Gunsmoke Western #37

Double-Cross Trail

While riding through town at night, Kid Colt is ambushed by a group of men from behind who knock him out. As he recovers from the blow, Kid Colt narrowly avoids getting trampled for some men on horseback. He’s helped up by the sheriff and as he is explaining what happened he finds a sack of loot stolen from the Chisholm Ranchers Bank and is put under arrest.

Taken to the sheriff’s office, Kid Colt pleads that he is innocent, pointing out that if he was part of the gang who committed the robbery they wouldn’t have ambushed him and left him to get captured. However, the sheriff refuses to listen to anymore and orders the Kid to be locked up. What sinks things further is when one of the bankers, Mister Sharpe, is brought in and he identifies Kid Colt as one of the bankers. The Kid calls him a liar but this also does little to clear him of any wrong-doing.

In the jail, Kid Colt’s cellmate tells him that they both have something in common, they have been arrested for robbing banks but both men claim they are innocent. When they compare notes, they discover that in both cases it was Mister Sharpe who identified both of them. Deciding to work together to clear their names, the two men then pretend to fight in their cell, prompting the sheriff to come in and break them up. The pair then jump the sheriff and escape from their cell.

Kid Colt and his new friend then follow the trail of the thieves to a cabin where one of the thieves is sleeping in a chair. They quickly knock him out and hide him away and wait for the rest of the gang to show up. When they do, the leader is concerned that their sentry is missing and checks their hiding spot to make sure the stolen loot is still intact. That’s when Kid Colt and his ally ambush the outlaws and get them to surrender. They then bring the outlaws back to town so they can clear their names.

Recurring Characters

Kid Colt, Steel