 The challenge of the Yukon. The Wonder Dog King, 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 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. When Joe Hannigan walked into the Yellow Nugget Cafe in Dobie City with his small daughter Dolores, the eyes of every man in the crowded room turned to him. It was unusual to see a man bring a small girl into a cafe. What can I do for you, stranger? There's Mike Hannigan's place. I want to see him. Mike, don't see just anyone, mister. He'll see me all right. What's your name? Hannigan. Tell him his brother's here. As Joe stood looking about him, nothing escaped his notice. He watched the gold-changing hands at the card tables and speculated about the profits in the cafe business in the Yukon. The toys of the cafe gave way, and he remembered with twisted humor the series of events that had led his brother, Mike, from Seattle to the Yukon. Yeah, Dolores is a wonderful girl. The first time I ever laid eyes on a Joe, I knew there'd never be anyone else for me. There's only one thing that bothers me. What's that? A dog of hers. I don't like dogs. I never did. But she's crazy about all dogs. I don't know what it is, but somehow or other, she seems to talk their language. Well, come on. I promise I'd stop over to see her before I leave town. Mike, before you leave, I wonder if you'd do something for me. Sure. What is it? Wags needs a new car. Will you bring one back with you? Uh-huh. I think the one he had before. That's right. I'll go to the door with you. Fine. Well, so long, Joe. Bye, Mike. Have a nice trip. Yeah. How long have you been gone a few days? No, Wags. You stay in here with Joe. I'll keep an eye on you. The ugly mutt. I never knew of anyone winning a girl by poisoning her dog. Well, it'll Mike get back here with a dog collar. Him buying a collar for a dead dog. I'll be buying a wedding ring for his girl. Oh, he's hated Wags. I knew it. He didn't make any secret of it, but... but I never thought he'd kill him. Well, maybe he was jealous on Doris. He probably felt you thought more of poor old Wags than you did of him. He didn't mean any harm, I'm sure. Wags? Oh, he could be so cruel. Joe remembered Doris and turned to him. And a short time later, they were married. Mike left Seattle before the wedding. If after her marriage Doris realized her mistake, she never said anything. Yes, Joe remembered. Ten years was a long time. There he is, Mike. Says his name is Hanigan Joe. Hello, Mike. Why the layout you got here? How've you been? When did you... Oh, this is Dolores, Mike. Dolores, huh? Hello. Well, I'll be... You know, Dolores, you look just like your mother. Do I? I don't remember my mother. I do. She was a very beautiful woman. How do you like it up here in the Yukon? Oh, I like it fine. Especially I like the dog. That's another way she's like her mother, Mike. Has that same way of making friends with every stray dog that comes along. You sure do look a lot like my daddy. Smart little thing, too. Say, Joe, how's everything going for you? I mean, how are you fixed for money? Well... Ever since Doris died, me and the kids... Well, how about letting me stake you? Stake me? Ah, a lot of fellas get grub-staked up here. Before you know it, they had paid us. You always were a lucky son of a gun, Joe. Listen, breaking my back, swinging a pick is out of my line, Mike. We can talk about that later. I'll let you have whatever you need. Come on over here and meet the boys. Hey, Red, I want you to meet my kid brother, Joe. Oh, it's time we shoved off, Mike. Joe, I've been thinking... You wanted to take Dolores tramping around with you. It's not good for her. Can't phase on such a good atmosphere for a little girl to grow up in. I guess I can do for her right now. We'll be seeing you. Let me know if you need anything. I want to do everything I can for the kid. I figured that was the way it would feel. Oh, goodbye, Dolores. Bye, Uncle Mike. You have to come and visit us sometime. You bet I will, honey. Take care of her, Joe. He's an awesome nice man, isn't he, Daddy? Yeah. Doesn't he have any little girl like me? No. Where are we going now? I'd like to... Oh, look! Oh, King. Oh, you musties. Oh, what a wonderful dog! King, quiet, King. Come here. Dolores, stay away from that dog. Stay away in here. I like you, dog. What's a dog mean? Hi. His name's King. Is he yours? Yes, he is. King. Oh, you're very lucky to have this dog. And all the others, too. King is a fine dog, young lady. And what's your name? I'm Dolores. Dolores Hanigan. This is my daddy. Hello, Dolores. Come on, I said. Bye, King. Bye. In all my years on the trail, I've never seen anything like it. A little girl coming up to a pack of huskies she's never seen before and not a quiver of fear. Well, seems like the young lady has a way with dogs, huh, fella? Hanigan. He looked a lot like Mike. And yet, you growl at him. As Sergeant Preston stood musing, Joe Hanigan and his daughter made their way to a small square cabin. Before the man had a chance to knock, the door jerked open. I love a peek. What kept you, Joe? Oh, I wanted to see my brother, Mike. He sure went for the kid here. Yeah. This ain't no place for us, see? I know what I'm doing. She's got me out of more jams and a smart lawyer. Folks just take one look at her and figure I must be all right. You should have seen her with that policeman a while back. Every dog she meets eats out of her hand. The policeman's dogs treated her like she was a long lost friend. A big dog named King. King? A dog named King with a policeman. Hey, that must have been Preston or the Mollies. Kind of interferes with my plans, Joe. I didn't know he was in town. You've been shy of lawman ever since that time in Frisco, Charlie. We don't have nothing to worry about. Forget about that. Keep that kid of yours away from the dogs up here. They ain't house pets, see? Work dogs. Most of them have wolf blood in their veins. Dolores, we want to talk for a while. How about going outside? All right, Daddy. Just don't go too far from the cabin. Bye. Bye. I sent for you because I think we can make a rich haul. Yeah. But before we start anything, Charlie, I'm going into the cafe business. My brother of yours must be a pushover to catch you. And Mike ain't taking me into the business. He's moving out of it. I got things figured this way. The night about nine o'clock, you ought to be sitting in his office. You will be outside the window. Uh-huh. Build a butt like you. That's right. And you let him have it. Yeah, we can't pull that with a Mollie in town. He'll be at the cafe keeping his eyes open. So much of better. Line chances out at 10, he'll go straight to Mike. You can drop him killing two birds with one stone, you might say. Sounds pretty noisy about that time. Yeah, I could slip in the front and mix with a crowd. Yeah, I think you got something there. Remember, we go 50-50 on the deal. Meanwhile, King and Sergeant Preston were making the rounds of Dobie City. Mike Hannigan walked with them, talking happily about his niece and his brother Joe. The great dog King had tilted his nose in the air, stopping for a moment. The cold air brought the scent of the small girl he recognized as a friend earlier in the day to his keen nostrils. Reaching up, he gently caught Preston's hand in his teeth, pulling him toward the river. Even before they reached the water's edge, Mike's eyes widened in horror. They saw Dolores delightedly jumping from one ice flow to another, unconscious of the danger of the treacherous current. King knew from experience its power, and quickly he lunged into the icy water. A piece of ice Dolores stood on, spun suddenly, throwing her off balance. That's it, boy! We only get to her before that ice starts downstream. Dolores! Hey, Dolores! All right, boy. Now hold on to her, Dolores. She's got her. If he can only make it back. Space white, Joe stood by helpless, watching King, every second seeming like ours. King did make it back, and it was Mike who took off his mackinac on the biting wind to wrap it around the shivering girl. Joe stood by later, too, in the Yellow Nugget Cafe, while Sergeant Preston and Mike rubbed warmth into his daughter's cold hands and feet. Oh, King, old boy. You did a great job, fella. He's such a good dog. Joe, you shouldn't have brought her up here. This is no place for her. She'll be running risk like that all the time. No, I don't think Joe made a mistake, Mike. We want to build worthwhile communities in this wilderness. One of the best ways to do it is to establish family life. You know, men come to the Yukon chiefly for gold. But children like Dolores make them want to use the gold to build something better. That's your job, Monty. But not entirely, Joe. It's everybody's job. King knows that. Men who have their families with them here look for gold because it's a means to give their wives and children security. It's everybody's job to protect that security. Dolores is your family. And believe me, she deserves the best. It was ten minutes to nine at night. Dolores was tucked in bed upstairs over the cafe. And with King at his side, Sergeant Preston mingled with the crowd in the yellow nugget, looking carefully at the men lining the bar and at the card tables. In his office, Mike Hannigan went over the cafe's books. I thought you were with the boys, Joe. Hey, what, see you. I'll be out in a little while. I want in a few things in the books. I can wait, Mike. Besides, Dolores wants you to tell her a story. A story? Yeah, sure. Just make something up. You know, something about that girl with the yellow hair that went to see her sick grandmother? Oh, you've got a mixed up, Joe. A kid with the yellow hair went to visit three bears. I think. Well, go on up and tell her about them. Maybe that'll put her to sleep. It was King who heard the shot first. Sergeant Preston walked quickly to the office. As he stood in the doorway, King hurled all his weight against the man. He knocked him to the floor. And not a moment too soon. The window. He's firing from outside. Thanks, King. Steady, old boy. He's already got Mike. Wait, King. I'll shoot the light out. Then rush over and open the door. There he goes, King. Get off me! Get off, you munt! Get off my gunhand and I'll show him! Hold it, King! Hold it! Get this dog away from me! All right, boy. I've got the gun. Get him down! Get up and remember you're covered. Now walk ahead of me. In this door. Sergeant Preston, it's Joe. Joe? He's backwards to the window. I thought... You know him, huh? I think he shot the wrong man, Mike. Oh, Brian. Charlie, huh? He might be O'Brien to you, but he's a murderer known as Conklin. Charlie Conklin in San Francisco. I've been trailing him ever since I got the handbills on him. He worked with another man in the States. The authorities never had any definite information on his accomplice. Joe, he... He came in about five minutes ago and asked me to go up and tell the lawyers a story. I said I would put her to sleep, but she was already asleep when I got out there. Hey, double-cross me, the dirty skunk. You was to be in that chair. You mean... Joe knew you were gonna... Surely, no. I'd have got you too, Monty, if it hadn't been for that dog of yours. You're under arrest, Conklin. Mike, I think this might have been Joe's way of making Dolores security sure. You'll have to be her father now. Yes, King. The case is closed. These copyrighted dramas originate in the studios of WXYZ Detroit and all characters, names, places and incidents used are fictitious. They're sent to you each week at the same time. This is Jack McCarthy...