Western Kid #7
The Showdown!
The Western Kid is after Gab Phillips who is hiding out on the ranch of his dead brother. Gab gives his position away when he -- out of habit -- tosses his cigarette away before dropping cover to shoot. The Kid rushes at Gab's hiding spot but his niece Nan rushes out to stop Tex from harming her uncle due to the fact that he has been her guardian since her father died. Gab tries to use this opportunity to try and shoot Dawson, but he is quickly disarmed by Tex's dog Lightning and horse Whirlwind. This gives Tex the chance to beat Gab into submission with his bare hands. Gab is then turned over to the authorities where he refuses to tell the judge why he attacked Tex and Nan.
Meanwhile, Tex has decided to find out how Nan's father was killed. Having Nan take him to the site of her fathers death, reported as an accident by Gab who said he was thrown off his horse near a cliff. Tex finds a rope, revealing that someone had tied it there to trip Nan's father on purpose. They return to Nan's home where they find that Gab has broken out of jail and is holding Mrs. Vale hostage. Having a stand off with Tex, Gab confesses that he murdered his half-brother when he discovered that the land was rich with oil. He then boasts how it will be his after he kills both Tex and Nan and that he will bathe in the oil for his victory.
Gab tries to make an escape, but Tex, Whirlwind and Lightning chase after him. Trying to knock down some boulders to crush the Western Kid, Gab instead unleashes a geyser of oil. Gab rejoices at his discovery but soon finds himself blinded by the oil raining down on him. Panicking he begins to slip around in the oil and begs Tex for help. Tex agrees to help him, and Gab surrenders.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
Return of the Badmen!
The Western Kid is awoken by Lightning to witness the so-called "Badmen" -- old outlaws thought to be either incarcerated or dead -- riding on along the range: Black Bart Dongan, Hal North, and the Wayne Brothers. Rushing down to intercept them, the Kid is thrown from his horse when Whirlwind trips on a rock along the ridge they are riding down. Confronted by the Badmen, he learns that they intend to hunt down and kill Doc Halloway, the man responsible for putting them in jail years ago. Tex tries to convince them to swear off their violent ways telling them that the west has change and the law of the gun is no longer in place. Black Bart and his men then send Tex packing under a hail of bullets. The Kid retreats in order to go to Gulch Rock and warn Doc Halloway.
When arriving in town he finds that Doc Halloway has not aged well and that the locals think he is going feeble ever since he started sitting outside waiting for his old enemies to show up the day before. Tex then tells him that somehow Doc is right and that Black Bart and his men are on their way. This causes Doc to stand upright and fill him with determination to stop his old enemies.
When Black Bart and his men first arrive, Tex gets into a fist fight with Bart and easily trounces him. He then flees the scene, and while Lightning keeps the other outlaws at bay, Doc Halloway seemingly shoots the guns out of their hands. Soon the townspeople rally together and out number the outlaws forcing them to stand down. While everyone celebrates Doc's shooting, none are aware that the Western Kid was secretly shooting out the guns from his hidden vantage point.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
Boothill Vengeance!
The Western Kid, his dog Lightning, and horse Whirlwind ride into the town of Little Horn for food and a place to rest. Here he finds that the locals are unarmed and unfriendly, even afraid of him. His suspicions grow even more when the local saloon owner refuses to serve him or rent him a room and he realizes that he is being watched. Leaving the saloon, Tex refuses to leave town and that is when he is confronted by the Dominguez brothers who order him to get out of town. Tex refuses and when they draw their guns, the Kid and his pets fight back, easily trouncing the men. They then call for their sister Carmen, who also tells the Kid that he must leave because it is not safe for him. However, as he continues to protest and demand answers one of Carmen's brothers knocks him out from behind.
The Kid wakes up to find himself tied up in a barn, but soon Lightning and Whirlwind break through one of the walls and free their master. They then bring him back to the saloon, where Carmen appears and warns Tex to go away before he is harmed. Suddenly a shot rings out. Tex turns to find an outlaw named Bull -- whom he put away before and who vowed to wipe out the Dominquez family -- is rushing for them. Carmen as the eldest of her family stands her ground wanting to avenge her father's death.
While standing down Bull, the outlaw kicks the gun out of Carmen's hand and grabs her and then flees on horseback to the nearby boot hill graveyard. Tex and Carmen's brothers follow after him. Bull is stopped when his horse trips over a tombstone sending all the passengers flying. When Tex and the others catch up Carmen has Bull at gun point and is about to kill him. However Tex manages to stay her hand, convincing her that her father would have wanted Bull to go to jail for his crimes, pointing out that her father already meted out justice by showing her that the tombstone that Bull's horse tripped over was that of her father.
Recurring Characters
Western Kid
Whirlwind
Lightning
