The reading room
Outlaws of the West #45
This issue is an anthology featuring multiple Western stories. The lead story, "Bullet Bait," depicts Brett Melody, a man consumed by hatred, finally confronting the object of his vengeance. "Camp of the Comancheros" follows Ranger Bill Dawes as he infiltrates an outlaw camp on the Texas border where guns and cartridges are sold to Comanche raiders; when a Comanche killer makes his move, Ranger Bill Dawes must fight for survival and rescue an Indian captive. "Blood of an Indian" explores Ranger Ross Bell's prejudice toward his half-Indian deputy, only to discover the ranger's life is saved by the very man he distrusted. The final story, "The Fastest Firing Weapon Ever Invented," chronicles Lance's year-long effort to create an automatic-firing swiveled holster and gun mechanism, which he demonstrates with dramatic effect.