Nick Peron

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Western Kid #6

Six Guns at Ghost Town!

Hearing gunshots at a nearby ghost town, the Western Kid along with his horse Whirlwind and dog Lightning race to investigate. They come across Bo Powers and his gang having a shoot-out with Sourdough a local hermit in the area who believes that he is protected by the ghosts of famous gunslingers. Tex rounds up Bo and his men, and when Sourdough continues shooting the Kid decides to sneak into the house he is holed up in and get him to stop.

The Kid easily disarms Sourdough who believes that the Western Kid is in league with Bo and his men. However, they are soon covered by the Powers gang who had broken free from their bonds. While Sourdough calls out to his "friends" to help, the Kid fights the outlaws into a corner. When Bo tries to shoot his gun at the Kid, Lightning darts in and bites his arm, causing the shot to go into the roof. This causes the building to start to collapse, and when the wanted posters of Jesse James, the Dalton brothers, and Billy the Kid come off the wall and knock out the gang members, Sourdough is convinced that the spirits of his friends were the cause.

Whirlwind bursts into the house and helps the Kid, Lightning and Sourdough to escape while the outlaws are caught in the collapse of the ghost town. Pulling themselves out of the rubble, Bo and his men surrender. Sourdough reveals that Powers and his men were after a silver mine that never truly existed.

Recurring Characters

  • Western Kid

  • Whirlwind

  • Lightning

The Heart of Whirlwind

While camping out near Wild Horse Mesa, where the Western Kid first found his horse Whirlwind, the Kid is shocked when his horse suddenly bucks him off and goes after White King the leader of the herd that killed his sire. Whirlwind is winning the fight until the other horses come to support their leader forcing Whirlwind to surrender and join them, and leaving the Western Kid without a horse.

Walking into a nearby town with Lightning walk into a town and the local sheriff shows him photographic evidence proving that Whirlwind was among a group of renegade horses that attacked the London ranch. When the sheriff tells the Kid that he intends to capture Whirlwind and the other horses, the Kid convinces him to tag along. On the hunt, Lightning picks up Whirlwind's scent and rushes off, but Tex believes that his dog has chosen to abandon him as well.

Later, when they find the horses, Dawson is surprised to see Lightning keeping the other horses at bay allowing Whirlwind to fight against the White King. This time Whirlwind is able to defeat the White King and the renegade horses are corralled while Whirlwind is turned back over to the Western Kid.

Recurring Characters

  • Western Kid

  • Whirlwind

  • Lightning

The Western Kid

Tex Dawson, the Western Kid, is watching a herd of cattle being driven across the range when suddenly he is shot at by someone. The shooter turns out to be Charlie Hassel, the local who owns some land that the cattle is scheduled to travel through. Hassel tells the Kid that he has decided not to allow the local cattlemen push their herds through his land anymore. Before Charlie can shoot again he is subdued by Lightning and the Kid draws his guns, but before he can subdue Charlie, the old man is rescued by his daughter Milly who gets the drop on the Kid and holds him at gunpoint.

Forced to stand down, the Western Kid learns that Charlie has had a change of heart as he wants to build up his own ranch so that he can leave something of value for his daughter. The pleas of the Western Kid to allow the cattle through as to send them away would hurt local business and cause trouble fall on deaf ears, especially Milly who tells the Kid that she will always follow her father's wishes.

Later, the Western Kid is in a local saloon where the local ranchers complain about Hassel and how his current position will hurt their businesses. After they tell the Kid that they plan on driving their cattle all at once, and in force, they then try to keep the Western Kid as a hostage to prevent warning Hassel. The Kid however manages to fight his way free and flee to warn the Hassels.

Meanwhile, word reaches the Hassel ranch and Charlie suffers a heart attack. Milly ignores her father's warning and leads the ranch hands to stop the herd, but it is out of control and heading right toward them. The Western Kid arrives and diverts the herd, and saves Milly from being trampled by the stampeding animals. With Milly returned safe and sound, Charlie has a change of heart, telling the Western Kid that from now on he will let cattle through his land.

Recurring Characters

  • Western Kid

  • Whirlwind

  • Lightning