 The challenge of the Yukon It's king swiftest and strongest lead dog of the north country Blazing the trail for sergeant Preston of the Northwest mounted police in his relentless pursuit of lawbreakers Gold gold discovered in the Yukon a stampede to the Klondike in the greedy race for riches Now back to the days of the gold rush when sergeant Preston and his wonder dog king Battle through storm and snow to preserve law and order as they met the challenge of the Yukon Sam Thompson and his wife Sarah lived in a small cabin on the Klondike River where Sam had stake to claim The years in the north country had not been easy and the faces of the two old people looked weather beaten and careworn But nevertheless Sarah's voice was cheerful and she smiled as chief their big white Siberian dog Made himself comfortable at Sam's feet as he sat before the stove after supper I never saw a dog more devoted to anybody than cheapest to you Sam He sticks to you like a cockabur to affirm it Yes, I guess he's one thing as faithful to me as you are Sarah Lots of women getting on to 60 would like a softer life Living up here without any conveniences and no neighbors to gossip with Well, lots of women would be beating me over the head with a rolling pin by this time Sam You ain't hinting that you want to give up the claim. Are you well? We're not getting much more than a living out of it Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it now Sam. Don't you go getting discouraged this gold on this claim? And I ain't giving up so easy. Well, I wish I'd known a little more about mining when I came up here Saved a lot of time Sam. I did something today without asking you about it I was going to have it kind of a surprise to you if it worked out alright, but Maybe I'd better talk it over with her. What is it Pete is graduating from college where he studied mining You mean that nephew of yours graduating already? I can't believe it It seems to me why he was just a tow-handed kid when we last saw him. He was well, that's a long time ago Anyway, I wrote him a letter today and told him we'd like to have him come up here with us Oh, what's Sarah? Do you think that's wise? It's a long way from the States and my claim isn't paying much. There's no reason a young man like him shouldn't come This country will make a real he-man of him and maybe he could help us Course the letter's still here. I don't have to mail it if you object. It would be nice to have Pete here He's young full of life You think he'd come Sarah go ahead and send the letter. It's pretty near time the sergeant Preston's patrol through here I thought he could take the letter to Dawson for it. Good idea Well, that ends what I was leading up to what was that trade and pose today Jake Smith made me an offer for my claim and you were thinking of selling Well, I told him I'd try you out if you indicated that you wanted to get out of here I'd consider his offer Jake Smith had been interested in this property for a long time He must think it was something. No, he just knows that it pays off pretty steady I think he kind of has his eye on this cabin of ours You've made it look so homie with curtains and these rag rugs and everything Yes, I think it's the cabin. He'd like as much as anything At the same time that Sam and Sarah were talking about Jake Smith's offer for their claim Jake himself was discussing it with his partner Zeke Benson in their cabin not far away But it was not Sam's cabin that interested him I tell you Zeke, I know there must be a gold pocket on Sam's claim. He's just too dumb to find it That's all. Well now that you made him the offer you'll probably start looking. I was too smart for that I kept hinting that I liked their cabin because Sarah fixed it up so pretty He knew I'd watched him pan and gold and they claim his pen enough to want to buy it What makes you so sure there's a gold vein there downstream from Sam's place and nuggets He pans are pretty good size when he wasn't around yesterday I tried pan and upstream on the other side of his claim and it wasn't even worth the effort a Sam don't know how to find a vein of gold. It takes a know-how and patience What do you say? You go in on this with me well If you can get Sam to sell for a reasonable price I'll throw in with you It may be our chance to make a fortune a few days have passed before Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mottet police Stop at the Thompson's cabin on his regular patrol King his big gray lead dog followed him to the cabin door All right, King come along the Thompson's like dogs Hello, Sarah. All right if I bring King in with me Come on King Sam here's Sergeant Preston How are you Sam? Light on King, you know, it's a good thing that he in chief like each other I like to have chief for my dog team. It's a powerful and intelligent He'd make a fine sled dog. Well, if I ever gave him to anybody it would be you Sergeant I doubt that you'll ever get him. I'd take chief along. I think if I ever left the North country There's a no danger of you doing that as a Sam. He was actually thinking of it the other day Jake Smith is trying to buy our claim, but I wouldn't hear of it. Well, I thought Jake had a claim Well, not a very good one. Oh and by the way Sergeant if you happen to see him at the trading post when you go By there today, I wish you'd tell him for me that the deal is off Sarah refuses to leave the Yukon glad to hear that I'd certainly hate to have you two leave. You're two of the best friends I have I like this country. I don't think I'll ever want to leave it. Oh, you're a wonderful woman, Sarah Oh and while I think of it sergeant I have a letter ready to be mailed thought maybe you take it into Dawson for me big lander do it It's to my nephew back in the States. We're asking him to come up here and live with us Winter had closed down on the Yukon territory and Sam Thompson had joined Jake Smith to hunt game and replenish their meat supply The big white dog chief had run far ahead of Sam and Jake as a snowshoe rabbit darted across his path If chief catches that rabbit, I won't have to worry about feeding him today. He was a big fella Turn out already Let's see how you stand a lot younger than you are. Well, I enjoy Maybe that's why it doesn't tie me The mountain sure look pretty today don't they? Well, they're dangerous this time of year You never know when a bunch of rocket snow is gonna come rolling down. I Don't see why you and Sarah like this country so much now Jake if you're gonna start asking me to sell you my claim You might as well save your breath. I told you no a long time ago. Well, I didn't say anything about your claim Did I it just seems that? Sam did you hear some huh sounded like thunder Sam look out. It's an avalanche Massive rock and slow was hurtling down the side of the mountain Sam looked about for cheap then turned quickly to follow Jake But his foot caught on a branch covered with snow and he sprawled on the ground In the meantime, Sergeant Preston had arrived at the Thompson cabin He sat beside the big stove with King at his side while Sarah read a letter he had brought It's from Pete sergeant He's coming up here. Oh fine Sarah. Did he say when he was leaving? He'll be here in a few weeks Oh, I can't wait to see him. I wish Sam would get home so I could read this letter to him You're saying to have supper with us aren't you sergeant way There more to be here soon now. It's almost dark. Thanks, Sarah. I'll be glad to stay Oh, I guess that's Sam coming now. I heard chief bark King that's funny chief is scratching on the doors. I wonder where What's about her Sarah isn't Sam there Look at chief he just stands there barking and keeps running away from the cabin and looking back Something must have happened to Sam was anyone with him. He said he was going to stop and get Jake Smith to go hunting with him I'd better follow chief. He wouldn't leave Sam unless something had happened to him. Don't worry, Sarah King and I will find him Chief raced ahead of the Mounties dog team toward the pile of rocks and rubble at the foot of the mountain There the big dog stopped barked practically and began to dig into the snow Sergeant Preston worked with a spade beside him and soon found what he was looking for There he is now get hold of him Sam Sam I'm afraid it's no use chief We might have saved him. We've been here when it happened or Sam. He's dead While Sergeant Preston took the lifeless body of Sam back to his cabin Jake Smith paced the floor of his cabin nervously as they talked to his partner Zeke. It must have killed Sam I couldn't even see him when it was over. Well, what are you worried about? You couldn't stop the avalanche I should have gone back and tried to dig him out. I guess I might have saved his life I was probably dead the minute he fell and anyway, who's gonna find out you didn't go back I am the only one who knew you went with him. It was just the thought of getting his claim that kept me from trying to dig him out I I just couldn't go back. Well now maybe Sarah will sell it to us She can work at herself. That's sure That avalanche was a lucky break for us when Sam doesn't come home. Sarah may come to get us to look for Now you be sure and tell her I was with you all day. Listen, you told me to say that six times already I know what to tell her. I don't see why you're so worried about it You didn't start the avalanche. It was almost like killing him not not going back to how forget it I will spend half the night pretending to look for when Sarah comes for us. That'll give him a zeke. Listen. Do you hear dogs? Hey, that sounds like Preston the Mountie, maybe he's looking for Sam. Remember Zeke. I was with you all day Jake here. Yes, he's here. Come on in. Thanks Hello, I'm a chair. I'm certainly glad you're here Jake. I thought you'd gone hunting with Sam Thompson He was killed by an avalanche this afternoon. I'll kill How did you find him? We wouldn't have found him hadn't been for his dog chief Somehow chief missed being caught in the avalanche and came back to Sarah for help I was there at the cabin. He led me to the place where Sam was buried. Gosh, that's terrible It was a lucky thing for you. You didn't go hunting with him the way you play I guess we better go over and see what we can do for Sarah. Yeah, I guess we better Perhaps you better wait until tomorrow boys. It's been a bad shock for her Now if you boys could build a coffin for Sam tonight, it'd be a big help. Oh sure We'll be glad to. My Sam was one of our best friends We'll take it over tomorrow. Jake and I'll dig his grave. It's the least we can do. Thanks boys That takes a load off my mind I'll see you at Sam's tomorrow This is work digging a grave in this frozen ground ain't exactly easy. And don't you think it's deep enough? No, we got to go deeper than this The branch of this spruce tree makes it harder to dig. Well Sarah insisted that we dig it here beside the creek under this tree I don't care. We dig it just as long as she'll be reasonable about selling this claim to us It's the only reason why she won't do it now Well, come on, let's finish this I'm getting cold They better wait until after we bury Sam before we Hey, Jake, hold it a minute. What's the matter? Hey, look at this Look what I just dug up. What this looks like pay there looks like it why it is Fake we've hit that gold pocket. This is it. Why there's a rich vein of gold run right through this grave Well, I'll be what are we gonna do? Sarah finds out she'll never sell now. Don't say a word about this We'll cover this dirt with branches until we bury Sam Sarah won't want to stay up here without Sam and we can buy the clean cheap if we're careful She'll go back to the States and never even find out about it We got to be careful with sergeant Preston around I will keep this dirt covered like I said You'll never see it especially when he doesn't suspect anything. Oh, there's Sarah now. Yes, Sarah We'll be right in thanks. Don't you think we could sound her out a little about buying the claim? Oh, maybe Yeah, that suits me fine I think if we could just sort of suggest the idea to her, maybe she'll make us an offer you let me handle it. Oh, thanks, sir It's nice of you to do with this when all your trouble To do what you're doing Well, thanks Sam looks as if he's a sleep-lying there Yes, don't you know But it never breaks my heart to watch chief that dog of his look at him He didn't even move when he came in And I never saw that coffin all morning He's never left Sam sighs and sergeant Preston brought him back here. He's a good-looking dog I bet he'd make a fine sled dog. You're gonna keep himself keep chief Well, I should say I am He loves Sam, so it'd be nice Giving up a part of Sam if I got rid of chief Well, I just thought maybe you'd be planning to go back to the States now and Wouldn't want to take a dog like him back there. You mean you thought I'd leave here. Well, yeah You can't work Sam's claim all alone That's hardly the place for a woman way out here by yourself. I didn't Sam tell you about our nephew coming up here Nephew he's on his way now He's been to college and studied mine, and I couldn't leave now Even if I wanted to because I wrote him and asked him to come. Oh When is he getting here? He ought to be here in a couple of weeks Are you gonna stay out here all alone until he gets here? No, I think I'll go in and stay in Dawson with Mrs. Raymond Keep me from getting too lonely That was what sergeant Preston suggested. He's in town now making arrangement. Well, maybe your nephew won't like it up here I should think you'd rather get out of this country. It's so cold and rough, but I've come to love it I want to stay here all my life now Be buried besides Sam under the spruce tree there Near the river This is my home, and I'm going to stay here The day after Sam was buried sergeant Preston had arrived to take Sarah into Dawson Her baggage was strapped to the sled and she was ready to lock the cabin Guess I'm ready now sergeant The only thing left to do is get chief poor fellow. It's going to be hard getting him away from Sam's grave He's been there all night. No morning almost breaks my heart to look at him Had to take his breakfast out there this morning He wouldn't come in and he's hardly had a thing. He's grieving Sam. I think he'll be all right as my nephew gets here Maybe when he's been in town for a while with me, it'll help. You may have trouble keeping him there Are you going to be around here for the next few days? Are you why I have to go north for three or four days? I'm starting the day after I take you to Dawson You have any trouble with chief file taking for a while and I get back Perhaps if he runs with my team for a while, it'll do him good. Here's his leash Oh, he'll come with us. I'm sure he knows King and me But you'd better keep him right in the cabin with you in Dawson until he gets used to being away from home I'll give you the key to the cabin sergeant in case you want to use it while I'm gone Well, I guess we're ready. I Can't tell you how grateful I am to you and Jake and Zeke Jake and Zeke waited until the following day before going back to Sam's grave As they approached the lonely cabin far from the trail Zeke looked about cautiously You sure that Sarah left and won't be back for a couple of weeks. Of course. I'm sure our sergeant Preston took her yesterday As long as she won't sell us a claim. This is the only way we can do it We can clean that gold pocket out before she gets back and she'll never know it was there Don't you think it's kind of risky working out here in daylight What if someone happens to come by this place is so far off the trail is no danger if anyone's seeing us We'll have to be careful how we do it anyway We can take the gold with us as we dig it out every day and always cover the grave with branches to hide what we're doing The first thing we have to do is dig another grave and move that coffin out of there We better bury it up there on the slope behind that bunch of trees so nobody can see it Hey, Jake look look over there at Sam's grave. Are there a Sam's dog? What? How did he get back here Preston and Sarah took him to Dawson yesterday. He must have run away Oh, he's lying on Sam's grave now bet. We'll have one heck of a time getting him off. But come on. Let's see what he does Maybe we'll have to shoot him. He's not gonna let us come near it. You never liked me for some reason or other I'm not going any closer. He'll take a leg off us Hey, you're right We're gonna have to shoot him. No way. It's too bad You bring a lot of money if we could sell him to somebody Z That man we met in the trading post yesterday The one that's going north and one of his dogs went lame He said he'd pay over a hundred dollars for a good dog if he didn't have to go back to Dawson to get it Jackson was his name wasn't it? Yeah, he said he was going to Eagle City and on into Alaska. He won't be back this way Could use some extra money for equipment You think you get a handle that dog get a muzzled or something course I can handle it You go on over and get Jackson The time he gets back. I'll have this curroped and muzzled And when Jackson get them hitched to the sled with the rest of the team, he'll be alright There will be much he can do about it Jackson wanted to start out today now you'll be able to do it I'll get back here with them just as soon as I can remember now This is where we live. Don't tell Jackson anything different. I'll be too busy getting that dog hitched to tell him anything I'll let you do the talking as usual The big white dog chief went with Ned Jackson unwillingly but hitched to the dog team. There was nothing he could do That night, however, Ned camped on the trail and when everything was quiet the big dog tried desperately to get free Torn morning his efforts were rewarded and quietly he left the camp and headed for home It was later in the morning that sergeant Preston on the way back to Dawson stopped his team at Ned Jackson's camp beside the trail Morning I'm sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police. How are you? You just breaking camp. I'd like to break camp. I'm on the way north, but I've just had some bad luck Oh anything I can do to help you. I just lost one of the best sled dogs ever had He chewed himself loose last night and got away. I don't see I can get along without him I'm carrying a heavy load. Well, maybe I can help you find him I doubt it. The trouble is that big great dog over there cut his foot yesterday, so he won't work either Guess I'll have to stay right here until he's better. I want the dogs around away look like he was a big white one I just bought him yesterday paid a hundred and fifty dollars for him, too Did you buy him in Dawson? No, I got him at a place about ten miles out of Dawson Two men sold him to me. They lived in the cabin on the river. I had a hard time with him He didn't want to leave home at all. You say he was a big white dog. Yeah What was his name? Well, I heard one of the men call him chief. I think that was his name. All right Sure hate to lose that animal. He was right in his prime a beautiful dog Who were these men who sold him to you? I don't know their last names I just happened to meet him in the training post today before and told him I needed a dog One of them was called Jake and the other one Zeke I think I'm afraid the men who sold you that dog had no right to do it. I know they didn't own him You mean they stole him. I can't understand why they do such a thing Maybe we're not talking about the same dog at all. Lots of dogs are named chief You know, that's a common name for a sled dog too many things check Jackson If you can spare the time to go back with me I think we can find the men who sold you this dog and get your money back Well, I can't go on without a dog team that's strong enough I'll have to go back anyway. I guess I think we can find you for you I'm sure you won't have any trouble identifying him. It's the dog that was sold to you Well, how are you going to find him? My dog King can trail him now if you'll show me where chief was tied last night We won't have any trouble if those men so me a stolen dog I'd like to get my hands on them. We'll find them. Don't worry. You're not half as anxious to find out about this as I am Sergeant Preston's great dog King had no difficulty trailing chief back to Sarah's cabin They traveled steadily through the night. They're trail lighted by a bright moon The late winter daylight had not broken when they turned into the clearing behind Sarah's cabin I don't see any sign of him. I thought we'd find him here under this tree. This is where his master's buried He's gone Chief Your chief How are you boy? All right, King find chief boy. You let us as far find him He's going over behind that pump of trees on the slope. That's funny. I wonder why chief would go there Your dog found him all right. Here he is. Chief old fellow. What are you doing over here? He knows you all right. He's wagging his tail. Oh chief and I are old friends Well, this is odd ground here has been disturbed chief won't leave it Why would he be lying here if his master's buried over there near the river? I can't understand it unless Jackson Got a lantern off my sled when you're going to look under those branches where we buried Sam Do you think maybe they moved the coffin or something? The only reason chief would lie there like that Get the lantern while I move these branches, wouldn't it? Here's the lantern. I'll light it. We were right about the coffin. It's been moved Nothing here but a deep hole. But why would anyone move it? It's bad enough to dig one grave in weather like this with the ground all frozen. Yeah, I'll get down here I'll hand me that lantern Jackson. Yeah, here you are. Thanks Of course, that's a mighty big grave they dug Someone's been doing a lot of digging here since Sam's coffin was taken out. It's a deal whiter And Now I see what is it? Jake and Zeke discovered a gold pocket here. They were trying to steal all they could out of it while Sarah was away. What? Here. Look at this You're right. It's gold So that's why they got rid of chief chief wouldn't let them near the grave I suppose Well, you've got work to do before morning Jackson. Give me a hand out of here with it I will cover this with branches again just the way it was when we found it Then Jackson we'll get the dog teams out of sight and cover our tracks We'll wait in the cabin until daylight. I think we'll catch our grave robbers just as soon as it is daylight Jake and Zeke turned into the clearing and made for the spruce covered grave just as dawn was lighting the eastern sky I hope we do as well today as we did yesterday We made a nice haul. Yeah, that gold pocket is bigger than we thought it was We want to get all of it though. We'll have to work fast. Hey Does it look to you as if somebody's been fooling around here? The snow on this side it looks messed up. Oh, I don't think Hey, Jake, what's the matter? Look over there where we buried Sam. Isn't that chief? Huh? It sure is We found out where we buried him. He must have run away from Jackson should have shot him Jackson may come looking for him. Well, it ain't too late to shoot him now Come on. We'll take care of that right away. This gun will take care of him Jake it's Preston shoot him quick. I'll get him Jake leveled the rifle at sergeant Preston, but before he could pull the trigger king sprang at him As the gun went off the shop whistled harmlessly over the sergeant's head while the man and dog sprawled in the snow I guess Jake lost his head for a minute I thought he'd know better than to try to shoot me with king around Preston I I didn't realize it was you all right jake don't make it worse You and zeke are under arrest. Those are the men who sold me the dog sergeant. How we don't know what he's talking about We didn't sell the dog. Oh, yes, you did We trailed chief back here from net jackson's camp King doesn't make mistakes like that Chief was the dog you sold him. Well, we we didn't think sarah wanted him. We were going to give her the money Yeah, that's what we were going to do or you can give me the money back instead. It's not all you're going to give back You're going to give sarah every bit of gold you took from the spot where sam was buried I'll get together so I can handcuff you. You two are going back to Dawson with me. What's them king? Yes king the case is closed The challenge of the ucon the copyrighted feature is brought to you each week at this time And all names and incidents used are fictitious Listen again next week to another exciting adventure during the days of the gold rush Fred boy speaking this program came to you from detroit Saturday night dull not on your life if you keep company with abc We've a lineup of shows to keep you entertained from early in the evening until it's time to go out and get the sunday morning papers For mystery a la mode ross doland detective is on hand saturday nights And when ross seeks to solve a crime it means 30 minutes of solid action and suspense Speaking of suspense wait till you hear famous jury trials the stirring courtroom program that dramatizes typical american jury trials Then there's gangbusters with true crime cases straight from police files all over the country Murder and mr. Malone is another tense mystery That's bound to keep you sitting on the edge of your chair as that famous criminal lawyer john j. Malone tackles a case of murder For smashing thrills from early to late saturday nights be sure to listen when these great