 The challenge of the Yukon King, the 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 the small band of Northwest mounted police who preserved law and order in the Yukon during the Gold Rush of 98. That was the year that brought over 50,000 men swarming into the Klondike region and the greed for gold led to frequent violence and bloodshed. But in spite of the odds against them the force preserved a splendid record in maintaining the right. The challenge of the North was answered and justice ruled triumphant. Crane Junction's name told its whole story. One of the few locomotives in the North ran through the rich boisterous settlement lying at the far end of a wide horseshoe bend that the tracks made around skillet lake. You sure? Can't see a thing, myself. It is, dumb for water, costly. Well, Sam, I'll say this much. There's no argon with your eyes. I expect to be over here in 10 minutes or so. It's getting dark. You know, it's a wonder that thing don't lose its way. That's Sergeant Preston. Come to see the edge and pull him in too. Well, not exactly, Sam. It doesn't help to be around here. Never miss seeing it, myself. Say, it's Lance Brown. Hey, Lance. Hey, Lance. Hello, Sam. Be right over. You know, as I've been watching this train here, I never rolled in one. Why don't you try it sometime, Sam? Well, golly, I sure would like to. Well, when you make up your mind to make the trip, let me know. I'll speak to the engineer. He might let you ride the cab. Would you now? You and the law stand and sit close together, Sam. Make quite a picture. I really should do it. Well, you never want to get in a card game with him, Sergeant. I don't worry about that. Do you have a nice trip? Yeah, yeah. It's the only way to travel, believe me. Ah, it's wonderful what's being done nowadays. Only took me two days to come from watch far. Two days? To hear that? Yeah, yes, indeed. Hey, isn't that George Wilkins coming along there? I believe it is. Well, he's certainly in a hurry. Sergeant Preston, I've been looking all over for you. What is it, George? You look as if you'd seen a ghost. We should have been a ghost. Most Andrews has been killed. Killed? Most Andrews? Where? Right beside the railroad tracks on the other side of the lake. I just came from there. How? Shot, right through the heart. And Sergeant? Yes? Dan Duncan's scarf was caught under him. Duncan? Why? And I didn't touch anything. I raced my dogs to get over here. Better come and have a look for yourself. I'll be right with you, George. Hey, I don't mind if I come along, Sergeant. Old Moe's was a friend of mine. No, come if you like. Down there, right by the tracks. I didn't touch him. All I did was to make sure... Well, I mean, I thought he might have passed out or something. You can see Duncan's scarf. Yes. He hasn't been dead long. How can you tell? His body's just beginning to get cold. I'd say you found him shortly after the murder, George. See, if I'd have come along sooner, I might have saved his life. Or lost your own. Looks like Duncan did it all right. But why would he? Help me, little old Moe's here, boys. Yeah, sure. I hoped Old Moe's walk away from many a fight. Never expected to. I know what you mean, Lance. That's it. Don't make much difference whether we handle them easy or not. So I just can't believe it. Now to get back to train junction. All right, King, get the dogs up, fellas. I'm King of the Huskies. Lance and George went back to train junction on snowshoes. It was a strange funeral procession for the old minor Moe's Andrews that filed its way into town. Well, I guess you'll want to see Dan. Yes. Well, Lance and me will take care of the body then. Moe's didn't have any family. That's a good idea. We'll see you in. See, here comes Dan. He's a cool one. Look, he's coming right over to us as if nothing had happened. But I heard you say you were leaving train junction, Sergeant Preston. I won't be for quite a while now, Dan. Why don't you come out to the kept? What happened to Moe's? You know what happened to him. What do you mean? Moe's was found out near the railroad tracks on the far side of Lake Skillet, on the bullet to his heart. Oh, yes. What's more, it was your scarf that was found pinned under him. I've seen some mighty cool ones in my day, but never had any fun. There won't be much good denying it, Dan. Dine what? I don't know what you're talking about. You mean that? I mean, I don't know what you're getting at. My scarf was found beside Moe's. I didn't put it there. Well, maybe you didn't put it there, but you might have dropped it. Wait a minute, boys. Wait a minute. Dan, where have you been for the last three hours? Why, in my cabin, Sergeant. Anybody with you? No, sir. That is strange. You weren't spending your time at the cafe like you usually do. I don't know what this is all about. Well, it looks like you're suspected of murder, Dan. Murder? You mean you think I... I didn't say I thought so, Dan. It's only that all the evidence we have, and that's a scarf, points to you. I wasn't near the railroad. I tell you, I've been in my cabin. You can't prove it. I'll give you my word. It seems to me one man's word ain't good enough when a murder's been committed. Sergeant... I haven't finished the investigation, Dan. I had no reason to wish Moe's dead. No. What about the argument you had with him? What argument? I didn't have... I heard you and Moe's talking last week. If I ever saw two men having harder words, I don't remember it. I haven't seen Moe's for more than a month. You got the wrong man. I saw them just as plain as I see you now, Sergeant. That's a lie. Where was that, Lance? In front of Dan's cabin. It wasn't another soul in sight, so I figured it was best to let them finish it themselves. Then I never thought it'd come to this. I'm all the yellow line. You better be careful, Dan. You ain't in a position to be calling your names, you know. You ought to be put under arrest. Who knows who will be shooting next? I'm not arresting them yet. They're not. No. Dan, I put you on your honor. If you leave train junction, you know as well as I do, it'll only be another card stacked against you. Gee, Sergeant, do you think I'm not anxious to find out who's trying to frame me? You don't have to worry about me leaving town. In the meantime, King and I'll do some investigating. King? My lead dog here. That's none of my business, but I don't think you're taking this seriously enough. You're right, Lance. It isn't any of your business. Now, I'll see you later. All right, King. Get the dogs up. I'm King. It seems to me we ought to take care of old Moe's lance. Yeah, yeah. I wonder what he meant. Investigate. I don't know. There sure are a lot of things about this I'd like to know. You? Well, you was good as got a noose around your neck right now. I've taken as much as I'm going for it. Hey, wait a minute. You're on your good behavior, remember, Dan? It's a good thing for this garment that I am. I'll lend you a hand with Moe's joint. And then I'm going to the cabin. I ain't been home for three days. All right. So long, George. I never did like that, fella. Well, what do you aim to put the bind? Meanwhile, Sergeant Preston and King were approaching Skillet Lake. Foot prints should still be there. Oh, King. Oh, you askings. All right now, fella. Let's see. Hmm, enough prints here. Thing I don't understand is how if Dan did commit the murder, he'd do it so stupidly. He'd have planned it more carefully. We might have missed something when we were here before, King. I think... Ah. A set of prints leading to the lake. They go down to the ice. Hmm. I thought I'd noticed these before. They're cut just about as deeply as the others. But where'd they come from? All more of the same prints. They're deeper. As if the man were carrying something heavy. Yet they begin here. They only sled tracks besides mine and George's, the ones Andrews sled cut coming in from the north. Could the murderer have been riding with Moes? King. I think I got it. Lance's tracks and the tracks leading down to the lake are identical. Yeah. King, get the dogs up. We're going across the lake. That's it, fellas. To the left. Oh, King. Oh, you huskies. Leading the dogs, King raced across the ice-covered lake. As they reached the bank, the front of the sled runner struck a clean surface. Hold, King. All right. Hold, you huskies. Hold. What is it, fella? Skis. Just as I thought. The murderer came across the lake on these skis. These footprints lead up to the tracks and then stop. King, I think we've found the man who's tried to frame Dan for a murder he committed. On, King. On, you huskies. That night in George McCarthy's cabin at the edge of train junction. Yeah. I reckon we're all here now. Would you mind telling me just why in the middle of the night? Oh, take it easy now, Lance. I only did what the sergeant told me to. You must have a good reason. He better have. I do have, Lance. What are you doing with those skis, Sergeant? Mighty nice-looking pair. Well, I asked George to bring all of you together because I want to get your fingerprints. Fingerprints? What's that got to do with them? You see, I found these skis on the bank of the lake. They had evidently been pushed under the snow. The wind had blown back the snow and when King and I crossed the ice, the sled struck them. Meaning? Meaning that the man who murdered Moes Andrews used these skis to cross the lake. Then he pushed them under the snow. He forgot one thing, however. The snow won't erase fingerprints. All right, George, you ready? Sure. What do you want me to do? I'll put your finger on this pad right here. Like this? Yeah. That's fine. Now, over on this paper. There. You want my left hand, too? No, the right will be enough. Now, Lance. You ain't fingerprinting me. Well, it's an insult. It's no insult to an innocent man. It's your problem to find a guilty man. That's just what I'm doing. I'm sorry, Lance, you'll... Now, what? You'll have to be fingerprinted like everyone else. You're wrong. Hey, put that gun away. What the... Line up there against the wall. So, I was right. You did cross the lake on those skis. Yeah, I crossed, all right. On top of the ice and you're gonna be under it inside of 30 minutes. You jumped off the train when it stopped for water. You jumped off at the spot where you killed Moe's. All you had to do was stand there and wait for her. You seem to have all the answers. Go on, Preston, then what did I do? As the train was pulling out, Andrews came driving in just as you knew he would. The engine made enough noise to cover the shot, so you waited a few minutes. You were lucky because it began to get dark. Yeah. Then you went down to the riverbank. You used something for a sale. I don't know what that was. The wind blew you across the lake on these skis here. The train by that time was stopped. It was a simple thing to climb back in your window and get off at the station where I saw you. Right? I give you credit. Why would he want to frame me? You got the answer for that, too? Yes, I think I do. Dan, you and Andrews both struck gold. Lance knew neither of you has a family. And this is just as good a way as any to get those claims. You're right, I did want to frame Dan. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. Yeah, but that had enough time. A criminal was always caught because he makes a mistake. You've made two of them, Lance. What do you mean? You made your first one when you planted Dan's scarf beside Moe's. You've made your second one by forgetting my helper. Helper? You don't have one, and if you think you're going to get a woman... I didn't kick you! Help! Good work, fella. Smartest dog I ever seen. Saved our lives. Tie him up, Dan. You bet I will. Good thing you found them skis, Sergeant. Yes, they put the story together for me. Why, with his fingerprints on them? I didn't find any fingerprints on them. What do you mean? I mean your own conscience helped to convict you. I knew how you committed the crime. I wanted your admission of your guilt. This was the best way I knew of getting it. Well, I'll be... Yes, King, the case is closed. Challenge of the Yukon, a copyrighted feature of the Challenge of the Yukon Incorporated, brought to you every Saturday at this same time, originated in the transcription studios of WXYZ Detroit. The characters and events in tonight's drama were fictitious. Bob Hite speaking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.