 But, shallon of the Yukon! On King! On you, Huskies! The Wonder-dog King, fastest and strongest of Eskimo-lead dogs, blazes the trail through storm and snow for Sergeant Preston, as they meet. But, shallon of the Yukon! Sergeant Preston was typical of the small band of Northwest-knotted 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 shallon, and justice ruled Plampin. The howling winds seemed to resent the defiance of Sergeant Preston and those with him, who made their slow way through the blinding blizzard toward Hutchins' trading post. The malty was taking in the killer, Jules Bazar. Joe Grant, the fur trapper and his daughter Marie, had insisted on going with Preston. In the fury of the Yukon storm, with early darkness closing in, they regretted their decision. Big rock up ahead. See it? Is it? Is it a landmark? Get behind that rock. Here, King. Self-join, eh, fellow? You missed my shoulder to release. This will give us a chance to catch our breath. Sergeant, are you sure we're going in the right direction? King won't lead us to Stray, Marie. He'll get more confidence in that dog than I have. This one? Come here. Now what is matter, Mr. Law? You want to tie this rope around your waist. You fear Big Jules' escape, huh? You'll not escape. Here, Grant. Tie this rope around your waist. I shouldn't have insisted on coming with you. Now let me tie it around your waist. There you are. Father was so anxious to get to the post before we got snowed in. Why are you tying us together like this, Preston? We've got to go along the rim of Longfall Canyon. Be safer if we're tied together, like mountain climbers. We're going a single file about 10 feet apart. Right, Grant? Yes, I guess so. I am in no hurry. I didn't ask you. Come on. On your way, King. Darkness closed in as King led the way along the rim of Longfall Canyon. King led the way with unhearing instinct, but that instinct didn't give one of the dangers. The canyon's overhanging rim, weakened by the battering of storms through countless years, was burdened by deep snow. It couldn't support the weight of those who made their way toward the trading post. There was a sickening lunge. Get back! Excuse me! No! No! No! I'm not trying to! What happened? Anyone hurt? I guess I'm all right. Deep snow saved us. How about you, Grant? Well, I think I'm all in one piece, but... so what happened? We're to the canyon both the way. Good Lord! You don't mean to say that we... We saw less than 30 feet, Grant. I'll see about this eye. We're on a lead. Yes, we're about 15 feet wide. You better stay close to the wall. Your dog didn't fall. He's up at the top. Quiet, King! He's looking down at us. Keep back. Close the wall. Do you hurt me, sir? Me? The jewels? No. I am not hurt. Come over here. Let's close the wall. It's not Mr. Law with his rope, sir. Good to know from you. How are we going to get off this ledge? Maybe you step off and pull the rest away, huh? How far is it to the bottom? About 200 feet. Is this all the rope that you have? Yes, Grant. It wouldn't go a quarter of the way. Well, we can't climb back up. No. Are we trapped on this ledge? Let me look around. I miss you, Law. I have looked around. I look over there. A few yards away, it is another ledge like this one. Do you see? Yes, I can see it. It seems to slant upward. It does so. Right to the top of the canyon. We'd be all right if we could get to that ledge. There is a connecting shelf. Do you see? It's less than four inches wide and slick with ice. What are we going to do? Just a minute, Grant. Look! Your dog seems to know we're in trouble. James! Get Hutchins! Understand, boy? Hutchins! Onward! Hutchins was a word that King knew. Combined with the familiar expression on King, the big dog thought his master meant for him to leave the scene. To go on his way to Hutchins' trading post. King wasn't sure. He moved back slowly, keeping his head turned toward the canyon's edge. He signaled his movement. Then he waited, listening. The sergeant didn't call him back. Instead, the commanding voice that rose from the canyon shouted, Onward! Then King knew. He knew he was to leave as master. To go as quickly as possible to Hutchins' post. Onward! King understood. He's gone. That dog. Counting on a dog to go to the post and tell the trader that we're here. If that's the best that you can do, Preston. Father, please! I have confidence in King. Well, I haven't. Nor I. I suppose we're to sit and twiddle our thumbs while we freeze. Well, not freeze. We can practice deep snow around us. Well, if we don't freeze, we'll starve. Dad! You keep quiet. King will bring help before we starve. King! King! King! King! In the neighbor's heaven! Don't depend on that dog! If, uh, it's so brave, Mr. Law climbed to the other ledge and took one end of the rope with him. He could fasten it, and we could all cross to safety. I say it's worth the risk. No, no, it isn't. Perhaps, Mr. Law is afraid, huh? We're going to stay here until help comes. That's final. This laden blast of snow drove hard against King as he raced for the trading post. Moisture froze around his eyes and nostrils. Snow clung to his furry coat. It ran on, struggling to the storm, fighting through deep drifts, calling on all his strength in the battle with the element. Despite the dog's great efforts, progress was painfully slow. When the storm had set itself, a great silence fell over the white wilderness. A silence that was broken only by the infrequent howl of a wolf. Listen to those devils. Take it easy, Gramps. Easy, easy! How can I take it easy while we sit there on this ledge and wait for death? No one can find us here. We'll be found. Those wolves know we're going to die. They howl like that when death does. Don't be a fool. It is no good to count on a dog. Time dragged on 11 minutes, each one of which added to Joe Gramps' feeling of helplessness. His anger was slowly giving away to panic, and Jules Bazaar helped the transition. Oh, that dog. He finds a place to fill his belly and sleep, and he forgets us. Hello, Bessar. He's right. Bessar knows what he's talking about. Gramps, King's no ordinary dog. I don't know what he's talking about. King's no ordinary dog. Of course he is. The dog left us to find a place where we could fill his belly and go to sleep. I know dogs. Dad, please. You don't know King. A savior's sentimental slobber for someone else. These long nights get under your skin when you're trapped as we are, Gramps. Don't let the strain get you. Don't preach. I'm not preaching. Well, then do something and get us out of here. If you had courage, you could cross to the other ledge. Of course you could. No, no, please don't even... You're not supposed to be able to do anything. Gramps. I will show rage or do it myself. I'd walk along that narrow place. I'd get to the other ledge and go for help. You wouldn't go five feet, man, before you slipped and went down. If you are afraid, Mr. Law, let me do it. You're afraid of making that offer, Bessar. You know I won't agree. If Bessar can cross over there, you can do it. I can't do it. And neither can he. I am not afraid to try. Hey, you hear that, Father? Don't listen to Jules Bessar. Hey, it's not that Mr. Law was afraid of nothing. Bessar, you'd like to see me fall into that canyon, wouldn't you? That might mean escape for you when King brought help. Well, I'm not going to do it. I'm taking you in. Sergeant, why don't you let him go? He got to stand trial before he dies. Father! Hold on. Now we'll see. Gramps, give me that gun. Don't come any nearer. Don't be a fool, man. Return my gun. I'll give the orders from now on. Gramps, listen to me. Jules Bessar is a killer. I don't know what he is, but if he can save us, he'll have the chance to do it. Go ahead, Bessar. You can make the other ledge. Go to it. It will be better for Mr. Law to try it first. He is more clever, huh? All right, Besson. No, no! Get going! You slip into the canyon. Bessar can try it. If he fails, I'll try it myself. At least we'll die making an effort to save ourselves. All right, Gramps. We'll make an effort. Good. But we needn't die on that effort. I know a better plan. Don't worry, you shut up. I'll handle it. Gramps, if our rope were four times as long, it would reach the floor of that canyon. What of it? We'll make it four times as long. How? By making it thinner. It'll take a long time, but we can do it. Unwind the rope and then braid the strands. Yes, we can do it. You three fix the rope. I'll keep the gun to make sure there are no tricks. Very well, Gramps. I'll show you how to do it. This rope is hard to work. Two hours, and you've only got three feet, Wolven. It took a long time to unravel the rope. It'll go faster from now on. Yeah, he's just no good. Don't shut up and keep working, Bessar. Three hours. Things reached the post by now. Forget that dog and work on that rope. Better cover your hands again, Marie. I want them to freeze. You've been at it for four hours. Well, at least we're making a headway, Gramps. About 20 feet of rope. Oh, all right, man. We're not going to freeze, and we can surely finish the rope before the danger of starvation. Here, take your gun, Preston. I'll work on the rope with you. Good for you. Gramps became interested in the weaving and braiding of the rope. He forgot his fears and forgot the passing of time. After six long hours, a thrilling sound fell upon the ears of Stockin Preston. Gramps, do you hear that? I didn't know who's that. That's no wolf. That's King. King. Hutchins. Everyone in, sir? No. Did you bring any rope? Back at Hutchins' trading post, everyone relaxed around the huge stove. Jewels were locked up safely in the local jail. Preston patted the head of his lead dog and looked at him proudly. You sure did it, King. He did. And if he could understand an apology, I'd make one. This rope you were braiding, do you think this would bear your weight? Well, I know. I was sure it wouldn't. What's that? You were sure it wouldn't support us? It wouldn't bear our weight, Gramps, but it did support our morale. It kept you from going to pieces. I... Well, Preston, this is the time I'm glad to have been fooled. You fooled me and so did that dog King. 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 the same time and ratio from our transcription studios. How, Neil speaking, this is the machine...