 The challenge of the Yukon is King with this and strongest lead dog of the North country, blazing the trail for Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Monod Police in his relentless pursuit of lawbreakers. Un-King! Un-King! Gold, gold discovered in the Yukon, a stamp paid 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 battled through storm and snow to preserve law and order as they met the challenge of the Yukon. Three men sat in Sam Bartlett's cabin, their feet stretched toward the big iron stove. Sam was the owner of the Golden Ace Cafe and his prosperity was reflected in the size and unusual comfort of his home. Jim Taylor, a prospector and Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Monod Police were Sam's visitors. At the Mounties feet lay his big lead dog King, listening to the voices of the three men as they lounged comfortably in the warm room. Well, I'm starting to get the shell cut tomorrow. I was going to start just digging, but Chief said it was going to snow. So I postponed a minute, Jim. Who said it was going to snow? The Chief. Chief's one of your dogs, isn't he? Well, sure, you know the one, Sergeant. Big gray husky. He's half wolf. Oh, yes. He told you it was going to snow. Chief's better than any barometer ever made. He sniffs the air and acts up in a certain way. I only ate the five. It's going to snow or storm. So what's the matter? You old sourdows are all alike. You spent so much time pushing around this country with a dog team, you think a dog is almost human. Some dogs are, Sam. I know how Jim feels about Chief. I feel the same way about King. A dog's a priceless possession, especially here in the North Country. Yeah, but how many of them are smart? A dog's intelligence depends a great deal on his master. Sergeant, you're as bad as the rest of them. As far as I can see, a dog's only good to pull a sled. And they won't do that unless you whip them into it. Sam, you're wrong. Let me ask you something. Have you ever owned a dog? No, and I don't want to. Oh, all right, if you can work them. But otherwise, that dumb mud is about the most useless. Sam, how can you say that with a dog like King Lane right here in front of us? King old fella, you hear what's being said about you? Look at him, getting up and putting his head right on Preston's knees. We understand each other. King's more help to me than any man could be. Sam, I wish you were smart, getting a helper down to Golden Age Cafe. The cashier you got down there, Slim Tracy, isn't any prize? I heard that you and Slim had a little fallen out. I swear he deliberately tried to shortchange me when I cashed him a chip the other night. He said it was a mistake, but I still don't believe it. Slim said you insulted him in front of everybody. And he had it coming. Have you ever had any trouble with Slim, Sam? No, never. I think it was Jim's imagination. Everyone makes a mistake down there. Well, this was a pretty big mistake. Slim thought I'd been drinking and wouldn't notice. Oh, it probably was a mistake, Jim. How are you making out at the cafes, Sam? I'm doing great. I handle the day shift, and I let Slim take charge of the night calls. So we're making a mistake? Letting him handle all that cash? You sure hate him, don't you, Jim? I don't like his shifty eyes. Well, maybe that's Slim now. It's about closing time for the cafe. Here's our president, Jim. I'm a fire king. Oh, Sam, hello there, Slim. I thought it'd be you. Come on in. Oh, you've got company. Hello, Sargent. Hello, Slim. Jim. Sit down. Get warm. I can't stay. I just closed the cafe. How is business today? Better than usual. Big play at the ferro and poker tables. Picking up lots of money. That's why I stopped here on the way home. What's that under your arm? We let a lot of cash pile up in the safe, and tonight something went wrong with the lock. The door wouldn't shut. We got to get that fixed. Well, with Preston and this dog of his around, I don't think we have to worry much. Come on over and sit down, Slim. Tell you the truth, Sargent. I'm a little scared of that dog of yours. I'm not used to dogs. It won't hurt you. I can think of a lot of people worse than dogs. So can I, but I'm not afraid of them. Now, boys, no corner. Sit down, Slim. No thanks. I've had a hard night. I brought the cash home with me, Sam. I'll keep it at my house until you get the safe fixed tomorrow. $15,000 is a lot of money. Hey, good idea. Good night. Good night, Slim. Good night, Slim. Well, I didn't realize it was so late. Come on, King. We have to go, too. Well, I'm going to wait a few minutes. You should have walked home with Slim. Your cabin's just a short way past, isn't it, Jim? That's where I want to wait. I don't want to work home with him. I do have to get home, though. I have to get an early start my morning. I hope the weather clears up for your trip. You don't have to worry. You just do what their mother-of-a-dog tells you to. I sure will. And he'll tell me what's more. The following morning, Sergeant Preston and King were just leaving the barracks when Sam Bartlett hurried towards them. Preston! Preston! What's wrong, Sam? Slim's been murdered. I just came from his cabin. Slim murdered? He was killed with a knife or something. Then somebody dragged his body down with a footbridge near the river and pushed it through a hole in the ice. And what's more... Come on! I'll go to his cabin right away. Come on, King! He put up quite a fight. It's easy to see what happened. Someone killed him and robbed him and then dragged his body down at the river. How about that money Slim brought from your café last night? That's gone. I look for it. He was killed fighting for it. It certainly looks like it. It had been killed for a lot less than $15,000. Let's follow this trail down the river. Come on, King! See the tracks and footprints in the snow? And look at the scooped-out paths alongside them where they dragged Slim's body. Yes. A red stain on the snow. Look at the sled tracks, Preston. They come off right here, right past Slim's cabin. Uh-huh. Heavily loaded. A little by a six-dog team. I bet that sled belonged to the killer. He nice slim stole the money and headed south. You may be right, Sam. Let's go down the hole in the ice. King's down there beside it. Whoever killed Slim with the noon, he had that money in his cabin. You think he told anybody in the café? He wouldn't be that foolish. Then we were the only ones who knew it. You and Jim and I. I, uh... I didn't like to mention Jim much so sergeant, but... But you suspected him from the beginning, haven't you? He and Sam didn't like each other at all. That's true. What's wrong, King? I'm excited to smell up blood, I suppose. He followed this trail right down to this hole in the ice. Guess he thinks we don't know our bodies, been dumped in it. With his current as strong as it is under the ice, we'll never be able to recover it. We don't know where it'll be after the fall next spring. It doesn't seem possible that Jim would do a thing like this. And now I'll tell you something else. I traced back those sled tracks and they came right from Jim's cabin. But Jim would have to go this way. Said he was going to Selkirk, Sam. Well, it sure looks suspicious. Jim heard Slim tell me about taking the cash home with him. What would be simpler than killing Slim, robbing him and hiding the body so there's no direct proof of a murder? That's all circumstantial evidence, Sam. Well, you can't deny it. Somebody dragged Slim's body down here to this hole in the ice. Somebody murdered Slim. Now who did it? That's what we have to find out. Well, how? These tracks, King. Got the scent, boy. I love how that hunk can smell its blood. We know where Slim is. King can follow the scent of these foot prints. I'm following those sled tracks. I told you it was Jim. Look here, Sam. There's two sets of foot prints going along with this sled. He must have had someone helping him. I wondered how Jim could have fought Slim by himself. Slim was stronger. I wonder who could have helped Jim. He was mighty chummy with Kuna. He's that Eskimo who's always getting into trouble. Well, I'm going back to Barracks and get my sled loaded and follow this trail. Quiet, King! That's the smell of blood that's getting him excited. All must know what that means. Can he follow Jim's trail? That's a question. He certainly can. Would you mind if I went with you this time, Sergeant? Slim was a good friend of mine and, well, it was my money that was stolen. Well, we're glad to take you, Sam. Maybe you'll learn a little more about dogs if you come. I don't know what you're trying to tell me, King. We've got to get back to the Barracks and get ready for the trip. If the great lead dog could have talked, he would have told the sergeant a very important thing. King had followed many murder trails before, but this one was different. It was the end of the second day of the trip, and King ran well ahead of the team through the lightly falling snow while the mountain sand plotted behind the sled. I hope the snow lets up. We'll cover the sled tracks pretty soon. King will be able to follow the sled. It's quite fresh. Jim is headed for Selkirk, all right. All we have to do is follow the regular trail down there on the river. King's turning off the river and going west. Hey, what's wrong with that fool dog? We can still see the sled tracks going south. I don't know what's wrong with him. You don't want to follow the sled tracks. Snow's just about covered these footprints, but somebody left the trail right here. Yeah, they probably were made by some trapper or prospector. Come on, sergeant. Let's not waste time. King seems to be interested in them. Listen, that mud is local. We know Jim had a dog team on the sled. We can still see the tracks. Jim wouldn't be fool enough to go off by himself. We've had a hurry before the snow covers everything. Yes. I guess you're right, Sam. Hello, King. This way, boy. Hey, what's the dickens in wrong with him? He won't come. I can't figure it out. Come on, King! The big gray dog tried hard to tell his master to follow him. The training meant following the Mounties' orders. Those orders had been to follow certain tracks. And even though his master seemed to have changed his mind, King's instinct told him the sergeant was wrong. The great dog had been put on the scent of a certain man, and he knew that until that man was caught, his job was unfinished. He ran farther back on the bank of the creek, stood still and barked. He seems determined that we go that way. What's the matter with that dumb mutt? Does he think we're playing a game with him? Go on and drag him back here. He ain't worth a powder to blow him up. Don't be too sure of that, Sam. I'm going to follow King. You mean you're going to leave this trail that we can see with our own eyes and go that way just because that fool dog got off on the wrong trail? I told King to follow the trail of the man who dragged that body down to the ice. That's obviously what he's doing. Now you've gone crazy. Kim's cracked and his sled goes south, Sergeant. We can see that. I'm betting on King, Sam. All right, King, we're following you, fellas. Oh, you have it! Push! Push on! The trail through the woods was a difficult one for the dog team and the heavily laden sled. Sergeant Preston and Sam broke the trail with snowshoes and Sam grumbled at the delay. By nightfall, they reached a wide creek and were about to make camp when the mountain noticed a small campfire ahead. There's a campfire, Sam. Maybe we finally caught the man right there. Whoever this fool dog thought he was chasing is a full day ahead by this time. He can make lots of better time than we could. Yeah, that looks like an Indian. It is an Indian. Somebody with him lying there beside the fire. Oh, King! Oh, you're crazy! Hello there. Don't worry, I'm watching. We went out. Glad you've come. All supply gone. My brother, him bad sick. Is that your brother lying there? Yeah. Him bad sick for three days. Oh. White man, come stay here. Steal all food. White man stole your supplies. He didn't leave early before his son come up. Him go to Creek Crossing, maybe. A white man, you say? You see, Sam, I guess King was right after all. Jim must have tried to throw us off the trail by stunning that eskimo ahead with a dog team thinking we wouldn't turn off the creek. And we wouldn't have. That hadn't been for King. It was a dirty trick stealing these Indians' food. Well, I better have a look at White All's brother. Lots of people in Creek Crossing, sick. Huh? Doctor, come there. Yes, man, has a very high fever. Him not talking. Him bad sick? Yes. We'll have to get him back to Creek Crossing as soon as we can. This was falling the following day when Sergeant Preston halted the team to make camp. Their progress had been slow as the sick man needed constant attention. As they finished making a bed of spruce branches for him, Sergeant Preston bent over the sled to lift him up. Come on, big bear. I'll carry you over. Sam. What's wrong, Sergeant? I'm afraid there isn't anything we can do for him. In which? I'm sorry, White All. Your brother's dead. What do you think was wrong with him, Sergeant? What did he die of? I'm not sure, Sam, but I think it's diphtheria. Diphtheria? Gosh, that's contagious. When he's buried, we better head straight back home. I don't want to go to Creek Crossing if there's a diphtheria epidemic there. What about the man who stole your money? The man who murdered Slim. He must have gone to Creek Crossing. Clean forgot about him. I'm going on to the village, Sam. If Jim's there, it's my duty to get him. The doctor may need my help. We go back to village two. Good, White Owl. Well, uh, seen as how I'd get lost by myself, Sergeant. Maybe I'd better go with you. It's a good idea, Sam. I'll start for Creek Crossing in the morning. It was evening two days later when the Mountie, Sam, and White Owl entered the trading post at Creek Crossing. They were met at the door by a tired, haggard-looking man who introduced himself. I'm Dr. Pierre Sergeant. Come in. On the trail of a criminal, Doctor, have you seen a strange white man in the village? No, I haven't. If he came to the village, I'm afraid he wouldn't have stayed long. You see, we have an epidemic here. It's diphtheria. That's what I figured must have happened. White Owl's brother died of it on the trail. Many have died. More are dying. The Indian village just beside the town is especially bad. I need help, Sergeant. Could you possibly give up your manhunt for a few days? Oh, now, Sergeant, if we let Jim get away, we'll never find him. We'll get this store fixed up as a hospital and isolate the cases. But I... I can't do it alone. We'll stay and help you, Doctor. Human lives are more important than catching a criminal. Thank you. What can we do to help? We'll have to get as many of the sick people as possible moved here. If he can isolate the cases, he can keep it from spreading. We have dozens of sick people in the Indian village to the north. We'll have to bring them here to take care of them. Well, White Owl can drive a dog team. I'll let him use his mind to bring the Indians in. That'll be a lifesaver, Sergeant. We'll get some of them in here tonight and the rest tomorrow. Now, why don't you try and get some sleep tonight, Doctor? I had no sleep for the past two nights. If I could get a little rest. You're going to get it. Sam and I will take care of the people we bring in tonight. You can tell us what to do. The following day was a busy one, bringing the sick people into the trading post. Sergeant Preston, Sam and the Doctor worked tirelessly. The dead fallen and Sam and the multi were resting in the small back room when Doctor Pierce entered. You'd better sit down, Doctor. You look dead on your feet. It's hopeless, Sergeant. Too many people are sick. I'm running out of antitoxin. I had very little. You know where we can get more? The nearest place is Dawson. Doctor Carlson's air must have a lot of it. But it would take three days to get there. You mean you haven't any more of it? What I have, I'm saving for the children. I'll get some for you, Doctor. I have my dog team. I have to take almost a week. By then, I don't know what will happen. Besides, I need you to help me take care of these people who are already sick. Too bad that dog of yours can't talk the way you claim he can, Preston. We could send him to Dawson. If King could go along. Just tell him what you want. You claim he's almost human. It's hardly a time to joke, Sam. Sam's given me an idea, Doctor. What? An Indian white owl can drive a dog team. But it would take him so long to get Sam back. Well, I thought of a way to save time. King won't go with anyone but me. But if we put him in a crate and let White Owl take him to Dawson on the sled, he'd come straight back to me the minute they let him out. Well, what good would that do? We could give White Owl a note to Doctor Carlson and Dawson. They could put the antitoxin in a saddle pack on King and let him go. King would be back here in half the time to take a dog sled to get here. If we could get the antitoxin four days instead of six or eight. It might be worth a trial. But you're not going to trust precious medicine to a dog. He might go chasing off after rabbits or something. Not King. He'd get back to me just as fast as he could. It's worth a trial, Sergeant. And you could stay here and help me with the sick. I'll have to stay here, Doctor. That's the only way we can make King come back here alone in the fastest possible time. The following morning, before daybreak, White Owl was ready to leave for Dawson. King whined and looked up at Preston doubtfully as the mount he ordered him to get into the large box that was securely tied on the sled. Instinct told him something important was expected of him. So even though he didn't understand it, he jumped into the box when his master ordered it. It's hard to understand, old fella. I know. Get in the box, boy. Up, King. There you were. Now we're going to close you in, King. Going with White Owl. I think you're crazy. All right, White Owl, get going. Give this note to Doctor Carlson. And when you let King go, tell him to find me. We do. Don't spare the dogs, White Owl. Get to Dawson as soon as you can. All right, go on. Maybe King will prove to you that the dog's valuable after all. All right. You don't know how important that might be. Sam, what's wrong with you? You're swaying. All right. I feel funny. Get back in the store right away. She stayed in bed this morning here. Let me help you in. Dawson the city shook his head doubtfully as he read the note that White Owl had brought him. Then he looked gravely at the big gray dog, locked securely in the crate that had been brought into his cabin. But when Sergeant Preston, an old dog pierced who had sent this note, I think someone was either drunk or crazy, trusting a dog to carry Antitoxin all by himself. I have hard time with Dawson. He will want to get out all time. This Antitoxin is precious stuff, and I hate to risk it. Sergeant Preston said Dawson, get back quicker long. Yes, and time is precious too, in a case like this. Maybe him. The question is, will he do it? Nine dogs out of ten would go chasing game or something and never get there. Him what? Go back to Marty. He's a wonderful dog. You want to go back to Preston, too? Him know what you say. He seems to, doesn't he? I'm going to take a chance on you, old fellow. Get him out of that crate, White Owl. Now get the Antitoxin into that saddle pack. There's one thing about sending him out in this weather. The cold will preserve the Antitoxin. Over the white empty wasteland of the Yukon, the huge gray dog sped toward his master. The wind blew an icy blast that froze his breath and quoted his fur in silver frost. He ran with a long, tireless, mile-eating lope like a wolf, and the drops from his lolling tongue froze before they touched the ground. He ran with one thought to get back as fast as possible to his master who needed him. Look, look over there on that plane. Is that a dog? Where? Across with a great bullet. Wonder what he's chasing. Well, it is since we can't catch him to ask him. Flying there by the screen? We, it is. Wait, I will take short of him. That's shot you are. And there he goes over the hill. Oh, that wolf, she was too far away for the hit. Ah, you are only good for scary. Suck my blue. See how fast you run. Around the trading post, darkness had fallen and the patience tossed and groaned on their cots. Sergeant Preston sat beside Sam, whose eyes were bright with fever. Let me fix your pillow, Sam. There. Thanks, Preston. Why does it blizzard, Sam? King couldn't possibly get here until tomorrow, I'm afraid. Sergeant, can you help me? There's a man out in the snow in front of the trading post. He's balling down, I can't carry him in here. Yes, I'll help you, Doctor. We can put him on this cot next to Sam's. There he is. There's something beside him. A box of some sort and it's heavy. You'll get it later. You take his feet, Sergeant. I'll get him on his arms. All right. I'll get the door open. I'll get to shut it with my foot. We don't know yet, Sam. Oh, Sergeant, I'll go out and bring in the box. All right, Doctor. Where'd he come from? He managed to get as far as the door and then collapsed in white. What's wrong? It's Slim. What? Why, it can't be. Slim was murdered. Slim wasn't murdered. King was following Slim's trail, not Jim's. Then whose body is under the ice? We won't know that until Slim gets conscious. Here's the box this man was carrying. It's very heavy. That box belongs to Sam, Doctor. It's full of money. This is the man we were trailing. It's a man who stole the money from Sam and supplies from White Owl and his brother? That's right. There you are, Sam. He must have caught this area from White Owl's brother when they came together that night. Just put it down beside the bed, Doctor. All right. I don't seem to care about it now. All I want is that King to back. Oh, I think Slim's getting conscious, Doctor. He has a high fever. I doubt that he'll live until morning. Hand me that glass of brandy, sir. All right. Where am I? Drink this, Slim. I heard you say... You're a very sick man, sir. Sergeant Preston. Yes, Slim. We trailed you. Then I didn't fool you. We thought it was your body that was dragged down to the hole in the ice, but I guess it was Jim's. You didn't fool my dog, though. No, no, Sergeant. I'm not a murderer. I didn't kill Jim. But the body? I wanted to pretend I was murdered so he wouldn't look for me. Yes? It was an antelope's body. I put it through the ice. An antelope's body? So that's what King was trying to tell me. I followed Jim's trail, sir. You'd think that Jim had killed me. And we did think so, except King. Well, you'd better be quiet now, Slim. Why don't you try to get some sleep yourself, Sergeant? I'm all right, thanks. How are the patients? Two children are getting worse, I'm afraid. Sam's temperature is getting higher. Now, he's asleep, though. No. No, I'm not asleep. I guess I'm done for. No, you're not, Sam. Yep. It was silly to plan on that dog. Don't give up, folks, Sam. King will get here. He probably won't make it till tomorrow night. He has to... Doctor, did you hear something? Just a wind. No, it wasn't a wind. It sounded like it is. It's King! It's us! King, old boy! Doctor, it is King. He made it! The dog! I can't believe it. Come here, old boy. He did it. He saved us. And the aditoxin's here in the saddlebag. Oh, King, old fellow, are you all right? He's not exactly all right. His feet are cut with the body's likes on the floor. And it looks as if somebody's creasing with a bullet. Someone probably thought he was a wolf. Is there enough aditoxin, doctor? Enough to stop this epidemic. And I... I doubt it, King. He saved your life, Sam. And the lives of many others by getting it back here so fast. The child will always be grateful to that dog of yours, Preston. I'll get my hyperdog. Good boy, King, old fellow. Preston, I guess I just never knew enough about dogs. Well, you will, from now on, Sam. They're loyal friends, aren't they, King? Incidents used are fictitious. Listen again next week to another exciting adventure during the days of the Gold Rush. Elprow speaking, this program came to you from Detroit. If you were asked to name the present lightweight boxing champion and you answered, Ike Williams, you'd be right, because Ike is recognized as the world's title holder by the National Boxing Association. If you answered Bob Montgomery, you'd still be correct, because Bobcat Bob is the New York State Athletic Commission's choice for champ. But this confusing situation will be cleared up Monday night, for that's when Montgomery and Williams battle it out for the undisputed lightweight championship of the world. And you'll be able to hear the blow-by-blow account on ABC. A spiked caster, Don Dunphy, will describe the action, and sports expert, Bill Corham, will deliver the between-round analyses and the color background. Considering the fact that both Montgomery and Williams are capable boxers and heavy punchers, plus the fact that they're evenly matched, this fight for the undisputed world's lightweight title promises to be a real thriller. So listen, this Monday night...