come on. Come on. Grab your carbine and follow me The two mouties made a rush towards the scene of the struggle dropping behind boulders every few seconds as they ran Shots rang out from the other side of the canyon Hey, there's two more on the other side of the canyon. We'll take care of them later The slice still me won't hurt you. Come on time The other crook was strolled on the ground clutching his shoulder in pain Your shot busted my shoulder. You're lucky I didn't lean between your eyes Tom helping a handcuffs on these two to keep down while you're doing it The shots from the other side of the canyon entrance it ceased momentarily The sergeant questioned his two prisoners. Who's over there on the other side of the canyon? One's Mike Jerome. Now this buck crawled it. What about Hitchcock? Hitchcock? You wouldn't catch that fat toad around here when there's any shooting going on. He stayed back in town What's our next move sergeant? I don't know Tom. Looks like they've got to spin down Isn't there any way out of the canyon except through that cut? Take a look at those cliff walls They're all no straight up and down. It's the same way all around the canyon What about going farther down the canyon? Maybe we could cross over to the other side and circle around behind them I'm afraid there's only a hundred to one chance we could make it. We may have to take that chance King had been watching intently as the two Mounties discussed the situation He sensed that his master was trapped unless the two men on the other side of the canyon could be driven out of their hiding places The great dog acted almost automatically King! He's charging straight across the canyon. He'll never make it As the great dog sprinted forward a rifle glinted on the other side of the canyon Both the sergeant and the constable saw the movement and fired at the same time We got one of them. The Mounties expected the other government to continue the fight Instead they saw Buck Crowley stand up suddenly from behind cover with his hands in the air King had already reached the rocks where Crowley and his companion had been hiding the sergeant shouted to the husky On guard king, what's the boy? All right, Crowley Walk forward slowly and keep your hands in the air tell your pal to do the same Then tell him to lie still unless he wants trouble with king You Crowley start marching. Buck Crowley advanced slowly across the canyon to the spot where the two Mounties were waiting for him with level carbines Well, sir I didn't think we'd be meeting again quite so soon. Sorry it had to turn out like this buck That's the way it goes. You're sure I am You're just doing a little bit, aren't you? When I go up for trial, I'll do my best for you It does may be lenient when I tell him how you saved my life. Thanks What about the other man sergeant the one king's got? Oh, go over and take charge of him at your time bring him back here, right? The two men watched silently as constable Blake crossed to the other side of the canyon Finally buck Crowley said can I lower my hands now sergeant? Can I trust him? Why not? All right, I guess you can lower them as Crowley lowered his hands a gun slid from the sleeve of his pocket But he had failed to see king's approach the great dog leap forward knocking this gun Good work boy. I've got his gun. Sergeant, you all right? Yes, I'm all right. Thanks to king on guard boy Sorry buck, but I don't think I'd better trust you anymore What in the world happened sergeant? He had a gun hidden up his sleeve and very foolishly I let him lower his arms the gun dropped into his hand. He fired at me. Yes, and I have killed you too But I hadn't been for that dog. Yes, I imagine you would buck You know, uh, I didn't like this assignment What against the grain to have to arrest a man for murder who had just saved my life? In fact, I told the inspector I was going to resign from the force after I brought you in What? Yes, Tom. I told him I was going to resign from the force My buck's actions have changed my mind Just between the two of us Tom, I'm mighty glad this case is closed Now here sergeant Preston with a preview of our next adventure the case of the unwilling guardian When king and I started up the white river We knew the three croaks were planning to steal bill camman's gold We didn't know their plans included murder until we saw bill in the middle of the stream In danger of being swept into the rapids and over the falls The devil's cauldron the great whirlpool was waiting at the foot of those falls There's a situation that called for fast thinking and fast action Be sure to listen to this exciting adventure Wednesday These radio dramas a feature of the challenge of the uconn incorporated are created and produced by George w trendle Directed by fred flower day and supervised by charles d livingston The part of sergeant Preston is played by paul Sutton They are brought to you every wednesday until september when we shall resume our regular monday wednesday and friday broadcast This is j michael wishing you goodbye and good luck