Monte Hale Western #31

In "Guns against the Law," Monte Hale Western #31 (1948), a man with a fractured memory finds himself caught between two sides when a head injury wipes his past clean—leading him to join the very outlaws he once hunted. As old instincts resurface, he must confront the truth of who he was before the fall.

Big Brad would rather sleep than work, and Old Slick is determined to drag him out of it—but when threats of violence start flying, the two discover that sometimes the cure is worse than the complaint. This half-page western comedy riffs on the timeless clash between a lazy cowpoke and his exasperated partner in 1948's Monte Hale Western #31.

When a young woman comes West seeking adventure and lands a job as a hostess at Belle Bailey's new gambling hall, Monte Hale senses something sinister lurking beneath the surface—especially after a convenient accident nearly claims the girl's life. As suspicious incidents pile up and Monte digs deeper, he uncovers a scheme far deadlier than a rigged card game. It'll take quick thinking and faster action to save Jinny Sears from Belle's murderous plans in "Gambling Girl!"

When Monte Hale stops to help a traveling college professor collect cowboy songs, he doesn't expect to become tangled up in a case of mistaken identity—Professor Peabody bears an uncanny resemblance to a wealthy banker, and a ruthless gang is determined to kidnap him for ransom. As the outlaws make their move and Peabody disappears from their camp, Monte must follow a clever paper trail through dangerous mountain country to rescue his new friend before the kidnappers realize their prize isn't who they think he is.

Bronko Betsy shows Tex a shiny new wrist watch, but when the timepiece fails to tick, Tex discovers an unexpected culprit inside—a dead bug that's gummed up the works. It's a humorous lesson in why even the smallest things matter when you're trying to keep things running.

Big Bow and Little Arrow are flat broke until they spot a way to earn quick money—picking leaves for Colonel Garker's dubious "Miracle Herb Cure." When they discover the Colonel is peddling nothing but plain foliage, the pair hatch a scheme to do the same, only to find themselves collecting from a patch they should've avoided entirely. A humorous frontier tale where a con backfires spectacularly on the con artists themselves.

When a group of ranchers decide to drive their cattle over the treacherous Brazos Pass to avoid the crushing tolls demanded by outlaw Curt Grayson, they turn to Monte Hale for guidance through the dangerous mountain crossing. As Monte leads the massive herd upward, they face a series of brutal obstacles—raging storms, stampeding longhorns, and prowling mountain lions—but their greatest challenge awaits at the pass itself, where Grayson and his gunmen have set an ambush to stop them. With the ranchers' livelihood on the line and Grayson determined to protect his stranglehold on the territory, Monte must find a way to get the herd through—or die trying.