 The challenge of the Yukon. It's King, swiftest and strongest lead dog of the North Country, blazing 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 greedy race for riches. Now back to the days of the Gold Rush, when Sergeant Preston and his Wonder Dog King battled through storm and snow to preserve law and order as they met the challenge of the Yukon. The short days of winter had settled on the Yukon Territory, and though it was mid-afternoon, Pierre Ladue had lighted the dim lamps in his trading post. Chuck Ramsay, after selecting the supplies he wanted, had given Pierre a poke of gold dust in payment and waited while Pierre waited. This much I keep and this you get back. Thanks, Pierre. Food is sure expensive up here. It's a good thing there's plenty of game in this country where we'd starve to death. Soon as I get money enough, I'm off to civilization again, and nobody'll get me back here with a ten-mule team. But you do not save your money. You're like all rest. You like gamble and drink too much. It's about the only thing we can do up here, Pierre. We didn't have a little fun. We'd go crazy. Well, here's that Pierre. You never saw him before? Somebody knew. He has old woman with him. You sit down by the stove and get warm, while I get the groceries. Grandma, imagine bringing an old woman up to this country. What's wrong? Hello. I'm Slim Archer. You are new in town, no? I've been getting settled for the last few days. This is Chuck Ramsay. You say your name is Slim Archer. How are you, Slim? And that lady, we are not very polite. We should go meet her, I think. Well, that's my grandmother. If you don't mind, I'd rather you didn't try to talk to her. You see, she got sick when we first came up here to this country, and she lost her voice completely. She's mute. Oh, that's too bad. Who a woman. It makes her nervous when people try to talk to her and she can't answer them. It isn't as if she'd been born, you know. How'd you happen to bring her up into a country like this? Well, I'm all she has, and I couldn't leave her alone back there, unless I put her in a home or something. She wouldn't like that. I bought a cabin out the edge of town. Isn't too bad. She'll be comfortable, I think. Grandma can take care of herself pretty well. I'll do a little prospect. I hope you have some luck. There's no fun living up here in this God-forsaken place. Do not let Chuck make you discouraged. This place, she is good place. Yeah, for polar bears. Certainly no place for anyone's grandmother. Yeah, maybe you're right. What do you do for excitement? Oh, there's the Gold Horseshoe Cafe. You meet everybody in town there. But if you are not good poker player, maybe you better just watch the game. Oh, I like to play cards. I'm not very good at poker, but I like to play. Well, you can't bring your grandmother there. Oh, she goes to bed early. She won't mind. Well, we'll be very happy to take your money away from you anytime. I guess I'll run along. Well, here, can I help you take those supplies out to your side? Yeah, buy it and carry them. Coming over to the horseshoe tonight, Pierre? Maybe for a little while. Fine. I'll get back the dust that I gave you for these groceries. Along. Hey, do not mind Chuck. He has lived long too long up here. He is what you call sour on the world. He acted kind of sarcastic, I thought. Guess he thinks I'm a sissy for bringing my grandmother with me. We're here, here is present for her. There's some warm mittens. You tell her she is very welcome here in that country. Well, gee, thanks, Pierre. That's very nice of you. She'll appreciate it. I want you to talk. I take you over and let you get into her, but she gets embarrassed. Me, I understand. Well, now I'll get my supplies. Maybe I'll sneak away tonight and come over to the gold horseshoe for a while and meet the boys. That is a good idea. But be careful when you gamble. They are very good at playing poker. Well, it'll be worth losing a little money if I get to know everybody. I'll be there. As the days went by, Slim became friendly with everyone in town. All the men seemed to like him except Chuck Ramsey, who never let a chance go by to jive at him. It was late one night at the gold horseshoe cafe that they almost fought openly. Chuck had been a heavy loser on the last hand. Slim had been the dealer. Bart Jacobs, a prospector, smiled as he gathered in the winnings. Good luck, old man. You almost bluffed me, Chuck. You wouldn't call betting on a full house bluffing, would you? Grandma's boy over here is always bad luck for me. Should have known he'd deal me a losing hand. Chuck, you go a long way to big trouble. Oh, he's just mad because he lost more money than I did. He doesn't want to admit I'm a better player. Oh, listen, you little punk. You get fresh with me and I'll ram this deck of cards on your foot. Oh, Chuck, cut it out. Come on, we better go, boys. Gosh, he can't even take a joke anymore. Next time we play, I'll take away the allowance your grandmother gives you in the first few minutes and you'll quit throwing. Come on. Wow, what a storm. Lad will be walking the same way the wind is blowing, Chuck. Slim, this is bad for you. You must go out of the way. Gee, this is awful. If he appeared to you, you think I could bunk in your back room with you? It's so far out to my cabin. We are welcome. But your grandmother, will she be all right? Oh, she won't mind being alone one night. I'll get out there early in the morning. There's plenty of wood stacked behind the stove. Hi, and grandson, you turned out to be letting an old lady stoke her own fire. Oh, Chuck, shut up. Let the kid alone. I'll be in with those furs tomorrow, Pierre. You take so much of my money tonight. I warn you, tomorrow I drive hard bargain. Well, I'll watch out for you. Good night. Come on, Chuck. Good night, bud. Good night, Chuck. Good night. It is best for you to stay with me, Slim. This storm... It was later the following day. Pierre was busy with his customers, and was surprised when Slim Archer rushed into his store after having left only a few hours before. I guess that's all, Pierre. Look, Pierre. Hello, Slim. You are back so soon, Slim. Is something wrong? Somebody robbed our cabin last night. Robbed you? I stayed here last night on account of the storm. And my grandmother was alone. She heard someone come in, and they thought it was me. She slept in that curtain-off corner of the cabin so she couldn't see, and she didn't pay any attention. This morning, the whole cabin was ransacked. Did they get much money? No, just a few dollars we had in the tin can on the shelf. You're lucky if all he got was just a few dollars, and nobody got hurt. It was probably just a drunk on his way home. Oh, there is Bart. He bring flour to trade. Hello, boys. Hello, Bart. Bart, is something wrong with you? I'll say there is. Look at my head. What? Why, it's cut. What'd you do, fall down? Yeah, I fell down all right after somebody hit me with a lead pipe. Hit you? When I went home last night, I left Chuck at his cabin and went home to mine. It was dark inside and left the door open and fumbled around for a match to light the lantern. All of a sudden, something hit me from behind. That's all I knew till I woke up on the floor. And were you robbed? I'll say I was. Every cent that I won last night at poker, pretty near a thousand dollars. A slim's cabin was robbed, too. It was. Yeah. Whoever did it didn't get much money, though. Was your grandmother, Bart? I know. She didn't even see who did it. This is bad. Sergeant Preston, he should be told. You ought to be coming through here in a day or two. We've got time for his patrol. Maybe one of us ought to get down to Dawson and report it to the Monarch Police headquarters. Take two days to get to Dawson. There's much they could do about it anyway. No way of telling who did it, no tracks or anything. Guess we better forget it until the sergeant gets here. From now on, I keep gun under my pillow. It was over a week later that Sergeant Preston stopped his dawg team in front of Pierre's trading post, his regular patrol through his territory. Okay. There you have it. The team laid down in the snow, all except King, the big gray leader. King had been running free, and he was close to the Monty's side when they entered the store. Pierre was alone. Bonjour, sir. Hello, King. Hello, Pierre. How are you? It's me. I am fine. But there is much trouble here. Trouble? We've looked for you for a week. Well, I'm a bit late this trip. I ended up in trouble in Bear Creek. What's wrong here? There is raw bear here. Three time now. Much money has been stolen. Money stolen? They robbed your post? No, that is funny thing. Each time it happened after big poker game. The first time it is Bart Jacobs. And that same night Slim Archer. Slim Archer? Well, he's new here, isn't he? I don't remember the name. He's come since your last year. He lived with his grandmother who cannot talk. A grandmother who can't talk? She's mute. She can't speak. Oh. Slim is very good to her. He's a nice boy. Would you know anything about him? He is not one who robbed. That first night he stayed here with me all night in trading posts. That is night his cabin is robbed. Oh, well, that lets him out. One, Pierre. Tell me about the other robbery. There is big poker game three night go. Pete Willis is big winner. That night when he go home, he's hit on head and robbed. You say that twice. The man who won at poker was the one robbed. How about the men who played with the winners? Have they alibi'd? Slim, he has come home with me. Chuck, he... Well, he... I don't know. You mean Chuck Ramsey? We. Well, I've known Chuck a long time. Doesn't seem likely that he could... Well, you're his Chuck now. Well, that's impressive. Sure is. John King, stop it. Hello, Chuck. Hey, doesn't that dog years ever... Stop it, King. King does not like you, Chuck. Oh, he hates me. Long time ago, Chuck and I got into an argument about wrestling. We were in his cabin and Chuck claimed to break a certain hole, Daniel. They forgot about King and decided to try it. King thought he was trying to hurt me. He sure did. Took the seat right out of my pants and he hasn't trusted me ever since. You know, that's anyone who tries to hurt me. I wish he didn't have such a good memory. You, uh, staying in town long, Sergeant? Well, I have to make a trip to the Indian village east of here. I have to get some medicine to them. But, uh, didn't Pierre tell you about the robberies? Yes, he was just telling me when you came in. I'll be back here in three days after I get the medicine delivered. Well, why don't you stop and eat with me on your way out of town? It'll save time. I'll have everything ready. I'll do that, Chuck. I'll be leaving in about half an hour, though. Well, I'll hurry home and get the food ready. You'll have to leave that dog of yours outside. I don't trust him any more than he trusts me. That's fair enough. Oh, uh, give me some tobacco and some sugar Pierre with him. Whee! I'd, uh, like to talk to you about these robberies, Chuck. You played poker with these men the night they were robbed, didn't you? Yeah. Last time, though, I got sick and went home early before they stopped playing. Flicker I drank didn't seem to agree with me. Oh. Have you any idea who might have done it? No, not exactly. Known everyone a long time except Slim Archer. Nobody was ever robbed till he showed up. Chuck has never liked Slim since first he saw him. Well, why don't you like him, Chuck? Oh, I can't put my finger on it exactly. Everybody thinks he's so wonderful because he takes such good care of his grandmother. They all feel sorry for him, but I don't. She should have had sense enough not to come up to a country like this. And he should have had sense enough not to bring her. Maybe that's why I don't like him. Yeah, and maybe you are jealous because he has learned to be better poker player than you, huh? I think there's something tricky about him. And I'll talk to you later, Preston. Oh, uh, put these things on my account here. I'll see you in a few minutes, Sergeant. Right, Chuck. Chuck, he wants you to think maybe Slim is guilty one. Yes, he seemed to, didn't he? Here, are you sure that Slim didn't sneak out of here after you were asleep that night of the robbery? You see, Sergeant, Bart, he was hit on the head just when he got home, when he started to light lamp. Slim and me, we sit and talk for a long time before we go sleep. It had to be somebody that played poker with Bart. No one else would have known, had he won all the money. That is true. Here, I'm not leaving here today. But you tell Chuck you have to take medicine to Indians. Well, it's true I do have to take medicine to them, but there's no hurry about it. I'm going to pretend to leave town. Chuck will think I've left, and I want you to tell people I've gone and won't be back for three days. Well, why you do this? Well, there's just a chance that whoever's doing this may try for one more haul before I get back. You think you could get these men together for a game of poker tonight? That will not be hard. I'll leave town with my dog Tim, and after dark I'll come back. Leave your back door open and King and I will stay in your back room. Wait. Now, if anyone wins a lot of money tonight, I want you to hurry home and tell me. Maybe you can manage to leave before the rest do. And if I am big winner, I will not be afraid of Robert tonight with you and King. Your store is close to the gold horseshoe. You can get back here before any of them leave the cafe. We shall. I'll see you tonight then, Pierre. Come on, King. We'll go out and have a talk with Chuck Ramsay. Hi, King. Hi. Church and friends will stop his dog team and walk toward Chuck's cabin. King followed at his heels. As the great dog got the scent of Chuck Ramsay's tracks, he growled. Well, old boy, I guess you're never going to like Chuck. Hi, Preston. Hey, you're not bringing that dog in, are you? No, Chuck, I guess not. Go back to the team, boy. You wait out here. No, King, you can't come in with me. Go back, I said. I'll eat a much better meal if I don't have him looking at me as if he'd like to taste a piece of my leg. Come on in. You know, if you weren't afraid of him, Chuck, he'd probably be all right if I'd get to like each other. Oh, just looking at him scares me pink. I'll never forget that time he jumped me. Well, hang your parka over there on the wall, Sergeant. All right. It's all that gray one on the floor. Oh, where'd you get all the parkas? Three of them. Oh, a couple of them are old ones. Anyway, I like a change once in a while. Ah, that food smells good. Sit down. Everything's ready. All right. Still determine the leave town in spite of the storm? Yes, I'm going to have to eat and run, Chuck. Can't waste any time. Hey, that's quite a gun you're packing. Let's have a look at it. That's regulation. You've seen them before, haven't you? Oh, not close. Hang in there, let's see it. Sure. Well, now you don't have to unload it. I know how to handle guns. Yes, I know you do. But sometimes they go off accidentally, so I always do this to play safe. Here you are. Yeah, she's so beauty. Yeah, this food's more interesting than me. I'd like to have a gun like this, because our robbery comes calling on me sometimes. I want you to tell me what happened the night Bart was robbed. You went home with him, didn't you? Mm-hmm. His cabin was farther from town than mine. Left him when we got to my place and went on home. I see. And this last robbery, the one that happened a few days ago. Oh, I told you. Got sick and went home early. That's all I know about it. You're not much help. Well, give me my gun and eat your dinner before it gets old. Sure. There it is. Right. We should let me try a couple of shots with him. Maybe I will on my trip. Bye. Good. I'll have some tea, Sergeant. That's your cup over here, and I'll pour it for you. It was almost midnight, and the wind howled around the Gold Horkoo Cafe. Inside, there was a tense silence around the table where five men were gambling for high stakes. Everyone except Chuck Ramsey and Flint Mason are thrown in his hand. Chuck had been winning steadily, and now he's smiled as he pushed all the money before him to the center of the table. I'm betting it all, Flint. It's going to take a lot of money to see him. Sucker blue. You are reckless, Chuck. Well, Chuck, I hate to do this to you, but I want to see him. Now, I'm calling you. You drew two cards, Flint. It's either a full house or four of a kind. But either way, I've got your beef. Four aces. Just a minute, Chuck. Huh? Again. Straight flush. Straight flush, and he drew two cards. He's turning in luck. Well, I'll be... of all the rotten luck. Oh, that is bad. You better plan to stay with me tonight, Flint. You might get knocked in the head the way I did. Yeah, I'm ready for that. I'm packing a gum, and I'm about twice as big as anybody I've seen in town. I'm itching to meet dead robbers. Nobody dare take a flint. Now, let's have another drink. Uh, whose deal is it? Slim, that'll last. It's your deal, Pierre. Uh, me. I'm tired. I think maybe I'd rather play anymore. Yeah, I'm through, too. You boys go on playing. I'm going home. Come on, Pierre. Pierre, if I stay and play a little longer, can I sleep in the back of your store tonight? Why don't you stay with me, Slim, and you all wake Pierre up? Well, thanks, Bart. The storm's too bad to go home tonight. Good night, boys. Uh, sorry about that flush, Chuck. You're sorry. How do you think I feel? Come on, Pierre. Good night, Pierre. Sergeant Preston and King waited in the back room of Pierre's trading post. As the front door opened, the big dog raised his head and growled. Quiet, boys. It's only Pierre. Sergeant, you're here. Yes, Pierre. Game over already? No, but soon they will stop. Was there a big winner tonight? Wait, Flint Mason. He has win almost all the money. Flint Mason, eh? Now, let's see. His cabin's the one right next to Andy Park, isn't it? Wait, about quarter mile on the side of Goldhorst. By hurry, I can get there before the game breaks up. They will be long time, maybe. I doubt that anyone would trade around Flint. He's such a big fellow. Nobody want to tackle him. Guess I'll spend the night with him anyway. You never can tell. I'll go to his cabin and wait for him. Look out, he does not take you for Robert. He has gone. Don't worry. Flint knows King and me. If any Robert comes there tonight, he'll have quite a reception waiting for him. Well, maybe I should go too. Well, no thanks, Pierre. I'll take King and go alone. Nothing may happen, but I'll spend the night with Flint anyway. One, King. The wind blew the snow about fiercely. The mountain approached Flint's cabin. Sergeant Preston kicked a small drift away from the front of the door as he talked softly to King. Flint isn't home yet. He'll be left his door unlined. There it is. Come on in, boy. As Sergeant Preston entered the dark cabin with King behind him, there was a sudden movement from the side of the door. A quick blow struck the mountain over the head. King sprang for the thought of the figure that had attacked his master, but his teeth closed on a lead pipe that had been used as a weapon. Get away, you curts! The big dog sprang again, but too late. His teeth caught on tour only the end of a parka, as the man rushed through the door, slamming it behind him. King hurled himself against the door, but soon realized it was useless. He whined anxiously as he licked the face of his unconscious master. It was later that Flint Mason heard King's bark as he opened his cabin door. What? A door? Hey, how did you... A body on the floor. And my matches. King. Sergeant Preston. Hey, never mind, old fella. Wouldn't I like this one? Hey, Sergeant Preston. He's alive anyway. Don't worry, King. I'll get him on this cot. Hey, Sergeant. It's Flint. My head. Your head? Wouldn't I get this parka hood off? Ooh. Wow. Somebody hit you on the wall. Well, I get a cool toe. King, old boy. Now, here, let me put this on it. Now, can you remember what happened? Someone struck me when I came in the door, so I know. Whoever hit you was waiting for me in here. Lucky you had that thick fur hood over your head. I don't see it. I don't see how he got away from King. He must have got out the door before... Hey, there's something on the floor over here. That's a piece of fur. Gray fur. Look at this one. It hasn't torn off the parka. I'll bet your dog grabbed his parka. I want to see it. I wonder if he dropped anything else around there. What is fur? It's gray. Hey, Sergeant. They're on that nail sticking out from the wall. It's another piece of fur just like it. It was caught on that nail. Yeah, look at it. What? Well, you're right, Flint. It's from the same parka. The parka way it was caught on that nail. He must have rushed past it, and when his parka caught, he just ripped it loose. I've seen that parka. I saw it this morning. You did? Who's is it? Who was with you tonight? Slim, Bart, Chuck and Pierre. Pierre and Chuck left early. Bart and Slim went home together at the same time I left. Yes, all fits in. What does? I'd rather not say this, Jeff. Two weeks to do anything tonight. Tomorrow morning we'll find the thieves, I think. But I still can't believe it. The following morning, Sergeant Preston and Flint walked down the main street toward Chuck Ramsay's cabin. The mountain was still weak and leaned on Flint's arm. As they neared Pierre's trading post, King walking beside Sergeant Preston suddenly growled. Chuck Ramsay was walking towards him. Quiet, King. My friend, what are you doing here? Thought you left town yesterday. I know you did, Chuck. I changed my plans. Oh, what's wrong with you? You sick? Let's go into Pierre's, or I can sit down. Sure, come on. That dog again. Won't even let me help you. I'll help you. Come on, Sergeant. You get sick on the trail or something? Sergeant Preston, did you hit you? Did you...? Huh, sorry. Is something wrong? Here, sit down. Thank you. No, nothing much. Just a slight case of mistaken identity, I guess. Well, tell us what happened to you. Chuck, did you ever see these pieces of fur before? Look at them. Well, where did you find them? Have you ever seen them before? Why, they look like the fur of my old Parker, the one that was stolen last night. The one I saw hanging in your cabin yesterday? Yeah, the gray one. I was just coming to tell Pierre that someone must have got into my cabin last night while I was playing poker and all in stolen, my Parker. Are you sure you didn't just think of that now, Chuck? Just think of it? What are you talking about? Where'd you find these pieces of fur? Oh, Slim. Good morning, Slim. Hello, Slim. This is Sergeant Preston. Oh, hello, Sergeant. I've heard a lot about you in these doggy years. Is this King? Yes, it is. I was afraid I wasn't going to meet you. I decided to take my grandmother over to see the doctor at the mission in Crease Crossing this morning. She's out on the sled. I came for a few supplies. I will get them for now, Slim, if you are in a hurry. Come on, Chuck. I want to have a look at your cabin. You'd better come too, Flint. Well, why do you want to look at my cabin? I want to see if that gray Parker is really missing. Come on, King. As the Monty walked out of the door with his big dog beside him, he saw Slim's grandmother huddled on the sled outside. Then, suddenly, without warning, King left his side with a rush and plung himself at the figure bundled in furs, throwing it from the sled. King! He's got Slim's grandmother! Get away from me, you cur! Help! Take him out! Get back! Get out of my house! He's killing me! King! Get back, fellas! Hop in, boy! That ain't a woman! You need to hear that voice that ain't Slim's grandmother. It's a man! Stop, you'll. Get into the trading house. Hear that dog! Keep him away! What's happening to my grandmother? We have your grandmother. And don't you try to get away. Chuck, look that sled over. You may find a lot of money. Bring it in. Sure, sure, I will, Sergeant. But I don't see how this could be. But what has happened? We just found the robber here at Slim's grandmother. He was waiting in Flint's cabin last night when I got there. If you just kept still, Chris, well, that dog... King knew you were the man who hit me last night. The dog's sense of smell tells him more than his eyes do. He's watching you, so don't move. Hey, Chris! I found the money, a lot of it. And I found my great Parker hidden in the blankets. That does it. They were trying to frame you, Chuck. Frame me? Slim's grandmother. I believe you called him Chris Slim. Stole that Parker from your cabin. He tore a piece out of it and hung it on a nail in Flint's cabin. King took another piece out of it later when Chris attacked me. They planned to get the Parker back to your cabin on the way out of town, I suppose. We'd have done it too if that dog hadn't had to jump Chris. But how did Chris know I was the winner last night? And how did he know Bart was going to win when he robbed him? Slim didn't have a chance to tell him. Perhaps Slim can explain that. I think the so-called grandmother knew who was going to be the winner before the poker game started and hid in Bart's cabin. But how could he know? I think I can tell you. I knew there was something tricky about Slim. Every time he dealt a hand, he knew who was going to win it. He knows how to deal him like that. Slim dealt a hand that made me lose $500 last night. I had four races and Flint had a straight flush. Hey, that's right. Slim did deal that hand. And that's what happened when Bart made big winning. Sure it did. Now, remember how mad I got at Slim? That think he tried to frame me. Chuck, were you sitting next to Slim the night you got sick while you were playing poker? Oh, yes. Come to think of it, I was. Did you put something in his drink, Slim? I'm not saying anything. You don't have to. It's all obvious now. You tried to see to it that Chuck was the one person who did not have an alibi. Hey, Preston, was that why you emptied your gun before you let me look at it? Not exactly, Chuck. I do that as a precautionary measure. I can't say that I blame you anyway. Gosh, I know that. I know that dog of yours doesn't like me, but I sure like him. Why, if it hadn't have been for King, I'd have been in a bad spot. Yes, King, old boy, you've done a fine job. Thanks to you, this case is closed. The challenge of the Yukon, a copyrighted feature, is a George W. Trendle production written by Mildred Merrill. The part of Sergeant Preston is played by Paul Sutton. All names and incidents used are fictitious. Listen again next week to another exciting adventure during the days of the Goldratch. Fred Foy speaking, this program came to you from Detroit. Coming up tonight over most of these same ABC stations, a case of mystery on Ross Dolan Detective, the popular thrill show starring screen actor William Gargan as tough, private-eye Ross Dolan. And for a fast game of crime-busting, there's nothing so exciting as a half hour with Mr. Dolan every Saturday night. For instance, take one case he was on. It seemed like a quiet evening for Ross. He was taking it easy. Then suddenly he found himself mixed up with a fabulous collection of stolen jewelry. As if that weren't enough to occupy the attention of any hard-working detective, a beautiful girl photographer entered the scene. A wonderful distraction, of course, but this particular skirt, as Ross called her, meant trouble, and she does cause a considerable amount of it before the case was closed. For a high-powered adventure, don't miss Ross Dolan.