Men of Mystery

Out West

The next day Craig Crent found a note on his desk from the editor-in-chief, George Taylor.

I have an assignment for you. Stop by my office so we can discuss it.

He went to Taylor's office. The door was open.

"Crent," the editor began, "have a seat."

"Sure thing, Chief." Craig sat down.

"We are getting reports are a mysterious figure in Carver City. He stopping crime with a bow and arrow. See what you can find out."

"Carver City? That's out west, isn't it?"

"Yes, there a direct rail line from the train station in town. The next train leaves in an hour."

"I'll be on it."

"And take a camera for some photos," Taylor commanded.

"Sure thing, Chief."

Craig went back to desk to do some research. According to his information the mysterious figure had appeared only a few days ago and was along bringing racketeers to justice. But was that his real game or was he just removing the competition?

Without another thought he left the newsroom and went home to pack. Then he rushed to the train station and bought a ticket to Carver City. Upon arriving, he decided to pose as a criminal to learn what he could. So he went to little bar and waited.

It was a crappy little dump that smelled of whiskey and piss. The floor was worn and the wall were drab. The whole atmosphere was dark and obsessive to Craig. They really need some lights and some white paint.

After about fifteen minutes later a man walked in. He was big and broad, wearing a nice suit brown and a gray hat. The man went up to Crent. "Lookin' for work?"

"Yeah," said the reporter. "Why else would I be hanging around in a bar in the middle of the day?"

"Come with me."

Crent followed the man outside and got in the large Oldsmobile that was waiting for them.

"My name is Sammy," the large man said.

"I'm ..."

Sammy put up a hand. "I don't need your name. Just follow my orders."

"Yes, sir."

They rode across town to an old warehouse and got out. There Crent saw other men waiting. Sammy addressed them all.

"Okay, we're ready for the next job and this time we'll be ready for the Archer."

The other men snickered. Sammy ignored them.

"Needles and Sureshot will be on the roof of the bank with Browning automatic rifles. If the Archer follows his pattern, he'll show up on the roof across the street. Then we nail him. The rest of you louts hold up the bank at 8pm. Got it?"

Everyone said yes and nodded their heads in agreement. The group dispersed. Crent walked back towards the center of town. Finding a hotel, he typed up a story for the Daily Record, and phoned it in. He planned to be on the scene in hiding to watch what happened.

Later that night, Needles, a thin man with a pointed nose, and Sureshot, a short fellow with a long scar down his cheek, waited on the rooftop of the bank. With them two automatic rifles had been set up and pointed at the Carver City Armory across the street.

Down on the street by the bank entrance, four men approached wearing masks. In the sky the moon shone brightly making it easy to see.

On the roof of the armory, a mysterious figure crept in the shadows carrying the bow. A quiver of arrows was strapped to his back. He peered over the edge of the roof and saw the racketeers approach the bank. Slowly he drew an arrow from his quiver and nocked it against the bowstring. Silently he drew back the missile and armed his weapon at the front doors of the bank.

The rat-a-tat-tat of the rifles filled the air as the Archer loosed his arrow. A second later, Cerulean swooped down in the path of the bullets. They bounced harmlessly off his chest. The arrow flew down, pinned one of the criminals to the bank. His comrades fled.

Stunned that the assassination attempt of the Archer failed, Needles and Sureshot ran across the roof to escape, but Cerulean was waiting for them. He punched them both with a quick 1-2 punch to render them unconscious. Then tried the two men up.

Hearing commotion on the Armory roof, Cerulean leapt across to the other building hoping to catch the Archer, but he was gone.

Frowning, the man in blue, jumped away, hoping for another encounter with this mysterious vigilante.