Two-Gun Western #12

Sands of the Masabi

Kid Colt is watching the sorting pen in the San Joachim Valley. He notices that one man Jack Shellfire is rather rough with his cattle, and that they have mixed brands. When Shellfire notices that the Kid has been watching them and offers Kid Colt a job, but Kid Colt refuses to work for such a questionable band. When Shellfire tries to whip the Kid for his insult, Kid Colt easily grabs the whip from his hand and whips him back. When the other men in his posse try to fight back, Kid Colt easily disarms and them and then rides off, but Shellfire vows to get revenge against him some day.

Kid Colt rides along the Masabi range and comes across a suspiciously abandoned looking ranch and decides to check it out. Inside there is a seriously wounded man who tries to shoot the Kid, thinking that its one of his attackers having come back to finish the job. Kid Colt however convinces the man that he is no threat and he stands down. Dying the wounded man tells him that their ranch was struggling ever since the desert encroached into the Mesabi area and then some men came and rustled their cattle and slaughtered them. Learning what their brand design looks like, Kid Colt realizes that the dying man's cattle were stolen by Shellfire and his gang and decides to do something about it.

Seeking to learn about the area, Kid Colt seeks out his friend, Two-Arrows the chief of the local Paiute Native Americans as he knows the Masabi desert like the back of his hand. Two-Arrow explains to Kid Colt that the area has become an arid wasteland except for one river that flows through the area. Following the river, Colt finds that it ends at a waterfall. When Steel detects that there is something behind the waterfall, Kid Colt rides through it and realizes that there is a cavern pass through to fertile lands. He spots Shellfire and his men running stolen cattle and guns them down. He then sends the surviving men into town strapped onto the backs of the stolen cattle to face justice.

Recurring Characters

• Kid Colt

• Steel

The Apache Kid's Surrender

Red Hawk has fallen ill and is under the care of the tribal medicine man. Red Hawk has called to his son the Apache Kid to be with him at his time of need. When the medicine man calls to the gods for their advice. The Apache Kid does not believe that the spirits can talk, but they are all surprised when a voice comes from the fire telling them that in order to cure Red Hawk they must sacrifice another and calls upon the tribe to sacrifice the Apache Kid. Red Hawk protests, telling them that he has lived a full life and the Kid insists that such superstitions cannot cure Red Hawk. However the medicine man insists that the Apache Kid be sacrificed and orders him captured. Apache Kid fights off the other elders and flees the village.

Spying on the village, Apache Kid spots Tall Elk, the son of the medicine man and suspects that he is somehow responsible for his current predicament. The Apache Kid then changes into his alter-ego of Aloysius Kare and goes to get Doc Berry in town to see if he can treat Red Hawk. Meanwhile, Tall Elk enters the tent where Red Hawk is being care for. Tall Elk reveals that he knows that Red Hawk is ill and announces his intentions to take over the tribe when the Apache Kid is sacrificed. Since only Red Hawk and the medicine man were the only ones who heard the "gods" speak, the medicine man realizes that it was his son who manipulated them and that he was wrong.

Just then Aloyisus Kare arrives with the doctor to treat Red Hawk. When Kare mentions knowing where the Apache Kid is hiding out, Tall Elk asks to be taken to him. Kare leads Tall Elk out of the village and then attacks him. During the fight, Kare's shirt is ripped open and Tall Elk realizes that Apache Kid and Aloysius Kare are the same man. Shocked by this revelation, Tall Elk backs away and then suddenly falls over the side of a cliff to his death. The Apache Kid returns to his village and finds that the doctor was able to cure Red Hawk. The medicine man is horrified that his son would betray him and that his medicine was unable to cure his chief. Apache Kid points out that a sacrifice was made: Tall Elk's death, and rides off into the sunset.

Recurring Characters

• Apache Kid

• Apaches

  • Red Hawk

• Nightwind

Killer's Holiday

At the Deer Lodge prison, some prisoners are able to have weapons smuggled into the prison and use them to stage a break. The escaped outlaws were all put into the prison by the Texas Kid and their leader is determined to get revenge. They decide to ride into Caliber City and keep an eye on the Texas Kid's allies Emilio and Red Hawk to try and draw the Texas Kid out.

The outlaws ride into Caliber City and begin attack them. News gets to Emilio and Red Hawk who tell the Temple family who are riding a wagon into town. When Lance suggests that there is something he can do, Zane reminds his son of the vow he made never to use a gun against another man. Suddenly the outlaws attack, injuring Lance and Zane and taking Emilio and Red Hawk prisoner. Lance and Zane are discovered by their neighbor who takes them home and treats them. Lance revives first and slips away to do something, telling their neighbor to keep an eye on his father.

Lance rides out to Hidden Valley and changes into the Texas Kid and rides after Emilio and Red Hawk, following the outlaws trail. He finds Emilio and Red Hawk tied to stakes and are being tortured to try to get them to reveal the Texas Kid's location. The Kid attacks, and frees Emilio and Red Hawk. The trio corner the last of the gang and shoot them all dead. Changing back into Lance Temple, the Texas Kid goes back to their neighbors ranch and learns that his father is expected to full recover from his injuries.

Recurring Characters

• Texas Kid

• Emilio Diaz

• Red Hawk

• Thunder