"• WBZ£: . A Q~o MTBR /w. /o amy iof THE MYSTERY OF RAINBOW VALLEY by Robert Peterson TRUTH is stranger than fiction, but this true story is even stranger than Truth! To this day, it remains the most incredible story in the history of the old West. It would be a legend now, rather than an authentic case, had it not been that the government authorities of Arizona put it all down in the records. Tex Rafferty is the hero of this bit of history, but unlike most Western heroes, he was on the wrong end of the bar. Instead of being a grim, quiet, two-gun fighting man, he was an amiable, talkative bartender. He was tending bar in George Hand's saloon in Tucson, Arizona, when a stranger walked in. Raf- ferty greeted him with a smile. "What'll it be, sir?" The stranger, tall, thin and young, looked apolo- getic. "I don't drink," he said. "I just want some information." "That's all right," grinned Rafferty. "We serve that, too. I hope I've got your brand in stock so I can help you." "I'm Jeremiah Hodges, sir, from Kansas City, and a stranger in these parts. Do you know of a place called Rainbow Valley?" "Rainbow Valley?" Rafferty rubbed his chin. I've never been there myself, but I've heard of it. It's northwest of here, near Buckeye." "Thanks. Is there a stage connection, or do I have to ride?" "Ride. When you gel lo Buckeye, you won't have any trouble getting directions to Rainbow Valley. But why any man in his right mind would want to go there, beats me." Jeremiah Hodges paled and stared at him strangely. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "No offense meant," said Rafferty. "It's just that there ain't nothing there except a little settlement, and a lot of desert full of coyotes and rattlesnakes." "I thought maybe there was a lunatic asylum there. ..." It was Rafferty 's turn to look curious. "A lunatic asylum?" "It's my brother, George," explained Hodges. "He's living there, and his letters have been sound- ing crazier and crazier. I came West to find out what was wrong with him." Rafferty rubbed his jaw again. "Say, that's a co- incidence. A friend of mine named DePew went up there about six months ago, and I ran into him here in town last week. What a change! He's only about thirty, but looked sixty — he'd brown a beard BUSTER CRABBE, No. 10 May, 1953 Publisl N. Y. Copyii s hi_l'-|\!._hy "Busier Crabbe Enterprises.' Slrrcl. HO. Li i-m Co! ,. I'm] IN U.S.A. and all his hair had turned white. And when I tried to talk to him, he brushed me off, telling me to mind my own business. I thought he'd gone crazy." Hodges gaped open-mouthed at the bartender. Then he dug a crumpled letter out of his pocket and slid it across the bar. "Read this," he said. Rafferty read it aloud. "Dear Jim, I have not written you for fifty years and you must think I've forgotten you. It is just that I have been very busy. The world in which I live is wonderful. I cannot tell you about my life except that we work very little, for we do not discuss our affairs with persons living in your sphere. I wish you could come and live as I am living, for all eternity. We are thousands of years ahead of you and the people in the world, and we know what is going to hap- pen to you tomorrow and all the rest of your days, we of this world already have lived far beyond your time. Tomorrow is my birthday and I will be 8,760 years old. Your brother George." Rafferty let out a low whistle, and handed the letter back. "Wow!" is all he said. "So now you know why I have to get to Rainbow Valley." "Yeah. I'd sure appreciate it if you'd let me know what's going on up there." "I'll be back," promised Hodges. "And I'll tell you all about it," Hodges came back, but not for several months later, by which time Rafferty's curiosity had abated and the incident all but faded from his memory. He came back, his face brown and crinkled like parchment, and with a three-inch beard as white as his snow white hair. It was a dark night and a strong wind was blow- ing up the dust and sand of Tucson to further erase visibility. Rafferty was crossing the street when he bumped into him. "Excuse me," he said. "1 didn't see you. Danged dust is enough to blind a man — " Then as he looked at him, he gasped, and grabbed the man's arm. "You're the fellow from Kansas! The fellow who showed me that letter! You're Hodges!" The man tried to pull away from him, but Raf- ferty held fast. "You've grown old.' Your hair's turned while! What's happened to you?" "I can tell you nothing," said Hodges, yanking away. He hurried off. Rafferty started after him, but the wind whipped across his face and blinded him with biting sand. By the time. he'd wiped his smarting eyes, Hodges was nowhere in sight. My by Fmiuus Funnies Publ La lions. 50u Fifth Ave... Nor Yort m S'. Hum::;!— hoialin. PliiUii-li-riu. "t San Fr": 4 by The Ciirtfss Way BUSTER CRABBE.U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING CHAMPION, KEPRESENTS THE UNITED STATES AT THE PAN AMERICAN MEET IN RIO DE JANEIRO — -BUT HE MEETS TOUCHER COMPETITION THAT HE BARGAINED FOR, AND FINDS THAT THE RACE IS 7kfm S ISA MOST yW/W OCCASION? J WAS AFRAID I '0 HAVE TO LOSE WORITA ROBERTS TO THE ROARER, BUT NOW I CAN KEEP HER/ H E ROARER 15 BUT A VAGUE MYTH TO EVERV HITE MAN EXCEPT MYSELF/ I MUST SHOW YOU HOVi REAL THE CREATURE IS.' Busfer is brought lo the edge ofadeeppitand there.. GREEN APE— "\THE MYSTERIOUS MENACE A 6IANT 60fllLLAf\ OF THE MATTO SROSSOf INVISIBLE IN THE GREEN JUNGLE f BECAUSE I CAUGHT ,\ V HIM, THE NATIVES MADE ME The two champion swimmers race through the deadly Water — a race against death... At the Pentagon office of the Projects Commis- tioner... | MR. CRABBE, 1 KNOW YOU'R WONDERING WHY FEDERAL ' AGENTS ROUSED YOU IN T MIODLE OF THE NIGHT AND J FLEW YOU HERE IN AN BEFORE I EXPLAIN, MUST W W I'M ALWAYS KNOW IF YOU ABE WILLING -<7 7 WILLING TC TO DO A JOB OF TOP IPO«- " SERVE MY TANCE TO THE UNITED STATES. J L COUNTRY. ^^f I'I I s af*wK tlSSiiikm '"' f Sflk^BtJ^RI a '} I $j fi R^PJHEVV^l'V jyL/ ffi '■jam -.■■■' :■ .. . ■ ■<, I'i r TOO.MUSTBE CONSIDERED SUSPECT UNTIL WE'VE CAUGHT THE GUILTY MAN, SO EVEN THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE KEPT IGNORANT OF DEVELOPMENTS UNTIL THE EXPEDITION 3 THERE IS A SECRETARY AND AN ASSISTANT WHO MIGHT POSSIBLY BE THE SPY, BUT NEITHER SHOULD HAVE HAD ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION THAT LEAKED. YOI KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THEM TOO.' WHISKERS, YOU 'RE i ^YOU AIN'T GOING TO EARN ' goin' YOUR KEEP FOR . TO WORK A CHANGE.' A A MAN DURIN HIS LUNCH , HOUR IKy] -Willi L ARE YUH n fbll Wr I' ALL THOSE REWARDS YOU TURNED DOWN, YUH DANG- FOOL IDIOT— WE COULD'VE M BEEN FIXED FER LIFE/ BUT NO, GIVE IT ALL TO CHARITY BIG SHOT, AN' STICK THIS PREDICAMENT/ WTW 'V if |&,^/;. /Uiiliv^ 1 And so, the next day... [ ,^/j^gggg J ii|,.. l .H'i:iiijri l u!» lEBHSiEIESa I M ' M ' i'H. ' u nffcfl WH. 'ii .wn i . * 4f: " Buster searched everyone, but there was no gun—and when he examined the body. . . HERE'S NO WOUND. ^ I HEAROA SHOT, AND THE Course I never thought of fighting fer money till one day a carnival come to town an'. . . tOO DOLLARS TO ANY MAN.WOMAN OR CHILD WHO STAY 3 ROUNDS V MURPHY THE MONTANA MURDERER t * AN' YOU WON THE 100 BUCKS. OKAY, NOW LET'S TALK 'BOUT SOMETHIN" ELSE — LIKE THE TRUTH ™-HA-HA?THEY SHORE GOT THE BEST OF YOU THAT IME. FtRST TIME YUM EVER ADMITTED BEING C SMARTED '. :m UH, EXCUSE ME, BUT AIN'T THAT BELL A MITE OVER- DUE? IT'S BEEN TEN MINUTES SINCE THIS THIRD ROU STARTED '. Reckon that wuz th longest roundj in 1h' history of boxin' It went on fer hours... HEY MISTER? WHEN YUH \$ COIN' TO RING THAT -*rf'1 BELL? I KIN HARDLY |; , KEEP MY EYES OPEN .. J Before my loid some with rosin. fight, I sneaked into the arena a own near one corner an' covered it i I got my opponent to steptfi Yup, I wuz usin my head now,on' not Just 'my fists? I'M here to do you a FAVOR MY CONSCIENCE'S BEEN BOTHER- ING ME 'BOUT TAKIN - SUCH UNFAIR ADVANTAGE OF YOU BYflGHTIN' YUH EVEN< HERE, USE THESE SOLID CAST IRON GLOVES The champ swung a few at and then his arms got so tired from them 50 lb gloves, he couldn't even lift them,. . mm* A revolver -butt to the head silences the terri- fied girl. She is swiftly stropped to a horse ond carried off into the night. Sound travels far in the night... end two ders have heard her cry... COME ON, WHISKERS, WE'RE GOING FOR A RIDE. THERE'S A TROUT STREAM TEN MILES FROM HERE WANT TO INVESTIGATE F YOU OON'T WANT EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY BROKEN, YOU'D BETTER TELL ME WHERE, YOU'VE GOT THE GIRLf Rafferty ' didn't sleep that night. And in the morning decided he could never sleep again until he found out what it was that made men grow old in Rainbow Valley. Rafferty soon discovered to his astonishment that Rainbow Valley was just another Arizona settlement. It was exactly like any other village of the same size, populated by the same kind of people, some tame, some wild, but all normal. It was the local postmaster who provided the first clue. "Hodges? DePew? Never heard of them. But if they're old and white-haired they may be with that Carlin fellow. He has a mail box here and sometimes the old geezers come and get the mail. They're a queer bunch. Won't talk to nobody." Rafferty picked up more information, but not very much. "It's some kind of religious sect," one citizen told him. "Leastwise I think it is." Another: "Carlin. John Philip Carlin, his name is.' A young, tall fellow, with a gift of gab like you never heard. Some kind of a philosopher, or preacher, or something." But where was Carlin's place? No one knew. Somewhere in the hills east of the valley. Up Waterman Wash, or in the Maricopa Mountains. No one knew for sure. But it was somewhere. Rafferty mounted his. horse and rode up into the hills. He searched aimlessly for many hours before he came upori a smaller valley nestled in the high hills where he sighted a group of adobe dwellings .built dose together. He tied his horse to a tree and walked into the little settlement. Four Indian women ran when they saw him, but two white-haired old men standing outside a hut watched him approach without in- terest. Two more "old" men emerg.d from a door- way, arid they too stood and gazed vacantly at the newcomer. "Howdy," said Rafferty. "I got tost in the hills and thought I'd never find my way out.' Sure is a relief to see folks again." The "old" men said nothing. Rafferty noticed an amazing thing, for the men wore nothing but trousers. Only their faces were old. Their bodies were muscular, tanned, and young. They had aged only from the neck up. Then John Philip Carlin appeared. He wore a shirt and shoes as well as trousers, and a shaven ■ face. "Who are you?" he demanded, "I'm John Smith of Gila Bend," said Rafferty. He explained that his horse had thrown him and run off, leaving him afoot. Carlin snapped his fingers, and an Indian girl appeared, leading Rafferty's horse by the reins. "Would you care to change your story?" asked Carlin. Rafferty did. He said he'd really come to look up an old friend by the name of DePew. ' He also knew a Mr. Hodges. Hodges was produced, but DePew had disap- peared months ago. Hodges admitted that he'd met. Rafferty, but insisted he'd never invited him to come visit. Itchy things were crawling up and down Rafferty's flesh, when Carlin suddenly grinned and said, "Well, never mind. All men are wel- come here. It is suppertime, and we are delighted to have you'for our guest." ■ The food was good, but the coffee was horrible — so were all the people there except Carlin and the Mexican servant girls. Unlike the "old" men, Car- lin talked to him, and the girls, although silent, at least looked young and alive. After forcing down the queer- tasting coffee, all Rafferty wanted to do was sleep. He slept a long, long time. When he woke up the next morning, he didn't really wake up. He just got up and walked in his sleep. As though in a dream, he listened to Carlin tell him about the new life and the greater world. He was so convinced, that he didn't hesitate to sign the necessary papers to transfer the money in his bank account over to Carlin. Time was different here, each day was a year, and so the. faithful had to try to look their age. Exposing the face to the sun all day long, and dying the growing hair white helped considerably. So did writing letters to one's friends and family soliciting money. Rafferty spent a few months in this happy state, when gradually his senses returned and he came out of it. The Indian cook, a young lady named Mary, had quietly neglected to flavor his coffee with a certain powder called for in the Carlin recipe. She did so because she was fed up with Carlin's racket and figured that Rafferty was the man who could and would cook his goose for him if given the chance. She figured right. Rafferty sneaked off one night and came back the next morning with the law. Despite many "missing" converts, Carlin pleaded innocent on the grounds of religious freedom. The followers who had joined his religious sect had voluntarily parted with their money, for the good cause. He might have gotten away with it if it hadn't been that the Indian and Mexican girl servants verified Rafft-rty's testimony. But the mysterious drug was never found, so Carlin got off onM charge of embezzlement. After serving less than half of an eighteen month sen- tence, he was deported to his native England. His victims recovered slowly, haunted by a gnaw* . ing hunger that was finally satisfied by sheer neglect. To this day, medical science cannot account for the mysterious drug used to stupify the victims of Carlin's profitable scheme. But it was learned that Carlin had spend many years in India before coming to the Uniled States. India was then, 3s it still is today, a land of mystery and magic. , JtitU&ifL, pall Win Some of these 100 Silver Anniversary Prizes! ■ I just won MOO. and this 15" tall Silver Trophy I I just won this $ 1,000,000 Body and a Gold Medal > You Can Win All These f _ ** — __.__. V ' I GAINED N — v AA IRC OF HANDSOME \ WW kl»». HARD-HITTING muscles;, CHESTED MLmiLlllU WAS ME A FEW SHOR T WEEKS AGO NO! friend you don't have to be SKINNY any more. 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