Untitled Story

The Rio Smugglers

Storyline: Bronco Layne goes to the town of Trinity to help his friend Jim O'Neil who is about to be hanged for the murder of Colly Smith. Layne investigates Duke Rhein, a cattle owner, and finds out that he and his thugs are smuggling opium across O'Neil's ford in the Rio Grande river by packing it inside hollowed out cattle horns. Duke had also killed the ranger who knew too much and framed O'Neil. Bronco tries to stop O'Neil's execution but finds out that Jim's wife and daughter are held hostage. When he finally finds them, O'Neil can then say what he knows and the guilty are brought to justice.

Credits:

• Script: Leo Dorfman

Avalanche Trap

Storyline: Scrag Mabry, a bank robber and killer, prepares an avalanche for Sheriff Reilly who has been doggedly hunting him down and is now riding his horse on a rim trail. The sheriff however sees the sun flash from a rifle barrel and so narrowly manages to escape. A second avalanche triggered by the first one crashes down upon Scrag Mabry and the sheriff rides home. (Contains an illo of man on a horse on a rim trail with an avalanche heading toward him.)

Untitled Story

Story featuring Small Bear

Storyline: Small Bear wounds and is wounded by a mountain lion. The animal, not able to hunt, later attacks the Cheyenne tribe and it's horses convincing them that it is a "spirit cat". Small Bear feels responsible and still recovering from his wounds and against the Chief's orders, for the sake of his tribe and his honor, hunts the animal by himself. He slays it with his spear lodged between rocks and then everyone congratulates him.

Credits:

• Pencils: Rex Maxon
• Inks: Rex Maxon

The Crooked Circle

Storyline: In the Arizona territory, Bronco Layne comes across a cavalryman shot dead. At Fort Grant, Colonel Burton tells him he suspects of someone in his fort working for the crooked Tucson Ring who is paying soldiers to desert and is selling worthless supplies to the army. The murdered soldier was a deserter who had changed his mind and was thus finished off with the complicity of the treasonous Sergeant Flint. So Bronco then decides to infiltrate the gang, but is revealed by Sergeant Flint. Bronco manages to narrowly escape and then lays a trap of his own for the criminals to fall into.

Credits:

• Script: Leo Dorfman

Untitled Story

Credits:

• Script: Helen Meyer

"Fresh Up" Freddie Says: "Right Now, You're Probably Asking Yourself - What Does A Dynamite Loader Drink To Quench His Thirst?"

Storyline: Dynamite loader "Fresh up" Freddie puts out the fire in his throat by drinking 7-Up.