By Clement Good B OY. if you intend to live long in this here territory, you’ll sure have to start toting some firearms. Now I’ve got an old horse pistol I can let you have and . . The young doctor interrupted. “No, I don’t intend to carry a gun. My job is to heal peo¬ ple, not to hurt them!” A grunt came from the older doctor. “I’m not saying you should hurt anybody. But you’ve got to protect yourself. If you carry a pistol only for show, it’ll keep a heap of cowardly coyotes from jumping you.” The older man wiped a crumb from his goatee, then called, “Marthy, bring in some more sandwiches. The young doc’s had a long trip and he’s right hungry!” The two men were having a snack in old Doc Trimble’s office. Doc Trimble had met young Dr. Feller less than an hour before, when the latter arrived from the east on the High Noon stage. Doc Trimble was delighted to welcome the young man, fresh out of medical school and interneship, as a partner. The town of Bent Arrow had grown so fast there was entirely too much practise for one physician. Besides, Doc Trimble had reached an age where the long hours and hard work made his old bones Martha Jones, the smiling, middle-aged housekeeper, came in with a big tray of sand¬ wiches and the two men fell to eating them in silence for awhile. Finally the older man broke the silence. "I think you and me can get along fine, my boy. I like your medical school record and I like your clean-cut appearance. Yessir, just as I wrote to you, there’s great opportunity here for a young man. Bent Arrow will be a great city one day and you’re in on the ground floor so to speak. Now I don’t aim to be bossy and I wouldn’t tell you to do anything that’s against your heart and conscience. But I do urge you to carry a gun if only to protect your valuables.” "What valuables?” snorted Feller. “I’m wear¬ ing all the clothes I own, I’ve got no jewelry, and I used up all my money to pay my stage fare out here!” Doc Trimble stroked his white whiskers. kit.” “Oh, sure, I’ve got a watch,” grinned Feller, reaching into his vest pocket. “And it’s real valuable—to me. That’s because it was handed down to me from my father. But I don’t think it would be worth much in a pawn shop. Take a look at it.” He handed the timepiece over to Doc Trim¬ ble. “Land o’ Goshen!” exclaimed the latter. "This is the biggest watch I ever saw. Does she keep good time?” “Yes, that’s one thing I’ll say for it. Never gains or loses a second.” Doc Trimble examined the watch silently for a moment, looked at the inscription on the back, and listened. Finally he exclaimed, “By George, this watch doesn’t tick—she thumps. Sounds like there might be a midget inside beating a small bass drum.” Chuckling, young Feller responded, “That describes it all right. Don’t reckon even a holdup man would want a watch like that!” “Don’t be too sure about that,” growled the older physician. “Some of the bad hombres hereabouts would steal anything down to and including a bent horseshoe nail.” But Dr. Feller was stubborn. He had made up his mind that he wouldn’t carry a weapon, no matter how wild the frontier town of Bent Arrow turned out to be. He was young and inexperienced. He had the mistaken notion that no man would be mean enough to rob a poor, hard-working doctor. For several weeks young Feller made his rounds gunless and unmolested. As people (Continued on inside back cover) Vm titter Piece. Greenwich. Conn. CopyrlglJ TEX RITTER WESTERN THE MILD r WHY IT' 5 ACE X CORRECT, TEX 1 /^ELL.WHAT'S^V-^THAr'SN O'CONNOR. THE ) EXCEPT THAT > HE DOING - T _ 7 THAT THE BAD OB / //PUBLICITY HE RECEIVED /// AFTER BEING TRIED AS // 1 A CLAIM JUMPER HURT //A. HIS CHANCES OF MAKING // // N *— -tv A LIVING •J’fmt IMJr ■■ PEAlRisV' I 31 HH -.--RamserU J P||| Jj THAT DOES L JUST THE SAME, /WAKE SENSE— TEX, THAR'S ALWAYS ESPECIALLY SINCE, ) THE CHANCE THAT EVEN THOUGH THE N HE'S GONE STRAIGH LAW WASN'T ABLE \ SO DON'T DO TO PROVE IT, EVERY- ANYTHING BUT BODY KNEW HE J OBSERVE HIM UNT1I WAS GUILTY ! YO'RE SURE ONE W iiiiii r K«lOli ANOTHER 1 _ l ^ when yuh reach mesa city go see 1 A okay, chief.' ^ V, ACE O'CONNOR'S—OR I SHOULD SAY H I'M ON MY WAY.' \ BARTON DUNKIN'S—RIVAL CANOIDATE / V __ r, ) AND CHECK ON HOW THE CAMPAIGN / ~7/~ / IS GOING ! IF DUNKIN'S UP TO ANV^X ga TEX RITTER WESTERN TEX RITTER WESTERN I THOUGHT I “ TOLDVUH NEVER -TO CONVE HYAR.' ^RITTER ' (GULP!) IF ml t{(niQt Jut ■Wiwuwiii&fltD tfi^nerijMqewbt -tfamuenqMS'Xtu kAui TEX RITTER WESTERN CLIMB INTO THIS ) BUCK0OARD. NNR. ** RITTER, AND I'LL ORlVE YUH TO THE FURY, YOU WAIT HERE WITH WHITE FLASH UNTIL I GET BACK ! )T AS THE PRAIRIE RANGER ENTERS BROKEN-DOWN CABIN ... _ TEX RITTER WESTERN f THIS BOSS THEY MENTIONED COULD BE ACE ' K but i need proof t the only trouble is, if i'm STILL HERE WHEN HE GETS SACK, MY FlNOING OUT FOR SURE WONT DO ANY GOODI'LL NEVER GET '■w OUT OF HERE ALIVE i f -- TEX RITTER WESTERN WHAT'S THIS- t. A HOLDUP?, (GULP. 1 ) HE'S GONE! HE \ MUST BE ON HB WAV TO 1 TOWN RIGHT NOW ! IF HE CATCHES UP WITH ANY OP < MY MEN,THOSE YELLOW CRITTERS MIGHT SQUEAL. ABOUT MY PART IN THIS, ^TEX. RITTER ? SURE ^IVW NAME’S TEX RITTER / I'M A PRAIRIE RANGE* ' BUT I HAVEN'T GOT MV GUNSi WILL YOU LENO , w ME YOURS ? . llwgfl TEX RITTER WESTERN IftEANWHILe... CGULP. 1 ) RITTER'S - - i I HYAR ALREADY! HE MUST HAVE RUN ALL THE WAY ! I DON'T DARE LET HIM FIND ME HYAR—THE ONLY ONE AUVE AND WCTH A "SMOKING S1X.-5HOOTER l ] * WHKPLL X-DO 2 LU TEX RfTTER WESTERN '1 SURE WOULD , ' APPRECIATE THAT/ I'M THE ONLY DOCTOR IN TOWN AND I'M TOO \ BUSY TO SPEND ALU I THAT TIME ON THE : bartender with- / OUT NEGLECTING / SOME OF MV OTHER '-i PATIENTS 1 I USED TO BE A . DOCTOR MVS ELF UNTIL I WENT IN FER I POLITICS ! THAT'S WHY 1 I THOUGHT AS A L3YAL CITIZEN IT WAS WV DUTY TO HELP OUT! IF YUH'LL HELP ME GET HIM TO MV HOUSE, I'LL TARE OVER ! j. L/vn 1 1 ue • lit DUNKIN ! WHAT OOOD's IT GOING TO DO BRINGING THE BARTENDER HYAR ? . IF YUH KILL HIM NOW , < .YES, BUT V I AIM TO ANYONE I \ LOOKINC /HIM OVER 'THE CLIFF TEX RITTER WESTERN f&EANWHILE, ffr THE f I'M NOT POSITIVE, V SHERIFF'S OFFICE... [ BUT I'M PRETTY \ - . . . -A. BURE 1 THE BACK I'M SORRY,TEX. BUT I \ ROOM WAS FULL L CAN'T RNO ANYTHING ] OF SAW OUST. 1 IF V. IN THE RECOROS ON COB l ANYONE HAO ES- ' COL0V! ARE YUH SURE TCAPED THROUGH HE KILLEO THOSE PEOPLE J THERE, HE WOULD But back at the doctor's OFFICE... /- " -T -—-((gulp!) but —BUT DOCTOR, \ HE SAID HE DUNKIN NEVER u >. WAS A PRACTI5EO MEDICINE!) DOCTOR \ BEFORE HE CAME J AND I HAC I HERE HE WAS < NO REASON 'ACCUSED OF BEING J TO OOU9T F YUH SHOULON'tFdUNKIN'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER ! > k BE ! I'AA J THINGS ARE BEGINNING TO ADD UP.' r DUNKIN'S < FIRST DUNKIN'® HENCHMEN KID- CAMPAIGN NAPPED ME AND THEN WHEN X V MANAGER l J ESCAPED THEY WERE KILLED BEFORE iirtJ- they could squeal on him ! and . ■figSft ffigSK WHO'S THE ONLY LIVING WITNESS? Hr —COLBY ! BUT -THIS IS STILL | ONLY A HUNCH l I'LL NEED f I PROOF! J TEX RITTER WESTERN TEX RITTER WESTERN HE SEEMS TO HAVE PICKED UP THE SCENT -I I'D BETTER TIE COLBY UP SO HE CAN'T ESCAPE J P'foULP.'J* 72SX R/TTEB - \ HERE WITH YOU 1 ] AND HELP YOU ® S ENJOy IT, BUT X • \ RECKON I’D BETTER l ) HEAD BACK TO THE ^ PRAIRIE RANGER'S OFFICE I THERE'S NO DOUBT ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT WAITING FOR ME! SO LONG I I'LL be seeing you l WITH THE \ A BANDITS ALL \ . OEAD AND j A COLBy AND DUNKIN SAFELY LOCKED IN JAIL , I CAN'T HELP BUT TEX RITTER WESTERN 1 RECKON ALL OF YOU HAVE SEEN A BUCKING BRONCO— EITHER THE REAL THING OR A PICTURE OF ONE. BUT HOW MANY Ol YOU KNOW WHY A BRONC BUCKS THE WAY HE DOES. IS IT BECAUSE HE’S PLUMB MEAN? OR BECAUSE HE DOESN’T LIKE A RIDER ON HI5 BACK? NO-*A BRONCO BUCKS BECAUSE OF HIS ANCESTRY. YOU SEE, PARTNERS, A WILD HORSE IN THE OLD WEST WAS REALLY ON HIS OWN. BESIDES THE HARDSHIPS OF NATURE, THERE WERE THE ANIMAL ENEMIES—COYOTES WHO LIKED TO ATTACK THE YOUNG HORSES, ' BIG TIMBER WOLVES AND GRIZZLY BEARS, AND PERHAPS WORSTOp ' ALL, THE SLEEK, MOUNTAIN LION. NOW, A HORSE FOUGHT OFF SOME OF THESE ENEMIES WITH FLYING HOOFS AND RIPPING TEETH, FOR BELIEVE YOU ME, FRIENDS, A HORSE CAN BITE PLENTY HARD. BUT WHEN A MOUNTAIN LION LEAPT FROM A HIGH ROCK AND LANDED ON A HORSE’S BACK, THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING HE COULD DO- BUCK AND BUCK HARD.' THIS GOES BACK THOUSANDS OF YEARS WHEN WILD HORSES ALL OVER THE WORLD WERE BEING ATTACKED BY JUNGLE CATS THAT EVEN ROAMED WHAT IS EUROPE TODAY. A HORSE HAD TO KNOW HOW TO BUCK TO SURVIVE.' AND THRT HERITAGE WAS BROUGHT DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS TO THE WESTERN COW-PONY. THAT’S WHY, EVEN TODAY, WHEN OF COURSE, AFTER HE FINDS HE CAN’T THROW THE RIDER, AND REALIZES THAT IT’S NOT SOME MOUNTAIN LION TRYING TO KILL HIM, HE QUIETS DOWN AND BECOMES WHAT THE COWPUNCHER CALLS "BROKEN"/ THE SAME THING APPLIES TO THE STEERS AND BUFFALOS THAT ARE SUCH FIERCE BUCKERS.' THEY, TOO, FACED THE SAME ENEMIES THE HORSE 00/ SO YOU SEE, FRIENDS, THERE’S A REASON FOR EVERYTHING. THAT GOES FOR HUMANS,TOO. IF YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO ACTS STRANGE, OR MAYBE SEEMS UNFRIENDLY, DON’T JUST WRITE HIM OFF, BUT TRY TO LEARN THE REASON FOR HIS BEHAVIOR. THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN A LOT. RITTER WESTERN nm mm mg? mmrrn& / «OM>V, BUFFALO BULL! He HAVEN'T SEEN YllH IM i long me; whar haye •T 'jUW BEEN ? T" — *f IN THE WILDS > 3 OF AFRICA/ JL I WAS HUNTING AND IT ALMOST COST ME m*MY UFE ! ' HUH ? WHAT ^ VO HUH MEAN? I SHUCKS, ir ■SHOULD BE WORTH ABOUT FIFTY CENTS APIECE FER EACH OF VUH TO HEAR THIS EXCITING YARN ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN T WAS _ CAPTURED 6V THAT TRIBS OF/—£ * CANNIBALS/ IF VUH'LL ALL CHIP IN AN BUY ME A GOOD PINNER : / SO WILL r! I'M ANXIOUS TO FIND OUT. HA,HA, WITH A GIFT OF GAB LIFE MINE I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WORKING! I CAN ALWAYS GET CHUMPS LIKE THESE critters for my meals l Ju JmMJ ifi p WWwm\ I XuJM jBjfiSuLjy TEX RITTER WESTERN r BEFORE r KNEW WHAT WAS GOINS ON, FOUND WSS6LF IN A HU&E COOKING PO rj TEX RITTER WESTERN THE WICK- TEX RITTER WESTERN Now You Can Get TEX RITTER WESTERN Every Other Month, By Mail (Please print your name clearly in pencil) GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR YOUR FRIENDS FAWCETT PUBLICATIONS INC. SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT GREENWICH. CONN. YES. send TEX RITTER WESTERN every other month to the names below, as my Name. • .■ Address .. City.Zone ... State. City □ 12 issues My gift TEX RITTER WESTERN ♦ A Few MONTHS AGO A WHOLE GANG OF US GOT AIR GUNS, BUT WE HAO THE SAMS PROBLEM AS YOU, SO WE STARTED A CLUB WITH A CONSTITUTION AND OFFICERS AND EVERYTHING." WHY DON’T YOU GET IN ON THE . FUN,TOO, KIDS?START A JUNIOR AIR RIFLE CLUB IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD.' FOR FULL FREE DETAILS, WRITE T? « TOM / I’D LIKE TO JOIN/ TEX RITTER WESTERN HYAR'S A FIVE DOLLAR BILL PER THE LAZIEST HOMBRE . ~ X ON THIS RANCH Q d [gfAuyfpip Top course ! yuh * YOH CATCH x/ KNOW IM A CRACKER- ANYTHING?® JACK FISHERMAN/I -- -IS- na / NEVER COME SACK, y -01' EMPTY- , - . i —. , IN THE LOCAL I COULP BE WRONG, BUT I \ DON'T AIM TO TAKE ANY CHANCES! I'M GOING TO / SHAKE THEM ! I KNOW *-> SECRET TRAILS AROUND HYAR FROM WHEN I WAS A KID TEX RITTER WESTERN ^IT DON'T MATTER.' I DON'T HAVE TO KILL HIM HVAR IN THE HILLS ! I CAN 00 IT IN REO CHECKER GULCH JUST AS WELL.' I'LL DRILL. HIM BEFORE HE GETS ON - .THE TRAIN 1 -~r - ■ TVS COAST !) AFTERNOON .r'-'V ^ 2:051 / P'wHAT A BREAK ! THIS MEANS MACCOV HAS T TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN A HOTEL ANO SINCE ' THAR'S ON IN ONE HOTEL IN TOWN , We WON'T HAVE ANV TROUBLE FINDING HIMi ONION,LET'S FIND OUT WHAT ROOM HE'S IN J I'LL KILL HIM SCOURING THE NIGHT ! i- fflniH nT__ TEX RITTER WESTERN LOOK.' MACCOV5 REGISTER- INC NOW 1 WHEN He OOE9 UPSTAIRS WE'LL ASK THB TEX RJTTER WESTERN NOW WHEN THOSE SIDEWINDERS^ SHOW UP TONIGHT IN ROOM IS, > THEY'LL FIND THIS HOMBRE THAR INSTEAD OF ME I AND IF THEY , ROB OR KILL HIM IN THE DARK / THAT'S JUST HIS HARD LUCK i J yUH STAY HYARi I'LL GO OVER A NO STAB HIM I THAR'LL BE NO NOIS0 , THAT WAY 1 TEX RITTER WESTERN TEX RITTER WESTERN NO, THIS IS ROOM 13 maccoy must have switched HI5 ROOM FER SOME REASON —OH,OH! SOMEONE'S AT . '-i THE DOOR . m *— HEY THIS ^ ISN'T MACCOY! FINISH THE WHILE THE CLERK IS TRYING TEX RITTER WESTERN WELL, IT WAS PRETTY DARK AND ''yes i MAYBE HE X KNEW THEY WERE 1 AFTER HIM AND WA5 ANXIOUS TD GET OUT OF THIS ROOM, FEAR¬ ING THAT THEY WOULD TRY TO > GET AT HIM DURING f sJHE NIGHT/ ■'V IF THAT’S THE CASE, MACCOY i SURE PLAYED A DIRTY TRICK Lon you :_ HMMMl HE MUST V BE A STRANGER 1 IN TOWN! NOBODY AROUND HYAR HAS > A GLASS EYE iWHAT TEX'RITTER WESTERN ' OF MACCCY TO TRV TO , GET WE KILLED IN HI5 PLACE, BUT I'LL DO EVERY¬ THING I CAN TO CATCH HIE ^MURDERERS ANYWAY l , [ IF I FIND HIW! YOU SAID THERE >- \ ARE NO GLASS-EYED HOMBRES IN I THIS TOWN ! THAT MEANS HE COULD BE FROM ANYWHERE AND IT'S A CINCH HE AND HIS HENCHMAN BEAT IT OUT OF HERS AS SOON AS THEY PULLED THE JOB i IF ONLY I COULD SJfind SOME CLUE^^- TEX RITTER WESTERN 'HE'S TRAINS TO s QBT AWAY. WE'U. SOON KNOCK THAT IDEA. OUT OF HIS . V MIND i ^ TEX RITTER WESTERN [ (6ULP!) THE PATCH ONLY .COVERS A , \ BLACK EVE * LIFT MY EYE-PATCH ? j SURE l BUT X DON'T / SAVVY WHY YO'RE S. INTERESTED IN THE SHINER I GOT IN THAT FIGHT LAST NIGHT'/ YOU SOUND AS IF YOU KNOW i SOMETHING, 1 ] WHAT / IS IT'? P M'M SORRY, PARD i IKA i/ WHAT ? ' LOOKING FOR A A GLASS- CRITTER WITH A GLASS 1 EYED EYE WHO MURDERED A V HOMSRE MAN NAMED MACCOY < MURDERED IN RED CHECKER CULCH j /MACCOY! » LAST NIGHT' LA OH,OH! /AIN'T ONE ) \ TO TELL ‘ ) TALES OUT 'OF SCHOOL— f EVERYTHING IS CLEAR NOW ! I HATCH DECIDED 'TO REVIVE THE FEUD i YOU'VE TEX RITTER WESTERN \ IN THE HOTEL IN RED ) CHECKER GULCH. 1 —AND / DONT REACH FOR YOUR GUN OR YOU'LL LOSE VOUR HAND TOOI VOU'RE UNDER ARREST FOR THE MURDER ^OF JIM MACCOY ' j -- MATT: REACH FER THE SKY, MISTER ! THE ONLY _ ONE WHO'S GOING T£> iDIE IS YOU I ^ TALKING ABOUT! : MATT CAN Midnight Gunman (Continued from inside front cover) learned to trust him, he was able to take more and more of the burden from old Doc Trimble. Then the latter became bedridden with a severe attack of rheumatism and the youth found out how a pioneer doctor really has to work. He was trying to catch a few winks of much needed sleep one night when, around mid¬ night, the message came that he was desper¬ ately needed out at the Bar-T Ranch. The sheriff had been critically wounded in a gun- fight with rustlers. Feller dressed hurriedly, grabbed his medical kit, and hurried in the dark to the shed out back where he kept his horse. He went to unlock the door and found it already open. It was then he felt the gun prodding his back. A gravelly voice said, “Don’t yell out, Doc. Just step back inside the shed. It’s too bad you had to come along now. I won’t shoot you unless I have to!” In the shed he was relieved of his kit. His hands were tied behind him. Then, after clos¬ ing the door, the stickup man lit a lantern. Feller recognized the gunman as a loafer called “Slippery” whom he had seen hanging around outside the town cafes. Slippery chuckled, “You recognize me, don’t you, Doc? It’s no matter. I’ll be across the border before you get a chance to tell any¬ body about this.” “What do you want?” asked the physician. “I’ve got no money.” “It’s your horse I need most,” said Slippery. "Knowing you never carry a gun, I figured this would be the easiest horse in town to steal. Now, just for luck, I’ll take along your bag of tools and—well, well, I can use this, too!” The last remark came as he took Feller’s watch and slipped it into his own vest pocket. “You can’t take the horse or the kit,” ex¬ claimed the doctor desperately. “I’ve got an emergency call to make. The sheriff is criti¬ cally wounded and . . .” “Well, now, ain’t that just too bad?” Slip¬ pery gave a nasty laugh. “If I take the horse, my old friend the sheriff is liable to kick off. Ain’t that just too bad!” “He’ll live longer than you will,” asserted Feller. “What do you mean by that?” asked Slip¬ pery, sharply. “You think I’ll hang or some¬ thing? I’ll be safe and sound across the “You won’t hang. You’ll drop dead,” said the young doctor, flatly. “You’re a sick man. Slippery. I can tell it by your complexion and your eyes. I’ve been observing you for days. You’ve got a very bad heart. I’ll bet you get out of breath when you run upstairs.” “That’s so,” admitted Slippery, sounding worried. “Hey, are you tryin’ to scare me?” “This excitement is very bad for you,” con¬ tinued the doctor. “You may drop dead when you try to mount that horse.” “Say, you can’t bluff me. I . . .” “Quiet! Listen! Why I can hear your heart beating way over here!” Thump-thump-thump-thump! Slippery turned white as a sheet. “Doc! Don’t let me die! Do something!” “Digitalis is the thing for the heart,” re¬ sponded the physician. “But I can’t do any¬ thing for you. My hands are tied.” With shaking fingers. Slippery undid the knots that bound the doctor’s wrists. Then the doc administered—not digitalis—but a knock¬ out blow to Slippery’s chin. He took time to tie up the man in the shed before he rode out to save the sheriff. VfcOC TRIMBLE was sitting up, beaming at his young partner. “I’m glad you de¬ cided to carry a gun, young Feller,” he said, "but you’ve got such a smart brain I’m not sure you need it. But tell me, has Slippery really got a cardiac condition?” “Well, he has a bad heart—that is to say, an evil heart. But what scared him wasn’t his ticker at all—it was my watch that he had stolen going thump-thump-thump in his vest THE END HI FELLAS!