Outlaws of the West #14

A man haunted by guilt finds his tormentor's presence unbearable in "The Truth About Fleet Elk." Years ago, a trading post keeper's violent confrontation with a Shoshone trader ended in tragedy, and now the victim's father, Black Cloud, has kept a silent vigil nearby—a constant reminder of the crime he believes he's committed. Saunders' conscience finally cracks under the weight of those unwavering eyes.

A Confederate major turned settler, Reed Tuttle arrives in the West with his family's pooled fortune to buy land—only to discover that the charming land agent Murray Smith runs a con that's fleeced a dozen honest pilgrims before him. When Smith's gang tries to ambush Tuttle for his bankroll, they discover their "lamb" has teeth and the grit of a soldier who won't go down without a fight. Tuttle takes matters into his own hands to reckon with Smith and his outfit, proving that sometimes the meekest-looking stranger is the one you should fear most.

When masked gunmen strike down old prospector Cal Roman in the night, Marshal Jed Curtiss suspects the killers came for his gold—but he needs proof to make an arrest. Playing a calculated hunch, Curtiss stages an elaborate scheme using the dead man's own hidden defenses, deliberately leaving a trail of gold dust for the real murderers to follow and trap themselves.

Jed Thompson is a pint-sized gunslinger with a chip on his shoulder the size of a canyon, forever picking fights with men twice his size in a lawless frontier town. When a traveling circus rolls into town with some unexpected visitors—including a man even taller than the cowhands Jed usually tangles with—the ornery runt finally meets his match, though not in the way he expects. It's a tale about a man learning that true size has nothing to do with how tall you stand.

A young cattle handler named Slim Thompson sets out alone to recover the $5,000 that Bart Walton's outlaw gang stole from him, tracking the hardened criminals across the frontier to a remote frontier town. When Slim finally catches up to Walton at the gambling tables, the showdown he's been waiting for arrives—but the outcome depends on whether the townspeople will let a lone young man face down an entire gang. What unfolds is a test of courage and character in a raw land where the only law is what decent folk are willing to stand up for.

Casey Brandt arrives in the tense town of Baldwin as a Winchester rifle salesman, only to find himself caught between two feuding factions—honest ranchers led by Dad Wheeler and a ruthless outfit headed by Buff Gerber who steal his weapons to settle their dispute. When Gerber's gang takes the rifles, Brandt pursues them across the range, using his expertise with the Winchester to turn the tide against the rustlers and protect Wheeler's men.

Deputy Sheriff Clint Weston grows suspicious when a smooth-talking stranger named Charles Wickler rolls into town with deep pockets and an air of danger—despite his refined appearance, something about the man's movements and cold stare puts the lawman on high alert. When a local rancher is bushwhacked and Wickler's story begins to unravel, Weston sets a trap, betting that the stranger's true nature will force him to make a fatal mistake. A tense showdown reveals whether the deputy's instincts about the wicked stranger are correct.

A mysterious stranger with a fearsome reputation rides into the outlaw town of Cactus Creek, where gun-hawks and thieves rule by the law of the fastest draw. The townsfolk tremble at the sight of his gun—notched with twenty-four marks—but discover he's far more than the legend suggests. "Gunslinger" reveals what happens when appearance and reality collide in the Wild West.

Davy Crockett spins a tall tale about killing his first bear—though the young listener soon discovers that the legendary frontiersman's timeline keeps shifting with each new detail of the story. As Davy weaves his way through increasingly outlandish claims, the boy (and the audience) get a lesson in how the great man bends the truth to suit the moment. It's a playful romp through frontier folklore that reminds us why tall tales are meant to entertain more than inform.