Kid Colt Outlaw #35
Kid Colt Outlaw
During a raging storm, Kid Colt is confronted by Copper Poe, brother of outlaw Vince Poe, who is trying to make a reputation for himself. However, this proves to be a fatal mistake as Kid Colt guns him down. In the aftermath Kid Colt is confronted by one of the members of the Poe gang. He explains that he had a falling out with Copper Poe and tells Kid Colt that there was a train hold up at Sugar Crossing the previous night by his gang and that sheriff Anse Torrent believes that Kid Colt was responsible. When the Kid asks why the outlaw is helping him out, the man tells the Kid that he had a falling out with Copper and was in debt to Kid Colt when he gunned him down.
Knowing that sheriff Torrent is a good lawman who does not give up the chance, Kid Colt decides to light out of town. He rides to the Massacre River as it is the only way out of the territory. However when he arrives at the toll bridge he sees that it has been wrecked by the storm. He goes into cabin of the toll attendant to get cover from the storm. Inside he finds the attendant as well as Vince Poe, Copper's brother. If things weren't tense enough, sheriff Torrent enters the cabin as well. Torrent still believes Kid Colt is responsible for the train job and draws on the outlaw hero, but Kid Colt is faster at the draw and shoots to disarm the sheriff. Vince Poe finds the entire situation amusing since the Sheriff believes that Kid Colt is the thief when he has the stolen loot in his saddle bags. When Vince tries to make a move for his guns to shoot Anse, Kid Colt warns him against drawing against the lawman.
Once more the tense situation is deflated when more visitors arrive at the toll cabin, the occupants of a stagecoach that got caught in the mud: it's driver, a man who invented the can opener, and a newly wed couple going to start up a ranch across the river. With relative peace restored the young couple begin discussing their fears over how well their ranch will do. When Vince Poe tries to flirt with the wife, her husband does not know how to deal with it, so Kid Colt steps in and beats him senseless. Sheriff Torrent gets Vince's gun and draws it on Kid Colt telling him to surrender or get shot, Kid Colt responds by saying nobody is taking his guns, and points out that there is a woman in the room and she might get hit in the crossfire, convincing Anse to back down. The husband thanks Kid Colt for helping, saying that he's not ready to live in such rough country, but Kid Colt encourages him by saying he should stand up for his wife.
When Vince Poe comes around there is the sound of hoofs approaching outside. Knowing that it is the rest of his gang, Poe jumps out of the window and runs to them promising to come back and slaughter them all. When Poe is with his gang he also learns that Kid Colt killed his brother making him more angry than ever. Kid Colt quickly organizes everyone to fight back and he, the sheriff, the toll attendant, and the newly wed husband face off against Poe and his gang, gunning down the whole bunch. With the storm over, the stagecoach is freed from the mud and the bridge repaired and the people sent on their way. The sheriff, having realizes how honorable Kid Colt is decides to let him go, but not without a small gift: A can opener he bought from the salesman aboard the coach.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
Kid Colt Outlaw
Kid Colt comes upon the wreckage of a convoy of supply coaches that have been attacked and left to burn but without any looting done. However, he finds one man still alive among the wreckage: Abe Starr, the owner of the Starr Freighting, he tells Kid Colt that he runs the company with his child Tex. The dying man asks Kid Colt to go to town and tell Tex not to give up and to look out for something, but he dies before he can say what it is. Kid Colt rides into town and notices that it is dominated by the Great Western Freighting Company, which Kid Colt recalls has been buying out all it's competition in recent history. Going into the office of the Starr Freighters Company, he is surprised to see that Tex is a girl, and tells her the bad news, but that her father has asked that she not give up on the company.
Suddenly Colin, Tex's boyfriend enters the office having heard the news and gives his condolences. He asks Tex to marry him and let Great Western take over Starr's shipping contracts. However Tex refuses to give up and stresses the importance of getting her next wagon train filled with supplies over to Fort Bragg. However, Ox, the big burly driver for the wagon train refuses to go out as all the other convoys had been attacked by what appeared to be Native Americans. When Ox pushes Tex to the ground Kid Colt picks a fight with him and easily lambastes the bruiser. Having been defeated in the fist fight, Ox agrees to lead the wagon train.
Kid Colt joins the wagon train and along the route to Fort Bragg, they are attacked by outlaws disguised as Native Americans. With Kid Colt's help the wagon train is defended and the outlaws are all wiped out. Ox recognizes them as members of Duke Chancey's gang. While Ox goes off to deal with Duke, Kid Colt rides into town and goes back to the Starr Freighter Company where Colin is once more trying to convince Tex to sell the company, having heard of the most recent attack on the wagon train. Kid Colt bursts in revealing that Colin is the owner of the Great Western Freighting Company and that he had hired Duke Chancey's gang to attack the wagon trains in order to force Starr Freighters to sell to him. However when Abe refused, Colin had him murdered then tried to romance Tex into marrying him so he could steal the company that way. With his plot exposed Colin draws and tries to shoot Kid Colt, but the Kid is only grazed by the bullet and shoots Colin dead. Just then Ox returns telling them that he dealt with Duke Chancey and Kid Colt bids them both luck running their business together.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
Black Rider
The Black Rider is out near the Lathrop property when he hears a shot and goes to investigate. The shooter is a man named Injun Pancho, who was just recently fired from his job as a Lathrop ranch hand. Pancho spots the Black Rider first and tries to shoot the hero, but misses. The Black Rider then turns and blasts Pancho away.
The Black Rider goes out looking for what Pancho was shooting at and finds Bobby Lathrop near his horse Paint. Paint took the bullet and the tearful boy asks the Black Rider to use his medical skills to do what he can for his beloved horse. However, it is all for naught as the horse dies. This upsets Bobby deeply as he raised the horse himself and that he won't be able to get a new one as his father needs all the horses for the range. The Black Rider tells Bobby not to worry and that he'll get a new horse soon. Reporting to Jim Lathrop, the Black Rider tells the rancher what happened to Bobby and tells Jim that he is going to fix the situation.
The Black Rider then rides out to the Sierra Blanca range where wild horses roam. Remembering a Palomino Colt out there that caught his eye, the Black Rider sends Satan off to divert the Colt from the herd. When Satan succeeds at this, the Black Rider manages to jump on the Colt's back and tame it when it tries to buck him off. With the horse tamed, the Black Rider then takes it with him back to the Lathrop ranch. The next morning the Black Rider introduces Bobby to his new horse, delighting the boy.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Bobby Lathrop
Jim Lathrop
Satan
Kid Colt Outlaw
Kid Colt is camping out in the Kenshaw Mountains when a posse finds his location and charge at him with guns blazing. Kid Colt gets on his horse and bolts, and they manage to lose the posse. Eventually he hears a bear roaring and goes to investigate. He finds the massive bear attacking a Blackfoot Native American and shoots the bear dead. The Native introduces himself as Tall Pine the sub-chief of his tribe. The pair make a meal from the bear and then Kid Colt offers to ride Tall Pine back to his people. Noticing that the chief is upset, Kid Colt gets him to talk about his problems. Tall Pine explains that his daughter Wa-Ha-Ni is in love with a soldier named Lieutenant Hart, however such a union would lead to Wa-Ha-Ni being exiled from her people and Hart expelled from the military due to their ethnicity. He also explains that a local trader named Kessler has been coming to their village with alcohol and has been getting the chief drunk in an attempt to convince him to sell Blackfoot land.
They arrive at the village just as Kessler is trying to ply the chief with more alcohol. Kid Colt shoots the bottle out of Kessler's hand and the Kid orders Kessler and his men to leave while they still can. Hearing the shots, Lieutenant Hart and Wa-Ha-Ni show up and Kid Colt explains what happened. As the Lieutenant is heading back to his fort, Kid Colt decides to join him to report Kessler's activities. Along the way back, Hart explains to Kid Colt that he loves Wa-Ha-Ni and is willing to sacrifice his career and friends to marry her. Suddenly, Hart is shot dead by some unseen attacker. Kid Colt searches the area and finds clues regarding the shooter before heading back to the fort with Hart's body. At the fort, Kid Colt turns over Hart's body and as the captain in charge puzzles who could have possibly shot him, Kessler inflames the other soldiers blaming the Blackfoot people for killing the Lieutenant. Angered, the soldiers mount up and ride off.
Kid Colt heads them off along the way and appeals to the captain, telling him to look over the murder scene before charging off to start a war with the Blackfoot. He points out that the shooter was wearing boots and had a shod horse, identifying the shooter as a white man not a Native American. Knowing who the shooter is, Kid Colt rides back to town and confronts Kessler at his trading post. When Kessler and his men try to shoot Kid Colt, the outlaw hero is faster at the draw and guns down Kessler's men. As the soldiers begin to arrive, Kessler tires to flee but Kid Colt strikes him with the butt of his gun, seemingly knocking him out. However when a soldier examines Kessler, they find that he was dead due to the blow to his skull. The captain tells Kid Colt that Kessler shot Hart because he had been investigating the trader for selling fire arms and alcohol to the Blackfoot.
In the aftermath, Kid Colt rides off not revealing the other reason Kessler was dealing with the Blackfoot tribe: that he had discovered gold on their land. Kid Colt decides to keep this a secret, as if the gold became common knowledge, the Blackfoot would be driven from their homes by those greedy enough to seek the riches.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
