 The challenge of the Yukon. I'm king! I'm you manamune! The wonder dog king, swiftest and strongest of Eskimo 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 a small band of Northwest mounted police who preserved law and order in a 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. When the two Lindsay brothers first arrived in Salisbury, they both stood in the middle of a narrow road looking at the line of tents stretching on either side of them, a mute symbol of the goal that was to be found in the vicinity. Well Pete, how's it look to you? More like a temporary campground on anything else. That's because nobody's had time yet to do any building. This is just the beginning, Pete. The beginning of something that's going to be a big town one of these days. Yeah. Well, I don't see it myself. These people came up here overnight. Well, if they'd pulled up stakes tomorrow, it wouldn't be nothing left but a trail. They're just as likely to stampede to some other places they ought to stay here. Well, I guess there's gold in the ground they'll be here. I found out there's enough to keep them busy digging for quite a spell. I think I'll build right about here. Well, if you've gone locals, well, there's nothing here. Now look, why not start out someplace where you'll have a chance? We'll have all the chance we need. These miners will be looking for somewhere to spend their dust, and when they do, our cafe's going to be ready for them. In the impossible short period of time, the town of Salisbury grew. More people poured into it. Tents were replaced by shacks, shacks by cabins, and trails which grew into streets, as timber was cut down and the wilderness pushed back. And on the main street in the spot Ralph had selected was Lindsay's Cafe, a long, narrow-framed building continually crowded with miners and trappers. All right. Fine, Sam. How'd you like tonight? Long does brother, yours ain't dealing the cards. I'm ahead. Hi, Pete. How'd we do tonight? I ain't counted it yet, but it looks pretty good to me. Well, while you're doing that, I'll go out and have a drink. Might even sit in on a poker game. But I'll try any of them cards which are yours, Pete. Hey, you were Ralph Lindsay. Me? Why? I just want to talk to you at your office. Yeah, put up a chair and sit down for a minute. No, no, no. Don't go away. I want to talk to you. I want to let you in on something that'll make you a rich man. Yes, sir, a rich man. Well, just what do you mean, a rich man? I knew you'd be interested. Well, I just got in town about a week ago. Just a week, mind you. And I've already got the richest strike anybody ever saw in these parts. Yeah, that's me. Lucky Ben Abbott, my friends, call me. Mister, I want you to be one of my friends. I'm proud to be known as a friend of a man that could look at a bunch of trees in a wisdom old trail and know they'd be a town there. Oh, well, then you heard about that. Heard about it? Well, every man up here has heard about it. History now? Yes, sir. How you built this cafe in half the town made that card dealing brother of yours your partner. Oh, I see. Uh, just what is this about the, uh, about a strike? Hey, maybe you ain't taking me serious. I admit I might have spent a little too much dust over your bar, but I'll tell you, nobody up here knows where that strike of mine is. See? Nobody. But I'm going to show it to you, and I'm going to give you an interest in it. We need more men like you, Ralph Lindsey. You're the kind of man I like. Horsight, that's what you got. Horsight. The next day, Keith Lindsey halted his dog at the Agiba Birch Forest several miles from town. You'll see I was on the level, Ralph. Of course I have your word, Jane. Go to Calgary. Oh, me? Oh, now listen, old timer. You can depend upon me to keep my mouth shut about this. Good. Every time Dick and Harry was to know they'd be a stampede up here before you could snap your fingers. Now here we are. Look here. See them flakes of gold? What the... what? What the ground's full of them. You bet it is. Say, you got a Winchester? Well, look, you don't stand guard on this land, do you? Ain't no need to. Nobody knows about it except you. But this here timber's full of links and grizzlies. And me, I ain't one to take chances on. Well, I can see while you wouldn't. Say, I'm going to put up a shack not far from here. You can give me a hand with building it if you have a mind to. Now I'll go into town, get some rest. Oh, no, no, no. Don't you bother going into town. I'll take care of all that for you. Well, that's mighty nice of you. Yes, sir, mighty nice. As the days went by, Pete Lindsey spent more and more time with the old prospector who camped off for the claim he had discovered. Then, late one afternoon, Pete arrived to find the camp empty. Assuming that then had gone hunting, he went to the creek and began sifting gravel. Who the... You, Mr. Pete Lindsey. I just come from town and I found out you ain't Ralph at all. You're that card dealin' gambling brother of his. And I'm telling you right now, you can get off this land and stay off. Hey, now, wait a minute. Wait a minute, nothing. Ralph's a man I'd admired to know. I met him while he was talkin' to a good friend of mine. And I'm mighty glad to get this straight. Oh, you thought you'd pull the wool over my eyes. I wasn't trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes. You made the mistake in the first place. Now, don't try to talk me out of it. I might be a sentimental old fool. I admit that I take a drink once in a while, but I ain't got time for any quick-finger gamblers. Now you get going. Listen, Ben, I was gonna... You can't even look me in the eye, can you? No wonder. I never would've found out if I had... Jumping, Jupiter! It's a grizzly. Wait a minute, give me that gun, grandpa. That's it! Now you're gonna be done in... What are you waitin' for? You blame me just for one shoot? And let you hand over a fortune and gold to my brother if you live. Shoot. You bet I'll shoot, old timer. I'll shoot, but not to save you. Wait a minute, Pete! You ain't gonna let him... Pete! Pete! Yo! Meantime, on the trail from Salisbury, the great dog king led Buston's dog to the scarlet-coated mountain, rose the runners of the sled. Ben wasn't very specific when he gave us those directions, Ralph. My money, I think, were all a wild juice taste. Why was he so excited? After you introduced us, I couldn't make him their tail out of his throat. Ben thinks he's the victim of a fraud. I haven't seen him for quite a while. He's inclined to be secretive, but I've never known him to say something that isn't true. I sure hope he's waiting for us the main trail. I'll never find that location of yours without him. I'm King... I'm Hugh Malamute! As the great Malamute raced along with trail, he tilted his head and the sharp clear air brought mingle scent to his nostrils. His ears tipped forward as he recognized the scent of human blood. I don't think we'll have to worry about Ben meeting us, Ralph. Looks like King knows where to find him. All right, boy! I'm Hugh Malamute! Malamute gave King his head and the Malamute cut from the trail, choosing a path that led through the timber. His lean, powerfully built body covered the trail swiftly, steadily, leading the other dogs behind. He saw the bear and the man practically firing. He sensed that the man in the snow was already wounded. Pete Lindsey had allowed the bear to strike Ben Abbott one sweeping, murderous blow, and as the animal turned to him, he began firing. Instead of dropping the grizzly in his tracks, as he had expected, the bullets from the rifle seemed only to madden the beast, and he lunged forward. Just take back, I'll show ya! The grizzly looked forward furiously and awkward sureness in every motion of his giant forefars. In a shattering instant, the man built the claws, and the bear was ready to strike. King had come around unnoticed upon the scene, oh, from the bear, and quickly sank his strong fangs into the animal's hind leg, tearing fur and sinew, then swiftly dodged, for he well knew the savage strength of the grizzly. He knew too that his chance for survival depended upon his ability to dodge the treacherous claws, powering the massive animal who was no match for the dog's agility. Balancing on his hind legs, the bear stood ready to strike when, suddenly, it was Sergeant Preston, his bullets found their mark, and the near exhausted animal fell heavily to the snow. The beaten bear, led grizzly. My medical, bring the sled quickly. Good work, King, oh boy. Wait a minute. Ben. Ben. Oh. Am I? Oh, it's you, Sergeant. The bear. Never mind. He's done for, Ben. It's that, that Pete Lindsey. He helped the bear, that Pete Lindsey. He helped fire. The grizzly dropped me. Started for him. He fired. Not soon enough. Helped fire? You mean he was standing here with a rifle? Didn't want to lose the gold. There you are, Sergeant. What do I say about Pete? Pete. Pete. Pete. Please, are you? Well, he went down firing, Sergeant. He's, he's gone. That's too bad, Ralph. But we can't save Ben here. Bring some water, please. From the stream? No. No, from my canteen on the sled. Sure. Now listen, Ben. Pete's dead. What you say is true. That grizzly only had time to strike once at you when he started firing. That's what happened. Deborah was so, so close to being dead in my life. And Pete tried to murder you? It, it ain't his fault. He didn't. Easy now. Hope moved fire when he did probably save Joe. He diverted the bear's attention there. Too bad he didn't make every shot count. Easy now. Easy now. Evidently, he was too frightened for that. But he's dead now, Ben. And he's beyond punishment. Perhaps it'd be better if Ralph weren't to know. Yes, sir. I see what you mean. Don't worry. I won't say it. I hope there's enough here, Sergeant. Never mind, Ralph. I won't need it now. Ben's had a bad time with it. He's lost consciousness. We'll carry him over to the sled. He'll need a few days' rest, and after that he should be all right. I wonder why Pete was out here. Ben must have told him about the strike, but he never mentioned it to me. Oh, time has often get lonely in this country, Ralph. Because of that, I suppose Ben befriended Pete. Now, you'll have to take your brother's place and be a real friend to him. Oh, I'll try to. Oh, come on. We've got to get him back to town. Get the dogs up, boys. Here's King. You've done a great job. Ben owes his life to your interference. 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 the same time and reach you from our transcription studios.