Lash LaRue Western #40

Lash LaRue stakes out a suspicion when a new hand volunteers to stay behind during a cattle drive—something selfish Hutch Henderson wouldn't normally do. Smuggled onto the ranch in a potato sack to catch him in the act, Lash discovers rustlers moving in under cover of darkness and must use his bullwhip and quick draw to stop a cattle theft before it spirals out of control. The outlaw leader Trenchey has bigger plans than a simple raid, and Lash will have to track them down before the herd vanishes for good.

Wagonwheels has entered the county track meet and makes a tough decision about which event to run—swapping the hundred-yard dash for the five-mile run—while Trader Tom discovers an unexpected problem when a customer asks for Swiss cheese at his closeout sale. These two quick western-frontier tales deliver straightforward humor with a pair of groan-worthy punchlines that'll stick with you.

Dusty finds himself caught between compassion and duty when angry shopkeepers corner him with bills that Mr. Holt owes around town—three months of back pay for Dusty included. When Dusty reluctantly delivers the bad news to his boss, Mr. Holt reveals his solution: make promises of partial payment to each creditor, starting the next morning. It's a lighthearted look at how a man down on his luck tries to smooth things over with the people he's wronged.

Big Bow finds himself on the receiving end of Little Arrow's backhanded "encouragement" about his mental faculties, while Molasses Mouth struggles to muster enthusiasm for his grandfather's impressive centennial milestone. These quick-witted frontier tales deliver their laughs through the kind of deadpan humor that made 1953's western comics such reliable fun.

When a runaway stagecoach threatens the life of a railroad lawyer, Lash LaRue promises to deliver the man's forgotten legal papers—but what should be a simple errand turns into a deadly trap set by a greedy nephew determined to forge his way into an inheritance. As Lash races to stop a murder plot and protect the evidence that could save an honest rancher, he finds himself surrounded by hired killers, a burning ranch house, and the fight of his life. Can the roving marshal outsmart a scheme fueled by greed and desperation, or will the flames claim him before justice can be served?