Black Rider #26

The Hunters!

The Black Rider is riding the range when he hears a strange noise up ahead and goes to investigate. Ahead he finds a Native American warrior named Red Fang wounded by a gunshot. When the Black Rider tries to help the warrior, he resists but then passes out from his wounds. Rushing the rounded brave back to Leadville, the Black Rider changes into his alter-ego of Dr. Matthew Masters.

As Master's treats the warrior, he is suddenly visited by three men who come barging into his office demanding he turn over Red Fang. The leader of the group explains that Red Fang had killed his mine partner Ed Burrows. Masters tries to keep them out of the room, but the three men barge in only to find that Red Fang had escaped out the window. With the others gone, Matthew changes back into the Black Rider and follows Red Fang's trail in order to learn the truth. Suddenly, Red Fang ambushes him and the two fight it out until the Black Rider subdues Red Fang. After telling Red Fang that he believes that he did not shoot Ed Burrows, Red Fang explains that he witnessed Burrows being murdered by another white man and the man then tried to frame him for the murder.

Suddenly the man who killed Burrows appears, intending to silence them. Recognizing Burrows' partner as the real killer, Red Fang out him. Before the killer can fire his gun, the Black Rider is faster at the draw and fatally shoots the murderer. Dying the man confesses that he killed Ed Burrows after they struck a rich vein of gold. Overhearing this is the sheriff who had arrived at the scene after hearing gun shots and he clears Red Fang of all wrong doing. The proud warrior than thanks the Black Rider for his help and rides off.

Recurring Characters

• Black Rider

• Satan

Gambler's Folly

After learning that gambling house owner Travers has been swindling people out of their money, the Black Rider bursts into his gambling hall with guns blazing, recovering the stolen money and returning it to the poor people who were swindled from it. The Black Rider gives Travers a week to clear out of town or die. This earning Travers' ire, who decides instead to try and eliminate the masked hero.

The next day, Dr. Matthew Masters wakes up and rides into town and learns from the locals that Travers has hired a number of gunslingers to eliminate the Black Rider. Realizing that this poses a danger to the innocent people in town, Masters pays a personal visit and pleads to the gambler not to start his war in Leadville as it would lead to innocent people being wounded, however Travers refuses to listen and tells Masters to leave.

As the last of the gunslingers arrive, they decide to try and force the Black Rider out of hiding by causing a ruckus in town, even wrecking Travers' gambling hall in the process. The Black Rider then arrives and guns down all the outlaws, thankfully before anyone can get hurt. Charging toward Travers' gambling hall on his horse Satan, the Black Rider crashes through the front door. Travers begs for his life, and the Black Rider then kicks the defeated gambler out into the street and forces him to crawl out of town on his hands and knees with Satan following behind giving him a good nip in the rear should he go too slow.

The following day, Matthew Masters is happy to see that the gambling hall is now being converted into a new town auditorium.

Recurring Characters

• Black Rider

• Satan

Kid Colt Outlaw

Kid Colt is ambushed by Cass Bender and his pals Brand and Melody who seek to capture him and claim the reward on the outlaw's head. Kid Colt manages to escape on his horse Steel, but is seriously wounded by a bullet and although he gets to safety, he passes out due to blood loss.

The Kid comes around to find himself inside a shack owned by a man known only at the Old Timer. The Old Timer tells Kid Colt that he knows who he is and has been nursing him back to health. As the Kid heals under his care, the Old Timer manages to find some gold and his happy to now finally be able to live it rich. Having fully healed, Kid Colt bids farewell to the Old Time and rides away. However Kid Colt is drawn back to the Old Timer's shack when he hears gun shots. Arriving too late, he finds the Old Timer fatally wounded by a gun shot. The Old Timer tells him that he was attacked by Cass Bender and his gang and they stole his gold, shooting him to get it.

Kid Colt vows to get revenge against Bender and his people, swearing a bullet for each of them. Suddenly Brand shows up having decided to go back to make sure the Old Timer was dead. Brand is wounded by Kid Colt and flees, but the Kid follows after him. Arriving in town, Kid Colt is stopped by a young woman who tells him that Brand managed to warn Melody and that he is hiding behind a nearby building to ambush Kid Colt. With this information, Kid Colt manages to get the drop on Melody and shoots him dead.

Much to his surprise, the woman then reveals to him that he is really Cass Bender and tells the Kid that she helped him out because she felt remorse for killing the Old Timer. Seeing that the woman is sincerely repentant, he takes the bullet from his gun that he intended for her and places it in her hand before riding off to bury the Old Timer.

Recurring Characters

• Kid Colt

• Steel

Gun Justice!

The Black Rider catches a gang of of outlaws attacking the Lathrop ranch and forced them to flee. The Black Rider asks Jim and Marie Lathrop if they knew the attackers. They don't, but suspect that they are members of Curly Adams gang who was has been on trail and his gang has been trying to disrupt any convictions. Jim assures to the Black Rider that no matter what his gang tries, he will not be bullied into not being a witness on the trail. The Black Rider returns to his home and changes back into his alter ego the Black Rider, thinking how Adams gang will stop at nothing.

Not far away, the Adams gang report to Stanton, the lawyer working for Curly Adams. Furious at their failure and comes up with a new plans. The following day, Marie Lathrop and Matthew Masters are out riding together when the pair are suddenly attacked by the gang. Masters is knocked out with a blow to the back of the head and Marie is taken prisoner. Coming to, Masters rides over to the Lathrop ranch where he tells Jim and Bobby what happened. As he arrives one of the Adams gang had delivered a message ordering Jim to stay away from Curly Adams trial if he wants to see Marie alive again. Bobby confirms this to Matthew and tells him that he knows where the outlaws took Marie.

Changing into the Black Rider, the hero is led to the outlaws hideout by Bobby. Spotting a guard, the Black Rider sends Bobby down as a decoy and then ambushes the outlaws. The Black Rider then blows away the rest of the gang and rescues Marie. Returning Marie to the ranch, the Black Rider then rushes Jim Lathrop to the court mere moments before Curly Adams lawyer can try and have the case thrown out of court.

Recurring Characters

• Black Rider

• Jim Lathrop

• Marie Lathrop

• Bobby Lathrop

• Satan