Weird Western Tales #59 "The Search"

 Weird Western Tales #59 Sept 1979

"The Search"

Michael Fleisher, story - Dick Ayers & Romeo Tanghal, art - Luis Dominguez, cover

Unknown date, unknown location. Scalphunter is astride his horse, being chased by three unknown men who have sworn vengeance for Scalphunter having killed and scalped their brother Billy for having tried to kill Scalphunter. They continue to shoot at him and eventually wound him. He continues to ride, racing his horse towards a massive cliff and, spurring his mount onward, man and horse plummet off the cliff and into a river below.

They both survive the plunge and make their way to the far shore. Scalphunter, wounded and tired, seeks shelter in a nearby cave. He slaps the horse on the rump, sending him away to make tracks to confuse the men who will eventually track him once they find a way across the river. He hides in the cave, blocking the entrance with a cottonwood branch and falls asleep. Unknown to the warrior and old ragged man emerges from within the cave and stands over the prone sleeping Indian. 

Some time later, Frank and his two brothers find the horses tracks and take off in pursuit.

Hours later Scalphunter wakes up to find the old man tending a fire and making stew. He has tended to Scalphunters wounds. The man said he was in the cave waiting for Lucky. The stew is pretty good because Lucky scarfs it down and he has been hiding in the cave waiting for Lucky to come back. The old man continues to talk about waiting for his partner who wandered off. Lucky and he came out to look for gold and never found any. Lucky didn't much care for gold and one day went out to look for game and wandered off, never coming back. The man, Jake Link, is tired of waiting and when Scalphunter came into the cave, Jake thought that maybe this Indian might help him find Lucky.

Sclphunter agrees to do it in repayment for his wounds tended and soon they find Scalphunter's horse. They load up Jake's horse and his mule and head out. They eventually come upon a canyon and Jake is sure Lucky went that way. Scalphunter says they must not go there because he can see it is an Apache burial ground. Jake says he is going in anyway and Scalphunter follows in an attempt to protect Jake, but Apache warriors are already watching them from the cliffs above.

Once in the canyon Jake dismounts and starts shouting for Lucky. Scalphunter tries to quiet him when an arrow suddenly strikes Jake in the shoulder. Jake tells Scalphunter to grab the rifle and shoot them but Scalphunter knows the sound of gunfire would bring dozens or hundreds more. He does grab the rifle and hold it aloft, speaking to the Apache loudly. Jake asks for a translation and Scalphunter says he told them an Apache warrior is like a withered old woman and other trash talk of the kind.

Of course, it has the intended effect and the three Apache ride down to attack the Kiowa warrior. The three are quickly dispatched with knife and tomahawk. It is unclear if he takes their scalps, but I'll say Yes. Jake pulls the arrow out of his shoulder, breaks it and climbs up on his horse to leave. Scalphunter asks how long Jakes friend has been gone and he says it has been fifteen, maybe twenty years.

Up on the cliff, watching with binoculars are Jim, Frank and the other brother. As one of them takes aim, the other stops him, noting the prospecting equipment on the mule. Smelling gold, they decide it is in their best interests to follow them and then ambush them.

Some time later, with night falling, Jake and Scalphunter arrive at an old stone well. Jake says they will find Lucky, he has wandered off before. They approach the well whose side has collapsed. Jake looks over the edge and starts moaning that he has found Lucky!

The outlaw brothers are hiding nearby and hear Jake shouting but can't make out his exclamations. Scalphunter lowers Jake into the well and once at the bottom, Jake starts crying that it is Lucky, after all these years. The brothers arrive and tell Scalphunter to pull up the old man. Jake climbs up over the edge with a wrapped bundle. The brothers demand to see the treasure that was secreted in the well and Jake unrolls the bundle to display the skeleton of Lucky....his dog. 

The brothers are distracted and confused because they expected gold. That is all the chance that Scalphunter requires. His knife flies through the air, killing the first brother. The second is sent to his reward with the tomahawk. The third brother drops his rifle and jumps on his horse to take flight but Scalphunter rushes to his mount, grabs a bow and arrow and plunges the shaft into the back of the fleeing man.

Jake is kneeling by the skeleton of his companion, crying asking why Lucky wandered off. A sand storm starts whipping up and Jake starts hearing Lucky talking to him.... LUCKY IS ALIVE! Jake runs off into the darkness and sand with Scalphunter calling for him to come back. Jake starts screaming for Lucky to keep barking so the two can be reunited but he finally succumbs to the wind and the sand.

The next morning Scalphunter finds Jake, face down, half buried in the sand. He digs a grave for Jake and Lucky to share, marks it with Jakes pickaxe and rides off into the morning sun.

Statistics for this issue

Men Killed by Scalphunter - 6

Running Total - 112

Compared to Jonah Hex - 21st appearance and Scalphunter has 112 vs Jonah's 90 (in WWT #31)

Scalps Taken - 3

Running Total - 20

Injuries - Shot twice.

Timeline -  This issue takes place during one full day and the next morning.

So this was obviously a story that was penned prior to Gerry Conway taking over and they must have been in a deadline crunch. Conway was writing a LOT in the late 70's and I'm not surprised that a western book would have fallen on the back burner. In 1979 alone he was working on at least 10 books a month!

I really liked this one, falling back onto the Weird in Weird Western Tales and the art by Tanghal really sold it, especially the crazy darkened gaze of Jake as he was rambling on and on about Lucky. He really had a look that would have been at home in any of the DC 'scary' books. While the tale didn't fit the current ongoing timeline of Conway's, it was a nice break. 

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Next Issue: Scalphunter vs The Gangs of New York!!