 The challenge of the Yukon. One king, one new skin. The Wonder Dog King's 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. Someone had named him Bombie Bill. He was as harmless and simple as a child and the only thing that mattered to him was his dog Barnaby. It was said that before he took the job of sweeping out the silver dollar bar for his room and board he'd been a successful prospector but he got lost once in a Yukon Blizzard for two weeks and that was when his mind went blank. The summer sun had melted the last of the snow in Selkirk and the door of the bar stood open. Some men seated at the table noticed Bombie Bill leaning against the open door staring out into the afternoon sunshine. Hey, look at old Bombie Bill. What's wrong with him? Looks as if he's crying. Yeah, look, tears running down his face. Bill, Bill. You calling me? Yeah. What's the matter with you? Got something in your eye? No, nothing's in my eye. You feel bad about something, Bill? Yes. Yeah. Oh, what's wrong with you? My dog. It's Barnaby. What's wrong with him? Hey, hey, he's gone. He run away? Barnaby was run away? He died. Oh, that's too bad. But Bill, Barnaby was such an old dog he could hardly walk. He lived a good, long life. He shouldn't feel so bad. But he was all mine. I could pet him, talk to him, he followed me around. You shouldn't get another dog, Bill. You ought to get yourself a nice little pup. A nice little pup? Mm-hmm. Yes, that would be fine. A little pup that I could pet. A soft little pup. Yeah, I gotta get back to the bank, Jed. You coming? Yeah. A nice little puppy. It'd be all mine. You shouldn't have mentioned a puppy to Bill. I won't be happy till he gets one. I can't help it if he's happy or not. Maybe somebody will get him one if he keeps asking. Oh, uh, how about a game tonight? You gonna play? Thought you lost enough last night to cure you for a while. Look who's talking. You lost plenty yourself. I sure did. I'm flat broke. No, I can't play tonight. Well, luck isn't gonna be bad all the time. It's boundary change. I'll bet we could get our money back tonight if we played. What are you gonna play with? Pebbles? We could, uh, borrow some, maybe. What do you mean? Just the tours in the bank. Nobody would know if we took some money out of it. Just temporarily, I mean. The old man will be back in three days. He'll find out when he balances the books. We'll have it back by then. In our own money, too. I feel lucky tonight, Jed. What do you say? This might be the time when we could really clean up. Sure. Sure it might. Are you with me? Yeah. Yeah, I'll do it, Pete. Sure. Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police rode into the town of Selkirk. His lead dog, King, ran ahead of the horse. The Monty called him back as he stopped in front of Sam Blake's cabin. Sam was just coming out. Oh, hello. Hello. How about you, King? Hello there, Sam. Well, Sergeant Preston. I haven't seen you in Coon's age. Come on in. Thanks, steady fella. Any news since I saw you last? Yeah, there's been an increase in the family. Bessie had two pups. Well, good for Bessie. Where are they? I've got her back here in the woodshed. I'm just taking dinner tour. Come on. No, King, you stay here. Bessie's the best sister dog I ever saw that she wouldn't like to have you around those pups. Go back, fella. Where's your partner, Sam? Jim's in town getting ready to leave. I'm buying his share of our claim. Show him back to California. He's been anxious to get back for a long time, hasn't he? Yeah. We're giving a big farewell party for him tonight at the Silver Dollar. You'll be here for it, won't you? Well, yes. I'm planning to be in town several days. Jim's leaving tomorrow morning. Now, hold your horses, old girl. I know you're hungry. Here, Sergeant Preston, to look at your youngins. Here, now, eat your dinner. Close the door, Sergeant. All right, Sam. Now, those are fine pups, Sam. Yeah, they sure are. I don't think there's anything cuter than a man of new pup. Just a little ball of fur. Give me a little bit. Oh, this one's a beauty. Old Bess doesn't seem to mind my picking him up. Bessie loves the world, and she sure the world loves her. Best nature dog you ever saw. I'm putting in a bid for one of these pups right now, Sam. They'll make fine sled dogs someday. Get back there with your brother, little fella. I have to keep this door shut. Those pups are getting so lively, they'd run away if I gave them half a chance, even if they are only three weeks old. Can I do anything for you in town, Sam? I'll go in with you, if you'll wait a minute. Sure. I've got to get the money to pay Jim. Being Saturday, the bank closes early. Jim's catching the boat tomorrow. Has he got a good deal on it? He bought him out for $5,000. Well, fair enough. Now, if you'll just wait a minute, Sergeant, I'll be right with you. What are we going to do? It is Saturday. We've got to get that money back in this bank somehow. Well, there's no use crying about it. We've got to figure out how we're going to cover a $3,000 shortage. Quite, quite here comes someone. Hello, Pete. How are you, Sam? What can I do for you? I want to draw $5,000 out of my account. Want it all in cash? Yep. I'm buying Jim out, you know. Ain't him in cash. He's leaving tomorrow, isn't he? Yeah. You and Jetta come to the party tonight, ain't you? Sure thing. We'll be there. Wouldn't miss it for the world. I guess I'd better put the money in the bag for you, Sam. You can have this one. $1,000 in gold in each of these little sacks. We'll put them all in this big one. Well, thanks, Pete. That'll be fine. Here's the cash. I hope that deal works out for you, Sam. Yeah, my claim is a good one. Jim and I are both satisfied. Yeah? Yeah, you are, Sam. I'll say it is. That's a lot of cash. I gave it a check. Right. See you tonight, boys. Party starts at about 8. Fine, Sam. Hello, Bill. Well, it ain't barmy, Bill. How are you, Bill? I wonder if you got that puppy yet. Puppy? What puppy? The little soft puppy for me to have. The one that was going to be on mine. Go on, get out. I haven't time to... Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. Maybe I will get you a puppy. You will? Oh, good. Will he be a little one, the soft one that I... Yeah, yeah, any kind you want. But you'll have to do something for me first. Oh, I will, I will, anything. What color will he be? Any color. Don't you tell anybody, will you? No, not if you say I shouldn't. You come back here after the bank closes and I'll tell you what you have to do. All right, Pete. I'll come back. Puppy. Then it'll be soft and I can move my arms to set. Jed, got an idea. What do you want to tell Bobby Bill that for? You know you can't get him up there. Bill's going to get us out of our jam. Bill? You're crazier than he is. Same, Blake just went out of here with $5,000 cash. Yeah? Once when I helped him bring some gold from his cabin to the bank, I saw where he kept it. There's a trap door under his wood box. Pete, if you mean we're going to steal it. Oh, no. I'm taking old chances. Listen, we won't take a chance. We'll let Bobby Bill do it, Bill. I'll tell him where it is and why we're at the party tonight he can get it. We'll have perfect alibis. We'll be with Sam all the time. He'll never suspect us. I'll tell him to go straight to Ridge Rock and wait for us all night. But Pete, he's liable to tell somebody. Oh, yes. What do you mean? Bobby Bill is going to slip off the ridge. Accidentally, the stream at the bottom will carry him off. But Pete, that's murder. Would you rather go to jail? We've got to get that money bank in the bank by Monday. Nobody cares about Bill. He's half dead anyway. But, Pete, quiet, quiet. Somebody's coming in. Yep, it is just like pizza. Every bank includes a trap door. I'll go to Ridge Rock and wait until tomorrow. And then I'll have my puppy, my soft one. It's a dog. I'll go back here somewhere. Hey, you see the woodshed? Two of them. They're a little and soft. They just fit in my pockets. I'd have three of them. And they'd all love me. They'd be mine. Come on. You're coming with me to Ridge Rock and then I'll get another one. See, Sergeant Preston, Jim and I didn't even notice that the wood box had been moved till this morning when we started to get breakfast. Did anyone know the money was there, Sam? Pete Tracey at the bank knew I got it yesterday. But he was at the party with us till it broke up. And he was there when we got to the silver dollar last night. Where's Jim? He went out to feed Bessie. She was raising the roof out there for a breakfast. So he took it out to her. Sam! Sam! Oh, hello, Sergeant Preston. Hello, Jim. Say, Bessie's pups have been stolen too. The pups? Yeah, that's what she's raising that about. Did you let her out of the shed? No, she's still in there. That probably makes sense. But maybe the thief who took the gold took the pups too. If I ever catch them... Come on, Sam. What are you going to do? We're going to let Bessie out of that wood shed and follow her. She'll take us to her pups and maybe your money will be with them. No, don't cry like that. You're hungry, I'll bet. If Pete will come soon, then I'll take you home and feed you. Why, it's your mother. It's Bill. Bill, what are you doing up here? Well, hello, Sergeant Preston. Hello, Sam. I'm glad you brought the puppy's mother. They were hungry. I'm waiting for Pete and I couldn't feed them because I didn't bring any food. Pete, why are you waiting for him? He's going to bring me a puppy. Then I'll have three. I found these in a wood shed. Bill, what's in that bag beside you? I don't know, but it's all for heavy. Pete's going to give me a little soft puppy for getting it for him. He ought to be here now. Sam, take Bessie and those pups and hide them. Sure thing. Here, King, stay with me, fella. Hello. I'm going to hide behind that big rock there. Now don't tell Pete we're here. But maybe he won't give me the puppy. You do as Sergeant Preston says and I'll give you a better puppy than Pete will give you. You will? All right then, I won't tell. We should have got here sooner, Pete. Maybe he didn't wait. We had to be seen in town so no one would suspect us. There's the crazy old coot sitting back against that rock. Hello, Bill. Did you get it? Yes, I found the bag. Here it is. Did you bring my puppy? Yes, the money all right. Here, take a jet. All right. Where's the puppy? Bill, does every look over the edge here down to the stream? No, I don't like to look down there. It's too far down. It makes me feel funny. Come over here. I'll hold on to you. You won't fall. No, no I won't. No, yes you will. Now you will do as I tell you to. Stop, please don't. I don't want to fall. Get him! Get him! Get him for that dog! No! Get away! Get him! He tried to push me over the cliff and he didn't bring the puppy. So, Pete, it wasn't enough to commit a robbery. You planned murder, too. That dog of yours saved Paul Bill from going over that cliff, Sergeant. Phew, I'm still weak. Hand over that bag, Jed. Get it, Sam. I didn't want to murder him. It was Pete's idea. You're both under arrest. They didn't bring the puppy. Now go on, get the pup spiel. You can help Bessie take him home. And when she's ready to give them up, one of them is yours and the other belongs to Sergeant Preston. Oh, good. And then I can carry them home. Sam, that was awfully nice of you. Now you two get going. Watch them, King. These copyrighted dramas originated in the studios of WXYZ Detroit, and all characters, names, places, and incidents used are fictitious. They are sent to you each week at the same time. This is Don Callan speaking. This is the Michigan Radio Network.