Ringo Kid #17
Deadline in Caribou!
In the town of Caribou, the Ringo Kid was forced to turn over his guns to the local sheriff. Not long after entering town the Kid is tricked into thinking horse Arab was stolen by Shag Wilson and Brink Loran. Going after them to the local blacksmith shop to recover it only to find that he has walked into an ambush. The ambush is interrupted when the sheriff, Tom Cutcliff, who has a reputation of having fast guns, comes and ends up tossing barrels at the two outlaws. The sheriff then orders them that they have to get out of town. Alone, the Ringo Kid thanks the sheriff for his help and is surprised to learn that despite his reputation, the sheriff has not actually fired a gun in over five years. After the altercation, the sheriff tells the Ringo Kid that he can pick up his guns and is allowed to carry them in town from now on.
Meanwhile, outside of town, Wilson and Loran regroup and are thirsty for revenge. They suddenly recall how the sheriff never drew his guns and correctly deduce that he has been playing up his reputation. Also at that time, the Ringo Kid has left town and arrived at a line shack to bed down for the night but finds it's already occupied. But the US Marshal that is inside insists that Ringo stay with him. Sitting down to a meal, the Kid learns that he is on his way into Caribou to inform a man that a charge that was made years ago was cleared up. The Kid relates his incident in Caribou, mentioning the local sheriff that didn't use his guns to deal with Wilson and Loran, unaware that the very two men he is talking about are listening in from the window outside. The Marshall tells the Kid that Cutcliff is the very man he came to see.
Suddenly, they hear Wilson and Loran fleeing the scene, heading off to face Cutcliff before he can be told that he has been exonerated of charges and gun him down. However when they face the sheriff he draws his guns and easily disarms them and takes them into custody, as the Ringo Kid and the Marshall managed to get back to town before them and warn him of the impending attack.
Recurring Characters
Ringo Kid
Arab
One Hour Truce!
The Ringo Kid, his father Cory Rand, and his Comanche friend Dull Knife roll into the town of Nogales. Their arrival is seen by some outlaws who go to warn their boss Jag Fresco who orders his men to arm up and keep the Kid and his friends off his back. The Kid is confronted by some of Jag's men, but he easily disarms them and goes to see Fresco. He demands that Fresco release a Comanche brave named Wild Horse whom Fresco and his men took from Miskogee Creek. Jag refuses, telling the Kid that Wild Horse robbed the skins from their trap lines and warns him to get out of town. When some of Jag's men try to shoot the Kid from behind, his father and Dull Knife are quick to the draw and disarm them as well. Jag tells the Kid that he turned Wild Horse over to the sheriff.
The trio then pay a visit to the sheriff who gladly releases Wild Horse, due to the fact that he does not believe Jag's story. When the Kid asks him why he hasn't arrested Jag for poaching on Comanche land, the sheriff tells him that he cannot do anything unless they have proof that Fresco is poaching. Soon the Ringo Kid, Wild Horse, Dull Knife, and Cory ride off to Miskogee Creek to look for the evidence that the sheriff needs to arrest Fresno and his men. Seeing this, Jag gathers his men and plans to head out and stop them from finding the proof they need.
The outlaws go to the spot where they have hidden gold that they have stolen from the Comanches but find that the bag of loot has been found and replaced with rocks. Furious, Fresno orders his men to get torches to burn down the Comanche village. However when they arrive they find that the Native American tribe has fled their home. However it proves to be a trap as the Ringo Kid and the Comanches have been hiding out and easily round up Fresno and his gang. With the proof they need, Ringo and his companions take Fresno and his minions into custody, leaving the Comanches to return the stolen gold to the rivers they were taken from.
Recurring Characters
Ringo Kid
Cory Rand
Dull Knife
Arab
Ringo Kid
The Ringo Kid spots a cattle fence that has been torn down and stops to mend it. He is stopped by a man named Ronson and his posse who accuse the Kid of trying to rustle their cattle. However the Kid convinces them that he was only stopping to fix the fence to prevent the cattle from escaping and they let him go with a warning that they will apprehend him if they catch him around a fence again. Later on down along the trail the Ringo Kid comes across yet another broken fence, this time with cattle streaming out of it. The Kid begins to round up the cattle and is stopped by some men who also accuse him of rustling. Soon Ronson and his posse arrive and decide to take the Kid in on charges of rustling, having their own private court over the matter. Things look grim for the Ringo Kid until a local named Harrow speaks on his behalf and insists that the Kid is telling the truth.
Ronson then decides that the Kid can prove he is innocent by agreeing to run some cattle along Senora Trail to Medicine Bluff to sell, he tells Ringo that if he can complete the job he will be cleared of all charges. The Kid agrees and goes to complete the task, unaware that the real rustler is Ronson and that he has tricked the Kid into moving stolen beef.
In order to complete his job, the Ringo Kid calls on his father Cory Randy, and that night while they are camped out they both find the sudden offer to move the cattle suspicious considering that they accused Ringo of trying to steal it to begin with. Even the fact that the cattle appear to have Ronson's brand on them doesn't dispel the unease they have over the situation. With a storm forming they begin to move the cattle further when suddenly they are attacked by a posse of men. The Kid easily out-shoots them and demands to know why they are rustling the cattle. As it turns out, the men accuse Ringo and his father of stealing the cattle, saying that they are all stolen. They re-examine the brands and are shocked to find the "R" brands were just painted on, and that the rains have washed them off revealing that the cattle belong to another ranch.
Furious at being double crossed, the Ringo Kid brings the posse with him to confront Ronson, catching Ronson and his men gloating over how they tricked the Ringo Kid and take him into custody.
Recurring Characters
Ringo Kid
Cory Rand
Arab
Challenge in the Night!
With his father arrested by the soldiers at Fort Cheyenne, the Ringo Kid races there and demands an audience with the commanding officer, however he is refused admittance into the fort. Forced back, the Ringo Kid calls on his friend Dull Knife and they plot to sneak into the fort. To do this, Dull Knife uses a small tree as a catapult to launch the Ringo Kid over the fort wall. The Kid then fights his way into the court room and insists that the charges against his father are false.
However the Kid is shocked when his father tells him that he was indeed guilty of the crime in which he is accused of. He explains that he was tricked by a man named Harlo, who told him that bushwackers had taken a stagecoach carrying a government payroll. But when Cory stopped the stage, he was jumped by Harlo who robbed it instead. The Ringo Kid then appeals to the judge, asking for an opportunity to capture Harlo in order to clear his father and is granted the request. Soon he and Dull Knife part company with a plan already formulated.
The Ringo Kid rides down to Red Fork and makes his presence known. Sure enough Harlo spots him and decides to exploit the Kid's sense of law and order just like he did his father. Harlo then approaches the Ringo Kid and tells him that a coach has been taken by robbers and "convinces" him to tag along. However when they stop the coach and Harlo turns on the Kid, he goes into the stage to collect the money, only to find Dull Knife armed with a bow and arrow waiting inside. The ambush pays off and Harlo and his men are easily captured and turned over to the law, clearing Cory Rand's name.
Recurring Characters
Ringo Kid
Cory Rand
Dull Knife
Arab
