Four Color #916

In "The Empty Fort," Red Ryder and Little Beaver stumble upon a delirious prospector abandoned in the desert heat. When the prospector vanishes after two gunmen arrive, Red Ryder must lead a search through Rimrock—leaving the town defenseless—while a gang of bandits strike in their absence.

In "Where There's Smoke," Little Beaver stumbles upon an injured man in the woods and brings him to his remote cabin, only to discover the man was shot during a robbery—and his former accomplices are now holding Little Beaver captive. Trapped and outnumbered, he uses the cabin’s chimney to send desperate smoke signals, hoping someone will see and come to his aid.

In "A Hatful of Tricks," a pair of cunning peddlers trade shiny "white man's hats" with the Navaho, using the exchange to quietly distract the tribe while they plot to steal their hidden supply of turquoise. Written by an unknown author and illustrated by an unknown artist, the story unfolds with quiet tension as deception and survival hang in the balance.