Pass Creek Valley : a Western duo
(Large Print)

Originally published in 2009.

"Stage of Death" first appeared in Lariat Story Magazine, November 1944. "Pass Creek Valley" first appeared under the title "No Law in Pass Creek Valley" in Giant Western, December 1950.

In "Stage to Death," Bill Mason is a stagecoach guard, but he had once been a wild young hellion back in the Colorado mining camps. He had even once been involved in a bank robbery when he was known as Billy Bock, but that was in the past. For three years now he has had a perfect record in his present job in Oregon. Then he is quietly approached in a saloon in Opal City just before the stage run to Tamarack. The Domino Kid will rob the stage today. Bill will cooperate or his past will be exposed.

In "Pass Creek Valley," Kim Logan has always worked as a gun hand. For the past year he has worked for Peg Cody, owner of the Clawhammer Ranch, who is in a struggle with Hank Dunning, owner of the HD Ranch, for mastery of the range. Peg has borrowed money from the bank and Dunning is planning a run on the bank to force the banker to sell him Peg's notes. Yuma Bill, a friend of the banker, is coming in on the stage with enough cash to save the bank, but they suspect the HD will try to intercept him and make sure the money never makes it to the bank. Peg sends Kim to get Bill off the stage and bring him to the Clawhammer for his safety. Getting Yuma Bill off the stage is the easy part -- getting him to the Clawhammer will be a different story.