 The Challenge of the Yukon! HONKING! HONKING! The Wonder Dog King, swiftest and strongest of Eskimo Lee dogs, blazes the trail through storm and snout for Sergeant Preston, as he meets the Challenge of the Yukon! Sergeant Preston was typical of a small band of Northwest-knotted 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 Trumpen! It was a lighter part of winter in the Yukon. Food was getting scarce and starving wolf packs could be heard, howling in the wilderness. Sergeant Preston and Jean de Valle were hunting caribou to replenish their meat supply. Early darkness was approaching when Jean called to the mountain. Look, Sergeant! Over here! Bloody tracks! Something has been wounded! They look like dog or wolf tracks. Let's follow them, Jean. They're quite fresh. The agely wolves have not found it. These tracks, they look like animals this week. Almost at the staggering stage. Careful. Must be under those spruces. Look at his wolf! Not all wolves. He's part dog. Hello, boy. Yeah, he is more wolf than dog from where she acts. He's been shot in the leg, boy fella. And he's weak from loss of blood. Hey, if I'd have shoot him, put him out of misery, no? Maybe we can save him, Jean. His leg may not be broken. Hmm, he'd make a good slut dog here, fella. What life is left in him, he will use to take off your hand. His former master must have been pretty cruel. With scars around his head and shoulders, he's been beaten often. Maybe it is better we do not try to save him, the poor animal. A dog like this is always a challenge to me, somehow. I'd like to see what kindness and good treatment can do. You've tamed some bad ones, Sergeant, I know. This fella's too weak to put up much of a fight, Jean. I'm going back to get my sled and dogs. You stay here and guard him till I get back, will you? I will watch him, yes, Sergeant, but I don't make any friends with him. Jean DeVal, interested in the progress Preston was making with the wolf dog, came to his cabin the following week. Well, how you get along with this wolf dog, will he catch, Sergeant? He is much better? His wound is better, but his disposition is still the same. He hates everything human. Someone's been terribly cruel to him. Yes, such hate. It's hard to cure. I'd bet him every day and talk to him, and get nothing but snows from my trouble. Maybe it is better you do away with such animal, huh? I thought I'd let him out of his pen today. Maybe that's what's bothering him. Better you set up in the tree if you do. He'd make a fine sled dog, and he's been used that way before. You know, if he weren't unusual strong, he'd never come through all the punishment he's taken. How can a man be so mean with a dumb animal? Uh, whoever owned him before was a beast. The dog's been badly mistreated. That's why I want to get him out of that pen. You know, I think someone penned him up and deliberately tortured him. What does King take in here, right? I haven't tried to find out, but I think I will. Come on with me, Jean. We'll take King with us and see what happens. Maybe I should watch from the window. If you sit on top of the shed, Jean, you'll be slaved there. Come on. King, where are you, boy? Here, fella. Come on, King. Maybe you'll have to teach Thunder a lesson. When will I climb on the shed before you open the door to the pen? All right, Jean. You old thunder cloud. You're growling at me, eh? A good name for you, Thunder. Oh, Thunder, we're gonna let you out of there for a while and see what happens. Get back, King. That's a boy. All right, Thunder. Come on, old boy. Here, Thunder. I got you! Get him, King! Thank you for you! King can take care of him. We'll let him fight. He has to find out that King has bought. The dog's growled in the swelling heat. King, bigger and stronger than the wolf dog, could easily have killed him, but King was taught him to the dog in his charge. Soon, Thunder was at his mercy. King, he's had enough. Put him up. Get him back in the pen, King. What a dog you have, Sergeant! You can come down off the shed now, Jean. I think we'll be able to put Thunder in harness tomorrow. Two weeks later, Jean was telling the story of how Thunder became Preston's sled dog when Preston came into his store. And now the thunder! He is good sled dog. He is fine. Oh, Jean. Hi, John. I am just telling John about your new dog, Sergeant. I should call him King's new dog. I doubt that I'll ever be able to call Thunder mine. What do you mean, Sergeant? He hates everything human. But he's accepted King and obeys him. Just the way a wolf obeys the leader of the pack. He's half-wolf, isn't he? Maybe more than half, John. The only time he seems to show any interest in life is late at night when the wolf's howl. He answers them, and if I didn't have him tied, he'd be away like a shot. Yeah. Someday you will lose him. He will go back to them, I think. I keep hoping he'll respond to kindness. He's a good strong dog in harness, and as long as King's around to boss him, he's easy to handle. Sergeant Preston. Hello, Kulik. What's wrong? New Jack. He murdered an Eskimo village. New Jack murdered? Why would anyone murder him? Man, kill him. Steal his first. Take wife. Go away and blow. New Jack, you're a good piece for Eskimo. Come on, Kulik. My dog team's all ready. Go back to the Eskimo village with you now. This cabin of New Jack. This one. Oh, you're right. Oh, Kulik. Yeah, stop that. Come there. What's the matter with you? That dog. He mad. Come there. Stop it, I say. King, stop him. You're mad upset. Look. Him call whole team in river. Come there. Come back here. Look. He has all the dogs in a tangle. He mad. Look how hair stand up on back. What's he so excited about? He'll follow tracks to riverbank. Are these the tracks of the murderer? Yes. Him leave that. So that's the answer. Thunder knows the man who killed New Jack. Whoever he is, he's the reason Thunder hates men. Jack had hidden his trail well. The Eskimos could give no description of him. And New Jack's wife, the only witness, was gone. It was three weeks later that Preston drove his team into the village of Twin Queets. There's a crowd gathered at one end of the street. Hey there. What's the crowd gathered for? Bill James is holding a dog team auction. He's going back to the stage. Stop it, Thunder. What's the matter with you? You must have a vicious husky there. Why do you muzzle him? Have to be careful with him in a crowded town. Why, Thunder? I guess I better take him out of harness and tie him up. He's acting strangely. Come on, Thunder. You're going on leash for a while. You're going on leash for a while. Come back here. You got away after him, King. Before King could catch him, a huge, woke dog rushed into the crowd. With blind fury, he leaped at the throat of a half-brain in its midst. Do not hurt this dog as muzzled. Where are you? You mean you wound him at one time? I healed him once. This time... I've got that gun. I've got that gun. These dogs are both like a trance to you now. What's your name? Do any of you people know where this man comes from? I think he lives in a shack at the edge of town. He ain't been here long. Turn this dog up for me, will you, please? Are you sure he won't... He can't bite you with that muzzle on. All right. Come on, you... Go on, Thunder. That's a good boy. Now, Blackie, I want you to take me to your cabin. I... I not pick you to cabin. Would you like to have me take that muzzle off of Thunder and let him pay back some of the treatment you gave him? No. No. All right, Blackie. Lead the way to your cabin. And remember, the king here is a bigger, stronger dog than Thunder and he's going to be right behind you. You're going, Blackie. Open the door. King's right behind you and this gun is loaded. Your sister, that's not true. She's an Eskimo and you're part Indian. Who are you? Father, marry my mother. No sea long time. Oh, a step-brother. Do you have any chance, the wife of Nujak? Nujak? Nula. Don't be frightened, Nula. He can't hurt you now. Tell me, are you the wife of Nujak? Him with me, if I tell. He won't get a chance, Nula. Nujak, him my man. Tell me, Nula, did Blackie kill Juck? No tell. Him beat Nula. He'll never beat you again, Nula. I promise you that. Now you must tell me what happened that night in your cabin. You... You take Nula back home? Yes, he'll be safe from now on. Nujak catch fine first. Him big hunter. Yes, I know he was. Blackie comes. No see him long time. Him want first from Nujak. Hit Nujak with gun. Were you there when it happened? They see him. Him make Nula go with him. Beat her. Make her work. Me afraid. Well, so you beat women as well as dogs, Blackie. You're under arrest for murder. Get your things back, Nula. We're taking you home to your family. As for Blackie here, he'll be put where he never hurts anyone again. Wash him clean. Darkness had closed over Sergeant Preston's cabin, and a bright moon painted the frozen land with a brilliant glow. The dead silence reigned over the valley. Suddenly it was broken by a weird cry. Sergeant Preston stirred in his chair as the cry was answered just outside his cabin. There goes Thunder again answering the wolves. Let's go out and see him, fella. Go on out, boy. Hello, Thunder. You want to go back to them, don't you, old fella? I guess you never will like humans. All right, boy. You earned a reward for catching Blackie. I'm going to let you go. Now, you're free. Look at him streak through that snow. Good luck, Thunder. Hear that, King? There's just enough dog in him to be gentleman enough to say goodbye. Those originated in the studios of WXYZ in Detroit, and all characters, names, places, and incidents used are fictitious. They are sent to you each week at the same time and reach you from our transcription studios. How, Neil, speaking, at WXYZ's permission, radio network.