Wild Western #37

Hangman's Noose!

Dirk Mason is about to be hanged for the murder of a gambler named Taylor, however before he can be hanged he is rescued by the timely arrival of Kid Colt who shoots his noose off and helps him escape. Fleeing to safety, Kid Colt asks Mason to tell his story: Dirk recalls how after losing a substantial sum of money gambling with Taylor he received a note while drinking at the bar suggesting that Taylor cheated him. Angry, he told the bartender that he intended to get even with Taylor and went to confront him. When he confronted Taylor, someone shot him through a window then a man named Carter entered the room and accused Dirk of killing Taylor. To everyone in town it seemed like an open and shut case.

Kid Colt believes the story and reveals the person who asked to step in: Dirk's girlfriend Sally. Kid Colt then tells Dirk to stay put while he and Sally try to find out who really killed Taylor. Getting into town Kid Colt waits for Carter leaves the saloon for the night and jumps him and threatens to kill him if he doesn't tell the truth. The Kid drags Carter to where Dirk is hiding and tries to get a confession out of him. Before Carter can reveal who really shot Taylor, his boss a rival gambler who wanted to eliminate Taylor and framed Dirk for the job. Before the gambler can kill everyone who knows his secret Sally appears with the sheriff who had heard the entire confession. When the gambler pulls his guns, Kid Colt disarms him and shoots him down.

Dirk and Sally are happily reunited and Dirk is cleared of all charges. While everyone is celebrating they don't notice Kid Colt slipping away without getting thanks for his help.

Recurring Characters

• Kid Colt

• Steel

High Card or Die!

The Two-Gun Kid participates in a rodeo competition for prize money and beats out his rival Sierra Sloan for the prize money. Instead of keeping the money, the Kid donates it to the town so they can build a new school house. Bitter over the loss Sloan vows to get even, first by sending a man to kill the Kid, but the assassin is too slow at the draw and is gunned down by the hero.

Soon after the new school house is built, Sloan appears at the property an informs the school marm that the school is on his property and tells her that no classes will be taught so long as he owns the property and evicts her. Two-Gun confronts Sloan at the school house but cannot bring himself to get into a gun fight with children around. Instead he goes to the land office and learns that the property where the school house is located was on rented land which was recently bought up by Sloan. Confronting the former property owner, the Kid learns that he was blackmailed into selling the property.

Two-Gun then confronts Sloan at a local saloon and challenges him to a game of High Card Draw for ownership of the property. Two-Gun wins the draw, but as he gets up Sloan and his men fire their guns at him. The Kid, expecting a double-cross, ducks in time to dodge the bullets and plays possum, and guns down Sloan's men while their guards are down and knocks Sloan out. He then turns Sloan over to the sheriff and then gives the land title to the school marm so that classes can resume.

Recurring Characters

• Two-Gun Kid

• Cyclone

Arrowhead

At Fort Kearney, Major Cloud orders Captain Breck and Andy Crockett to go out and hunt down the Pawnee warrior Arrowhead whom Cloud believes is responsible for killings in Willow Creek. Cloud refuses to listen to Crockett's explanations that the killings were done by Cheyenne warriors, and refuses to led Breck pass the assignment to meet his new bride's stage coach.

The two ride off, and Captain Breck suggests that Andy go find Arrowhead and warn him to leave the territory. Andy locates Arrowhead and explains what is going on and Arrowhead agrees to leave the territory until the Cheyenne are expose for the killings and stopped and tells Andy to send thanks to Captain Breck for his warning. As he leaves the region, Arrowhead spots the Cheyenne attacking a coach and rides in to stop them, but is too late to stop them from slaughtering everyone on board, including Breck's new bride. Arrowhead follows after the Cheyenne warriors as they flee the scene and come across the soldiers out looking for Arrowhead.

Major Cloud has joined the ranks of the soldiers and berates Breck for not finding Arrowhead when suddenly they are attacked by the Cheyenne who shoot Breck in the stomach with an arrow. As the soldiers are attacked by the Cheyenne, Major Cloud flees the scene. Seeing this, Arrowhead follows after Cloud and slays him for being coward enough to abandon his men. Arrowhead then returns to the battle and slays a number of the Cheyenne, including their leader while struggling in a lake, scalping his foe in the process. Pulling himself out of the water, Arrowhead spots Captain Breck returning to base. Seeing that he is mortally wounded and that returning to the fort will bring him the news that his bride was murdered before he dies, Arrowhead decides to spare him the pain. In order to do so, Arrowhead rides by him and tosse the scalp of the dead Cheyenne leader and tells Breck that he killed his captain.

Angered by this, Breck gives Arrowhead chase, but soon dies from blood loss, sparing him the pain of learning his wife was murdered before his death.

Recurring Characters

• Arrowhead

• Andy Crockett

• Cheyenne

• Eagle

Specter of Doom!

The Black Rider comes to the aid of the people of Leadvile when Mad Dog Murdock and his gang try to hole up in town, leading to a gun battle. Murdock is mortally wounded and his men surrender, the Black Rider gives them a chance to leave town with their leader and sends them on their way. When Murdock seemingly dies in travel, his minions unceremoniously dump his body near a spring filled with mineral salts. Somehow these mineral salts bring Murdock back to life...
A year later, ranchers just outside of Leadville are horrified when they see a glowing specter on horse back riding on their property. When shooting the apparition has no effect they are soon trampled to death when the spook scares their cattle into a stampede. However, one of the men survives and is brought to Dr. Matthew Master's practice but he dies telling Masters about a strange "flaming ghost" he saw. The dying man's final words are dismissed as delusions of a dying man.

However, Masters begins to believe the tale the next day when he is called to the Lathrop ranch by Marie to check on Bobby who has been raving about seeing a glowing man since he returned from Devil's Creek. That night, Masters changes into the Black Rider to investigate the Devil's Creek sightings, eventually spotting the glowing specter. Following it to a nearby cave, the Black Rider overhears that it's really Mad Dog Murdock who is meeting with his old gang. Murdock explains that he survived being shot and was patched up by a Native American doctor and has been laying low this whole time. He then lets them in on his plans to frighten the local ranchers so badly that they sell off their land cheap.

The Black Rider then attacks, gunning down Murdock's minions. Murdock tosses a fire bomb and flees down another part of the mine, missing the warning that it is filled with explosive gas. Seeing the sign, the Black Rider flees outside just as the bomb goes off setting off the gas and killing Murdock.

Recurring Characters

• Black Rider

• Marie Lathrop

• Bobby Lathrop

• Satan