Two-Gun Kid #7
Brand of the Killers!
Horn City: Two-Gun Kid is a patron at the Ace Saloon where he witnesses young Billy Horn is forced into an altercation with a patron whom Billy shoots dead. As Billy flees the scene, local businessman Buzz Nelson tells those that Billy Horn is a cold blooded killer and forms a lynch mob. Seeing that the odds are stacked against the purposely provoked Billy Horn, the Kid intervenes and helps Billy flee the scene.
Once reaching safety, Billy explains his father Colonel Horn founded Horn City after the war and got into business with Buzz Nelson. Nelson introduced the Colonel to Jim McQuade whom he convinced Horn to make sheriff. Horn was uninterested in business affairs and trusted Buzz Nelson to take care of things, until one day Horn was murdered and Billy framed for the murder as he and his father often did not agree on things.
Having heard Billy's story, Two-Gun Kid agrees to help him clear his name. The pair are soon ambushed by ranchers who have been convinced by Buzz Nelson to go after Billy Horn, forcing the pair to fight their way free. They manage to reach Nelson's ranch where they disguise themselves as Mexican sheep herders in order to get up close. Dropping their cover in the confusion, Two-Gun Kid and Billy Horn are locked in a gun battle with Buzz's men, but Nelson manages to escape.
Buzz Nelson rushes back to town and he and Jim McQuade try to deputize a posse to deal with the two gunslingers, but find most of the men unwilling to clash with the Two-Gun Kid. When the Kid and Billy arrive in town there is another gun fight. In the ensuing bloodshed, Buzz attempts to flee town with a cache of stolen money, but Two-Gun confronts him and forces him to gun fight with Billy Horn. Billy easily wins the duel, killing Buzz Nelson in the process. After thanking the Two-Gun Kid, Billy promises the Kid that he will run Horn City as an honest town.
Recurring Characters
Two-Gun Kid
Cyclone
Fine Feathers and Flying Fists!
Two-Gun Kid has finished washing in a rive and is content that he has some downtime and $100 to his name. He suddenly hears a boy crying and goes to see if he is okay. He learns that the boy has been run out of town, and school, and is intending to run away to become a gunfighter like the Two-Gun Kid. When the boy realizes he is talking to the real Two-Gun Kid, he asks to be the cowpoke's sidekick. The Kid refuses, and offers to ride the boy back into town and see about having him placed back in school. Along the way he learns that the boy, Rusty Rudolph by name, is an orphan whose father was hanged over accusations of stealing some cows. He also explains that it is due to his father's reputation that he was kicked out of town.
They soon arrive in Malpais Flats where Two-Gun is introduced to Rusty's school teacher Miss Kitty. Soon they are confronted by a posse led by Jake Ledbetter the man responsible from running Rusty out of town. Rusty's school teacher refuses to kick Rusty back out of town. When Jake tries to do it by force, the Two-Gun Kid steps in. He easily shoots the guns out of Ledbetter's hands and the two get into a fist fight, which leaves Two-Gun's clothes torn and his face bloodied, but he wins none the less. Two-Gun then gives his $100 to Miss Kitty to look after the boy and is shocked when Miss Kitty calls him a brute and reveals that Jake is her husband.
Two-Gun rides out of town, all roughed up and $100 poorer, believing it was worth it to see Rusty get back into school. However he soon joined by Rusty, who decided to ride with the Kid after all the things he has done. With no other choice, Two-Gun gives up and decided to let the boy ride with him.
Recurring Characters
Two-Gun Kid
Rusty Randolph
Cyclone
Nuggets of Doom!
Jake Miller is toiling his gold panning operation when he is confronted by a gang of masked riders who demand that he turn over his gold. When Miller recognizes the voice of the gangs leader, the leader shoots Miller dead. Soon Blaze Carson and a crowd of local gold miners arrive to investigate the scene of yet another gold theft/murder. Guy Mahler offers Blaze some gold dust to buy flowers for Jake's grave, and Blaze warns him not to advertise that he has gold since the killer is still on the loose.
Riding back into town, Blaze talks with local shop owner and learns that Ike Rand is the richest gold prospector in the area and decided to go to his home next to make sure that Ike and his family are okay. Blaze meets with Ike who tells him that his patience has finally paid off and he has struck it rich. Their conversation is interrupted by sudden gunfire as the masked riders attack the panning area. Blaze manages to forces them to flee and notes that the riders picked up their dead, indicating to him that the killers are locals.
Suspecting Guy Mahler, Blaze goes to his ranch and tells him about how Ike was "killed" by the masked riders and suspects that Mahler will be next. Guy allows Blaze to sleep in the shack. That night Guy and his posse try to gun down Blaze Carson as he sleeps only to walk into the trap that Blaze had set for them. They pistol whip Blaze, but before they can do away with him he manages to revive and run away. He seeks cover in the mine shaft on Mahler's property. Guy and his minion toss a bundle of TNT down the hole. It explodes, leaving Mahler and his accomplice to believe that Blaze Carson is dead. However, Blaze has survived and climbs out of the ruin shaft an has found that the explosion uncovered a rich vein of gold.
Blaze finds Guy at the local saloon and confronts him with the evidence he has gathered against him. When Guy tries to gun down Blaze, the sheriff easily subdues him and forces a confession out of him. With Guy brought to justice, Blaze is thanked by the local gold prospectors.
Recurring Characters
Blaze Carson
The Saga of the Mad Mayor!
Two-Gun Kid is riding a train to Rail's End, meeting railroad detective Pat McCune and Jeremiah Mooney the mayor of Mooneyville. He overhears McCune and Mooney arguing over redirecting the railroad to Mooneyville, where Mooney hopes the railroad will cause his town to flourish. However McCune refuses to divert the railroad, finding it more beneficial for it to pass through Windy Gap. Things get heated and Two-Gun steps in to prevent any confrontations from erupting.
Ahead of the train are some of Mooney's men who have blocked the rail track causing the engine to derail stopping the train. The Kid tries to stop the men but they get away. Finding some extra horses, the trio then ride off to Rail's End. Along the way Mooney continues to argue with McCune, telling them that some of his men are in Rail's End and will cause trouble if the railroad is not diverted through Mooneyville. When they arrive, the Kid prevents an altercation between one of Mooney's men and a railroad worker. With tempers flaring, Two-Gun suggests to McCune that the workers should unionize so that they can deal with any of Mooney's men that might cause trouble.
However, there is soon an altercation and a railman is gunned down by one of Mooney's men. The rail workers are about to hang the shooter when Mooney steps in demanding a stop to it. Two-Gun Kid steps in and agrees and has the man draw his gun instead. The Kid turns out to be the faster draw, shooting the gunman dead. Two-Gun then warns Mooney to pack up his men and leave. The Kid then accompanies the train along with the continued construction of the railroad, defending both the train and workers from Mooney's men who attempt to ambush them.
Mooney and his men then try to toss crates of TNT down onto the tracks, but Two-Gun manages to shoot them in the air, causing an explosion that wipes out Mooney's men. Mooney survives and flees back to Mooneyville with Two-Gun and McCune following behind. When they arrive in Mooneyville they find the town completely deserted and Mooney completely insane and realize that his ambitions were those of a madman. Having completely snapped, Two-Gun concludes that Mooney is no longer a threat, and the two men leave.
Recurring Characters
Two-Gun Kid
Cyclone
