Lash LaRue Western #44

Lash LaRue uncovers a sinister conspiracy when he discovers that soldiers at Fort Weery have been secretly selling government ammunition to Thunder Bear, the ruthless Native American leader responsible for devastating frontier settlements. With the fort's commanding officer and a local merchant in on the scheme, Lash must interrogate the conspirators and expose the corrupt supply chain before Thunder Bear can strike again. Armed with cunning and a keen eye for detail, the marshal closes in on the truth—but exposing the guilty proves more dangerous than anyone anticipated.

Trader Tom takes a look at a customer's broken watch and delivers an outrageous diagnosis—the hairspring is clogged with dandruff, making the repair surprisingly expensive. This half-page humor tale from 1953 plays the setup and punchline straight, letting the absurd premise do all the work.

Dusty dreams up an elaborate scheme to dodge his chores by faking a kidnapping story, planning to sneak off to an abandoned shack for an afternoon nap and return with a convincing cover tale. But when railroad workers decide to dynamite that very shack to clear land for new tracks, Dusty's peaceful day of loafing becomes anything but—and his tall tale collides with the boss in the worst possible way.

Lash LaRue arrives at the rodeo to protect the newly crowned champion rider Spurs Downey after a mysterious sabotage nearly costs him his life, and suspects the jealous former champion Gimpy Maclain may be behind the attacks. As the roving marshal investigates a string of dangerous "accidents," his investigation takes an unexpected turn—leading him to discover that the real culprit has motives far more personal than simple rivalry. With Spurs caught between loyalty to his fiancée and the truth, Lash must untangle a web of family secrets and wounded pride to bring the guilty party to justice.