Nick Peron

View Original

Arizona Kid #3

Redskins' Revolt!

In Fort Lauderdale, the Arizona Kid, Cliff Macklin and Happy Hicks watch Jim Bernard the heavy weight champion of the world gets off a ship for a match to take on anyone in the area who wishes to fight him. They go and watch the fight, Jim beats all his opponents. However, things change with the arrival of Weasel Labrot and his fighter an Apache warrior named Big Bear. Labrot has convinced Big Bear to prove his superiority over white men by beating Jim Bernard in the ring he can convince his people to go on the warpath, all to Labrot's plans.

Big Bear easily beats Jim Bernard in the ring and is spirited away by Weasel who has finally convinced him to set his people on the warpath. Having seen Weasel and suspecting that something is up, the Arizona Kid follows after the two men back to the nearby Apache camp. There he overhears Big Bear trying to convince the Apaches to go to war. When their chief refuses, Big Bear murders him securing his position as chief of the tribe.

Arizona rides back to the Rangers base and warns Major Cullen who orders him, Happy and Cliff to protect Fort Lauderdale from the Apaches. Meanwhile, Weasel basks in the material wealth gained from the Apache attacks on area ranches. When Arizona and his friends try to stop them, the Apaches get the drop on the three Rangers and take them prisoner. They are taken back to the Apache camp and tied to stakes to be burned alive. There, the Arizona Kid challenges Big Bear to a fight to the finish, if the Arizona Kid wins they are to be set free and the Apaches promise to stop their warpath.

Big Bear agrees and soon he and the Arizona Kid are battling each other. When it becomes apparent to Weasel that the two men are evenly matched, he puts muster seed on Big Bear's hands. This blinds the Arizona Kid and he cannot defend himself. However, the Arizona Kid still manages to gain the upper hand. When he is about to win the battle, Weasel attempts to throw a knife into the Kid's back. Arizona dodges out of the way and the arrow strikes Big Bear's arm instead. Seeing this as a betrayal, Big Bear's braves kill Weasel in a flurry of arrows. In the aftermath of the battle, Big Bear realizes how he had been manipulated and agrees to let Arizona Kid and his friends go, promising that he will strive for peace between Native Americans and the white men.

Recurring Characters

  • Arizona Kid

  • Cliff Macklin

  • Happy Hicks

  • Major Cullen

  • Arrow

The Dead Men Ride!

The Arizona Kid is riding home from a Ranger mission when he spots some buzzards flying in the air. He goes to the area they are hovering over and finds a dead man. He is soon greeted by an artist named Karl Tudor who identifies the dead man as George Stevens. As he sketches the Arizona Kid's face he explains that both he and George live in Hangman City and agrees to bring the body back to town. When Arizona Kid and Karl arrive in town they learn that George Stevens robbed the local bank the fifth robbery in days. The Arizona Kid learn that with each robbery, the men responsible were always found dead. The Kid finds this suspicious as George appears to have been dead longer than a day and it is impossible that he could have committed the robbery.

With the most recent robbery unsolved, the sheriff of Hangtown tells Arizona Kid to get out of town. When the Kid refuses he is accused of the theft and is about to be strung up when the robber store keeper comes to and identifies the robber as Fred Coslo. The Arizona Kid is cut down and let loose and a posse is gathered to find Fred Coslo. Coslo is found, but like the other thieves he is found dead.

When the Arizona Kid learns where the body was found, the Kid fights off the sheriff and rushes off to investigate. The Kid finds a trail to follow and it leads him to a nearby cave where he finds drugged men in cages and life-like masks fashioned after their faces. Before the Arizona Kid can get help he is stopped by Karl Tudor, who explains that he has used his artistic skills to make masks of the people he frames for his crimes, murdering them in order to avoid the truth coming out. Karl then reveals a mask he made of the Arizona Kid that he intends to use to commit his next robbery.

Before Karl can shoot the Arizona Kid, the Kid whistles for his horse Arrow, whose hoof beats distract Karl long enough for the Arizona Kid to shoot him dead. The Kid then returns to town and explains everything, the sheriff apologizes to the Kid for treating him with prejudice.

Recurring Characters

  • Arizona Kid

  • Arrow

The Vanishing Stranger!

The Arizona Kid happens upon a stage coach being attacked by outlaws and comes to its rescue, forcing the outlaws to flee. He learns that the coach is carrying Doris Murdock a woman who is inheriting the Murdock Ranch in Cactus City. The Kid follows them to Fort Lauderdale where the coach will be given fresh horses before going the rest of the way of Cactus City. After the coach leaves, the Arizona Kid learns that the Major was attempting to get a telegram on the coach and just miss it. The Kid agrees to ride the telegram back to Cactus City and manages to get to the City ahead of the coach.

When he arrives in Cactus City, he spots the coach and is shocked when a different woman gets off the coach posing as Doris Murdock. This impostor is introduced to Ernie Brent the foreman of the ranch and the lawyer. The Kid overhears them tell her that they will be staying at the local hotel before going to see the ranch the next day.

Finding this all suspicious, the Arizona Kid rides out and follows the backtrail of the coach. He finds that it was intercepted along the way and follows that trail back to the Murdock ranch. Attempting to deliver the letter there he finds the ranch hands are acting strange. Before they can surround him, the Kid jumps off his horse and smashes through a window into the ranch house. There he finds the real Doris Murdock tied up. As he is freeing her, the men outside set fire to the ranch house. The Kid then calls on his horse Arrow and they ride out and go to expose the impostor at the hotel. When they arrive, they learn that Ernie Brent was trying to take over the ranch by replacing Doris with an impostor since nobody in the area knew what the real Doris Murdock looked like. Before the Airzona Kid can stop them, the ranch hands arrive and get the drop on them.

However, everyone is surprised when Doris suddenly grabs a gun and shoots Ernie dead and gets the drop on the other men. With the conspiracy ended, the lawyer reads the telegram the Kid brought and they are surprised to learn that Doris learned how to shoot while working for the circus back east. With the ranch in Doris' rightful possession she thanks the Arizona Kid for helping her.

Recurring Characters

  • Arizona Kid

  • Arrow