 The challenge of the Yukon is king, swiftest and strongest lead dog of the north country, blazing the trail for sergeant Preston of the north-west mounted police in his red left list pursuit of lawbreakers. I'm king, I'm new, I'm king. Gold, gold discovered in the Yukon, a stampede to the Klondike and the greedy race for riches. Now back to the days of the gold rush when sergeant Preston and his wonder dog king baffled through storm and snow to preserve law and order as they met the challenge of the Yukon. It was the end of the trapping season and Pierre Ladiou was busy in his trading post at Dawson. He had just completed a deal with old Tom Andrews and both men were pleased with their bargain. Hey, this is the best trapping you ever have Tom. You've had some good ones. You must be getting very rich. Oh, I wouldn't say rich, Pierre, but I've put a good bit away. Trouble is I'm kind of sick of trapping. I'd like to give it up. Give up? But you are best trapper in territory. You are. I know I've done pretty well, but I just don't like it. Why did you start to be trapper then? Well, I was forced to do it to earn a living. I come up here right at the beginning of the gold rush to start it out in Alaska. I start gold too, but somebody jumped my claim. You did not get it back? No, it wasn't much lower in Alaska, and at the time they didn't have the mountains over there the way you do here. Then gold was found in the Klondike, so I come over here with the rest of them, but I never had much luck. You never strike gold? No. Then I got in a crooked gambling game and lost what I had. I lost something else too, my faith in human nature. So I took my dogs and went to the woods, living alone as kindness straightened me out again. I got the feeling maybe I was wrong after all. Most humans are all right, Tom. Only few are bad. Well, I've got enough money saved now. I think maybe I'll buy a claim instead of trying to find a new one. Mining is hard work. Oh, I don't intend to do it alone. I got a nephew back in the States. He's been studying mining. I just got a matter from him, and he wants to come up here. If I could buy a mine, he'd help me work it. Oh, that is a fine thing for you. Oh, well, you're getting some more customers. Now, when you close up, why don't you come over to the gold nugget? And I'll buy you a drink, but give me such a good deal on those furs. That I will do. And if I hear of someone who wants to sell gold mine, I'll let you know. You do that, Pierre. I'm staying in town all week. I'll see you later. Bonjour. You want something? Yeah, we want supplies. Can I hear you say something to him about buying a mine? Yeah, we. He is a good trader, but no, he thinks he would like to buy in gold for change. What's his name? Maybe we got one that would interest him. You have mined yourself? Harry here, I don't want to sell it. But I can't stand this place anymore. No, it's too good of mine to sell. If we worked it for another year, we'd be independent for life. I don't care if we'd be millionaires. I want to get back to civilization. I want to eat some decent food and get warm for a change. One more year wouldn't hurt you. Now, one more year would drive me crazy. I want to get married and raise some kids. Well, now, now maybe that is right. You are wise man, I think. Of course I'm right. I believe it's maybe this friend of yours ain't got enough money to buy it. We want cash. Well, he is not so rich, but he has some money. What's his name? He is Tom Andrews. Maybe you could tell him about us. We're staying at the northern hotel. I'm Fred Knowles, and he's Harry Jacobs. We, I will tell you, good. Now, let's see. I want a sack of flour, some beans, and some tobacco. I get them. They're in the back room. I don't think we ought to sell that mine, Fred. We took so much gold out of it, the veins getting richer. All right, you can stop. He can't hear now. Maybe he's swallowed the story? Sure. We'll keep our gun when he comes back. If we can just get old Andrews to come to us, instead of going to him, it'll help a lot. This old Frenchman has sent a memo, but he said about wanting a wife and kids so to convince them. Quiet, he's coming. You know, Fred, I wouldn't want to stay here alone if you left. Well, then you better make up your mind to sell, because I'm leaving. Here, here is flour and beans. What else you want? If we're going to sell the mine, we won't need a lot of supplies. Do you really think this friend of yours will be interested? No, that I cannot say. If I see him tonight, I tell him we are being our room tonight. If he wants to see us, I will tell him. He might come to see you. That evening, Fred and Harry awaited in their hotel room, hoping Tom Andrews would come. I hope this old Duffer isn't too smart. Even if he is, it won't make any difference. The way we saw that mine, it would take an expert to talk. Where'd you ever get the idea of shooting gold in the rock with a shotgun? That's an old trick. They did it back in the days of the gold rush in California. My father told me about it. Most of these people who came here don't know enough about gold mining to even suspect such a thing. You sure did a good job of it the last time. We made $5,000 out of that deal. It was smart to go north first. Now we'll get it if we can't have this old man and leave. Our next job will be in Selkirk and Whitehorse. And then we'll be close to the border and can leave for the states for the pot of full of money. And we sure do a mighty little dig in the woods. There's someone at the door. I'll go. Are you Fred Knowles? Oh, I'm his partner, Harry Jenkins. Fred, you're Knowles. And I'm Tom Andrews. Pierre LeDuce said you had a mind to save. I don't know about that. Bring him in, Harry. Come on in, Mr. Andrews. Thank you. Harry isn't too anxious to sell, but I am. I'm Fred Knowles. Glad to meet you. Pierre told me about you and your partner. I'll argue in about your mind in the store today. I think maybe I can convince Harry to do it. Sit down, Mr. Andrews. Nor is the craziest thing I ever heard of. We're just starting to get good pay dirt out of that claim and Fred wants to sell it. I'll tell you, Mr. Andrews, I've got a girl back in the states and I want to get married. All the money in the world isn't worth taking the chance of losing her while I stay up in this company and chop gold out of rocks. Well, young fella, I can't say that I blame you. I wish I'd had sense enough to stay where I belonged when I was your age, but this mind will make us rich in a couple of years. Oh, if it's that good, maybe I ain't got cash enough to buy it. How much cash have you, Mr. Andrews? Just $10,000. What? Well, Fred, you sure don't intend to sell that good mind for that kind of money? Well, we did intend asking about twice that much. It's worth more than twice that much. Well, boys, you're too rich for my blood. Yes, that better be going. Wait a minute, Mr. Andrews. Maybe you'd be interested in buying my share of it and going into partnership with Harry. Huh? Were you planning to work the mind alone? Oh, no, I wasn't. My nephew's coming up here to help me. That wouldn't make much difference. And you'd be interested in buying my half of it if Harry doesn't want to sell? Well, if it's all right with him, of course I'd like to see the mind. Of course you're going to see it. Not only that, but you're going to dig some gold in it yourself before you buy it. How about meeting us here tomorrow morning and we'll take you out there? Well, that'll be fine. I'll be here about 8 o'clock. We'll go out and have a look at it. It's about five miles out of town. You come on over here and have breakfast with us. Thanks, I will. It's been mighty nice meeting you, boys, and I hope we can make a deal. Jason, if bargain, you won't find it every day. We'll see you in the morning. Good night, Mr. Andrews. Good night. What was the idea of springing that partnership angle? I figured he was a little too smart. If he could buy the whole mine for that money, he'd figure something was funny. If he thinks you're going to be a partner, he'll be sure everything's on the square. Well, I'm not going to stay here. Let's see. Of course you're not. You're going to take me part way because you want to bring the dog team back here. Then we both disappear. Oh, now I see. Gosh, Fred, you are smart. He'll never suspect a thing. It was three days later when Tom Andrews came into Pierre with the US trading post to tell him the news. Well, Pierre, I've bought me a gold mine. Tom, that is good. Yes. You have buy it from these two young men who come into my store that night? Yeah. But I didn't buy the whole thing just a half interest. Harry and I are going to be partners. Then you will not have your nephew come? Oh, sure. I sent Jack a telegram. It'll take him pretty near a month to get up here. But I have to bring my stuff from my cabin up north and get settled. So I won't be working to mine for a few weeks anyway. His partner, Harry, he must work it all alone until then? Oh, no. Harry wants to take Fred. That's the boy I bought out. He wants to take him part way on his journey. He'll be back in a couple of weeks. This mine? Where is it? Oh, it's about five miles northeast of town on Bear Creek. Oh, that is where Jed Turner lived. You will have fine neighbor. Jed Turner? Why I haven't seen Jed for years. It's funny the boys didn't say something about it. Of course, they did say they've been working so hard they didn't know any neighbors. Jed will be very happy to see you. Well, Pierre, I better get going. I've got lots to do in the next few weeks. Good luck with the new mine. Yeah, thanks, Pierre. And goodbye. Come on. And good luck to you. It was almost a month later. Tom Antlews had been working his mine for two weeks. Oh, Tom. He threw down his pick as his neighbor Jed Turner approached. Where are you, Tom? Having any better luck? Oh, hello, Jed. No, no luck at all. I can't understand it. This last week, the gold seems to run out completely. Yeah, young partner come back here? No, he's way overdue. I expected him two weeks ago. I hate to think of Tom, but I'm afraid you're not going to see him. Well, what do you mean? Is there no doubt about it, Tom? You've been swindled. Swindled? But I dug rock out of here myself before I bought it. The mine was full of gold. Yeah, they saw it, too, that you dug in the right places. Right places? Trouble with you, Tom. You've been living in the wilderness so long, you kind of forgot about people being crooked. You think this mine was fixed to look rich? Have you ever heard of salting a mine, shooting gold dust in the rock with a shotgun and selling it to someone itching to own a gold mine? Well, yes, I guess I have heard of it. But I never thought those boys seemed so honest. And just buying a half interest in it, I thought. Those two must have been mighty slick. You mean that those cunts took all my savings, everything I've worked for all these years, and cheated me? They sure took off in a hurry, didn't they? There's not any more gold where the rock showed plenty at first. Well, that's sick, isn't it? I should have stayed up where I was, alone with my dogs. I should have learned my lesson from the last time I was cheated. But no, I had to come back and live with men again. But, Tom, everybody gets cheated now and then. Dogs are the only things a man should ever touch. Humans are nothing but a heap of lies and deceit. Cheat, murder, esteem. But, Tom, everybody's not like that. I never want to see another human as long as I live. I'm taking my dogs and going back to the wilderness. And if any lion, two-legged skunk comes within a mile of me, I'll kill him full of butt shots. Tom, your nephew, he's coming out. Let him come. I don't care what happens to him or any other cheatin' lion pack of rats that cause themselves a human race. I'm sure of them. It was a few weeks later. Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mottet Police had been called in to the inspector's office at headquarters. He stood before the inspector with his big dog King beside him. Sergeant, do you remember the report we got from a man by the name of Jed Turner? A report about a mine that was sorted in Seoul to a friend of his by the name of Andrews. Why, uh, yes, I do, sir. We couldn't do anything about it because the complaint had to come from Tom Andrews himself. And he disappeared. Let's see, please, I mean. I just got a report from our station in Fairkak. The two men had been picked up for trying to sell their salted gold mine in that vicinity. They had quite a bit of money on them. And if they're the people who sold the mine to Andrews, he might be able to get some of his money back. And our problem is to find Tom Andrews. Is that it? That's his attitude. Did you know him? Well, sir, I never met Tom. Well, Pierre Ladoo at the trading post always wanted me to meet him. It seems that Tom's very fond of dogs and Pierre was anxious for him to see King. Fond of dogs, you say? Yes, sir. He had some very fine ones, I understand. Well, you may be able to kill two birds with one stone this time. Yes, sir. A report came in this morning from up north. Be very clear, here it is. I was going to ask you to investigate it when you were searching for Andrews. It seems that there's an old man living alone with a lot of dogs near the trail that leads to the pass through Frosty Mountain. And you think he might be Tom Andrews? I don't know. The report says that this man won't let anyone come near his cabin. He shoots at them if they do. The signs are that they slightly bomb here. Well, that's the people who live around there, I think. Anyway, he's a menace to the community. The one can get near him because of the dogs. They bark when anyone approaches. The old man comes out shooting. But what Pierre told me about Tom Andrews, sir, there was no question about his sanity. That was before he was cheated out of his life savings. Oh, yes, sir, that's true. Anyway, Sergeant, you'd better take care of this manifest. That man is dangerous, especially since he's so close to that pass through the mountains. A lot of people use it. I'll do that, sir. And before you leave, you'd better check with Pierre Ladoo about Tom Andrews. He may be able to give you more information about him. Very well, sir. I'll stop at his trading post on my way out of town. How are you, Pierre? Sergeant, I don't think you know this man. He is nephew of Tom Andrew that I tell you about. This is Sergeant President Jack Andrews. How do you do? How do you do, sir? And Jack, I should also introduce you to King, this dog. He is the smartest dog in Yukon territory. Hello, King. Sure is beautiful. Well, this is a lucky meeting. I came here to find out something about your uncle, Jack. My uncle? Did he know he went away? I heard he didn't, to see him before he left. No, I didn't. Well, I got here, he was gone. Jack, he come to my store. Then I tell him what Jed Turner has to report about Tom. Jed say Tom get raving mad. He say he will go far up in woods. We'll never let any human come near him. Tom said that? We. You suppose getting cheated out of his money did something to his mind? I hope not. What do you intend to do, Jack? Well, I didn't know what else to do, so I started to work on my uncle's mind. I didn't have enough money to go back home, and I thought I might be able to get enough gold out of it to keep me going for a while. I see. There they are. He's all right, Jack. You can cross, Sergeant Preston. Well, you see, sir, I've been studying mining for four years, and I guess I know a little more about it than Uncle Tom. Yes, I imagine you do. Of course, I could see it once that there wasn't any gold in the shaft where he'd been working, so I started all over again. Well, about 50 feet from the opening of my uncle's mind, right near the creek, I hit a vein, and I think it's going to turn out to be a good one. You mean you really struck gold on the same claim? I doubt if the men who sold Uncle Tom even looked for gold. I think they just dug a hole at random and sold it, and sold it. There was a fortune right under their noses, but they missed it. Poor Tom. If only we could find you. That's just what I intend to do, Pierre. I hope you can, Sergeant. King and I are starting north right now, but before I leave, I want a good description of Tom Andrews. There was a small trading post near Beaver Creek. When Sergeant Preston entered it, a group of angriest prospectors and trappers and two or three Indians gathered there. Nobody can go near the place down getting below the buckshot. Turn around the place. That's what I say. Let's go around the place or shoot them. You're crazy, that man. Come on, let's go right now. Just a minute, boys. What's wrong? I hear you're having some trouble up here in their frosty mountains. We sure are, Sergeant. There's a crazy man in the cabin. He shoots at people when they go near his place. There's a lot of crazy signs all over to keep out. That's why I came up here. We got your report. We was just about to take the law in our own hands. It won't be necessary now. I'll get him out of there for you. Hey, you won't get near him. He's got a pack of dogs that bark like crazy when anyone goes near. And then the old man comes out shooting. If one of your men will show me where he lives, I'd like to have a look at him. I'll show you. Me little bear. Me sure. Him living in my camp. Fine. Let's go right now, little bear. Sergeant Preston and little bear screened behind some spruce trees. Shaddle my hillside overlooking Tom Andrew's small cabin below. I'm going to watch Tom through some field glasses, as little bear told how hard it was to approach him. Dad, you going to cabin? Don't bark. Shoot. He certainly is crazy about those dogs of his, patting them and feeding them as if they were children. I'm crazy. That's right. I could only get behind that group of trees halfway down this hill. I might be able to make the cabin before he saw me. No, my dog's smell you. And then bark. He'll see you. If I could just send King there ahead of me, if I could get close enough to Tom, Tom couldn't shoot me. Tom could shot. But to see our train king just jump on anyone who points the gun at me, King would knock him down. Are you a send dog there? King would go if I'd tell him to. Only I could get Tom interested in King. I've got it. King, come here, fella. Put your paw up here on my knee, King. What you do? I'm going to tie this piece of string around King's foot so he'll have to walk on three legs. If he limps down to Tom, Tom will be so busy fixing King's foot that I might be able to reach him without his seeing me. Dog, not like that. He's not very comfortable, old fellow, but it won't be on there long. No, King, don't touch it. Leave it on there, boy. Dog, bite it off me. He won't if I can make him understand it if you don't want him to. There you are, fella. Now, let's see you walk. Limp, not him try biting off. King, no, don't touch that foot. I think he understands. No, fella, leave that on. That's far for him to go on three legs. King can do it, all right. Tom's gone into his cabin now. He may be able to get to those trees before he comes out. King, you see that cabin? Go down there, boy. Go down there, I say. Don't touch your foot. Oh, I know it's hard, old fellow, but you must do it. Down there, King. Go on, boy. King was puzzled by this new trick that his master wanted him to do. He understood what Preston meant, however. So limping on three legs, he fixed his way carefully down the slope from the cabin the shortest way. He saw his master race to the left down the hill until he came to a group of trees over halfway down to the open place in front of Tom's small house. As King approached, the dogs around the cabin began to bark. King came darting out his shotgun in his hand, and he thought of a big gray dog limping toward him alone. He put down the gun. You're one of the best-looking dogs I ever saw. Now, let's have a look at that foot. Well, of all that dirty tricks, somebody tied your paw so you can't walk on it. That's a human for you. I suppose that was somebody's idea of being funny, to watch you live. Yeah, now you just wait a second till they get my knife out. We'll hand that off in two shakes. Here we are. Hey, you just hold still, fella. I get the foot under that car. Hey, yeah. Now you can use that for this. One forward. You're barking at a man. The first dog to never attack me. I'm sure he didn't want to do it. He was just obeying orders. I'll keep your gun. All right, King, let him up. I know, fella, you didn't want to knock him down. You shank that dog here, child, like that. So I wouldn't notice you sneaking up on me. That was a general idea, Tom. I didn't know my name. Who are you? I'm Sergeant Preston of the Northwest started police. And I'm taking you back to Dawson. Yeah, Monty. See, you can't arrest me. A man's got a right to protect his property. You have no right to shoot at people, Tom. I didn't know you were a Monty. His uniform is all covered up with that fur pocket. Anyway, I can't see very well. Tom, you've been shooting at everyone who tried to get to that mountain pass. Well, I just shot over their heads to scare them, just to make sure that they wouldn't come trying to visit me or sell me something. I don't want to leave here. I hate human beings. They're nothing but sheets. Not all of them. And I'm sure you'll change your mind about that someday. I'm sure I won't go if I tell you. Sorry, Tom, that you were coming back to Dawson with me. On the trip back to Dawson, Tom and King became good friends. And in spite of this, the dog guarded him carefully, just as he did all of the Monty's prisoners. As when you're Dawson City, Tom was surprised when Sergeant Preston turned his dog team off the main train. Hey, Shocking, you're going the wrong way. This ain't the way to the jail. I know it isn't Tom, but I want to make a stop on the way. I don't see why we're coming this way. This place has some bad memories for me. It has? I know I've been too mad to talk to you much, Sergeant, but I was swindled. I bought a place right up the trail a little way. Some dirty rat saw me a gold mine that wasn't any good. Who should have reported it to us? I wish you'd put me in jail and then come out here later. I don't like being reminded of it. It made me hate the world again. That's the cabin you lived in, over there? That's it, all right? He's living in it. There's smoke coming out of the chimney. OK. Stop and fall. I think we'd better go in and see if it was there. Come on, Tom. Come along, King. I wonder if it could be Jack, my nephew. He was coming up here. He's the one you ran out on. Well, I guess it wasn't the nicest thing I could have done, but too late now. Oh, Sergeant Preston, did you? Is this my uncle Tom? That's who it is, Jack. Tom, this is your nephew. Oh, Jack, I don't know what to say. Gosh, I'm glad Sergeant Preston found you. Come on in. Did the Sergeant tell you the news? News? I thought I'd let you tell him, Jack. What do you mean, Sergeant? You're a rich man. I discovered a big vein of gold on this claim. What? It's even better than I thought it would be before you left, Sergeant. You discovered gold? You mean that the mine wasn't solid? The salt is all right, Tom. But Jack discovered gold on another part of it. Tim, didn't I wasn't swindled after all? No. The joke is on the men who thought they swindled you. Then the Monty's caught in Selkirk. So, Jack, the joke is still on me. What do you mean? I'm under arrest, and I'm on my way to jail. Just because I was such a darned old fool, hating everybody and thinking everybody in the world was against me. Why, I even tried to shoot Sergeant Preston, and I would have shot at him, except King here stopped me. Sergeant, can't he live here with me? I haven't told Tom he's under arrest. That seems to be his idea. What? Would you tell me? I told you I was taking you back to Dawson, Tom. I thought you had a lesson to learn. That's why I let you worry all the way home. But I think you've learned your lesson. Now I'm going to hand you over into the custody of your nephew. I think he'll change your mind about the human race. Sergeant, I don't know how to thank you. You can thank me by behaving yourself, Tom, and giving your nephew Jack here a half interest in your mine. He deserves it. Well, I sure will, Sergeant, if I have it to give. But what about the partnership deal I made? Don't half of it belong to Harry, the man who thought he was playing the trick on me? No, Harry can't claim it. He hasn't worked it for 60 days, and that's the time limit. And he won't be able to do any mining where he's going. He and that partner of his. But my whole mind is ours. That's right, Jack. Sergeant, King and I got to be mighty good friends on the way down here. Well, he tended to his duty as my god, but we got to be good friends just the same. I know that, Tom, that's one thing that convinced me that you were all right. Yeah, King here gets along with my dogs, too. So maybe you'll forget what a darned old fool I made of myself and come over to see us once in a while. You and King here. We'll be glad to, Tom. Oh, my old boy. Yes, King, thanks to you, this case is closed. On the copyrighted feature, it's brought to you each week at this time. And all names and incidents used are fictitious. Listen again now.