Western Thrillers #4

Around 1860, partners Sam Tetlow and Billy Skeantlebury open the Bella Union, a San Francisco gambling den designed to separate miners from their gold—but when Sam falls for a young woman working there, his loyalty to their enterprise begins to fracture. As Billy pursues political power through bribery and violence, mistrust and betrayal threaten to tear the partnership apart, culminating in a desperate fight for control of their lucrative operation.

When Tim Buntom arrives in Tannerville to avenge his uncle's murder, he volunteers to drive a gold shipment through dangerous Dark Canyon—but not before spreading word that he's carrying the precious cargo, hoping to draw out the highway bandits responsible for three drivers' deaths. As Tim hauls the stage through treacherous terrain, Sally escapes her captors to warn him of a deadly conspiracy that reaches into the sheriff's office itself. This tale of frontier justice and high stakes delivers a smashing climax when fate and quick thinking collide on the mountain road.

The Tumbleweed Kid takes a job at the Goldtown Bank to earn money for a saddle he's spotted, but his plans are disrupted when an outlaw known as Lobo attempts to rob the bank and takes a hostage. Using quick thinking and a clever trick with reflected sunlight, the Kid manages to turn the tables on the thief and save the day.

Dowd is a clever rustler who's been bleeding the local ranches dry—and a ruthless killer who silences anyone unlucky enough to cross his path. When a man he left for dead manages to survive long enough to name his attacker, the law closes in on the outlaw at last. Justice comes swiftly in this 1949 tale of frontier reckoning.

The Denver Dip and her crew work the Denver Rodeo, running a clever con game to separate wealthy marks from their cash—picking pockets while her boys stage convincing fights to distract the crowd. But when she targets what seems like an easy fifth victim of the day, she discovers her mark is actually Sheriff Waters, and her slick operation comes to an abrupt end.