Star Ranger #4

A pilot and his crew face a deadly mystery when their cargo plane vanishes over Mexico—only to discover the previous aircraft didn't crash, but were forced down by air pirates operating from a hidden mountain base. With a cunning bandit holding passengers for ransom and his gang controlling the skies, the crew must find a way to signal rescue before they become the next permanent addition to the secret graveyard of planes.

A mysterious bandit in black has struck the same stage route five times, and now a shipment carrying $80,000 in gold rumbles toward danger. Bob, a detective for the Express Company, decides to ride the coach himself and uncover whether the real culprit might be wearing a sheriff's badge. When the black-clad bandit attacks, Bob must trust his wits and nerve to expose the truth.

A drifter named Chuck Ellis stumbles upon a desperate stand: a young woman and her father defending their homestead and its precious water source against hired killers sent by a ruthless rancher named Orp Leedy, who covets the pool at any cost. Using his wits and a clever claim about copper deposits, Chuck sets a trap to turn Leedy's own greed against him—but whether the scheme succeeds depends on what that distant explosion means. This tale of frontier justice and quick thinking hits all the marks of a solid range story, full of gunplay, grit, and the kind of problem-solving that separates a real hero from a hired gun.

A charming desperado rides into town with a winning smile and trouble in his wake, catching the eye of a dancing girl that another man holds dear—leading to a swift and violent reckoning in the casino.

Tommy Hunter is a humble bank clerk in love with Mary, but she's captivated by "Bronco" Charlie Dean, a rodeo champion whom her boss Mr. Cutter has staked with a loan to start a ranch. When a bandit strikes the bank on the eve of Mary and Dean's wedding, Tommy's courage and sacrifice reveal where true character lies. What unfolds will test not just Tommy's bravery, but Mary's ability to see past flash and swagger to recognize a real man.

Two fugitives, Joe Bannon and Carlos Martinez, flee across the desert only to discover they've stumbled upon a poisoned water hole with no fresh water in sight—until they spot the Sheriff's camp nearby and realize they might steal some water to survive. As thirst drives them to desperation, the Sheriff uses their need against them, extracting a confession about a murder and stolen gold before revealing his clever trap. A tense desert standoff where cunning proves mightier than bullets.