 the challenge of the Yukon. The King Anjoheski! The Wonder Dog King, swiftest and 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 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 mid-December in the town of Selkirk. As young Ned Sealy walked on the main street with some pelts thrown over his shoulder, he heard the loud crack of a whip and the yelp of dogs. As Pete Harvey, a boy about his own age, stood beside his dog team, beating them mercilessly. Ned hurried to him. Hey Pete, quit whipping those dogs. Don't you see your runners are frozen to the trail? You'll get back in mind your own business. These are my dogs. Quit hitting those dogs, I said. You're coming in here and I'll give you a slap with it. Hey, give me that whip. Let's go with that whip. Get away from me. Give me that. Oh, hit me, will ya? I'm sure you'll get it. Stop it. Get back, Ned. He's not gonna butt in my business. I'll whip my dogs if I want to. You raise that whip again. I'll give you another black eye. You better be careful. I'll tell my dad not to buy any more of your old fur. Why were you whipping your dogs, Pete? None of your business. For the runners of his sled are frozen to the trail. You should know better than that, Pete. What does he know about dogs? He doesn't even own one. Hey, what's wrong? Oh, Dad, I'm glad you came out. Ned's been fighting with me. Trying to tell me how to run my dog. Ned was just trying to keep him from beating them. There, Pete's dogs. I guess he can do it. He pleases with them without any advice. I'll help you rock that sled loose. It's frozen and you'll have to help the dogs. I'm sorry, Mr. Harvey, but I guess I lost my temper. Not much sense in interfering with people like that. I was just going into your trading post. I got some pelts. Come on. I'll look them over. Come on, please. I'll help you rock this sled. He's first got a little messed up. I dropped him. Well, bring him inside. Give him to me. I'll look them over. Here. They're pretty nice ones this time. Jules and I did well this trip. Too young to be much of a trapper. Oh, but Jules knows all about it. He's teaching me. How's your father's leg? Pretty bad. He says he might have to have an operation. That would just plumb carelessness. Getting it frozen like that. I can't give you as much as usual for these furs. They're in bad condition. I'll apply it to your bill. I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you for more credit, Mr. Harvey. Some of my traps were missing. I'll have to get more. Your dad owes me almost $500. I can't give you any more. But golly, Mr. Harvey, you know we'll pay it back as soon as dad's better. I know you've had a lot of trouble, but I ain't made of money. Well, Sergeant, did you get the sled loose? Yes. I'd like some flower band and some beans. I'll get them for you. Be back in a minute. Oh, hello there, Ken. I'm so busy outside. I didn't even see you. You certainly like dogs, don't you, Ned? Oh, gosh, I sure do. I'm on your side out there with Pete, but I didn't for your sake. I knew you were going to bring those furs to his father. I'm glad you didn't. You know how he is about Pete. He won't listen to reason about it. Yes, I know. Gee, if I just had one dog, I'd be the happiest kid in the Yukon. And he's got four. Well, after all his father raises them. Pete sure is lucky. Dogs are so expensive up in this crib. I don't suppose I'll ever own one. It's going to be a lean Christmas for us this year. Jules and I have done quite a bit of trapping, but we have to split it 50-50. I think you're doing fine for a boy, Ned. Here's your flower, Sergeant. Well, thanks. By the way, Ben, this lady had her pup shed? Not yet. They should arrive in a few days. Oh, is the lady going to have pups? Gee, I bet there'd be beauties. They should be. The father of them is the finest man of mute in this part of the country. I expect to get about 200 apiece for him. Oh, lady's a beautiful dog. She's as mean as sin, though. Keep trying to get out of her pen all the time. Well, she's half wolf, Ben. She'd probably like to have her pup south in the wilderness. She hates my son. Try to bite him a couple of times. He can't even take food to her unless he throws it over the top of her pen. Well, I guess I better get back to dad. You're going to be in town until Christmas, Sergeant Preston? Well, I have to leave town for about a week, Ned, but I think I'll get back in time for the holidays. Well, come and see dad if you get a chance. Goodbye. Goodbye. Poor kid. Feel sorry for him. Hope you weren't too hard on him, Ben, because he fought with Pete. Well, I certainly think he has his nerve. His father owes me a lot of money. At least he could do a show of some respect. I saw the fight start, Ben, and I'm afraid it was Pete who started it. Pete's a little quick-tempered, but you can't blame him for wanting to treat his dogs the way he wants to. Well, there he is now. Do you feed the dogs, Pete? It's getting dark. Take some out the lady, too. Pete walked slowly toward the pen of the big husky called Lady. He carried a whip in his hand, and as he neared her, she glared at him fiercely through the wire netting. Her eyes were the eyes of a wolf, and her small ears laid back against her head, as a low growl rumbled in her throat. Oh, so you're giving me the usual greeting, dirty she-wolf. Well, you're going to get another taste of this whip, and this time, I'm going to cure you. I'm going to show you who's boss. I'm going to open this pen and take a real swing at you. Don't think you're scaring me. Get back! Get back, I say! Lady! Come back! Come back! She ran away. Lady! She's not alive if he finds out I let her go. Pete! Pete, get up! Get out of bed right now! Lady's gone. Her pen door was opened. Gone? She was all right when you put her last night, wasn't she? Why, sure. Sure, she was all right. Either someone stole her or she was let out on purpose. Aren't there any traps? It snowed last night. It started when you went out to feed the dogs, don't you remember? That's right, it was snowing. I don't see how anyone could have stolen her. She'd have raised a rumpus out of her there. That's what I was thinking. Ned Seagley heard us talking about her after he had that fight with you. I'll bet he did it. He was mad because I hit him on the slash with my whip. He's the only one I can think of. If trouble is, there's no way we can prove it. With all the tracks covered, I guess you couldn't. Lady is worth a fortune. Those pups would have brought pretty near $1,000. Maybe she'll come back. She has too much wolf in her. But I'll get even. Back from his trap line next time, do no trading at this post. It was a week later. Ned Seagley and Jules, a French-Canadian trapper, were nearing the farthest point of their trap line. As they neared one of the traps, Ned's voice almost broke with anger. This one too, Jules. This fox is completely destroyed. It's been torn to ribbons. See, there are tracks. Tracks of a wolverine. It's ruined three of our catches. That is worse animal in forest. The love of killing. In that beast is the devil. We'll have to hunt it down. We, that we must do. It is not snow since he was here. Maybe we can find him. Tracks lead toward the river. You must watch out. Wolverine shares dangers. Everything in woods feared that animal. If we don't kill him, we'll never trap anything again on this trap line. And never would we trap Wolverine. He is too smart for trap. All right, keep your gun ready. Come, hurry. It's right over the bank of the river. It's shown like wolves. Careful now. Look over the bank. It's a wolverine. He's fighting a wolf. See, there are cubs in that cave behind us. Jules, that's Lady. It's Harvey's dog. I'll get that dirty wolverine. That is the best shot you have ever made. You kill him. Hello, Lady Ho-Girl. Her neck is torn. But that devil, he did not get her jungler vein. Look at him, Jules. Six of the cutest pups in the world. My eyes still, Lady. You won't hurt your babies. You think she'll live, Jules? She has lost much blood. I don't know. We've got to save her, Jules. Go back to town for help. I'm going to stay here with her. You cannot do this. Go on back, I tell you. If we leave Lady now, she'll die with no one to feed her. And another wolverine or a wolf will come and eat the pups. She can't protect them now. I won't go, I tell you. But, Ned, for dog, you cannot risk your life. Now, you hurry. I'll be all right. Here, you help me start a fire. I'll have my rifle. If I do have to go hungry for a day or so, it won't matter. I'm staying here with Lady and her pups. He had shared the last of his food with the Lady. And darkness was falling as he sat beside the dog, stroking her head. Never mind, old girl. Jules will bring someone soon. What's wrong, Lady? No, no. You can't get up. Lie still. There's someone coming. That's what you heard? Yeah, two men. Hello! Yeah! Lie still, Lady. They've come after us. Are you going to get your home? Sergeant Preston, how did you get here? Jules let me on the trail. It's about halfway to town. That's how you got back so soon. Gee, I'm sure glad to see you. I'm all out of food. How is Lady? She's so pretty sick, but she isn't going to die. And the pups are fine. It was nice of you to do this, Ned. Especially when Ben Harvey blamed you for letting Lady go. Blame me? What do you mean? He thought you'd deliberately let her out of her pen for those furs. I told him he was being ridiculous. Lady's got some whip marks across her face. They're healed, but you can still see them. Yes. I have a good idea who put them there. We'll get her back to town at once. You can see the marks of the whip, Ben. I think your son Pete can tell you how she got them. He's lying, Dad. I never... You're not to feed the dogs that night. I thought you acted kind of funny when he came in. Where's that whip of yours? Don't whip me, Father. Please. I'll tell you. She tried to bite me. Honest she did. You let Ned here take the blame. I'm going to take that whip away. Mr. Harvey, why don't you just throw it in the fire? I think that's a good idea, Ned's been. Ned, I've got to apologize to you. You're saving Lady the way you did. I just don't know how to thank you. Well, that big, gray pup of Lady is certainly a beauty, isn't he? Just look at him. Why, of course. He'd make a fine Christmas present, wouldn't he, Ned? What? You mean... I mean he's yours. He can have him as soon as he can leave his mother. Oh, gee, Mr. Harvey. You really mean it? I'm all wrong about you, Ned. You tell your dad not to worry, either. His credit's good just as long as he needs it. And tell him, as a little Christmas present to him, I'm canceling half his debt. Oh, gosh, Mr. Harvey. Gee, thanks. You know, Ben, that's mighty nice of him. Well, Ned, I guess we've got to go and tell your father the good news. Well, just wait a second till I hold my puffy. Gee, you're wonderful. And you're going to be mine. Oh, gosh, this is going to be the best Christmas I ever had. Come along, Ned. Merry Christmas, Ben. 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. This is Larry McCann speaking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.