 The challenge of the Yukon. One king, one new husband! Wonder dog king, swift as strong as Eskimo leaf 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. Old Michael LaRue was closing his trading post in 40 miles for the night. A small bag of gold his profits for the day sat on the counter as he opened his safe. Just as the big door opened, he heard a noise behind it. Oh, I did not hear you come in. You want something? Yeah, we want something. Stand over here and keep your hands up. No, no, no you cannot rob me. It's your idea. Keep them covered, Pete. I'll get the stuff out of the safe. Please, the gold in that safe. It is not all mine. It belongs to my friends. They give it to me to keep. Do not take it. Shut up. We don't care whose gold it is. Hurry up, Joe. Come, hurry him. No, I say you will not. Look out, Pete. He's got an axe. Take this gold. Quick him. Get out of here. I had to kill him or he'd kill me. Get to the sled quick. Here. Put it under these blankets. There. I think I ought to take a shot any now. Keep going past them as if nothing happened. Do not to see our faces. Look at the trail we're leading. And a ten-year-old kid could follow us. There was a rotten break for us when we stopped snowing last night. But there's nothing we can do but keep going. We've been traveling all night. There we can't stop now. Where do we get farther into the mountains? I wish we had a better dog team. These mangy curses ain't any good. Well, I hope that man we passed in town didn't get too good a look at him. Those three white ones could be seen in the dark. All we can do is hope he didn't notice us. Maybe we can hold that someplace along here, Joe. This big cliff beside us ought to have some cracks or a cave in it somewhere. Listen, Pete, I tell you, we can't stop. Another thing. I wish you'd throw that old pistol of yours away. If you're caught without any of it, we're as good as hung. Probably the only pistol in 40 miles that shoots a ball instead of a cartridge. I'm hanging on to it. That's all I got to protect me. Whoa! What are you asking? Pete, Pete, did you hear that? What was it, brother? It sounded like an avalanche up ahead there. Well, that ain't unusual around here. Them rocks and ice are always falling down the mountain. And listen. Yeah, dogs. Yeah. I wonder if someone got hurt in that avalanche. I hope they ain't chasing it. They're coming from the other direction. It may be our chance to get us a fresh dog team. Oh, come on. What? What are you asking? Down there beside his sled. The rock wants to hit him. His dog team ain't hurt, though. Look at that ball. He's coming for us. Maybe you better keep your gun on him, Pete, in case he gets run. No. Now, he ain't gonna attack us. This is the one that's to help that man or something. All right, one month. We're gonna have a look at him. There he is. Hey, Joe. Look. That's a mountain. Let's get out of here. Now, wait a minute. He can't hurt us. He's out colder than a macro. Is he dead? He's not dead. But he's got a nasty gash in his head. The rock wants to hit him. Joe, come on. I don't like fooling around with the amount of police after what we just done. Come on. Let's get out of here. Not so fast, Pete. He won't come to for hours. Not with that knock on the head. He probably won't come to at all, or whatever. I just got a good idea. What? They're trailing us from 40 miles right now. Here's our chance to make the trail end right here. I don't know what you're talking about. Let's take that uniform off of him and bury it. I'll take his park and put this one of mine on him. And we'll put some of our clothes on him. Then we'll leave our dog team here and take his. You mean they'll think he was the one that did the kill? You sure catch on fast, don't you? And my gun. He's probably got a good gun. And I can plant this whole one of mine on him. Now you're talking. Come on, we can work fast. I don't like the way that dog keeps watching us. He just wants us to do something to help. Nice. We're gonna fix him. Don't worry, pooch. Dog King watched anxiously as the two men undressed his master. Sergeant Preston groaned as they moved him about and King whined. He knew only humans could help Preston, and these men handled him gently. Then they turned Preston's dog team around and ordered him up front. King stood puzzled beside his master. Come on, you up front. Hurry up, mush! There ain't any use trying to get him away. He won't come. What are we gonna do? We'd better unharness our lead dog and let him head the Mounties team. It's better that way anyway. There's just a chance that the man who passed us noticed we had a six-dog team. If they find seven dogs, it'll look funny. You sure you buried those clothes? I buried every bit of his uniform. Nobody would know he was a molly the way he looks now. Oh, come on. Well, unharness our lead dog and get out of here. He's going to have a lot to explain when they find him. I even left a bag of stolen money in his pocket. He'll probably freeze. I don't think you'll do any talking. There's a blizzard coming up. We'd better get out of here and find a place to hole in. Morning sunlight streaming through a window dazzled Sergeant Preston's eyes as he awoke. A sharp pain zigzagged through his head as he raised it and he sank back with a groan. Then he heard the click of a lock tending over him. Well, so you finally decided to come out of him. Where am I? Just where you ought to be, you thieving murderer and skunk. You're jailed. Jail? Well, how'd I get here? We trailed you. Your part got away worse luck. Never will know how I'd done it. But you're the one who'd done the murder. We'll find a gun on you. Murder? What murder? That rock that hit you on the head sure did things to your memory. I don't suppose you remember Robin and killing Michael LaRue in his trading post. Michael LaRue? Well, I know him, but I didn't kill him. I'll say you knew him. You'd better start remembering a few things. Who your partner was, for instance. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm Sergeant Preston at the Northwest Mounted Police. Well, see, maybe it pays to get hit on the head the way you did. Well, I'm the Queen of England, but I'm glad to know it. That's King, my dog. He wants to get in a cell with you. Had to let him stay in a jail here. He made such a fuss. I'll say he's a fine dog. It was on a con of him we found you. Blizzard come up and we were ready to turn back to 40 miles and we heard him barking. He didn't do you no favor, though. You'll hang now instead of freezing. Freezing would have been pleasant. Well, I tell you I am Sergeant Preston. My uniform... Uniform? What uniform? You mean them old pants you're wearing? What? These aren't my clothes. Who are you? I'm the jailer in 40 miles here. If you think I'm going to make a fool of myself telling you all the things that happen when you already know, you're even crazier than you're acting. Where's old Jake Taylor? He used to be the jailer here. Jake died six months ago. I've been here ever since. I ain't surprised that you knew him. You probably knew the jailer in lots of towns. You must listen to me, man. There's a mistake. I'll listen to you if you tell me who was with you when you killed Michael. We got the goods on you. Sam Jenkins saw you leave the store after the murder. He passed you. He saw the three white Siberian dogs in your team, and they were with you when we found you. The gun that killed Michael was on you. Now, anything else you want to know? Yes. Is there a man here in town named Al Peters? Al Peters? Sure, he raises dogs. If you bring him here to me, I'll tell you who my partner was. You will? I will. And, uh, let my dog in here with me, would you? That I won't do. That dog stays in the other room. You might get some fool idea about sicking him on me. All right. Let's bring Al Peters here. That's all I ask. All right. You should be up and I'll be right back. Don't see why the man who murdered Michael should want to see me. I didn't have anything to do with it. I don't know why either, Al. All I know is he says he'll tell the name of his partner if I take it to him. He's crazy as a loom. Rock hit him on the head, and he got some fool motion. He's a moanny. A moanny? Yeah. That's all right. Say, look at the crowd of men in front of the jail. Yeah, I was afraid of this. The boys were all mad because the savings were stolen. Probably want to string him up. Can't say that I blame him. Well, why don't you let them do it? He's just killing Michael in cold blood. Well, I gotta at least pretend to stop him. All right, what's up, boys? We want that scum in there, Hank. We're gonna take a listen to our own hands. The law is too slow. That's right. He's going out. Give him a hand, or there'll be trouble. Nah, take it easy. We gotta get some information first. We gotta get the name of his partner. He's the one that done the killers. Yeah, I guess ain't much you can do, Hank. Better open the door. Yeah, I guess I'd better. You come in first with me, Al. All right, boys. All right, I'll open up for you. That's part of you, Hank. Yeah, let's get him, boy. Hey, look at that dog right here. Backed against the cell door. Hey, hey, wait a minute, fellas. That dog, Preston, don't kill him. I know that animal anywhere. Hey, King, come here, fellas. He ain't leaving that door for anybody. Hold everything, boys. That dog wouldn't guard anybody, but Sergeant Preston with a mount of police. Al Peters, is that you? That sounds like Preston. Give me those keys, Hank. Here, maybe you got enough to pass that dog, but I haven't. It's all right, King. You remember me, don't you, fellas? Al, I'm sure glad to see you. You know me, don't you? Well, I sure wouldn't have. Wasn't for that dog of yours. That three-day growth of beard, those clothes, that bandage covering half your face. Hey, boys, there's some mistake. This is Sergeant Preston. Howdy! How'd he get here? Sir, I'm sorry, Sergeant. I had no idea he was a... Quiet, boy. Quiet. It's all right. If you don't mind, I'll talk to you from outside the cell. The dog don't seem to like me anymore. Well, that's all right, Hank. Now, tell me just what happened. Maybe we'll know what to do to catch those thieves. Hey, Sergeant. What's all that you've been writing down since I began to talk? Well, it's a telegram. I want you to send it to the authorities in Eagle City. These men are headed to the border. What do you tell them? You said you never saw the man. This is a description of my dog team. Send it right away. I told them to watch for it and hold them in until I get there. Al, lend me your dog team, will you? I'll do more now, Sergeant. You'll ride the sled and I'll go with you. All the way to Eagle City. In a jail in Eagle City just across the border on the Alaska side, Joe argued with the United States Constable. What you can't hold us here ain't legal. You got nothing on us. We've been sitting here for three days and for what? Just trying to go through your lousy town. The American authorities always cooperate with the Northwest Mounted Police. You're held under suspicion of stealing a dog team. That's all I can tell you. You won't be here much longer. Oh, look. That's the dog shop. Shut up. Hello, Constable. Did you see the dog team, Sergeant? Yes, it's mine all right. We've made out all the proper papers, Constable. Is it all right if I take these men now? Oh, sure. Take us? Take us where? Back to Forty Mile. You're under arrest for worry and murder. It was a clever idea, boys. What's time you stole a wrong dog team. These copyrighted dramas originate in the studios of WXY and all characters, names, places, and incidents used are fictitious. They are sent to you each week at the same time. Hue holders seeking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.