 The challenge of the Yukon. The swiftness 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 modern 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. The cafe was warm and crowded. Full of men who smelled strongly of the mixture of whiskey and tobacco. Men who'd come to the cafe to drink, swap stories, and to lose over a deck of carts the gold-aid panned in the rich Yukon creek beds. Dirk Malone contrasted sharply with the heavyset prospectors who lined the bar. His eyes were close and narrow. His hands uncalloused. To look at him was to recognize a gambler. All right, so I've had a streak of bad luck. Yeah, a long streak. Don't forget that, Malone. That's $10,000 you owe me. I'll pay it. You pay it, I'll see you back. I want it now. I don't have it now. Well, ain't that too bad. I'll give you a week's time and no more. You'd have been better off if you'd have stayed up with the Klape 5 mine with your old man instead of moving in the town. Me be a miner? Don't make me laugh. Any day I'd break my back swinging a pick, that's why I left the place. How excitement. The kind of gold he's pulling out of that miner is stuck. Your sister Molly's got the right idea. Ah, Molly's a soft-hearted fool. She'd stick by the old man if he didn't have a nugget. Maybe so, but she's a lot smarter than you are. Someday that mine's gonna be hers. You mark my words, and you being a half-brother ain't gonna make any difference either. You hear what I say? Yeah. Well, I heard what you said. Of course, there are ways of making sure that don't happen. Fine. The way our mine seemed to run in the same direction. A mighty rich strike. Too rich to let slip through your fingers. I'm listening. Now, if you own the Klape 5 or a third of the mine, I might be willing to forget that streak of bad luck you've been having. You should have thought of this before. Instead of begging for gold a bit at a time. You can depend on this much. You'll never leave you any. You've been too much of a headache to him all along. You always sought more of Molly anyway. Mac, you come out to the cabin with me tomorrow. I'll leave in the morning. You just do what I tell you, and you'll own a third of the Klape 5 mine. Oh, Dirk, when are you going to get some sin? Now, listen. Let's not go into that again. I didn't come up here to argue with you. No, not with me. You more likely come up to argue Dad out of some more gold. I came up because I wanted to see him, that's all. You came up to see him. You never did believe me. That's what comes of being the black sheep of the family. I don't need money, see? You're always in debt. You never come up and let this to beg him to get you out of trouble. Only this time I'm warning you. You won't get anything out of him. I don't want anything, I tell you. Where is he now? Down at the mine. Yeah, I know. Works the mine during the day and reads at night. Doesn't even have any new books around. Too bad you didn't bring some supplies with you. Could have saved him a trip to town. Huh? You didn't even hear me. I said it's too bad you didn't bring some supplies with you. You saved Dad a trip to town tomorrow. Oh. He's going in tomorrow, eh? That's fine. Just fine. Mac and me will ride back with him. That is, if we can bunk here on the floor tonight. Going back to town tomorrow just fits in with my plans. Sergeant Preston of the Mounted Police urged his team over the trail toward Claiborne. The merciless wind bit into the mountains sharply, while King, his lead dog, ran ahead of the pack, breaking a trail through the heavily falling snow. On King, on you, Husky. Another half hour will be in time, boy. It'll be good to get out of this storm. King, that's a better boy, eh? Oh, you, Husky, oh. Can't see in this snow. All right, King, you lead the way. I'm nuzzling around the snow. I wonder if there's quite someone falling in the snow. Wait a minute. Why? It's Pat Malone. Shot. Shot in the back. Yes, King. He's dead. Who could have done it? The snow's covered all tracks. Well, we're closer to town than we are to his cabin. Now lift him. This is going to be bad news for Molly. And as for Dirk, we've got a real job ahead of us, King. We've got to find the man who shot Pat Malone. Malone? He wasn't that Sergeant Preston you were talking to? Yeah. I thought you were going to meet me at the hotel 15 minutes ago. I got held up over at the cafe. What do you have to say? He found the old man. Of all the times for him to hit Claiborne. Of all the times for you not to be with me. You fool. I needed you to back up my story. What did you tell him? We came into town together and left him at the general store. You didn't mention the deed, huh? What do you take me for? That'll come later. I'm going out to the cabin now to break the news to my sister. That's when we'll uncover the deed. I faked the signature on it last night after everybody had turned in. Even an expert wouldn't notice the difference. You better be careful about telling Molly. Careful. This is one thing I'm really going to enjoy. Now you're a cool customer. I'll say that much for you, Derek. And it took murder to bring it out. I can see her face already when I tell her. Over these years she spent with Dad while he worked the mines. How much good they'll do her now. It was Preston that found him, Molly. I can't believe it. Wade didn't wait for him to come back. I thought maybe he stopped in the cafe. No, he never spent much time there. No. It was always you. You were the one to spend time in the cafe. I wasn't going to tell you this, Molly. Tell me what? Well, you see. Have you seen the deed for the mine lately? What would I be doing with the deed? I guess it's up to you now to take care of it for us. You don't understand. What do you mean? Last time I was up here, Dad turned the mine over to me. You can see it on the deed yourself. What? That's right. I don't believe it. He wouldn't trust you with a poke of dust let alone the play pipe. It's in writing. What's more, I'm taking the deed with me. This land and the cabin's mine now. I'm willing to give you enough gold to get back to the States, and that's all. Derek, how can you talk this way? Dad shot and killed, murdered. All you can think about is the mine. You never came near it while I lived. Get away from that drawer. Take your hands off me. I said take your hands off me. I'm taking the deed. I don't believe you. He didn't sign the mine to you. Oh, please. Please, I know we never agreed with each other. Oh. Now that the clay pipe's mine, you're changing your tune. No. No, it isn't that took. But stay here. Stay here, please. Until we find him where they're dead. I'm going back to town. And remember what I said. I'll see you get enough gold to get back to the States. Oh, no. Dirk said Sergeant Preston found me. The first thing tomorrow morning, I'll go to him. But Molly Malone saw Sergeant Preston sooner than she expected. Shortly after daybreak the next day, the mahi's sled pulled up outside the cabin. He listened to the story the grief-stricken girl told and was silent when she finished. Did you see the deed? No. I tried to stop Dirk from taking it, but it was no use. He doesn't care about anything except gold. Molly. Yes? That's Dad's journal. He made an entry in it every day. Started it when he first came up here. I was going through it last night, reading how he found the mine. Does Dirk know about this journal? Oh, he knows about it. He's probably forgotten all about it, though. Why? Because I think I'll need your help. My hunch is right we may be able to trap the murderer. Go into town this afternoon. You have friends there who will help you circulate the rumor. I could force a showdown, but I think this will be a better way. That night, darkness obscured the faces of Dirk Malone and Max Simmons as they walked down the main street of Clayburn. Talking excitedly, Dirk occasionally threw glances back over his shoulder. You've got the deed. I tell you, there's nothing to worry about. I'm not taking any chances. If she gets that money with the journal and her story, he might get suspicious. Much good it'll do him. You need proof. He can't put a murderer on. I guess we'll return. Yeah. Now, I should leave with Mrs. Funning. I went over to Hannah McGabbins. And Doc Funning at the cafe, huh? I made sure of everything. Now, wait a minute. Yeah, so, Doc, I can't make out the door now. Door now? We aren't taking chances on the door. There's a window over here. Yeah, and right here. Listen, I'll climb in here. Help me with this window, will you? I caught it now. Give me your hand, Mac. Yeah, the place is deserted. I can't see you, my Doc. Just stand still a minute or so till your eyes get used to it. Where you going? Molly's things will be in the room next to this one. That's where we'll find that journal. Well, you couldn't have thought of it before. I don't know. You had everything planned out? All there'd be to it would be getting the deed. Yeah. And don't forget, if it hadn't been for that $10,000 I owe you, I wouldn't be prowling around here in the dark. Oh, getting cold feet, huh? And you were the one who could commit a murder and do a girl out of a rich mine all in the same day. I should have known better than to get into this. You're getting a third of the mine. Now, shut up. Where would you be lucky to keep a book? Ah, this is it. Got it. I never expected she'd leave it on top of the pack. Come on, let's get out of here before someone hears us. I've heard all I need to convict you, Dirk. Put your hands up. What? You're under arrest in the name of the queen. Where do you come from? Make a dash for the window. Oh, no, you don't. Half for the king. The liner. Doc, like the liner. Oh, get out! Get out! That's better. All right, King. Well, I'll be... Sergeant, why didn't you tell me what you was expecting? Because I wasn't quite sure, Doc. That's why I waited. But you heard it all yourself. I heard it all right. And as for you, Dirk Malone, you dirty yellow liver... I didn't have anything to do with it. He fired the shot. He shot for ambush. You double-crossed it. It's true, Sergeant. Listen to me. He forged Pat Malone's signature on that deed. You're in this just as much as I am. Put these handcuffs on them, Doc. Gladly. I only wish mine was a pleasure of stringing them both up. But what made you suspect them in the first place? Well, there were no tracks on the trail, so it was impossible to follow them. I had a hunch when Molly told me about the deed that Dirk was responsible for the murder. But when I saw the journal, I was sure of it. Even without examining the signature Dirk forged. If Pat Malone had turned the mind over to his son, he would have mentioned it in that journal. But he didn't. Instead, the pages are full of stories of Dirk's gambling. His losses and his constant visits begging his father for money. All right, you two, get along. It's jail for both of you. Poor Molly's got a heavy burden on her shoulders, but at least she'll have the satisfaction of knowing the man that shot her father will hang. Yes, King. The case is closed. Challenge of the Yukon, a copyrighted feature of the Challenge of the Yukon Incorporated, brought to you every Tuesday at this same time, originated in the studios of WXYZ Detroit. The characters and events in tonight's drama were fictitious. Bob Hite speaking, this is the Michigan...