 The challenge of the Yukon. Un-King! Un-New Malamute! The Wunderdog King, swiftest 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 knotted police who preserve law and order in the new Northwest country with a greed for wealth and power led to frequent violence and bloodshed. But in spite of the odds against them, Sergeant Preston and his Wunderdog King met that challenge and justice ruled triumphant. The rectangular room was full of prospectors, trappers and professional gamblers. Chichakos and sourdoughs lined the bar and at the tables men gambled for high stakes. Chick Allison sat talking to Blacky Thornton. Looking up he saw the door of the saloon opened. Look who's here! The richest man in the Yukon! You know him well? Too well! He sure didn't notice us. I don't notice anything in the world but cold. I often wonder if he ever starts to think what it costs him. What do you mean? He might come up here from the States. When he did he brought his daughter Jeannie with him. She died about a year ago. Died? Yeah. If he asked me, it was the cold that killed her. That and having one of the stubbornest men for a father that ever walked. I can't see what you mean. Look at him over there. He's gonna drink alone I guess. By yourself? Yeah. Where's Walt Crandall? He ain't been in yet. With all the dust you've got you've still gotta put pressure on Crandall to pay you something that'll don't mount to a row of beans. How much it comes to ain't important. I don't know anybody nothing. I expect other people to be the same way. You're just about the honoriest, most jewel-faced dog I ever saw him work. One of these days somebody's gonna get fed up with you and when they do it'll be curtain. That don't worry me now. Better give it some thought then. Someone of a half dozen men is gonna have good reason to fill you full lead. And there's a lot more people who would be mighty glad to see it happen. On the trail north of Dovelle, the great dog King bent his head and stopped completely, knottling the snow. What is it boy? Mortimer Leonard. Yes he's dead fella, shot in the back. The dead man from the snow, the mountain carried him to the sled. Then King again took his place in front of the team. On King! On you Malamute! At one time Sergeant Preston lost the trail where it had been covered by wind driven snow. Relying on King's trailing sense, the mountain gave the Malamute his head. When the tracks were again visible, the policemen saw that they merged and joined with the tracks of two others left. On you Malamute! Resets of tracks. No way to tell which of the ones we want. Well boy the only thing we can do is follow all three of them as they stay together. Come on. All right fella. On King! On you Malamute! Well it seems that talking with Walter Crandall and Blackie Thornton when... Mort don't have more visitors. Come on in and sit down Sergeant. You might as well make yourself at home too. Thanks Walt. How are you Chick? Say something wrong Sergeant. Yes there is. You're all waiting for Mort. That's right. Don't know just how welcome I'll be but he can't no more than throw me out. How long you been here? Well I got here first about an hour ago I guess. Then Walt come in. Just a little while before you did. Blackie walked in. Why? Mort's dead. Damn what? He is. I found him on the trail with a bullet in his back. And that's why he didn't come. I thought it was funny. He had a head start. Do you have any idea who killed him Sergeant? The tracks of the man who killed him led to this cabin. And that means? That means that one of you murdered Mort. He was killed within the last hour. Now wait a minute Sergeant. Me? I just come out to see if I couldn't get him to grub steak me. I didn't know. The man who killed Mort came here. He was to get his gold. Talking to me in the double eagle. And he said that he wanted whether Mort left his dust hole up in the floor of the cabin when he went into town. Now hold on there. I never said no such thing. You think twice and you'll remember that you did. But I didn't mean it. It don't matter what you meant you said it. All right. What's your reason for being here? He pointed Mort out to me as the richest man in the Yukon. So? So I came here for the same reason you did. I wanted him to grub steak me. I had been in the territory long. Came out from the state's green. So I likely stole. Just about as likely as yours. What about you Walt? Well I owed Mort some money. He was getting pretty nasty about it. So I came out here to pay up. Here I can show you the cash. I see. Did he threaten you with your delayed payment? He said he'd go to the president of the bank unless I paid him. If he'd done that it might have cost me my job. One of you three is guilty of murder. And all of you can be arrested on suspicion of murder. Arrest? Yes. I've got handcuffs with me. Only one pair. But there's another out in a sled. I'll have to go out and get them. King? You stay here and stand guard. Understand what? Listen to that wind. When the storm breaks it'll be a bad one. I don't see any wood around. We shouldn't be here long I guess. Traveling in that storm ain't going to be a picnic neither. You taking us into town Sergeant? No there's a blizzard coming up. Just one little break I don't know. And I don't want to risk losing a prisoner between here and Doleville. Anyway I think the grant can be solved right here. In this cabin? Yes. I could get to Doleville myself even if the blizzard breaks. By bringing back two deputies we could settle this here. Then when you go back to town only one man will go to jail. You mean you're going to leave us in this cabin? It's colder than a nice blow in this place. And no wood around for a fire either. If you keep your heavy jackets on you'll be alright. I'll use these handcuffs to fasten you together. I'll tie your feet with a rope. You take too much of a chance on us getting away are you? Well when you... When you'll be back Sergeant. Sometime between now and morning. Fort Leonard was a buzzard if ever one walked. He... What a guy deserved it. I don't see why. Well regardless of what Mort was the murder's been committed and the law has to be satisfied. But I'm going to give the murderer a chance. A chance? I'm going to leave a gun here with one cartridge in it. Before I get back the killer wants to take the easy way out. The gun will be where he can reach it. On the floor in front of the three of you. Now I'll get the rope and then leave you. The fury of the approaching storm mounted and broke. Seeming to grip the cabin itself. Snow and ice were driven against the windows. I was just trying to get more comfortable. Then you got the skin rug off my wrist already. The chick spoke. The flame and the oil lamp on the table spluttered. Then went out. Reading the cabin in total darkness. That's fine. Not even a light in the place. Shut up will you. It's about enough freezing in here without having to step in the dark. Can't see your hand in front of you. Half the man that did the shooting was smudgy. Pick up that gun. Wastelands of the North terrifying in its intensity. But the chick Allison, Blacky Thornton and Walter Crandall. The fury of the storm seemed to be concentrated. Tearing at the small cabin. The logs of the building creaked in eerie protest against the teeth of the wind and storms. The nerves of the three men were on edge. The person gets back here. He'll tear this place apart. Yeah, that's right. And he'll stay here till he finds out who killed Mark. That man, he don't know the meaning of the word quit. There's never been a murder yet that he couldn't figure out. Yeah. It's been an easy thing for the man that did it to pull the trigger. A lot easier than falling through a trapdoor. Well, one of you did it. Whichever one it is, it's a blame fool if he don't reach for that gun. Check. How do we know you didn't kill Mark? Because I say I didn't. Might have been war. I didn't kill him. And I know I didn't kill him. Well, one of us is a liar and that ain't me. Can't miss any longer. Well, one of you that didn't pick up that gun. Quite as a sergeant to leave that gun to him. And he comes in in the morning and finds one of us dead. The whole thing will be finished. It's from time to time. Time drag. Marked by the sound of jangling handcuffs. Suspense with like a steel weight. Crushing on the consciousness of each man. One of us is a murderer. Two of them wondering. The third man knowing. Who was the murderer? Sweat dotted forehead. Eyes ached from the effort of peering into darkness. Throats tightened and burned. A hand reached. Then contacted the cold steel of the gun. The fingers pressing against the weapon. Then closed. An instant later. Blacky! What? I'm here. Oh, it's a lie. Wait! Wait! Wait a minute! I'll tell you, I didn't do it. A chance at the easy way out in your muffin. He didn't muffin. That gun had a blank cartridge on it. A blank? Yes. But you said that... I said the killer had a chance for the easy way out. And he might have had. Except to use that gun to frame an innocent man. I tell you, I didn't do it. I know you didn't do it, Walt. That gun butt was smeared with soot from the land. And look at your hands. Will I be... You'll try to cover your own guilt by murdering another man. I would have killed Walt, yes. I killed Mort Leonard. I killed him just as he killed his daughter, Janie. Except that he had an easier death. Janie? Yeah. I was in love with her when he found out about it. He brought her up here. And to stay here. More to him than her health. That's why I was going to take every bit of a goldie hat. That's all he cared about. He lives for us. You're going to hang for murder, Blacking. I'll hang and... I'm ready to. Yes, fellow. Thanks to your help, the case is closed. These copyrighted dramas originate in the studios of WXY's The Destroyer. And all characters, names, places and incidents used are fictitious. They are sent to you each week at the same time and reach you from our transcripts.