 The challenge of the Yukon. The King of New Huskies! The Wonder Dog King, swiftest and strongest of Eskimo lead dogs, blazes the trail through storm and snow for Sergeant Preston, as he meets the challenge of the Yukon. Sergeant Preston was typical of small band of northwest-mounted police who preserved law and order in the new northwest country, where the greed for wealth and power led to frequent violence and bloodshed. But in spite of the odds against them, Sergeant Preston and his Wonder Dog King met that challenge and justice ruled triumphant. Young Jimmy Perry and his friends, Quinn Andrews, strove through the new fallen snow that covered the ground near the town of Selkirk. Jim's red Irish terrier Rusty raced along with them, leaping through the white drifts like a red corpus. As the small boys neared some tall ridges covered with ice, squint stopped. What do you say we play? We're climbing the Alps again today. I told Mom and Pop about it and they said we better not try it anymore. We might slip and break a leg or fall on a crevice. What crevice? There ain't any crevices around here. Well, there could be. I bet you went and made up one of your tall stories again. I suppose you told them we were climbing mountains a thousand feet high and jumping over cracks 20 feet wide. Well, it don't sound like you want to say we just went crawling around that little ridge. I don't see why you can't tell things the way they really happen. You can't tell about catching a rabbit without sounding as if it was a grizzly. Mom says it has something to do with imagination. Well, I wish you'd use it in the right place. I suppose we won't be able to play Alps anymore. Hey, look, Rusty's carrying up a rabbit. Come on, I bet he catches it. Better, Rusty. We can't run in this deep snow. We can follow their tracks, so hurry. He's running toward the ridge. It's too hot to run in this snow. I'm going to walk. Yeah, it does make you pop. Looks, Quinn. Rusty went through this open place in the ridge. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's follow him. Or maybe a lynx. There will be by the time he gets through telling people about it. Even if I'll have it. Come on. The rabbit got through the little crack in the cliff. Rusty can't follow him. Come here, Rusty. You can't get him, fella. He's gone. Hey, Jimmy, look. Over here at the side of the slope. There's a cave. Yeah. Gee, what are you suppose is in it? Now stop thinking up things. I want to look in it, and I don't want the wit scared out of me, so I'll be afraid to do it. Kind of low. Wait a minute. We better let Rusty test it for it. He can smell if there's anything in there. Here, Rusty. There's sure nothing in there. He wouldn't go running in like that. Come on. Kind of dark and scary in here. Gee, I wish we had some kind of a light. I brought a candle and some matches. I thought maybe in case we got lost or something, we could signal lost. We could see everything. We're five miles from town and know this country with our eyes shut. All right, but you're glad I brought it anyway. There, now we can see. Gee, this place is big. What's Rusty sniffing at over there in the corner? It looks like a big wooden case. I wonder what's in it. Here's a loose board. I'm gonna find out. What's in it? Put the light down here, will ya? Can you see anything? It looks like a lot of furs. Furs? Gdia's supposed maybe some robbers put them in there and there ya go again. This is probably just a place where some trapper is storing his furs till the ice breaks up in the river and he can get them on a boat. Pull it out and let's look at it. I don't think the trapper would like it. Well, up there. Gee, white fox. That's valuable. Yeah. Put it back and fix the board the way it was. Way past your bedtime. Okay, mama. I'm kinda tired. We sure had a big day today. We found a lot of furs in a cave. Must have been a million dollars worth. Jimmy, I wish you'd never worked that imagination of yours. I know it's natural for you, dear, and you don't mean to exaggerate so much. But if you don't stop it, people aren't going to believe the things you tell them, even if they're true. Well, anyway, Squint and I want to take our sleeping bags and spend the night in a cave. It's a big one that doesn't look big at all from the outside. It's late, dear. We'll talk about it in the morning. Good night, dear. Good night, mom. Pete, I don't know what we're going to do with this son of ours. What's he done now? Oh, nothing bad. It's just that imagination of his. He doesn't mean to lie, but he can't help exaggerating. Maybe he'll be a writer someday. He just told me that he and Squint found a million dollars worth of furs in a cave today. Well, don't worry about him, Jane. He'll outgrow it. Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police with his big husky lead dog King entered the trading post at Selkirk the following afternoon. He was greeted by Pete Perry, who was buying supplies from Pierre LaRue. Well, Sergeant Preston, glad to see you. Hello, please. How are you, Pierre? Welcome to Selkirk, Sergeant. You want to buy something or did you just come to see me? Why, both, Pierre. I need some supplies and also some information. You are on a trail of someone, Preston? Yes, but keep it under your hats. Furs stolen from a trading post near Dawson. And we think the thieves are in this territory. Man, nobody's strange as trade furs here. Maybe they won't try to trade them at any regular trading post. We think they're hiding them somewhere, waiting for the river to thaw. Not by both. Do you know what the men look like, Sergeant? No, that's the trouble. I have no description of them. Of course, many strangers come here every day. I haven't a thing to go on. It's a question of finding a lot of furs somewhere in a large quantity, and it's just about hopeless. I wonder if... Oh, no, it couldn't be. You wonder what the... My son said something to my wife last night about finding a million dollars worth of furs in a cave. He likes to tell stories. I mean, he builds everything up so that we pay no attention to him. I don't think it's true. I wonder. Where is your son, Pete? He's at home, I think. Oh, really, Sergeant. I'd hate to have you go off on a wild goose test. Please, I can't afford to skip any clue. I've so little to go on now. Come on, let's go talk to Jimmy. Jane! Hello, Sergeant Perkins. Hello, Mrs. Perry. Mind if my dog comes in? I'm not glad to have King. Oh, boy. Where's Jimmy? He went out somewhere with Spring. Sit down, Sergeant. Oh, thank you. Pete tells me that Jimmy said something to you about finding some furs somewhere. Furs? Oh, you mean what he said last night. Sergeant, I wouldn't pay any attention to Jimmy. He's always thinking up some wild tale. But the Sergeant has to know, Jane, he's looking for some stolen furs. Maybe Jimmy did see some. Do you know where it went? He'll be back soon, though. It's almost dark. I'll tell you why don't you stay for supper, Sergeant, and talk to him then. Well, Mrs. Perry, knowing you're good cooking, I can't think of a better idea. Jimmy and Squint worked busily in the cave as soft flakes of snow fell gently outside. I don't think we should have taken the cover off this big case, Jim. What if the trapper comes? He'll be mad as heck. He'll never know we did it. He'll be back on again with a couple of nails. We just ride it off. What'll I do with these furs? They're going to be the treasure that Captain Kitt is hiding. You know, me, we're going to bury them. No, just put them behind that big rock that's shutting out in the back of the cave. We'll pretend it's a wall and seal it in. All right. I guess there's room enough in this box now so we can lie down. Well, don't take any more out. That'll take us a long time to get them all back in again. You better get out of the box now. It's getting kind of late. It's not late. It's snowing. That's why it looks dark. There's room in here for you, Squint, if you'll scrunch up a little. No, Rusty, you can't get in here. You'll tell the furs. He's not barking to get in there. He heard something. Jim, there's a dog team and two men coming. I'll bet it's the trapper. Gee, what do we do? He'll probably whack us. Let's try and get the furs back in. It's too late, Squint. Come on, get in here with me. Get the cover to put back over us. We'll hide nearly. Maybe he's just going to see if it's here and then he'll leave. Here's the cover. Climb in. Now see if you get the cover over us. It's open chimney. I forgot about Rusty. It's late now. The cover is loose, but it's dark in here. Maybe they won't notice it. Rusty, go home. Shh. Are they... She kicked Rusty. Do you think somebody's in here? We'll soon find out. Unlike this candle. It's dark in here. Don't you know, buddy? Yes, that pooch just chased something in here. Get on, you. Wait till I get this rock. It's too bad he's so little we could hitch him to the sled. Now come on, let's take this crate of furs and get out of here. I'm not sticking around a minute longer with that Mountie in town. I'd hate to have to shoot him. Don't take the side of it. Say, Duke, this top is loose. Yeah, we must have done that when we rolled it in here. Here. I got some nails in my pocket. Take that rock and prune them in. Then we'll get out of here. Imagine what Jimmy can be. It's after dark. He's never done this before. He knows how we worry. Do you want me to take King and look for him? I wouldn't know where to tell you to look. I don't know which direction he took. There he is now. That's Rusty's body. Somebody hit this dog. You suppose they got caught in a cave in? Rusty, where's Jimmy? He's going to the door. I'll take us to Jimmy. Come on, Pete. I'll take my dog team and we'll follow Rusty. Get a ladder. Oh, hurry. Please hurry. They must have been here. Rusty wouldn't have let us to it. Bring the ladder in here a minute, Pete. Find something? Yes. Someone's been here with the dog team. They must have left the cave and stopped snowing. Sergeant, do you think someone took the kids? They're following this trail, Pete. Rusty had better ride on the sled. They're going for a little dog in the steep snow. Preston's big lead dog, King, had no trouble following the trail through the darkness. It was hours later when the Mountie and Pete pulled up beside a camp at the side of the trail. Okay. Hello there. Who is it? We're looking for two boys who are lost. Sorry, Mountie. They ain't with us. No, I see they're not. Sergeant, Rusty keeps barking around this big wooden case on this sled. Some skins were taken down the white horse. Help, Dad, help us. What the... Hey, that... Get that trouble off, Pete. Yeah. Hurry, Pete. Jimmy. Squant. They're robbers, Dad. We heard them talking. They stole these firsts. We were afraid to yell for fear they'd kill us. All right, you all right? You're the men I'm looking for. Oh, no, you don't. Get them up. All of you. Get him, King! My arm! Take him away! Take him up! Black King, love him, fella. All right, you, get up. I'm taking both of you back to town. Gee, Jim, did you see the way that dog jumped them? I sure did. Golly. What a story this'll be when you get through telling it. What's them, King? These copyrighted dramas originate in the studios of WXYZ Detroit. And all characters, names, places, and incidents used are fictitious. They are sent to you each week at the same time. This is Larry McCann speaking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.