Ken Maynard #5

A young man named Bird Brain has taken up farming, much to the amusement of his friend who arrives to check on him. When the visitor finds Bird Brain operating a steam roller over his potato field, he’s baffled—until Bird Brain explains he’s trying to grow mashed potatoes.

Ken Maynard follows the trail of a suspected outlaw, Tom Wayne, after a series of robberies plague the region, only to find the young man fleeing into a deadly, forbidden stretch of land known as the Badlands. As he presses on, Ken discovers Tom’s mysterious behavior may be tied to a hidden outlaw stronghold—its location unknown, its dangers uncharted—leaving the hero to face the strange and perilous terrain alone.

Following Tom Wayne through the treacherous Badlands, Ken Maynard navigates deadly traps and a valley swarming with vultures, only to discover the outlaw hideout disguised as a full-fledged town—Badman City—where crime is taught like a curriculum and even the sheriff is a wanted man. As he infiltrates the bizarre settlement, Ken uncovers shocking truths about its inhabitants, including a familiar face working under false pretenses.

Ken Maynard is captured by Wild Bull Bolton, the outlaw marshal of Badman City, and subjected to a series of brutal humiliations and mock trials by the bandits. As the town's sadistic games escalate, Ken must endure a ferocious fight against a caged wildcat and a deadly chase through the badlands, where he and his ally Tom Wayne face relentless pursuit and desperate traps.

In the humorous western tale "The Narrow Pass," Jeeter and his surprisingly articulate horse, Ya-Ta-Ta, find themselves blocked by a boastful stranger who refuses to move, claiming he’s waiting for a chocolate cake. When the man mocks the horse’s intelligence, Ya-Ta-Ta reveals a series of absurdly impossible claims—including a barn a mile long and half an inch wide—before Jeeter delivers a surprisingly effective punch that settles the matter.

Sassy Sam tricks Marney into answering a silly riddle, teasing him for not knowing the difference between a lemon and a head of cabbage, leaving Marney flustered and the joke on him. The humor comes from the lighthearted banter and Marney’s confusion, with Sassy Sam clearly enjoying the moment.