 The Challenge of the Yukon. Un King, Un New Husky! The Wonder Dog King, swiftest and strongest of Eskimo League 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. King was the most welcome season of the year in the Yukon. The long days of sunshine melted the deep snow and released the creeks and rivers from their icy prisons. Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police had put his dog team away for the summer and was following the trail in the Selkirk on horseback. Before him, ran his big lead dog King who never left him winter or summer. When suddenly a shot rang through the woods at the left of the trail, Sergeant Preston wheeled his horse around and started through the trees in the direction of the sounds. You're having some trouble? Oh, boy. I was so mad I couldn't hear your horse. I heard a shot and thought I ought to investigate. It was me who did the shooting. I just shot over his head to scare him, though. I just caught a half-breed setting some traps to catch my beavers. You were beavers? Yeah. I'm them Jenkins. I live over here in the creek with my partner, Josh Buttons. The prospectors in our claim include part of the creek that has a beaver dam in it. I made friends with the little critters, and I ain't gonna stand for nobody trapping them. I see. I'm Sergeant Preston. Well, glad to know you, Sergeant. Why don't you come over to the cabin and meet Josh? About time for some dinner and he's a good cook. That's a good idea. I'd like to meet your partner. Just walk along beside your horse. All right. One for them. That company for dinner, Josh, is a Sergeant Preston Northwest Mounted Police. Well, enough dinner for me? More than most were time-hunting. We're glad to have someone help us eat up all the game we get. Well, sit down, Sergeant. We like to hunt. That's why we like this country. That's why you're getting wild boos for dinner. We're going out again tomorrow. Maybe you'd like to join us, Sergeant. Nothing I'd like better, but I'm on duty. Aren't you afraid to leave your claim so much? Oh, no. We need enough out of it without working too hard. Well, now that summer's here, we've got to start panning gold again, I guess. Do you do any winter mining? That's too much work. We hunt and play cribbing all winter. I got so far ahead of Josh that he never will beat me now. Well, I'll catch him and I'll pass him by the end of summer. Well, I guess we're both set to eat. I got a nice piece of caribou steak for that dog of yours, Sergeant. He can eat the same time we do. The bank at Selkirk, where most of the prospectors brought their gold, was empty when Sergeant Preston entered it later that day. The clerk greeted him cordially. Hello there, Preston. Bill, you've had quite a lot of excitement around here since I saw your last. You mean all the hole-ups in the mountains? We sure have. You have any ideas who might be doing it? Well, all the robberies have happened in this territory, so we figure it's someone who lives near Selkirk. The inspector suggested I check with you about people who've made large gold deposits sleeping. A lot of people doing that. Lots of the miners have come in with their winter supply. Nobody suspicious that I could tell you about? Well, maybe I could check over the names anyway, Bill. Sure, I'll give them to you. Got a whole book full of them. Suppose you heard about Dirk Clancy being robbed last night. Yes, they told me about it at headquarters. Said someone shot at him, too. I haven't seen him yet. Here's the book, Sergeant. The deposits are listed. The months for the last few months begin on this page. Thanks, Bill. We were just talking about you being held up last night. Sure was. Took two bags of dust. Just a second, Clancy. Bill, these two men here, Lim Jenkins and Josh Button, are these figures right? Yep. They brought all that gold in here, far back. I guess it was what they mined during the winter. They didn't do any mining during the winter. They didn't? Well, how do you know? I've talked to them. Now, did you mention them old codges or could have been them that held me up? I thought you told headquarters. You didn't see them clearly. Well, it was kind of dark, but... Well, they weren't young. I know that. You know how you can tell by the way a man walks. Sure you can tell that, even if you didn't see them close up. It seems so harmless. They sure brought in a lot of gold for two old men who don't do any winter mining. They must be panning gold night and day. The many gold claims on the same creaking. Lots of men started them below. The place Lim and Josh are situated, but they didn't get enough gold to stay there. Well, it should lead anyway. Thanks a lot, Bill. By the way, Clancy, just where were you held up? In the mountain pass, about three miles from Josh and Lim's place. I see. Well, I'll be seeing you boys again. Come on, King. Sergeant Preston hitched his horse to a tree beside the trail the next morning, and with King at his heels walked quietly toward the cabin of Josh and Lee. As he neared the clearing, he heard an explosion. Sound like dynamite. Come on, boy. Let's have a look. Well, boys, what's going on here? I thought you said you protected those leavers of yours. What's the idea of blowing up their dam? Well, I guess he's caught us red-handed, Lim. Boys will have to let him in on a secret. Would you promise you won't tell a single soul, Sergeant? I won't tell unless it's necessary, Lim. We don't ever hurt the beaver, Sergeant. We chased him all out of here before he blowed the dam. Why did you do it? Well, you see, Josh and me are pretty lazy, except for Hutton. I rather gathered that last night. I guess you noticed we weren't panning gold or mining. Yes, I did. Well, you see, this creek comes down the mountain. But the first claim it gets to on level ground. I see. The beavers have built a dam right across it, back the water up. A couple of times, they almost stopped it from running. Lim and me couldn't pan any gold out of it that way. No, of course you couldn't. We decided to blow up the dam last summer, despite of the fact that we sort of liked the little critters. When we did it, we found a big deposit of gold-filled gravel right at the bottom of the dam where the water was deepest. I see. When the creek was dammed up, the water flowed over the top of the dam, is that it? You hit the nail right on the head, Sergeant. There was no trouble at all to get the dust nuggets out. The gravel was almost pure gold. But the funniest thing about it all was that after we got what we wanted out, them little beasts went right back and built the dam again. Yes, they always do that. If their dams destroyed, they built it back again in the same place. Well, we didn't know they'd do that. You could have knocked us down with a light breeze. We got up one morning, and there was a dam built up again. Just the way it was before. They always built their dams at night, if possible. Well, it sure fitted in with our scheme. Lem and me decided we'd just let them do our gold pendant for us while we hunted and played cribbing. Every once in a while, we used a little dynamite, let the water run off, and there's our gold, ready for the take-it. Quite a smart idea. Well, the water's pretty shallow now. I'll get some of that gravel and show you, Sergeant. We could see, Sergeant, why we can't tell nobody. Josh and I like to go hunting for days at a time, and there's nothing to prevent someone coming in here and dynamite while we're away. I can see what you mean. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Well, here's a pan of our pay dirt, Preston. Take a look. What? It's yellow with gold. Do you wonder we chase people away when they want to trap our little paddle-tail miners? I should think you would. And now I'll tell you why I came today. You two were under suspicion. What? Suspicion of what? The robberies that have taken place in the mountains for the last few weeks. Dirk Clancy was held up last night. Dirk Clancy? Where? Coming through the mountain pass, about three miles from here, along about midnight. Someone stole two bags of gold dust from him. Where did he get the gold dust? Dirk Clancy hasn't any claim. Maybe he got it with somebody's crooked gambling. Gambling? He ain't much good. There's lots of people I'd feel sorry for than Dirk. I'm going to ask a favor of you two. Sure, Sergeant. Anything you say. I'm going to pretend that I still suspect you for a week or so. Do you mind? Well, as long as you don't ruin our reputation altogether. Oh, I won't do that. But it may help me catch the real criminal. Later in the days, Sergeant Preston McGann entered the bank at Selkirk. Dirk Clancy was deep in conversation with Bill, the bank clerk. Hello, Bill. Oh, I was looking for you, Clancy. I said I could find you here. Hello, Sergeant. You want me for something? Just a few things I want to check. You said it was just about midnight that these two men held you up. I guess it was about then. Did you happen to notice whether either of the men had a beard? Josh and Len seem very likely suspects, but I'd like to have a little more to go on. Josh has a long great beard, hasn't he? Yes. It's an easy thing to see. You know come to think of it, one of them men did have a beard. The one that stuck me up. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. That's all I wanted to know. I guess they're the ones who did it all right. I checked on them today and they do very little mining or panning. They had to get that gold somewhere. But you can't just arrest them without any evidence. I have a plan, Bill. I'm going to see to it that they find out about the big gold shipment due here day after tomorrow. Then I'm going to follow every move they make until the gold gets here. Sounds like a good idea. The pack train has to come through the same mountain pass that you did, Clancy. It's the perfect place for a hold up. I'll camp near their cabin without letting them see me and watch them for the next three days. Well, good luck, Sergeant. I sure hope you catch them at it. Well, thanks for all the help, boys. I'll let you know what happens. Nice to know the Mountie won't be around when that pack train comes through. Clancy, maybe we'd better not try it with Preston in town. It's dangerous. Ah, don't be a fool. The setup is perfect. Preston will be watching those two old men all night. We'll have horses waiting. Get a full night's start over the border before he even finds out the robbery was done. Nobody can catch us. And with what we've already got, plus what's coming on that pack train, we won't ever have to do a job the rest of our lives. The men waited behind some huge boulders as the four mule pack team wound slowly down the mountain trail. As it neared the big rocks, one of the men sprang forth. Get your hands up and keep them there. Never mind talking. You and your partner get over there against that rock. Now wait. I'll take those guns for you. Get off that hill. Now yours, mister. My partner's covering both here. So no funny business. There. I'll walk over to those rocks. You ain't going to shoot us in the back. Get over there, I said. Bill, get those mules turned around while I take care of these two. Stand by your order. Hold him. Hey, what the... No, you don't! Get him, King! No! Stop it! Take him away! No, my arm! I won't shoot! Get over here, Mr. Triton. All right, King. Love him, boy. You're up. I've been following this man for two days. You've been following me? You didn't know it, but you've never been out of my sight. What? But you said you were tailing Josh and Lem. That's quite an old trick, Bill. As long as you thought I was suspicious of Josh and Lem, you were sure I wouldn't watch you. As a matter of fact, I didn't suspect you, Bill. Now take this dog away! You shouldn't have tried to shoot me, Clancy. King's trained to watch that. Yeah. I think you're pretty smart, don't you, Preston? I didn't have to be, Clancy. Not to figure out what you were trying to do. You changed your story from not seeing the men who robbed you to seeing a beard and noticing the way one of them walked at midnight in a dark mountain pass. That didn't make sense. You shouldn't have said anything. I got together you two. I'm taking you back to jail. Watch them, 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. Cue Holder speaking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.