Western Kid #13
The Man and the Gun!
The Western Kid overhears a young boy named Ossie -- the son of his friend, sheriff -- buying bullets from Mr. Hobbs the owner of the general store. After Ossie leaves, the Kid wonders why the boy is buying bullets, especially after he promised his father he would never use a gun. However Mr. Hobbs suspects that the sheriff's death at the hand of outlaws might have had something to do with it.
Worried about Ossie, the Western Kid decides to go and check it out and follows after the boy. He finds Ossie outside of town practising how to shoot a gun. Suddenly, someone gets the drop on the Western Kid. It turns out to be Mr. Hobbs, who reveals the Western Kid's presence to Ossie and tells the young boy that the Kid was responsible for killing his father. While Ossie struggles with trying to deal with this revelation and what to do when suddenly Lightning jumps Mr. Hobbs and knocks the shotgun out of his hand.
The Western Kid meanwhile manages to sneak around Ossie and disarm him. With both Hobbs and Ossie disarmed, the Western Kid that he knows who the real killer is. He explains how he worked with his father to investigate who was stealing the deeds to various Texas property owners when someone shot his father in the dark. When Hobbs insists that the Kid is the killer, the Western Kid explains that nobody knew he was with Ossie's father and also reveals that he took some of the stolen deeds that Hobbs left on his desk. Suddenly, Ossie's father appears, and reveals that he wasn't dead, merely wounded and nursed back to health by the Western Kid. With Hobbs criminal operations exposed, the sheriff takes him prisoner.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
Showdown!
The Western Kid comes to the aid of a stagecoach that is riding out of control, putting a stop to the racing horses with the help of his dog Lightning. The passengers, Jane Miles and her Aunt Haddie, are okay but Aunt Haddie is not the least bit impressed by the incident and considers the Western Kid a roughian. Hearing a mention of local trouble maker Brett Towners, the Kid asks the coach driver what is going on. The coach driver explains that Jane and Haddie are easterners who are the surviving relatives of Pete Miles. In his will, Pete left his ranch to Jane and that Brett's her cousin. Brett has claimed that Pete was out of his mind when he made that provision in the will and has made a claim for the property himself, not allowing anyone to set foot on it. Seeing possible trouble, the Western Kid asks the coach driver if he doesn't mind stalling for time to get to the Miles ranch to allow him to check the place out for himself. When the coach drivers agrees to follow along, the Western Kid, his horse Whirlwind and dog Lightning head to the ranch.
As he arrives on the property Tex begins crying for help, which strikes Brett Towners' interest and so he allows the Kid to enter the property. Dawson makes up a story about how he has been accused by the local sheriff for killing a man and is seeking a place to hideout. Liking the idea of having the guns of the Western Kid on his side, and ignoring the warnings from his own men, Brett agrees to hire the Kid on as a ranch hand, instructing him to shoot any trespassers on sight, hoping the Kid will kill Aunt Haddie and Jane so Brett won't get implicated in murdering his last surviving relatives.
However, when the coach finally arrives, the Western Kid invites them onto the property to claim the land willed to them, disobeying Brett's orders. Furious, Brett tries to ship the Western Kid, but Lightning jumps to his master's aid while the Kid deals with his hired men. When Brett calls the Kid a coward for sicking his dog on him, Tex agrees to a fist fight. However, Brett tries to cheat by using his bull whip again, but despite the advantage, the Western Kid still manages to beat him and then forces him to write a declaration relinquishing all rights to the Miles ranch to Jane and Aunt Haddie.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
Western Kid
While riding past the camp of an elderly prospector, the Western Kid and his animal pals are shot at by the old man, who thinks that the Kid is a claim jumper. He is agitated further when Lightning comes to the defence of his master, as the elderly man hates wolves and dogs, but he is easily subdued. The Kid then asks what the is wrong with the old man and learns how the elderly prospector went looking for gold in Dukesne county and was chased off by wolves, he has had a hatred toward canines ever since.
Suddenly Whirlwind begins to panic, warning them of the arrival of a pack of wolves. The Western Kid grabs the old man and carries him to safety while Lightning stands his ground to fight the leader of the pack. Lightning begins to win, but the old man is convinced that Lightning is just going to take leadership of the pack and cause him more trouble, so he grabs one of Tex's guns and tries to force him to leave. Sending his master in danger, Whirlwind bucks the old man off, and then Lightning disarms him by tossing the defeated wolf pack leader at him. The old man panics, but the defeated wolf scurries away with his pack. Having a change of heart now that Lightning saved them, the old man is even more surprised when Lightning shows him what the fight uncovered: the gold that he so long sought after. The old man is so grateful that he turns to off Tex a share in his gold stake only to see the Western Kid and his pals riding off into the sunset.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
The Search for Don Jose!
The Western Kid rides into town just as Big Ben Keene is about to ride off searching for Don Jose, despite the sheriffs warnings that what he is doing is illegal. Ben ignores these warnings and rides off anyway. When the Kid asks what's going on, the sheriff dismisses that there is anything wrong, leaving Tex suspicious that there is something afoot in town, he sends Lightning to pick up Ben's trail while he checks things out in town. In the local saloon, the Kid overhears the sheriff and his deputy arguing over the situation: Big Ben Keene was partners with Don Jose at the Bee-Bee Ranch. According to Ben, Don stole the ranch's profits and ran for the hills and that the reason the locals are not doing anything about it is due to Big Ben's power base in the town, even the sheriff is at risk losing his badge if he meddles in the situation.
The Western Kid decides to get involved and find Don Jose before Big Ben does and rides off with Whirlwind and Lightning. When he reaches the mountains, the Western Kid is shot at by Big Ben, and pretends to be killed by a bullet, playing possum so Ben lets his guard down. Sneaking up on Keene he finds Don Jose tied up and over hears Ben gloat over how he framed Don Jose and hid him up in the mountain to further prove his "guilt", while he got away with the money he stole from the ranch. Before he can eliminate Don Jose, Lightning distracts Big Ben long enough for the Western Kid to jump him. The two fight it out until the Kid lures him close to the edge of a cliff. Whirlwind ends up kicking the side of the cliff causing it to crash down into a pit below trapping Big Ben with Lightning. When the sheriff and his posse finally arrive, the Western Kid frees Don, Big Ben is forced to confess in order to get Lightning away from him.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
