Rawhide Kid #12
Range War!
The Rawhide Kid is leading a band of settlers onto open government land near Shotgun City when he comes across a roadblock with armed guards. The Kid orders them to stand down, telling them that the nestors have the right to set up a home on the open land. The men refuse to do so and tell the Kid he can argue it with Bull Brennan, who is looking out for the interests of local ranchers. However the Kid draws his guns and quickly disarms the highwaymen and forces them to take down the barrier so the nestors can continue on the final stretch of their pilgrimage. When they stop the leader of the nestors expresses his concern about settling here since they have already travelled 12 hundred miles but the Kid tells them to stay put and let him worry about Bull and his men.
Troubled about local ranchers siding with Bull Brennan, the Rawhide Kid returns to town and questions one of the local ranchers, Fred. Fred tells him that Brennan showed them plans that showed that the settlers planned on taking large tracts of land to build ranches of their own, threatening the other ranches. The Kid tries to reassure Fred that the nestors are not ranchers and have no use for large tracts of land.
Meanwhile, at the nestors camp, Randy Clayton happens by and makes fast friends with the children in the group. Suddenly the camp is attacked by Bull Brennan's men, who set their wagons on fire. Randy rushes off and gets the Rawhide Kid and returns to camp with him. When the leader of the nestors suggests that they leave for more peaceful territory, the Rawhide Kid once more states that he can convince the local ranchers to change their ways.
The Kid and Randy head back into town to see what they can do and they come across some men setting up a barbed wire fence on the free range land. When they ask why they are doing it, they are informed that Bull Brennan bought the land title rights to them. Finding this highly suspicious, they go to the lands record office and discover that the organizer, Jim Halford, has been replaced by another man. Forcing their way to the record books, the Kid finds that Brennan forged signatures in order to take over the land. Suddenly, Brennan and his men force their way into the office and try to take down the Rawhide Kid, but the hero proves to be the better shot, taking the outlaws down. Finding Jim Halford trapped in a closet, he agrees to insure that Brennan and his men go to jail for their crimes.
Recurring Characters
Rawhide Kid
Randy Clayton
Apache
King
The Rawhide Kid
Rawhide Kid and his ward Randy Clayton are shut in during a storm when Randy suddenly notices a man standing in front of one of the windows. The Kid goes the door and greets the man who asks for their help as he is being chased. He explains that he is Russ Howland the lawman for Javlin County and he has been chased by the Briggs brothers of whom he has warrants out for their arrest that will see them in jail for life.
No sooner does the Kid let Howland in does lead begin to fly into their house from the Briggs brothers. The Rawhide Kid rushes out of his house with guns blazing sending the Briggs running for cover. Luke Briggs eventually raises a flag of truce and is allowed to approach the Kid's cabin. There Luke tries to convince the Rawhide Kid to give them Russ Howland, telling him that they have no beef with him and Randy. The Rawhide Kid refuses and Briggs tells him that his men will continue their attack and goes back and soon the shooting resumes.
With the stand off drawing out, the Kid tries to trick the Briggs into thinking that Russ escaped on horseback by sending Randy's horse King running out the back of the house, but this doesn't fool the Briggs gang when the Kid goes to talk to them under his own flag of truth. Returning back to the cabin, he has Randy and Russ escape on his horse Apache, while the Kid provided covering fire. While the gang tries to go after Russ, the Rawhide Kid gets the edge he needs to out-shoot the outlaws and take them into custody.
Recurring Characters
Rawhide Kid
Randy Clayton
Apache
King
The Last Roundup!
Witnessing a stampede of cattle, the Rawhide Kid and Randy Clayton rush in and manage to stop the herd. They are confronted by the cattle drivers who accuse the Kid of starting the stampede, but when they try to take him by force he shoots the guns out of their hands and tells them his story. He learns that the cattle were being led by old Ben Gannon, and the owner, Bill Cowan, of the stock now considers him fired for this mistake before they head off to collect their cattle.
Finding it strange that Ben would slip like this, despite his age, the Rawhide Kid and Randy go looking for him. They find Ben and provide him with first aid, learning that his horse tripped over a gopher hole after chasing the spooked cattle. The Kid informs Ben that he has been fired. Suddenly they hear shots and the trio go to their source and find Bill and his men being attacked by a gang of outlaws. They round up the outlaws and rescue Bill and his men, and Bill happily gives Ben his job back.
Recurring Characters
Rawhide Kid
Randy Clayton
Apache
King
Six-Gun Decision!
The Rawhide Kid has taken Randy into Shotgun City to get his haircut when suddenly bullets start crashing in through the window. Looking outside the window, the Rawhide Kid sees two men taking shots at a lone unarmed man. The Kid rushes out and tells him to take cover, but the man refuses. Not willing to see an unarmed man get gunned down in the street, the Rawhide Kid shoots the guns out of the hands of his attackers. When they surrender he turns them over to the authorities and the unarmed man is identified as gunslinger Duke Sperry.
Duke explains to the Rawhide Kid that he has grown tired of people coming after him to make a reputation of themselves and that trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes. To illustrate this point when he tries to get his horse to leave a man accuses him of stealing the horse. When the man draws his guns, Duke is quicker and shoots them out of his hands, and then shows the Kid and Sheriff Yarby that the horse has his own brand.
As the Kid and Duke walk down the street, the Kid tires to convince Duke that he has a reason to live. Suddenly they witness as an old man is tossed out onto the street from a saloon after he protested about being swindled in a card game. The Rawhide Kid rushes in but Duke does not go in because he fears something bad will happen. When the wife of the old man scolds him for being a coward, Duke feels ashamed of himself. When the Kid returns, Randy soon joins them and tells both men that the sheriff has been taken prisoner by the two bushwackers that tried to shoot Duke earlier. Duke decides to finally take matters into his own hands, and crashes through the skylight of the sheriffs office and takes down the two outlaws, turning them over to the sheriff. Finding a new lease on life, Duke thanks the Rawhide Kid for his help.
Recurring Characters
Rawhide Kid
Randy Clayton
Sheriff Ben Yarby
