Billy the Kid Adventure Magazine #9

Billy the Kid arrives at a Blackfoot village gripped by fear—braves vanishing one by one from their eagle-hunting pits, blamed on a fearsome Eagle God. The Kid suspects something far more earthly is at work and sets a trap with the Chief's son as bait, uncovering a ruthless outfit using captured tribesmen as slaves in a hidden salt mine. When Billy moves to free the prisoners and scatter the outlaws' horses, he finds himself cornered and weaponless in a desperate chase across the desert.

Billy the Kid crosses paths with a mysterious wrestling strongman called the Purple Back, whose trail of destruction—from overturned livestock to driven railroad spikes—has left the desert in chaos. When the Kid discovers the Purple Back is being exploited in fixed wrestling matches for high stakes, he decides to ensure the bout runs honest, leading to a confrontation that tests whether gunslinging or grit will settle the score.

Billy the Kid sees a chance at an honest life when he arrives in town posing as a ranch hand seeking work as a wagon boss—until he discovers the local newspaper is preparing an extra edition with news of his identity. When a mysterious stranger offers him a way to stop the papers from being distributed, Billy must decide whether to trust the offer or risk everything to protect the people who've shown him kindness, in this tense 1952 western tale.