Tom Mix Western #2

Tom Mix spots a stagecoach racing through the foothills where it has no business being—and when it vanishes without a trace, he's determined to uncover the truth, despite the sheriff's skepticism. His investigation leads him into a deadly trap that reveals a clever gold-switching scheme hidden in a secret cavern, with Tom and his trusty horse Tony facing off against the ruthless gang behind it all.

When a group of settlers displaced by drought stakes a claim on Jeff Soar's sprawling ranch, the bitter landowner's violent resistance puts innocent lives in danger—and brings Tom Mix into the fight. As Soar escalates from intimidation to arson, Tom and the settlers must work together to save lives and prove that neighborliness can outweigh greed.

Cowboy Cal nurses a grudge against the richest banker in town—one Mr. Finley—for a romantic slight years past, but when Cal starts boasting about his prize horse's considerable value, the line between tall tale and hard cash gets delightfully blurry. This half-page humorous western romp from *Tom Mix Western* #2 showcases the comedic timing of writer-artist Al Liederman as a stubborn cowpoke learns that sometimes the best fortunes are the ones you're already riding.

When Clem Armstrong inherits his uncle's supposedly worthless Dobie Gold Mine, a mysterious specter appears in the tunnels with a chilling warning—leave and never return. Tom Mix suspects the ghost is no phantom at all, but someone with a very real reason to keep Clem away from his inheritance, and sets out to uncover the truth buried deep within the mine.

Tumbleweed Jr. sneaks a smoke from his father's pipe against everyone's advice, only to find himself whisked away to Pipeland by Mr. Pipe himself to face King Smoke Ring's peculiar justice. This humorous four-pager delivers a cautionary lesson wrapped in western-frontier whimsy as the young troublemaker learns exactly why grown-ups weren't keen on his smoking scheme.

Tom Mix uncovers a deadly masquerade when a seemingly blind musician arrives in the town of Dobie—just as murders and robberies begin plaguing the community. With a string of suspicious deaths all bearing the same telltale mark, Tom must separate the truth from a clever deception to catch a killer hiding in plain sight.