Lash LaRue Western #40

In the quiet of the night, a group of rustlers plans to steal cattle from Tompkins Ranch, unaware that Lash LaRue, hidden inside a potato sack carried by the stagecoach, is already on the scene. As the rustlers move in, Lash uses his wits and the bullwhip to disrupt their plans, uncovering a deeper conspiracy involving a traitorous hand among the ranch’s own. The story builds toward a tense confrontation, with Lash determined to stop the rustling before the cattle are driven away.

Wagonwheels enters the county track meet, initially signing up for the hundred-yard dash before deciding to switch to the five-mile run—claiming he’ll be happier in the long run. Trader Tom struggles to wrap Swiss cheese, quipping he can’t wrap up three holes, leading to a humorous moment of confusion.

Dusty is handed a stack of bills from townspeople demanding payment from their employer, Mr. Holt, who’s fallen on hard times. After reviewing the debts, Mr. Holt instructs Dusty to promise each creditor a portion of what they’re owed—then surprises him by telling Dusty to promise something to himself, leaving the nature of that promise unknown.

Big Bow worries he’s not smart, but Little Arrow insists the real issue is his brain being "too tense"—and reveals it’s only two-tenths the size of a normal brain. Meanwhile, Molasses Mouth is unimpressed by his grandfather’s 100th birthday celebration, quipping that the old man hasn’t done much besides grow old.

When the roving marshal Lash Larue arrives in Cedar Rapids, he’s tasked with delivering a new will to rancher Jed Lawrence—but the lawyer who was supposed to bring it has vanished, and the rancher’s nephew Herky is acting suspiciously. As tensions rise and a series of staged accidents point to murder, Lash must unravel a web of deceit before someone else ends up dead.