 The challenge of the Yukon. On King! On New Huskies! The Wonder Dog King, swiftest and strongest of Eskimoly dogs, blazes the trail through storm and snow for Sergeant Preston, as he meets the challenge of the Yukon. Sergeant Preston was typical of the 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. Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police had stopped at the cabin of Ned Peterson on his way to Dawson. King, Preston's big lead dog, lay quietly beside his master, as the two men propped their feet against the stove and talked. Oh, I'm doing fairly well with my claim now. Only I could get that son jim of mine working. I could pay back the money I owe Jake Wilson. Well, Jake will extend the loan he made you. He explains things to him, man. Oh, I don't know, Sergeant. Jake's a hard man. He made me put my claim up as collateral. If he thinks it's rich enough, he'll take it away from me. Jim's just got to work it with me, that's all. He's so interested in his darn trapping that he spends most of his time at it. Well, of course, Jim's done a good job of trapping. You have to admit that. Yeah, he's kept us from starving to death till I finally made a strike. I keep telling him there ain't as much money in furs as in gold. Trouble is, he don't like mining. Yes, I noticed how interested he was in animals and nature when I was here last. Yeah, that's all he cares about. But he's just got to give it up, that's all. I told him this was his last trip to his trapline. He is not to set him again. I need his help too much right here. I wonder, expect him back. Well, he's due home tomorrow. He never gets back when he says he will. I need the doll team too. I have to get supplies. Yes, I can understand that, man. What is it, fella? I guess he hears something. Maybe that's Jim now. I hope it is. I'd like to see him. Yeah, he stopped by on his way to town. Well, come on out of here, both of you. I have something to show you. Let's see what he caught, man. Yeah, all right. Hello there, Jim. How are you, Sergeant? Jim, glad you're here. Look, maybe you can tell me something about this fox I trapped. Look at her. Oh, it's alive. Why didn't you kill it? I'll see you such a pretty little thing. I just couldn't. I never saw a fox like this before. Very few other people have, Jim. You really have something there, and that's a silver fox. Silver fox? What's that? Well, you see the white hair sprinkled through the black and the black tail with a white tip? Yeah, she's mighty pretty. She's from a very rare crossbreed. A man called Dalton on Prince Edward Island was the first one to find this type over a year or so back. He's breeding them. This fox is a vixen, and Dalton would pay you a big price for her alive. Well, I could take her to him. Then Dad would have enough money to pay off the loan on your claim. It won't take you quite a while to get there. Well, I'm sure Jake would give you an extension on your loan, then. However, you won't be able to take her for a while. She's going to have putts. That's another reason I couldn't kill her. Gosh, maybe I'll be able to keep a pair from the litter and breed them myself. Well, I guess I'll have to see you. Jake will let me have some time on that loan. If you're planning on going into the fox business... There's a lot of money in it, then. Well, I better get that foot of hers fixed up to a place to keep her, Jim. Well, I made a box to keep her links once. It's made a strong slant. That should hold her for a while. Yeah, that'll do. And now let's see. Well, that foot doesn't look too bad. It'll heal soon. Jake Wilson sat in his office in Dawson City, scowling over some papers on his desk. Instead of prospecting, Jake had found his goal the easy way in the Yukon by making loans and taking mortgages on claims. He frowned as a knock on the door interrupted his work. Come in. Hello, Jake. Oh, hello, Ned. What's on your mind? I want to talk about that money, I owe you. Yeah? My note is due next week. I wondered if you'd give me a little more time. I renewed that note of yours twice. Yes, but my claim is showing more paydirt every day. Maybe you've heard about the fox, my son trapped. Yeah, I hear he got a silver fox and has some fool idea about breeding them. Well, if he does, he'll make a fortune for us, providing I can have a little more time on this loan. If you had any sense, you'd make that son of yours do some hard work on your claim instead of fooling around with that kind of nonsense. Maybe you don't know how much these pelts are worth, Jake. Sergeant Preston says they're bringing as high as $5,000 a piece, and a lie of fox is worth much more. $5,000? So if you'll just extend my loan long enough to keep us going... Tell you what I will do. I'll extend the loan if you include that fox as collateral. Well, Jake, that fox belongs to Jim. It's an account of him that you have to have more time, isn't it? Well, yes. And he shouldn't object. But if something happens to it, it might get sick. If something happens to it, the loan is due right then. That's your responsibility. Well, I suppose that's the only way I can save my claim. That's the way it has to be. I'll ask Jim and come back and talk to you tomorrow. It was two weeks later, Jake Wilson shot his door and turned to slip James who was seated in his office. Slip was a thin-lipped small man with eyes that were set too close together. He glanced up at Jake. What's on your mind, Jake? Got a little job for you, Slip. Not too risky and a nice profit in it. Sounds interesting. Well, what is it? How much? Heard about the silver fox that young Jim Pearson begged? Everybody in the place has been talking about it. I want you to help me get it. You mean stealing? There's plenty in it for you and the job's easy. It ain't easy to steal a live fox. I didn't say live. We could go at night, smack it over the head with a club and no one would know what happened to it. What's in it for me? Now, let's have a dog team and supplies to get across the border. The fox pelt will be yours. You'll get plenty for it. You just getting big-hearted or something? What's in it for you? The minute something happens to that fox, Ned's note is due. He can't pay off and the claim is mine. Now you're beginning to make sense. When I renewed his note, I included the fox as collateral. Why did you renew the note? Why didn't you just take the claim then? I found out yesterday that a big strike was made just above Ned's claim. There's a big streak of pay dirt running right into the hill he owns. If he goes much deeper, he'll hit it. I've got to get that claim before he finds out. When do you want this done? Young Jim was in town yesterday getting supplies to go out on his trap line again. He'll be away tonight. That means there won't be any dogs around the place and Ned will be there alone. I see. Now, the fox is in a box in the woodshed. All we got to do is open one of the slats, hit it on the head and walk away with it. We'll have the dog sled ready and you can leave with it right away. Sounds easy. Meet me here then around midnight and we'll go to Ned's together. Can't you hurry with that lock? We can't stand here all night. There it is. Come on. There's a box over there with the slats on the side. I see it. I'll loosen two of them. You'll be ready with the club. I can't keep this light going. Ned might see it. I can loosen the slats in the dark. Give me the club and you can light the matcher when I pull the slats back. When her head comes out, I'll hit her. That one's loose. Now, give me the club and light the match. Here you are. Now! Hit her, you clumsy fool! You missed! My fingers! I never saw anything move so fast. Light another match. Where is she? She's gone. We left the door open. There's Ned. Come on. We've got to get out of here. He can't catch us now. It's a good thing he stopped for a lantern or something. Too bad you missed hitting that critter. But at least it ain't there anymore. And now Ned's note is due. That kitty his will probably trail it and get it back. Sure, that wouldn't be hard. Thing is lame, getting caught in the trap. They'll probably hold in somewhere. This trail won't be hard to follow. It'll be easy then to dig it out. Jim won't be back for another day. I guess it's up to us to do it before he gets back. I want that pelt. I ain't doing all this for nothing. And you've got to help me. I can't do it alone. All we've got to do is get a good dog and start out early in the morning. Ned can't trail that fox without a dog. Besides, he can't hunt very well anyway. I'll get a dog and I'll get that fox. We better start right away. It was early dawn when Sergeant Preston was awakened by King lay beside his cot. What is it, fellow? What's the matter? Oh, who is it? Just a minute, Ned. Hello, Ned. Come in. What's wrong? I hate to wake him so early, Sergeant. Someone just broke in the woodshed and stole Jim's fox. Stole the fox? I heard a noise out there. By the time I got a lantern, got out there, they was gone. Two slats were loosened and the fox was gone. There was a big club lying beside the box. They probably clubbed her and took her that way. That's why they got away so fast. Oh, I don't know how I'll tell Jim. I'll go right over with you, Ned. There's a chance we can trail the thieves. I'll be ready in a minute. There you see. Here are the tracks. There were two men. Yes, Ned. But here are some other tracks. Look. Fox tracks. And they're the tracks of your fox. You see that lame front foot? And you think she got away? Yes, she must have. No blood on his club. Guess he didn't realize how fast a fox could move. You think there's any chance of catching it? Well, she can't run very fast with that foot. The chances are she'll hold up somewhere and if we find out where, we can dig her out. I guess I'd better wait till Jim gets back. He knows more about hunting than I do. I'm afraid we can't wait that long, Ned. The thieves may have the same idea about hunting her. Bring a pick and shovel. I'll put King on her trail and we'll start right now. It was late in the day and the pale Arctic sun was low in the west. In spite of the cold, perspiration streamed from the faces of Jake and Slim as they dug frantically into the frozen ground. This is the hardest work I ever did. We must be close to her dead by now. I got a rest for a minute. She's probably digging in farter. Look, why don't you take a couple of shots into that hole? If you kill her, we won't have to hurry so. I'm afraid I might ruin her pal. I know you won't. We can't risk staying here too long. Ned and Jim might get her before we bag the fox. Another thing, I'm not taking any chances out of her getting away from us the way she did last night. I'll give you $1,000 even if the pellet is damaged. I want to make sure this time. All right, it's a deal. Here's the rifle. I'll take a couple of shots into that hole. She can't be much farther in. I've got his gun back for her. What's the idea, sticking that dog on her? Well, Jake Wilson, I didn't know you were a hunter. It ain't none of your business if I want to hunt a fox. It's my business if you try to steal one. You wanted to get that fox so you could take my claim, Jake. You have no proof. This fox is loose and anyone who wants to can hunt it. You can't prove we let it loose. We can prove that very easily. We'll go back to Ned's woodshed. I'll let King get a scent of those tracks and tell him to jump the man who made them. The next time I won't call him off. No, no. Don't let him jump me again. I was working for Jake. It wasn't my idea. Are you yellow squealer? Ready there, Jake. You're both under arrest. Come on, Ned. I'll handcuff these two and King will watch them while we finish this digging job. It won't take us long. They've done most of the work. There, you're handcuffed. Now we got Jim's fox and take it back. Watch 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. Hugh Holder speaking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.