 The challenge of the Yukon. Our king! Our new husband king! Dog King, swiftest and strongest of Eskimo lead dogs, places 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. Benjamin Holmes had been a brilliant man, too brilliant. For who is to know or ever understand the strangest and most mysterious of all things? Man's mind. In 1890, Professor Holmes had suffered a nervous breakdown, and everyone in Kotalpa felt a great compassion for the small, kindly man who absently went his own way. Everyone smiled at his harmless peculiarities. That is, everyone except Joe Flaherty, who was deeply, and it seemed hopelessly, in love with Barbara Holmes. It was early evening in the spring, and on the broad, white-painted porch of the Holmes house in the quiet college town, Joe sat on the swing, talking to Barbara. Surely you can understand how I feel, Joe? No. No, I don't understand. You say you love me, Barbara. And I do. Oh, if that were true, you would have married me long before this. Why must we waste our lives? Why must you be... Because Dad needs me. Well, that's the answer to it, I guess. If you loved me, you'd marry me. Joe wouldn't only be a matter of a few years. The doctors say Dad will be well again. Then, then they'll get married. In the meantime, he's plotting out all these crazy schemes. You know what he's talking about now? Going to Peru. Last week it was that invention of his. But those things are harmless. They don't hurt anyone. They're just ideas. They're hurting us. Last time I'll explain it to you, Joe. When I was a child, he took care of me. I needed him. Now he's weak and I'm strong. A sort of reversal of romance. And I must take care of him. Weakness. Weakness is a disease. It's harmful. Because there'll always be strong people on whom the weak will lean, just as your father is doing now. Send him to an institution. Joe! Oh, Joe, he's not unbalanced. He's sick. And it will take time and patience to cure him. Let me see it in his eyes. They're clouded and uncertain where they weren't so sure. There's nothing uncertain about the way he's tying up your life right now. The next thing you know is going to be taking off on some of those schemes and you'll be going right with him. Peru. Yes. Yes, I'll be going with him. I don't suppose you'll ever understand. No matter where he goes or what he does, I'll stay with him till he's well again. What was that you were saying, Barbara Child? Oh, dad, I thought you were in your studies. So I was, my dear, so I was. I overheard part of what you were saying about going with me. Oh, good evening, Joe. How are you? Yes, I... What was I saying? Oh, yes. You know, Barbara, I uncovered that old diary of your Uncle Mort. Oh, you mean the one he kept while he was away all that time? Yes, that's it. Very interesting. He tells about his experiences in the part of British America where no white man had ever been. Oh, I remember. He used to tell me a lot of stories about that when I was a child. I believe they were true stories. He did a great deal of talking about a wealth of gold in that country, and in the diaries he left me there's a definite map, a map showing the way to what he terms the richest vein of gold in the world. You imagine? Yeah, you imagine. Joe, too bad he never lived long enough to go back there, dad. My dear, I'll tell you what we're going to do. You and I will go up there. Yes, that's what we'll do. We'll go to this place and find that gold your Uncle Morty will discover. But, Professor Holmes, you don't begin to know anything about mining or prospecting. Huh? Why, there's been no discovery of gold in any part of British America. You'd be better off going to Peru. At least you'd stand a chance of uncovering some Peruvian ruins. But gold in that snow-covered North country. Because nobody knows about it. Besides, it isn't up there, my boy. It's there, and Barbara and I will find it. Let's start off for some place. You don't know anything about it. We not only can, but we will. By that, we'll begin packing tomorrow. Joe, it's come a letter from Barbara. From Barbara? Here. Aren't you going to open it? Yes, of course. Are they coming back? Are they? Oh, no, isn't that ridiculous? I was so excited. I never even noticed the postmark. It's postmark Dawson. Yukon Territory. Short time later, Joe left the United States. The boat he took passed in mid-ocean, the small steamer that was to nose its way from Alaska through Puget Sound to dock in Seattle, bearing a cargo that would electrify the world. A ton of gold. When the last and greatest gold rush began, Joe Flaherty was already in the Yukon Territory, looking for something that was far more valuable to him than the glittering ore that meant wealth and power. Several months after his arrival in the Yukon, Joe Flaherty lost his lead dog. In a country where dogs were the only sure means of transportation, he had to buy another one. That was how he came one day to bargain with an old timer who sold Huskies and Malamutes. That's a good-looking dog there, huh? Oh, uh, that Husky. Yeah. Listen, mister, that dog has the meanest disposition you ever seen. He'll kill anything on four legs or two. I threw his feed into that their cage, but he's a working fool. Well, that's the lot of them. Got some mighty fine dogs here. How much for that Husky? Joe Flaherty bought the Husky. The dog's name was Duke, a mean and surly animal, his face and body marked by the teeth of the dogs and animals he'd met in combat. At heart, he was wild, but both the dog and the man recognized the silent bond that existed between them. Duke had been owned by many men, but he had accepted none of them as a master until Joe bought him. They covered countless hundreds of miles along the frozen trails of the Yukon, and then one night they made camp with another man, Reverend Walden. That dog of yours is going to be lucky if he gets away from those wolves alive. He'll fight anything his own size or bigger. Yes, but a pack of hungry wolves. You could break up that fight by firing a shot into the pack. He'll come out all right. He doesn't, it'll be because he's weak, weaker than those wolves. Animals have the right idea. Kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest. The next night, when he stood talking to Sergeant Preston and a friend of his, Reverend Walden spoke thoughtfully, his eyes staring unseeingly at the comfort of the small, warm cabin. And he stood there watching the fight, Sergeant. That dog was worth several hundred dollars, but he wouldn't interfere because of that philosophy of his. That is odd. I've never known a man to risk a lead dog in a fight with wolves. Very foolhardy, I'd see. Yet, as I watched his face, I could see the struggle going on inside of him. He loved the dog. I've only seen a few men like him before. Well, another year or so, and he will have completely lost all compassion for human weakness and suffering. That sort of man frequently makes a very dangerous killer, doesn't he, Sergeant? Yes, that's sometimes the case, Reverend Walden. You say the dog came out all right in the fight. He killed one of the wolves, and I'm sure one or two more of them carried the marks of his teeth. There's no mistake about it, he's a fighter, wild and cunning, and merciless. The dog's name was Duke, and the man, the young fellow Joe Flaherty. Flaherty? That's odd. Joe Flaherty. Could you describe him, Reverend Walden? Benjamin Holmes listened silently to the minister's description. Then the Mountie and the minister listened while he talked. So perhaps it would be a good idea if we were to meet this young man. He may be the same Joe Flaherty, my daughter, and I know and could talk to him. He certainly needs understanding and help, Professor Holmes. He's been badly hurt spiritually, and I'm afraid he'd look on me as an intruder. We'll start out in the morning, Professor Holmes. You and I. I'm going up to Black Creek anyway, and what Reverend Walden said we shouldn't meet him along the trail. Splendid. We won't say anything to Barbara about it. I'm sure it would make her very happy to see an old friend. This is a rather lonely place for the girl. I'll see you in the morning, then, Sergeant. It was late the next evening when Sergeant Preston with the great dog King leading his pack of dogs halted the team at a camp beside the trail. Then they looked about for some signs of the man whose sled and packs were beside the campfire. The great dog King walked through the snow not far from Preston, and the man and girl who were with him. It was while they walked toward the tall and imposing timber that King became conscious of the other dog's presence. King sensed the Huskies' antagonism, and as he looked at the dog approaching him, he knew he was looking for a fight. He realized this stranger was not only anxious to assert his supremacy, but determined to. Quietly, the great dog stood in the snow while the other, broad-breasted and white-fang, came toward him. It was then Preston turned at the outrage of the Mounties' vision. Joe Flaherty stood behind the two dogs. Dodging and returning plus, King measured his antagonism and realized his skill and swiftness. His eyes glowed with a sudden terrible concentration of awareness, a long bushy tail curling high above his body that King buried his fangs in a fight that was as primitive and ageless as the struggle for life itself. His teeth found their mark again and again. The Husky would challenge him to in one glaring painful instant that here he had met his match, and he sensed too an ugly muscle of his body, steals the strength and fierceness of past victories that this was a battle to the death for him. He would have extended no mercy to his foe, and he expected none. He fought on, or though he had lost, he would not retreat. It's mine, King! I've never seen that before. I don't understand it. Whenever Duke's fought with another dog, he's killed him. That's why he's lying in the snow now. He's waiting for the death blow. There won't be any death blow. Your dog put up a good fight. I didn't see it start, but he made a mistake when he decided to take King over. King, huh? Well, King isn't a coward, I'll say that. Duke started the fight, fairly and fairly. Funny? What's funny? I feel almost humble, as if that dog of yours had suddenly made a magnificent gesture. He was challenged, yet he spared Duke. Duke. Here, boy. Sergeant Preston, Sergeant... Oh, Dad's so excited. He's discovered three pine trees that he thinks is a landmark to that pine uncle Mortimer discovered. Barbara! Barbara! Joe. Joe, is it really you? I can't believe it. Oh, I... All this time, I've been looking for you. Oh, darling, I... Well, I have the map right here. There's no doubt about it. We've located the gold. Well... Hello. Hello, Professor Holmes. I guess I might tell you now. Marry your daughter. I'm not even asking your permission, sir. With or without it, I'm marrying her. He's right, Dad. Well, this isn't unusual at all. Because Sergeant Preston... Is that your dog, Joe? Yes. He'll have to do some recuperating before he's able to hit the trail again. Oh, fella. Say, I didn't even notice I was talking to a Monty. I'm Joe Flaherty. Let's see how you came out of that fight. There's no question about how he came out of it, Sergeant. Almost as good as new. But Duke here... Kind of seems like the Duke bound to the king. But don't let that bother you, fella. Because I've bound to my queen. Darling. Yes, fella. I think everything here has worked out all right. These copyrighted dramas originate in the studios of WXY Z Detroit and all characters, names, places and incidents used are fictitious. They're sent to you each week at this same time.