Kid Colt Outlaw #74
A Bet With Death
In the town of Lone Star, an outlaw named Castro challenges Kid Colt to a draw. However, Kid Colt knows that Castro is only making this bluff because Kid Colt can’t draw. Castro draws his guns and rather than gunning down Kid Colt, he shoots at his feet. Seeing that Castro had placed bets and is winning big, Kid Colt warns him against betting against Kid Colt’s guns in the future.
Kid Colt then goes to visit the sheriff and asks him if he is proud of himself because he didn’t expect Castro to pull such a stunt after he would only allow Kid Colt into town to water his horse if he promised to never draw his guns. Kid Colt is furious because he is the only person that the sheriff has imposed this rule on and after the incident with Castro, other outlaws are going to try and take a shot at him. After Kid Colt leaves, the sheriff curses his hands as they have ruined more than one life now. He then goes to visit the local doctor who tells the sheriff that he’s still recovering from blood poisoning and his hands aren’t fully healed yet.
With the town falling into lawlessness, the doctor decides to go and tell Kid Colt about what’s going on. The Kid decides to resolve this issue and goes into town and clears out the outlaws. While he’s doing so, he’s joined by the sheriff whose hands are back in fighting shape to lend a hand.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
A Trap for a Killer!
Kid Colt is about to get a shave from a barber when two men come rushing in and try to ambush him. The barber tosses hot shaving cream in their faces which gives Kid Colt a chance to swing around in his chair and shoot the guns out of his attacker’s hands. He then demands to know why they are gunning for him. However, once the men get a good look at him, they realize they have the wrong man but remark how Kid Colt resembles a guy who jumped their camp. The gunshots draw the sheriff who is not surprised that Kid Colt would have been revolved. However, he decides that he could use Kid Colt’s expertise with weapons to help him solve a mystery.
He shows Kid Colt some strange shells that he has recovered. Kid Colt recognizes them as ten gauge brass cases and judging from the markings on the shells they have been reloaded more than once as the primer pockets are well worn. However, despite these unique identifiers, Kid Colt figures he’ll still have a hard time finding out who owned them. The sheriff is stumped because the person who used those bullets killed a Poney Express delivery man and robbed three stages. As he tells the Kid about a special agent that is coming in from Kansas City to investigate, he arrives in town, injured and is out cold. As the town doctor examines him, the sheriff notes that the agent from Kansas City and Kid Colt look alike. That’s when Kid Colt remembers his encounter in the barbershop and realizes that the agent was the man the two outlaws thought they were ambushing.
Thinking they are responsible for the other attacks, Kid Colt puts on the agent’s clothing and goes out in the street and gets on a coach. Sure enough, the two outlaws spot him and try to ambush the seemingly wounded man. However, Kid Colt is only faking an injured arm and easily outguns the outlaws and holds them long enough for the sheriff to arrive and arrest them.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Showdown at Horseshoe Flats!
Kid Colt enters a general store and comes upon a situation where the owner, Hank Adams is refusing a rancher credit and draws guns on him. Kid Colt comes to the rancher’s aid and defuses the situation. As they leave, the rancher says he owes Hank Adams a great deal in credit but recently had his cattle rustled and now doesn’t even have enough money to feed his wife and child.
Riding back to Homer Harrison’s ranch he meets with other ranchers have similarly been swindled. Kid Colt agrees to help them track down and capture the cattle rustlers. In doing so, Kid Colt discovers that they have been working for Hank Adams the whole time. Kid Colt then returns to Adam’s store pretending to come and repay all the debts, but when the law comes rushing in the back door to arrest Hank Adams, Kid Colt reveals that they have dismantled Adams’ criminal scheme.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt, Steel
Black Rider
The Black Rider arrives at the home of Spence Miller, a local recluse, and discovers that the old man is dead. He looks around at all the junk Miller has accumulated over the years and recalls how the locals think he had a fortune hidden somewhere. If this is true, the Black Rider figures that secret went to the grave with Spence Miller. The Black Rider finds a final will and reads it and is surprised to see that Spence left his alter ego, Doctor Matthew Masters, an old Paterson Colt pistol. Removing the gun from a desk drawer, the Black Rider is distracted when two men enter the home and point their guns at him.
The men order the Black Rider to hand over the gun and decide that they are going to search the place for Miller’s fortune. The Black Rider manages to get the draw on the outlaws but as they flee from his bullets, the Black Rider trips over a loose floorboard allowing them to escape. Knowing that they’ll be back, the Rider decides to hide out and wait for the crooks to return. Sure enough, they do and search the entire shack and find no treasure. When the Black Rider tries to apprehend them, the two thieves use the old Paterson Colt to try and keep the masked hero at bay. However, the last bullet in the gun turns out to be a dud and they are left without any means of defense and are quickly apprehended.
One of them complains about the dud that led to their capture. This prompts the Black Rider to examine the gun and he discovers the “dud” bullet was actually a decoy as it has a hidden treasure map inside. Since the gun was willed to Doctor Masters, the Black Rider intends to use the fortune to build a new children’s clinic in town.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Border Town Justice
When Kid Colt enters the town of Thunder Gap some outlaws offer to buy his horse. When he refuses they decide to take it instead. Kid Colt puts up a good fight but he is outnumbered. Thankfully, Tom Turner, the town’s blacksmith comes to his aid and helps him fight off the bad men. He learns that the town doesn’t have a sheriff because nobody wants to accept the dangerous job for little pay. Turner wishes the town was in better shape as his son is coming back from law school after being away from home for 15 years.
Kid Colt decides to go to the train station and wait for Tom Turner’s son to arrive. Tom described a scrawny young man and doesn’t see one. One of the other passengers notices that Kid Colt is disappointed that he didn’t find whom he was looking for and suggests the get a drink at the local saloon and wait for the next train to come in. The two men get to talking about the problems in town and after checking the law books they discover that they are legally allowed to form a posse to clean up down if there are no lawmen available.
Kid Colt and this stranger quickly clean-up town and after they are done, Kid Colt is surprised when Tom Turner sees them in action and welcomes his son home. It turns out Kid Colt was working with Tom’s son the whole time.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt, Steel
