 The challenge of the Yukon. Un-King! Un-Yu-Husky! King, the swiftest, strongest of Eskimo lead 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 Yukon during the Gold Rush of 98. That was the year that brought over 50,000 men swarming into the Klondike region and the greed for gold led to frequent violence and bloodshed. But in spite of the odds against them, the force preserved a splendid record in maintaining the right. The challenge of the north was answered and justice ruled triumphant. Prospect Creek would have been as lonely a stretch as existed in the Yukon if it hadn't been for the three small cabins staked there. Each of them about ten minutes walk on snowshoes from the other. The one in the middle had been the first where old Charlie Wallace lived alone. The one on the left belonged to Charlie's nephew, young Ben Wallace, and the one to the right had been built by Paul Hubbard. Paul was pulling his machina on in Charlie's cabin while the old man concentrated on a piece of slate in front of him. Sure, I mean it, Charlie. That was much better today. It's very nice of you, son, coming up like this every day. And I ain't one to forget a good turn, neither. Oh, it's no trouble to me. It's no much trouble for that nephew of mine. He never offered. Oh, well, hey, say, Paul. I was wondering if you'd do me one more favor. Just name it. I want you to promise me you'll never mention this to us all. Will you do that for me? If that's the way you want it. I do. I guess it don't make much sense to you, but, well, I can't explain it except I'd rather not have anyone know an old man like me. I know how you feel about it, Charlie. Count on me. I better be getting back to the cabin. I've got some letters to write. You'll come up this afternoon. I'll see you later, Charlie. Thanks again, son. A short time later, Paul Hubbard was returning to Charlie's cabin, his head bent as he walked against the wind. I hope the old man's got plenty of firewood. I guess I better ask him about it. Well, Charlie, can't say I don't keep my word, huh? Oh, it's good to get out of that wind. But Charlie, what's wrong? Charlie. He's all slumped over. Must have dozed off. I'd better throw some wood on the fire. It looks pretty low. And I'll, oh, he can't. Charlie. But Paul, say I didn't expect to find you here. Probably come up and have... What's wrong with Uncle Charlie? He's dead. What? You can see for yourself. I just came in a couple of minutes ago, and I found him like this. Paul, Paul, whatever made you do it? Made me do it. You killed him. That's what happened. You thought you could make it away from the cabin, but I got here before you could make it get away. That's it. No, no, I swear to you, Ben, I didn't have anything to do with it. Who else could have done it? Who else? He was like a father to you. Treated you the same as me. Ben, you've got to believe me. My uncle. My best friend. I don't know any more about this than you do. It would have been the same thing if you'd have walked in instead of me. Lies never covered up any more. Who's that? Hello there, Ben. Good morning, Sam. Sergeant Preston. Maybe he can straighten this out. Hi there, Ben. Glad to see you, boy. You're just the person I'm looking for, Paul. You're looking for me, Sergeant? Sam and I brought a letter up for you from the post office in the Ford Monk. And here it is, too. Looks mighty important. Charlie, you just came in time, Sergeant. He's dead. Dead? How? I got to the cabin about five minutes ago. I found Charlie like that. Kind of slumped over the table. I thought he was asleep, but... But instead he was dead. I tell you, Sergeant, he didn't have a reason in the world to kill him. I didn't kill him. That's the way I found him. Sergeant, I don't know what this is all about. Wait a minute. What's that? What? This paper in front of him. Wait. Listen. I, Charlie Wallace, not being a young man anymore, know that the time's coming when I'll cash in the chips. So I hereby leave my claim and all my possessions to Paul Hubbard, a fine upright boy. To my nephew Ben, I will gold dust worth exactly $100. Signed, Charlie Wallace. A will? Well, I didn't know that. So this was it, Paul. Well, I didn't know the old man was thinking of doing anything like that. Boy, you thought you could cheat me out of what I had coming to me, huh? $100. What claims mine? Mine, you hear? I see it all now. Take it easy, Ben. But I tell you, Sergeant, he killed my uncle. Well, who else could have done it? We're the only ones. That's just it. You two are the only ones who could have done it. You say you came up in your cabin just a few minutes ago, Paul. That's right. I promised Charlie I'd be back this afternoon. I came in and found him like this. That's all there is, Sergeant. I swear it. And you, Ben? I told you how I found him. Have you been out of your cabin today? No. The ground's too solid for any prospecting, so I stayed inside. Well, that is till I left to come up here. I thought I'd have suffered with the old man. You're sure you haven't been up here before? Certainly I'm sure. What do you have? You've been in your cabin all day? That's what I said. Ben, I'm arresting you on suspicion of murder. When Sam and I came up in Fort Mon, we passed your cabin. There are three distinct set of tracks from your door to this. You came up here earlier today and went back. No, you can't... Those tracks are evidence enough for me. Charlie hasn't been dead for more than an hour. If you were innocent, you'd have no reason to tell a lie. But what killed him? I can't make out... Charlie was murdered with a slate pencil. A pencil? Yes, with one hard blow, the murderer drove it right through his heart. But that will? Yes, the will. Paul, I'm also arresting you. I've known Charlie for a long time. Everybody in Fort Mon knows he couldn't read or write. Sergeant Preston and Sam Colby, the head of the Law and Order Committee in Fort Mon, took the two prisoners to the town jail. A short time after they'd been jailed, Paul Hubbard asked if he could see the Monty. All right, Paul, what is it? Sergeant, this letter you brought me. Yes? It's from my sister back in the States. He says my mother is seriously sick and there's no hope for her to get better. Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Don't you see? I've got to get back there. I've got to get back before... Paul, that will implicates you and Charlie's murder. If there were anything else to tell you, I'd lay it on the table. I don't know anything about this. Or the will either. Charlie couldn't have written that will himself. All right. I wasn't going to Charlie because I promised Charlie I'd keep the secret for him. But I guess it doesn't matter now. What doesn't matter? The last six months I went to Charlie's cabin every day, he was reading and writing. You know, the ABCs. I'd lend him some of my books and we'd read them together. He caught on fast, too. I didn't know anything about that will. He never mentioned it to me. I never dreamed he planned turning the mind over to me. But, Sergeant, he did write it. You've got to believe me. Go on to his cabin and see for yourself. You'll find a lot of my books there. So that's why the slate pencil was so handy. He worked at it all the time, writing things. He'd even write me letters like they were an exercise. And I'd correct them for him. I see. Now we let me go. I don't have a minute to lose. I have to get back to the States. All right, Paul. I'll tell Sam to let you out. He's got the keys. Thanks, Sergeant. You'll never know what this means to me. Yes, I saw him. Sam, you've got the keys. Go back and release him, will you? Yeah, sure. You're going to question him out here? No, I'm letting him go. What? I'm letting him go. My man, you must be out of your mind. No, I'm serious, Sam. But you can't mean it. I just as guilty as... I think he's innocent, Sam. Sergeant Preston, if you go through with this, as head of the Law and Order Commission here in Port Munn, I'll go to Inspector Maynard and see that it costs you your commission. I've never let an innocent man hang yet. We're going out there and give him a chance to remove those doubts from your mind now. Doubts. There's no doubt in my mind. And I think you've lost yours. All I want you to do is slip into the back door of the cabin. Don't let him know you're there. I'm going to prove to you, Sam, that Paul did not murder Charlie Wallace. It was an hour later. Sergeant Preston, with King at his side, knocked on the door of Paul Hubbard's cabin. Well, I see he has his sled ready. Who is it? It's Sergeant Preston. Mind if I come in, Paul? No, no, come in here. Thanks. I'm kind of surprised to see you. I imagine you won't like what I'm going to say. What is it? What's wrong? I'm going to take you back to jail. What? That's right. But I told you, I'm almost ready to leave. You can't mean it. I'm sorry. Sorry. Every minute may mean... No. No, I won't go. I won't go back with you. If I put you under arrest... But I didn't have anything to do with it. You can't stop me now. I've got to get back to the States. It's life or death. If I don't see my mother now... I don't like to hold a gun on you. But that's the only way to make you come with me then. So that's it. Taking me in with a gun in my back. Well, I'm not going, see? Now, now I've got the gun. Yes, you've got the gun. Glory King, quietly. I guess you're calling the cards now, Paul. You've already killed one man. There's nothing to stop you from killing me and making your getaway. You still think I killed the man? You killed one man. You won't hesitate to kill another. You think I won't do it, don't you? You think I won't kill you? But I will. I will. It's the only way to get back to the States. There is no need to make explanations to the man you're going to kill. Get it over with. The time's getting shorter. Yeah. Yeah, it's getting shorter. I... I... Well? What are you waiting for? Don't know. There's no other way. I'll... It's no use. I couldn't kill anybody. I can't shoot you. Go ahead, here's your gun. You might as well put your handcuffs on me. I'm not going to put handcuffs on you for him. Sergeant, I... Sam... All of you had killed Charlie. You wouldn't have hesitated to kill me. But... Yeah. I guess that's right. Your explanation about teaching Charlie to write satisfied me that you were innocent. But I wanted more proof. And you got it. Sergeant, believe me, that's the last time I'll ever argue with you. When you told me about him teaching Charlie the ABC's in my way up here, I still wasn't sure that he hadn't forced the old man to write that. And then killed him. You see, Ben obviously didn't know anything about the lessons. Otherwise, he never would have left that will in front of Charlie when he killed him. You remember, he was very surprised when we found it. Yes, Sam. You'd better head for Skagway right away. Sergeant, I don't believe you really tried to hit me when you fired that gun. Why, the bullet went clean on the wall up there.