Comic Books of Gene Autry's Champion, Roy Rogers' Trigger, Wild Bill Elliott

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SURVIVOR »f the 7 th

At the end of the civil war, the westward movement of the population
started again. ignoring treaties made between the government and the indian
nations, land-hungry immigrants invaded the red men's territory, with ferocity,
born of their resentment of the white man'5 encroachment on their territory,
the indians went on the warpath. one of the warring tribes was the powerful
sioux, led by sitting bull. against him,

4*

THE ARMY SENT GEORGE A. CUSTER,
BRILLIANT BUT RECKLESS SEVENTH
CAVALRY COMMANDER.

COMANCHE, ONLY
SURVIVOR OF
CUSTER'S LAST
STAND.

IT USHING DEEP INTO THE SIOUX
TERRITORY, CUSTER IGNORED THE WARNINGS
OF HIS SCOUTS OF A LARGE INDIAN FORCE
ENCAMPED ALONG THE LITTLE BIG HORN RIVER.
SUDDENLY, CUSTER AND HIS TWO HUNDRED
AND TWENTY-FIVE MEN FOUND THEMSELVES
SURROUNDED BY THOUSANDS OF HOWLING
\ SIOUX . THE BATTLE WAS OVER IN A SHORT
TIME WITH ALL OF THE CAVALRYMEN WIPED
iUT. COMANCHE, THE HORSE OF CAPTAIN
'MYLES KEOGH, WAS THE ONLY SURVIVOR
OF THE MASSACRE. LATER, COMANCHE
WAS LED RIDERLESS IN PARADES AT
ARMY POSTS TO REMIND NEW TROOPERS
OF CUSTER"S GALLANT SEVENTH.

TRIGGER. No.

BACK,RANS0m7>.
WE'LL NEVER FLY THROUGH)
'""" STORM IN ONE PIECE?,

But ransom has misjudged something t the

81G PLANE PLUNGES INTO TH£ TOP OF THE

TUMBLING WEATHER FRONT...

Like forked ano jagged spears, lightning bolts
lick out at the struggling plansf giant winos toss
it like a leaf/

SIT DOWN f AND
LEAVE THAT SAFETY
BELT FASTENEDf
WANT YOUR NECK
BROKEN BEFORE YOU
STEPS^

Secure in his safety belts, trigger trumpets
a question and a challenge to the elements...

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RANSOM '. CAN'T \ \PfJM

YOU STOP HER y iJTJrf^

^DOWNWAFTf"^

NOTHING CAN )':

STOP THAT'/^

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Driven out of the bush Br the clouds

OF MOSQUITOES, HE HEADS FOR THE HIGHER _.
LAND..

AND THERE, ON A WIND-SWEPT HILL, HE PAUSES —
KNOWING THAT HE IS "ON HIS OWNl IN A MANLESS
WILDERNESS?" ^JL

•In SUMMER, ALBERTA PROVINCE KNOWS LITTLE
NIGHT? FOUR HOURS AFTER HIS ESCAPE FROM THE
SINKING PLANE, TRIGGER GRAZES IN BRIGHT DAWN
LIGHT, THE WIND FROM THE RIVER WHIPPING HIS
MANE... .

Farther down the slope, a wild mare
and her colt rise to the1p. feet...
though she can scent no oangbfl, the
, anxious mare feels it is. close . as she

MOVES —

IKOT SHOD HOOFS STRIKE WITH KIIlIw FOBOE-

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Some distance away, trigger finds mare and colt,
poised ready for fight or flight-

Slowly, she reaches out to touch
his nose with hers-

Later that day. he sights the horse sand, from
which mare and oolt had strayed. they look like
work horses gone wild...

Grunting with anger, the big red Belgian
stallion, who heads the bunch, sees
trigger as a rival (his plate-size hoofs

pound up the slope...

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When he sees his strayed mare, his rase sreaks all I For trigger, a challenge to battle

BONDS. "MARE STEALER?" HE SCREAMS IN HORSE LANGUAGE -| IS ALWAYS A DEEP THRILL. HIS ANSWERING

TRUMPETCALL RINGS FIERCELY...

BlGBEO LUNGES... WITH ALL THE TON-WEIGHT
OF HIM BEHIND HIS DRIVING TEETH f HE MISSES
TRIGGER'S NECK...

Clumsily, he tries for trigger's leg f

MUSCLE-BOUND, RED'S WEIGHT GETS IN HIS

OWN WAY-.

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Red begins to puff? his movements slow up? he
is bruised amd winded, but still full of fight and

OANGEROUSf

AT LAST TRIGGER SEES HIS CHANCE? HE TAKES
A GRIP THAT EVEN BIG RED'S MIGHTY MUSCLES
CANNOT BREAK.-

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A QUICK WRENCH, BACK AND FORTH THREATENS
THE SPINAL CORDf THE BIGGER HORSE SINKS TO
HIS KNEES, DAZED. HE EXPECTS NO MERCY...

But trigger's fighting instinct does not
5eek to kill his own kind f he frees his'

ENEMY-

Dizzily, big red moves away, the rage and
fierceness gone out of him. from now on. he
will know his master f

With victory, trigger has won a duty f from now

ON, HE MUST LEAD THE WILD HORSE BAND... DEFEND IT
FROM EVERY ENEMY,

From now on there are no strays for a
hungry cougar to catch..,

ONE EVENING. A SHRILL CALL FOR HELP STARTLES
TRIGGER'S BAND...A COLT HAS BEEN GRIPPED BY
THE SUCKING, DEADLY MUD OF A HIDDEN SINK...

NOW THE DANGER IS CLEAR.' TRIGGER AND THE COLT'S
MOTHER GET AS NEAR AS THEY DARE? MUD GRIPS AT
THEIR OWN FEET... THEY CAN COME NO CLOSER.'

Here is a fight that no courage or SKILL

CAN WIN! SNORTING WITH FEAR OF THE
SUCKING, SENSELESS MUO.TRIGGER PULLS
BACK...

M4i

At the edse of the prairie, half a mile away, hank
old trapper, gazes enviously at the 8and...

(THIS HERE IS THE 1 . . . . ..

V F|R ST STEPf J • htilWlWlHl

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NOW' EASY DOES ITf HERE COMES THE

LITTLE FELLA, ALL FOUR FEET OUT

THE MUD'

Suddenly, the distant horse e&m breaks into a

FOUNDING RUN,., A CHUNK V RED FORM DASHES IN BEHIND
THEM.UHSIN& THEM ON.,. BIG RED,'

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„HEE-HEE-» EE

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NOW WE RE PARONERS,SURE ENOUGH?
I'LL HAVE TO MAKE ME SOME KIND OF
SADDLE TO RIDE YOU— AND WE'LL TAKE
Mr BUNDLES OF WINTER PELTSf YOU'RE
SUREGOIN' TO SAVE MY LIFE, PONY?

During the brief summer night, hank sleeps with
a smile on his weather-beaten features. in his dream,
hardship and danger are past_

But in the dark hours, a wind whips into life the
coals of a long-smouldering b\jttn> the blaze
spreads... across a neck of pralbft...a forest fire

IS BORN ? ^C^

ITS FIERY BREATH IS CARRIED ON THE BRI
TO TRIGGER'S NOSTRILSf KNOWING ...AND FEAR-
ING... WHAT IT MEANS, HE SNORTS A WARNING

IT'S UNBELIEVABLE— BUT I'LL
BET A MONTH'S PAY THAT
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE WE GAVE
UP FOR LOSTf TRIGGER! 00
YOU KNOW THAT NAME, BOY?

TRIGGERf IT'S YOU. ALL RIGHTf
AND THERE'S A FIVE-THOUSAND-
DOLLAR REWARD TO BE PAIO
TO THE MAN WHO FINDS YOU —
WHICH ISOLD HANK MOSS.

AND HUMMING WIRES CARRY THE
NEWS — TO UNCLE MIKE AND TO
A MILLION ADMIRERS THROUGH
RADIO .TELEVISION AND PRESS?
"THEY'VE FOUND TRIGGER,
ALIVE AND WELLf"

WHOOOPf

THEY'VE FOUND

TRIGGER

—SAFE AND SOUND?

I KNEW i

VD COME THROUGH— J

BUT WOVf

'WAIT TILL THE ^A

OTHERS

■SEAR IHIS>! y»<H

" A FEW DAYS LATER, CURLY AND I ROOE OUT TO
BRING THEM IN. I NEARLY HAD HEART FAILURE
WHEN WE DISCOVERED TRIGGER WAS M1SSIN'!"

"THERE WERE A MESS OF HOOFPRINTS.
BUTTOO MANY TO PICK TRIGGER'S
OUT RIGHT OFF."

"FINALLY, I SENT CURLY BACK WITH THE PONIES.
AND I STARTED SORTIN 1 OUT THE TRACKS.

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"COM IN' ACROSS ONE SET THAT
SEEMED FRESHER THAN THE REST.
I DECIDED TO FOLLOW IT.

•TWO MILES UP IN THE HILLS, [ SPOTTED
SOMETHING THAT PUT ME IN A SOD-PAWIN'
MOOD."

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PALEFACE LIES! ALL COMANCHES
GOOD INDIANS NOW! NOT
HORSE STEALERS!

' NO? SEND
SOME BRAVES
'BACK WITH ME AN'I'LL
SHOW 'EM THE

MOCCASIN TRACKS'

1 WEETAMAH TOOK ME UP ON THAT. BUT WHEN
WE GOT BACK TO WHERE I'D SPOTTED THE
TRACKS. THERE WASN'T A SIGN OF 'EM. "

LIKE BLAZES^

IT 151 LOOK!

SOMEBODY'S

BEEN DRAWIN"

BRANCHES BACK

AND FORTH HERE TO

HIDE THE TRACKS! .

-THEY GRUNTED AND SCOWLED. THEN ONE OF 'EM
ACTED LIKE HE WAS GONNA YANK ME OFF MY
HORSE. ..SO I LIT OUT."

"I HEADED FOR THE CANYON RIM,.. AMD YOU
COULOA KNOCKED ME OVER WITH A CARPETTACK
WHEN I GOT THERE AND LOOKED DOWN!"*

/wi

/well, i'll be doggoned: this is

/ the first time i ever saw a

v stranger on trigger's back

"THE KID TURNED TRIGGER AROUNO
TO HEAD BACK DOWN THE CANYON.SO
I HEADED THAT WAY. TOO.

• SUT.OF COURSE, TRIGGER BEAT MY PINTO
TO THE MOUTH OF THE CANYON AND HEADED
OUT ONTO A NARROW.LEVEL STRETCH
LYIN' BETWEEN TWO HOGBACKS.

-I RACED AFTER 'EM! BUT SUDDENLY I
HEARD A RUMBLIN' NOISE! THE INJUN
KID AND TRIGGER HEARD IT, TOO!"

"THE RUM8L1N' TURNED TO THUNDER AND I RECOGNIZED IT ! — MY BLOOD FROZE 'CAUSE
'ROUND THAT HOGBACK SWEPT A STAMPEDIN' HERD OF WILD HORSESt

-TRIGGER STOPPED SO SHORT IN HIS
TRACKS, THE KID FELL OFF. I COULD
SEE HE WAS KNOCKED COLD."

'WHEN THE DUST SETTLED, THE FANTAILS
WERE GONE. THE KID WAS SITTIN' UP AND
TRIGGER WAS NUZZLIN'HIM. I RACED
DOWN THERE."

"TAMEETAH WAS OKAY EXCEPT FOR A

HEADACHE SO WE HEADED FOR

T HE RESERVATION."
/ME HEAP SORRY ME CALL\ / YEAH!
YOU LIAR.WHITE BROTHER!// EIGHTEEN
BUT WHY TAMEETAH DO ^ YEARS OLD.AND
HIS THING? HE HAS -^* FAT AND SLOW.

OWN HORSE! , -^ NO KID COULO

BE SATISFIED WITH
(A MOUNT LIKE THAT!

V SO WEETAMAH GAVE HIS GRANDSON 1

A FINE, FAST PINTO AND TRIGGER J

L THIS BRIDLE FOR SAVIN' THE ^^A
kLAD'S LIFEI^^^^^^^^B

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f\ OlDN'T KNOW IT WAS SO^
BAD! UNCLE MIKE AND THE
OTHER RANCHERS HERE-
ABOUTS ARE SURE WORRIED!
I WISH I COULO FIGURE
WHERE THOSE
COWS GO.

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^"~ "^T Y0U SEE SOMETHING IN THAT KB
■ WHUFF'W PATCH OF TULES. TRIGGER? ^B

^ ^ SA-AYi i Think i DO, TOO! JESk

■MlBfc. IT COULD BE A COW. . y— <t|H

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MAY8ETHE PARTY WHO

lUSES IT KNOWS WHERE

-OUR COWS VANISH

TO. MAY3E THERE'S

SOMETHING OUT IN

l THE SWAMP.

WE'LLHIOE ITINTHISPATCHOFSRUSHf
TRIGGERITHERE'S A LITTLE GULLY
HERE— AND I'LL OUST SOME
DIRT OVER IT .THEN, TONIGHT, ,
WE'LL COME BACK!

1 KINO OF HATE TO

SNEAK OUT ON AUNT

MARTHA AND UNCLE

MIKE— BUT I KNOW

THEY WOULDN'T

LET ME GO OUT

ALONE. LOOKING

FOR RUSTLERS

AT N16HT"

AT THE CAMPFIRE TOWARD WHICH
PETE IS PADDLING, ATRIO OF
TOUGH RIDERS BURST INTO
ANGRY ARGUMENT...

CAN'T YOU QUIT WORRYIN'
FOR A MINUTE.NIGHTOR
DAY.GUNNER? NOBODY'LL
FIND THIS ISLAND — OR
THE CATTLE WE'VE HID IN
HEREI BESIDES, WE'RE

MOVIN' 'EM OUT TOMOR-
ROW NIGHT:

THE KID JUST FOUND US.GUNNER! HE DIDN'T f-'!
HAVE A CHANCE TO TELL ANYBODY ELSE— LA

THE WAY1 FIGGER - _^^B

IT. SO WE'RE _— ^ni/ Mm&Tl J
K SAFE' ,/~^^&F <C*1

'maybe; but /X^i #7kfcs
we won't be WBl y a£*9h

IF HE GETS ^E»n fc^S
LOOSEITAKE JgEB&iOwfzi

him to the y r?gs3S/Iai

CABIN AND \ J iflS^lSSifcH

tie him up, 1 \W^lJrwm

ROCKER! / 11 /

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YOU'VE CAUGHT PETE'S
SCENT AGAIN.TRIGGER?
[ YOU -WaSTHAVE.ORYOU
1 WOULDN'T BE CALLING-

get close enough to her,
trigger, and i'll read that

RAND--- YUP.'lT'S MY OWN
Iff ONI RUSTLED, AND

^^—^ushup/N
/trigger boy! if v.
( you smell pete, \

\ don't call 1 ■>-

\ just take we /

-.; reW THERE 1 & : -i

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V WHUFF ! \ |/ * r/9

Ihuh-huh-I mlL A&s

lA H U H "^^flS»^>? fiE

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^F™E RUSTLER?
H CABIN' WE'LL GO

^■around BACK j
^^L OF IT A

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BUCKLING SUDDENLY AT THE KNEES,
GUNNER, THE RUSTLER BOSS,
GOES DOWN...

/THERE! I'LL V- -*^

( HOLDYOUON, 1 RUSTLERS \ ^^^^V
\ UNCLE / SHOOTING ^■^^HI

\ MIKE! / AT US: y^ft
\^_ ^/SHOULDN'T [j^'t^W-a

M / \ WAIT F0R / »"«2»3
W \ ME! /^ *LjPfr*

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HERE THEY COME,

BOYS! WE'LL CATCH

'EM IN THE LIGHT

OF THAT FIRE!

THOSE COW THIEVES JUST QUIT WHEN THEY
KIIEW WE HAD 'EM COVERED. SIX OF 'EM! THEY
WERE JUST STARTING TO FLOAT OUR STOLEN

COWS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SWAMP

TWO PUBBE.Z RAFTS TIED TO EACH COW,
SO SHE COULDN'T BOG '
OOWN!THANKS TO
PETE, HERE