Black Rider #13 (1951)

In a frontier town, the Black Rider discusses with the local sheriff about the whereabouts of wanted criminal Ton Ransome and his gang, and learns that he has disappeared without a trace. Suddenly a Native American of the Nagali tribe rides into town. He is fatally wounded, but before he dies he tells all gathered that Ton Ransome and his men are hiding among the Nagali people at their village within Needle Pass. This troubles the sheriff because it is a narrow pass and would make it easy for Ransome's men to slaughter them. Despite this risk, the Black Rider leads a posse into the pass in order to try and ferrite out Ton and his men. As predicted, Ton's men are well situated in the pass and begin picking off the posse, forcing them to retreat, with the Black Rider telling the sheriff that he will find another way to get at Ton and his gang. When the posse returns to town they find the Black Rider's alter-ego, frontier doctor Matthew Masters waiting for them and he treats them all. After finishing his rounds, Masters then rides off for the Pass of the Needle. He then surrenders to the gang and learns, to his luck, that Ransome has been poisoned by one of the Natives and requires medical attention. After convincing Ransome that he will not kill him, Masters has no choice but to treat Ransome for his condition, curing him. Just then, a Nagali woman named Rose Petal storms into the room and attacks Ransome for murdering her people. This excites Ton and he decides to make Rose Petal his bride. When she refuses, he then has his men take three men hostage, including her brother Bear Paw, and threatens to kill them if she does not agree to marry him. When Masters tries to stick up for the girl, Ton punches him in the face. He then tells the doctor that he is going to stay in the village as he might be needed later and orders one of his men to lock him up in a cabin and keep guard. Once inside the cabin, Masters changes into the Black Rider and knocks out his guard. He then sneaks into the teepee where the cheif of the Nagali is and gets him to help out in stopping Ton Ransome and his men by playing into Ton's superstitious nature -- they then come up with a plan to convince Ton that the Nagali have placed a curse on him. To this end, the Black Rider switches back and forth between his identities. When acting as Matthew Masters he lures members of Ton's gang into a compromising position, then changes into the Black Rider, knocking them out. Then with the aid of the Nagali people, make it look like Ton's men were the victim of a "lion god" that the Nagali "worship". This begins to work, however Ton becomes so afraid for his life that he kills the Nagali medicine man thinking it will stop the curse. The Black Rider then steps up his plan, subduing the majority of Ton's gang so that he Nagali outnumber them. When the Black Rider leads the Nagali in retaking their land, Ton tries to flee into a nearby cave. When the Black Rider follows after him, he corners Ton in the cave. Before Ton can fight back a mountain lion comes out of the shadows and mauls him to death. With Ton dead, the Black Rider and the Nagali take his men out of Needle Pass and turn them over to the authorities.