All-Western Winners #4

The Black Rider -- Unmasked!

When things seem quite in the town of Leadville, along the basin gold is discovered causing a gold rush. Soon Snake Bostwick and his men ride into town and begin wiping out the gold prospectors and robbing them. Soon banker Cole Cameron calls together a town meeting to organize a posse to deal with Snake Bostwick. Cameron suggests that doctor Matthew Masters lead the posse, however this idea is scoffed at by Marie Lathrop who considers Masters a coward, unaware that he is secretly the Black Rider. The meeting is cut short when Marie's brother Bobby bursts in to warn the people that Snake's bandits are storming town. There is a gun fight and Ol' Jake is shot, Master's tries to give him medical attention but Jake dies telling him that he was forced out of his gold claim.

Alone in his office, Masters decides that it is once more time to become the Black Rider and begins changing into his costume. Hearing somebody in his office he finds that he has been discovered by Bobby, who came to the office because his leg was wounded in the shoot out. The Black Rider treats his wound and Bobby promises to help Matthew keep his double identity a secret, although the idea that they are one in the same, in light of his sisters opinion of both men, amusing.

Black Rider goes riding after some of Bostwick's men who are at the local saloon and shoots them up telling them to send a message to the other outlaws. The next day, Matthew Masters attends the next town meeting and hears the plea from Cole Cameron to get the Black Rider to help solve the problem asking the hero to come to his home. Masters decides to look into this as the Black Rider, but does not feel right about it. He soon finds himself surrounded by gun men led by Snake Bostwick who then attempt to unmask him. However, Bobby arrives with a shot gun and shoots at the outlaws allowing the Black Rider to escape.

Back in town the Black Rider meets with the Lathrop’s and Cameron and learns that Jim Lathrop is considering calling in the military. Cameron is uneasy about this and the Black Rider agrees that it will take too much time for the cavalry to arrive. The next night Snake and his men rob the bank and are opposed by the Black Rider and the posse. When Black Rider says they were tipped off by Cole Cameron, Snake is about to say something when Cole shoots him dead. This confirms to the Black Rider that Cameron was in league with the thieves and guns him down and rides off.

The next day while Marie is lamenting about the Black Rider riding off, Bobby suggests that he's closer than she thinks and teases her about how Matthew Masters is not such a bad man.

Recurring Characters

• Black Rider

• Jim Lathrop

• Marie Lathrop

• Bobby Lathrop

• Satan

Reward for Death!

Kid Colt is riding through a panhandlers range looking for water when he is suddenly ambushed by a local sheriff and his posse. He learns that they are out looking for someone who robbed a southbound stage and suspect that he's their man. Checking their wanted posters they realize that he is Kid Colt, but before they can apprehend the outlaw he manages to bolt and escape.

Getting clear, Kid Colt and Steel ride to a nearby farm where they find a well filled with water and stop for a drink. They are approached by a young wheelchair bound boy named Danny Pomeroy who lives at the ranch with his father. The boy invites Kid Colt into the house and they spend the evening in each others company. The boy confides in Kid Colt that one day he hopes to get the surgery he needs to walk again and see the top of Finger Butte and see the whole range. When Danny's father returns and tells the Kid that the sheriffs posse is on the way. He quickly makes himself scarce and overhears the sheriff tell Pomeroy that there is a $1000 reward for the capture of the stage robber. When the sheriff leaves, the Kid reappears and learns that Pomeroy could use the money to get his son the surgery he needs.

Kid Colt leaves and begins looking for the robber and crosses paths with him, an outlaw named Comanche Briggs. Briggs gets the drop on the Kid and tries to steal his horse, but when the Kid whistles, Steel returns to his master and Kid Colt guns down Comanche. He takes the body back to the Pomeroy ranch. He tells Mr. Pomeroy to use the reward money to get the surgery that Danny needs but Pomeroy does not feel right taking the money and insists on leaving it somewhere for Kid Colt to find. While Pomeroy is out to collect the reward, Kid Colt leaves a note for Danny telling him that his father has some money for him, but to use it for his surgery and see the top of Finger Butte and then rides off into the night.

Recurring Characters

• Kid Colt

• Steel

The Kid Bluffs a Killer!

Two-Gun Kid is in the town of Ring's Corner to get a hair cut. On his way out, he witnesses a tender foot being given trouble by Dude Ring and his gang and comes to the man's aid, pulling him out of dangers way.

He learns the man is an easterner named Jonathan Carruthers who came west to claim a ranch he inherited. With Dude Ring trying to stop him Jon, Two-Gun Kid decides to help him out and takes him to the ranch owned by his friend that lives nearby. Along the way he learns that Jonathan is a pacifist who does not wish to resort to violence.

When discussing over a plan of action, Two-Gun decides the best way would be to trick Dude Ring and his men into thinking that Jonathan is a tough outlaw and so the Kid and his friend dress Carruthers up to resemble Killer King Fiske and go to the local saloon to confront Dude Ring and his men. However, when lead begins to fly, Jon takes cover leaving Two-Gun Kid to gun down most of the thugs. When the Kid is winged by a bullet and is about to be shot by Dude, Jonathan pulls out his gun and shoots Dude dead. With Dude gone, Jonathan recovers his property and realizes that there might be something in standing up for himself and bids Two-Gun Kid farewell.

Recurring Characters

• Two-Gun Kid

• Cyclone