Wild Western #13

Ambush at Powder-Horn Pass!

Matthew Masters is spending a quiet afternoon in Leadville with Packrat Pete. Just as Pete tells Masters about a local uprising among a Native American tribe, a man stumbles into town wounded by an arrow. The man dies telling the locals that there is trouble over at Morgan's Creek. While Packrat goes to fetch the coroner, Matthew slips out of town and changes into the Black Rider to investigate. When he arrives at the ranch at Morgan's Creek, he finds that the settlers there have been wiped out except for one man who tells them that they were ambushed, and that Jim and Marie Lathrop are prisoners before passing out. The Black Rider changes back into Matthew Masters in order to treat the man's wounds. He is soon greeted by a regiment of the US Army who has come to investigate the claims of Natives attacking the ranch. They are suddenly ambushed by Natives armed with guns who then flee after their opening volley. Ignoring Masters warning that it might be a trap, the army rides off after the Natives.

Changing back into the Black Rider, Masters rides around the battle and gets the drop on the Natives, his covering fire forces them to flee. Once more changing back into his alter-ego, Masters once more talks to the military, warning them that Jim and Marie are prisoner and perhaps talks of peace are more appropriate given the situation. The soldier does not like the idea but agrees to let Matthew see if he can get the Natives to act peacefully and surrender their prisoners.

Changing once more into the Black Rider, Masters rides to the Native village and learns that there is a power struggle between the old chief Thunder Cloud and his head strong son Wolf Claw. Wolf Claw wants to go to war against the settlers, while Thunder Cloud preaches for peace. The Black Rider makes his presence known and challenges Wolf Claw to a battle to the death, if Black Rider wins the Natives let Marie and Jim go and remain at peace, if Wolf Claw wins, they get to go on the warpath. Wolf Claw agrees and soon the battle begins. The battle ends quickly when the Black Rider ducks out of the way of one of Wolf Claw's blows sending the warrior over a cliff and falling to his death. With the Black Rider victorious, Thunder Cloud agrees to let the Lathrop’s go. The Black Rider slips away to change back into Matthew Masters and reunites with the army. When Thunder Cloud delivers Jim and Marie, Marie once more berates Masters for not being brave like the Black Rider.

Recurring Characters

• Black Rider

• Packrat Pete

• Jim Lathrop

• Marie Lathrop

• Satan

Diary of Doom!

The Prairie Kid is riding along the range on his horse Cyclone when he spots the page of a diary in his travels. Suddenly he hears shooting and comes to the aid of a young man being shot at by two outlaws and sends the outlaws packing. The young man, thinking the Prairie Kid is a threat tries to draw a gun on the cowboy, but he quickly disarms the lad. He learns the young man is Bob Groves who has travelled from out east to try and prevent his father from selling his ranch over to local outlaw Rocky Blane and that he is being pressured to do so by his lawyer Mr. Hilton. He shows the Kid his father's diary which details how the elder Groves believed that somebody was drugging his food, but before he could reveal who it was he had gone into a fugue state.

Prairie Kid, realizing that Hilton would have no legal ability to have Groves sign over his ranch if he was not in his right mind agrees to help Bob prevent his father from signing over the property. They arrive just in time and stop Groves from signing over the land. The confused man agrees to stop, and Bob foolishly hands over the diary of proof to lawyer Hilton, unaware that he is involved in the plot. However, Prairie Kid does not fully trust the lawyer and orders Bob to watch over his office while he plays out a hunch.

The Kid pays a visit to the local sheriff to round up a posse. Meanwhile, Bob spots Hilton leaving his office in a hurry and decides to follow after him, unaware that Hilton had set his office on fire. The fire is soon spotted by Prairie Kid who rushes into the flames and recovers Groves' diary before it could be destroyed in the fire. Prairie Kid then rides to the Groves ranch where he finds an armed gang of men waiting for him and guns them all down. He then forces himself into the ranch and shoots Rocky Blane dead. Showing Bob's father his own diary, Prairie Kid manages to snap him out of his condition. Back in his faculties, the elder Groves reveals that it was Hilton who was drugging his food and addling his brain. With Hilton turned over to the authorities the Prairie Kid rides out of town with a song on his lips.

Recurring Characters

• Prairie Kid

• “Cyclone”

Continuity Notes

• This was intended to be a Two-Gun Kid story that was hastily changed to a Prairie Kid story. This is apparent since the main character looks like Two-Gun, only with brown hair instead of blonde, and the fact that he calls his horse Cyclone instead of Fury, and the horse is colored black instead of white.

Bloody Waters!

Red Hawkins comes across a cattle rancher and sheep farmer fighting it out and breaks up the fight. Red comes to the aid of the cattleman, knocking out the sheep farmer. Riding back to the cattleman's ranch he learns that there is a range war brewing over the rights to water in the area that is presently under the control of the sheep farmers. Learning that the cattle men are forming a posse to attack the sheep herders, Hawkins convinces them to stand down and wait for him to talk to the sheepers and try to broker a fair deal.

Red Hawkins then rides out to where the sheep herders are located and learn that they are in fear that the cattlemen are going to overrun them and steal their water, he also meets a man named Russ Winters who has graciously agreed to defend the water for the sheep herders and warns the sheepers that the cattlemen plan to attack their settlement. Having heard enough, Red pays his leave and follows Winters back to his camp. There he overhears how Winters and his men are purposely provoking the range war in the hopes that both sides wipe each other out and he can capitalize on the water. Red accidentally gives himself away and is tied up while Russ goes off to instigate the battle.

Red is freed by his trusty horse Lightning, who tramples one of Red's guards and chews through his masters ropes. As a storm begins to swell in the sky, Red rides out and convinces the cattlemen and sheepherders to stand down explaining that they were all being manipulated by Russ Winters. However before anyone can deal with Winters and his gang, the flood of rain causes Winters make shift dam burst drowning the outlaw and his men, ending his threat. In the aftermath of the battle, the ranchers all agree to work together to distribute the water equally and to each others mutual benefit.

Recurring Characters

• Red Hawkins

• Lightning