Wild Western #35 — Nick Peron

Aug 16

Aug 16 Wild Western #35

Kid Colt Outlaw

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Kid Colt is being chased by a posse of law men across the plains and manages to escape them by making a daring jump across a cliff that the others are too afraid to risk jumping. As he makes his escape, the Kid comes across a woman tied to a rock and goes to her aid despite her warnings that he should stay away. As she tries to free the girl an outlaw named Simon Bleak tries to get the drop on him, but Kid Colt is faster at the draw and manages to disarm him easily. Bleak convinces Kid Colt that he had nothing to do with tying the girl up and agrees to help free her despite her continued protests not to. With his guard down, Kid Colt is knocked out when Simon suddenly strikes him from behind.

As it turns out the woman, Milly, is Bleak's bride to be and that Simon created this trap in order to frame Kid Colt for robbing the local bank so that they can get away and live rich, the girl however is an unwilling accomplice, but he convinces her to join him as he takes Kid Colt back to town so they can claim the reward money on the outlaw hero's head to further fleece their pockets.

They head along Thunder Pass, where local superstitions say no outlaw can go through without being captured or killed. However as they pass through Kid Colt wakes up and attacks Simon, knocking him off his horse. The two scuffle, but the Kid is forced to run for cover when Simon gets hold of his guns. Using the nearby rocks for cover, Kid Colt tricks Simon into using up all his bullets and attacks him again. The two struggle until Simon accidentally steps backward off a cliff and falls to his death.

When the law arrives, Milly explains Simon's plot, clearing Kid Colt's name and the authorities allow him to go free.

Recurring Characters

Kid Colt
Steel

Arrowhead

An outlaw named the Hook has been selling whiskey to a local tribe of Cheyenne sending them after Arrowhead so that he can collect the reward on the renegade's head. During the struggle, Arrowhead is knocked over a cliff into a raging water fall. Managing to survive the fall, Arrowhead seeks cover under the exposed roots of a tree that rests on the edge of the water. The Cheyenne warriors continue their search for Arrowhead, and his old friend Yellow Hand finds him but does not reveal his location to the Hook due to their past friendship.

Arrowhead waits until the Hook and his minions are gone but soon succumbs to his injuries and blacks out. The current of the river pulls him away from his shelter and to shore where he is found by Frank Harvey and his sister Alice who are travelling through the area to find a new home in California. They see to the warrior and leave him food for the night, telling Arrowhead that they will come to check on him later. After the settlers leave, Arrowhead realizes that he has developed feeling for Alice, and when Alice returns later she admits to the warrior that she knows who he is and that she has feelings for him as well. She offers Arrowhead a chance to come with them and find a new life in California. However Arrowhead refuses unwilling to give up his mission to drive the white man from his people's land.

After he departs he finds the trail of the Hook and his Cheyenne warriors and follows after it. He is horrified to find that they have attacked the Harvey caravan and murdered both Frank and Alice. Furious, Arrowhead attacks but is forced to flee due to their superior numbers. Vowing revenge, Arrowhead also comes across the dead body of his friend Yellow Hand and vows to deal with the Hook once and for all.

Arrowhead rides out to the Cheyenne camp where he surrenders to the chief and issues a challenge to battle the Hook in a knife battle to the death. The Hook agrees to the terms and the two fight it out, but Arrowhead proves to be the more superior fighter and easily slays the Hook in battle. For slaying the Hook, the Cheyenne allow Arrowhead to go free.

Recurring Characters

Arrowhead
Cheyenne
Eagle

Two-Gun Kid

The Two-Gun Kid has agreed to assist his friend Chet Morrison move his cattle from Arizona to the Sierras. Along the way they are confronted by some rustlers along the Sonora Pass who demand that they pay a toll of 3 dollars a head of cattle or forfeit their herd. Two-Gun and Chet refuse to pay such an price and a gunfight breaks out. Two-Gun's superior shooting skills sends the rustlers fleeing, but their leader is determined to get the cattle and revenge against the two men before they can sell the beef in the Sierras.

As they camp out for the night, Two-Gun discovers that the cattle are being stalked by a pair of hungry wolves and he and Chet slay the beasts before they can kill anymore cattle.

They then continue on their run getting the cattle and sell them to a cattle buyer. After the transaction is done, the outlaws barge in and demand that they fork over the money. However Two-Gun and Chet refuse to surrender their hard earned pay and slay the rustlers with ease. The cattle buyer thanks the pair for their help and gives them some extra money for killing the rustlers, however Two-Gun gives his pay over to Chet who needs it more than he does.

Recurring Characters

Two-Gun Kid
Cyclone

The Killers!

Dr. Matthew Masters is making a house call to the Lathrop ranch to treat Jim who has come down with an illness. Masters confirms that Jim is getting better but tells Marie that her father should stay in bed for a few days.

As Matthew and Marie exchange pleasantries the mood is interrupted when a group of hard looking men arrive on the Lathrop property demanding that they exchange their horses with fresh ones from the Lathrop ranch. Marie refuses to provide them with the needed horses and asks Matthew to do something. However, due to Master's oath never to harm or kill he can do nothing, much to Marie's anger. When Bobby and his pet dog arrive, the dog begins barking at the outlaws. Their leader, Blackie Thorp, gets annoyed and takes a shot at the dog, but Bobby shields his beloved pet and is struck with the bullet. The outlaws ride off and Masters quickly looks after Bobby and determines the wound is only superficial, but his inaction has upset Marie so much that she refuses to talk to him.

Masters slips away and changes into his alter-ego, the crime fighting Black Rider and follows after the outlaws. The Black Rider comes across a caravan that was attacked by Blackie Thorp and his gang and continues along the way spotting two of his men and gunning them down. The Black Rider tracks Thorp and his crew to the Golden Nugget Saloon in nearby Slick Creek. Inside is a drunken Mexican bandit who challenges the men to a game of "Morir"[2]. The Black Rider accepts the man's challenge and Blackie Thorp and his men prepare to attack him when the moment is right. However, the Black Rider proves to be a more skilled Morir fighter and faster at the draw, managing to wipe out Thorpe and his gang as well as slay the bandit he is playing Morir against.

In the aftermath of the battle, the Black Rider returns to the Lathrop Ranch and tells Marie what happened, and tells her that she should not be so hard on Matthew Masters because if there were no healers in the world it would be in a very sad shape before riding off and leaving Marie to ponder it over.