Western Tales of the Black Rider #29
Ambush Signal!
While out on patrol the Black Rider sees a firework shoot up into the sky and decides to investigate the source and soon learns that it was the signal for a planned stagecoach attack, but arrives too late to stop it. Talking to the coach drivers, the Black Rider learns that the outlaws stole a box that was marked as "ballast" on the shipping manifest. Travelling back to Leadville where hears that the "ballast" manifest was a cover and that the crate really contained with gold bars headed for Kansas City.
Going to see Sheriff Ben Yarby, the Black Rider catches the tail end of an argument with Yarby and Mr. Conde the owner of the coach company that demands that his cargos be protected before storming out. The Black Rider then tells Yarby what he discovered while out on patrol and decides to keep an eye out for more such attacks.
The following night the Black Rider is on patrol when he sees another flare going up and rides to its location but once more arrives too late to stop a coach robbery. Following the outlaws trail he comes to a nearby river where the trail falls cold because they used a log boat to flee the scene. The Black Rider returns to his home and changes back into his alter-ego of Dr. Matthew Masters. Entering his office he finds Mr. Conde waiting for him to get some burns treated. Conde claims that he burned his hand getting hot coals out of his stove but as he treats the man Masters realizes that they are really powder burns and realizes that Conde is the mastermind behind the plot.
After Conde leaves, Masters changes back into the Black Rider and follows him back to his home. There he catches Conde and his me plotting out their next robbery. He shoots the place up but pulls back when Conde foolishly lights up all his fireworks. The resulting explosion does nothing but force the outlaws out in the waiting hands of the arriving lawmen and they surrender without further incident.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Sheriff Ben Yarby
Satan
Makunda
The Black Rider is riding into Leadville when he is suddenly approached by Sheriff Yarby who warns the Black Rider that Monty Creech is in town. Finding this puzzling since Creech was locked away in Santa Clara prison, the Black Rider confronts Creech and finds the man in a strange daze. Instead of fighting, Creech confesses that he robbed the Rocky Pointe Stage. When questioning Creech, all they can get out of him is a confession but Monty cannot remember how he got out of prison. They lock him up anyway and find the entire thing odd, unaware that they are being watched the real mastermind behind the robbery, Trigger Tate and his gang. Trigger then sends his men to carry out the next part of their phase.
Tate's men confront outlaw Jack Lowrey and offer him to work together on their next crime. Sitting down to a pitcher of water in the local saloon, Lowrey listens to their plan and suddenly enters a trance and is told to go and confess that he robbed the bank in Twin Forks and to turn himself in. The Black Rider rounds up Lowery and questions him, other than his confession, Lowery also tells the Black Rider how he met with Trigger Tate's men for a drink before confessing. The Black Rider goes to the local saloon and finds that the pitcher of water Lowery drank from has been untouched since he left and takes to examine. Changing back into his alter ego of Dr. Matthew Masters, the Black Rider examines the water and finds that there are traces of some kind of drug inside it.
Not recognizing the drug, Masters changes back into the Black Rider and pays a visit to Inga-Tul, an elderly Native American medicine man. The old recluse recognizes the drug as Makunda a concoction that makes those who have ingested it to follow the orders of who command them and gives the Black Rider the antidote. The Black Rider gives the antidote to both Creech and Lowrey and they tell him that they were drugged by Trigger Tate in order to get them to confess to the crimes that Tate had carried out. Learning of this, Tate and his men storm the prison seeking to eliminate the snitches before they can tell too much, but fall right into the Black Rider's trap and they are captured.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Sheriff Ben Yarby
Satan
The Blasters!
While riding near the town of Topez, the Black Rider is stopped by members of Blast Baxter's gang who keep the Rider busy long enough for the rest of the gang to blast Baxter out of prison and facilitate his escape. He follows after the outlaws and is led to the town of Land's End a town where guns are outlawed. While he is busy trying to convince the local sheriff that his town is in danger, Blast Baxter and his gang blow up the local bank and make off with its money.
Having lost Baxter's trail, the Black Rider returns to Leadville and changes back into his alter-ego of Dr. Matthew Masters. He learns that Blast Baxter has been busy since he returned home: That he stole explosives from the Yellow Creek Mine. Suspecting that Baxter is planning something big, Masters pays a visit to Cyrus Fields of the Farmers Bank and convinces him to set a trap for Baxter and his gang. They plant a phony story in the newspaper advertising a stagecoach carrying money is leaving Leadville. Sure enough, Blast and his gang read about the coach and attempt to attack it, landing right into the Black Rider's trap. When Blast hops onto the coach to attack the Black Rider directly, it leaves him open to a rifle blast to the back by the coach's shotgun rider, ending the attack. Ironically, Blast is treated by Dr. Matthew Masters and after getting patched up realizes the errors of his ways, and admits -- as Sheriff Yarby takes him away -- that a life of crime was not worth it.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Sheriff Ben Yarby
Satan
