A Fawcett Publication

PUT MORE OPPORTUNITY
IN YOUR FUTURE!

Open Range
Treeze-Out

WjoWMEM AGAINST NESTERS! Such were the battle lines that were drawn when the
Homestead Act of 1862 opened the vast prairies of the West to settlement by
farmers! The cowmen fiercely resented the approach of these "nesters" and stopped
at nothing to bar their path ROD CAMERON, free wheeling, gun-slinging
Knight of the Saddle, strives to bring justice to both sides as he plunges into

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

As Rod Cameron, .

trouble ■

Knight of The. Saddle ,:
open range...

! h om^comBO

■■ ANYTIME!

LOOK! another \it's high time^

PASSEt Of NESTERS \WE RAN THOSE
COEtlNC TO CLUTTER^CLODHOPPERS

BOSS?

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

'drop those guns and

VAMOOSE... BEFORE X r
' CHANGE MY MINP ANP ^
VENTILATE SOME OF J

(OUCH! t

MV GUNS! |

l, '/ike.'?

TRACKS OUT OF HERE PRONTO!
” THAT JASPER'S PLUMB j-r'

UNCANNY WITH A I i

SIX-GUN. 1 Y

/ OF WHAT NE5TSRS ARE I

WE SAW THOSE POLECATS ■

IT'S YOUR VhE'SWGHT.'
FAULT FOR WE'LL PUT UP ,
ALLOWING WIRE FENCES

THEM TO!

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

'Natch and tempers flare:

BUT WHAT!

STAMPEDING RIGHT THROUGH THE HESTERS
AND THEIR FIELDS/ THEY'LL TRAMPLE
V 7«f FENCES AND THE CROPS .

INTO A MASH! ,—ft
( LET'S GO! / -

' IOOK! the i

A sJtorf
■While

THERE THEY GO! ^
NOTHING ON EARTH'LL
_ STOP THEM! .
f GOODBYE, . /

V NESTERS! E j

X'/M RIDING OUT TO

MEET THAT "BUSTER "
—X //£*£> O/V.' ,_-

IS WAX COMING

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

HOORAY FOR ROD
CAMERON! HE j
~7 MADE IT!

WHOA, WAR PAINT, OLD SCOUT / THOSE
MAVERICKS ARE HEADING BACK TOWARD
^TWE RANGE THEY CAME FROM NOWl

BANG/

-VANG}

nothing:

TO SEE TO'
—* THAT!

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

HOLD HIMi

WHEW! I'D SOONER WRESTLE X/PICKHIA
WITH A GULLY FULL OF MOUNTAIN before

[GOT HIM!

THIS TIME, THEIR ,
GOOSE IS COOKED '
MID SO IS YOURS!

gophers; miuiohs

OF THEM! I AIM TO +
SENO A PLAGUE OP THEM
AGAINST THE HESTERS.'

HE'S STARTING
TO COME OUT

REALLY?

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

GETTING under war paint's

'faster. WARPAINT. 1

VARMINTS TO THE NESTER;

FIELDS WITH PLENTY
■— r OF SPACE <

( TO spare! )

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

THERE GOES THE SUN BEHIND THAT
SNOWCLOUD. BRRR! THAT
WIND FEELS MIGHTY COLD/BB

-BUZZARD |GOPHERS// CROPS
[HEAPING /NO TIME \ LIVES
/THIS WAY, ] FOR TALK.' ) ON /7

I'lL EAT ) START < let thi
IT/ GETTING \ BEt
_V TOUR CROPS ,

1ML. in... pronto!JS n |

getting rid of
that danged -<

GOPHER PLAGUE,
rr STRANGER/ A

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

WHEW! THE STORM I S ) I'M PLUMP EXHAUSTED

GETTING WORSE BY THE FROM BUCKING THAT
MOMENT/ DROP YOUR LOADS ^ STORM ALREADY

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

'SEE THAT YOU START/
i SOME OF IT/

__ SAVVYT

OWWJ') (WHUFF!Y OUCH!

I MAVERICKS/

Know fork your broncs

r AND POINT THEM TOWARD
THE NESTERS' SETTLEMENT,

HIND LEGS AND MAKE
TRACKS TOWARD THA'

I LOSE MY'^AlLRIGHT!
TEMPER / / DON'T HIT US

v__ AGAIN' WE

\J V QUIT/ y

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WE5TERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

COWMEN HAVE SEEN LO
F EXTRA FEED ANP YOU I

'put 'er there, nester l

I RECKON THERE'S PLENTY OF
ROOM HERE ON THE RANGE FOR
COWMAN AND NESTER ^

cowman:

SHAKE!

WHY COULDN'T

X HAVE
lTHOUGHT OF
THAT TO SAY

FIRST?/

50 LONG,
FOLKS ANP
. BE GOOD../

TO EACH
OTHER!

RIGHT!

ROD CAMERON \yESTERN

E DESERT RATS

I T HAD been a long, hard forty years for
Smoky Marsh and his partner Flapjack.
Together the two old prospectors had covered
square acre of likefy territory in six West-
ates. For forty years they had scraped and
starved and somehow continued their search.
At last, in a remote corner of the Sierra Nevadas,
spot they had passed at least three times
before, they struck it rich!

Rich? It was fabulous. A tiny outcropping of
brightly colored rock that crumbled away as
they swung their picks, and opened up to a
solid base of almost pure gold ore. Together
Smoky and Flapjack dug and loaded sacks, until
Sarah, their pack mule, was laden with as much
as she could carry.

Then they set out for Gloversville—the near-

As they tramped along, one on either side of
the almost-staggering Sarah, the two old pros¬
pectors chortled their jubilation.

“Mansions! Banquets! Fine clothes!” dream¬
ed Smoky Marsh aloud. “Flapjack when we get
back to civilization, I’m entering society. I’ll
build a big house in California and entertain all
the swells! And—and you can come, too!”

“Thanks,” said his partner dryly. “As for me,
I’m putting it all in the savings bank. And then
I’m going to get a chair, sit outside the bank
with a shotgun, and watch the interest grow—

just like a cornfield. Be pleasant, I reckon_”

Through the day the desert rats and their
pack mule moved slowly across the mountain
slope. Then, as they reached level ground,
Smoky’s, gnarled hand pointed out the trail that
lay ahead.

“Follow that, son,” he said, “and well be in
Gloversville by the end of the week. Folks won’t
believe it at first, but when they see the load
of goldx>ld Sarah’s carrying, they’ll have tol”

through the desert

The two prospectors turned as one, 'there,
standing by the side of the trail, next to a giant
boulder, was a tall man with a gun in his hand.
The gun was a double-barreled shotgun, and it
was pointed straight at Smoky and Flapjack.
The man’s jaw was grim and covered with a
three day’s stubble.

“Load of gold,” the man said again, this time

“I

boulder with my horse, ever since I saw you
a mile away, coming down the slope.”

With sudden, decisive steps, he walked over
to the pack mule’s side. His fingers clawed at
the top of one of the sacks on her back. Open¬
ing it, his hand went in and came out, holding
a palmful of gleaming golden nuggets. Quickly,
unbelievingly, his hand explored the other sacks.

“Full! All full!” he grunted. “I—I never saw
anything like it! Must be worth-”

His words cut off short, and he swung the
shotgun in a menacing arc!

Smoky Marsh and Flapjack each moved back
a cautious step. “Listen, Mister,” said Smoky in
an almost pleading voice. “We looked for this
bonanza for forty years. Flapjack and me, we
just about dug our lives out to find it—and now
that we’ve got it» nobody’s taking it away!

“Do you understand that,” he said, with his
hand gripping the sawed-off pick-ax that always
hung at his side. “Nobody’s taking it from us!”

The big man with the gun did not move, but
deep-cut lines of anger suddenly appeared on
either side of his mouth. Then he spoke.

“Since you’ve told me your life history, Mis¬
ter, I’ll tell you mine. Been in jail six times.

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

Killed two men. Been hunted just about every¬
where you can name. A short time ago I robbed
a bank—shot the teller and another guard. Don't
know for sure, but if they died, too, that makes

He stepped forward a pace, and his broad
hand gripped the mule's halter

“There's a posse after me,” he said. “Maybe
half a day behind. But I’m taking your mule—
and the gold on her back—and I'm heading for
Mexico. When I get across the border I’ll be
safe, and neither you nor a dozen old desert
rats can stop me!”

S MOKY MARSH’S face went white! Then,
with a choking cry, the old prospector sud¬
denly gripped the pick-ax and, swinging it high,
lunged at the outlaw. But. even as Smoky went
forv/ard, the badman stepped aside. Deftly, he
avoided the prospector’s attack—and slammed

the butt of his shotgun di

,s shoulder.

Smoky staggered, but whirled about gamely,
ready to try again.

This time the younger, bigger man slammed
his gun down hard, grazing the prospector’s

Groaning, Smoky Marsh slumped to the
ground.

Immediately, the outlaw turned his gun to
bear on Flapjack, who had made a move toward
a shovel on the mule’s back!

“Get back,” he commanded.

When Flapjack moved back, the badman gave

“He’s picketed behind that big boulder. Get
him—and hurry!”

Obediently, Flapjack turned away, and went
behind the boulder. He was out of sight for
several moments, and the badman stirred im¬
patiently. Then he came out again, leading a
big bay horse.

The outlaw mounted the horse, and took the
mule’s halter in his hand.

“What took you so long,” he asked.

“I—I couldn’t undo the rope,” Flapjack an¬
swered. “Nervous^ I g-guess.”

The big man laughed once, contemptuously.
Then, raking the bay with his spurs, he wheeled
away, with Sarah following.

When he was fully out of sight, Smoky Marsh
raised himself on one elbow, still rubbing his
head.

"What a pal you are!” he said. “Flapjack,
here I practically give my life, to save our haul,
and you obey his orders like a tame pussycat.
Flapjack, you’re nothing but a no-account—” •

But Flapjack shook his head, and a smile was
on his old lips.

Suddenly, he held out his hand, palm up. In
it were several long, twisted nails.

“See these?” he asked. “Recognize them?”

Smoky Marsh was bewildered. “They’re nails.
Nails from a horse’s hoof. But—but where’d
they come from? I don’t understand.”

F LAPJACK grinned again. “When I went'
behind the boulder to get his horse, I took
a little extra time. I also took four or five nails
from each of that horse’s hoofs. Before L ever
met you, I was a, blacksniitll, Smoky. Still comes
easy. Anyway,” he chuckled, “in a couple of
miles, the rest of the nails on that horse will
come loose, and his shoes are going to start
coming off. When that happens, he won’t travel
anymore. That outlaw’s going to be left with¬
out transportation—in a mighty mean spot!”
Smoky’s eyes were wide with triumph.
“Then—then the posse’ll follow him . . . and
catch him . . . sure as blazes! He can’t get
away! We’U get our gold back—plus, maybe, a
retvard 1”

Flapjack nodded.

“That’s right,” he said. “Now who’s a no-

“Stop!” interrupted Smoky. “I take it all
back! And Flapjack, I just wanted to tell you,
when I build my big mansion out in California,;
you’re welcome to come and visit after all! But
remember. I’ll be high society. You’ll have to
shave—at least once a month 1”

THE END

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

/WMAT y~^s
HAPPENED

XHVAKf?

r rris 6oinstuh’

Be SOME JOS
cleaning UP, /
LtHiS MESS//

^WHAT ^

HAPPENEP? -
^ WHY YUH

yore worries/ YUH ^

> ALSO THREW HOTS OF
STUFF OUT OF THE ,
w WlNPOW/ HALF THE <
f TOWN& CWNSTAIKS
^ WAITINS TO TAtS YOUR
( SHERIFFS BABES AN[P

VfHROW VOU CUTYATOtVN.

WAITING BELOW/ ]
l VtJH id the /

\STATION/ A

THE SAFEST THINS FBK
.YUH TO VO IS CL.IMS .
> OUT THAT WINPOW, X*
J SO THSOUSH THE
V BACR WAY AMO
3 CATCH THE FIRST >
BfcTRAIN OUTTA TOWN/ J

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

HEY, HOOHEAD '

HARRY WILL
YUH MIWPMUH,
STORE FER ^
AWHILE?I JP
HAVE TJH
RIPE OUT
TUH JESS
BEWTON'S MT\
ranch; y

YUH'LL KMC
HOW TUH
WAlTOM Al
ONE WHO
COMES IN,,

ONLY ONE/

JAf0M3O

3SiaT8

--ANP ORDERED ME TUH PUTMUH HANDS
UP WHILE THEY TOOK YORE SAFE!J -

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

ROD CAMERON WESTERN

THE

ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

TEEN TITANS

titansfan scan
d miles edit

Teen Titans copyright ol DC Comics