Monte Hale Western #49

Monte Hale stumbles into a tense standoff between a sheriff and a man claiming to be a tally man from the Circle Dot Spread, only to be captured and tied up with the real tally man by a gang of rustlers. As the gang prepares to use a hidden explosive to kill their prisoners, Monte devises a plan to escape and expose their scheme before the stolen herds are driven away.

When the Amazing Howdidee arrives at the Bar Nothing Ranch, Foreman Gabby Hayes is quick to dismiss him as a fraud—especially after the fortune teller’s antics upset Aunt Hester, who’s eager to hear her fortune. That night, Gabby’s lasso seems to take on a life of its own, and when Howdidee returns, Gabby realizes the magician’s “curse” may have been a clever ruse all along.

Monte Hale arrives in town to find the region plagued by a series of robberies committed by outlaws who vanish without a trace—only to reappear days later, always near Tombstone Prison. When the sheriff reveals that the gang’s leader looks exactly like Cleaver McCabe, who’s supposedly locked in a cell, Monte begins to suspect a secret escape route tied to the prison’s cemetery detail. As the outlaws return to their cells after each crime, Monte pieces together the truth: the gang uses a hidden tunnel beneath the prison cemetery to vanish and reappear, turning the jail itself into their perfect hiding place.

Betsy sets the table for dinner, including an extra place for Mr. Fowler, who’s invited to eat with the family. When he arrives, Betsy forgets to put a knife and fork at his place, leading to a humorous moment when she’s questioned about it—especially after she admits she didn’t think he’d need them, since she heard he eats like a horse.

Cherokee Joe, a trusted Indian trapper, has finally gathered enough furs to save his starving tribe, but his hard-earned stash is threatened when outlaw Crisp Dawson and his gang ambush him. With his friend Monte Hale weakened and captured, Cherokee Joe must rely on their shared survival skills to track the outlaws through treacherous terrain and outwit their plans.

A traveling stranger, Old Slick, arrives in a dusty Western town and demands answers from Red Ryder, a local cowboy, about the town's notable residents. When Old Slick asks if many great men were born there, Red Ryder delivers a deadpan punchline that leaves the visitor stunned—only babies are born in this town.