Wild Western #42
The Long Trek!
Kid Colt comes across a wagon train being attacked by raiders and drives them into retreat, but not before one raider named Mallon manages to steal the life savings of an elderly couple in the process. He introduces himself to the people in the wagon train which include Bart Mason, Anne Bailey and the elderly Cobbs, who were on their way to California -- Anne in particular to search for her who traveled there years earlier. Learning about the Cobbs loss, Kid Colt promises to recover their stolen savings for them.
Kid Colt tracks down the raiders and demands that Mallon return the money. Mallon refuses to turn it back over without a fight. Kid Colt shoots the guns out of his hands and challenges him to a fist fight. Mallon tries to cheat by using an ax, but the Kid still easily defeats him. Explaining the situation to Mallon's leader, he allows Kid Colt to take the money and go. Deciding to take control of the gang, Mallon shoots his boss and orders the other outlaws to gear up for another attack on the wagon train.
Kid Colt and Bart Mason fight back, and they get some unexpected help from the former leader of the gang who helps gun down Mallon before dropping dead from his wounds. Checking the body they find a locket of Anne around his neck and they realize that he was Anne's brother Teo. The pair agree to not tell Anne about their brother and quickly stash his body. In the aftermath of the battle Bart and Anne tell Kid Colt that they plan on getting married once they reach California and the Kid wishes them luck before parting company.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
Ringo Kid
The Ringo Kid is riding past a train when he notices that one of the cars is on fire. As he rushes to the engine he spots someone jumping out of the train and escaping on a horse that has been left out waiting for him. Unable to stop him due to the spreading fire, Ringo Kid boards the train and informs the engineers and they uncouple the burning car from the engine and the Kid helps evacuate the passengers on board. The people aboard the train hail the Ringo Kid as a hero, however when the local Marshal arrives on the scene he blames the Kid for the fire and puts him under arrest, locking him up in the jail in nearby White Horse. That night the Ringo Kid is freed from his cell by his father Cory Rand.
Setting up camp outside of town, the Ringo Kid tells his father what happened when they suddenly the pyromaniac responsible has lit a building in White Horse on fire. Vowing to stop the firebug before he can strike again, the pair investigate the scene where the train fire happened earlier. There they find half of a train ticket stub that was purchased in White Horse. Going into town they question the operator of the train depot who tells them that the train ticket was purchased by Jess Plover, a local society man who owns a vast fortune. Later that night as a full moon rises Plover gives into his urges and goes out into the night to start another fire. However this time the Ringo Kid and his father are there to stop him. While the Ringo Kid works to put out the fire his father tries to subdue Plover, but Plover manages to escape. Just then the Marshall arrives and tries to arrest the Kid again but his father manages to convince the Marshall to stand down and allow them to expose the real pyro responsible for the fires.
The Ringo Kid calls a town meeting and once everyone gathers he outs Jess Plover as the one starting the fires. Plover snaps and confesses to the crimes and pulls his guns shooting out a lantern to cover his escape. However the Ringo Kid catches him outside and shoots him down like the mad dog Plover is. Having proved their innocence, the Marshall lets the Rands go free.
Recurring Characters
Ringo Kid
Arab
Hangman's Bait!
The Two-Gun Kid comes across a stage coach that was attacked and finds that the riders are all dead, but one of the passengers is still alive. Searching his pockets he finds a wanted poster for Harry "Noose" Nelson, the Kid believes that the wounded man is the outlaw and brings him to the town of Riata. There the local Marshal denies Two-Gun's insistence that Noose Nelson requires medical attention and tells him to mind his own business. Two-Gun relents and after he leaves the sheriffs office the Marshall tells the sheriff that he has release forms for Noose Nelson's gang members Blackie Styles and Cliff Bates, much to the shock of the sheriff who is forced to comply when the Marshal has cleared them of all charges.
Meanwhile in the local general store the Two-Gun Kid is purchasing supplies when Blackie and Cliff enter and demand to buy guns. When the two liberated outlaws begin shooting up the store. The Kid tries to defend the shop owner when he is stopped by the Marshal who orders him to stand down. When the Kid leaves, Blackie trips up his horse and Two-Gun finally loses his temper and he shoots down Blackie. Furious, the Marshal puts Two-Gun Kid under arrest telling the Kid that he will hang for bushwhacking an "innocent man". Locked in a cell with "Noose Nelson", the Two-Gun Kid is surprised to learn that the man is not Noose at all but the Marshal and that Noose has taken his place, proving his claims by showing an actual picture of Noose Nelson.
Calling his horse Cyclone, the Kid uses his trusty steed to pull the bars off their windows and the pair escape. They then get the drop on Noose and Cliff Bate gunning them down and putting an end to their scheme.
Recurring Characters
Two-Gun Kid
Cyclone
The Legion of Death!
The Black Rider arrives at Fort Gilboa a military prison for outlaws where he discovers that the soldiers there have all been killed and that the prisoners have somehow managed to escape. As he searches for clues to this strange mystery the fort suddenly catches fire forcing the Black Rider to flee and destroying any evidence to solve the murders and prisoners escape with it. The following night towns across Texas are attacked by an army of ghostly appearing riders who are dubbed the Legion of Death who cut a swath of death and destruction in their path.
When news of the attacks reach Leadville the people there are in fear that their town may be attacked next. Dr. Matthew Masters tries to calm the townspeople when he is informed an elderly gold panner has turned up in town seriously wounded. Masters treats the wounded man who tells Masters that he found the long lost King's Ransom mine and that it is somehow connected to the Legion of the Dead, but dies before he can fully explain himself. Searching the man's remains for identification, Matthew instead finds a map pointing out the location of the King's Ransom Mine, learning that it runs right under Fort Gilboa.
Changing into the Black Rider, Masters rides out to the ruins of the fort and finds a tunnel leading into the mine under the rubble and locates the Legion of the Dead. When the Black Rider reveals himself, a gun fight breaks out causing the mine to begin to collapse. The Black Rider rushes for cover with the leader of the gang following after him. The rest of the gang is buried alive and their leader is fatally wounded when he is pinned under a pile of rubble. Dying, the leader of the Legion explains that they were prisoners in the fort who learned of the location of the mine and dug their way out and then murdered the soldiers and set the fort to burn to cover their tracks.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Satan
