Four Color #344

Sergeant Preston and Inspector Wade navigate the treacherous waters of the Yukon in a vintage sternwheel riverboat, their journey interrupted when Elton Gaines—new to the frontier and sent to challenge an established supply operation—is felled by a sniper’s bullet from a distant cliff. As the river carries them deeper into the wilderness, the two men must piece together the mystery behind the attack, where loyalty, ambition, and the unforgiving terrain all play a part.

In "The Telltale Knife," brother turns on brother when Ellis Hyatt sets up his sibling Dave to take the fall for the murder of gold claim owner Milo Perth—driven by greed and a desire to claim both the fortune and the woman Dave loves. With tensions high in the rugged frontier, the truth lies buried beneath betrayal and a knife that may be the only witness.

In "Fugitives from Bald Rock," Martin and Larson charm the townspeople of Bald Rock into backing a gold-refining scheme, all while secretly plotting to vanish with the investors’ money—until Sergeant Preston arrives to stir up trouble.