Comic Title: Western Comics #77
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: Sep/Oct 1959
On Sale Date: July 7, 1959 Copyright Date July 7, 1959
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1959

Newsstand Date July 7, 1959
Source: Newsdealer Magazine, V14 #5

Frequency: Bi-monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 32
Editor: Julius Schwartz

Title: "The Barbed Wire Barricade"
Pages: 11

Feature(s):
Matt Savage Trail Boss

Writer: Gardner F. Fox
Penciller: Gil Kane
Inker: Joe Giella

Reprinted In:
Action Comics #437 (1974)

Feature Character(s)

• Matt Savage (next appearance in Western Comics #78)

Supporting Character(s)

• Clay Dixon and Jim Grant (Matt's swing men; next appearance in Western Comics #78)
• Luther Jones (a point man; next appearance in Western Comics #78)
• Manuel Ortega and Abe Wilson (flank men; next appearance in Western Comics #79)
• Red (a horse wrangler; first appearance; last appearance in Western Comics #81; next appearance in Western Comics #78)
• Biscuits Baker (a cook; next appearance in Western Comics #78)

Villain(s)

• A toll collector (no further appearances)
• A Kiowa indian (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Nelson Story (Matt's former boss; no further appearances)
• Clem Walker (a horse owner; no further appearances)
• The sheriff of Comache Wells and two steer owners (no further appearances)

Comments:
This story takes place in the late 1860s.

Synopsis:
Having successfully driven cattle under the guidance of Nelson Story, Matt Savage returns to Texas to put together a cattle drive to Abilene, Kansas. First Matt puts together a crew in Comanche Wells. He hires two swing men, a point man, two flank men, and a horse wrangler.

The man Matt wants to hire as his cook, Biscuits Baker, has been locked up in jail as a horse thief. Baker explains that the horse jumped a fence. He caught it and was going to return it. Matt trusts him and duplicates the conditions when Baker saw the horse jump the fence. When the horse escapes again, Baker is exonerated.

With his crew intact, Matt puts together a herd of cattle and heads for the Texas trail. Before long he finds the trail blocked by a barbed wire fence. A man demands a toll to pass. Matt risks being shot and cuts down the fence. Luther the point man shoots the toll collector, and they take him prisoner. They also encounter a Kiowa indian, whom Matt captures. He promises to let the indian go, but does not want to let him go for fear that he will gather other indians and raid the herd.