Early May, 1862. Atlanta, Georgia.
Scalphunter is riding a black stallion down the streets of Atlanta. He is recognized by Mademoiselle Margarit and she starts asking two of her compatriots if they properly handled Wakwame? They tell her that she should consider that matter closed.
Scalphunter is heading to the home of Mrs. Maxwell, a home that carries some notoriety. As Scalphunter dismounts, two men sneak up behind him and one (Drake) slips a rope around his neck, the other pulls a rapier from a modified cane. As Drake loops the rope around Scalphunter and pulls him into an alley the other man moves in to attack. Scalphunter flips Drake forward over himself and smashes Drake's head into the wall. He then punches the other man in the face and leaves them both unconscious in the dark alleyway.
Scalphunter approaches the door and a neighbor interrupts him, saying that the Maxwell woman and her harlots are in jail. Scalphunter asks if all the women are in jail, shows her a locket with his sister's photo and asks if it includes her as well. The woman says that looks like the girl Senator Creighton took in. She wasn't like the other floozies. She gives him directions to Creighton's place and he rides off to find his sister.
Some time later Scalphunter arrives at the massive Creighton House. The Confederate flag flys tall in th eyard and Rebel soldiers surround the area. One stops Scalphunter and tells him to turn around or be shot. Scalphunter, not one to be ordered around, tenses to take the soldier out when an officer, Colonel Tremayne, orders that Scalphunter be allowed to pass. The soldier observes that Scalphunter is white and Tremayne notes that he is dressed as a Kiowa, many are the stories of white children raised by the Kiowa. Tremayne invites Scalphunter into the house and offers a hot bath a fine meal.
When they enter the house they meet a wheelchair bound Senator, his son and slowly descending the staircase, Miss Savage, Scalphunter's lost sister. She asks his name and he replies that he is Ke-Woh-No-Tey. She grasps his arm and states she feels as if they have met and Scalphunter does not see the hate in the eyes of the Senator's son.
Shortly afterward, once Scalphunter has had a bath and is wearing a suit, the four of them sit down to a meal, waited upon by the son. The Senator apologizes for the meager fare but the war has caused all sorts of shortages. The son interjects that they are also prisoners in the house. Tremayne, wiping his mouth, states that is a requirement due to the fact that someone in the house is a Yankee spy. It could be anyone, Miss Savage; Josiah, the butler; Prissy, the maid; Senator Creighton; Randolph Creighton, his son; or even Scalphunter himself.
Miss Savage protests because Ke-Woh-No-tay just arrived but Tremayne says his whereabouts yesterday were unknown. If he is innocent, where did he come from and where is he going? No matter what, Tremayne will get his answers or nobody leaves alive!
Back in Atlanta, the two thugs are speaking with Mademoiselle Margarit in house that formerly belonged to Mrs. Maxwell. She is complaining that Maxwell forgot to bribe the officials and got shut down, destroying the conduit for the spy information conduit. But now Tremayne has learned of the spy activity, her informant is trapped in the Creighton House and soon they will all be discovered. On top of that, those two thugs can't kill an unarmed Indian.
The other man says there is nothing to worry about because the Indian is trapped in the house as well. She pulls a pistol on him and tells him to go up to the house tonight, contact the informer, get the information and kill the Indian.
That night, Samantha Savage, is walking in the garden in the moonlight and Scalphunter is on an upper balcony, silently watching her. He hears glass break in the house and he quietly retreats into the house. He voices downstairs and looking over the stair rail, he sees the two men from earlier. They are talking to an unseen man in another room and as the two men start to approach the stairs, Scalphunter launches himself over the rail to attack.
He slams into Drake, clawing at his eyes. The other man draws his sword and tries to skewer Scalphunter, but Slaphunter manages to tackle both men at once, sending all three slamming their heads into a wall, knocking the two out.
Samantha walks in and sees the damage. Scalphunter explains about the spy and that he is in another room. Scalphunter tells her to stay where she is but she demands to follow him. Scalphunter turns and is knocked out from behind by a shadowy figure with a fireplace poker.
When he wakes up he is on the floor, hands bound behind his back. Tremayne holds a rope that binds the two thugs, demanding who is the traitor they were trying to meet. They cite Samantha Savage is the spy and the Indian is in cahoots with her. Tremayne agrees that they are both spies and tomorrow they will hang.
Next Issue: It's a necktie party and probably the wildest one since Cat Ballou!
