Rod Cameron Western #20

Rod Cameron arrives at Fort Rimrock as a civilian scout, only to discover that the commanding officer he was supposed to meet has been mysteriously replaced—and his suspicions about the new "Colonel Mundy" grow darker when he stumbles upon a body that matches Major Hake's description. As Rod pieces together the truth behind the deception, he must expose the conspiracy threatening the fort before the incoming Army payroll falls into the wrong hands.

Andrews calls on Sheriff Sam the Sheriff for help catching a "varmint" in his house, only to discover the real troublemaker isn't a criminal—it's his nephew Oscar, who's been gambling with the babysitter Horace using loaded dice that Andrews himself had hidden away. When the Sheriff realizes who the actual culprit is, Andrews must strike a deal with Horace to avoid arrest, agreeing to take over a baby-sitting job at Tom Thomas' Ranch in exchange for Horace's silence.

Rod Cameron faces a dangerous misunderstanding when a holdup artist steals his distinctive guns, then uses them to rob and kill a prospector—leaving Rod's unique hardware as damning evidence at the scene. Forced to clear his name before the prospectors hand him over to the law, Rod must track down the real culprit through the gambling dens and back alleys of Baryville. With his reputation on the line and time running short, only recovering his stolen guns will prove his innocence.

A cowboy named Saddlehead has received a fancy snakeskin belt as a gift, but an embarrassing problem keeps him from wearing it. When he complains to a friend about his wardrobe woes, the conversation takes a turn toward another frontier character's frustrated musings about work and rest.

Rod Cameron races to stop a clever gang of thieves who've been looting towns under cover of circus advance-show distractions—but when he stumbles onto their scheme in Red Rock, they leave him bound and dying in the mountains. Breaking free, Rod must ride hard to reach Hampton Creek before the gang strikes again and disappears into the night.

Rod Cameron uncovers a scheme preying on a hardworking Chinese laborer named Ching, who's been mysteriously throwing away his wages in the woods every payday. With the help of a carnival hypnotist, Rod discovers that Ching has been manipulated into believing evil spirits are chasing him—and tracks down the con man exploiting an old superstition to line his own pockets. It's a clever bit of detective work that hinges on research, observation, and a well-timed confrontation.