Western Tales of the Black Rider #30
No Law in Chisholm!
The the sheriff of Chisholm looking to turn into his silver star amid rampant lawlessness in the area, the Black Rider has come to assist the sheriff in cleaning up the town before he retired. His first task is stopping an outlaw named Rowan who is heading into town and telling him to clear out and to spread the word that Chisholm is being cleaned up by the Black Rider. Rowan tells the Black Rider that his plan is useless as Lobo Shagg is scheduled to challenge the sheriff to a draw in town in a matter of moments.
Racing to the sheriff's aid, the Black Rider arrives at the local saloon too late as he sees gunsmoke pouring out of the batwing doors. Entering at the sound of laughter the Black Rider realizes that the sheriff is still alive and that he froze in the middle of the draw much to the amusement of Lobo and his gang. The Black Rider attacks and sends Lobo Shagg and his men packing. The Black Rider then takes the sheriff back to his home where he learns that the sheriff wanted to go down in a blaze of glory as is eyesight has begun to fail him. The sheriff also explains that he daughter -- whom he has not seen in years -- was due to visit him and that now he is ashamed to see her. The Black Rider assures the sheriff that he has nothing to be ashamed of and offers to pick up his daughter at the train station. However, when the Rider arrives he finds no sign of the sheriff's daughter and returns to his office.
There, they are greeted by the arrival of a man calling himself Matt Drummond who asks to be deputized. Despite the sheriff's misgivings, the Black Rider convinces him to deputize Drummond. Sure enough the new deputy attracts trouble from the Lobo gang, and the Black Rider is there to help "him" clean up the town and capture Shagg and his gang. Afterward, at the sheriff's office "Matt Drummond" reveals "himself" to be the sheriff's daughter Linda, who reveals that she came to town to help her father clean it up. As it turns out the school that the sheriff sent his daughter off to also taught shooting as well. Impressed with his daughter's skill the sheriff decides to stay on as law-man of Chisholm with his daughter Linda as deputy.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Satan
The Vanishing Herd!
The Black Rider confronts a pair of men who are putting up a sign proclaiming that the Circle-S ranch land now belongs to Nate Oland and that trespassers will be shot. The Black Rider learns that Oland apparently bought the land fair and square and is told to check with the land registers office for proof. Still the Black Rider does not like the warning to trespassers and shoots off a branch from the tree the sign is being nailed to, making it fall on the two men. However the Black Rider is forced to stand down when Oland gets the drop on him. Oland informs the Black Rider that he bought all the surrounding land from ranchers legally despite his reputation of being a dishonest crook. Before Oland and his men can attack the Black Rider, the masked hero easily trounces the two men and shoots Nate's guns from his hands. Before leaving the Rider tells Oland that he will be investigating the land claims and that if he finds anything amiss he will be calling again.
Returning to Leadville, the Black Rider is surprised to find that Nate Oland's claim of buying the land legally is true and after examining the surveying lands still believes that there is something fishy about his current acquisitions. With no other leads, the Black Rider changes back into his alter-ego of Dr. Matthew Masters and returns to his medical practice. He finds his friend Jim Lathrop waiting for him in his office. Jim has come for advice, telling Masters that he sold a piece of land that he thought was useless to Nate Oland, who even refused to buy some land with usable water. Although he sold the land he found the entire deal suspicious. Masters agrees that it is strange and tells Jim to keep him informed on what happens.
Changing back into the Black Rider, Masters returns to the land claims office and has all the land surveys laid out and realizes that they are all connected to Sunset Gorge. The land claims employee also tells the Black Rider that Oland had also leased a number of cattle cars that are lined up near the depot. Suspecting that something will happen soon, the Black Rider rides out to Sunset Gorge and witnesses as Oland's men are setting a herd of bison -- whose traditional crossing grounds -- are this area to the gorge. Realizing that he intends to kill a fortune's worth of bison for their hid, the Black Rider rushes in and knocks out his gang, and diverts the herd to safety. When Nate Oland tries to stop the Black Rider the hero knocks Nate off his horse. Faced with being trampled by bison, Oland surrenders and the Black Rider saves his life so that he can stand trial for his crimes.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Jim Lathrop
Satan
The Hostage!
The Black Rider comes across Crusher Cabel and his men leading a herd of cattle that belong to the Big R ranch owned by Brad Ralston. Finding this suspicious the Black Rider asks to see their bill of sale, when they refuse to produce one a gun fight breaks out. The Black Rider easily subdues the gang but Crusher manages to escape. The Black Rider sends the herd on its way back to the ranch and then takes Crusher's gang to Sheriff Ben Yarby. Yarby tells the Black Rider that he will send some men to go looking for Crusher.
Meanwhile, Crusher has returned to the Ralston ranch where he takes Brad and his family hostage, demanding that Brad legally sign over his herd to him. When Brad refuses Crusher tries to shoot him. While Brad manages to dodge the shot, the wild bullet strikes his son Kip instead. Brad manages to bargain with Crusher to go and fetch Dr. Matthew Masters to treat his son's wound, Cabel agrees but warns Brad not to try and tricks. Soon Brad arrives at Master's medical practice and he tells Masters that his son hurt himself falling off a fence on his property. When Masters asks if Brad had any trouble with rustlers recently, Brad nervously denies having any problems.
When Masters arrives at the ranch he treats Kip's wound and realizes that the boy was actually shot. When Matthew tries to get Brad to confide in him, Ralston refuses and Masters decides to leave. Masters however suspects that there is some kind of trouble, and once he is out of sight, he changes into the Black Rider and returns to the Ralston ranch. He arrives just before Brad is forced to write up a document giving Crusher Cabel ownership of his cattle, and a gunfight erupts. Unable to defend himself from the Black Rider, Cabel tries to make a run for it by climbing out a window and making a break for it, but the Black Rider whistles for his horse Satan, who quickly subdues Crusher who is then turned over to the authorities.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Sheriff Ben Yarby
Satan
