Kid Colt Outlaw #87

Fury of the Circle-R!

Pulling into the Circle-R Ranch, Kid Colt thinks they could use some help and decides to ask for work. The foreman, a man named Moss, demands to know what the strange wants. Giving a fake name, Kid Colt asks if there is any work. Moss tells him to get lost, but one of the other workers says they need help out on the east ranger. Angered at being contradicted, Moss strikes the worker saying he’s in charge and he’ll decide if they are shorthanded or not. That’s when Miss Rand comes out and thinks the stranger looks hungry and tired and says they can probably find him something to do. At this point, Moss relents and allows the Kid to come onto the property. Later that night, in the worker bunk, the Kid asks why Moss is so suspicious about strangers. The other workers say that he is afraid of a Ranger showing up at the ranch but won’t explain why.

The following day while working on the east ranger, Kid Colt thinks that Moss must be up to something. Spotting Moss up ahead, Kid Colt decides to follow him and see what’s going on. That’s when he witnesses Moss selling some of the Circle-R’s cattle to some rustlers. That evening, the Kid pays a visit to Miss Rand and asks her if she has noticed any cattle going missing recently. She confirms this but thinks the cows just wandered off. As he is about to take her to see what’s really going on, Moss barges in on the pair with his gun drawn. He tells her that “Mister Smith” is actually Kid Colt and if they capture him they can claim the reward. Kid Colt proves faster at the draw and disarms Moss and his accomplice. The Kid then reveals that Moss has been selling cattle to rustlers. Taking her out to the range he shows her where all the missing cattle has been stashed. The other ranch hands corroborate Kid Colt’s claims, saying that Moss threatened them with violence if they didn’t keep quiet.

With the rustling scheme exposed, Kid Colt considers his work done and leaves without saying goodbye. Watching him go, Miss Rand says that if Kid Colt ever comes this way again he’ll always be a welcome guest at the Circle-R.

Recurring Characters

Kid Colt, Steel

Give Me Your Guns!

In a saloon in Smokey Ridge, Texas, Kid Colt is recognized by some of the patrons who try to apprehend him. Running upstairs, Kid Colt forces his way into one of the rented room and leaps out the window where his horse, Steel, is waiting for him. Kid Colt manages to escape and goes to Pecos, the next town over. There he is instantly recognized by the sheriff. However, the sheriff recalls how the Kid rounded up some outlaws in the town of Abiline and knows he’s not a bad man. He allows Kid Colt to stay in town but insists that the outlaw turn over his guns. He warns the Kid that if he is caught with some guns he’s going to be sent up to the county. The idea of being allowed to roam free without guns sounds like a dream come true for Kid Colt and he accepts the conditions, thanking the sheriff for giving him the opportunity to live like a free man.

Days pass and Kid Colt enjoys the peace of the town of Pecos. Things change however when Gunner Hawkins and the Yate Brothers ride into town. They recognize Kid Colt and ask him if he’s running a job in town. The Kid tells them that this is a peaceful town with an honest and tough sheriff and suggests that they push on. They think that the Kid is lying to them and he must be up to something until they notice he’s not wearing guns. Shoving the Kid to the ground, they warn Kid Colt to stay out of their business.

When the Kid tries to warn the sheriff he learns that he is out Gila Range and won’t be back until tomorrow. Worse, they don’t have a deputy either and nobody will believe him that there is trouble brewing. When the outlaws start robbing the local bank, Kid Colt has no choice but to act. Breaking into the sheriff's office, Kid Colt takes his guns and stops the robbery. Once Hawkins and his men are in custody, Kid Colt decides that there was no excuse for breaking his promise to the sheriff and leaves. When the sheriff does return and hears about what happens he is impressed with Kid Colt’s sense of honor and would have overlooked this had he stayed, but has a newfound respect for the outlaw.

Recurring Characters

Kid Colt, Steel

The Mark of the Outlaw!

Kid Colt is woken up in his camp by someone kicking at him. Knocking the intruder and going for his guns, Kid Colt is surprised to see that the intruder is a teenager. The young man says he means no harm and that he has been looking for Kid Colt in the hopes of becoming his partner. Kid Colt asks the boy where he’s from and learns that the kid lives in a cabin nearby with his mother and father. When Colt asks the boy what his parents would think about him running off, Seth figures they’ll miss him for a bit but they’ll get over it. That’s when they hear an approaching horse and go for cover.

It turns out to be Seth’s father out looking for his son after he discovered that the boy sneaked out in the middle of the night. Seeing this as an opportunity to teach Seth that an outlaw is a terrible idol, Kid Colt pretends to try and rob Seth’s father. When Seth tries to defend his father, Kid feigns being a coward and flees the scene. As he flees he overhears Seth promise his father to return home and stop idolizing outlaws. Kid Colt figures that sometimes a man has to do something bad in order to do something good and thinks there is nothing braver than a man who stands up for his family.

Recurring Characters

Kid Colt