Outlaws of the West #24

A gunslinger called Buck arrives in Paradise, a peaceful Quaker town where violence has no place, and he's drawn to shed his violent past—until outlaws threaten everything he's come to love. When the town's traditional steps of reasoning and courage prove insufficient against the Ferris Gang, Buck must choose between the man he's tried to become and the man he really is. "The Third Step" explores what happens when a man of violence seeks refuge in a world that demands peace.

When Sheriff Sam Blake refuses to resign despite pressure from Trailtown's citizens, he's given two days to prove he still has what it takes—and the Bishop Gang's latest bank robbery becomes his chance. A seemingly gentle school teacher named Venner may hold the key to stopping the outlaws, but Sam will need every ounce of his experience and instinct to prove that wearing a lawman's badge requires a rare and enduring breed of character.

A wanderer on vacation stumbles into Disaster Valley and runs afoul of its ruthless master, Lin Cantrell, who rules the remote territory like a tyrant—and is currently hunting a young couple who dared to defy his will. Caught between Cantrell's iron grip and the fugitives' desperate plea for help, the stranger must decide whether to risk everything to help them escape the valley's guarded passes.

The Cheyenne Kid races to an Indian encampment caught in the grip of Head-That-Hits-the-Sky, a massive warrior bent on rekindling warfare against the settlers—and when the Kid is captured with an injured ankle, he's forced into a desperate wrestling match where losing means death. Outnumbered and wounded, the Cheyenne Kid must outthink his gigantic opponent or watch the cycle of violence continue. Can cleverness overcome raw strength?