Appearing in "Shoot-Out with Blackjack Bordon"
Rawhide Kid #20
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Blackjack Bordon (First appearance)
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Gopher Gap (First appearance)
- Wayneville
Synopsis for "Shoot-Out with Blackjack Bordon"
Rawhide Kid #20
The Rawhide Kid confronts three men who he warned to leave town within 30 minutes. They refuse to leave and think they have the Kid out numbered, but the Rawhide Kid uses his legendary gunfighting skills to send the outlaws packing. Witnessing this is another outlaw named Blackjack Borden who hopes to use the Kid to his own ends. Using a fake US Marhshall's badge Blackjack sends one of his men to deal with the Rawhide Kid. The phony Marshall convinces the Rawhide Kid that he will get a full pardon if he turns over his guns and promises never to use them again. Wanting to be a free man again, the Rawhide Kid turns over his Colt pistols without a second thought.
The phony Marshall returns to Blackjack Borden to provide his success, and Borden knocks him out to insure that the man will not betray him to the Rawhide Kid. Meanwhile, the Rawhide Kid enjoys what he thinks is his new found freedom, but this proves to be short lived when he goes into a saloon and a local roughneck tries to pick a fight with him. When the brute is informed that he just attacked the Rawhide Kid he becomes frightened, but the Kid tells him that he doesn't want any trouble and it is at this moment that everyone gathered realizes that the Rawhide Kid is not carrying any guns. At that moment, Blackjack Borden enters the room and wings the bartender, telling everyone gathered that he is the fastest gun in the area. When he is warned about the Rawhide Kid being present, Borden then challenges the Kid but it is pointed out that he doesn't have a gun.
Still looking to take out the Rawhide Kid to earn a reputation, Blackjack orders the Kid to get up and head out to the front door of the saloon. There the Kid gets fed up of being ordered around and tells Blackjack to hurry up and shoot since he'd rather die a free man than live on as a wanted outlaw. Instead of shooting the Rawhide Kid, Blackjack just kicks him out into the street and decides to let the Kid live so he can spread word that Blackjack Borden is the greatest there is. The Rawhide Kid walks away, unwilling to give up his freedom to prove Borden wrong.
Over the next few days Blackjack Borden terrorizes the town of Gopher Gap, robbing business and terrorizing the locals. The Rawhide Kid has enough when he spots Borden pushing around an elderly couple and comes to their defence. However he cannot bring himself to use his full strength for fear of losing his freedom. The Kid then leaves town ashamed riding to nearby Wayneville. There he runs into the man Blackjack had pose as a Marshal stumbling out of a saloon. In a drunken stupor since his beating, the man tells the Rawhide Kid the truth. Angered at being tricked, the Rawhide Kid beats the man senseless and recovers his Colts.
He then races back to Gopher Gap where he finds Blackjack trying to use violence to secure position of mayor. The Kid comes with guns roaring, shooting the rifle out of Blackjack's hand. The Kid then trounces him in a fist fight, and when Borden tries to draw his pistol it is shot out of his hand. With Blackjack Borden taken into custody, the Rawhide Kid rides out of town blaming himself for so easily accepting a phony pardon, but vows to strive to earn his freedom no matter what.