 The challenge of the Yukon. The Wonder Dog King. Swiftest and strong as the Vescomole lead dog, 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. It was many years before that great organization, the Seeing Eye League began to train dogs for the blind. But the instinct and devotion of dog to master is timeless. And so it was that when Pete Ramsey lost his sight, Alec became his eyes. The two of them walked along the Tolson City's main street. They were the object of kind curiosity on the part of a small group of trappers and prospectors who stepped aside to allow them to pass. Hi there, Pete. How are you? Well, I haven't seen you in quite a while. How are the traps these days? Got some mighty good silver boxes yesterday. That's good. What brings you into town, Pete? Oh, you here too, Jim? Oh, Alec and me just decided to pick up a few supplies. How's Mary? Fine. Stop by at the cabin next time you get up our way. Yes, thanks, I will. All right, Alec. I'll see you later, boys. So long, Pete. Take care of yourself. See you later, he says. Poor Pete. You've got to hand it to him. Aren't many men who'd have what it takes to stick it out up here? Blind as a bat like he is. What I'd like to know is why he doesn't get back to the States. Sally Michaels would marry him in a minute. He doesn't go back because he ain't got a thing to his name, except the cabin he's living in and that dog of his. The truth was to be known, though, that there's money a day that both him and the dog go hungry. Ah, Pete's a proud son of a gun. No charity for him. He won't marry Sam Michaels, girl, because he's afraid she feels sorry for him. I thought there was even a chance Sally married me. I sure wouldn't stop to wonder whether she did it because she was sorry for me. You and him are different, Clem. There's only one man in this territory who can make Pete share a can of beans without getting an argument. Yeah? Who's that? Preston of the Mounties. I bumped into him over at Circle City last week, and from what he said, he ought to be here in a day or so. Come on, Clem. The drinks are on me. Lead the way, Father. The two men turned and walked into the saloon. Pete Ramsey forgotten. Because people forget more than they remember, they thought of the proud handicapped young man only when he intruded into their world. There were three people, however, to whom Pete was an important consideration. One was the slender, dark-haired girl who put a jar of jelly on the round wooden table in a single-roomed cabin later that evening. And you needn't get healthy either, Pete Ramsey. It's only a jar of jelly I brought over. No, you shouldn't have done that, Sally. Why do you have to be so stubborn? Why do you have to close yourself up in here, never being with people, staying by yourself? Why should I go anywhere? I'm satisfied this way. Ellie can all... So you're perfectly happy shutting yourself up like some hermit. Well, you're shellfish, Pete Ramsey. Selfish and stubborn. Has it ever occurred to you that it gives me pleasure to see you? I won't hold you to a promise you made before. Darling, it was I who made the promise. I love you now just as much as I did when I told you I'd marry you. The promise was mine, so... Well, it's mine to break or keep as I choose. And I choose to keep it. No. No, it isn't any good. I have nothing I can offer you. You don't need anything. My dad's claim is richer than we ever thought it was. We could do... Ellie, I don't want charity. I won't have your father supporting me. I suppose you wouldn't. All right, Pete. I guess I'd better start with a cabin before it gets dark. I could send Ellie with you. No, never mind. I'll be all right. Bye. Goodbye, Sally. What is it, Ellie? Come here, boy. Come here. Come here, fella. Well, what do you see, fella? Or is it something you hear? Alex saw nothing. But with that strange sixth sense inherent in all dogs, a thousand warning signals were alive within him. He felt the presence of intruders, and with it, a strong, unreasoning premonition of danger. As she walked from the cabin, Sally Michaels noticed the two figures standing at the edge of the creek on Pete Ramsey's property. She might have hesitated instead of hurrying on. Had she realized that these two men were very much interested in the man who was staked on the land where they stood. Just take a look at these flakes, chick. You can pick them out of the gravel. What kind of a fool is it that leaves this stuff where anybody could help himself? Maybe he's already got so much out of this claim he can afford to leave it laying around. Hey, what in the... Hey, he's setting his dog on us. Ellie, where are you? All right, fella. Now, tell me what you want to know. Hey, who is it? Well, my partner and me wanted to fill our canteens. You ran out of water, and we thought when we saw your stream... Christ, it's perfectly all right. Take whatever you need. I don't believe I know you. Where are strangers in these parts? My name's Crane. Chick Crane. This is Steve Lindsey. Glad to know you. My name's Ramsey. Planning to camp out tonight? Well, yes. Well, you're welcome to stay at my place. I don't have much to offer you. There isn't much food, but you're welcome to what I have. What do you think, Chick? Well, it's fine. Fine, Ramsey. Thanks a lot. No, not at all. If you have your canteens filled, then go to the cab. It was early the next day. Chick Crane and his partner walked slowly back from the stream. Where they'd gone to refill Ramsey's canteens. Well, it's a cinch, Steve. We'll never find anything easier. He doesn't have any idea there's gold in this land. Yeah, I know, but I... Oh, no, buts about it. Now, we can fix the whole thing so it'll look like an accident. An accident, huh? How do you figure that? Well, you'll leave it to me. When we get back to the cabin, I'll show you what I got in mind. Uh, just one thing. What's that? Watch out for the dogs. A few minutes later in the cabin, Pete Ramsey sat quietly in a chair with Allie at his feet. While his two guests busied themselves packing, I've been quite glad to have your company, though I'm sorry I didn't have more to offer you. Why, that's all right. Steve and me ain't very fussy. You got the rifle, Steve? Yeah. Here it is. Well, then use it! Ah! Ah! Ah! Get out! Get out! Get the rifle out of there! Get out! You should have brained him. Oh, rather both are cold. Bring that oil lamp over here, will you? What do you want with it? Sprinkle this oil around. We won't need much of it. Just enough to get started. I get it now. No fooling. Come on now, let's get out of here. We'll make camp a couple of miles up the trail. As far as anybody will know, a blind man can't handle matches. See? Get the dog started. You sure figured this out, chick. And we move it on a rich steak, huh? All right. Much walkie. Much. The two men had disappeared from view as another dog sled cut tracks in the snow. The great dog king leading Sergeant Preston's team had caught the scent of smoke and had urged the pack to a faster pace even before the mountain and the young girl riding in the sled saw the clouds of smoke plummeting in the sky. Sergeant! I see it, Philly. That's the king, that's the... Our new Malamute! Oh, it's the carbon. He's in there. He's in there, Sergeant. The mountain hauled his sled in front of the cabin and with King at his side rushed to the door. Fire was already devouring the logs of the small cabin and as Preston pushed the door open, the intense heat blasted at him suffocating and driving him back. A second and a third time the policeman tried to fight his way through the flames to the cabin. King, watching his master, hesitated no longer. He raced forward into the burning building. His eyes clouded, but smoke steered them mercilessly filling his throat with an ache that was suffocating. With his nose close to the floor, he made his way through the one room inferno and then suddenly he sensed rather than saw the man and his dog. Steve Lindsay thought he'd missed when he fired but the bullet from his gun had caught Alan. The dog was struggling violently to put his sightless master to safety but weakened in days as he was, he could find no way through the flames burning on all sides of him. With one hand, Pete clutched Alex collar, sinking his strong white fangs into the man's coat, King pulled Pete Ramsay and his dog. King, King, oh boy, here, wait for help. Good fellow, King. Sally, bring me my medical kit quickly and then slowly, Pete told as much of the story as he remembered while Preston cared for Alex's wounds. Will he be all right, Sergeant? Yes, I think so. Sally, will you bring some water from the stream? Take this canteen. Certainly, Sergeant. Wait, it's been burned alive, Alex and I, but it hadn't been for King. You and I know the value of a good dog, Sergeant. You're sure Alex will be all right? Mm-hmm. He's taking this very bravely, Pete. Not a whimper out of him. Going after those two men, the tracks of their sled show plainly in the snow. What I can understand is why they did it, why they would try to murder you. Here you are, Sergeant. Pete, Pete, did you know that there are flakes of plaster gold in the gravel down by the stream? Plaster gold? No, I didn't. A Jim and Clem built this cabin for me. I didn't move into it until after I'd lost my sight. That's where those two men were standing when I noticed them last night, Sergeant. They must have known. So that's the motive, hmm? Sally, you finished dressing this wound of Alex's. Sandy didn't apply this medication. I'm going after those two right now. King, oh boy, think you can get the dogs up? You ready to travel? Good. Then come on, fella. Sergeant Preston returned to the site in the burned cabin an hour later and found Sally helping Pete Ramsey into a sled. About he had two men with him. Both of them walked sullenly and thought of him toward the man they tried to murder. That's your fault. Pete Ramsey wasn't burned alive. I tell you, I didn't have anything to do with it. It was checked through. Why are you dirty, double-crossing blabbermouth? You're in this as much as I am. Yeah, the ones I didn't. I recognize their poison under both of you for attempted murder. Sergeant Preston, I think you'll back me up on this. Pete's a rich man now. There's gold on his land and... I know very well that if you can't work it yourself, Pete, my father will pay you any price for it. Oh, for heaven's sake, Pete, do I have to propose to you? Sally, honey, if I thought your father would... Well, I hate to interrupt you, too, but... The reason I came up here, Pete, was to tell you about this friend of mine who's in town. He's a surgeon. I told him about your accident, and he thinks you may be able to restore your sight. You may be able to work this mine after all. Oh, that's wonderful. Yes, fella? The case is closed. These copyrighted dramas originate in the studios of WXYZ Detroit, and all characters, names, places, and incidents used are fictitious. They are sent to you each week at this same time and originate in our transcription studios. Bob Hyde speaking.