 Now, as gunshots echo across the windswept snow-covered reaches of the wild northwest, Quakerpuff wheat and Quakerpuff rice, a breakfast cereal shot from guns, present the challenge of the Yukon. It's Yukon King, swiftest and strongest lead dog of the northwest, placing the trail for Sergeant Preston of the northwest mountain police in a relentless pursuit of lawbreakers. On King, on your huskies. Gold, gold discovered in the Yukon, a stampede to the Klondike in the wild race for riches. Back to the days of the gold rush, with Quakerpuff wheat and Quakerpuff rice bringing you the adventures of Sergeant Preston and his wonder dog Yukon King as they meet the challenge of the Yukon. Yes, sir. Little wonder, many a top-action Hollywood movie star goes for a breakfast of Quakerpuff rice or Quakerpuff wheat. These king-size, ready-to-serve, premium grains of rice or wheat are shot through and through with nut-like flavor. Pack a man-size taste wallop. Ah, they're good for you. They're shot from guns. Yes, actually exploded up to eight times normal size, to make them crisp and tender. Tomorrow, sure, enjoy this breakfast treat. Eat Quakerpuff rice or Quakerpuff wheat. Sergeant Preston looked up from his notes at the two men who were sitting across the desk from him. One was Jonathan Bradley, the president and majority stockholder of the Bradley Mining Company. The younger man was Ray Parnell, one of the company's drivers. The sergeant studied him for a moment and then picked up his notes. I just want to make sure I have everything, Ray. Now, this is the first trip you made from the creek in early a month. That's right, Sergeant. The snow was gone and the river ice was rotten, especially through the gorge. I couldn't use the dogs anymore. So you waited until the land trails had dried out a bit? Yes, sir. I should have thought you'd use packed mules instead of a horse and a wagon. The trail must be pretty soft still. It sure is. Well, that's beside the point. You were carrying about $20,000 in gold. About? That's what Al said when he loaded it. I'm not sure of the exact amount. Oh, I'm interested in the weight. About 100 pounds? That's right. How many bags, Ray? Five. You took the trail along the top of the gorge. Oh, yeah, but it didn't happen there, Sergeant. It was beyond. Well, the trail dips down and runs along the bank of the creek, just where you pass that big patch of woods. Oh, yes, I know the place. The wagon had bogged down. You were throwing some branches under the rear wheels when two men came out of the woods. Yeah. Armed with bandanas across the lower part of their faces. That's right. One of them about six feet tall, 200 pounds, caribou parka, wool shirt underneath, checked red and black. Yeah. The second one smaller, corduroy trousers, boots, P-jacket, gray flannel shirt, for a hat. That's him. The larger one held a gun on you while the smaller one took the gold. Well, he made three trips into the woods. You were sure they had horses? Well, I didn't see them, but I could hear them. And finally, you were ordered to drive on down the trail. Well, they said if I looked back, they'd put a bullet through me. So you didn't look back? Yes, I did, Sergeant, but not for a minute or two. There's no sign of them. Maybe I should have tried to follow them. Oh, nonsense, Rape, you did just right. Well, they had your gun. You might have been killed. Awful sorry, Mr. Braddock. Oh, nonsense. It wasn't your fault. And the sergeant will find you. Oops, sir, I missed my guess. I hope so, Jonathan, but listen. It's raining. The real downpour. That'll wash all the tracks away. Most of them. But these descriptions are fairly complete. We should be able to locate them in. You will, I'm sure of it. Will that be all, Sergeant? Yes, Jonathan. I'll keep in touch with you. Good. You're coming home and have supper with me, Rape. Mr. Bradley, I'd rather... No, nothing doing. You weren't to blame for any of this, and I won't have you stewing in your own juice. You're coming along with me, young fella. Good night, Sergeant. Good night. Good night. Jonathan and Rape hurried through the rain to the cabin where Jonathan lived with his 10-year-old son, Johnny. As they ran up the steps, the boy opened the door for them. Hello, Dad. Hi, you're Rape. Hell, hello, son. How are you, Johnny? I'm fine, I guess. Where's Powell? He's going to introduce him to Rape. Well, who's Powell? Well, a puppy, three months old. All black except for a splash of white on his nose. Cute little rascal, but up to mischief all the time. I thought we might have to get rid of him, but... Dad. Yes? I got Powell shot up in my room. He... he got into your office again. Johnny? The lower drawer of your desk was open, and, well... there's the letter that he tore up on the table. Let me see that. It isn't very important, is it? Well, it most certainly is. Golly, I wish he didn't like papers so much. He settles it, Johnny. Oh, no, Dad. He's so little he doesn't understand. But I'll teach him. I promise, and I'll watch him every minute from now on. You promised that before. Can't he have one more chance? No, Johnny. He doesn't belong inside a house. I'm going to take him back to Sam Taylor the first thing in the morning. Gosh, please! No, now that's all there is to it. We've had it all out before. Powell goes back to the kennels. Subber, any? Yes, Mrs. Murphy's got it on the table. But I don't feel much like eating. Huh? Rafe was held up on the trail today. Don't you want to hear about it? Were you Rafe? Honest bandits? How many were there? Where did it happen? I'll tell you all about it as we eat. Now come along. During supper, the boy listened to Rafe's description of the robbery with wide-eyed excitement. But when the talk turned to other things, he asked to be excused. Where are you going? To my room. Powell must be kind of lonely, and I want to spend as much time as I can with him before tomorrow. Hey, well, go ahead. Good night, Rafe. Good night, Johnny. Can't you give the pup another chance, Mr. Bradley? No, Rafe, he just doesn't have any sense. Johnny thinks so much of it. It's better to get rid of him now before he gets any more attached to him. There's no substitute for brains, right? That brings me to something I've been wanting to talk to you about. Oh, yeah? I've had my eye on you. You're going to be promoted. Really? As soon as you get back to camp, you'll report to McDevitt. Start working as his assistant. By the end of the summer, you'll be ready to take over in his place. Mr. Bradley... Surprised? I sure am. He doesn't want to spend another winter up here, and we both decided that you're the man for his job. Oh, but I had no idea... You have a lot of ideas. We like you. I'm just as interested in seeing you get ahead as if you were my own son. Gosh, I don't know what to say. Don't say anything that's all settled. Now, how about another piece of pie? When Rafe reached his own cabin that night, he slumped down in the chair as soon as he closed the door. And the darkness for over an hour. Then he lit the lamp on the table, took out a piece of paper and began to write. It was nearly midnight when he finished. He folded the paper, slipped it into an envelope, and wrote Jonathan Bradley's name on the face. Then he put the envelope into his pocket and walked back to the Bradley's cabin. The cabin was dark. He slipped the envelope under the front door and walked down Front Street toward the Monte Carlo Cafe. Inside the cabin, Pal had heard Rafe at the front door. The door of Johnny's bedroom was open so the puppy trotted out into the living room. He could see the white envelope on the floor just inside the door. He crouched down and growled at it. Then he trotted over to the envelope and took a tentative nip at it. The envelope offered no resistance and Pal grew brave. He grasped it firmly between his teeth and shook it. But suddenly he was overwhelmed by a sense of guilt. His master had told him this thing was wrong. The envelope was torn like that crisp crackling piece of paper he had fought with that afternoon. He must hide the envelope, the evidence of his crime. He picked it up and carried it out into the kitchen and dropped it behind the stove where he kept his most cherished possessions. Then he trotted back to his master's bedroom and tugged at the blanket on the bed. Pal snuggled down and went to sleep. In the Monte Carlo Cafe, Rafe was standing at the bar and began to the untouched drink in front of him. Two men stepped up to the bar, one on either side of him. He paid no attention to them until one of the men said... What's the matter, Rafe? Rafe turned to the man, surprised and fear in his eyes. Wolf. Yeah. And that's Rafe on the other side of you. Hello, Rafe. We thought maybe you weren't speaking to your old friends. You know friends of mine. Oh, Rafe. Is it old acquaintance before gone? I got nothing to say to you. Well, maybe this isn't the best place in the world. Hey, come on. Take a walk over to our cabin. No thanks. Ha-ha-ha. Ain't he polite. Rafe. We heard you were held up this afternoon. That's what we want to discuss. Yeah. Where did you hide the gold? I don't know what you're talking about. The holdup, Rafe. The holdup. Simple, isn't it? Just hide the gold, report a robbery, and after the police stop looking for the crooks, go back and dig up the dust. All we want is our share, Rafe. Well, you're crazy. Both of you. Where is it, huh? Rafe, you come over to our cabin where we can discuss this, or a red night take a walk down the headquarters. What happened when we tell the Redcoats about your Frisco record? What did you gain by that? Nothing. We all lose. Why not cut us in? Not our chance, Wolf. Get out of my way. Well, hold it, hold it. Aren't we going after him? Sure. But we don't want to be seen leaving the cafe right after him. He'll get away. No, he won't. I know where he lives. He won't get away. Don't you worry about that. We'll continue our adventure in just a moment. It's Quaker Pop Week. And there goes Quaker Pop Ready to Serve breakfast cereal shot from guns. Yes, fellas and girls, I wish you could see it yourself. In the big Quaker mills, huge guns are loaded with only the premium wheat or rice grains. And then those choice kingpin kernels are exploded up to eight times normal size. Yes, actually shot from guns to make them crisp and tender. Bigger and better tasting. Quaker Pop Wheat and Quaker Pop Rice are puffed to perfection. Shot through and through with bang-up nut-like flavor, too. You get such crisp, tender, puffed kernels. They fairly melt in your mouth. The wonderful part of it is, the more you eat, the more he-man nourishment you get. Because Quaker Pop Wheat and Quaker Pop Rice have extra food values of restored natural grain amounts of vitamin B1, niacin, and iron. So don't wait. Enjoy both delicious kinds. Quaker Pop Wheat and Quaker Pop Rice. Remember, the original crisp, fresh wheat or rice shot from guns is never sold in bags or bulk. These crisp, tender, flavor-rich grains come only in the big Quaker Red and Blue package. A fine modern package with a sealed inner lining to doubly protect the flavor and crispness until it hits your table. That's why Quaker Pop Wheat and Quaker Pop Rice are never sold in bags or bulk. Ask mom to buy a package of both delicious kinds tomorrow. Now to continue. After Rafe left the Monte Carlo, he went to the stables in back of the Bradley Mining Company offices. He saddled a horse and rode through the back streets to his cabin. There, he started piling some provisions and clothing in a sack when the door burst open. Wolf, what's it look like? That wouldn't be smart, Rafe. Listen, Wolf, I'm tired of being smart. I've been too smart for my own good all my life. I've topped it off. I've done myself out of a good job and a future, a real future. And believe it or not, Wolf, Jonathan Bradley was going to make me his general manager this fall, me, Rafe Parnell. Didn't find that out until it was too late, until the night, until after I'd stolen from him. So you admit we had it figured out right? Sure, I admit it, but I'm not taking his money, I'm leaving it for him. Hold on there, Rafe. What's the idea? I'm too plain and smart. From now on, I'm plain and dumb. I wrote Bradley a letter. I told him where he could find his gold. He slipped a letter underneath his door. He'll be out of the country before he reads it tomorrow morning. Well, that's all there is to it. Now, get out of here. Not so fast. You're covered, Rafe. What do you think that gun will get you? Tell us where the gold is. If you don't want it, we do. Get out of here. Tell us or I shoot. Why, you tin horn, you haven't got the nerve. Give me that cap. No. I didn't mean to. Come on, let's get out of here fast. It was half an hour later that King was awakened by someone pounding on the door of the sergeant's quarters in the Northwest Mounted Barracks. Come in. The door's unlocked. Sergeant. Oh, hello, Jim. What's the matter? There's been a shooting. Yes? Rafe Parnell. Some of his neighbors on 4th Street heard the shot. They found him lying on the floor of his cabin, a bullet in his chest. Is he dead? No. We've taken him to the hospital. Any idea who did it? No, but it might have something to do with that hole up this afternoon. Why? What do you say that? He was mumbling, calling Bradley's name. Then I heard him say, it's in the letter. Then he almost yelled, they're after the gold. Could be just Illyrian. No, maybe. Tell you what, Jim, you go get Bradley. No way he lives. Oh, yes. I'll go straight to the hospital and meet you there. Right, Sergeant. When Jonathan Bradley reached the hospital with Constable Downey, they found the sergeant standing beside Rafe's bed. How is he? He's critical. He may pull through and he may not. Unconscious. Yes, but every now and then he mutters a few words, and they're always addressed to you. Mr. Bradley. Listen. Sorry, I have to go. You'll understand when you read the letter. Underneath the door. Read it in the morning. Have you received any letter from me? Mr. Bradley, have you read it? No. But you pushed one under your door tonight. I didn't see any when I left the Constable in. I didn't see any either. Look out there after the gold. Look out for him. Mr. Bradley, the gold. Now he must be leaving the hold up for perhaps. There's nothing we can do here. We'd better check on that letter. The sergeant Bradley and the Constable returned to Bradley's home. As soon as they entered the front door, they realized something was wrong. A chair had been overturned. The drawers of the table in the middle of the living room had been pulled open. Somebody's been here. Johnny. King ran across the living room to the door of Johnny's bedroom. The men were right behind him. When they opened the door, they could see the boy lying on the bed. Bound and gag, Johnny. Quickly, the sergeant set the boy free. His words tumbled out. It was right after you left, Dad. I thought you'd forgotten something and come back. I called out and they came in here. They? There were two of them. They said, where's the letter your pa got from Rafe tonight? I told them I didn't know anything about any letter. Then one of them said tie him up, stick a gag in his mouth, and then we'll look. That's what they did. I could hear them in the living room and in your office. Then they left. How long ago, son? I don't know. It seemed a long time. I've only been gone a half an hour. Did you recognize them in Johnny? No, it was dark. Let's take a look in the office. Good idea. The office was a shambles. Every drawer in the desk had been pulled out. There were papers strewn all over the floor. Jonathan started picking them up and sorting them out. While the sergeant and constable down, he lent a hand. King sat down near the door, watching every move they made. Powell was much more interested in King than in the man, and he invited the great dog to play with him. King paid no attention, so trying to create an impression, Powell decided to bring King a present. First, from his hiding place behind the stove, he brought an old shoe, then a mitten, then a bone. King paid no attention, and Powell kept adding to the pile. At last, there was only the envelope behind the stove. Powell considered this for a moment, and then decided to make King a present of that, too. He was startled when he trotted into the office, and everyone turned in his direction. Didn't pick that up in here. It's all right, Powell. Just give it to me. Let me see that. Yes, sergeant, this is from Ray. Quickly, Jonathan read the letter and then handed it to the sergeant. Good news. He took the gold himself, but he had to change a heart tonight. He took the gold himself? Hit it on the trail. The trail passes a big boulder at the edge of the canyon. There's a shelf directly below the boulder, about 50 feet. It's a little cave in the canyon wall down there. I dropped the gold to the ledge, and I tied a rope to the rock. Climbed down it and stuck the gold in the cave. You'll find it there, all of it. A fine way to repay you for all the breaks you've given me. All I can say is I'm sorry. Yes, bad news. But at least he didn't go through with it, sergeant. The man who tried to kill him must have known what he did. That's a good guess. He wouldn't tell him where he'd hidden the gold. That's another point in his favor. They knew he'd written you a letter, Jonathan. They were after it so they could find the gold. And if Powell hadn't taken charge of the little letter, they'd be on their way to pick up the gold right now. Well, if our guesses are anywhere close to the truth, they must know it's somewhere out on the trail. They might have an idea of where it is. I'm going after it. Do you want me to go with you, sergeant? No, Jim, there's no need. Take a phase and find out if Rafe was with anyone tonight. Well, he had supper here, sergeant. After he left here. Someone might have seen the two men leaving here, but at this hour in this part of town, it doesn't seem likely. But if they tried to kill Rafe, why don't you ask him? He can't talk yet, sir. I'll check on everything, sergeant. Can I go with you to pick up the gold, sergeant? Do you want to, Jonathan? Let's get started. Come on, King. The sergeant and Jonathan allowed their mounts to set their own pace on the muddy trail. And King had no difficulty in keeping up with them. It was nearly dawn when they reached the top of the gorge. It began to rain again. Below them, they could hear the rumbling and grinding of the ices that was breaking up in the creek. Finally, they stopped the great boulder poised on the brink of the canyon. Oh, oh! Tell him. I'm pretty sure this must be it. About the only big rock I can remember right at the edge. If there's a ledge down below, we can be sure of it. Pretty dark, Ed. Yes, I can see it. What are you going to do with that rope? Tying it around the rock. You're going down there? Isn't that what we came out here for? Yes, but hadn't you better wait until it gets lighter? Look, that ledge is narrow. That's wide enough. You're going down that rope? You're not suggesting I jump, are you? No, but, Evans, if you should lose your grip on that rope, this rain, the darkness, you should lose your footing on the ledge. Keep your fingers crossed. Oh, that's an awful drop from the ledge down to the gorge. Here goes. Be careful now. It worried King to see his master swing out over the gorge, and he stood at the edge of the cliff watching every move he made as he lowered himself down toward the ledge. The wind and the rain slashed at him and far below the ice boom, but at last the sergeant's feet touched the ledge and King barked in triumph. Good work. The wind changed for a moment, and King caught the scent of man along the back trail. What's the matter with King? You're making him nervous. You're making me nervous, too. Hold on to the rope. Plenty of room. Gold tier. Jonathan, look at my saddle bag. The plain-to-canvas sack rolled up and won a little toward down to me, wouldn't it? Right. The wind had shifted again, and King had lost the scent of the men, but this only made him more uneasy. Jonathan found the big canvas bag and threw it down to the sergeant. Good. I'll put the smaller bags in here and turn the rope around it. You can hold it up. Careful now. All over in a minute. All right. King caught the scent of the men once more as Jonathan pulled up the bag of gold. As the bag reached the top, he was able to see them for the first time. Two dim menacing shadows. Now, just untie this rope. What's the matter with you, King? Open your hands, Bradley. As Wolf shouted his command, Jonathan went for his gun and red fire. No! Jonathan dropped to the ground. You got him. I go get the gold. It's in that white canvas bag. There's a dog there. Well, shoot him. I can't see him. It's too dark. Open fire anyway. You'll scare him away. Hey! King whirled at his master's command. He picked up the end of the rope and dropped it to the sergeant. As he turned back, red opened fire. Every shot was high. Forget the dog. Go and get the gold before that guy climbs up on the ledge. If the dog jumps any, you can shoot him. They're not gone. King knew that the sergeant would be unable to protect himself as he was climbing up from the ledge, and he was determined to keep the two men away from the edge of the ravine. He could sense rather than see red moving toward him. He leaped forward and threw himself against the outlaw. Red went down. His shot went wild, and the gun skidded out of his hand as he hit the ground. Wolf, I've lost my gun. Get the gold. I can't. Can't get the stone off me. Help me. Wolf paid no attention to red. He started for the bag of gold, and as he did so, he saw the shadowy figure of the sergeant climbing up over the edge of the precipice. Wolf fired hurriedly. The bullet missed. Lying flat on his stomach, the sergeant fired back, aiming at the flash of Wolf's gun. Wolf clutched his right arm, pressed and closed in, and twisted the gun from his nervous fingers. I'll take that. Get him off, Dave! All right, King. That's enough, boy. Let him up. You two are under arrest in the name of the Queen. When Rafe Parnell opened his eyes, the late afternoon sun was streaming through the windows of the ward. Slowly, Rafe became able to focus his eyes, and he saw the tall figure of the sergeant standing beside his bed. King was there, too, and a boy with a puppy in his arms. It was Johnny Bradley. Hello, Rafe. Hello, Sergeant. I don't want you to talk much, Rafe. Just tell me who it was that shot you. Red Mueller. Was Wolf in on it? Yeah. They wanted the gold. It's all right. They didn't get it. They're both in jail. Did Jonathan get my letter? Yes, he got your letter. The gold's safe. Good. Well, Sergeant, you're here to arrest me. I can't arrest you unless Jonathan prefers charges against you. He's going to wait till I get out of here. Why don't you ask him? Jonathan? This is Johnny. Well, turn your head this way, Rafe. I'm in the next bed. Hey, what happened? Red got me, too. Jonathan, I'm sorry. Oh, forget it, son. You're staying on with the company. You prove that you deserve another chance. Oh, gosh. Thanks, Jonathan. Dad, doesn't pal? Yes. I know what you're going to say. Doesn't pal deserve another chance, too, hm? Doesn't he, Dad? I guess so. All's well, it ends well, eh, Sergeant? Yes, Jonathan. You two will be out of here in a week, and Wolf and Red won't be out for 20 years. I think we can say that this case is closed. In just a moment, Sergeant Preston will give you a preview of Wednesday's adventure. There's still time, fellas and girls. Go to your grocers. Ask for the exciting new Yukon trail packages of swell-tasting Quaker-puffed rice and Quaker-puffed wheat. There are eight different packages that come with these larger, easier-to-build Yukon-cut-on packages. There are eight different packages that come with these larger, easier-to-build Yukon-cut-out models. There are 59 exciting models in all. You hear about many of them in these adventures of Sergeant Preston and King. For instance, you get models of the dead Dutchman goldmine and of a lumber camp. You get Sergeant Preston's cabin and the White Horse Jail. The Northwest Mounted Police Headquarters at Dawson. The Yukon Queen Riverboat with a paddle that turns. Remember, there are different models on different packages. Don't miss out on any of these thrilling Yukon trail models. Get them all. There's no waiting, no box tops or coupons, no money to send. These 59 exciting Yukon trail models are yours at no extra cost. But remember, you get them only on packages of Quaker-puffed wheat and Quaker-puffed rice. The original crisp, fresh, shot-from-gun cereal that is never sold in bags or bulk. You'll want the complete set of Yukon trail packages. They're at your grocers now. Hurry! Listen Wednesday when Sergeant Preston and Yukon King meet the challenge of the Yukon in the case Mystery of the Ridge. When King and I found a wounded man on the trail near White Horse, we thought it would be fairly simple to pick up the trailer that would be killer. According to the victim, the shot had come from a ridge across a gully near a cabin The case became a mystery and we couldn't find any marks or signs on the ridge and when we learned that the old man had disappeared a month before. Later, King and I were caught in a death trap on that same mysterious ridge. Be sure to hear this exciting adventure Wednesday. These radio dramas, a feature of the challenge of the Yukon incorporated are created by George W. Trendall, produced by Trendall Campbell Enterprises, directed by Fred Flower Day and edited by Fran Stryker. The part of Sergeant Preston is played by Paul Sutton. They are brought to you every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the same time by Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice. The breakfast cereals shot from guns. Your best bet for hot breakfast is Quaker Oats. The giant of the cereals is Quaker Oats. Delicious, nutritious, makes you feel ambitious. The giant of the cereals is Quaker Oats. Yes, if you want to be a star in sports and school activities, make your hot cereal Quaker Oats because Quaker Oats helps grow the stars of the future. You get more growth, more endurance from oatmeal than from any other whole grain cereal. Remember, Quaker and Mother's Oats are the same. This is J. Michael wishing you good bye, good luck and good health from Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice.