Six-Gun Heroes #40

Wild Bill Hickok and Jingles ride the last stage out of the mountain mining town of Timberline, tasked with protecting a coach loaded with gold bullion and bank funds—but the bandits waiting on the road prove to be just the first surprise. When the outlaws reveal unexpected allies, Hickok and his deputy must rely on cunning and quick reflexes to see the shipment safely through to Cheyenne.

When Surly Joe attempts to harm the mayor during a block party in 1957's "Pistol Packing Pattie Has a Block Party!" from Six-Gun Heroes #40, Pistol Packing Pattie springs into action to stop him—and then delivers some sharp-tongued truth about what's really holding him back. This one-page western comedy is a quick, punchy reminder that sometimes the real obstacle to success is staring back at you in the mirror.

Deputy Jingles takes a beating during a rowdy payday brawl in town, and finds himself under the care of a charming dark-eyed nurse named Juanita—a development that keeps him conveniently bedridden with mysterious new ailments as long as she's nearby. When Jingles finally confesses his true affliction and proposes marriage, he gets his answer, though not quite the one he expected.

When the frontier town of Forty Mile prepares to elect its first sheriff, Marshal Wild Bill Hickok arrives to ensure the election stays honest—only to discover that both leading candidates, Whip Hallet and Bob Simmons, are secretly working together to fleece the county for personal gain. As bitter campaign violence erupts in the streets, Hickok and Jingles uncover the corrupt scheme and work to give the townspeople a real choice, setting the stage for a showdown at the ballot box itself.

Jingles has his eye on the lovely Esmerelda Jones until the dapper Ace Hawkins rolls into town sporting a pair of fancy boots that steal her attention—and his girl's heart. Determined to compete, Jingles buys his own pair of expensive gold-inlaid boots, only to find himself caught between wooing Esmerelda at the county dance and keeping watch over the town's guns and money. When suspicions arise about the mysterious stranger, Jingles must decide where his loyalties lie.

Lash LaRue tracks horse thief Red Barton into a remote logging camp, only to discover that Barton's ruthless older brother, Clipper, has seized control of the operation—muscling the owner and running a protection racket that's bleeding the business dry. With the camp boss finally ready to fight back, Lash moves to restore order and reckon with the Barton brothers.