 The challenge of the Yukon King, the swiftest, 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 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 preserving the right. The challenge of the North was answered and justice ruled triumphant. It was early morning and in Will Conover's small cabin, two men faced each other. Will, quiet and determined, cast Benton, deadly calm. It was this very calmness, the cold cunning in Benton's eyes that met death for the man across from him. Oh, you was reaching for that gun, Will. Why you... Just a little bit too late. If you'd have reached sooner, you might have saved your gold, but I didn't plan it that way. Now to get the dust. Murder. But nobody will know Cass Fletton's behind it. A careful search revealed the precious dust hidden under a board in the floor. Pocketing it, Cass left the cabin and drove his sled back to town where he kept a general store, stocking the provisions and equipment needed by the miners and trappers who came to Aberdeen for supplies. He left his sled outside the store as he opened the door. Hi there, Cass. What's the idea of the sled? Oh, hello, Mark. Close the door, will you? Yeah, sure. Going somewhere? You have time to sell me some flour? Sure. Selling anything you need. Flour all you want? Pretty well stocked up except for that. It seems you're laying out a lot of vitals. You heard me right, didn't you? Oh, these are for Will Cullover. Oh, is he coming in? No. Last time he was in, he asked me to bring him out some stuff in about two weeks. Got the date marked on the calendar so I wouldn't forget. Hey, this is the Tutinette Libby service, are you kidding? You bet I'm not. If I'd do that, I couldn't take care of the store. You know, I never could figure out just why you went in for selling supplies to me and out there panting dust when you could go out with a pick and shovel yourself. This is a poor way to get rich, if you ask me. Oh, it depends on how you look at it. Well, ain't nothing wrong with Will. How come he's going out there? Well, he's been working that claim of his for a long time now. The last time he was in, he said he'd just hate it to take a day off, even to come into town. Hey, that's why they're nice here. I'd just do it for special customers. Sergeant Preston, why'd you get in town? I just came in this morning. How are you? Never been better. How's business, Cass? All my customers pay cash. That's something, Sergeant. Yes, indeed it is. Something for you? No, no, I just stopped by to say hello. I'm on my way over to Will Cullover's. Well, that's where Cass is going. That's what I call a coincidence. Oh, you're going out to see Will? Yes, I'm taking him some supplies. Oh, unusual, isn't it? I thought Will always came in a town. Well, he always did, but right now he's so busy working his claim that I told him not to hear it. He just grudges the time it takes to come in from this place. Well, it shouldn't take him long. Will's not far from Aberdeen. Well, it's not that so much. Once he gets in, he meets the boys, and before you know it, they're over at the cafe. I see what you mean. They're going just swapping stories, eh? Let's suppose you're right out with me, then. Right out with you? Oh, better yet, I can take the supplies out to him. Oh, no, no, no. I'll go out with you. That'll fix it up fine. What's that? Oh, nothing. I'll be right with you. A short time later on the trail toward Conover's cabin, Sergeant Preston urged the great dog King on. A light snow had begun to fall. On King! On you huskies! This snow started without any warning. Yes. I suppose it'll keep up, too. Looks that way. Certainly covers traction to hurry. Well, that isn't always good, Cass. Yeah. Let's see what you mean. There's Will's cabin ahead. Uh-huh. Say, that's funny. What? No smoke coming from the chimney. You're right. Maybe he didn't bother to light the fire. Might be working his claim. Still, you think he'd welcome the warmth of the cabin and keep the fire going? Oh, King! Oh, you huskies! Take some of these provisions. Here, I'll give you some help with it. Look at King. He's walking up and down in front of the door. Leave the provisions in the sled, Cass. I never doubt King's sixth sense. It looks like he feels there's something wrong here. They're coming, boy. I wonder what it is. Seems if he's just waiting to bound through that door. We'll soon find out. Maybe we'd better go in. Yes. Probably down by the creek. But Will... I can tell from here. Is he... He dead? Yes. A gun in his hand. He didn't even have a chance to fire it. Have a look at the gun. How long do you think he's been dead? I'd say about two hours, roughly. None of these shells have been fired. Right, King, old fella. I've never known him to miss. He can sense death through closed doors even before he's near enough to see it. I guess there's nothing to do but tote those supplies back to town. More important, find the murderer. Who'd want a murder, Will? Unless... Unless? I don't know. Couldn't help thinking. Mark's been wanting to buy Will's claim. Never offered what it was worth, I guess. Anyway, Will wouldn't sell. That's not a motive for murder. He didn't have any enemies. Of course, there were a couple of fellas in town that sold him money. You were looking for anything special, Sergeant? You never know what you'll find, Cass. Sometimes it's only a thread. But a murderer always makes one mistake. Yes? Yes. That's what eventually hangs him. I sure don't see anything wrong. You? There's no... no struggle. How do you make that out? The furniture'd be overturned if there had been. Oh. Will obviously knew the man who came here. He knew him and they were talking. And yet he didn't completely trust his visitor. Hmm? Well, otherwise he wouldn't have had the gun so handy. A loose and flowerboard. Where? That's funny. Not so funny. This must have been where Will kept his gold. It's gone. So it was robbery. Who'd take Will's gold? Well, according to him, the ground but a creek's full of it. Questions, questions. Hmm. And only the murderer has the answers. Sergeant Preston went over the cabin minutely with Cass spent in close beside him. The storekeeper silently gloating at his cleverness in pulling what seemed to be the perfect murder. The short time later, heading back to Aberdeen, Sergeant Preston was thoughtful and quiet. Cass, too, was lost in thought, smiling grimly. Certain the Mountie had no way to uncover the killer. Oh, King! Hello, you huskies. I'll take the supplies back into the store. You need any help? No, thanks. I can manage. Yeah, I'll take this bag. I could have taken those, Sergeant. Here. I'll open the door. All right. I'll just put them down the counter. That's fine. Nothing to do now but put them back in stock. Well, it was nice of you to take me out. Oh, look, Cass, you say there's the men in town who owed Will money? There sure are. Well, it's possible, of course, that any one of them might have gone out to the cabin to borrow more. Yeah. I see what you mean. Will said no dice and then... Uh-huh. Yes. Just a hunch. Sounds logical to me. Suppose you give me the names. You have them? Well, I can't say they got all of them, but I can give you a pretty fair idea. Let's see. I don't know about Mark Davis. Oh, I don't think Mark ever borrowed from him. But old Snake Wiley did. And Pete... Chuck Shannon used to borrow from him regularly. I know as true as I'm standing here, we'll never saw any of that money again. Fine. That's Wiley, Pete, and Chuck Shannon anymore? No, that's but all. Well, suppose we meet here in the store in about an hour. I'd like to ask a few questions. Suit me, Sergeant. I aim to give you all the help I can. Believe me, I'm as anxious as you are to see that the killer gets what he deserves. I hoped you'd feel that way about it. After he left Cass spent in the store, Sergeant Preston went to the local cafe where he knew he'd find at least one of the three men who were indebted to Well. He was surprised to find all three of them gathered around the pot-bellied stove at the far end of the room. The three puzzled near to Well's agreed to see them out in an hour and spent the time after he left them till they went to Fenton's, trying to guess what was afoot. Meanwhile, Sergeant Preston talked to King, the dog's intelligent eyes on his master's face. You understand, King? What I say, the right one. You got it, that boy. Ah, good. You're going to catch the killer. The hour passed quickly and soon the three men, together with Cass Fenton, faced Sergeant Preston and King. Now look here, Sergeant. I ain't done anything that calls for the law. I didn't say you had, Pete. I brought you all together to try to find a murderer. Murderer? Hey, you got the wrong man. I don't know nothing about any murder. Who's been killed? I'll keep quiet, fellas. Give the sergeant a chance to talk. But Will Conover was murdered sometime this morning. Will? Why, I'll kill the man that got him with my own hands. Easy now, Pete. How do you aim to find out? Well, a lot of people think I work alone. Well, I don't. King, here's my right hand. And it's King who's going to help solve this murder. What do you mean? Well, you all know how accurate a dog's sense of smell is. Well, I have here the poke that contained Will's gold. The gold the murderer stole. King will get the sense from this. And then see which one of us... That's right. What makes you think we had anything to do with it? I'll explain that later. You ready, King? Now, here's the poke. There, I'll drop it on the floor. You better get over there with Pete, Cass. Me? Yes. You ready, King? Wait a minute. I didn't have any idea. Go ahead, fella. Well, he's not going to... Shut up. Now, pass me up. How do we see? This is important, King. Smart dog. I have nothing to do with it. I'll pass you right up. You want to be sure to get the right one? Hey, Cass. What's that mutt barking for? Are you sure, King? Cass, King stopped in front of you. That means one thing. I'll kill him. Get that guy! All right. I'll get over to the wall. All of you, shut up. You too, Sergeant, over to the wall. So, King was right. You thought by going back to the cabin, finding the body, I don't know how he figured, but he was right. After I finish the poorly off, I'll get that dog. Hey, now, wait a minute, Cass. I should have let Preston have it back in the cabin. The only reason you didn't was because you thought I'd never be able to find you out. There's one bullet out of that gun, Cass. The bullet that's in Will Conover's heart. In one time, you're too smart for your own good, Molly. The police force will miss you. Oh, you're wrong, Cass. They won't miss me. Adam King! That dog shot him down! Get away from me! All right, King. I never see nothing like King, Sergeant. First, he finds a murderer, then he drops him. You're covered with your own gun, Cass. Put these handcuffs on him, Pete. I told you, murderers always make one mistake. But you made yours when we went to that cabin. There was only one way you could have known Will didn't have a chance to fire his gun because you didn't look at it. In order to see whether he'd used it or not, I had to take it from his hand. And you mean King did it? It would have been impossible to catch a scent from that poke. King was going by words. And he did a good job. 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 time, originated in the transcription studios of WXYZ Detroit. The characters and events in tonight's drama were fictitious. Bill Morgans...