 The challenge of the King, the Wonder-Dog King, swiftest and strongest of Ascimo 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 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 fight of the odds against them, Sergeant Preston and his Wonder-Dog King met that challenge and justice ruled triumphant. A heavy snowfall had started with the early darkness of winter in the Yukon. Sergeant Preston, mushing along the trail to Dawson City, called at his team when he saw a cabin back along the trees. Come along, King. We can get a bed here for the night. There's a mountain near the cabin, a huge gray dog raised from behind it and sprang straight for the Mounties throat. King sprang at the same moment, the two dogs met in mid-air and rolled in a smiling heap at Preston's feet. What's wrong out here? Get back here, devil. You broke your chain again. Back, I say. I've got him. Back, I say. Take your dog into the cabin. I'll get this one. Come along, though. Inside, boy. There. Now, let's have a look at you. Sliced a little. Your ear is bleeding. Nothing bad, though. That collar helps. Good old fella. Lucky me, you were beside me. Yeah, I'm sure about this, we see. Oh, you're my dear. Didn't have time to notice out there. I'm Bill Preston. You're Sergeant Preston. I've heard about you. I'm Jim Peter. How are you? I'm sure relieved to have you shake hands. Most men wouldn't be so friendly after the welcome you got from low boy. I can't hold that against you. His pain broke, didn't it? Yep. Yeah, and he's done it before. You were staying here tonight, aren't you? Why, uh, it's all right with you. I thought I'd make Dawson by the night, but the snowstorm changed my plan. I'll be glad to have you. Hey, take off your marker. I'll make some hot tea. Have to get my team fed first. Did your dog get hurt much? No, King's all right. Good thing you had him along. That dog out there is a killer. He certainly didn't wait to find out whether I was friendly or not. I'm going to get rid of him. Here, a few weeks ago, I hit what I thought was a rich vein of gold. I'm alone and so far away from everything. I got a savage dog for protection. It'll protect you, all right. But I don't need it now. My strike turned out to be a force alarm. Deal. With a little patience, you could probably take the customers out of low ball. I ain't got time to fool with them. You really want to sell him? I sure do. Hey, you know, I think I'll go in the Dawson with you tomorrow. Boy, maybe there'll be someone who needs a dog like him. Someone who leaves all alone and has something to protect him. Sergeant Preston and Jim Peters are in time for noon dinner. As they enter the Northern Dark Cafe, a familiar voice calls Sergeant Preston. Hey, Sergeant Preston, how are you? Come on over here and eat with me. Well, Sam Higgins, how are you? It's fine, thanks. Sam, this is Jim Peters. Howdy, Jim. Glad to meet you. Sit down here, both of you. Dinner's on me. Oh, shit. Never mind, Jim. Sam here has so much money, he doesn't know what to do with it. Pull up a chair. All right. I was hoping you'd stop in my place this week, Sergeant. I wanted you to help me pack some dust back to Dawson. Did you bring it in by yourself? Well, some of it. I should get a dog team instead of trying to pack things in myself. Or depending on how I live from you. You ought to have some dogs of protection, Sam, living way out there alone the way you do. Hey, here's a chance to sell lobo. Use some as if you could use him, Sam. He's a good watchdog, I should say he is. He almost ate me up yesterday when I went to Jim's cabin. Luckily, King stopped him. Well, I don't know. If he's ambitious, I'd be afraid of him myself. Well, you could come back with me for a day or so until he gets used to you. You could feed him and get to know him. Sam, you really should have a dog with you out there. He could watch a cabin when I work on the game. The trouble with him is you've got to keep him chained to lock up the cabin. If he gets out, you'll get to his first owner, the man who sold him to me. He's a happy called Charlie. I met him in a bar here in Dawson. I was celebrating my gold strike. Yep, one that turned out to be no good. I guess I was getting pretty mad. Go on, boys. Tell Bonnie what you want. Drink your own beer. Sam, I'll bring you yours. I'll make mine another for you. This is going to be a nightmare. We like coffee. Sure. Why don't you go up and get a drink? I'm buying them. Me? Not drink. Oh? Sit down, sit down. Who are you? My name's Charlie. Me, here you say. Strike gold. Yep, that's right. Where you live? Hey, about eight miles out of Dawson. You like to buy a dog for God's your house? What kind of a dog? Him, fine watchdog. Him, fierce. Yeah, maybe that's a good idea. Hey, won't get to town very often. I'll tell you what. You bring him here to the hotel tomorrow morning. Where does Charlie live? I don't know. Lobo broke loose and went back to him twice, but Charlie always brought him back. You say he's good at guarding the cabin, huh? You couldn't find anybody. And I'll go home with you when you leave. I think you sold a dog. Well, if you're going to buy a lobo, maybe I better not stop at your cabin anymore, Sam. You better stop. In a couple of weeks, I'll have a small fortune to bring back here. Hey, let Dawg, I'm selling you. We'll see that it's there when you call for it. It was almost two weeks after Jim Peters had sold Lobo. As he returned to his cabin one evening, he was surprised to see Charlie in the half-breed squatting before his fire. Hey, Charlie, what do you do with my cabin? Uh, me come see Lobo. No, but he was not here. I sold him. Why, you sell him? I didn't need him. There was nothing to guard. That strike I made was no good. Who, by Lobo? Uh, a man by the name of Sam Higgins. He lives about five miles from here on Deer Creek. He struck it rich just the way I thought I did, but each claim worked out. You say, Deer Creek? Yep. Lives all alone. Neither the watchdog. Me go see Lobo. You're fond of that dog, aren't you? Me get money. Me buy him back. Would you... Would you like to earn some money, Charlie? Oh, sure. Hey, wouldn't it get an important letter to see a curg? I'll pay you well if you'll take it for me. Oh, that long trip. He'll take month, maybe. I'll pay you enough to buy Lobo back. Oh, that good. You do, then. You can start tomorrow. It was a few days later that Sergeant Preston stopped at Sam Higgins' cabin and his way back to Dawson. As he halted his team, it heard Lobo barking fiercely inside. Oh, King! Hurry up, Huskies! Quiet, King. Lobo's just doing his job for Sam. Well, hello, Sergeant. How are you, Sam? Come on in. I'll put Lobo in the back room. How's he worked out, Sam? Fine. Took him a little while to get used to me, but I can manage him pretty well now. You're staying for the night, ain't you? Why, not tonight, thanks. I should get back to Dawson. Oh, sucks. But you can at least stay for supper, can't you? Better not take the time. I just stopped to get that gold you wanted me to take to town for you. If you'll get it, I'll run along. Well, I'll get it for you, but I sure we should stay. What, Sam, you don't keep your stone box under that bed, do you? Well, since Lobo's been here, don't bother putting it under the floor. It's too much trouble to get to it. Anyway, it's safe with that dog around. He didn't care anyone to pieces or tried to come in here. I'm glad you have that, dawg. You're so careless. What? What? What's wrong, Sam? It's gone. I had five big sacks of gold in here. Are you sure you didn't take them out? I haven't opened this box in two days. Well, it must have been done while I was away during the day. Nobody could have got this box under the bed while I was sleeping. But Lobo here on the daytime, uh, unless... That half-breed owner of Lobo. Maybe he found out where Lobo was. Maybe Jim Peters told him. Lobo would have let him in. He could have taken all the time he needed to look for the gold. Have you noticed any tracks around? Well, snowed a lot yesterday and the day before. Yes, that's right. Come on, Sam. Let's find out about Charlie from Jim Peters. Let's go. You mean all your gold is gone, Sam? All the gold was in the strongbox. But Charlie know where Lobo was. Sergeant, it's all my fault. I told him he was here the day before yesterday. I'm sorry, Sam. Well, can't blame you for it. He sure was dumb on my part. That's probably why he showed me that dog in the first place. He wanted to rob me. You saw him here? Yep. I came home and found him waiting for me here in the cabin. Probably came to rob me then, but couldn't find anything. Well, he was sure smart to think of that. Training a dog to jump everybody but him. Then selling him to someone with a rich claim so he could rob him. I gave Charlie a letter to take the shellcoat for me. Well, it probably won't get there now. I bet he went the other way. No telling which way he went. Snow covered any tracks he might have made. Say, I know how you could trail him. Huh? Let Lobo out. Then you and King Trail Lobo. He'll find Charlie. He always went home to him. That's a fine idea. You better come with us, Jim. You know what he looks like. Oh, gosh, Sergeant, I'd like to. But I promised to meet a friend of mine in Dawson tomorrow. We're going on a hunting trip. I can identify Charlie when you bring him back. Yes, you could. It may take us a couple of weeks to catch him. Oh, I'll be back by then. Well, come on, Preston. We'll go back and get Lobo. There's just one thing we have to do first, Sam. What? Search this cabin. This cabin? Well, Charlie wouldn't bring that gold here. No, I've done it. Me? Okay, are you insinuating that? It's just a routine check, Jim, part of my job. Lobo would have let you in the Sam's cabin. He knew you. And before we go off looking for Charlie, as you suggested, we'll check you first. I'll have to ask you not to leave, Jim. King, watch out. Taking his trunk, Sergeant. Well, uh, tap these walls. There may be a loose board somewhere. I'll take this side. Hey, Charlie, I didn't steal it. I have to take this old park off this hook. Hey, this is heavy. Oh, look in the pockets. Preston, Jim got out. After him, take him. Get him, boy. Get him, King. Get away, stop. Take him off. Come on, man. Take his dog away from me. All right, King. Back with her. Get up, Jim. Keep that dog away from me. He won't hurt you. You do as I say. Come on, King. Come on, boy. It's all here, Preston. He had it all the time. It almost worked the way you planned it, Jim. No, nothing. All right, King. You would have had plenty of time for a getaway if we'd gone after Charlie. But, uh, what made you suspect him, Sergeant? Well, Sam, it was all too patty. He seemed to have it all figured out too well. Even the excuse not to come with us after the half-breed. Get to Parker, Jim. You're going to Dawson, but not on a hunting trip. These copyrighted dramas originate in the studios of WXYZ Detroit, and all kepters, names, places, and incidents used are fictitious. They are sent to you each week at this same time. This is Larry McCann speaking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.