Black Diamond Western #23 (1951)

In "Black Diamond in the Windy City," the legendary outlaw Black Diamond and his partner Bumper pull off a shocking twist, stepping out of the frontier and into the spotlight of a Chicago theater—where the audience quickly learns the show is no act. Written by an unknown hand and illustrated by the artist behind the series, this 12-page tale delivers a wild, unexpected turn in their cross-country manhunt.

In the dusty frontier town of Brown Basin, the Black Diamond and his partner Bumper stumble upon a drunken Native American warrior tied to a rope, sparking a mystery about a dangerous firewater trade. When the Black Diamond learns that a rogue band of white men is supplying whiskey to the tribe, he sets off with Bumper to track them down, following wagon tracks that lead straight to a hidden cache near a remote barn.

Black Diamond and Bumper take passage on the steamboat *Queen of the River* to guard a valuable silver cargo, only to be ambushed by "Red" Rocco and his murderous river gang, who maroon them on a sinking sand bar. As the tide rises and the pair face certain doom, they’re saved by a surprising twist—Reliapon and El Lobo, their horses, leap from the boat to rescue them, leading to a daring escape through the Everglades with the help of a wary Seminole tribe who believe them to be spirits.