 The challenge of the Ocon. On, King! On, your huskies! The Wonder Dog King, swiftest and strongest of Eskimo-Leave dogs, blazed the trail through storm and snow for Sergeant Preston as he meets the challenge of the Ocon. Sergeant Preston was typical of the small band of Northwest Monty Police who preserved low in 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. Charlie Riker and his son Billy lived on the outskirts of Selkirk in the UConn country. Billy's mother had died the year before and Billy, though only 13, had matured rapidly in an effort to be a companion to his father. They had set traps along the creek near their cabin and on the winter morning, as the pale son filtered through the clouds, they were inspecting their traps. We have better luck this time and I can't figure why we haven't done better this winter. I still think somebody's been fooling with our traps, Dad. Pierre Lagarde has had the same trouble we have and his traps are set near ours. And if someone is robbing our traps, he's mighty clever at it. Listen, that sounds like a dog. Either someone is beating it or it's caught in a trap. Now come on, but be quiet. I hate you! I don't mean you crap! I say stay back! Tell your life! Hey, you! Quit beating that dog! Poor fellow! What's the idea of it? Look, Howard, look at him run. I guess he was afraid you'd give him some of his own medicine. This poor dog can barely stand up. He's just a pup. Hello there, boy. Duty half-breed almost killed him. Dad, let's take him home with us. He's hurt. No, but he isn't our dog, son. That man will probably come back for him. And the way he was running, I doubt it. Well, wait a minute. Look over here. What is it? Isn't this one of Pierre's traps? Yes, this is the end of his trap line. Well, why, look, someone... That half-breed ran because we practically caught him red-handed robbing Pierre's trap. No, he's the one who's been doing it. We better go into town and report this right away. You got a good look at him, didn't you, son? I sure did. He had a long scar on his cheek. I didn't know that ugly face anywhere. But what about this dog, Dad? We'll take him home, and I'll go to town and report this to the modern police. Two weeks later, Billy rushed eagerly to the door as he heard Sergeant Preston's dog team stop in front of the cabin. A gangling pup rose to his feet and rushed to the door with him. I'm not going out, Flash. Go back and lie down. Hi, Dad. Hello, Sergeant Preston. Did that half-breed go to jail? Yes, Bill. He's been sent to prison for two years. Your dad identified him. That'll teach him to rob traps and beat dogs. Won't it, Flash? Well, that dog's turning out fine, Billy. Sergeant Preston says you can keep him, son. Oh, thanks, Sergeant. I'd sure hate to give him up now. He's a wonderful dog. Good home is all he needed, Bill. Culek was cruel to him. I'm surprised he has any spirit left. He's got lots of spirit, haven't you, boy? As spring and summer passed, Flash and Billy became constant companions. The dog grew rapidly, and by the time the snow returned, he was a huge, big-chested husky, completely devoted to his young master. He lay before the crackling fire with his head on Billy's lap and sleepily listened to the voices of the young boy and his father. I'm going to have to make the trip to Dawson, Billy, for the weather gets too bad. You go without me this time, Dad. I'm old enough to stay alone. No, son, you'd better come with me. I'd worry about you. But, Dad, I just set up my trap line. I can't leave it now. I'll have Flash with me, and Pierre isn't far away. I don't think you could make out here all alone, son. Your meals and... You know I'm a good cook. Flash and I can get along fine. Can't we, boy? Well, I don't blame you for not wanting to go. It's a long trip up there. Wouldn't go myself if it weren't absolutely necessary. Please let us stay here. It would make me feel kind of grown up, as if you finally decided I was a man. Oh. It might be a good experience for you at that. I'm afraid you'll be lonesome, though. Flash is good company. We won't mind. I'll be so busy with my traps and everything, the time will fly. Well, that's the way you want it, son. I guess we can try it this once. I better leave in the morning. I'll be gone a long time, Billy. Take about two weeks to get up to Dawson. You sure you won't change your mind? No, Dad. Flash and I want to stay here. It had taken Charlie more than two weeks to get to Dawson's city from Selkirk. He was tired and hungry as he walked toward the northern hotel, when suddenly he heard his name called. Charlie. Charlie Weger. Hello, President. What are you doing in Dawson? I'm up here on business. Just got in. I was lucky I saw you. It's on the way to the telegraph station to wire you. What for? The news had had quartered, Charlie. Kulik, that half-breed you sent to prison, has escaped. Escaped? I thought I should warn you. It was your testimony that jailed him. Now, it's not likely that he'll go back to your territory, but we never can tell. Sometimes, the desire for revenge is stronger than caution. But as long as you're up here, nothing to worry about. Oh, but there is. I left Billy alone. You mean Billy isn't with you? Well, he wanted to stay and take care of his traps. I left him alone with Flash. Were you planning to stay on Dawson for a while? I should stay at least a week. I can't now. If Kulik is loose, I'm heading back there right away. I'll never forget the look he gave me when they took him off to jail. Didn't say a word. But those eyes of his spelled murder. It's my job to catch Kulik, Charlie. There's a chance that he may come back to Selkirk and that's where I'm planning to go. Well, if you're around, there's nothing for me to worry about. Then why don't you stay here on Dawson and finish your business? I'll leave for Selkirk in the morning and I'll stay at your cabin with Billy. You don't know what a relief this is, Preston. It's almost impossible for me to leave now. Uh, how long will it take you to get there? Oh, I can do it in less than two weeks, if that's what is good. Even if Kulik does plan to go back to Selkirk, it'll take him almost that long to get there. Yes, but if he does get to Selkirk... Well, that's not moral trouble, Charlie. If he does get there first, let's hope he spends some time looking for you instead. Billy missed his father. The weeks had gone by fast. As he neared their cabin in the feeding light, he felt a pang of loneliness. He brightened as he heard someone call. Hello, Billy! Oh, Pierre, is that you? Wee! Wee! How are you? I'm fine. Gee, I'm glad you came. You can help me with flash. Got a bad cut on his foot. See, he's running on three legs. Wee! Or maybe on some sharp ice, huh? I guess that's how we did it. Oh, that will not be hard to fix. Come on home with me and stay for supper. That's just what I planned to do. Your father. He will be home soon. Not for a couple of weeks, I'm afraid. Did you want to see him about something? No. No, no, I just want to tell you... keep your storeroom locked. Last night, someone get in mine. He steals salt and quarter of caribou I have hanging there. Toll it. Well, who could have done that? I have seen Marcus and track all around the back of cabin. I wonder why I didn't just ask you for the food. You'd have given it to him. The game is plentiful around here, too. Maybe he has no gun to shoot it. Anyway, you keep good luck on door. I didn't even lock the cabin when I left this morning. Here, Flash. Get in, boy. Come in, Pierre. Wee! What's wrong, Flash? That doll's here. He sees something you think? There's no one here. Oh, wait, I'll light this lamp. His hair is standing up on his back. He's never acted like this before. Pierre, look. That window was open. Wee! Someone has been in this cabin, maybe. They didn't have to come through the window. The door was open. Maybe whoever comes does not want you to see his track in front of cabin. Maybe he hear us come, go out, but has not time to shut window. It's too bad Flash was limping beside me instead of running ahead the way he always did. That doll. He acts funny. Maybe it's same man who robbed me of food. He has take something you think? I had my gun with me, but my knife was here on this table. It's gone. That is same robber who steal from me, I bet you. Nothing else is missing that I can see. Oh, well, it's probably just some Indian who lost his pack. Billy, tomorrow you lock cabin when you go see your traps. I'll do better than that. I'll leave Flash here to guard the place. I can't take him with me on a con of his sore foot anyway. He'll keep anybody out who tries to get in, unless he's a friend. It was late the following evening when Sergeant Preston stopped his dog team in front of Billy's cabin. All right, King, you can come. It's funny there's no life. Billy must be in bed. Billy, it's Sergeant Preston. The door's unlocked. Billy, are you here? Right back, Flash. Stay in there. He's still Flash, but I like this light. It's funny, he's not here. You seem worried, fella. It's not like Billy to leave you here alone like this. Think you can find him? Maybe we better leave him. Come here, boy. You better put a leash on him. There, now come along. Come on, King. Find Billy Flash. Through the forest, Sergeant Preston with Flash on leash and King beside him kept on the trail of Billy. The moody, unable to see the trail had to follow the lead of the dogs through the darkness. Not so fast, Flash. Wait a minute, boy. We're tangled in a slicket. All right, fella, let's go. It should be getting closer. I smell smoke. All right, Flash. Find Billy, fella. Deep in the forest, a few miles from the cabin, a small campfire lighted the cruel face of Culek, the half-breed as he stood before Billy. The cold bitten to the boy's flesh as his hands were growing numb and as he struggled with the ropes that bound him to a tree. The ugly scarred face of the half-breed drew closer. You tell where Father goes. I won't tell you. You've got my rifle. You'll kill him. You tell. Go ahead, hit me if that'll do you any good. We see. You coward. I won't tell you. Even if you torture me. We try it. No, no. Get him. Go! Go! Back, Flash. One place there. Stay there for a while. All right, King, back. Put him up. Get up, Culek. You're not hurt. Take dog away. Him back. He did not bite you. You're lucky I held that other dog back. He'll be dead by now. He hasn't forgotten what you did to him when he was a pup watching Gengar. Oh, Sergeant, I'm glad you got here. I'll cut these ropes, Billy. Don't try anything funny, Culek. Well, that dog will tear you to pieces. He sneaked up on me while I was tending my trap. It was almost dark and I didn't see him. He wanted me to tell him where Dad was. Well, it's a good thing you didn't, Billy. He might have killed you after he did. How did you find me, Sergeant? How did you know something was wrong? Well, Flash brought me to you, Billy. I knew you wouldn't leave him there if you went away. He was very excited. He seemed to know that you were in trouble. Culek was in our cabin. He stole my knife. Flash recognized his scent. Had a hard time holding your dog back, Bill. Luckily, I put him on leash or I couldn't have kept up with him in the dark. Look at him. I sure wanted to get out that half-breed. He saved my life. He jumped him just in time. Yes, he did, Bill. Is Flash's foot better? What? I didn't know anything was wrong with it. Oh, look, it's bleeding. Poor fella. He was so worried about you. He didn't think about himself. Flash, old boy. King's pretty wonderful, Sergeant, but I've got a fine dog, too. You sure have, Billy. Come on, Culek. We're going back to prison. Watch him, King. These copyrighty 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 the same time. Hue Holder speaking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.