 The challenge of the Yukon The Wonder Dog King's 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 mounted police who preserved 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 Wonder Dog King met that challenge and justice ruled triumphant Wanted by the law for murder big Bill Connor traveled at a heartbreaking pace his heavy boots leaving a distinctive trail behind him Distinctive because of their size Cutting through the timber his one concern was to cover as much distance as possible in the shortest amount of time That thought hasn't hit the forest yet Makes easier traveling And mud's enough to slow anybody down Somebody must be coming. Oh, I don't have my gun handy all loaded Wait and see just who it is Taken to back trails waiting with a gun in the hand afraid to see anybody Yeah Might just be some trapper Whoever it is. I'm ready for him Just a dog and Melanie Running around out of harness Friendly fella too, ain't you? Let go my arm. What are you trying to do there? But for a minute he was gonna start back through the timber Standing looking over his shoulder at me. Now look pooch. I don't know what you're up to it The idea of tugging up my mac and all that As if he's almost trying to say something you want me to go with you, is that it? Something funny about this I Got a feeling I just ought to keep going and forget about this dog All right, all right, let go with you. I'll go with you pooch lead the way You ain't taking any chances and me getting away from him runs a while and waits for me. Don't worry pooch. I'm coming King finally halted he stood beside a deep ravine looking down into it And as the man following the Malamute came up beside him he too looked into the depths of the ravine The man for whom the dog had sought help looked up from where he was trapped on the floor of the deep gas in the earth The eyes of the two men locked tension waited the atmosphere and in those few seconds Bill Connors pulse drummed a warning loudly in his temples for he was looking into the cool blue eyes of a scarlet-coated policeman Your dog brought me here Preston How'd you come to fall into this ravine? I didn't even know it was here Unless somebody throws a rope down to you, you'll stay there a star Preston It ain't likely anybody else will come by You want me to throw that rope to you? What if I get you out of there if I get you out of there? What about giving me a head start? That's how it is. I'm gonna do what any man in his right mind to do You can stay in that hole till you I should have been a boy in freedom in his stride For he knew that it was impossible for the Mouty to pursue him But instead his body was slouched a deep frown creased his forehead The distance between him and the man who might be doomed to a death of starvation lengthened several hours later From where he was trapped Sergeant Preston heard King Barking Looking up the Mouty saw Bill Connors silhouetted against the darkening Yukon sky Yeah, I came back Preston Murder first to leave you here What time later Sergeant Preston sat beside a campfire with Bill Connors while the Great Dog King sat at his master's feet The Mouty looked thoughtfully into the fire then studied Bill Connors face. I Don't understand it Connor. I guess you don't You think like everybody else. I'm a murderer and yet you saved my life If I take you in you'll hang That's what I should do. It's my duty. Yeah, I know Maybe some people are just born unlucky Nobody will believe me not even Becky 10 to 1 you could have been out of the country before the law whatever it caught up with you I couldn't do it. I tell you I tried I Started out and I was gonna leave you there But then those skin off my nose I Didn't push you into that ravine. I didn't have anything to do with it But I can't take you win Though it may mean resigning from the force if you'd only believe me If you'd only believe me you wouldn't have to resign Sergeant I'm not asking you to turn me loose or or give me a break. All I want you to do is believe. What's the truth? Well, what is the truth? I wasn't near Tim Howard's cabin the night he was murdered. Well now wait a minute, Bill You know as well as I do your footprints were plainly visible. I wasn't there. I tell you Unless I was walking in my sleep. I Know the footprints was there. I know there ain't a man in the Yukon with feet the size of mine But I didn't kill him. I Never killed anybody in my life It's a true sergeant. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true Bill even though I believe you and think you're telling the truth I'm going to take you back to Mercer City to be jailed as a murderer Perhaps we can trick the man who framed you into overplaying his hand In Mercer City two days later Sergeant Preston was in the office of the jail where Bill Conner was held prisoner an angry mob that gathered outside The Mountie walked to the door of the small building Men standing an ankle-deep mug were oblivious to everything with the policeman standing in the doorway The law will take care of Conner The law will take care of him and it will I'll break it up get moving I'll sit on the bunk. It's pinched my feet Guess they don't fit as well as my other one. No that mob outside gets its way I won't be troubled with feet much longer. You heard them up. Couldn't help hearing them. I Thought they was gonna storm this place when you left town bill. You didn't bother doing any packing to do Didn't even go back to the hotel Why then all of your things are still over there so far as I know Where's your room on the ground floor first one off to the right? I see what are you going started over to the hotel? I'll be back shortly Preston left the jail. He locked the door behind him as an added precaution He left King in the office to stand guard the great Malamute lay on the floor his head raised between his paws His ears were tipped forward listening Great Malamute stood tensely waiting and listening He heard the fury of the men's voices and as they rammed the door it seemed that the small building rocked with the impact of their violence It's got himself planted in front of the door to the bristle block. You men gonna let a dog stirp it As the man advanced toward him King watched him step intently when Stacey Atkins reached out to grab his collar King Bared his long white fangs Stinctively the man fell back and not me I thought I could do it, but I'm not aiming to have him sink his teeth in my arm Stupid what's wrong with you man? You've got guns haven't you? Yeah, shall we have hold it just in time? You men are going to pay for this. You're going to pay more than you realize you'll there stay where you are Sergeant You know how it is when a crowd is stirred up. There's nothing much anyone can do I know that when a crowd is stirred up It's usually because someone took particular pains to stir them up and with good reason in this case It's a very good reason all we want to do is see justice done You should have had corners hung yesterday when you brought him in instead of that you put the task You to bring his boots over for him from the whole time These are his boots, but he didn't ask me to bring them over for him Well, if you take such good care of all your prisoners sergeant, maybe being in jail wouldn't be so bad These boots were worn by the murderer the night he killed Tim Howard. They weren't worn by Bill Connor The ground around Tim Howard's cabin was a sea of mud After slogging through the mud in these boots the murderer left tracks in the cabin, right? That's right. We've seen them. So did you but the man who wore these boots was smaller than Bill Connor much smaller He climbed in the window of Connor's hotel room took these boots and put them on But as he walked through the mud the mud ooze up over the top of the boots working its way inside inside the I've sliced one of them open and there's a footprint on the inner soul a footprint That's very plainly marked as you can see Every one of you here are going to take off your shoes I'm going to take your footprints and we'll match them against the print that's inside this boot I tried to get through it. Is he all right? Those are Bill's boots. He's all right, Miss Winters Sergeant I I really should be at home. This cold might develop into new As long as you're here you can be footprinted before you leave me Why is the town's banker? I why I'm above suspicion Surely you don't take your shoes off, but maybe need some help This is an outrage don't reach for that gun Stacy the other one Now I'll take this inner soul out and on it Stacy. No, I you heard me. It won't be necessary You win sergeant. I know when I'm licked I Did the killing I have to cover for the money I'd taken from the bank Most of what I'd taken was here. He was getting suspicious My guess you caught your cold that night. I did by the time I got his boots back the hotel my feet were soaked I never should have taken the boots back. You'll hang for murder Stacy Here miss winners. You're back in release. Oh, yes. I will now you may know what I meant when I told you You'd pay for what you were attempting to do if you'd gone through with your plans You'd have hung an innocent man every one of you would have been a murderer. I can't believe it Edkins was with us all the time. It was your dog that got at the cell block sergeant. He wouldn't let us through There's a true what Becky told me it's true bill If you'd been a murderer You wouldn't have come back to the ravine for me. I Suspected when you did return that you were not a killer. Oh bill. Oh, I'm so glad. It's all right now. Don't cry Yes, king the case is closed these copyrighted drummers originator studios of WXY Z Detroit and all characters names places and incidents used are fictitious They are sent to you each week at the same time and rate you from our transcription studios