Rocky Lane Western #45

Gopherface daydreams about a luxurious single bath, only to be startled by a sudden shift in his appearance—now bald and pale, he’s mistaken for someone else. The story follows his wild fantasy of being a wealthy man, only to snap back to reality as the unlikely hero of a frontier crisis.

In a frontier town where intimidation rules, a boastful tough guy known as Toughy terrorizes locals with threats and brute force—until a newcomer quietly challenges his reign with a clever story about a lion who learns his lesson the hard way. The tale unfolds as a showdown of wits and might, testing whether Toughy’s swagger can survive a lesson in humility.

Rocky Lane, on duty at the jailhouse, is confronted by a man who claims to have seen a woman crossing the street—only to be interrupted by a sudden gunshot and the news that Burt Nelson, owner of the Walking T Ranch, has been murdered. As Rocky investigates the quiet, dark ranch, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception where the three men he suspects of the crime are now accusing him, and a mysterious woman named Alice may be the key to unraveling the truth.

A young man confidently approaches the town theatre manager, claiming stage experience to land a role in the local show. When questioned, he awkwardly points to his casted arm as proof—only to be met with disbelief as the manager stares at him in disbelief.

Rocky Lane arrives in Thompson Hills, a once-abandoned town suddenly alive with prospectors and scoundrels after a gold strike, and finds himself drawn into a scheme where a shady gambler, Gerard, and his henchmen are trying to drive out the restaurant owner, Harris, by spreading rumors about his terrible food. As Rocky uncovers the plot, he confronts Gerard, only to be captured and nearly hanged—until his horse, Black Jack, senses danger and throws the would-be executioners into chaos.

Fizzy arrives at the barber shop limping and claiming a stagecoach ran into him, leading to a series of increasingly absurd explanations involving the opera house stage and a "stage stage-coach." The barber, amused and increasingly exasperated, proceeds with a hilariously aggressive shave that turns into a chaotic, faceless ordeal, leaving Fizzy desperate to escape — only to be offered a free ticket to hear him sing, which proves to be the worst punishment of all.