Nick Peron

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Kid Slade, Gunfighter #5

Kid Slade, Gunfighter

Kid Slade is camping out in the mountains of Montana when he is suddenly visited by a young man named Utah who tries to rob him of his food and ammunition. The young man tells the Kid that he is trying to join Hawk Talon's Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. The Kid pretends to be intimidated by this to hear the young man out. However when the Kid has a chance he draws his guns and easily disarms the young man. Deciding to play up his outlaw status, he shows the lad his wanted poster, banking on the fact that he doesn't know that he has been cleared of charges and is secretly a US Marshall. The young man is impressed by this and believes that the Kid is part of the gang, but the Kid tells him that he is not. Deciding to try and lead the young man out of the life of an outlaw, the Kid decides to bring him to Dentown where the gang holes up.

Finding it a lawless town in the control from the gang, they go into the local saloon where Utah attempts to try and get membership into the Hole-in-the-Wall gang. When the Kid tries to stop him it's too late when one of the gang members decides that Utah is a weakling and tries to rough him up. The Kid breaks up the fight when he stands up for Utah and when the outlaws draw their guns he shoots them out of their hands. Impressed by this, the gang decides to bring them to Hawk Talon to see if he will let them join his gang.

They are taken to Hawk's secret hideout which is located in a hidden canyon behind a waterfall. There, Hawk agrees to let Kid Slade join his gang, unaware that the Kid is no longer an outlaw, but dismisses Utah. Slade petitions for Utah to also be included and so Hawk sends the pair out to prove themselves by robbing a prospector that has been around the area. Sure enough when the pair goes out and the Kid sends Utah out to snuff him out, Utah freezes up unable to kill and rob the elderly prospector. The Kid orders Utah to go back while he "handles" the old man, but tells the elderly prospector his plan.

When he returns back he and Utah find themselves fighting for their lives when Hawk recalls hearing something about Kid Slade going straight and fighting for the law. The two fight their way out through the waterfall and their fight causes an avalanche that traps the outlaws in the canyon. While waiting for the old prospector to bring the law to the area, Kid Slade is happy to hear that Utah Smith has finally realized the error in wanting to be an outlaw and has vowed to go straight.

Recurring Characters

  • Kid Slade

  • Eagle

Kid Slade, Gunfighter

Kid Slade rides into a town of Bonanza that is under heavy guard due to attacks from Native Americans. However when the sentries begin to fall ill while trying to stop the Kid from entering town he learns that they have been hit by fever and due to the attacks, cannot get the medicine needed to cure themselves. The Kid enters town and spots Ace McCoy, the man he has been sent to apprehend. McCoy is working with a show dancer named Lilly to see to the ill. When they are informed that the Native American renegades have left they begin planning to get a posse together to get some medicine. The Kid warns them that the fever is from contaminated water and tells them to boil water. Suddenly, Lilly falls ill just like the others, sending Ace into instant concern for her well being. Kid learns that McCoy has started a relationship with Lilly since arriving in town.

With getting a cure for the fever striking the town he decides Ace can wait until later. However as a posse is being formed the Kid spots Ace talking to another shady character, Blackie Barret. Soon they arrive at Fort Yuma to get the medicine where the soldiers are hard pressed to provide support fighting the Sioux renegades and can only offer men for two days ride out from the fort. Sure enough eight days later after the military escort left, they were attacked by the Sioux, but Kid Slade and the other members of the posse easily fight them off. The following night they hear horses coming from the north and so the Kid has guards posted.

The following morning the wagon train is attacked by Blackie Barret and his gang, which includes Ace McCoy, who have come to obtain the medicine so they can use it to ransom all the gold from the miners in Bonanza. However when Blackie tries to shoot Kid Slade down, Ace stops him and is wounded in the arm for his pains. The fight soon ends and the gang rounded up. Ace explains that Blackie forced him to join the gang, offering to give him the needed medicine to cure Lilly. With the gang crushed, the Kid now has to prepare his men to face the Sioux again on the way back. However, Ace provides them with another route -- one that Blackie used -- to avoid the Sioux.

They are able to get the medicine to Bonanza and cure the locals. Seeing how happy Ace is with Lilly and for his assistance in getting the medicine to town, the Kid tells Ace that he will petition the governor that to see that Ace receives a lighter punishment so that he and Lilly can eventually live a happy life together.

Recurring Characters

  • Kid Slade

  • Eagle

Kid Slade, Gunfighter

Kid Slade is sent out to hunt down a man named Sam Garr who broke out of prison after 10 year previous on a life sentence. However as he travels along the desert he is spotted by am an named Maze who knows that Kid Slade is no longer an outlaw and secretly works as a US Marshal. Maze wounds the Kid and leaves him in the desert to die. However, the Kid does not die, a few days later he wakes up to find himself under the care of a man named Sam and his son Billy. When the Kid is healthy enough to move around, Sam shows the Kid that he found his US Marshal's star and a wanted poster for Sam Garr. As the Kid recuperates he begins to wonder why Sam and his son are doing on a struggling ranch with no grass or water to sustain the livestock.

One day Maze ends up coming to Sam's ranch looking for Kid Slade, when Sam tries to lie about the Kid's whereabouts, Maze begins to threaten them. The Kid comes rushing out of the cabin and wings Maze sending him into a pen with a wild horse that nearly tramples him to death. The Kid pulls him out but finds him unconscious. Sam reveals that he is really Sam Garr by recognizing Maze as a man who was involved in the robbery he was arrested for. Sam then surrenders to the Kid and just asks to be able to set up Billy right. Taking pity on Sam, he asks how he managed to get caught up in the crime. Sam explains that all those years ago he was tricked into watching Maze's horses while he robbed the bank, he was then left behind to be captured. Sam was then given a life sentence to make an example out of him. However Sam broke out of jail due to the fact that his wife was pregnant with Billy. However she died during child birth and he was forced to raise the boy alone and so he ran off to the edge of the desert to set up his ranch and raise his boy right.

Kid Slade has a surprise for Sam when he reveals that he was sent to find Sam due to the fact that the governor had issued a pardon for his past crimes and then takes Maze into custody to pay for his crimes.

Recurring Characters

  • Kid Slade

  • Eagle

The Trail of the Outlaw

Kid Slade has a man named Coyle in his custody as a gang of outlaws pour down on them. With no other choice, the Kid agrees to release Coyle from his handcuffs and give him a gun to help hold off the attackers as well. As they fight it out the Kid's mind drifts back to what started all this...

Years ago, Black Jack Cave and his gang held up a train that was carrying $100,000 in gold. Cave managed to escape with the gold and neither Cave nor the gold had been seen in over five years. Governor Anson Clinton then called for Kid Slade to meet with him and a gentleman named Mr. Starr who had somehow found out that Kid Slade was an undercover US Marshal. Starr tells him that Black Jack Cave -- real named Ben Starr -- is his brother. He explains that Ben was killed by Emmet Coyle, the son of one of his former gang members who discovered Ben's diary and the hiding place of the stolen loot. Starr then explains that he has put out a reward for Emmet's capture offering a $1000 reward. However the Kid advises against it, telling Starr that it would cause Emmet to go into hiding or run for the border.

Kid Slade goes on the trail for Emmet Coyle and finds himself in a town and when he checks the local paper, he finds that Starr went against his wishes and had the reward notice published. Continuing to track Coyle, Kid Slade found him in nearby Bear Canyon, it is here where they were both ambushed by an gang of men looking to kill Coyle....

The two manage to fight off the men coming to get Emmet, and Kid Slade is convinced that Emmet could not have killed anybody. He takes him back to the governors office where he reveals that Frank Starr, Ben's brother, was responsible for killing his brother and taking the stolen gold and framing Emmet. Caught red handed Starr tries to pull a gun, by the Kid easily shoots it out of his hands and gets Starr to confess.

Recurring Characters

  • Kid Slade

  • Anson Clinton

  • Eagle