Two-Gun Kid #23
Two-Gun Kid
After taking down outlaw Fiddlefoot Kearns, the Two-Gun Kid is confronted by two of the Mars brothers in the town of Rawhide, who had come seeking revenge against their dead riding partner. The Kid however proved to be a faster draw and easily gunned them down, however he suffered a bullet creasing his brow. The Kid is treated by the town doctor, but is suffering from a massive headache. He is visited by the sheriff who warns him that Turk Mars, the last of the Mars brothers will likely gun for him after killing his two brothers, showing the Kid a wanted poster of Turk. Feeling dizzy, the Two-Gun Kid is brought to the local inn by the sheriff where he bunks for the night.
The next morning the Two-Gun Kid wakes to find a stage coach has been robbed, and the coach driver accuses the Two-Gun Kid of being the masked robber, but the sheriff defends the Kid, telling the driver that the Kid slept in town over night and could not have been responsible for the hold up. Curious as to why the coach driver was so certain that he held up the coach, the Two-Gun Kid rides off to investigate the scene of the robbery to look for clues. However, along the way he begins to feel dizzy again and takes a rest under a tree and eventually blacks out.
Shortly thereafter a nearby train is robbed by a masked man who resembles the Two-Gun Kid, and is identified as such when the engineer struggles with the robber. When the Two-Gun Kid returns to town he finds the engineer talking to the sheriff and is identified as the robber. Unsure of his own innocence due to his blackouts, Two-Gun turns himself over to the sheriff to be locked away. However before the sheriff can jail him a gang of men who knock both the Kid and the sheriff out. When Two-Gun comes around he finds himself out in the street and is suddenly surrounded by the sheriff and a posse who are convinced that the Kid has gone bad. Realizing that someone is trying to frame him, the Kid flees town suspecting that the local bank will be robbed next he tells the sheriff that is what he intends to do.
In reality, the Kid hopes the hunch will lead his impostor into a trap and doubles back into town to watch over the bank. Sure enough the sheriff and his men lay in wait for the robbery and Two-Gun's impersonator arrives to rob it. When a fight is about to break out between the law and the outlaw gang, the Two-Gun Kid pounces on his impersonator and unmasks him, revealing him to be Turk Mars. Mars confesses that he was framing the Two-Gun Kid in order to get revenge on the hero for killing his brothers. When Turk tries to draw his guns, the Two-Gun Kid proves faster at the draw and shoots him dead. Cleared of his crimes, the Two-Gun Kid is allowed to go free and the sheriff apologizes for accusing him of any wrongdoing.
Recurring Characters
Two-Gun Kid
Cyclone
Two-Gun Kid
While camping out along a cattle trail that goes through the state of Texas, the Two-Gun Kid is disturbed when a gang of Mexican bandits run through his camp with a herd of rustled cattle. He soon assists Jack Forrest, and his cattle drivers in stopping the bandits and recovering the stolen cattle. Impressed by the Kid's work, Forrest offers him a job to help drive the cattle up to Laramie, as he has lost some good men along the way. Two-Gun accepts the job as he is heading that way himself, although Dorn, the trail boss is unimpressed that his employer has hired on a "saddle bum" to help their cattle drive.
As they drive the cattle toward Laramie, Two-Gun Kid is regularly given grief by Dorn and his strong man Buff, although Forrest breaks the early conflicts. The cattle drive faces threats such as storms, and a band of attacking Native Americans, the Kid helping round up the cattle with each threat, and bury their dead. While stopping to water shortly thereafter, the Kid accidentally bumps into Buff who tries to pick a fight with the Kid, but Two-Gun easily holds his own, beating Buff in a fist fight.
As they approach Laramie, they are stopped by some men who demand a dollar a head to allow the cattle to pass through the rest of the way. Needing access to the water along the trail to keep his cattle alive, Jack is about to pay the amount at the advice of Dorn, but the Kid points out that ahead is government owned land and they have a right to pass through it without paying a toll and a fight breaks out. The men are wiped out and the cattle reigned in and they are brought the rest of the way to Laramie. There they are stopped by a man who poses as the local sheriff who tells them that their cattle is not welcome for sale in the area due to the fear of ticks and bovine fever from outside herds.
Facing financial ruin, Jack Forrest is forced to sell his cattle to local gambler Slick Turlane who offers to buy them at a dollar a head. Suspecting a crooked deal, the Kid follows Turlane to the local saloon where he finds him in the company of the "sheriff" (really the town bartender) and Dorn, who had all bee conspiring to swindle Forrest out of his cattle at a cheap price so they can reap a massive profit reselling them. The Kid shoots down the saloon chandelier, trapping all three men while Jack fetches the real sheriff. With Turlane and his men taken into custody, Jack reclaims his herd and sells them at a good price and the Two-Gun Kid then parts company.
Recurring Characters
Two-Gun Kid
Cyclone
Two-Gun Kid
The Two-Gun Kid receives a letter from his friend sheriff Jim Kells of Coppertown calling for assistance. Riding there he passes the Brent Mining Co, the Two-Gun Kid is shot at by the workers there. Seeking cover he runs into a rancher named Dane and his hands, who have come to attack the mine as they believe that Brent and his men dumped poisonous sluices into the river that provides water to his cattle, killing them. Denying this Brent and his men open fire again but are rushed by Dane and his men who force the miners to flee while they torch the mine. Realizing this must be the trouble that Jim called him for, the Two-Gun Kid rides into Coppertown to see how he can help.
When he arrives he finds that Jim is trying to calm both Brent and Dane in the Silent Saloon, owned by Silent Jess Simms. When Jim tries to get the men to speak privately in one of Simms' back rooms, Dane refuses and storms out vowing to get even against Brent and his miners. With the threat of a range war looming, the Two-Gun Kid asks Jim what Simms' motive in everything is, and learns how Silent Jess owns most of the town other than the Brent mine and the Dane ranch. As they walk out, Jim is wounded by a bullet and deputizes Two-Gun in order to resolve the conflict before its too late.
As Brent and his men go to clash with Dane and his ranch hands, the Two-Gun Kid goes to the ruins of the mining company and finds that someone used dynamite to blast the sluice into the river and that person had small feet. Realizing who is responsible, TWo-Gun rushes into town and takes Dane hostage and then forces him to talk to Brent, telling them that he knows who is responsible. They burst in on Simms and reveals that he has small feet proving he was the one responsible. Disarming Simms and taking him into custody, both Brent and Dame make peace.
Recurring Characters
Two-Gun Kid
Cyclone
