Matt Slade, Gunfighter #4

Oct 5

Oct 5 Matt Slade, Gunfighter #4

Matt Slade, Gunfighter

Matt Slade is after a gang out outlaws when he is winged in the shoulder allowing the gang to escape. He decides to fix up a camp and his arm before seeking out a doctor. In the town of Dobbs Wells the local sheriff Alec Dobbs pays a visit to the doctors office where a member of the stagecoach that was robbed and wounded. The coach driver tells him that the leader of the gang wore a mask but was wounded in the arm. Going outside, Alec finds that local named Mort has gathered a group of townspeople to protest against Alec and his continued service as the sheriff. As the one who founded Dobbs Wells, Alec refuses to stand down and leaves to look for the outlaw responsible for robbing the coach.

Instead he finds Matt Slade at his camp, seeing how Slade is wounded in the arm he assumes that Matt is the leader of the gang who robbed the coach. Slade professes his innocence and informs him that there is evidence that others were responsible for robbing the coach. Matt waits for the sheriff to check it out and he finds that Matt is telling the truth. He takes Slade into town to have the doctor look at his shoulder but the townspeople come and instantly assume that Alec has captured the one responsible for the robbery. With his job on the line if he says otherwise, Dobbs goes back in and takes Slade under arrest. Slade chastises Dodds for taking the easy way out shaming the local sheriff who leaves to think it out and decides to follow his conscience.

However at the jail, Mort sneaks into the jail to set Slade free. However Slade is suspicious of Mort's sudden desire to set him free. Soon Mort shows his true colours by revealing that he was the real thief and that in killing Slade any attempt to clear his name will be gone. However, Slade easily defeats him and when the locals and Sheriff Dodds arrive, Slade reveals that Mort also has a wound on his arm. With the real thief captured, Alec thanks Slade for his help and soon Slade is on his way.

Recurring Characters

Matt Slade
Eagle

Shoot-Out at Noon!

Due to the fact that his position as a US Marshal is not well known and his outlaw status still quite the opposite, Matt Slade has used his reputation to infiltrate Trigger Clay's gang. However, when Trigger decides to target the town of Crescent -- the town responsible for Matt Slade being labelled an outlaw -- Slade refuses to be involved in the attack. Slade shoots his way out of their hideout and races off to warn the people of Crescent of the impending attack.

However, Slade is seen on his way into town by one of the locals, and due to the fact that his position as a US Marshal unknown to the people of Crescent, and he warns the sheriff. When Slade tries to warn the sheriff of Trigger Clay's impending attack on the town, Slade instead finds himself arrested. However Slade breaks free and shows the sheriff his credentials to prove that he is an officer of the law, but has the sheriff swear to not blow his cover. When the sheriff tries to convince the locals that Trigger Clay and his gang are going to attack the town, they refuse to work with him. Disgusted, Slade leaves telling them that they can fend for themselves.

The townspeople barricade their town and shelter their women and children in the local church. However when Trigger and his men attack the town they burst through the defences and they begin raiding the local saloon and trading post. The sheriff goes for help and finds Slade still around, and asks for his help. With Slade's help the townspeople are able to take down Trigger Clay and his gang, liberating their home. The sheriff then thanks Slade for his help before he leaves.

Recurring Characters

Matt Slade
Eagle

Gunsmoke Showdown

Bull "The Schemer" and his gang witness as Matt Slade rides into the town they are about to hit. Bull has heard that Slade is no longer an outlaw When his men try to shoot the hero, Bull stops them, deciding that they can pull off their job without killing him right off and spoiling the element of surprise. He notices that Slade has an attachment to his horse and instructs his men on how to use that to their advantage. While Slade goes to grab a bite to eat, some of Bull's men go into the stable where Eagle has been placed and steal the horse, purposely leaving a trail for Slade to follow. When Matt finds that his horse has been stolen from the livery stable, he borrows a horse and follows the obvious trail.

Eventually he catches up to the men who took his horse, he easily subdues them and recovers Eagle. He learns how he was lured out by Bull so he can rob the local bank and Matt pushes Eagle to get him to town before dawn. When Bull and his men attempt to rob the bank Slade is there to stop them and easily subdues them and turns them to the authorities. Bull realizes that he erred in his plan when he didn't consider how quickly Slade's horse could bring him back to town.

Recurring Characters

Matt Slade
Eagle

Matt Slade, Gunslinger

Matt Slade has been captured by Todecka and his band of renegade Apaches. they tie him to a post and shoot arrows at him, but as luck would have it one of the arrows strikes the ropes that bind him. Slade knocks Todecka off his horse and manages to get away. Since the Apaches took his water he finds a nearby cabin and is surprised that there are still people living there even though the military cleared the area out due to the Apache uprising. He finds a woman and her children and she insists that she is safe because they are friends with Todecka. The woman of the house tells Slade to get his water and go away.

Slade then goes to Fort Mosby where he reports in to the commanding officer about what he encountered. He learns that somehow the Apaches are getting a hold of Spencer Carbine rifles which are a lot more powerful than the muskets that the soldiers at the fort. The commander tells Matt that he suspects that Eric Bard the trader might be supplying the Apaches with the Spencers. The commander offers Matt to join them in inspecting Bard's wagons. However the search finds none of the weapons that they were hoping to find. However when Slade offers to help, Bard takes offence to a citizen snooping around his wagons, leading to a fight that is easily broken up.

Slade decides to secretly follow the military escort that is following Bard. When the wagon train is attacked by the Apaches, Slade watches as Bard slips away. He then witnesses as Bard meets with Todecka to sell him guns. Slade overhears how Bard left the guns in cabin of the woman -- who turns out to be Bard's wife -- to sell to Todecka. However this time Todecka and his minions have no interest in buying the guns and seek to kill Bard. Before Slade can get into action he is found by some Apaches and taken prisoner.

Todecka decides to use the wagons to launch an attack on Fort Mosby using the wagons as cover. However Slade manages to break free and cause one of the wagons to topple, alerting the soldiers in the fort of the impending attack. This leads to the quick capture of the renegade Apaches and Bard.