 Now, as gunshots echo across the windswept snow-covered reaches of the wild northwest, the challenge of the Yukon! It's Yukon King, swiftest and strongest lead dog of the northwest, blazing the trail for Sergeant Preston of the northwest-monet police in his relentless pursuit of lawbreakers. One King, run! Gold, gold discovered in the Yukon, a stampede to the Klondike in the wild race for riches. Back to the days of the gold rush. Bringing you the adventures of Sergeant Preston and his wonder dog Yukon King as they meet the challenge of the Yukon. Two rough-looking men had left the boat when it docked Selkirk and walked to a well-known boarding house in town. The landlady, a woman with a criminal past, was now posing as a respectable boarding house owner. As they went up the porch, Max, one of the men, spoke. This is Aunt Stella's place. Looks mighty respectable, doesn't it, buddy? Yes, she does, Maggie. Before we left Dorsen after that robbery, we pulled out telegraphs that we were coming. She'll be expecting us. I'm awful sorry, gentlemen, but all the rooms are kept. Max, so you've finally got here, huh? Come on in and bring your steady-paced friend with you. Same old Aunt Stella. Come on in, buddy. Max, you're getting bigger and tougher every time I see you. Oh, this here's a parter, so sit down, be comfortable. Thanks, ma'am. My boarders all call me Miss Stella, so you might as well do the same. Yes, you have more fool, Aunt Stella. I suppose that's meant to be a compliment coming from you, Max. What's your name, young fella? His name's Butt, ma'am. Butt... Never mind the last name. Probably changed it so many times you can't remember the right one. Max, how long you aiming to stay here and what you're planning to do while you are here? Well, Martin, I need cash, Aunt Stella. As soon as we get some, we'll head for Skagway. Even the frozen north is getting too hot for you, huh, Max? I reckon being smart and avoiding the law doesn't run in the family. Oh, listen, Stella... Oh, never mind, never mind. I thought I was smart in those early days. I ran into one hombre on the side of the law who was smarter. Since then, I've been mighty careful. Up here, the law thinks I'm just a nice, respectable old lady trying to make an honest living. Yeah, you sure look the pride, Miss Stella. Glad you think so. Well, come on, boys. I'll show you to your room, then we'll talk more over some coffee. Yeah, good. Sooner we get something lined up to bed. Come on, Martin. The following day was cold at Windy, with an overcast sky indicating that the first snow flurries of the Yukon weather were soon to begin. One of Stella's boarders, who had come in at noon for dinner, stopped in the doorway of her parlor to speak to her. Is something wrong, Miss Greedon? I want all my boarders to be pleased, you know. Oh, no, everything's fine, ma'am. It's just that I'll not be home to supper tonight. I thought I'd let you know. You see, there's an important shipment from the bank going by express on the Yukon bell when the boat leaves at midnight. Oh, so that's it. But, Stella, I don't see why it can't... The shipment will be delivered to our office when the bank closes. I'll keep it in the safe there until just before the boat sails. When the purser and a couple of guards are come after it. I'll stay at the office where the doors lock to guard it till I deliver it to them. Miss Greedon, I have an idea. I'll send some hot soup and bits down to the office for you to see. Well, thanks. It's the same as Stella. I have that shipment in the safe and lock the office doors. I don't open them up again till it's time to turn it over to the men who come for it. But if I send the food by Mucco, my Indian handyman, he could call out to you when he gets there and then slip it in to you. I'm sure you wouldn't suspect a stupid fellow like Mucco to be a hold-up man. Now, would you, Miss Greedon? Well, no, of course not. But then it's settled. I am Mucco to knock twice on the door and to call out. Main time, Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his big husky Yukon King arrived in Selkirk on routine patrol duty. They stopped in front of the constable's office. Good luck, Ian. Come on, King. Oh, Sergeant Preston, I figured you and King were about due to come through here. Please, we headed the world right, Constable. I'd say we're in for a snow. We'd be lucky at the delivery stable and tend to much patrol with the dog team. Any excitement in Selkirk lately? Oh, nothing out of the ordinary, Sergeant. Oh, uh, I have my reports ready whenever you want to check them. Oh, good. I'll take lucky over the delivery stable now and I'll come back and get busy on those reports. See you in a little while. Come on, King. At the boarding house, Stella was having an earnest discussion with her nephew Max and his friend, Bart. Your chance has come sooner than we expected, boys. Tell us about it, Aunt Stella. There's to be a bench. Stella told Max and Bart of her conversation with the express agent and how he had finally agreed to let Mucco, her Indian handyman, bring his supper to the express office. The two crooks listened intently and Max spoke. Hey, you're plenty smart, Aunt Stella. What does Mucco fit into this? What was on your mind? Listen, you and Bart follow Mucco to the express office. I've got Mucco all set for the part he'll play. Now, when the agent opens the door to take in the food, you and Bart get the drop on him and Mucco. Tie and gag them and get back here with the cash. You mean tie and gag Mucco, too? Yeah, of course. You don't want him to get suspicious of me, do you? He knows enough to play dumb. Hey, that sounds like a perfect setup. It is, if you both watch your step. Use bandanas as Max and pull your Parker hoods down. Don't come directly here. Cover your trail first, understand? Stop at the cafe. But Miss Stella will be carrying the stuff we grabbed from the safe. Transfer it to the big dinner pail Mucco will carry down to the office. Lots of men carry him into the cafe. Yeah, yeah, that's right. I reckon you've got everything planned out perfect. I have. Only don't forget to come back here. I have a share coming from that bank cash. In the morning, we'll make arrangements for you to leave for Skagway. Now be down there at 7 and no slip up. You can cut on us that stuff. We'll see you tonight for that bank cash, Miss Stella. So don't worry. By the evening, shortly after 7 o'clock, the ex-class agent, Mr. Eaton, heard a double knock at the locked front door of the office. Yeah, must be Mucco with Miss Stella. Can I use some food about now? Who's there? The spring supper. It's Mucco. That's Mucco. Hi, Mucco. Just hand it in, then I'll have to close and lock the door again. You gave him a pale. Yeah, thanks, Mucco. When I get home, I'll give it to you. Get inside for a second. Look, he even got guns. There, we both have guns. Hey, what's your idea? Mass. Yeah, this is a whole lot, Sally. Keep quiet and do what you're told or will put you. You're not shooting, Mucco. Oh, close the door again. You, Indian. Take your step to Raha. Tell that fellow's hands and feet. Me time. Me time. Plenty times. Hand bolstered my tongue to take this pain away. We don't plug you right away, Miss T. Hurry up, Indian. When you get finished, one of us will tie you, too. Then we'll gag you both. In a few minutes, Mucco, acting frightened, tied the express agents' hands and feet. Then Bart bound Mucco and he and the agent were gags. Hey, we better get the stuff in the safe and get out of here. Soon after the two crooks left the express office and covered their trail according to Stella's instructions, snow began to fall. Later, just before midnight, Sergeant Preston was in the constable's office going over reports with the constable when the purser from the Yukon Bell entered hurriedly. Constable, there's been a robbery. Wait. Oh, Sergeant Preston, I'm sure glad to see you. You spoke of a robbery, Tom. That's right. You see, I represent the express company aboard ship. I took two guards with me and went to get a shipment of cash from the express office just a short time ago. We found the agent and an Indian tied and gagged. The cash was gone from the safe. Say that's serious. Well, go over and get the story from the agent constable. A few minutes later, the two Maltese and King entered the express office. Now, they're clear these people are the very constables so we can talk to the agent. Right. All right, man. Everybody out. Melaton, what happened? Two men were in bandanas, but their parking hoods pulled down the shed of their eyes, pushed away, and they tied and gagged the Indian and me, then robbed the safe. At about 7 o'clock, we've been tied up for several hours. We must have been the first to come here. The office usually closed for business and folks know that. You said something about an Indian. Where is he? Well, that was Mukho from the boarding house. He brought him a supper. The crooks pushed in when I unlocked the door to take the supper pail from him. Why do you leave before we got here? Poor fellow seems scared to death, Sergeant. Soon as he was untied, he beat it like a scared jack rabbit. I see. Well, we got all the facts we can from you and we'll go to the boarding house and talk to Mukho. Maybe he knows there's something you might have missed. We might have had a chance to pick up the crooks trail if the snow hadn't started, Sergeant. In spite of that, we might have had a chance if the money hadn't crowded in here before we arrived. We'll continue our story in just a moment to continue. At the boarding house, Max and Bart were in a closed room with the landlady Stella. The cash neatly bound with bands stamped with a bank's name lay on a table. Stella was stacking the packets in three piles as she talked. $15,000 here, boys. More than you figured. Yes, it's $5,000 each. Right. Max can tell you his old auntie is always fair and split in the take. What does Mukho expect for the part he played after Stella? Most likely still bound and gagged on the express office. We'll each give him $50. Mukho, think that's a fortune. That's all right with me. Wait till I put this cash in the table drawer. Who is it? It's Mukho, Miss Stella. Mukho's free at last. Let him in, Max. Come on in, Mukho. Well, Mukho, the boys, tell me, how did you park well? What happened when you were finally found? Men from both come, them on tires. Me act plenty scared. Me leave quick. One fellow go for constable. Sure, we expected that. But it's not good, Miss Stella. What's not good? We hide outside, wait and watch. Constable bring other money. Him big sergeant Preston. What? Who have a dog? Preston. Holy mackerel, I've heard about him and that dog. Must admit I didn't figure on him being around. But if you followed my instructions about... Oh, we did, ma'am. What's more, the snooze been falling thick and fast for several hours. Nobody could think of a trail now, even if we left a clue one. Maybe so, Bart, but I've been around here for some time now. Preston will hear about Mucco and come here to ask him questions. I'm sure of that. Mucco, you better watch your step. Oh, me plenty dumb. Me know nothing. Me take him supper, robbers come, tie up Mucco and other fellow. You'll do all right. Max, you and Bart keep out of the way. Let me handle Preston. Now, I arranged for a dog team for you at the panel. Thanks. I don't want to be here when Preston comes, Aunt Stella. I think Bart and I will get the dog team and head south tonight. The snow is heavy enough now. You'd be better off staying right here, but that's what you want to do. Go ahead. Here, you eat your shit right now. Very good. Thanks, ma'am. We'll get our stuff from our room in a few supplies and be on our way. After getting every possible detail from the express agent, Sergeant Preston and the constable left the express office and started on toward the boarding house. We don't have much to go on, Sergeant. No, constable, we don't have. Perhaps Mucco might come up with some information, though. We know the Corks put the stolen cash into the dinner pail if Mucco brought to the express office. Sure. That's no help. We arrested everybody we saw carrying a dinner pail. We'd have the jail packed in no time. That's true. Let's tell us points. It's rather late, the lights are still burning. Let's go in. Come on, King. I hope we don't get the sweet old lady out of bed, Sergeant. I think she's still up. Yes, what is it? The constable, Miss Deller. Sergeant Preston is with me. Oh, come right in out of the store. Oh, King is with you. Bring him right in, too. Thanks. Come on, King. Oh, come into my private parlor, gentlemen. Oh, thanks, ma'am. Don't sit down. Thank you. Good thing I was sitting up late checking my house account. Sorry to come here so late, but it's important. The express office was robbed tonight. The money was taken. Oh, how awful. I do hope you don't suspect that night, Mr. Eaton. Why, so far, Miss Deller, we suspect no one. Is Moco around? Moco? Well, yes. His room's just off the kitchen. Just a minute, Miss Deller. Didn't you send Moco to the express office tonight with a dinner pail of food for Mr. Eaton? Well, yes. Yes, that's right, Sergeant. Poor Mr. Eaton wouldn't have had a bite. You seem surprised when we mentioned the robbery. Didn't Moco tell you about it when he came home? You mean Moco knew about it? He was there when it happened and stayed there bound and gagged until a short time ago. Really? I wonder why Moco didn't come back and tell me about it. Didn't you wonder why he didn't come back after taking the food of Mr. Eaton? That was hours ago, you know. No, I didn't wonder about that, Sergeant. You see, I told Moco to take the evening off after he delivered the food. Poor Moco must have been so frightened that he came home and went straight to his room. He has a key to the back door. We'll talk to Moco now, please. Oh, of course, Sergeant. I'll go call him. Moco? While Stella went down the hall calling Moco, King went to investigate an object he saw behind an easy chair. Hey, Sergeant, King's found something. Ha, dinner pail. Here, King, carry this outside. Take it outside, boy. Go outside and wait. The intelligent dog lifted the pail and quickly went out into the hall with Preston behind him. The mouty opened the door, let the husky out, then closed the door and returned to the parlor. A moment later, Stella came from the kitchen with Moco. Here's Moco. But where's your dog, Stella King? While at King out, he was getting too warm, Miss Stella. Oh, yes, of course. Well, here's Moco. Red coat, come see Moco about robbery, maybe? Yes. Why didn't you wait at the express office for us? Me plenty scared. Me get loose, run home, quick. You came home and went straight to your room? Yes, he did, darling. Me go to room, stay there, locked door. What can you tell us about the robbery? Me not able to tell anything. Me plenty scared. Me get tied, gagged, cooks big, where bandanas have guns. And plenty mean. Me scared. Realizing it was no use questioning the Indian further, though he thought there was something fishy about the situation, Sergeant Preston to Smith, Moco, saying, Never mind, go back to your room, Moco. We'll talk to you again in the morning. I'll find out what I can find you too, Sergeant. Let me go to room now. But you mentioned the bank shipment to anyone, Miss Stella? The bank shipment to Lane State. Mr. Reaton told you about it, remember? Oh, yes, he did say something about why he had to stay locked up at the office, but I paid small mind to that. I was more concerned about him going without his supper. I see. Well, let's go down to room. Good night, Miss Stella. Good night, ma'am. Good night. How will you continue? Carrying the dinner pail under his arm, Sergeant Preston with the constable and King walked back to the express office, where the agent was still waiting in hopes of hearing news of the missing cash. Sergeant, I haven't asked up to now, but I'd like to know why you brought that dinner pail from the boarding house. I had the feeling tonight that Stella's sweetness was covering up something. Her eyes followed every move we made, and she was quick to give Mukho a cue for his answer. When I asked if he went straight to his room when he arrived home... I noticed that, but the dinner pail... Pails like this are common, I'll admit. But if this happens to be the one the crooks use, one of them may have held the handle long enough to leave a scent. A scent which King could use to pick up their trail. Here, King. Get the scent, Stella. The intelligent dog sniffed the wooden handle of a pail for a moment. Max had held the handle in his sweaty hand while he filled it. And again, it's Stella's when he took the cash from it. King barked sharply to indicate he had found a scent. Now, if King can pick up that scent in here, it'll mean something. Come over here to the safe, boy. Find it, King. Find the scent. Hey, he's found something. Yes, and that means this is the dinner pail the cash was in. But with snow covering the ground... We found this in Stella's parlor, Captain. We'll go directly to the boarding house now and start from there. Come on. As the two bodies approached the boarding house, Preston was saying, We're going to figure out what plant Stella has in this town. Maybe she's in Charlie's, Sergeant. Maybe the pail was left there without her knowledge. Mostly, we'll have to move carefully. Get on the site quick. Quiet, King. The dog seems heading this way. Go around the back door. There might be just a couple of prospectors coming in. Let me find out, here, King. Pointing to the snow-covered ground where Max and Bart had just passed with the dog team, Preston spoken along too. Find the scent, King. Constable, King's found the same scent as the one from the pail. Let's go around the house. Come on. Quiet, King. The dog sledded stopped at the back door. Max had gone inside. In the parlor, Stella was talking with the Indian Mukho. Mukho, I didn't like the way that Mountie Preston acted. Oh, it's not good. Well, whatever you do, play dumb if they talk to you again. Well... Well, it's you, Max. Took you long enough to get the dog team from the kennels. Mukho will give you supplies, and that... Give it to myself, Aunt Stella. First time taking the rest of the bank care study. Max, you going, Mukho? Put away that gun, do you hear? I reckon I inherited some of yours smart, Miss Annie. At least I'm smart enough not to leave $5,000 behind that I can take without any trouble. What? Mukho, move over there next to her. And both of you keep your hands up or I'll bug you. Oh, me have hands up. Yeah, it's still there. Boy, you two-timing yellow coyote out to the mountain. No, you won't, Aunt Stella. You still want to live here as a sweet old landlady. You wouldn't want them to know your past so that Mukho was a plant to get us in the express office. That's a mention of nice ones in robbery. He's done it your order. I'm taking your share. We'll take that change of money. Oh, Sergeant, I am so glad you came back, this man. Look at me, Aunt Stella. We heard enough as we stood in the hall. We tied up the man outside. You aren't going to tell me? That's your sweet old lady, Constable. A criminal of the worst kind, preying on those who trust and believe in her. As Preston spoke, King would move into the room unnoticed. He was staggered and clutching her booze. Oh, my heart. Sergeant, she's going to feed our health. Wait. Constable, step quickly between Stella and Preston. It was King who saw the glitter of a small gun as she started to draw from the folds of her dress. The brave dog sprang with a growl, grabbing Stella's arm. At the same time, Preston saw Mukho's hand move like lightning to his bell and grabbed a knife. Not that knife. Oh! Come, King. Watch him, fella. Sergeant, I didn't realize. All right. King was on the job. I was sure she was faking. Yeah. I think you're smart. Yes, but you are not. We arrest all of you in the name of the crown for the robbery of the express office. We found the rest of the cash hidden on the sled outside. Constable, you're going to be landlord to this landlady for a long time to come. This case is closed. These radio dramas are created and produced by George W. Trendo, directed by Fred Flower Day, and supervised by Charles D. Livingston. The part of Sergeant Preston is played by Paul Sutton. This is J. Michael wishing you good-bye, good luck, and good health. Belong.