Gunhawk #17
Blood in the Plains!
Somewhere in Arizona, two masked men meet with a man named Fuller to sign a deal to hunt for buffalo even though it's against local laws and would not be tolerated by the local Crow tribe. Fuller and his men begin hunting the buffalo and when some braves from the Crow tribe confront them about their hunting, Fuller and his men kill them and leave.
Later that day the Gunhawk rides through the area and comes across the dead Crow braves. He begins examining the area and finds evidence that they were killed by white men who then fled the area. Before Gunhawk can investigate things further he is confronted by a party of Crows who initially accuse him of killing their warriors. He convinces them that he did not kill the braves by pointing out the evidence but the leader of the Crows orders him taken prisoner anyway, as Gunhawk has not convinced them that he is not involved with the murderers.
Red is tossed into a tepee at the Crow village to await execution, but one of the Crows believe that Red is not a murderer and secretly frees him. With the Crows about to go to war against the white settlers in a nearby town, the Gunhawk rides into town and warns the sheriff and asks for help capturing the real killers. Spotting two men riding into town, Red recognizes the hoof marks being made by one of the horses. They follow them and catch the two men in an attempt to betray Fuller. Fuller is gunned down in the cross fire and his two co-conspirators are captured and are sentenced to hang for their crimes.
Recurring Characters
Gunhawk
Blaze
The Girl Who Hated the West!
In the town of White Boulder, some locals make fun of the elderly man named Saddlesoap, causing him to lose his temper. Gunhawk arrives and calms him down, and he is upset that they make fun of him for being a gentleman. He explains that he is waiting for the Kansas Express because his employer Bill Random from the Square R is expecting his niece, Kitty Random, to arrive on the coach. When she arrives, Saddlesoap becomes tongue tied and is incredible clumsy around her, earning her ire as she berates him for being a western savage with no eastern sensibilities. She refuses to accept Saddlesoap as an escort back to her uncles ranch. When she gets splashed by a passing wagon, Gunhawk tries to lift her up onto his horse. She is not impressed by this either and demands to be escorted by a gentleman.
A man named Earl Sinclair presents himself and uses his charm to convince Kitty that he is a gentleman unaware that Sinclair is a shifty cardsharp. She accepts a ride to her fathers ranch with Earl, but soon finds that the cardsharp intends to hold her ransom instead. However, before Sinclair can abscond with the girl, Gunhawk tracks him down and guns down the gentlemanly rogue. Having been saved by Gunhawk helps convince Kitty that her preconceptions of westerners turned out to be wrong.
Recurring Characters
Gunhawk
Blaze
As Ye Sow, So Ye Shall Reap!
The Pasco clan were a family of religious zealots who lived in the mountains of Wyoming. By 1868 there were only four left: Judas Pasco, his wife and his two sons. Judas and his son Ishmael are out hunting in the mountains one day when they spot a ram which Judas believes is the fabled Ram of Babel. Judas is angered when his son uses two rounds to kill the ram, but the insane elder Pasco quickly changes his mood and they both return home with their kill. When they get their Judas' other son Simon informs them that his wife is ill. Believing that the ram was a bad omen he goes to see his wife who is dying of some illness.
When his wife eventually dies, Judas buries his wife and believes that prophecy has dictated that they go out into the world and slaughter the philistines. When they reach the civilized world they begin a reign of terror tha makes them wanted outlaws. One day while fleeing from the law, Simon's horse wipes out forcing Jacob and Ishmael to flee without him. However, the Paco's use dynamite to blast open the prison wall where Simon is being kept prisoner and help him escape.
While riding the range they come across the Gunhawk as he is gutting a deer that he just killed. Ishmael is sent to ask for some meat, while Red is willing to help, Judas and Simon try to attack him from behind. Gunhawk is fast on his feet, but is still knocked out. They tie up Gunhawk and leave a burning bundle of TNT and flee the area. When Red comes around, Gunhawk commands his horse Blaze to stomp out the wick on the explosives and then chew through his bonds.
Gunhawk is determined to hunt down the Pascos and put them down like the mad dogs they are. After a few days travel, Gunhawk traces them back up to the mountain where the Pacos lived. By this time Simon has died. While Judas and Ishmael put his body to rest on a rock, Gunhawk gets the drop on them and guns them down. Gunhawk figures that this is a fitting place for them to die and rides off. As he leaves a white ram watches from a nearby peak.
Recurring Characters
Gunhawk
Blaze
