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The Burial Totem Case | Challenge of the Yukon (03-11-52)
Original Air Date: March 11, 1952Host: Andrew RhynesShow: Challenge of the YukonPhone: (707) 98 OTRDW (6-8739) Stars:• Paul Sutton (Sgt. Preston) Writer:• Fran Striker Producer:• George W. Trendle Director:• Fred Flowerday Exit music from: Roundup on t...
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Foreign welcome to the old time radio westerns. I'm your host, Andrew Rines, and I'm excited to bring you another episode absolutely free. This is one of over 80 episodes released monthly for your enjoyment. Now let's get into this episode now. As gunshots echo across the windswept snow covered reaches of the wild northwest, Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice. The breakfast cereal. Shot from gun present Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. It's Yukon King, swiftest and strongest lead dog of the northwest, blazing the trail for Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted police in his relentless pursuit of lawbreakers. Gold. Gold discovered in the Yukon. A stampede to the Klondike in the wild race for riches back to the days of the gold rush with Quaker Puff Wheat and Quaker Puff Rice bringing you the adventures of Sergeant Preston and his wonder dog, Yukon King, as they meet the challenge of the Yukon. There's no one that can make a better cereal than Quaker Puffed Wheat. It's neat. And when you hear that shootin', you're dern tootin'. The Quaker makes the ones shot from guns. You bet, fellas and girls, for the real McCoy, remember, both Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice are the ones shot from guns to make em extra crisp and tender. A delicious breakfast treat. The chill of fall weather was in the air as Sergeant Preston and his dog Yukon King moved along a trail toward the coast of British Columbia. The mountie was accompanying young Ted Sheridan on a search for Ted's father, Professor Sheridan, who had failed to return from an expedition into the northwest. The fact that three different men who were able to give us information were murdered before they could talk to us proves that we're watched continually. How long do you think it will take us to reach the village of the Skedan tribe? I hope to reach the coast by morning, Ted. And of course we have to cross the strait by boat to the island where the village is located. If dad did go there to investigate the Skiedan burial totem in hopes of finding the buried gold mentioned in the old journal he had, we may get a clue to his whereabouts. I think because of our experience in the last two Indian villages, we should try to investigate the burial totem secretly. Oh, you mean not go into the village openly to question the chief? That's right. Then if anyone is watching for us, that's what he'd expect us to do. This time we'll be more cautious. Wind's cold. Hope we reach the Queen Charlotte Islands before snow flies. It's almost sunset. You Intend to ride through the night, Sergeant? No, we'll find a spot to camp shortly. We start again at dawn and follow the Skeena river trail. We should reach the coastal town of Prince Rupert by noon tomorrow. From there we'll go across to the islands, then do all we can to find some trace of your father and the expedition. When darkness fell, the two men stopped and made camp under a sheltering ledge. At dawn they set out for the coast. It was almost noon when they rained to a stop before the constable's office in the town of Prince Rupert. Come along, King. Hello, Constable. I'm Sergeant Preston from Dawson headquarters. Glad to meet you, Sergeant. You're a long way from home here. I know. This is Ted Sheridan. How are you? Hello, Council. Well, pull up a chair. Be comfortable. Thanks. I'll tell you briefly why we've come here, Constable. The constable listened attentively as Preston told Professor Sheridan's search for gold, which was said to be buried near a totem pole in one of the Northwest Indian villages. The sergeant concluded by saying Professor Sheridan and his party are missing. With the exception of one man who was found adrift in a small boat suffering from exposure and amnesia. I see. I've been assigned to help Ted find his father. So far the trail leads to the Skiedan village over on the island. Well, I've been constable here only a few months, so I can't tell you anything about the expedition. How do you intend to reach the islands? We'll hire a boat to take us across the strait. I'll take care of your horses and the dog while you're gone. My dog, King goes where I go. But I'll appreciate it if you'll look after our horses. We'll attend to the horses now, and Ted and I will go to the docks and hire a boat. Meantime, at the riverfront, a bearded man was talking to a rough looking man on one of the docks. Yes, they are here in town and will be coming to hire a boat. Well, that big sign I have up there, boats for hire ought to make them stop here to get one. But tell them the motorboat is not running. I want you to rent them one of the rowboats if possible. I have the only motorboat around here, Nick. Good. After they leave, I shall use it. You will be paid well, Gus. And do not expect to get back the rowboat they hire. Not get it back? Why shouldn't I? I, Nikolai Saratov, shall see that neither it nor they return. But remember, you'll be well paid. Also, I want you to Run the motorboat for me when I use it. All right, Nick. I don't want to be paid ahead of time or neither of the boats goes out. You understand? Of course. I shall pay you when I come down to go aboard. Now, I'd better leave. I do not want them to see us talking together. Later. Sergeant Preston and Ted Sheridan approached the dock where Gus was seemingly working over his motorboat. King walked beside his master. You want to hire a boat? I can't let you have the motorboat. It's out of order. We don't want the motorboat. We want a rowboat. Sure, sure. What do you charge? Depends on how long you have the boat on. Yeah, we come forward about sundown and have it back by dawn. You're going to have it overnight, huh? Well, that's your business. It'll cost you $10 in advance. They'll pay you when we take the boat out. Suits me. You on the trail of a crook or something, Sergeant? Perhaps. First time I ever heard of Amani using a rowboat to hunt a crook. The first time for everything. Have the boat ready at sundown. What's the dog sniffing around for? And growling. If he's vicious, keep him away from him. If you're not a crook, you don't have to worry. What's the trouble, King? The big husky had picked up a familiar scent, one he had caught back in the Land Otters Indian village. But he had no way to tell his master. He had recognized the scent as one he had found near the body of an Indian who had been knifed before Preston had had a chance to question him about Professor Sheridan. The sergeant did understand that the intelligent dog had found an important scent. But not wanting the man, Gus, to become suspicious, he merely turned to leave, calling to King to follow. Hold on, King. Come on, boy. At sundown, Sergeant Preston and Ted Sheridan returned to the dock with King and entered the rowboat after paying the fee in advance. Get into the boat, King. There's a lantern under the seat. It'll be dark before you reach the island, so you'll need it. Who said we were going to the island? Nobody. Just guessing, Sergeant. I see. Sit here, King. Come on, then. Right. We'll each take an oar. All right. Let's get started. I'm ready. I'll be seeing you, Sergeant. Along. Nothing about that man I don't like. Yeah, same here. What part of the islands do we go, Sergeant? The upper tip of the large island on the north is where the Ski Dan village is located. They'll offer A point this side of the village so will not be seen. Slowly but steadily, the two men rowed across the strait toward the upper end of the island. The moon came out and shone brightly overhead, but small drips of fog floated near the surface of the water and closed in behind them as they moved along. Finally, both men stopped rowing and rested a few moments. At least we'll have the moon to help us when we reach shore. Yes, we do. The slow fog's a nuisance. Right. Listen, I. I hear a motorboat. Seems to be behind us. So far I can't see it, but it's coming closer. I sure hope they spot us before they run us down. Oh, look. There it is. They must see us now. Quick, they're shooting at us. I'll use my gun. I think you drove them off. I think that was the motorboat we saw at the dock. It may be that. Wait. They're coming back. Get down. Quick. Right now. Look. They're coming closer this time. We'll be swamped. We're going over. We'll continue our adventure in just a moment. Say, there's no beating this eating fellas and girls for breakfast. Enjoy Quaker puffed wheat or Quaker puffed rice topped with milk or thick rich cream and sliced bananas. And listen, don't miss out on the exciting surprise at the end of the program. It's straight out of the great Northwest. Have paper and pencil ready. For sure. Now to continue. While rowing across a mist covered strait to visit an Indian village just after sundown, Sergeant Preston and his companion, Ted Sheridan, were fired upon by men in a motorboat. Though they escaped the bullets, the motorboat overturned the rowboat, throwing them and King into the water. Ted. Ted. I'm all right. Swim over and come up under the boat. Quick. Come on, King. Swim, fella. The two men and the dog swam to the overturned boat and came up under it. There was enough space under the rowboat to give them air for a short time. As they waited, getting their breath, they heard once again the muffled sound. Sound of the motorboat as it approached and seemed to circle about. Finally, the motor speeded up and the motorboat faded from the scene. The two men swam from under the rowboat and managed to right it. Boat's filled with water, but she'll float or push it ahead of us to the island. All right, Sergeant. Fortunately, the mist is lifted on the island side. Swim the shore, King. Go on, fella. King reached the island shore ahead of the sergeant and Ted when they finally waded ashore, pulling the rowboat after Them. The big husky was waiting impatiently. Here we are, King. Safe and sound, but mighty wet. Very cold, too. Sergeant, what can we do in this condition? Well, don't worry, Ted. There's plenty of time. We're only about two miles from the village. We'll go down around that cliff and build a fire to dry us out. Later we'll continue with our plans. Let's go. Come along, King. Sergeant Preston, who was prepared for just such an emergency, carried matches and a waterproof oilskin. Soon a campfire was blazing in a wooded cove, and the two men gradually became warm and dry. As they sat near the blaze, Ted was saying, what do you think of that motorboat incident? I think whoever was in that boat was deliberately trying to kill us. Sure they came out there for that purpose. Ah, they almost succeeded. I agree, Finn. I'm hoping they think they did succeed. In that case, we'll have the chance to do our investigating here without any further trouble. I'm dry enough to go on. Whenever you're ready, Sergeant. Good. I'm ready. Now we'll put out the fire, and then we'll head for the Indian village. Let's go, King. Not long after Sergeant Preston and Ted had left for the Indian village, two men in a motorboat chugged slowly along near the shore. The fog had lifted and the moon shone brightly. Gus suddenly pointed shoreward. Look, Nick, I think I see a boat there on the shore. Steer in there and we'll find out. Right. Slowly the motorboat approached the shore, then stopped. It's a rowboat, all right. Must have floated ashore. I'll wade to it and look it over. Gus waited ashore, then a few minutes later came aboard the motorboat again. It's my rowboat. That means they have drowned. There, guys. Oh, they came ashore. But there's footprints in the sand leaving the boat. Oh, they aren't dead after all. Don't look like it. That means they'll get to the Indian village. We must stop them from investigating further. What do you want to do now? We can still get to the COVID near the village ahead of them in this motorboat. Gus, start the motor. Hurry. All right. Now head for the Indian village as fast as possible. The island was overgrown with brush, and it took Sergeant Preston and Ted Sheridan some time to reach the outskirts of the Skiedan Indian village. They stopped on a slight rise overlooking the village. Look. On top of the hill opposite us. Sergeant, the burial totem pole. For a moment, the two men stared at the tall carved totem pole, which was sharply outlined in the Bright moonlight. Then Preston spoke. Circle the village and investigate the ground around the totem pole. The earth's been disturbed. We'll know your father's expedition dug there for the buried gold. It might have been there that they found the treasure. It might even have been here that they met with some disaster. It's what we're here to find out. Ted. Let's head for that hill and move cautiously. Quiet. Come on, boy. As they cautiously made their way around the village, Preston and Ted were halfway to the totem when King stopped sniffing and growling low. What's the matter with King? That's the way he acted on the dock today. Yes. Yes, it is, Ted. And now I'm beginning to know why. What do you mean, Sergeant? I believe King has picked up a familiar scent today on that dock. Whoever spied on us at the last Indian village and murdered one of the Indians may have been on the dock. He may also have been in that motorboat. It's beginning to make sense. But what about now? The way King is acting, Same man must have come along here recently heading for the village. King's found his scent again. Say, that may be it. I'm going to find out. Ted, you go on to the totem on the hill and investigate there. I'll have King pick up this trail and follow it for me. I'll join you later on the slope behind the totem. All right, Sergeant. I'll wait there for you. Good. All right, King. Find me, boy. Moving on alone, Ted Sheridan cautiously made his way to the totem on top of the hill. He walked about at the foot of the tall pole, looking at the ground. Dad was here. It's evident the ground all around this totem was dug up and then covered over again. Ted stopped and stood staring at the totem. The crudely carved faces on the pole seemed to glare at him vindictively. Then suddenly. You're not moved. We have knife at back. Oh, I'm not armed. There's no need to hold that knife against me. You white man. You walk on sacred ground without blessing of chief. I came to look at the burial totem. You've come to forbidden place. Now me take you to chief. You walk. Me keep knife at back. Now go. Meanwhile, Preston followed King as the big dog picked up the trail of the man he'd been told to find. As the dog approached a hut from the side, Preston reached down and touched him as a signal to stop. As the mountie stood alongside the hut, he could plainly hear voices from within. As chief of the skidan village. You must protect the great burial totem from further sacrilege. That right. The white men who came here some moons ago disturbed the sacred ground. I've come to warn you. The spirit of Skedan will be angry if you let others walk on sacred ground and ask many questions when you come here. Why Skedan not get angry? Look. I carry a gold charm that has a white face, almost like the face of the moon on the totem. It makes a ticking sound that wards off evil. That's good. I have given you trinkets. Now I give you more. Here. You good to chief. Of course. Now, if two men, one wearing a red coat, should come here, drive them from your village. They bring emo. Sergeant Preston moved close to the window opening, cautiously eased aside the hide covering. He saw in the flickering light of the small fire burning in the center of the hut, the chief standing with a bearded man. At that moment, he was startled to see Ted Sheridan enter the doorway of the hut with an Indian holding a knife behind him. Look. A brave has already brought one of the evil men I mentioned. Him walk on sacred ground near totem. Then he will die. Bring all braves of village. No, wait. Wait, Chief. Don't call the others. This man must die quietly. It is best no one knows. This charm of Skidan I hold in my hand is sticking out such a message to me. What did it say? It says, let the brave who found him plunge the knife into his back. Then he should be taken through the night and dropped into the water. That is good. Use the knife now. Kill him. The Indian inside raised the flashing blade behind Ted Sheridan. Preston pointed his gun and fired through the window opening. The brave grabbed his wrist as the knife dropped to the ground. The chief, startled, stepped forward so that he was between the window and Nick. The Russian made a quick lunge and disappeared through the doorway. After him. King Preston ran to the hut doorway just as the chief lunged at Ted with his own knife. Wait, Chief. Drop that knife. Drop it. You not shoot me do pick up their knives, Ted. Right. The Indians are coming this way. Let's go. King's chasing that Russian. They headed for the boat landing. Come on. As the two men approached the crude boat landing near the Indian village, they heard a struggle. Get away. Gus. Help me. Gus. Oh, you. Gus, come back. Wait. Help. Get this dog away. Easy, King. Envoy, on guard. I'll take your gun. Here, Ted. You'll need one if things get out of hand. Keep him covered. Thanks. Here come the engines. Wait. Stand back, all of you. The charm. The Ticks said you were both evil. I also have a charm that ticks. So has my friend. That's right. Being careful to keep the Russian and the Indians covered with their guns, the sergeant and Ted showed their gold watches. The chief seemed confused as he looked from one to the other. Then Preston said, ted, keep the bearded man covered while I take his charm and show the chief it's just like ours. I haven't covered, sir. Good. Easy, King. Here is the bearded one's gold charm, Chief. Await, Sergeant. Let me see that. While a sergeant covered the Russian, Ted stared for a moment at the gold watch in his hand. The bright moonlight combined with flaring torches carried by the villagers flickered on the engraving on the back of the gold case. Sergeant, this is Dad's gold watch. His initials are engraved on the back of it. That is a surprise. Chief. That gold charm was stolen by the bearded one from Professor Sheridan. He came here some time ago to examine the burial totem with some other men. You must remember them. Me remember him have gold charm? The Tick. Do you remember seeing these markings on it? That right. The one with beard steal it. So maybe man with silver hair not go to village of Tonga's tribe to see killer whale totem. Sergeant, dad did have silvery gray hair. Perhaps the expedition did start for the Tongass village after leaving here. That seems logical. Chief, these men came with evil in their hearts. Don't forget the young man walked on his sacred ground. But he carried one of the gold charms. Chief, the bearded man told you himself the charm wards off evil and is liked by Skedan. That right. Charms have moon. Pieces of moon like on totem. You go in peace, braves of skeet and not harm you. We have some questions to ask this bearded one, Chief. Now you tell us what you know. Stop. Wait. While Preston talked, Nikolai Saratov had brushed his hand across his mouth. In a flash, the sergeant realized what it might mean. Too late, my friend. Too late. I carried that small capsule just for what happened. Poison Ted took it before I could stop him. This the spirit of Skedan has struck him down. That's as good an explanation as any. Anyway, we can't question him now. What about the man on the motorboat who got away? May have been the owner of that boat. Ted, it would take too much time to stay around and prove it. Our purpose right now is to continue the search for your father. Right, Sergeant, how do we get back to Prince Rupert? Across the strait. My braves will paddle you over in one of our canoes. You are the son of the silvered heroine. That is good. I'll search the Russian before we go. Nothing in his pockets except a small amount of cash. My braves will give him burial before evil leaves him to enter our village. Good Chief. After that, we'll head for the town across the strait and start for the village of the Tongass. Perhaps when we find the killer whale totem, I'll be able to say this case is. They say that every bit of the weird carving on totem poles tells something about the Indian's history or adventure. For example, the Skedan's burial pole. The moon face at the top of the pole was the chief's personal crest. The mountain goat carved below represented his mother's clan. The grizzly bear at the bottom was a sign of his father's tribe. And the box like container at the top was used for the body or ashes of the chief because the Northwest Indians feared burial in the earth. And just think, totem poles were carved by hand from huge logs that were as high as 60ft. Now, fellas and girls, here's the surprise. Here's the exciting part of it for you. You can get a miniature copy of the burial totem pole you heard about in today's story. It's a terrific, amazing opportunity. Or offered only to friends of Sergeant Preston's and by delicious Quaker Puffed rice and Quaker Puffed Wheat. And not only the burial pole, but a whole collection of five different totem poles has been made especially for Sergeant Preston's friends. You get the burial pole, the famous Thunderbird, the fight with the land otter, the killer whale, the sun and raven. Yes, from the huge totem poles that you would see today up in the Great Northwest. Accurate scale models have been made. 4 inches high, made of pressed wood and hand painted in beautiful bright colors. Golly. Wouldn't it be fun to make your own little Indian teepee villages for each totem pole to take them to school when you study Indian life. And here's how easy it is to get the burial pole or the whole collection of all five of these totem poles. Just get one of the special new packages of Quaker Puffed Wheat or Quaker Puffed Rice. Now, at groceries, these packages tell all about these exciting totem poles. And they have a special handy order blank with a list of the five different poles right on it. You just check the totem poles you want and for every one you check, send 25 cents. Now, if you want the whole collection, you send $1. But whether you want one or all of them, you only have to send one box. Top from Quaker Puffed Wheat or Quaker Puffed Rice. Remember to send 25 cents for each totem pole you want or $1 for the whole collection. Send to Totem Poles, Box L, Chicago, 77, Illinois. And here's something extra you get with your order. You get a little booklet that tells the fascinating history and story of each totem pole. What's more, if these aren't the most exciting scale model totem poles you ever saw, you get your money back. They'll go like hotcakes and the supply is limited. So hustle up. Get the special new packages of swell tasting Quaker Puffed weed or rice. The box top tells you just what to do for any totem pole you want. There's no time to lose. Send right now tonight to Totem Poles, Box L, Chicago 77, Illinois. And now a word about our next adventure on the trail of the missing scientific expedition headed by Professor Sheridan. Sergeant Preston and the professor's son Ted started for a fishing village on the coast where the Tongass Indians lived. But there were other men waiting for the sergeant at the village besides the Indians. Captain Bradford and the crew of his whaler were part of the gang responsible for the professor's disappearance. And they knew that if the sergeant learned the truth, it would mean prison for all of them. They were determined that both Sergeant Preston and Ted Sheridan should die. Don't miss this next exciting adventure. These radio dramas, a feature of Sergeant Preston of the Yukon Incorporated, are created by George W. Trendle, produced by Trendall Campbell, Muir Incorporated, directed by Fred Flowerday and edited by Fran Stryker. The part of Sergeant Preston is played by Paul Sutton. Sergeant Preston of the Yukon is brought to you every Tuesday and Thursday at the same time by Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice, the breakfast cereals shot from guns. Hello, folks, this is your friend, Aunt Jemima. Would you like something special for supper during Lent? Well, how about golden fluffy pancakes, Aunt Jemima pancakes served with hot spicy applesauce. Or maybe you like cheese pancakes. Just add half a cup of grated cheese to your Aunt Jemima pancake batter and then bake. Or you can serve my pancakes with creamed eggs or. Or cream fish. Yes, Aunt Jemima, pancakes are scrumptious for lunch or supper as well as breakfast. They are extra digestible too because Aunt Jemima pancake mix is now fluff whipped for extra lightness. So why don't you serve folks stacks of Aunt Jemima pancakes? Lightest pancakes anyone can bake. Thank you. Folks, this is J. Michael wishing you goodbye, good luck and good health from Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice. So long. Listen tomorrow at this same time to the Green Hornet brought to you by the drink that makes you feel fresh again. Delicious Orange Crush. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System SA Foreign this has been a presentation of OTRWesterns.com and we hope you enjoyed. Please take some time to like and rate this episode within your favorite podcast application. Follow us on Facebook by going to otrwesterns.com Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel by going to otrwesterns.Com Become one of our ranch hands and unlock some exclusive content. We want to thank our most recent ranch hands Steve and Ron W. Who joined us recently. You too can join by going to otrwesterns.com donate send us an email podcasttrwesterns.com and you can call and leave us a voicemail 707-986-8739 this episode is copyrighted under the Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Copyright. For more information go to otrwesterns.com copyright have a great day and thanks for listening. Sam.