 The challenge of the Yukon. On King! On you Huskies! King, the swiftest, 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 Yukon during the Gold Rush of 98. That was the year that brought over 50,000 men swarming into the Klondike region, and the greed for gold led to frequent violence and bloodshed. But in spite of the odds against them, the force preserved a splendid record in maintaining the right. The challenge of the North was answered, and justice ruled triumphant. Trappers and prospectors. The cafe owner, gamblers, the lucky ones, storekeepers, and fur traders. These were the men who crowded the bank at Black Hawk. Two clerks, Dan Snyder and Sam Collins, were taking in dust as Jed Harrow opened his office door. Now Dan, Dan, will you come in here a little bit, please? Did you hear that? You take care of things, Sam? Sure. I'll just get them all in one line. Go on in. Thanks. Maybe it won't keep me long. Yes, but you're Harrow? Come on in. Close the door. Sit down. Sit down. Dan, we've got bad news. I just got a letter from Iverson. Iverson? Yes. He's coming in to check the books. That is bad. You've got to do something to cover what's gone, Dan. Do it fast. You got any idea what it comes to? About $15,000. It's a lot of money. It sure didn't last long, with that look at cards. I thought we'd be able to double it that in no time. We doubled all right. But the wrong way. I was talking to two fellows who will be here this afternoon. Yeah? What do they do? Up to now, they've got pretty good records for robbing banks. Robbing banks? That's the only way to cover what we're short. We'll be here this afternoon, eh? That's right. I wanted you to know. When Iverson gets here, you can play dumb, see? Yeah, sure. He certainly wouldn't like knowing his regional manager dipped his fingers into the bank's... You're in this just as much as I am. So shut up and listen to me. I want you out in front with Sam. He won't suspect anything. Late that afternoon, with the threat of snow hanging heavy in the sky, the bank was deserted except for Jed Harrow, who was seated at his desk behind a closed office door, and the clerks, Sam and Dan. Better get that dust in the safe, Sam. Yeah, I guess so. Sure looks like a pretty donut. Never could figure out why you don't go out and dig for your own instead of writing up everybody else's. I ain't the lucky kind. Well, I'll put this in the safe, then soon as you're through with them books, we can call it a day. My arm! My arm! What's that? You can't come in here like... Wait a minute, Lance. You got some gold there. Hand it over. Oh, no, you don't. You better do as he says, Sam. They shot Harrow. But I ain't... all right. Keep your hands up. Over that safe. I said open it, and you keep your hands up. They're up. You'll never get away with this. Your only way is to turn that combination. You better do it fast. I'll watch him, Lance. You get the gold. Yeah, this is terrible. Masked men, guns, my bank robber. Yeah, some hall. Come on, hurry. There. I got it all. You got what was in that drawer, didn't you? Yeah. Anyone that steps through that door for the next five minutes stops a bullet, see? Open the door, Pete. Remember, stay where you are. Put your hair up. You're hurt. Oh, it's nothing. Just my arm. I'll fix it for you, sir. Sam, the door to my office. Go out that way and bring help. Yes, sir. You'll be safe. I won't be able to see you. Here's the kit, sir. Can I get everything? May I swept the place clean? Good. Are you really hurt? Me? No. But you better get my arm wrapped up before he gets back with help. Meanwhile, once outside, Sam Collins raced through the streets, spreading the news. The bank! Yeah, the bank. I had my dust in there. So did everybody else. The bank's been robbed. The bank's been robbed. The bank's been robbed. Empty before, except for the two clerks and Jed Harrow, the bank now was the focal point of attention as a crowd gathered into a small building. Men who'd lost their savings in the robbery. Others who didn't have dust there, but had friends who did. All of them were there. Jed Harrow, his arm and a sling, was trying to quiet the excited crowd. The sergeant pressed and elbowed his way into the room. Oh, man, man! That's how it happened. I can tell you we didn't have a chance. What do you aim to do about it? I'll try to get it back. If we can. What do you mean if you can? I lost $12,000 to the empowerment. Thank God. You do when you're setting yourself up a sizeable job. Sizeable job? Take a look outside. He's right, Len. With the snow coming down, their tracks will be covered before you can get to your sled. Sergeant Preston. Hey, how are you? Well, well, I didn't know you were in town. I just got in. What do these men look like? We couldn't tell. You couldn't tell? They were wearing masks over their hanks. It hankered you over their faces. That's right, Sergeant. We couldn't get a good look at them at all. Only I heard one of them calling the other Lance. They were in and out in about five minutes, Sergeant. There was no one else in the bank? No. They broke into the door to my office. The door to your office? Yes. When I tried to stop them, one of them took a shot at me. Yes, I see. Hit you in the arms? Yes. What do you need to do, Sergeant? How could they know about that end when it's dead? Mind if I take a look at it? Why, no, no. It's over this way. This is your office, eh? Yes. You see, they came in this way here. You tried to stop them? They stopped me with a bullet. But you probably won't find much evidence in here. I wouldn't say that, Jed. Sometimes find evidence in unexpected places. Late that night, Sergeant Preston met Will Iverson outside the bank. As the banker looked up and down the street, shaken after his session with Jed Harold. Will! Will Iverson! Yes? Well, Sergeant Preston. This is the first piece of good luck I've had today. How are you? Fine, fine. But I didn't know you were coming to Black Hawk. Well, I wrote Jed and told him at the end of the day in the morrow. Strange you didn't mention it. Uh, you... Yes. Jed told me the news. I guess he's nothing to do except pay the miners what they lost and chop out up to a bad investment. It would have been impossible to follow them once they left the bank, Will. I know. He told me it was snowing. Poor Jed. He's all broken up about it. Did you see his arm? No. No, I didn't. He's got it in a sling. Can't use it at all. You know, Sergeant, when I gave Jed this job, I was a little doubtful. Oh, I guess I shouldn't say it, but he was kind of wild. Of course, that was a long time ago, and I've always been able to keep a close eye on him coming back and forth pretty often. But the thing like this, what could he do? The same thing could have happened if he divided it in here. I didn't know that. What? That he'd been wild. Oh, yes, but he settled down. How about stopping in a cafe with me for a minute, Sergeant? Thanks, Will. I was going in to say hello to some of the boys anyway. Fine. Long time since I've been in here myself. I'm afraid you'll have a lot of questions to answer. Most of your customers are in here. Well, I'll have to answer them sooner or later anyway. Late that night, as Sergeant Preston walked down Blackhawk's only street, he heard quick footsteps behind him. You know, Harry Sergeant? Oh, hello, Sam. No, I was just thinking. I didn't see you leave the cafe. Pretty noisy in there, wasn't it? Yes, the men will keep Iverson talking for another hour, I guess. He's a fine man. Yes, yes, he is. Sam, I've been wanting to ask you a few questions. Go ahead. Do you know if Jed Harrow spends much time at the cafe? Well, now that you mention it, seems to me he does. He and Danner together a lot. I see. They play cards a lot. In fact, they often ask me to join them in a game. The stakes are too high for me. Just one more question, Sam. I can answer it. How many shots were fired when those men broke into Harrow's office? One. Are you sure of that? I swear to it. And that bullet was in the floor. What did you say? Just thinking out loud. Who fixed Harrow's arm? Dann did, I guess. And they sent me out to fetch help. Why? It's only a hunch, but it's worth a try. Where's Jed now? Down at the bank. In his office? Yeah. Well, in that case, King and I will retrace our steps. Thanks, Sam. Thanks. What fur, I ain't done anything for him. What are you supposed to... We'll go calling on Jed, King. But I have a feeling we won't be very welcome visitors. A single light burned in the bank in Jed Harrow's office, outlining the figures of three men, all of them gathered around the banker's desk. So that takes care of everything. You've got your cuts. No need for us to ever see each other again. Still the banker, eh, boss? Without the banker, you boys never could have pulled this job. Well, that's all. I think I saw Preston looking through the window. Preston? I guess we'd better get out of here. Oh, no, he's already seen you. If he comes in, remember, you've come to see me about a loan to work your minds. Well, well, this is a surprise, Sergeant. Yes, I imagine it is, Jed. I saw your light and thought I'd stop. Oh, if you're busy... Busy? Oh, no, no, no, these men were just leaving. Sorry I couldn't let you have the loan for that mine, boys. Well, stop buying a week or two. You ain't working without the cash. You're a piece of the bull, aren't you? Yeah. I didn't know you'd gone in for mining. I ain't it. I mean, not that anyone knows. We're giving the claim a secret. Uh, yes, well, uh... Now, maybe if you... Jed, how's that arm of yours? Give you much trouble? No. Oh, I was lucky. Just a scratch. Dan here got the bullet out before any damage was done. So you fill in as a sore bone as well as a bank clerk, eh, Dan? Yeah. Well, you know what's mighty handy being able to do two or three things? Well, King here can smell a bullet wound a mile away. Can't you, boy? What's he barking for? Probably just because he wants to look at your arm. Don't you, King? Dogs make me nervous, Preston. Just keep him away from me. Oh, King won't hurt you, Jed. He's just friendly. Well, he doesn't look friendly. If he comes any closer... He's got his teeth buried. Look out, Jed. Tell him to stop. I'll stop him. I'll brain him with this chair. Your arm, Jed. I thought you couldn't use it. Down, King. Why didn't you say that before? Are you... It's your game, Sergeant. Just this. When I saw a bullet in the floor there, I wondered why you faked that wound. Oh, you hear that, boys? Sergeant here saw something we missed. Something you missed. Too bad for you, Mountie. That dog of yours is as good as signed your death warrant. You'd better put that gun away, Dan. Not before I use it. You daft. You can't kill him, Mountie. Who says I can't? What do you think, boss? I don't think he knows too much. So that's the way it is, huh? These are the men who robbed the bank, and you led them into it. Yeah, much good it'll do you to know. You won't get away with this. That's where you're wrong. I've gotten away with it this far. You're not stopping me now. You won't take a chance shooting him here, Dan. That way the lake will be better. Then we... You're not going out to the lake or anywhere else, Harold. Get that gun, King. Watch that door. Look out, Jed. All right, King. Hold on. I'll reach all of you. Hire. This is all a mistake. Your only mistake you made, Jed, was when you had that arm tied up. Right now, the only place you're going is jail. Yes, King. The case is closed. Challenge of the Yukon, the copyrighted feature of the Challenge of the Yukon Incorporated, brought to you every Saturday at this time, originated in the transcription studios of WXYZ Detroit. The characters and events in tonight's drama were fictitious.