Range Busters #9

When a rodeo performance in Lobo Ridge turns into a real bank holdup, Bill Folers and his companions find themselves hunting dangerous criminals—only to discover that someone is systematically eliminating witnesses from the shadows. As Bill pursues the killers through dark canyons and dense woods, he uncovers a far deadlier mystery: an impossible ambush that strikes from nowhere, forcing him to piece together the truth before the next shot rings out.

A talkative cowboy named Sagebrush spins a tall tale about being surrounded by thousands of enemy Indians during a ride through the hills, each side of him packed with warriors—but his punchline reveals how he managed to escape the seemingly impossible situation. It's a quick dose of frontier humor that plays on classic Western tall-tale traditions, all wrapped up with a laugh and a wink to his pals.

This non-fiction piece explores the practical and personal significance of the cowboy hat in the Old West, from the iconic ten-gallon design's functionality as sun protection and emergency water container to the resourceful methods desert cowboys used to customize their own headgear. Through the example of a cowboy named Lem, the story walks through the process of reshaping an inexpensive straw hat—soaking it, molding it with ridges, and letting sun and wind set its form—revealing how these working men took pride in crafting their distinctive personal style.

Holt Wilson races to his friend Curly's cabin after receiving a troubling letter, only to find the ranchman shot and a fleeing gunman escaping into the canyon. With Curly badly wounded and a suspicious stranger in town, Holt must uncover who tried to kill his old friend—and his investigation leads him to a hidden partnership agreement and a deadly secret about gold. As tensions rise and guns are drawn, Holt finds himself caught between loyalties and must settle the score on Hot Head Trail.

Holt Wilson rides into a quiet town seeking rest, only to be mistaken for a stage robber and thrown in jail by a lynch mob hungry for quick justice. Breaking free to prove his innocence, he tracks down the real culprits and sets a trap that forces a final reckoning at Leaning Rock—where his fists and wits become the only law that matters.

In this 1955 western-humor tale, the Range Busters debate whether old Perkins deserves his reputation as a chronic liar, so they turn to Chief Gray Matter—the fairest judge in town—to settle the matter. Chief's answer? A perfectly delivered punchline that proves sometimes the best way to expose the truth is to let someone else do the talking.