Wild Western #52

The Mob

In the lawless town of Almeda the sheriff tells Kid Colt that the town is beyond redemption and that he should leave town before it is too late. However, the Kid Colt has never ran from a fight and he’s not about to do it now. The sheriff tries to convince him that Jake Friday and his men are looking to eliminate the last honest guns in town, but Kid can’t leave the sheriff to die. When they decide to leave the saloon Kid Colt takes a look outside first and determines that the place is surrounded by Friday’s men.

When the sheriff orders Jake Friday and his men to disburse, Friday tells the sheriff can go as they only want Kid Colt. However, the sheriff says that if Jake wants Kid Colt he’ll have to come inside and steps outside. That’s when Friday orders his rooftop sniper to try and shoot the sheriff. Kid Colt, however, sees this and blasts the gun out of the shooter’s hand. This allows the sheriff to leave and Jake warns the Kid to come out or they’re going to come in and get him the hard way.

Kid Colt dares them to follow come in and get him and to show he means business he shoots the holster off Friday’s belt. Looking around the saloon, Kid Colt spots a wooden mannequin leaning in the corner of the bar and decides to use it to his advantage by sitting it up in one of the windows. Shouting out to the outlaws that it’s getting dark in the saloon, Kid Colt says he’s going to turn on some lights. Sure enough, when they see the silhouette of the mannequin in the statue the outlaws mistake it for Kid Colt and open fire while other gang members come in the back way to shoot the Kid from behind. They realize too late that they were shooting at a wood carving and the Kid is long gone.

By this time, Kid Colt has gone to the next town over and gathers a passe together to deal with Jake Friday and his gang. Once a posse of able-bodied men is gathered Kid Colt comes up with a plan to trap the outlaws. The following day, he allows the word to get out that there is a posse out to get the Friday gang and that they are camping out in Bottle Gap Canyon. When the outlaws go to ambush them figuring they’re trapped they fall into the trap. Kid Colt and his men are actually stationed outside the rim of the canyon. Once the outlaws are inside they light bales of hay on fire and toss them into the canyon, filling it with smoke. As a result, the outlaws are riding blind when they try to escape and are easily taken down by Kid Colt and his posse.

Recurring Characters

Kid Colt, Steel

The Arrow of Doom!

The Ringo Kid and his friend Dull Knife are shopping in a general store when the sheriff comes in and tells Dull Knife that he’s under arrest. A local man was struck with an arrow earlier that day and they are accusing Dull Knife of attempted murder. After Ringo Kid confirms that they passed through Ojenga Trail out of Blue Horn about an hour ago the sheriff shows Dull Knife the arrow they pulled out of Ray Larrup’s back. Dull Knife confirms that it is one of his, but he has not shot an arrow in over three days. Despite the fact that Ringo Kid vouches for Dull Knife the evidence is enough for the sheriff places Dull Knife under arrest. As the Native American is being disarmed, Ringo vows to find proof that he is innocent. When Ringo asks to see Ray Larrup lives, the sheriff gives the location of the Larrup ranch but orders Ringo to stay in town in case they want to question him.

However, that evening, the Ringo Kid sees how the town is on edge he decides to break Dull Knife out of jail. Giving Dull Knife his bow and arrow and a long string and uses them to snare the keys to his jail cell and uses it to unlock his cell. The pair quickly ride out to the Larrup ranch and ask to speak to Ray’s wife. She shows them the exact spot where Ray was shot and which direction he was facing. From that information, the Ringo Kid deduces the shooter was hiding in a nearby clump of mesquite. There they find footprints but instead of the moccasin’s that Dull Knife wears they find a pair of cowboy boots confirming that it was a white man who shot Larrup. They then wonder how someone was able to get one of Dull Knife’s arrows since his people treat their arrows as a precious resource and wouldn’t just give one way. However, this revelation makes Dull Knife recall that the only time someone could have gotten access to his arrows was the time when an outlaw named Link stole his horse some time ago. He tracked Link for days until he caught him after the outlaw had set up camp for the night. When Link drew his gun, Dull Knife pinned his shooting arm to a tree with an arrow. He then reclaimed his horse and rode away as Link vowed to get revenge.

Meanwhile, back in town, Link is in a saloon and gloats about how he waited two whole years to frame Dull Knife for murder. He makes this confession as Ringo Kid and Dull Knife come into the saloon to turn him over to the sheriff. When Link and his friends try to draw their guns Ringo is the faster draw and shoots the guns out of their hands. After Link is turned over to the sheriff he asks how he can know that Dull Knife didn’t shoot the arrow. Dull Knife shows that the arrow used by Link has a notch in it that is caused by a bowstring made out of drawn gut. Dull Knife’s bow, however, uses horsehair which doesn’t leave a notch in arrows. This is enough to convince the sheriff that Dull Knife is innocent and it’s a reminder to him that a man should always be given the chance to prove his innocence.

Recurring Characters

Ringo Kid, Dull Knife, Arab