Lash LaRue Western #38

A young woman worries aloud about the dangers of slipping in the bath tub, shocking her companion with the statistic that thousands are injured or killed that way annually—only to realize with horror that she’s been taking that risk every year herself.

Lash LaRue arrives in Clearview Junction, a town eerily deserted due to a rumored epidemic of red rash. When the local doctor asks him to deliver blood samples to a medical center, Lash unknowingly rides past a hidden cabin where a trio of criminals plans to rob the town’s wealthiest men—using the epidemic as a cover to drug their victims. As he investigates gunshots and a suspiciously empty cabin, Lash begins to suspect the town’s quiet is not due to illness, but to something far more deliberate.

A young man named Molasses Mouth falls into a well, prompting concern from his companions who fear he’s been killed. Though he claims to be dead, he’s still able to speak — leading to confusion about whether he’s truly harmed or just stunned.

Dusty, the self-proclaimed Dancemaster, stuns the townsfolk with his outlandish claims of inventing wild new dances like the "Hydrophobia" and the "Elevator" — all while defending his skills with increasingly absurd boasts. When a local challenges his dancing prowess, Dusty’s over-the-top confidence leads to a showdown that ends with him getting knocked down — not by a rival, but by his own bravado.

In the aftermath of a stagecoach crash, Lash Lareue and his horse Rush investigate the scene, discovering clues that point to a robbery gone wrong. Meanwhile, a man recently released from jail is questioned about his past, while Lash uncovers a connection between the stagecoach accident and a theft at the general store.