Wild Western #41
The Silent Killer!
From his balcony at the Lucky Dollar Hotel, outlaw Vic Vandal watches as the Ringo Kid rides into town and sends one of his men to see if the famous outlaw lives up to his reputation. When Vic's thug tries to draw on Ringo, the Kid is faster at the draw and shoots the mans guns right off his gun belt before he has time to draw. When Vic and his other subordinate try to sneak up behind him, the Kid quickly whirls around and easily disarms them, then warns them all that if any of them come after him again he'll kill them and then rides off, convincing Vic that the Ringo Kid is just the man he is seeking to hire.
In the town of Cavallo, known as a safe-haven for law dodges, the Ringo Kid is taken at gunpoint and brought to Vic Vandal, who offers the Ringo Kid a bag of gold coins in exchange for helping him take control of Cavallo. The Kid refuses, swatting the bag of gold out of Vic's hands. Vic vows to get revenge against the Ringo Kid. He soon hires Largo, the Silent Killer, and his assistant Weasel to come and eliminate the Ringo Kid. At first Vic refuses to pay their price, but when Largo becomes impatient and grows threatening, he agrees to their price.
Soon they track down the Ringo Kid but when Largo confronts him, the Kid is faster at the draw an easily shoots the guns out of Largo's hands. However before they can finish their duel the local sheriff comes and arrests the Ringo Kid. Locked in a cell, the Ringo Kid learns that the sheriff isn't an official law man but someone Vandal put in place. The Kid convinces the sheriff to release him so he can end Vic Vandal's hold over the town. The faux-lawman agrees and lets the Ringo Kid free. The Kid then guns down Vic and Largo. When the Weasel sees his boss dead he commits suicide. In the aftermath of the battle, the phony sheriff tells the Ringo Kid that he is going to turn Cavallo into a law abiding town.
Recurring Characters
Ringo Kid
Arab
Claws of Death!
Spotting an out of control stagecoach, Kid Colt races his horse Steel to catch up to it. Hopping on board, he finds that the coach driver has been killed and that he has strange claw marks on his face. Suddenly the Kid is attacked by two eagles who swat him off of the coach, solving the mystery of the strange claw marks. The eagles meanwhile return to their owner a man named Kroll who has trained the birds to attack coaches. After his men recover the payroll from the stage, they then return to their hideout.
Elsewhere, Kid Colt recovers from his fall and finds the wrecked coach, he then follows the outlaws trail back to Kroll's home. While Kid Colt deals with the guard placed outside, Kroll has an argument with one of his men over how much the stolen loot will be split, ending with Kroll sending his eagles to attack the man and kill him. Just then Kid Colt comes smashing through the window and Kroll orders his eagles to attack the outlaw hero. Kid Colt quickly tosses a flaming log from the fireplace into the face of one of the birds, blinding it and the bird attacks and kills Kroll. Kid Colt then shoots the birds and recovers the stolen payroll money, returning it to its rightful owners.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
Desert Destiny!
Outlaws named Cantrell and Holly look at a set of tracks leading out into the desert and begin musing on how long it will take for the man they sent out to die to die of thirst or by the poison they put in his canteen. Their gloating is interrupted by the Two-Gun Kid who has come after the outlaws and knows that the man they sent to die in the sun -- Barker -- knows too much about their criminal activities. The Kid is faster at the draw than they are and wounds both men and sends them into town to find a doctor, despite the low odds that they will survive the travel, while the Two-Gun Kid goes looking for Barker.
The Two-Gun Kid eventually catches up with Barker and shoots the canteen out of his hand before he can drink it and then explains Cantrell's plan. Two-Gun explains that he was deputized to capture Barker, Cantrell and Holly for the murder of a US marshal. Barker however was framed and used as an alibi for Cantrell and Holly, hence their wanting to silence him. As explanations are made all around, Barker saves Two-Gun Kid when suddenly Cantrell and Holly begin shooting at them.
The pair seek cover, but the Kid's canteen of water is shot. They try to save as much water as possible by soaking it in a bandanna. Both parties are pinned down and with no water it is only a matter of time before one of the groups dies of thirst. However, a sudden rain storm turns the tide, giving Barker the water he much needed and allows the Two-Gun Kid to sneak up on Cantrell and Holly and shoot them dead. With the two outlaws executed, the Two-Gun Kid tells Barker that he is free to go.
Recurring Characters
Two-Gun Kid
Cyclone
The Hostage!
The Black Rider catches Stinger Ray and his men with a bunch of cattle that they have stolen from the Leadville Cattleman's Association when he asks the suspicious looking group to provide a bill of sale for the herd. When they try to shoot back, the Black Rider proves to be the faster shot, shooting the guns out of their hands. He warns the outlaws to stay out of Leadville before sending the herd stampeding back into town, trampling their guns in the process.
On his way back into town, the Black Rider runs into Marie Lathrop and tells her what happened and tells her to have her father's men to sort out the cattle. Watching as the Black Rider rides off, Stinger and his men approach Marie and demand to know who the Black Rider really is. When Marie refuses to tell them, they try to get rough but she whips Ray in the face with a horse whip and escapes. Stringer meanwhile has given up on his ideas of revenge and decides to try and get Marie to marry him. Stinger and his men approach the Lathrop ranch where Stinger offers any price Jim Lathrop wants to be allowed to marry his daughter. Angered by this proposition, Jim orders Stringer and his gang off his property.
On their way out, Stinger and his men kidnap young Bobby Lathrop in order to force his father to marry off Marie to Ray. When Jim and Marie realized Bobby has gone missing they organize a searching party, but suddenly a rock is tossed through a window with a ransom demand: Bobby would only be released if Marie agrees to surrender herself over to Stinger Ray and marry him. Refusal or tricks would lead to Bobby's death. Seeing no other choice, Marie then leaves to comply with Stinger's demands despite Jim's protests. On her way out Marie runs into Matthew Masters who has come after hearing there was trouble at the Lathrop ranch but Marie will not tell him what is wrong before she leaves.
Learning what happened from Jim, Masters slips away and changes into the Black Rider to stop Stinger from getting his way. Shortly after Marie arrives at the meeting place, the Black Rider arrives with guns blazing and manages to gun down the entire gang, including Stinger when he tries to flee with Marie. With the battle over the Black Rider escorts Marie and Bobby home.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Marie Lathrop
Jim Lathrop
Bobby Lathrop
Satan
