 THE CHALLENGE OF THE YUKAN It's King, swiftest and strongest lead dog of the North Country, blazing the trail for Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Monod Police in his relentless pursuit of f***ing breakers. ON KING! ON YOU HUSKIES! Gold, gold discovered in the Yukon, a stampede to the Klondike in the greedy race for riches. Now back to the days of the gold rush, when Sergeant Preston and his wonder dog King battled through storm and snow to preserve law and order as they met the challenge of the Yukon. Two men plodded warily beside a dog sled loaded with f***ers. The early Arctic darkness was descending, and Bob Andrews looked up at the leaden sky apprehensively. Yeah, looks as if we're gonna get more snow, Bill. Hope we can reach our cast before it breaks. They're almost there. I remember that big pine ahead. Our supplies had buried just as stones through the other side of it. Oh, gosh, that's a relief. I'm so tired I could drop in my tracks. Yeah, the dogs are as tired as we are. It's a heavy load they're dragging. It's a good thing we didn't try to carry all those supplies with us. We'd have had to leave some of these f***ers. I expected to make a good haul this time, but it's even more than I counted on. In all the years I've been trapping, I never saw the like of this. We can sit back and take it easy for a while now. Mary will sure be tickled. Now she can have all the things she wants for a new cabin. Hey, maybe I can have somebody build her a cradle for the baby. You sure brought more than a rabbit skin to wrap the baby bunting in. You could make him a nice mink blanket if you wanted to. The mink I trapped are gonna add to my bank account. We're planning to leave this country before the baby's grown. Another season like this one, you won't have to wait much longer. There's a big rock, Bob. That's where we left our stuff. Come on, mush. Mush you lovers if you want to eat. Those dogs too tired to want to eat. What's wrong? Somebody's stolen our supplies. What? Everything's gone. Hey, look, there's no food. What could have done it? The rock is pushed back. Someone must have seen us hiding the stuff. Hey, look, here's some tracks. He had with a man, all right. You see the markers and tracks? Yeah, I'm following him. If I catch the dirty people, did this, I'll kill him. Calm down, Bob. Starting to snow. You follow those tracks, you're liable to get lost. You're in worse trouble than ever. No, I'm getting the rattle, did this. Use your head. At wild temper, yours gets you in more trouble. We've got a little food left. We can manage. Maybe we can shoot some game. Let's get into doctor hunt. You stay here with the dogs and make camp. I'm catching this thief. Bob, we've come almost 20 miles today. Your time. And I'm hungry. But I'm so mad I'd walk 50 miles more to catch the skunk who did this. Bob, Bob, come back here. You go on and make camp. I'll be back. Darkness had fallen, but Bob kept steadily on. I like... Oh, the baby's asleep here. Come look at him. Oh, gosh. I swear he's grown into us. Say, where's, where's Ukita? Whatever her name was, the Indian girl I sent for the mission. Ukita's going to get married. I let her go yesterday. Well, they sent another one over to help you. I don't need any help now, Bob. No, but I don't like the idea you stay in here alone. I'll have to go into town tomorrow for supplies. I'll see about getting another girl for you. It was afternoon of the following day when Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Monod Police was heading toward Dawson with his dog team. As they rounded a bend in the trail, the Mounties saw Bob's cabin ahead. Smoke poured from the windows and flames licked the roof. Oh, King. Hello, you huskies. Come on, King. Anybody here? Anybody here? Bob, Mary. Come on, King. We'll look inside. Come on, fella. There's Mary on the floor. Mary, Mary. I'll get you. That roof's going to fall. King, get the baby, King. They're on the floor. Get him, King. Mary, I'll carry you. Come on, King. Hurry, boy. Hurry. Who's the cabin? I'll put her down and help you. They're now young fellows. You're not hurt. You and your mother are going for a ride on my sled. You'll do it once cabin is closest, I think. All right, King. Get the team over here. Oh, King. Hello, you huskies. Bill, you home? It's Mary Andrews, Bill. Come and help me, will you? Mary Andrews? What happened? She's unconscious. Her cabin was unfair. Help me get her and the baby in. I'll carry Mary and you get the youngsters. All right, Sergeant. Oh, son, don't cry. You're all right. We're over on the cot, Sergeant. I'll put the baby on the blanket right here on the floor. There she is. Is that a bad blow in the head? Better bring me some water, Bill. I'll get some. There's nothing wrong with the baby. He isn't hurt. I'll have to have some bandages. If you haven't any, you better get my first aid kit. It's out on the sled. Oh, I've got some bandages. Good. Here's the water, called. Now she'll be conscious soon, I think. Part of the roof fallen? No, the roof didn't fall until after I got her out. King dragged the baby out. Well, how'd Mary get her? Somebody stuck her over the head. It's the only way it could have happened. Who could have done such a thing? Why would anyone want to harm Mary and the baby? I hope we can find out who did it. She's getting conscious, I think. Do you know where her husband is? Bob went to town after supplying. He's getting something for me. He ought to be back soon. Bob! Bob! Mary, you're all right now. The baby! He's safe, Mary. He wasn't hurt at all. Sly's still now. He's going to be all right. He's gone. Steady now, steady, Mary. He's gone. You and the baby are safe. Did she say half-breed? Yes. That mean anything to you? That's why I felt we were being followed. That's who did this. What are you talking about, though? On the trail home, a half-breed stole the food out of our cash. Bob caught him and beat him. Bob had every right to. That's a crime. Half-breed tried a knife, Bob, but Bob took the knife away from him. All of whom I felt we were being followed. I kept thinking I felt eyes on me. You ever have that feeling? Yes, I have. I think that half-breed followed us home. He saw where Bob lived and decided to get even with him for beating him up. Sergeant Preston. Yes, Mary? Do you feel better? I can talk now. Well, perhaps you'd better wait. No. I want to tell you what happened. You must get that man. I'll get him. It was a half-breed. He came into the cabin while I was feeding the baby. He just walked in the door. You were alone? Yes. Bob had left for town. I put the baby down and ran for Bob's gun. He took it from me and struck me with it. I... That's all I can remember. Dirty murder and weasel. I like to get my hands on him. Can you take care of Mary, Bill? Sure. Sure, I can. I want to go back to the cabin and see if I can pick up his trail. I'll have to talk to Bob. He's a good man and can probably describe him. The baby! Oh, I guess King frightened him. He went over and licked his face. King, get away from him, boy. I'll bring the baby over to you, Mary. All right. It's all right, King. You didn't mean to scare him. I know. He just doesn't happen to like big dogs licking his face. Here he is, Mary. I guess he doesn't know that King saved his life. Hiya, Bill. I got your... What? Mary, what's wrong? Sergeant Preston. That half-breed you beat up decided to get a little revenge. He almost killed Mary, then set your cabin on fire. What? A cabin? Oh, no. Mary, are you hurt bad? Is she gonna be all right? Don't worry, Bob. I'm all right now. So is the baby. She got a bad blow on the head, but she's going to forget well. Now, I want a description of that half-breed, Bob. I may be able to pick up his trail from the cabin. That dirty cur. That murdering coward. I'm going with you, Sergeant. I'll kill him this time. And he's gonna get more than a beating. I think you'd better stay here, Bob. I won't stay here. Bill, you'll take care of Mary and the baby for me, won't you? Well, sure, Bob, but... I'm going. If I get my hands on him... I'm afraid I can't take you with me. Maybe a long time before I get him, you'd better stay here with your wife. If you won't take me with you, I'll go alone. He tried to burn my wife and baby alive. I won't rest till he's caught. I can understand how you feel. I understand too, Bob. But I can't let you kill this half-breed. It's my duty to bring him in alive. You're either taking me with you or I go alone. Well, in that case, it might be safer to take you with me. You won't have to stop to get supplies. I brought plenty from town just now. We'll transfer him to your sled. Good. We'll go now and see if we can pick up the trail of this man. He must have left some tracks in us now. Bill, is that gun I left with you around here? Yeah, it's over there in the corner. You won't need a gun, Bob. I have one. Well, we may have to do some hunting. I'll need a gun. All right. I'll get it for you. Goodbye, Mary. Bill will take good care of you. Goodbye, dear. Please, please be careful. You'll be all right, Mary. Don't you worry. Come on, Bob. Let's go. There's your cabin, Bob. Or what's left of it? Nothing but a heap of smoking ashes. Oh, if I could just get my hands on that dirty thief. All right, King. Hurry up, Huskies. Come on. Let's see if we can find his tracks. Come along, King. I think how much work it was getting this cabin built. Curtains, Mary made for it. The furniture, we built ourselves. I understand, Bob. All right. I guess I was so mad about this, I haven't even thanked you for saving Mary and the baby. It hadn't been for you and that barn. It's good, Bob. Now, take it easy around here. King, I probably messed up his tracks when we went into the cabin. There should be something... Here they are, Sergeant. They lead around toward the back. Here, I'd know them anywhere. They're the same tracks as I followed the day our cache was robbed. It's the same half-breed already. Well, you went northeast. That's why I didn't meet him on the trail. We're catching him. He won't have anything to eat. Well, afraid you're wrong there, Bob. He probably took everything he could carry out of your cabin before he set fire to it, including your gun. That's right. He could have done that. Here, King. These tracks, King. Here's the man we're after, fella. Does he know what you're saying? He certainly does, and he won't forget that scent. But he isn't a hunting dog. I thought just towns and hunting dogs had good noses for tracking. King has some wolf in him. A wolf with a keen nose. Come on, King. We'll get the dogs and start on this trail. As Sergeant Preston and Bob followed the trail of Black Hawk, the half-breed, the mountain tried to calm the hot-tempered young trapper. Bob wanted neither to eat nor sleep until he caught the man who had done him so much harm. Oh, King! Oh, yes, King! Why are we stopping, Preston? Look under that fir tree. As for our man camp last night, we're close on his trail, I think. Yeah, he's heading for the mountains at murdering Hound. Well, stop here and eat and then go on. I'm not hungry, Sergeant. Let's keep going. Bob, you must eat to keep up your strength this long past noon. We'll get him, don't you worry. I'll get him if I have to spend the rest of my life doing it. You dirty savage. Calm down, Bob. Take it easy. I'll take it easy after I put a bullet through his filthy hide. Bob, I brought you with me because I was afraid you'd do something foolish if I didn't. Now, I want it understood that this man will be my prisoner. Before we go any farther, I want your word that when we capture him, you'll help me bring him back alive. And if I won't give you my word? Then we'll turn back right now and I'll have you confined until I bring the prisoner in. Sergeant Preston, surely you realize what this man tried to do? I can understand your feelings, yes, but I also know my duty. Well, what do you say? It looks as if I had any choice. All right. If you capture him, I won't kill him. That's fine. Now you get a fire going and we'll have our dinner. As the early darkness began to fall, Sergeant Preston and Bob had near the foot of the mountains. The half-breeds tracks were clear now and knew they were close on his trail. Then Sergeant Preston stopped his dog team. Why are we stopping, Sergeant? It's not dark yet. We'll be in a few minutes, Bob. Now you're trying to go up that mountain trail after dark. But we can get closer to the mountains than this. I know this part of the country pretty well. I've patrolled it. There's a cabin about a half mile from here that belongs to a friend of mine. We'll stay there tonight. Is it straight ahead? No, it's off to the left there. But that means we'll lose lots of time. Maybe it'll snow and cover these tracks we're following. It isn't going to snow. Anyway, we know he's going up the mountain. He can't travel far after dark. He'll probably hold up in a cave for the night. Come on. Hawking! Haw! Un-King! Un-King! Sergeant, I don't see the sense in going off the trail when we've almost caught him. We'll get him tomorrow, Bob. Good night's sleep in a warm cabin and the good supper is what both of us need. Come on and don't argue. Un-King! Un-King! A welcoming curl of smoke rose from the chimney of the small cabin at the foot of the mountain. As Sergeant Preston and Bob approached it, the door opened and an old prospector peered out curiously. Then his face lighted with pleasure as he recognized the mountain. Well, if it ain't Sergeant Preston! Hello, Tom. We've come to spend the night with you. You're sure a sight for sore eyes? I'll be mighty pleased to have you. Tom, this is Bob Andrews, a friend of mine. This is Tom Love, Bob. I'm glad to meet you. Well, if here ain't King. Hello, fella. Come on in and get warm, Sergeant. Bring Bob and King in with you. I got some nice hot tea ready right now. And supper will be on in no time. All right, thanks. We'll bring our guns and blankets in. I'll feed the dogs and bed them down while you cook. Well, you take the blankets in, Sergeant. I'll feed the dogs and fix them for the night. Thanks, Bob. Let me help you. Here, you carry the blankets. I'll get the rifles. They're here on the sled. I'll be in as soon as I'm through. Come on, King. Come in with us. Of course, it's so long since I've had any visitors. I'm downright excited. Pretty lonesome out here, isn't it? Yes, but I managed to keep busy hunting and trapping in winter and panning gold in summer. Take off your pocket, Sergeant. All right. I'll put it on this nail. All right, if I put Bob's gun here in the corner. Well, sure. I'll get your tea ready. We've got a good caribou steak for supper. That sounds good. Tom, you know a shortcut to the mountain trail from here? Well, sure. You go back to the trail and cut straight and off. Yes. You'll have to do it on snow shoes, though. I doubt that you could take your dog team. That snow is deep and the crust ain't too thick. Well, it'd save much time. About two hours? Why? Do you have to somebody? I'm missing a half-breed. I think he's gone up the mountain trail. Does he know that you're after him? He may. I think he's playing safe and trying to lose us by taking to the hills. The dangerous trail in the mountain up there may try to ambush you. And it wouldn't be hard. There's plenty of rocks to hide behind. I'm afraid that's a chance we'll have to take, Tom. I bet the dogs, uh... they're all right for the night. Thanks, Bob. Oh, uh, take off your parka and get warm. Ah, Jesus. Cabin sure feels good. Here, give it to me, and I'll hang it up here with mine. Yeah. Thanks. Here you are. All right. Here's some good hot tea. Oh, thanks. You, uh, bring my gun in, Sergeant? Yes, Bob. It's back here in the corner. Right under your parka. Oh. Sergeant, you look more tired than I ever remember seeing you. Now, sit down and rest. I am tired, Tom. See, uh, I didn't have any time to rest up after my last long patrol. We started after this, man, the day I got back. Ooh, ooh, ooh. I feel as if I could sleep for a week. Well, Sergeant, tonight you take my bed and I'll sleep on the floor. Oh, no. Say, that's a good idea, Preston. We have to get an early start. And a good sound sleep will do you good. About an hour before dawn, King sleeping beside his masters cut, raised his head as he heard a slight movement in the cabin. He sniffed the air and then got up and walked toward the figure of Bob, who was cautiously lifting his parka from the nail on the wall. Bob grew tense as he heard the soft pad of the dog's feet coming toward him. Then he patted King's head and whispered softly, It's all right, boy. Lie down. His curiosity satisfied. The big dog went back to the side of his master as Bob, carrying his rifle, slipped silently out of the door. The first streak of daylight shone through the cabin window when Preston awoke. I guess it's time to show off, Bob. Hey, Bob. Bob. Oh, you fellas have to stop this early. Tom, where's Bob? Huh? Any here? What? He's gone. His parka's gone and so's his gun. Well, maybe he's out getting the dogs ready. No, we'd have heard them. Bob must have sneaked off in the night. Well, for the love of Pete, I didn't hear nothing. I've got to stop him, Tom. You don't stand much chance of catching him if you've got a good start. He's tired and he can't go very fast. Maybe if I take that shortcut on snowshoes, I can catch him. Yes, King. We've got to get to that half-breed first. You won't be able to take King with you. He's too heavy. You break through the crust of snow and it's too deep to travel in. We'll take King as far as the regular trail. I'll send him that way and I'll take the shortcut. Hurry, Tom. We must hurry. Oh, yeah, Sergeant. Here's the regular trail. Now you go straight across this valley on snowshoes. You cut off about five miles. Right. The mountain trail winds in there to the left. Thanks, Tom. First, I'll send King on ahead. Here are the tracks we were following yesterday and here are Bob's right beside them. He's after the half-breed, all right. Here, King. We're on the same trail, fella. These tracks, boy. Get him, King, and hold him. No, King, I'm not going with you this time. On, King. Get him and cut him. Get him, fella. On, King! Why didn't you send him after Bob? You put him on the half-breed's track. He knows we're trailing the half-breed. I couldn't take a chance on confusing him. He only gets there before Bob does. Look at him streak along that trail. He's going like lightning. I'm taking a long chance if that half-breed shoots him. He's likely to shoot a dog. He never suspected a dog was chasing him. There. There's no shoes to run. Goodbye, Tom. Thanks. Good luck, Sergeant. Good luck. A shaft of sunshine had awakened Blackhawk the half-breed as he lay rolled up in furs on the mountain trail behind a huge rock. He lay still, reluctant to leave his warm bed. King, stop! It sat up suddenly when he heard a voice on the trail below him. Quickly, Blackhawk arose, clutching his rifle. He had heard that voice before. The voice of the man who had beaten him that night in the woods. The man whose cabin he had burned. He crept to the edge of the rock, his rifle ready, and watched the bend in the trail below him. His finger tightened on the trigger, but it was only a dog. The dog seemed to be running away from the man behind him. Blackhawk waited as he heard the voice around the bend. The dog was almost up to the rock when Blackhawk saw the figure of his enemy come around the bend. He aimed carefully, but as his finger tightened, a gray shake sprang at him, knocking him to the ground. No! Get away! No! Get off me! Get away! Get away, I say! No! My gun! No way! Help! King! You caught him! Take dog off! Let me not kill you! Take dog away! You would have shot me. I saw your rifle go over the side of the mountain when King jumped you. Take dog away! Let me go with you! Not make trouble no more! You dirty murderer! No! I got you at last. You tried to kill my wife and baby. You didn't show them any mercy, and I'm not showing you any. Blackhawk cannot hurt you no more. Take dog off! That dog is gonna hold you right where you are until I put a bullet between your eyes. No! I gotta do it before the mountain comes. No, no! I promised you wouldn't after he captured you. But I captured you first. And now you're gonna get it. No! This bullet will fix you. Wait. My rifle. There aren't any bullets in it. Do not kill Blackhawk now! I got some more bullets in my pocket. Wait. You're gone. All of my bullets are gone. Wait. I can't believe it. My gun is empty. Take dog off! Take dog off! My arms! Yeah, I will. Is this the man we're after? Yeah. His name is Blackhawk. King got him. Good thing King got here first. I took the bullets out of your rifle last night and also out of your pockets. I was afraid that hot temper of yours would make you forget your promise to me when we caught Blackhawk. That's why I tried to get him first. I didn't want to keep that promise. You're lucky to be alive. Take dog away! Help! All right, King. Get off him, fella. Get up, Blackhawk. I'm arresting you for attempted murder. Me? Afraid of dog? Afraid of him? I won't hurt you now if you behave. Watch him, King. Preston. I... I'm sorry. I owe so much to you and King. I... I should have used my head. Sergeant, I promise I won't try anything more. All right, Bob. Forget it. I'll be right back. I'll be right back. I promise I won't try anything more. All right, Bob. Forget it. But, uh, after this, what's that temper of yours? You know, it might get you into trouble. We'll take Blackhawk back. The case is closed. The challenge of the Yukon, a copyrighted feature, is brought to you each week at this time, and all names and incidents used are fictitious. Listen again next week to another exciting adventure during the days of the Gold Rush. This time came to you from Detroit. Are you out on a limb when it comes to forming opinions on important world issues? Well, it's to be admitted that forming an unbiased, unprejudiced opinion affairs often takes a bit of thinking and hearing all sides of the story. But millions of Americans have learned to make it easy for themselves. They're arriving at decisions through discussions that get rolling every Tuesday evening on America's town meeting of the air. 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