Western Kid #10
The Man in the Middle!
Tex Dawson, the Western Kid, gets in the path of Ken Morley and his men who are looking to attack rival rancher Les Harlow after he put a barbed wire fence around his watering hole, prevented Ken's stock from drinking and putting them on the brink of death. Hoping to stop a range war, the Kid stops Ken and his men with the help of his animal pals Whirlwind and Lightning, fighting Morley and his men to a stand still. Getting the full story, Tex tells Ken that he will talk to Les Harley and try to get a peaceful solution to the problem.
When the Kid arrives on Harley's land, he finds Les and his men waiting and ready to shoot a "friend" of Ken Morley. This leads to another fight, which is quickly stopped when Lightning gets the jump on Harlow. Les denies putting up the barbed wire fence, accusing Ken of putting up barbed wire to block a pass that he needs to move his cattle through. The Western Kid suddenly realizes that someone else wants to set both Ken and Les against each other and goes to find out who is responsible.
Checking the barbed write fences put up on the pass and at the watering hole, the Kid notices that the fences are new and that they are both the same kind. Tex pays a visit to the local general store to ask who has been buying barbed wire recently. Ben the shop owner cannot single anyone out, however he gets nervous when Lightning begins sniffing around the backdoor of his shore. When the shop keeper tries to shoot Lightning, the Kid tosses a scoop of flour in his eyes and then rams through the door. On the other side he finds Ben's brother and knocks him out. Ben tells the Kid that his brother wanted revenge on both Morley and Harlow who were responsible for sending him to prison years ago after he was caught cattle rustling. The Kid reveals that tracking down Ben's brother for the US Marshals was what brought him to the area to begin with. With Ben's brother in custody, both Ken and Les end their hostilities and promise to work together in the future.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
Outlaw Breed!
Tex Dawson has just had new horseshoes put on his horse Whirlwind by Mr. Osborne the local blacksmith. As he is leaving the smith shop, two he crosses paths with the sheriff and two ranchers who are reporting that they have had horses stolen recently. The sheriff recalls how the Western Kid's horse used to be outlaw horse at one point. The Kid tries to defend Whirlwind but when one of the ranchers looks at Whrilwind's horseshoes he recognizes the prints. The sheriff is then convinced and puts Tex under arrest, accusing Whirlwind as stealing the horses. However the Kid knows he is innocent and makes a break for it with Whirlwind and Lightning, vowing to learn the truth and clear their good names.
The Kid returns to town that night to pay a visit to Mr. Osborne and notices that he appears to be working late. Spying through a window he overhears Osborne and his men plotting another raid on horses, capitalizing how most men are out on the manhunt for the Western Kid. The Kid makes his presence known and a gunfight breaks out. Panicking, Osborne tries to flee out of the back on horse, but is jumped by Lightning, who takes his gun. Still trying to get away, Osborne's horse is stopped by Whirlwind who blocks the horse's path. The Kid catches up and beats Osborne into submission and he confesses to the whole plot.
However, the Western Kid is forced to flee when the sheriff and his posse arrives. Hoping to still have his cover, Osborne tries to get the posse to go after the Western Kid when suddenly his horse raises one of it's back hoofs to reveal it is wearing the same horseshoes as the horse that left tracks at the crime scene. Realizing what is going on, the sheriff puts Osborne under arrest.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
Stampede!
Coming across a cattle driver chasing after a stampede of cattle, the Western Kid and his animal pals Whirlwind and Lightning offer their much needed assistance. With the help of Lightning, the Kid manages to get the steers under control. The head of the run, Larkin, owner of the Bar-T ranch thanks the Kid for his help, explaining that some always seems to spook his cattle whenever he goes through the ravine that lays behind them. The Kid decides to go and investigate the source, and Larkin tells him to look him up if he finds anything. However, when the Western Kid arrives at the scene he finds no evidence of what could have scared the cattle. Before he can investigate further he is stopped by the local sheriff who tells the Kid that Larkin has accused him as the one responsible for scaring his cattle. Refusing to surrender to the law, the Western Kid and Whirlwind forces the posse into the river behind them and makes a break for it.
Meanwhile back at the Bar-T, Larkin meets with a man named Stone, and tells him that their plans to intentionally cause the cattle to stampede into Timber Valley was thwarted by the Western Kid, but he assures Stone that the Kid has been dealt with. As they plot to start another stampede, they are unaware that Tex Dawson is hiding nearby, listening to their entire plan. The Kid hides out from the law until the day of the next cattle drive and waits in the ravine. Sure enough Larkin passes through with his cattle, and shortly thereafter, Stone appears and use a device that imitates the sound of a rattle snake to spook the cattle. As the Western Kid storms down the ravine to confront Stone, an avalanche starts that sends the steers back. While the Western Kid deals with Stone, Whirlwind rushes at Larkin who is in the direct path of the cattle. In a panic, Larkin abandons his horse to try and get away on Whirlwind. But the ever obedient horse instead brings Larkin to the Kid who holds both men at gun point. Just then the sheriff shows up and reveals he never truly thought the Western Kid had turned outlaw and was watching the whole spectacle. With Larkin and Stone in custody the Western Kid thanks the sheriff and departs.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
The Wild Gun!
The Western Kid rides into town just as a young man rushes out of the Bigby Loan company with guns blazing as a young woman begs the boy to stop. The Western Kid pulls the girl out of danger as the young man escapes. Mr. Bigby then rushes out and tells the Kid that the young man stole a thousand dollars from him, and the Kid promises him that he will go after him and get the stolen money back, but tells him it will be difficult to hunt the lad in the mountains outside of town. Bigby refuses to let the boy get away and rushes off to gather a posse together. Realizing that the man who saved her is the Western Kid, the woman tells him that the young boy is her brother Tim. She explains that Tim idolizes the Western Kid, and when Mr. Bigby threatened to foreclose on their ranch due to the interest on the loan going up to a thousand dollars, it drove her brother to commit the brazen act that the Kid was witness to. This prompts the Kid to go out looking for Tim and find him before the posse does.
Up in the mountains, the Western Kid runs into Bigby and his posse who tell the Kid to stay out of the hunt for Tim. Noticing that Bigby seems rather intent on killing Tim, the Kid disarms him and goes off looking for the boy alone, but Bigby warns him that the boy will probably be shooting to kill, but Tex decides it's worth the risk. With the help of Lightning, they soon track Tim's hiding place and the Kid orders the posse to wait until he has a chance to talk to the boy. When Tim sees that his idol is working with Bigby, he threatens to shoot Tex but the Western Kid is undaunted and approaches the boy unarmed. He convinces Tim to surrender, but as they head down the mountain to the posse Bigby pulls another gun and tries to shoot the boy. However, Lightning jumps at him just as tries to take the shot, pulling the gun out of his hand. The Western Kid reveals that he was working for the government who asked the Kid to investigate how Bigby has been falsifying interest charges for years. With Bigby captured and Tim in the clear, the Western Kid tells Tim to use a gun for justice and not be a wild gun in the future.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
