Rawhide Kid #4
The Broken Spur
When Juddy Hayes, a classmate of Randy Clayton, is determined to free his father from jail after he has been accused of murdering Mr. Grayson at the bank, Randy goes to warn his mentor the Rawhide Kid. The Rawhide Kid rushes into town and stops Juddy before he can set off explosives that would free his father from jail. He then rushes Juddy out of town where the boy tells the Rawhide Kid and Randy what happened the day his father was arrested: That his father went into the bank to see Mr. Grayson alone, Juddy heard two gunshots and went in. He found his father knocked out on the floor, Mr. Grayson dead and his father's recently fired gun smoking on the floor. As his father came around, he said someone hit him from behind and just then the sheriff had come in and arrested Juddy's father.
Finishing his story, Juddy tells the Rawhide Kid that his father's gun was only fired once, and that on the nearby window ledge he found a piece of a broken spur. The Rawhide Kid believes that Juddy's father is innocent and tells the boy that he will go into town and help clear his name. Getting permission to search the bank, the Rawhide Kid finds a bullet hole in the floor. He then goes to the local newspaper and has them publish a front page story about how he has evidence that will prove Juddy's father innocent. When the news reaches Tully, the real killer, and his gang, they go into town looking for the Rawhide Kid. Their first stop is the newspaper to question the owner, but the Rawhide Kid is waiting there for Tully and his boys and easily subdues them. When the sheriff arrives, he points out that Tully is the killer, showing the sheriff the broken spur matches the piece on Tully's boot. Later Juddy's father is released from prison and happily reunited with his son.
Recurring Characters
Rawhide Kid
Randy Clayton
Apache
Smokey
Flaming Gem!
Randy Clayton is playing marbles with his friend using a corker that a pair of outlaws named Slade and Kincaid recognize as fire opals. They approach Randy and as him about his corker and he tells them that he found it down by the river with a number of other similar rocks. Unaware of the value of his corker, Randy lets the men take a closer look at it. When they offer to buy it off Randy, he refuses and the men take it anyway tossing pennies at Randy and his friend. When Randy tries to fight to get his corker back, the Rawhide Kid arrives and helps Randy get his marble back and forces Slade and Kincaid to flee.
After Randy's friends leave, the Rawhide Kid tells him why the men wanted the marble from him so badly -- it's a valuable fire opal. Realizing that there are more where that came from, Randy decides to show the Rawhide Kid where he found the opal, unaware that Slade and Kincaid are following after them.
When Rawhide and Randy arrive at the scene they find six fire opals, which won't make them rich, but will help them get by. Suddenly they are attacked by Slad and Kincaid. The Kid has Randy send covering fire while he builds a makeshift raft so they can try to sail away down river. They get ahead of the two outlaws and after braving a waterfall double back and catch the two while they are looking over the waterfall looking for wreckage. Sneaking up from behind, Rawhide and Randy kick the two men off the waterfall and return to town so they can cash in their fire opals.
Recurring Characters
Rawhide Kid
Randy Clayton
Apache
King
Continuity Notes
This story takes place after the story below which first introduces King, Randy’s new horse.
The Rawhide Kid
While camping out for the night the Rawhide Kid wakes up to find a cougar attempting to attack their horses. Although the Rawhide Kid manages to shoot the cougar dead, Randy's horse Smokey is too frightened to be useful anymore and the Kid has to tell his ward that Smokey needs to be put out to pasture.
After dropping Smokey off at a rancher friend, the Rawhide Kid takes Randy into the town of Jackspir to find a new horse. There they find no worthy horses and later aid a Mexican man get back his prized horse from a man who stole it. Grateful the man tells the Kid to go to into the hills where the most perfect white stallion runs wild and free. The Kid and Randy ride out there and find the horse and fail multiple times in catching the horse. Changing methods, Rawhide instead sends his horse Apache to quell the white stallion allowing the Rawhide Kid to rope it around the neck and Randy to jump on its back and tame the horse. Succeeding, Randy is happy with his new horse and decides to call it King.
Recurring Characters
Rawhide Kid
Randy Clayton
Apache
Smokey
King
