 The challenge of the Yukon. On King! On Yuhasuke! King, the swiftest, 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 mounted 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 row triumphant. The wind was cold and biting as Sergeant Preston pulled up in front of a small square building in Ogden City. Oh, King! Oh, Yuhasuke! Hi there, Sergeant Preston! Jack! How are you? Hi! It sure is good to see you. You gonna be here long? Oh, long enough to look around. Then King and I will be off again. Are you just coming in or are you leaving? For me? Well, I'm staying in town now. At least I will be for the next couple of days. Why, I guess you didn't hear. Hear what? Mr. Fodley. He died last week. I'm sorry to hear that, Jack. But the last time I saw him, I thought he had a chance to pull through. Yeah, I figured the same way. But it wasn't in the cards, I reckon. Dr. Atkins did all he could for him, but it didn't do much good. The cave-in's a funny thing. You can't tell how much damage is done inside a man. I plan to stop by the cabin the day or so. Well, I suppose that leaves you in charge of things now. Yes. I won't be in town long. I'm planning to get back to the cabin in about three days. I sure am glad I bumped into you. How's King, huh? What's wrong with him? I never saw him act like that. I don't know. Say it's those people coming this way. Couldn't be King. Hey, what's up? King, down, down, King. Usually like me, but I never had one go for me like that. Oh, it must be men. I'm sure he had a jump on you, that man. And your dog? I know. Dog is mine. I assure you he's never done a thing like this before. I'm sorry it happened. Yeah, so am I. It sure is a powerful-looking animal. Next time I see him, I'm going to be carrying a gun. King's never out of my sight, Mr.... Coleman. Well, I'm sure it won't happen again. Quiet, King. Sergeant, I'll be shoving along. I guess I'll see you again before you leave. All right, Jack. Just a minute. You're Jack Travers, aren't you? Yes. We were just coming to see you, Mr. Travers. To see me? You were strangers in these parts, aren't you? You might say so, yes. As a matter of fact, I'm glad there's an officer of the law here. What? What's wrong? Nothing's wrong, exactly. It's just that I have some news for you that might not be very welcome. You see my client here, Miss Stone, is Abe Fodley's only surviving relative. Relative? I didn't know he had any living relative. And this will I have shows that Mr. Fodley left his mind and all his possessions to Miss Stone. May I see the will, Mr. Coleman? Yes, certainly. This is kind of a surprise. I didn't hear him say anything about any will. I knew you'd be disappointed, Mr. Travers. But you see, that's the way he wanted it, a secret. Mr. Travers, I... Well, there isn't much to say, really. You stood by my uncle, I understand, when he was all alone and needed help. I appreciate it. No, that's all right, ma'am. He was mighty good to me and I thought an awful lot of him. Well, I guess there's nothing much to do but wish you luck with the Mary Jane wine. I'll say this much, you've got the richest stake in the Yukon. Oh, but I won't let you go off with nothing, Mr. Travers. I've told Mr. Coleman to set you up with a grub stone. Yes, you'll be taken care of, son, even if the old man didn't mention you and the will. I'm not looking for any charity. Wait a minute, Jack. Don't feel that way about it. I think you should accept Miss Stone's offer. After all, it's a gesture of appreciation. Yes, that's the way I meant it. I wasn't thinking of charity at all. I don't... if you say so, Sergeant. I do. I think it would be a good thing for you. Well, thank you, ma'am. I'll take you up on your offer, then. I'm glad you feel that way about it. Now we'll be on our way. We have to stop at the courthouse with the will. Goodbye, Sergeant. Don't forget, Mr. Travers, I meant what I said about that stake. Goodbye, ma'am. Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye, Mr. Palmer. Jack, I suppose you were disappointed. Well, who knows? Maybe you're bumped into another streak of luck with this grub stake. What are you heading for? I was just going in the wash-your-cafe here. It's been a long time since I've seen Red and Pete. Oh, I might as well go in with you. If you don't mind. Oh, none at all. It sure is crowded. Red's probably very happy. Business is good. Oh, there he is. Let's go over. Oh, Red! Hello there! Why, Sergeant, press me so we can breathe. How are you? Fine, fine, Red. No need to ask how you are. I've been pretty busy these last couple of days. Hi there, Jack. Hello, Red. Where were you going to have them? I just came by to talk for a few minutes, Red. I don't know if I'm going to offer you anything stronger than a cup of tea by this time, Sergeant. How much you, Jack? Oh, no, no, no, thanks. I'm not celebrating today, Red. Well, you should have been in here last night, my boy. The whole house was celebrating the best joke we've seen in a long time. What was that? Well, I don't know if you've met this Coleman fella here in town. As we met him this afternoon. The last night, there wasn't a surface in the place. I said, Pleasure was Coleman himself. Well, tell us what happened, Red. Well, if you've met him, chances are you've already noticed the head of hair he's got. Well, I can't say I've paid much attention to it, except that he has a lot of it. That's the way it looked to everybody till the argument started. You see, Jeffershawnessy and Michael Hare was having some words over in the corner like they do when they're playing cards, you know? Before you know it, the whole place was in an uproar. Somehow Coleman got mixed up in it. He was standing up beside the bar right where you were standing now. Glory be in the scuffle of a head and came right off his head. A wicked ass, you know? He's as bald as a cue ball. Well, the boys saw that. They got the lambs so hard they were dealt with. They were fighting about it. That is kind of funny. You were saying he was wearing a wig. That too, as I'm standing here. Ask any of the boys. Well, when we were talking to him, I... What's Ron talking about? Nothing, nothing. I'm just trying to imagine what he'd look like without that wig and the mustache he's wearing. What are you talking about? I've seen that man somewhere before, Jack. Right now, I'm trying to place him. Later that day, as Ben Coleman walked down Main Street with the short, uneven step of one who's never grown used to walking in the snow, he heard footsteps coming up behind him. Hello, Mr. Coleman. Looks like we meet again. Yes, it does. I see your dogs a bit more quiet this time. You know, dogs don't often jump on men. Why, you sell them here, don't you? Yes, that's so. Well, I remember in Boulder City seven years ago one of the meanest-looking Malamutes you ever saw nearly killed a man. In Boulder City? That's right. I saw it myself. So that's it, huh? Boulder City, seven years ago. I begin to remember now. It was in Boulder City that a bald-headed man kicked you, King, a covenants man who disappeared suddenly. Doc Perkins looked up from the open book on the table in front of him as his sharp ears caught the sound of approaching dogs. Visitors were rare. He listened a moment. Strange story B. Oh, King. Oh, you husband. Sergeant Preston, is anything wrong? Yes. Yes, Doc, there is. Well, come inside, man, and rest yourself. Only for a minute, Doc. How far have you come? Can I get anything for you? Are you hurt? No, thanks, and I'm not hurt. King and I left Ogden City about noon, and I've come to ask you to go back with me. Well, I don't know what this is all about, but whatever you say is all right with me, I'll get my mechan off. Hey, I guess you heard about poor old Dave Potley. Yes, I was talking to Jack. He's too bad. He's cave-in. Once a man's pinned beneath rocks the size we pulled off of him, you can expect anything. Yeah. I'm ready whenever you are, Sergeant. Good. We have no time to waste. I'll explain to you as we ride. Get the dogs up, King. On, King! On, you husky! The Great Dog King led the Mounties pack on and on, back over the trails to Ogden City. In the small settlement, the clock in the courtroom showed 12 noon, the hour to probate the last will and testament of Abraham Potley. Jack Travers had slipped to the back of the room, drawn by curiosity and a nameless loyalty to the old man he'd befriended. The circuit judge looked at the woman named in the will as the niece of the deceased. I guess you know the Mary Jane's one of the richest minds in the North. Yes, sir. I'd heard Uncle Abe had a fine claim. And you? You say you ask him to draw up this will. That's right. A short time before the accident, I stopped in to see him and drew up the will. I told him I'd stop back later for him to sign it. That's how it happened to be in your keeping. Yes. Well, I see no reason why this will shoot. Just a minute, Judge. Sergeant Preston, what is it? I believe you're about to accept the will Mr. Coleman has presented on behalf of Miss Stone. You believe rightly, sir. I'd like to ask Mr. Coleman a few questions. I don't see what this man has to do with the will. If Sergeant has any questions about the will, they better be settled now. Go ahead. Mr. Coleman, did Abe fondly sign this will himself? Yes, he did. That's Mr. Foddley's signature, as you can see. You witnessed him signing the will? I did, but I don't see what you... Judge, what's the date on that will? Seventyth of January. Did he sign the will on the seventeenth of January? Yes, he did. Now, if that's all... I didn't go all, Mr. Coleman. Judge, there was a cave in at the Mary Jane mine on the twelfth. In that cave-in, Abe's hands were so badly crushed, he couldn't even hold a glass of water, much less a pen. But five days before the seventeenth of January, and until his death, four days later, it would have been impossible for him to sign anything. That's a lie! Jack Travers can tell you, Judge, that Doc Perkins took care of Abe after the cave-in. Doc is right here now. And he can tell you that what I've said is true. That's right, Judge. Abe's hands were in such bad shape that even if he'd lived, he never could have held a pick again. Both of them so bandaged up and... and it didn't do much good. He couldn't use his fingers anyway. You have anything to say, Mr. Coleman? You'd better say it now. Before he starts saying anything, he might as well think of an explanation for the disappearance of Benjamin Cole, a confidence man in Boulder City seven years ago. He wasn't seen again till he turned up in Ogden City as Ben Coleman. No. No, that isn't true. I didn't know anything about this. He came to me with the story of the mine, and said if I'd turn it over to him, he'd take care of it for me. He would have taken care of it all right, Miss Stone, but for himself. You're under arrest for fraud and forgery, Coleman. And as for the mine, it's up to the court to decide about that. Well, since everyone in town knows young Travers worked the mine right along with Abe Fudley, the court turns the mine over to him. Come on, Coleman. This is one scrape you won't get out of. When King growled at you, I knew he had a reason. But I couldn't figure out what it was till I heard about that wig of yours. And Boulder City and Benjamin Cole, they all tied up. Now remember Abe's hands. When I first saw the will, I didn't think of them. It did seem strange Abe would sign away the mine so soon before his death. When all these other things added up, and King remembering as he did, I knew there was something wrong. You'll have a long time to think it over in jail. Yes, King, the case is closed. Challenge of the Yukon, a copyrighted feature of the Challenge of the Yukon, Inc. brought to you every Saturday at this time, originated in the transcription studios of WXYZ Detroit. The characters and events in tonight's drama were fictitious. Bill Morgan speaking.