 The challenge of the Yukon. Kim, 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 1998. 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 just as rule triumphant. Sergeant Preston on patrol duty in the Yukon made many friends who were always glad to see him. One of these was Ab Crowley, who lived with his wife in a small cabin several miles north of three forks. A vicious storm had swept wind and snow in the face of the mountain as he drove his team toward the small settlement and the prospect of a warm cup of tea with the Crowley's was something he looked forward to. The great dog King ran ahead of the sled cutting tracks in the snow. I'm King on you huskies! Not much further King. There's the cabin. It's good to see that light. Oh King, oh you huskies! Hey there Sergeant Preston. Hello, Ab, how are you? Fine, I'm a little glad to see you. I didn't have a cup of tea. This is just me, Sam. I've been looking forward to having a cup of tea with you ever since I left Broken Wishbone, Ab. How's Mrs. Crowley? Fine, just fine. We got some good news for you, Sergeant. Yes? Well, what is it, Ab? It'll wait for a few minutes. You go on inside. I'll take care of the dogs. You too, King. Go on in there. All right, King. Thanks, Ab. Glad to see you, Sergeant Preston. Sure is good to see you. Come on in here and close that door. Well, how are you, Mrs. Crowley? Never been better in my life, Sergeant. Did Ab tell you the news? No, he didn't. He said it could wait till he got inside. Say what's this all about? Well, I expect to bet it. Let Ab tell you. He's been hankering to tell you ever since we... Uh-oh. There. I almost told you myself. Well, I'm certainly curious. Tell me this much. You both look so pleased. It must be something awfully good, huh? It is, Sergeant. It's the best thing that's happened to us ever since we came to this snowbound place. There. There you are. Thank you. This tea certainly tastes good. Warms up after all that cold. I guess Ab will be wanting a cup too when he comes in. And did you tell the Sergeant yet, Ada? No, she hasn't told me yet, Ab. Well, I reckon I'll tell you myself, then. If you didn't want the pleasure, tell them yourself all along. Me and Ada just bought the last chance claim. Last chance? Yep. That was Jeb Fisher's claim, wasn't it? It was. Now it's ours. Well... The sakes alive, Sergeant. The cat gets your tongue. Can't you say any more than that? I declare, Ab, I knew it'd be surprise, but I never thought... Just how much do you know about the last chance, Ab? Well, it's a good claim. I saw Jeb turn up similar dismissive. I think it's a good piece of luck. We had kinda hard time meeting Jeb's price, but... We just took what we'd been saving, and Jeb turned it over to us for the cash. How much cash? $12,000. All the money we had. Well, what's wrong, Sergeant? Well, Ab, I won't congratulate you on your good luck, till we make sure it is good luck. What do you mean, Sergeant? I don't trust Jeb Fisher, Mrs. Crowley. I'm afraid that claim is worth us. But we'll soon find out. Of course I have no proof. Sergeant, I can't say that I've ever known you to be wrong before, but this is once I think you've made a mistake. Why, I saw that dismissive. You're not, Chichaco, Ab. You know as well as I do that Fisher could have sold it that claim. He could have, Ab. But heaven help us if the sergeant's right. Heaven helps him. It helps himself, he the gal. I'm gonna start in tomorrow, working on that grad. You will know how we stand. Well, that's a good idea, Ab. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'm glad to lend a hand. Well, I don't like to be any trouble to you. Oh, no trouble at all, Ed. I was headed for three forks anyway, so I'll stop to see them. Well, we'll be looking for you, Sergeant. Goodbye, Sergeant. Goodbye. All right, King. Get the dogs up. Un-King, un-you-huskies! Sergeant Preston entered the Moosehead Cafe in three forks a short time later. As he moved through the room, he heard a boisterous laugh. So I have $12,000 in my pocket, and Crowley's got the deed to the last chance. You cleaned up on that deal? Yeah, I sure did. Poor old Crowley stuck for plenty. There's own fault. I don't know, Jim. What do you mean? Seems to me it's a pretty yellow trick to pull on a couple as old as the Crowley's. $12,000 must have been all the money they got in this world. Yeah, that'll mean nothing to me. Don't you feel at all sorry for folks like them? No, why should I? It was a business deal, that's all. I buy and sell property. Ain't none of my business how people get the money to pay for it, as long as it's cash on the line. You're a loco, Sam. I guess I just don't see things the way you do. Now listen and take it from me. You'll never get far into Yukon if you're going around feeling sorry for every guy that gets stuck. You're Jeff Fisher, aren't you? Yeah. What do you want with me, Monty? I understand Abner Crowley just bought your last chance claim. Yep. Fisher, you know there's no gold on that land? I don't know nothing about that land. I sold on the property we turned up gold on it. You've sold it claims before. Crowley bought that claim and I didn't guarantee nothing in right. Whether you guarantee it or not, Crowley believes there's gold on that property. Then let him dig for it. Who knows? Maybe he'll find it. You want a new talk to him like that, Jeff? Why not? He's got nothing on me. The next day, at the last chance claim, not far from Abner Crowley's cabin, six men helped the old miner work his newly acquired land. Looks mad, Abe. Ain't getting tired, are you? No. Well, what's wrong? You know, Rob, the sergeant Preston told me this land was probably worthless. I'm afraid he's right. Well, now, Abe, I wouldn't be too ready to give up. Me and the boys will stay around as long as you need it. Well, I don't like to lose it. Now, don't you worry, Abe. Mrs. Crowley thinks it's better to chime. We've had a year Sunday to three folks. Well, I believe that's the sergeant coming now. Looks like it is. Hey, there, sergeant. Oh, King, how are you, Husky? Well, Rob, see you've kept your word. Yeah, believe me, I'm pretty busy, all right. How's it going, Abe? Hey, sergeant, hey. I think maybe you was right. Why, Abe? Too late. I'd like to tell you we paid $12,000 for a witness piece of it. All right. I told him, sergeant, not to be so willing to give up. I'm not surprised, Abe. No, you told me, but I wouldn't leave you. Well, there's nothing for us to do now. And that's so sure about that. Rob and I talked it over yesterday. Here's our plan. A rumor of gold in the Yukon always spread like wildfire. A word dropped in a conversation, sudden activity in a place that had formerly been deserted, and an old miner in town spending money freely. Any one of these things were enough to start men talking, telling exaggerated stories of a new gold discovery. So, when old Abner Crowley, long known for the quiet and thrifty way he lived, went into three forks carrying a poke of gold dust, the word spread that the last chance claim held fabulous amounts of the precious dust. Did you hear the news, Jeb? What news? About the last chance paying out. Yeah, I heard it. But I thought you said it. No matter what I said. Didn't you know it had? Oh, shut up, Sam. Oh, ho. I begin to see. Shut up, my treasure. And you thought you took old Abner. I didn't know the last chance was a strike. You're a darn tootin', you didn't know it. It had never gotten out of your hands if you thought that. Uh, give anything to get that claim back? Uh, what a fool I was. All right, boys. Have another drink. It's all on me. You too, Rob. Have what you want. Thanks, Jeb. Don't mind if I do. Ever since you've struck it at the last chance... That's right. The sky's the limit. Hello there, Ab. Good, Jeb Fisher. The man that sold me the last chance, my best friend. We always thought you was a good businessman, Jeb. What happened to you? Well, uh... You know how it is. Ab, I'd like to talk to you. What do you want to talk about, Jeb? Ain't got much time, you know. Gotta get back to the last chance. Me and Amy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. But I'd like to talk to you. Yeah, well, all right. Him on, Robby. Yeah, sure. What do you want to talk, Jeb? Uh, let's go in the back room where we won't be disturbed. Yeah, sure, Robby. Why not? Yeah, there now. Nobody will bother us in here. Uh, have a chair, boy. Yeah, sure. Thank you. Really? What's with your mind, Jeb? Ab, uh, Ab, when I sold you the last chance, I told you I was planning to leave the Yukon. Yep, that's right. She did, Jeb. Well, a few things have happened since then, and I've changed my mind. I'm staying here, and I'd like to have the last chance back. You see, when I sold it to you, I thought I was leaving, and I wanted to get my affair straightened up. Yeah, Jeb, it is a deal. I bought the last chance. I know how you feel. You paid me $12,000 for the last chance. Yes, cash you did. I'll, uh, pay you $15,000 to get it back. Nope. Not interested. $16,000. Now, listen, Jeb, if you was in my place, would you sell her? I'll make you $18,000, Ab. No pay. Don't want to. It costs plenty to work a mine, you know, Ab. I'll give you $20,000 in cash for that claim. Pretty anxious to get it back, ain't you, Jeb? Hello, Ab. Hello, Sergeant. Fisher, what are you doing here? Trying to make a deal with Ab here, Monty. What sort of a deal, Ab? Now, you keep out of this, Monty. Jeb wants to buy back the last chance clean, Sergeant. Wow. I'll pay him cash for it. Jeb, I think I'll take you up on that. He didn't hear getting old. I ought to clear out the Yukon with the younger man with the last chance. Glad you feel that way about it, Ab. I'll be right back with the money. The money here will witness a sale. Want to tell you, Ab? Yep. Hope he don't take too long getting that money in here. Sam will have the money here in a minute, Ab. Yes, sir, I think you're being right smart about it. Hey, whoops you'll cheer me. I certainly wish you the same kind of look I had with the last chance. Here, Jeb. Oh, well, here you are, Ab. It's all there. Count it if you want. You better count it, Ab. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep. All here. Well, Jeb, the last chance is yours again. Here's the deed. Now, Rob, here's that $5,000 to pay back the boys for the gold and the let-me and for working at the claim. The gold they lent you. Sure. I figured it would look like a man that struck a bridge ought to have some gold. So they got together and lent it to me. Looked like a man that say, what is this? You mean you didn't get that gold for the last chance? We ain't found any gold in it yet, Jeb. Why, you said? I didn't say nothing, Jeb. You came to me, went to buy back the last chance, and I sold it to you. I've been swindled. You led me to believe you found gold there. What you told me when you sold it was true, the gold still there. I tell you, we ain't touched any of it. Are you out? I wouldn't do that if I were you, Jeb. That was a fair sale. I sold myself. Looks like you're stuck with your own bargain, Jeb. There's not a thing you can do about it. All right, boys. Come on outside. This time, I'll treat you the best in the house and I'll pay greatly my money. Well, it looks like Abner Crowley came out all right after all. Yes, King, the case is closed. Challenge of the Yukon, a copyrighted feature of the Challenge of the Yukon, Incorporated, brought to you every Saturday at this time originated in the transcription studios of WXYZ Detroit. The characters and events in tonight's drama were fictitious. Bill Morgan speaking, this is the Michigan Radio Network.