 The challenge of the Yukon on King! The Wonder Dog King, swiftest and strongest of Eskimoly dogs, blazed 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. Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police was driving his dog team west over the smooth frozen surface of the Pele River. Suddenly he noticed a rude shelter on the back of the stream covering two figures huddled under fur robes. He called his dog. Hello there! You all right? What's wrong, man? You hurt? I'm fine. He got sick first. He's worse. Is your throat sore? Yes. I can't talk very well. Turn your head this way and stick out your tongue. Let me look at your throat. I got you back to town right away. What's wrong, Sergeant? Have a look at your partner. What's his name? Pete. Pete Larsen. Pete, wake up! Pete! There isn't much we can do for him. Is he? He's dead. Dead? I'll just have to cover him up and leave him here. I'll get you back to Ogreby. That's as fast as possible. I think you have diphtheria. Poor Pete. I tried to help him. There's a doctor in Ogreby. Old Dog Pierce. If I can get you there soon enough, he can help you. I'm afraid there ain't much use. I'll lift you onto the dog sled. Watch me, Sergeant. You'll get it. You may catch it. Just leave me. You're going to town with me. Turn your head, Bill, and try and drink this. Oof, oof, oof. Thanks, Sergeant. You're taking a big chance. Oh, nonsense. We're almost there. This has been a hard trip for you. How much further? About 15 miles. I'll have you there for this evening. Is someone coming? Yes. A couple of Eskimos. They're coming from the direction of Ogreby. Hello there! Have you been to Ogreby? We go away from there. Bad sickness in town. Oh? Many people die. Is this sickness here in the throat? Yes. Bad. We don't want sickness. We go get witch doctor. Well, go on. Get your doctor. It will make your people happier. Come back as soon as you can. We may need your help. We come back. Mush! Mush! Mush! Mush! It was evening when Sergeant Preston and Bill arrived at the cabin of Dr. Pierce in Ogreby. The doctor, a man over 60, looked tired and haggard as he helped the man he put Bill on the cot in the corner of the room. We'll cover him up and let him rest for a while. You look as if you could use a little rest yourself, dog. Yes, I could, but I can't eat. This has been a terrible problem. If the village is sick, we're getting a disease every minute. Thank heaven you got here, Sergeant Chair. Welcome to visit. I'll do everything I can. I've been trying to isolate the cases to keep it from spreading. I have 12 cabins on the west side of town for patients, but there aren't enough people to take care of them. Well, why don't you try to get some sleep tonight and let me take over? Have you ever had diphtheria? No, I haven't. You realize what chances you're taking? Well, I've been nursing Bill for the past two days. I guess I've already taken them. I've had no sleep for the past two nights. If I could get a little rest. Sounds like more business, Sergeant. White fawn, squaw of eagle feather. You're a white doctor? Yes, White Fawn. My baby, bad sick. Me, Braynum. There's a sick man in here, White Fawn. You'd better not bring your baby in. You come to a job eagle feather, then? I'll come, White Fawn. Just take your baby home. You come now? I'll be there as soon as I can. I have to get the medicine. Me, go. That's the way it's been, Sergeant, every day and every night. I'll use up the last of my intertoxin on that baby. But you'll have to have more if you're going to stop this epidemic. I've been saving it for the children. I had very little. Well, can't you get more? They may have some lift in Dawson City, but that's almost 75 miles from here. There's no one I can send. I'll go over, your daughter. I'm afraid I'll need you here for at least 24 hours, Sergeant. We must get these cases segregated. And I can't do it alone. Well, you've got some sleep tonight. Tomorrow we'll get all the cases together and the cabin juice set aside, and then I'll start for Dawson City. Throughout the following days, Sergeant Preston and the doctor worked tirelessly with the sick and dying people of the village. It was late the following night when they sacked weirdly on their cots in the doctor's cabin. Dad Preston, then I know you must be here. Yes, I am. I'll be all right, but tomorrow, though, I'll start for Dawson as soon as it's light. You and your dog team are God's sins. Everybody who had a dog team that could get out of town has left. I met some Eskimos on the trail yesterday. They were going for one of their shamans. They said they'd come back. I don't object to that. If you can comfort them, so much the better. It's cold in here, eh? I'll put more wood on the fire before we roll in. Cold in here? I thought it was hot. Sergeant, you're shivering. No, it's nothing. Just chill. I'm all right. I didn't get you through it. I'm afraid, Preston, that you're not going to Dawson tomorrow. You'd never make it. What do you mean? You're going straight to bed and you're going to stay there. It's got you, too. You have to, if they're you. Pale Arctic sun shone bleakly through the cabin window the next morning. King, the big lead dog of Sergeant Preston, why aren't actually at his bedside as the doctor bent over him? You're going to stay right in bed, Preston. Your throat is worse. Someone has to go to Dawson. If you don't get that antihawkson, half the village will die. The Eskimos, you met them on the trail. They had that last night. They'll have to go instead. But, Doc, it'll take too long. It'll take a week. Could they use your team? They could use my team, but King wouldn't go without me. They wouldn't be fast enough without him. If only... Only what, Sergeant? Maybe it would work. We could try it. Later, a box. They could take him on the sled. He'd come back alone. I don't know what you mean. It's worth trying. Give the Eskimos a note to the doctor and Dawson King and let him go. He'll get back three times as fast as a dog team. What do you mean? If they take that dog to Doshi City, he'll come back here to you all by himself. I know he will. Knows I'm sick and helpless, nothing can hold him back. It's our only chance to get the medicine here in time to help us. You haven't got to feed him, you dog, Sergeant. I have all the faith in the world in him, haven't I, fella? You won't understand why I'm sending you away from me, boy. But I know you'll come back. The doctor in Dawson City shook his head doubtfully as he read the note E. Jack the Eskimo had given him. Then he looked gravely at the big grey dog locked securely in the large crate that had been brought into his cabin. Well, if it weren't Sergeant Presto, old Dark Pierce has sent this note. I think someone was either drunk or crazy. Trusting a dog to carry antitoxin all by himself. We have hard time with dog. Him all the time want to get out. Listen, I hate you. Sergeant Preston say, dog, get back quicker. Yes, and time is precious, too, in a case like this. Him maybe can go cross country, get there fast. Well, the question is, will he do it? Nine dogs out of ten go chasing after game or something. Never get there. Him want to go back all the time. He's a beautiful dog. Do you want to go back to Preston? Him know what you say. Yes, he seems to, doesn't he? Well, I'm going back. I'm going back. Him know what you say. Yes, he seems to, doesn't he? I'm going to take a chance on you, fellow. Open this crate, E. Jack, while I get the antitoxin ready. He do. There's one thing nice about sending him out in this weather. We won't have to pack the stuff in ice to preserve it. Over the white empty wasteland of the Yukon spread the huge gray husky toward his master. He ran with one thought to get him helpless and he stopped at nothing. Hey, Pete, look. Look over there on that plane. Is that a dog? Oh, yeah, sure is. Look at him go, will you? He's streaking across the snow like a great bull. I wonder what he's chasing. Well, as a saint, we can't catch him to ask him. Here, look. Is that wolf lying there beside those bushes by the stream? Oui. Wait, I will take sure of the team. Ah, that shot you are. See, there he goes over the hill. That wolf should be too far away for the hit. You are only good for scaring him. Sir, we bless you how fast you run. Jed, look out the window here. There's a big gray dog limping past our cabin. Say, that looks like Sergeant President's lead dog. You mean King? Yeah. I'd better try to get him in here. Maybe he's lost. Hey, King. He's not stopping. Well, can you beat that? He ran. Never even looked around. The wind howled in the midnight darkness that enveloped the cabin of Dr. Pierce. The lamp on the table burned low. The doctor raised his head from the back of the chair in which he was sleeping as Preston groaned and turned restlessly on his cot. There, it's only midnight. There's a blizzard. He couldn't possibly get here, but now, even if it was good, he has a cot. You don't know him. Hey, wish for you a seat that he could. You ought to have that intertulsion before morning. I'll be all right. Just take a sip of this, Sergeant. Any more cases turn up? Two more this evening. Both children all. Getting the sequins all isolated stopped at some, I think. Fever is higher. Let me fix that. Doc, did you hear something? Just the wind. It wasn't the wind. It sounded like King. I'm afraid your fever is doing things to you, Preston. Now, just lie, Baggy. See, I hear it too, but it can't be King. It's not possible. Okay. Georgia can't believe that he's back. Ah, King, old fella. Intertulsion here in the south bank. King, old boy, are you all right? He's not exactly all right. His feet are cattened. Looks as if someone creased him with a bullet. Probably thought he was a wolf. Yeah, I would get the hypodermic ready, Preston. You're getting the first shot of intertulsion. I didn't tell you before, old man, but getting it in time like this would save your life. Is there enough to help everybody? There's enough to stop this epidemic. Oh, God. Hell, I don't feel tired anymore. You know, this town will always be grateful to that dog. He doesn't even know what he did. Well, Doc, it's loyalty, Doc. It's a wonderful thing to be loyal. These copyrighted dramas originate in the studios of W.H.Y.Z. Detroit and all characters, names, places, and incidents used are fictitious. They are sent to you each week at the same time. Hugh Holder speaking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.