 The challenge of the Yukon on King 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 pulleys who prayer of law and order in the new Northwest country Where the 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 Sergeant Preston and his big lead dog King were spending the night with Joe Williams a trapper in the Yukon As they sat before the stove after supper Preston and Joe smiled as they watched King Carefully and slowly the big dog walked around a porcupine that ambles slowly across the floor of the cabin You got a smart dog sergeant Knows better than to get too close to porcupines had experience with them before I Think he's puzzled by porcupines being here in the cabin crazy having a porcupine for a pet But he's good company. It's better to have him to talk to than talking to myself And of course he never argues or gets mean I can think of pets that aren't as nice Porky's little doesn't eat much and he's clean. I knew an old man up and fought him while I had a pet bear He was a fine animal tamas a kitten. I'd be afraid of them sergeant. You never know when they'll turn on you Did he get him when he was a cub? Yes. In fact, I was with them when he got him We're on a hunting trip in the spring. I'll never forget that day We were stalking a caribou lemon's ahead of me He never could shoot very well, but I didn't know until they didn't wear glasses because although he'd had a pair They were broken so he tried to get along without them. Anyway, lemon went ahead through a thicket Suddenly I saw some bushes move beside him and a big brown bear rushed at him Oh that was lucky she almost got you That's the first time I ever saw a bear attack like that Look, that's why I got a cub with a He's just a baby But on wind from him must have surprised them He's too little to be afraid of your lamb now I ain't gonna hurt you Look at him Preston. He's as cute as a kitten He sure is was kind of mean of us to make an orphan out of you young fella Wonder what we'd better do with him Have to with him. I'm gonna take him home and make a pet out of him Maggie went and let my pet one go we even got a dog around. Well, if your wife didn't like having a pet coon She's not going to be too happy about a pet bear Shucks even Maggie couldn't help liking this little fella. She's gonna have to like him I always had a hankman for a pet bear Remember he's not going to stay that size if he grows as big as his mother There won't be any room for you and Maggie in your cabin any a big good protection. I'm gonna call him brownie. Yes, sir Brownie you're looking right at your foster parents now on. I'm your pappy We got back to limbs cabin when Maggie heard us coming she let King out I left him with her that day King came running to meet Oh Miss me didn't you follow you think you bite brownie no lamb put brownie down on the ground Careful game don't hurt him. Oh Swear sergeant, I think that dog knows everything you say look at him. He's licking brownie. Oh, King knows. He's just a baby Brownie's not afraid of him either Gum their friends already that cub is going to have the best disposition in the world. He likes everybody Everybody likes brownie now you come here. Look what the sergeant and I brought home to you Well, look at him Maggie ain't he the cutest darn thing what? Bear car yeah, I just know you'd like him who said I liked him The sergeant here. He said he knows you'd be crazy about that. Well, he is a cute little Got rid of that pesky raccoon you had lemon now you bring home a bear Look even King likes him. We'll call him brownie Maggie Poor young fella. We shot his ma and he's all alone in the world I bet he's hungry, too Now you wouldn't want to turn him loose before he can even help himself, would you? We get to you to work on my sympathy All right, bring him in no use arguing and letting the supper get cold. Come on Looks as if you won land. Yep. Well, come on brownie. We got you over the first hurdle You know those little cubs can get into a lot of mischief land. Well, don't tell Maggie that I can only keep him Since he gets fond of him it'll be all right Oh Now you just help yourself sergeant. I knew you two would be hungry In my flower and who said bears were different. Oh, you weren't a very good nursemaid King Well look at him He looks like a polar bear cub. Well, never mind brownie. I'll take you out and brush you off You'll be just as good as new again One was right about that bear that had the best disposition of any animal I've ever seen Even Maggie got fond of him, but thought she had to stick to her guns about getting rid of him when he was big I think she was just looking for an excuse to keep him. She finally found one She told me about it right after it happened I was delighted Decided to keep brownie even we is getting big as all get out. Glad to hear it Maggie brownies are fine The only reason no no I meant it when I said he should get out when he was big enough Woman has a right to change your mind and after the other day. I decided he was good protection brownie protection Hey, he wouldn't hurt a flea. Oh people don't know him think he would I was all alone in this cabin the other day Lem was down working his claim and that's a quarter of a mile from here Well brownie was in the cabin and I was just about to shoe him out when I looked out the window And I saw two strange men coming one was a half-breed and looked ugly Well, I just got to the door when it opened the half-breed been breaking You get out of here Why'd you open that door? Get back I say get caught out of this door. Yeah, we hungry One food drink me. Well, I I haven't anything here go somewhere else Where's the door open we'll help our side. I'm not alone. I'll show you Brownie brownie come here. Oh We not afraid of Oh He's getting big enough to scare anybody Anyway, we're going to keep him. He's getting a little more sense now that he's older But he still steal things to eat. Oh, I brought you a pail of honey this trip. You better keep it somewhere where brownie can't get at it Yes, I do we better hang it from the ceiling honey's his favorite weakness. That's mine, too on Maggie's flat It's out on my sled lamb. Well, I'll get it The best of friends The Johnson's live knew the trail that I patrol regularly and I saw the morphin so the two animals didn't forget each other However, I didn't see lemon Maggie till the following summer I was on horseback the king always ran beside me when I rode up to the cabin Maggie opened the door And Maggie you're looking well lamb here No, I'll walk down and find him it'll do me good. I've been riding so long Here's another pail of honey for you. Of course, you're not hinting what you want for supper. Well now I wonder what would go well with honey All right, go on and kill him and I'll have flapjacks waiting for you wonderful Maggie. Come on But you know my voice even if you can't see very well It's time to quit work lamb, but Where's brownie? I didn't see him at the cabin. Well, he was here a while ago with me Yes, he went over to the berry patch. There's a bunch of berry bushes near here, and he sure loves them They're ripe this time of year. How is he? Well, wait till you see him sergeant He's as tall as I am when he stands on his hind feet. Come on. We'll find him I want to show you how he wrestles with me bet you never seen anything like this And we got to the berry patch and we sneak the quiet The berries were big and ripe and there was the bear so busy eating them that he didn't turn his head Then king did a strange thing Instead of bounding out at brownie the way he usually did he stopped beside me and the fur on his neck bristled Then let out a whoop and rushed forward grabbing the bear around the neck The bounty world with one terrific blow we not Then with a roar the bear charged the prone figure of lamb Like a stick of light king sprang at those beast his fangs tearing at the bear's shoulder For a second the bear's charge stopped and I pulled my revolver and emptied it into the bear The big body sprawled had long about two feet from lambs. He raised himself slowly Well, let me you're all right Your shirts torn to ribbons man in your back splitting brownie What happened? I had to kill him. I hadn't need to kill you brownie. I can't understand He was my friend as I know them it turned on King too. Are you all right boy? Guess you didn't get hurt. I shouldn't have scared him. Maybe I come back to your cabin limb. Don't look at him I'll come back here later. I can't believe he's dead. I just can't believe he'd do it Just can't believe Have to carry them most of the way back to see he was weak from shock and pain Then as we near the cabin I heard Maggie What's wrong with me, I don't know Len Maggie He's hurt No reason at all brownie attack me brownie when I had to shoot him Maggie Just now he's back in the very bad. What why he's no such thing Didn't you hear me yelling at him just now? I'm in the cabin and stole that whole pale of honey You you mean brownie still alive. Yes Look at him. There. He is honey dripping from his chest and jowls like a punctured beehive Then the bear that attacked you wasn't brownie All about will tell you all about it Maggie, but please The next time Lem's in town I'd suggest he got a pair of glasses All right, I realized later that King knew it wasn't brownie from the beginning his brownie still with land No, yes, he roams around but always comes back. Well, you can have your bear I'd rather have a little pet like porky here. Oh personally. I prefer dogs. Don't I King? Oh These copyrighted dramas originate in the studios of WXYZ Detroit and all characters names places and incidents used are fictitious They are sent to you each week at this same time. This is Larry McCann speaking. This is the Michigan radio network