Wild Western #45

Kid Colt Outlaw

Kid Colt comes to the aid of an old man trying to start up a trading post from Hawk Jarvis and his gang, sending them away. The Kid finds that Jarvis and their gang ransacked the trading post as they usually do to anyone in the territory. The Kid that the military have too much land to cover to effectively capture Jarvis and his gang. As the Kid prepares to leave, he learns how the trading post owners hopes of a town to spring around his trading post have been dashed thanks to Hawk. Learning that four wagons are scheduled to pass through the area, the Kid agrees to go out and warn them that Hawk Jarvis and his gang have been spotted in the area.

As the Kid rides out to warn the wagon he is spotted by Hawk and his men who take a shoot at him. The gang leaves the Kid for dead, but Kid Colt was only grazed by the bullet and easily recovers. He then tracks down the cavalry and they begin planning a trap for Hawk and his men. Later that night Hawk Jarvis and his men spot what they think is the wagon train that they have been planning to rob but when they attack they soon realize that it is a trap set by Kid Colt and the army, and they are easily taken down and apprehended.

With the gang defeated, Kid Colt returns to the trading post and is happy to hear that the old man who runs it has convinced a caravan to set up land in the area finally realizing his dream of starting a town.

Recurring Character

• Kid Colt

• Steel

Cattle Killer!

With a cougar on the loose killing cattle on the ranches surrounding Leadville, the Black Rider tracks the big cat down on a nearby mountain range and slays the cat. He then returns to his friend Jim Lathrop who had been hit the hardest to tell him that the cougar will no longer threaten his cattle. No sooner as the Black Rider has brought this good news has a ranch hand arrives to inform Jim that another bunch of cattle have been killed. The Black Rider goes to investigate the dead beef, and later has Jim confide in private with him. Jim tells the Black Rider that the death of his cattle has been costly to him and that he has been offered to sell out to a cattle syndicate owned by Luke Halsey. The Black Rider departs advising Jim not to sell out to the syndicate.

Resuming his civilian identity of Dr. Matthew Masters, the Black Rider is visited by Sheriff Ben Yarby who expresses his concern that the owner of the Four Aces saloon is running crooked card tables, but can't prove it. He learns that the owner of the Four Aces is also Luke Halsey who has apparently cleaning out local ranchers both financially then by buying up their land. After Ben leaves, Marie Lathrop rushes into Master's office and tells him that her father lost more cattle and that he has gone to the Four Aces to try and sell his cattle to recoup their losses or they stand to lose their ranch. She begs Matthew for help and he assures her that he will do what he can to help.

Meanwhile, Jim has come to Luke Halsey and is angered to learn that Halsey has reduced his offer to buy the Lathrop cattle from 15 thousand to a mere 5. However, Hasley tempts Jim to a game of cards with the 15 thousand dollars he needs to keep his ranch as well. In a moment of desperation Jim agrees and the cards are dealt. While Jim manages to draw a full house, Luke beats it with a royal flush. However before Luke can take all, the Black Rider arrives and kicks over the table, pointing out that no deck of cards has three red aces and that Jim had two of them. The Black Rider then shoots up the saloon, disarming Luke's men and knocking out Luke as he flees by shooting down a suspended pair of bull horns hanging over a doorway. The Black Rider then forces Luke to make a full confession and then turns him over to Ben to face justice and he promises to square things with Lathrop.

Recurring Character

• Black Rider

• Jim Lathrop

• Marie Lathrop

• Sheriff Ben Yarby

• Satan

Ringo Kid

Riding across the range, the Ringo Kid is attacked by the Travis gang for some unknown reason. Fleeing their bullets, Ringo manages to find cover by diving into a nearby lake and keeping breath by using a reed as a makeshift snorkel. Losing his attackers the Ringo Kid is left puzzled as to why he was attacked. Riding on he comes across a cabin where some shooting has occurred and goes inside to investigate. There he finds a US Marshal who has been wounded in the fight. The Kid treats his wound and learns that the Travis gang was after a pouch of important documentation, but failed to obtain it. The Marshal then convinces the Ringo Kid to bring it to Judge Dexter in Shotgun City, ensuring the Kid that it affects his life. Not knowing what the Marshal is referring to, the Ringo Kid nonetheless agrees to carry the pouch of documents to Shotgun City.

Arriving in town the Ringo Kid is once more attacked by Travis and his gang, but easily manages to fight them off and escape the shoot out. Soon he arrives at Judge Dexter's home and turns over the documentation. The Kid learns that the documents are a full pardon for himself and his father. He also learns that Travis and his men were using his fathers land for crooked deeds and that with their pardon, the Rand's would regain full legal ownership of their property and be able to force Travis off their land. Suddenly there is a blast from the back of the house. With a fire spreading, the Ringo Kid quickly gets the judge to safety outside but the documents that will clear his family name were still inside and lost in the flames. Despite this setback, Judge Dexter tells the Ringo Kid that at the very least he is one law man who knows that the Ringo Kid is innocent.

Recurring Character

• Ringo Kid

• Arab