 Now, as gunshots echo across the windswept snow-covered reaches of the wild northwest, Quakerpuff wheat and Quakerpuff rice, the breakfast cereal shot from guns, present the challenge of the Yukon. It's Yukon King, swiftness and strongest lead dog of the northwest, placing the trail for Sergeant Preston of the northwest modern police in his relentless pursuit of lawbreakers. And King, one new husband! Gold, gold discovered in the Yukon, a stampede to the Klondike in a wild race for riches. Back to the days of the gold rush, with Quakerpuff wheat and Quakerpuff rice bringing you the adventures of Sergeant Preston and his wonder dog Yukon King as they meet the challenge of the Yukon. It's not too late. Start now, today. Yes, hurry. Get started on your new Quaker miniature model farm. Listen. That's Topsy, your model Shetland pony. And that's Queenie the Cully, your model farm watchdog. These and 44 other colorful detail scale models of farm animals, farm buildings and equipment all come with a complete new Quaker model farm. There are 46 different models in all and they're yours at no extra cost. And listen to this. There's no waiting, nothing to send in. No money, box tops or coupons. Listen to how you can start your own Quaker model farm right here and now tonight. You'll hear full details in just a few minutes. There was gold to be had by Panning Scotch River. But the rugged mountain country would not give up her treasure to a weakling. The approaching winter made the winds swept region bitterly cold. One by one, the men packed up their gear and set out on the long trip to Dawson. Tom Farnham and his partner, Lefty Morris, had been in the Scotch River country, but they lacked both industry and courage. Empty-handed they were on the back trail. Tom was in an ugly mood. Well, the fool ideas, going up to Scotch River. I don't know why I listen to you, Lefty. You listen to me because you wanted to strike it rich. I thought you knew it wouldn't be child's play. That could be a million dollars at Scotch River and I wouldn't stay there another day. All right, all right, we've left. Yeah, we'll shut up it. And where are we? We've got to walk for days to get back to Dawson. Oh, you'll feel better after you've had something to eat, Tom. Well, where we get it? You know, it's well as I do, we're out of grub. There's a way cabin straight ahead, the bend of the trail. Come on, I won't take it. Wilderness trails were marked at intervals by small windowless cabins along the way. They were established for the benefit of travelers and stocked with food and firewood. Any man was free to make use of the way cabins and take whatever he might need. But there was a strict code and effect. Tom and Lefty made themselves at home and soon had food on the fire that crackled in the fireplace. By the time the coffee's boiled, I'll have this steak done to a turn. Tom, I reckon you'll feel better when you sink your teeth into a juicy slab of caramel, huh? I suppose we could throw some old wood on the fire. A sure thing. That's what the woods pile up for. Burn as much as we like as long as it's replaced before we leave. Replaced? You mean we've got to cut wood before we hit the trail? Sure. Not me, Lefty. I'm leaving here at daybreak and I'm not cutting any wood before I start. All right, Tom. I'll cut some wood. Who stocked this place with viddles? Everyone. Sort of unwritten law. Any pilgrim is welcome to whatever he needs in a cabin like this, but he's expected to put back as much or more than he takes. You mean we're supposed to come back here? No, not here especially. Maybe before we hit the next cabin we'll be able to shoot some game. That being the case, we'll take it with us. Eat what we want and leave the rest for the next guy. If we've got any extra coffee or something like that, we could leave that too. You're no Lefty. I'll begin to get an idea. What do you mean? We left Scotch River on mighty short rations. We'd had a tough time if we hadn't stopped here. Never make Dawson unless we managed to shoot some food. Most everyone who leaves Scotch River has to stop at this place. Well, supposing a man got to this cabin and didn't find any food, then what would he do? Well, tighten his belt, I reckon. He'd be plenty hungry before he got to the next cabin. Suppose there wasn't no food in that one? A mighty little chance of that, Tom. Well, just suppose. Well, if he couldn't shoot something to eat, he'd be in a tough spot. I figured he'd be just about ready to pay any price for food. He sure would. He could have his pockets bulging with gold. But it wouldn't do him a bit of good if he starved on the trail of Dawson. He'd be willing to give at least half of that gold for food enough to see him through. Hey, Tom, what are you getting at? We went up to Scotch River to act on your idea, Lefty. Now it's my turn to have an idea. Listen, if your idea is what I think it is... Let those sourdose frees and starve to get gold from Scotch River. Lefty, we can have our share without lifting a hand. Oh, no. All we gotta do is clean out this cabin, pack all the food there is, and take it with us. We couldn't carry it all. We could pack it and drag it on a line. We'll do the same with all the grub that's in the next cabin. Tom, we can't get away with it. It's a hanging crime in these parts. Same as horse stealing in the States. Look at all the horsies that have got their neck stretched. There's also some horse thieves that got mighty rich. Then went back east to live a life of millionaires. Yeah. Tom, do you think we can really get away with it? We'll get away with it. But when those sourdose get into Dawson and tell about finding no grub in the way, tell about us taking half their gold for food. We'll have to get away with it for very long. We'll make a quick cleanup, then head for the States. Now come on, get together all the grub in this place. We'll get a pack to take along with us when we start out a daybreak. Sergeant Preston, his great dog King, had a territory that covered a vast expanse of Yukon country. They came into Dawson and headed directly to the home of their friends, Sam Colkins and his wife, Kate. One, King. See, Salive, Sergeant, you're a sight for sore eyes. If you only knew how glad we are to see you, Sergeant Preston. Yes, and you too, King. It's good to see both of you. You're here ahead of time, aren't you? Yes, I've changed my route. Well, Sergeant Preston, I'm awfully glad you're here. You in trouble, Sam? Yes, I've been robbed. Robbed? Yes, Sam was robbed of almost all the gold he got in Scotch River. Is that so? That's right. I've frozen starved there. I never worked so hard in all my life, but I got gold. Yes, sir, I got gold there. And if it hadn't been for the ornerous Theven skunks that ever lived, me and Kate would have had enough to take us back to the States. What happened? Sergeant, do you know the country between here and Scotch River? I've been over it once. There are three-way cabins up along the trail. There's no part of the Yukon where they're needed more. Yes, I remember the cabins. All the way back, I stopped at the first one. There wasn't a smidge of food or firewood there. I had to shove on the next day on an empty stomach. I kept going, though. By nightfall, I reached the next place, figuring for sure I'd find Grubb. But he didn't. You mean to say there was nothing to eat in either of the first two cabins? That's right, Sergeant. When I started out from the second one, I was just about licked. I was so weak from hunger I could hardly travel. What about the third, Grubb? The third. I couldn't believe it, Sergeant. But that one was just like the others. It was? Yes, I knew it meant the end for me. After I'd looked around and realized there was no Grubb, I fell down on the floor and cried like a baby. I was that weak. I'll see that those cabins are stuck right away. Wait a minute, Sergeant Preston. Wait till Sam finishes. I don't know how long I lay there on the floor. May have lost consciousness for a bit. But pretty soon I felt someone shaking me. I looked up and a man in a bearskin park was offering me a bowl of steaming hot broth. Who was he? Let me tell you the rest. Go ahead. He gave me the broth. Then he explained that he had a place in the woods not far away. He offered to sell me Grubb enough for a square meal. What? Yeah. So I could get here to Dawson. You mean he took cash for the food that saved your life? Cash? He took gold. He took most all the gold I brought back from Scotch River. That was his price for Grubb enough to give a starving man a meal. A man like that must be. When I got here I found that Pete Doolittle, who had left Scotch River a couple of weeks ahead of me, had run into the same situation. His man had sold him food and took most of the gold he'd slaved to get. I see. Jim Forsyth came into town just yesterday, Sergeant. Oh, yeah, Jim Forsyth had been to Scotch River too. What about him? Well, he had dogs and a sled. But he was short of food the same as the rest of us. He didn't have much gold. Not enough to satisfy that buzzard. What happened to Forsyth? He had to swap everything that was on his sled for food. He had a lot of camping equipment, blasting power that was left over and things like that. Sam, why haven't you men done something about this situation? Why haven't you gotten together and gone up to look for this man? Well, there's been some talk of it, Sergeant, but we just haven't gotten around to it. Besides, the chances are he'd see us coming and light out. That's true. And we're so doggone glad to be back in Dawson. None of us has got the stomach to go out on a trail again. Do you know the man who robbed you? I remember seeing him. He and the partner spent a few days around Scotch River. So he has a partner? He had. I don't know whether he still has or not. What's his name? He was called Tom Farnham. His partner was Lefty, something or other. I don't remember his last name. Those two have a lot to account for him. Sam, I'm going to bring them back to Dawson. Maybe you better take some men with you, Sergeant Preston. I think King and I can handle the situation. I'll leave my dog team here. You'll have to be careful, mighty careful. There's a wide valley just this side of the third cabin. It's open country. You'll be seen long before you get to the place where Farnham is waiting. Yes, I remember that valley. Tom's right, Sergeant. They might shoot you when they see you coming. I'll take my chances. Tom and Lefty had built a very small cabin in the woods, not far from the third-way cabin. It was strategically placed so they could watch the trail from Scotch River and be ready for travelers, while at the same time they maintained a watch on the valley to the south. It was Lefty who first saw two dark, distant specks against the snow. Hey, Tom, someone's coming. I've been expecting it. How many are there, Lefty? I just see two figures. We like it's binoculars focused on them. I'll tell you more about them. There's binoculars coming right handy. There's a lot of other things we got off the sled of that last pilgrim. What do you see? Really? Hey, Tom. Tom, this is worse than we figured. What do you mean? You said we'd be ready for any of the men who would come up from Dawson looking for us. We are ready. Yeah, we're ready for townsmen. But Tom, that's a money coming this way. Just one? Just one and a dog. All right. We'll deal with a money just as I said we'd deal with a townsman. Oh, no. Don't start that again. But Tom, when it comes to killing a money... Take it easy, Lefty. There'll be no one to prove it, Spurdy. As a matter of fact, I don't think anyone will be able to prove that the money's dead. What do you mean by that, Tom? Come on inside. I'll tell you. Prove a man is dead. There's got to be a body. Isn't that right? Yeah, sure. What do you think would happen to a man who has about three pounds of blasting powder set off beneath his feet? Blasting powder. There was blasting powder as well as a few other things on that sled we got. You mean gym foresight? Yeah. Give me a hand. We'll fix a reception for the money. A hot reception. We'll continue our story in just a minute. Fellows and girls, don't wait another day. Start your Quaker Muddle Farm right away. It's new, different, fun. It's terrific. You can't afford to miss this amazing offer made by Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice. The breakfast cereal shot from gun. Listen carefully. Here's how easy it is to get this swell new, complete miniature muddle farm. 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No paste or glue is necessary. Don't delay another day. Start your model farm right away. There's no waiting. Nothing to send in. No box tops. No coupons. And no money. These easily assembled models come on new packages of Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice. The swell tasting breakfast cereals shot from guns. Ask for Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice. Your grocer now has these keen new models. They're yours for the asking. When you ask for delicious Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice. Now to continue our story. Tom Farnham worked rapidly after seeing Sergeant Preston and the Great Dog King in the distance. In the small cabin he and Lefty had built, he had a number of articles spread out on a crude homemade table. He was fitting them into a wooden box. While Lefty dug a hole in the center of the dirt floor. That hole's deep enough, Lefty. Just leave the dirt there in a pile. Oh, the ground was sure frozen hard. I got this box just about rigged. Take a look at it. Hey, it's pretty tricky to me. I've got the blasting powder here in the bottom of the box. I'll fix this gun right here. Like this. It's a lucky thing the gun has a hair trigger. You've got a string tied to the trigger. That's right. There's one cartridge in the gun. Take the lead out of the cartridge. When the gun's fired, it'll set off the blasting powder. Ah, the clock goes right here. Wind her up. It's five minutes past three now. That means that in 55 minutes it'll strike the time. You didn't wind it very much. It's only got a run for 55 minutes. Ah, just fasten this string from the trigger of the gun. There's a little hammer that strikes the time on the hour. When the hammer goes back, the gun goes off. And that's the end of the modding. Listen, Tom, I don't like being part of a deal like this. I never figured on getting into murder. Let me do the figurine. You just do as I tell you. Cock the gun. The bomb's all set. Close the box. I wish you'd think this over a little bit. Maybe we can stall the money off. So I can put this box into the hall. But hang it all, Tom. Shut up. Just fix. Ah, grab that spade and fill in the hall. Then we'll move the table over the place and get out of here. But Tom, how do you know the money will stay here till that powder blows up? I'll leave a note on the door. But I guarantee it'll keep them here. Now fill in that hall. All right, well... Sergeant Preston had left his sled and dogs in Dawson. He and King reached the first of the Wake Abans and found it barren of food. There were a number of footprints in the snow that took but a few moments to follow these to a smaller cabin, a newly built one back among the trees. The trained eye of the molly read the footprints in the snow before he saw the note that was fastened to the door. Well, King, which is if the men who live here have gone away. Started out in different directions. I'll see what's on this note. Lefty, if you get back ahead of me, I'll go and wait because there's something important to tell you. Have gone hunting. I'll be back no later than four o'clock. Four o'clock, huh? Well, King, might as well go inside and wait. Tom Farnham signed that note and he's the man I want to talk to. There's partner Lefty, too. Come on in, King. Place seems to be newly built, eh, King? Those two crooks probably put it up in their hurries so they could wait here and watch for travelers on their way back from Scott River. Well-stocked was food. Very well-stocked. All right, King, we'll wait here for them, boy. Tom and Lefty had made divergent tracks from the cabin so the note on the door would appear authentic. But the two had gone only a short distance before meeting. They were within an eighth of a mile of the cabin waiting among the trees. It's too bad we had to leave somewhat stuff in the cabin. We bought all we could carry. You should have made that last prospector we got. I didn't want to bother feeding the dogs. Tom, are you sure we'll hear the explosion from here? We'll hear it all right. Then what'll we do? As soon as we're sure the money's off our trail for keeps, we'll go into Dawson. Gonna sled in some dogs and strike out for another part of the country. You said we'd go back to the States. I figured we could stay a longer and collect for more of those prospectors from Scott River before we had to pull stakes. We did pretty well from those three. Yeah, a few thousand dollars worth of gold. I want ten times that much. We'll get it, too. Don't you think it's dangerous to go into Dawson for supplies? We might run into Forsythe. Or one of those others we rob. We didn't rob anybody. We just sold food. We kept them from stock. Yeah, that's the way you look at it. We'll keep a sharp watch. Hey, Tom. What time is it now? Half past three. Half an hour to wait. I hope nothing goes wrong. Nothing will go wrong. Just wait and see. Meanwhile, Sergeant Preston and his dog sat in the milk and corner of the cabin. Then the Mountie sat down in the box and served as a chair. But King was restless. The dog's keen instincts told him danger lurked close at hand. There was something intangible. He sniffed at boxes and at cupboards. Then at a small spade that stood against the wall. What's the matter with you, King? It's just an ordinary spade. King stood up, braced his front feet against the wall and sniffed the handle of the spade. He touched it with his delicate nostrils and it slid to the floor. Take it easy, King. We haven't much longer to wait. I'll put that spade back where it was. Wait. Here's a peculiar thing, fella. There's fresh dirt on it. It's been used quite recently. When King saw his master examining the spade, he felt that he was on the right track. The spade had some relationship with the dog's uncanny feeling that both he and Sergeant Preston were in jeopardy. Still holding the spade, the Mountie examined the dirt floor of the cabin. King found a place beneath the table where the dirt had been disturbed and patted down. He started whimpering and digging. King, I wonder if you'll find something. Let's have a look. Tom and Lefty waited with growing impatience for the sound of the explosion. A half an hour passed and another 15 minutes. Tom looked at his watch for the fifth time, then closed the lid with a decisive snap. Something's going wrong. It's way past four o'clock. That blast should have gone off 15 or 20 minutes ago. I think the Mountie's still at the cabin. Maybe the clock stopped. What are we going to do, Tom? We can't wait here much longer. It's getting colder every minute. We've got to go back to the cabin. Maybe that blast was delayed. Maybe it'll go off any second. Could we just pull states? Get away from here and not come back? Leave that Mountie trying to track us down? No, sir. Tom maybe isn't looking for us at all. We don't know that he wants to arrest us. I'm going to find out. I don't like to leave loose ends dangling. I'll go on alone, Lefty. You come after me. When I get to the cabin, you come close enough to cover me if I need help. If you know what's good for you, don't let me down. I'll go to the cabin. The King barked violently as he opened the door. Hey! Take it easy. No cause for a lion. The dog won't hurt you. Close the door and sit down, Lefty. You're calling me Lefty. Isn't that right? Isn't that what you're calling me? How did you know? When I came here, I found this note fastened to the door. It's addressed to Lefty and signed by Tom. According to this note, he went hatin'. It says he'll be back. I have to wait here. I guess he expected you back before four o'clock, didn't he? Yeah. Yeah, come to think of it, he did. But how'd you know that? He had a death trap set for you? What did you say? A death trap? Look at this box. I'll open it. What's that? This clock here strikes the hour. There was a string tied from the hammer of the clock to the trigger of this gun. Otherwise, the gun would have been fired into blasting powder at the bottom of the box. It was set to go off at four o'clock. Tom left that note to be sure you'd stay here until then. Where'd you find the box? My dog King pointed it out for me, buried beneath the table. I see. There was silence in the room broken only by the taking of the clock. Tom knew he had been mistaken for his partner. He looked at the clock and then at the floor and back at the clock again he considered his next move. He decided to act out the role Lefty would be expected to play. So my partner was going to double-cross me, huh? Going to kill me. I thought I'd like it my hands on him. The law will take care of him for you, Lefty, if you'll cooperate. Cooperate? What do you mean by that? Lefty, I know what you and Tom have been up to. Several men in Dawson came close to starving because you two took all the food from the wake oven. Who can prove it? I know what you're going to say. It might be hard to make a charge against you sticking court, as a matter of proof. There's no actual proof you stole the food. But you and I both know that's the case. We can prove you took just about all the gold Sam Cawkins had in exchange for food enough to get to Dawson. When food is scarce, the price goes up. It was mighty scarce for those men. Well, I was waiting for you to return. I wrote out a full confession. Here it is. You expect me to sign a confession that'll put me in jail? Or stay out of jail? Of course, your fate will lie in the hands of a jury. Well, I think if you sign that confession and give back the gold and property you took and restock the cabins you looted, the jury will take that into consideration. What about my partner? When your story is told, he will go to jail for attempted murder. Well, I don't know. Let me think it over. I can't... Kings stood tense and ready. Waiting for the nought from his master, there would be the signal to attack the man who held a gun. But Sergeant Preston didn't nod. He wanted to know what lay behind the gun when sudden change. Steady, King. Hold it, boy. Not yet. Get him up, do you hear me? I didn't expect you to pull a gun on me, Lefty. No, I reckon you didn't. That was another mistake you made. You made a lot of mistakes today, Monty. The first one wasn't taking me for my partner, Lefty. You're not Lefty? No, my name's Tom Finham. That note I left on the door wasn't meant for Lefty. It was meant for you. And so was the blast. We saw you coming. I figured the note would keep you here till a blast went off. So you're Tom Finham, eh? Well, what I said about you still goes. You're headed for jail and the charge is attempted murder. Now I won't need your confession. Moreover, you needn't look for mercy from any jury. The law's tough with men who plot the murder of a northwest mountain policeman. There you talk. You think you were the one holding a gun? You won't shoot. As it stands now, you'll go to jail for attempted murder. Shoot me and you'll hang. Yukon territory's large, but it's not large enough to hide in. You'll be found. Come on in, Lefty. Hold it, King. Quiet, boy. I got a gun on it, Tom. I wondered where you were. Well, now you know, Monty. Well, tie him up, Lefty, then set this bomb all over again. This time we won't have to bother burying it. You see, Monty, you'll have to be found. It'll be hard for any jury to prove you were murdered. You thought I'd shoot you and leave a bullet hole, huh? Well, I was just one more mistake on your part. Get that rope over there, Lefty. Sure, as you said, I seem to have made a lot of mistakes today. But you know, Tom, there's one I did not make. Yeah? My dog King nearly went for you when you pulled a gun. If I hadn't held him back, your partner outside might have come in shooting. But now your partner's here in the room, and King and I, between us, can take both of you. Well, you can't, eh? Well, I'd like to... King had been tense like a tightly drawn bow. He sensed what was coming and was in the air before his master could complete the command to attack. Sergeant Preston, too, went into action. His gun came up like lightning. He fired a split second before Tom, and as he fired, he threw himself to one side. Tom's shot went wild, but the Monty's bullet found a mark. King's jaws closed on Lefty's gun arm like a fair trap. Lefty knocked off balance, went down with a mighty dog on top. Tom staggered from the impact of the bullet. His right arm hung useless, but he regained his balance, and with his left hand, snatched a knife from his belt. I'll get you, Monty. Sergeant Preston closed in, dodged the knife, and shot on his wrist in a stunning blow. That should do it. All right, King, I'll take his gun, stand back away. Get up, Lefty, the fight's over. You'll find him on your feet. King, then guard boy will I bandage his wound, and we'll take these two into Dawson with a gold they've stolen. I guess Sam Corkins and the others who were round will be glad to help return the food to the wake-hands in exchange for their gold. If it hadn't been for that mutt, buddy, get up and sit here waiting for the explosion and send you to Kingdom Cump. You're right, Farnam. You're quite right. I can thank King for saving my life. Yes, King, I can thank you for saving my life twice. This case is closed, boy. In just a moment, Sergeant Preston will give you a preview of Monty's program. Hurry, hurry, time's a-wastin'. Yes, hurry to your grocer. Look for special new model farm packages of Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice. Start building your complete miniature model farm now. You get as many as six different, easily assembled, exciting models on a single package. That's on the new packages of the cereal shot from guns. There's no waiting, no extra cost. Get in on the fun. Start building yourself a swell model farm without delay. These new models come only with delicious Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice. They're waiting for you now on your grocer's shelves. So hurry. These radio dramas, a feature of the challenge of the Yukon Incorporated, are created and produced by George W. Trendle and directed by Fred Floreday. This story was written by Fran Stryker. The part of Sergeant Preston is played by Paul Sutton. They are brought to you every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the same time by Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice, the breakfast cereal shot from guns. Listen, Monday, when Sergeant Preston and Yukon King meet the challenge of the Yukon in the adventure of Escape to the North. When Rita O'Day disappeared from Mrs. Carson's boarding house, King and I started after her. We found she'd been captured by outlaws who were ready to commit murder. And following their trail to the north meant facing danger and the threat of sudden death every minute. It was one of the most exciting cases we ever encountered. Be sure to hear this thrilling story Monday. Till then, this is J. Michael wishing you good bye, good luck and good health from Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice. So long. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.