 The challenge of the Yukon. On King! On New Husky! The Wonder Dog King, swiftest and strongest of Eskimo Lee 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 spite of the odds against them, Sergeant Preston and his Wonder Dog King met that challenge and justice ruled triumphant. The cabin of Crazy Pete on Beaver Lake had been deserted since his death when a rumor had started that it was haunted. It was a sad looking place with leaky roof and sagging timbers. The Yukon winds howled through it and prospectors gave it a wide berth when passing it at night. Sergeant Preston on his way to White Horse after dark was startled therefore when he saw a dim light shining through its single window. He stopped his team and with his lead dog King at his heels knocked at the door that someone had set straight on its hindrance. Sergeant Preston, Northwest Mounted Police. You say they're police? Yes. I thought I'd see who was here. Queen! Queen! Mind if I bring my dog? No, not if he's friendly. He looks kind of fierce. He's very friendly unless I tell him not to be. Aren't you, boy? I'm he from Chate and this is my apartment. I'm helping you. Howdy. How do you do? Sit down, Sergeant. Here's a box. We ain't had much time to get settled. Oh, thanks. This will be fine. Here, King. Down beside me, boy. We just bought this place yesterday. Worked for two days trying to make it a bit. Even me here from Kansas. Well, you're a long way from home. You say you bought this place? Well, we sort of made a trade, you might say. The man who owned it gave it to us for a watch I had. We were just about broke. It was a mighty good watch, but we needed a rope for our head. Why, nobody owned this cabin. It's been vacant for years. Nobody owned it? Since when was it standing here vacant with places so scarce? Well, I'm afraid you've been cheated out of a watch. Nobody lived in it because it had the reputation of being haunted. Silly, of course. I'll get it. And I've been cheated. Why, that dirty cheating bucket? A strange old man used to live here. People called him Crazy Pete. He had nothing to do with anyone. And when he died, they said his ghost came back. Did he get any gold out of the place? Oh, perhaps a little. Nobody knew much about him. At least we got a roof over our heads. We spent all day yesterday and today patching up the place. I guess I had a fearsome ghost or two, but I can just keep warm in this consulant country. So please, we ain't got enough money to get back home. If I ever catch that line of skunk that told us all we had to do up here was pick gold nuggets off in the streets. I'm afraid prospecting isn't that easy. You know, from some old jewelry of Abigail. These beads and some rings. Maybe I could sell them. I've been chilling here. You mean worth nothing? Abigail's jewelry is all glass. I know it. I'll give them to her. They're pretty. This light of body wouldn't know them from me at first. Not if her body was as near-savvy as you be. Well, maybe something will work out. There's always trapping. Plenty of game behind. You mean you're ain't much use of our looking for gold around here? I'm afraid not. Well, I guess I'd better get back to town. Sorry to bring you bad news the first time we meet. I'll see if I can locate the man who took your watch. Well, now Sergeant, that's mighty good of you. Come on, gang, we're leaving. Oh, it's a shame to disturb him. He was resting so pretty. I'll drop in to see you again soon. Well, come as soon as you can. We like neighbors. Bye. Good night. Nice find. I wish we had money for more fur blankets. And I froze last night. Maybe I can find an Indian who'd trade you some for these beads. If you could find one dumb enough. No, Sergeant. The string broke. There they go. Oh, why in the name of Jupiter, you brought all that 10 cent jewelry up here. Now we'll probably slip on them and make a couple of hits. Well, help me pick them up when here I can't see them. In blazes we ever left. The following morning, the two old men reluctantly dragged their creaking bones out of their bunks. The flame fires almost out. It's colder than a polar bear's tale in this place. If he was only in Sanchez's, the sunshine would be pouring in and we'd be opening the door. It's not bothering about chances to stir your bones and get your water in the kettle while I nurse this confounded fire out. No, my room it is. It's starting up again. That Maldives talked about a ghost. No ghost with any sense had ever come back to climate like this. What's this? Here on this table. What are you eating, Maldives? It's gold. Here, right here on this table. It's a gold nugget. Why, so it is. Where'd that come from? Did you hear anything last night? Well, who could it be? Say, that bead I was looking at last night. Remember that big one I left on here? It's gold. You mean it's turned gold? It's the kind of ghost that you called. Maybe it's a bee. Well, that's the kind of ghost I've been looking for. From now on we're putting Abigail's beads all over the place. It was the following week and some men were gathered in Jacques LaRue's trading post listening with amazement to a weird story. See, this is one of the nuggets. They are so bigger. These men, they come for supply. Tell me about this nice ghost. Sounds fishy to me. Yeah, it ain't possible. Yeah, she is possible. I've heard many things about ghosts. Yeah, but never such nice one. These men, all he must do is eat and sleep. This ghost, he mined their gold. Sacre bleu. Could I just once find myself such a spirit? Bill, come on. We gotta get going. Come on, Jacques. I'll see you later, Jacques. Bonjour. I'll beat that. Them old con-face moving into Crazy Pete's cabin and having gold brought to him. Man, I explained what happened. Crazy Pete left a pile of gold around there someplace when he died. That's the way I thought he did. You mean you don't think they're getting it the way they say they are? He was digging into it. Well, they ain't fooling me. I'm gonna show them a ghost that don't fool. Now, what do you mean? We're gonna visit them in the middle of the night. And if they don't tell this ghost where the gold is, they'll get the information choked out of them. I don't see why you had to go and brag about our gold, Eve. Well, did you want me to lie? I ain't never lied in my life, and I ain't gonna start at 65. 65? Why, you're old and mean. I was 65 three years old. Well, forgetting ain't no sin. Anyway, I didn't tell him nothing about the bees and how he likes them. Hello. Well, if we get the sergeant back again, come in and bring that doggy yours. We shaved a bone for him. Come on, King. Hello, Sergeant Preston. Sit down, make yourself comfortable. Thanks, babe. I came to check on some rumors around town. They say you've struck it rich. Oh, gee, Sergeant, it's our friendly ghost. Well, is it true that nuggets have been left in your cabin during the night? Some was left once when we was out hunting. It seems as how this ghost walks in the daytime. I can't understand it. Are you nervous about it? I mean, do you want protection? Oh, no, Sergeant. We was a little scared in the beginning, but now we ain't. It's kind of a nice feeling, kind of friendly life. He even put out a bowl of soup for him last night. How did he eat it? He didn't touch it. I thought you might want me to investigate. Oh, no, it might offend him. And he might be afraid of your dog. Well, as long as you aren't worried. You just tell everybody to let us be, and pretty soon we'll have enough money to get back to Kansas. Sergeant Preston determined to solve the mystery, and that night he camped near the cabin to watch. It was after midnight, and inside the cabin, the silence was broken only by the snores of the two old men. Suddenly the door creaked open slowly, and stealthy footsteps crossed the room. A figure bent over aid silently, and two hands grasped his throat. Not a yell out of you. What's going on, eh? Then you shut up, or I'll choke this partner of yours. I'll give you two minutes to tell him. Where is it? Oh, what do you mean? What are you talking about? You don't like that, do you? Now tell me where that gold is hidden or out. Hey, hey, hey, what the hell? Think of what he did to me. Think of what he did to me. Think of what he did to me. Maybe a matter of things. All right, go ahead. What's going on? Who is it? Major. All righty. I'll have a wait in a minute. What do you think? I think you're struggling. All right, go ahead and let him up. I know a funny business, but I'll let the dog finish it for me. Well, he's the man who took my watch, and there's a chain of it hanging from his pocket. You give me that, you? Did you get it, hey? You're a darn toot, my dear. Where's Bill? I told him. If you mean your partner, he's out there handcuffed to a tree too scared to yell. Come on, you. We're going out to join him. Watch him, King. I'll see you in the morning. Guess you're safe now. Come along, you. Well, thanks, sergeant. You saved our lives. Now, you see, that's what you get for blabbing about the gold. Well, don't know why you're complaining. It was my neck he was squeezing. Anyway, got my watch back. Enough noise to scare a body to death. Hey, Abe, what? Don't you suppose we scared him to eat? You mean our ghost too? He ain't been here. There's the beads still on the table. The following morning, when Sergeant Preston returned to the cabin, he found two downcast old men. Well, you won't have to worry anymore. I have those two locked up. Let's won't give you any further trouble. Yeah. Well, Abe, you don't seem very happy about it. Oh, no, it didn't, sergeant. It's just that, well, we ain't gonna get any more nuggets. What? What do you mean? I guess our ghost didn't like all that confusion. He practically told us so. Told you so? What are you talking about? I guess we can tell you all about it now, how he got the gold and all. You see, sergeant, every night we'd leave some beads around, and most nights he'd leave us a nugget for him. You mean he'd take a bead and leave a nugget? Yep. But after last night and all that noise, he took the bead, but look what he left. Just an old piece of dirty rag. That's just like saying he's mad, ain't it? Let me see that rag. Maybe we can find this ghost. Hey, King. Take a sniff of this, fella. Find it, boy. Where is it? What's he sniffing in the corner for? We'll soon find out. He's scratching at the floor. Have you something I can use to pry up that board? Well, he's a pickaxe, but what are you going to do with that? I'm afraid you're scared your ghost away, but here's his nest. See, there are your pur... Well, look. Look at the sacks and a pile of nuggets. Who wanted the sacks? He's busted open. Do you think they all have nuggets in them like that? Oh, they jump in and kick it. Well, it looks as if you have your fair back to Kansas. Fair? Why, we could buy half the safe with all that. But how... Your ghost is a pack rat. I'd have thought of it before. You see, they never pick up anything without leaving something in its place. This pack rat made its nest beside Crazy Pete's hiding place. The rat would take a bead and leave a nugget. A piece of cloth he left was part of the torn sack. Well, I'll be sweet if that ain't right at comedy. I'm going to get me some of them critters to take back to Kansas. Oh, fella. This is one rat I won't let you catch. These copyrighted dramas originate in the studios of WXYZ Detroit. And all characters, names, places and incidents used are fictitious. They are sent to you each week at the same time. This is Bill Morgan speaking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.