Forbidden Worlds #53 (1957)

In 1693, retired pirate Captain Ephraim Purdy, now living a life of ease in Marblehead, finds himself drawn back to the sea after acquiring an ancient telescope from a curious shopkeeper who warns it carries a curse for the wicked. Through the lens, he sees a beautiful woman, Maria Mills, and becomes deeply infatuated—only to be shattered when she reveals she knows his true past and despises him for his crimes. Consumed by regret and longing, he sets out to reclaim his life at sea, building a new ship and crew for a daring raid on the legendary pirate stronghold of Moragena.

In the wake of a disastrous race day and a crushing loss, gambler Chick Crowley finds himself at rock bottom—until a strange pack of cigarettes from a vending machine triggers a surreal vision of his traumatic childhood. As he puffs on the unfamiliar smokes, the smoke coalesces into the image of a magnificent horse, Diablo, which he believes is real and may be his ticket to redemption. With the horse now in his room and his luck seemingly turning, Chick sets out to prove Diablo is a champion, unaware of the strange power the smoke rings may truly hold.

In a tale spanning centuries, a loyal dog saves the life of a French king during a hunt in 1392, only to be stuffed and mounted as a tribute after dying in battle. Two hundred years later, a second king faces peril from a mad dog, and once again a brave animal rushes to his aid—only to die, leading to a shocking discovery when the creature is preserved and displayed.