Cowboy Western #52

Wild Bill Hickok's reputation for maintaining the peace faces its first true test when a troublemaker named Jack Strawhan and his gang turn a quiet western town into a powder keg in 1869. After a brutal fight settles the immediate conflict, Strawhan vows revenge—but Wild Bill remains confident the man won't have the nerve to try again. Months later, however, Strawhan's patience and hidden anger are about to prove just how wrong that confidence might be.

Marshal Rocky Lane faces off against one of the frontier's most vicious outlaws—not just Sid Feder himself, but the killer-stallion Red Mane, a mount so ornery and savage that it does most of Feder's dirty work, striking down express riders and lawmen alike. When Rocky and his own stallion Blackjack track the pair to their mountain hideout, man meets man and horse meets horse in a brutal showdown that will determine who survives the encounter. It's a clash of wills and teeth where loyalty to one's mount might be the only thing that matters.

This intriguing piece examines the historical accuracy behind "Buffalo Bill" Cody's legendary reputation—exploring the curious distinction between the buffalo he's credited with killing and the bison he actually hunted. A fascinating look at how frontier mythology can obscure the facts of the Old West.

Annie Oakley, a star sharpshooter with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, earns the respect of Sitting Bull with her remarkable marksmanship—and when a vengeful cowboy later threatens the Sioux chief's life, her quick reflexes and steady aim save him. Grateful for her bravery, Sitting Bull adopts Annie as his daughter and makes her a full member of the Sioux tribe, bestowing upon her the Indian name Wantany-a-Chicillia, meaning Little Sure Shot.

Chemist Keeber lectures his students about a dangerously volatile chemical before an interruption sends the lesson spinning in an unexpected direction—a visiting cowboy named Buck shows up raving about a traveling magician in town, and when challenged, claims he can perform tricks that put any stage performer to shame.

Before the Civil War, the U.S. Army experimented with camels as pack animals for the western deserts, hoping their endurance would outmatch the traditional army mule. The camels' soft, sand-adapted feet proved ill-suited to the rocky terrain of America's western landscape, however, ultimately making them impractical for frontier service. This illustrated feature explores a surprising but short-lived chapter in American military history.