BILLY STEELE: KID RANGER

They felt the force of his fist crunching their jaws before their guns were cocked.

Cpl. Jubilee Jones, in the meantime, swung his saber with the skill of a Samurai warrior as he disarmed an outlaw from his cocked gun. Even faster was Jubilees quick draw as his pistol pointed to the heart of the hands-in-the-air-outlaw before the masked man could draw his.

After they sacrificed their own disciples, the trinity of terror, made their way to their secret hideout, a well-armed cave hidden behind a great waterfall. The trinity of terror and their still plentiful outlaw army rode between the cascading waters and into the bat filled womb of darkness leading to a network of ominously foreboding caves.

By this time, night overtook the land and the outlaws cavalry pursuers lost the elusive "owl hoots" trail. As the rest of "Holts Rangers" made their way back to their commander, The Dark Skull, The Wolf Man and Don Diablo, felt safe in their underground fortress, joined together in a hideous horselaugh at outwitting their hunters.

The hooded horsemen captured by Big Boy and Jubilee were just about to be unmasked by Col. Tim when one pulled a derringer from his boot and shot himself in the heart.

"He would rather face all of Hells vengeful wrath than face The Dark Skull s punishment for failure," the second masked man confessed to the Col. as the captured outlaw was strapped to his horse. He was now under federal arrest for being a terrorist of the trail.

"Weve got to break this outlaw armys stranglehold," Col. Tim confided to the Sgt. and Cpl. as they rode back to the Knox family wagon.

"Any signs of life, Salvation," the Col. asked as he surveyed the once burning wagon whose flames were extinguished by the senior scout.

"Nothing Col.," Salvation sighed, "The settlers bodies are burned beyond recognition. There might have been children. I saw a teddy bear back there, but no sign of any child now. They were probably thrown."

"Well bury the dead and head back to Fort Yuma," the Col. said with tears in his voice. "Well bury the bear with his family. Fetch my Bible Big Boy. We ll have a look around for a childs body before we return to headquarters."

But before the burial detail started their grim task, there seemed to be a moaning and crying coming from the flame, darkened strongbox.

As the cries from the steel strongbox grew louder, Big Boy, Jubilee and Salvation ran over to it to investigate.

"Is it a ghost," Big Boy asked as his rifle butt broke the lock of the infants metal cradle and coffin as all eyes became transfixed in awe upon the strongboxs contents. And the tough as nails cavalrymen gently lifted the baby from the strongboxs darkness and into the bright light of human love. The baby was resurrected from his metal coffin, reborn anew in the golden West into the welcoming arms of the frontiers gallant guardians.

"Its a baby," the hardened cavalrymen shrieked in amazement as they saw the blue-eyed two-year old boy gurgle and coo in their massive arms. The infant happily grabbed at Big Boys fingers.

"Weve found a real treasure after all," Col. Tim exclaimed as he smiled sweetly at the happy child.

"Lets bring him back to Fort Yuma and raise him like our own," Sgt. Big Boy pleaded.

"Hes not a stray puppy, you soft headed and hearted mush-head," Salvation warned, "But he sure is cute. We could build a little bunk for him, teach him to be a good soldier, and besides, the nearest orphanage is 500 miles away."

"An infant needs a family to raise him right," Col. Tim insisted.