Wild Western #43

Ambush Town!

Spotting a cabin on fire, Kid Colt races toward it to see if anyone is trapped inside. He saves the elderly occupant from the fire, but as he rushes outside a gunman takes a shot at him, but the Kid evades the shot and shoots out into the night scaring the shooter away. Questioning the old man, he is unsure why the gunmen have attacked his home but suspects it has something to do with the fact that it was previously owned by outlaw Joe Garth who ran out on his men years before and disappeared. Wanting to investigate this hunch, the Kid decides to rid over into Mesa City to see what his reporter friend might know about the history of Joe Garth and leaves. Meanwhile the outlaws regroup and agree to make one more attack on the home of their former boss.

Meanwhile, Kid Colt arrives in Mesa City and pays a visit to the editor at the Mesa City Gazette who gives him his entire file on Joe Garth, explaining that his gang might be looking for the loot they amassed during their crime spree. Realizing that the outlaws must think the loot is hidden in the old cabin, Kid Colt races there to protect it from the outlaws. He arrives just as Joe's old gang takes the current owner hostage and easily disarms them with his guns. Kid Colt then forces them to rip up the floorboards revealing the hidden loot below. Tying up the outlaws, Kid Colt leaves without accepting a share in the reward money for the stolen loot.

Recurring Characters

• Kid Colt

• Steel

Hutch Hammer!

The Ringo Kid is ambushed by a pair of outlaws while searching for Hutch Hammer. Recognizing them as Hammer's men, the Ringo Kid demands that they tell him where his boss is hidden. They refuse to talk and Ringo is forced to flee when Hammer's men surround him and begin shooting.

Meanwhile, not far out of town Hutch Hammer has signed on more men to work in his mine. These men soon realize that they have basically signed themselves into slavery. While in town, a group of locals protest Hammer's crooked employment means, but the sheriff's hands are tied due to the fact that all of Hammer's slaves signed legally binding contracts. Later, the Ringo Kid manages to locate Hammer's mind, the Ringo Kid attacks but is quickly knocked out. When he comes to he finds that Hammer has forged his signature on a contract and forces him into the mine.

Ringo Kid however refuses to be enslaved and fights back convincing the other workers to rise up and fighter their enslaver. Seeking to quash the the rebellion, Hammer has his men detonate the exit from the mine, but one of the old timers lead Ringo and the other workers to an old abandoned alternate shack. They soon get the drop on Hutch Hammer and his men and take him prisoner. The Kid then forces Hutch to open his safe and burns all the contracts. Finding evidence of criminal operations, the Ringo Kid turns Hutch over to the authorities with evidence that ensures he will be locked away for a long time.

Recurring Characters

• Ringo Kid

• Arab

Young Man With a Gun

The Outlaw Kid finds himself confronting a young man named Mitch a headstrong young drifter passing through Caliber City on his way to California who started a fight in a local saloon. The Outlaw Kid easily defeats Mitch in a fight and tells the locals not to judge the boy too harshly since he is only looking to earn a living. He convinces the locals to give Mitch a chance and tells them to send him over to the Temple ranch where he can earn a living.

Later, Mitch pays a visit to the Temple ranch and the Outlaw Kid, in his alter-ego of Lance Temple, takes him on as a ranch hand. After three weeks straight despite Lance's father Zane Temple's misgivings about the boy. Growing restless and seeking quick money, Mitch decides to leave the ranch, taking a swing at Lance and riding off. Waiting for his father to go to sleep for the night, Lance changes into the Outlaw Kid and rides into town to make sure the boy does not get into any trouble.

Meanwhile, Mitch is meeting with two outlaws in the saloon who seek to hire him to rob Charlie Winter's general store, but Mitch refuses to participate. Unwilling to let the men rob the store, Mitch goes to stop them and is assisted by the Outlaw Kid who helps him put put down the outlaws. As dawn begins to rise in the sky, Mitch thanks the Outlaw Kid for helping him do the right thing and asks the hero to thank the Temple family for giving him a chance when nobody else would and continues on his way to California.

Recurring Characters

• Outlaw Kid

• Zane Temple

• Thunder

Gun Talk!

The Black Rider defends a gang of outlaws that are racing out of Leadville. When one of their number tries to take a shot at the Rider, he misses and is winged by the hero and in fleeing drops one of his guns. Later that night, back in his alter-ego of Dr. Matthew Masters, the Black Rider is visited Mr. Malerk a wealthy man in town whose son had been injured.

Masters pays a visit to the Malerk home where he treats the young Rad Malerk for a gunshot wound to the shoulder, realizing that he is the young man whom he shot earlier. Masters implies that the boy should stay out of trouble, but the elder Malerk is upset that the country doctor is insinuating that his son is up to no good. However, after leaving, Masters listens in on their conversation and hears that Mr. Malerk is much to hard on his young son.

Changing back into the Black Rider, the hero tracks down the outlaw camp and warns them against working with Rad Malerk, angering them. Riding back into town, the Black Rider spots Rad riding out and decides to confront Rad's father, chastising him for not being a better father figure to his son and learns that the boy is planning on helping the outlaws rob a stagecoach. The Black Rider catches the boy before he can join up with the gang and knocks him out and then stops the coach robbery, taking the outlaws prisoner.

Reuniting Rad with his father, Rad promises to stay out of trouble while his father promises to be more supporting from now on.

Recurring Characters

• Black Rider

• Satan