Chasseur de primes

Chasseur de primes is a Lucky Luke adventure written by Goscinny and illustrated by Morris. It is the thirty-ninth book in the series and it was originally published in French in 1972 and in English by Cinebook in 2010 as The Bounty Hunter.

Plot
Following a short introduction on the general status of bounty hunters in the Old West, we get introduced to the titular character, Elliot Belt, a notorious and unscrupulous representative of his trade. 

To avoid the risk of an injustice, Lucky Luke decides to find a horse belonging to Bronco Fortworth. But Fortworth, convinced that the thief is the Cheyenne Wet Blanket, launches a wanted notice and a reward of 100,000 dollars to who will bring the Indian. The bounty hunter Elliot Belt is interested in the offer. He repeatedly offers Lucky Luke to join, but the lone cowboy declines his offer.

While Lucky Luke seeks to find Wet Blanket first, fearing that this hunt could lead to an Indian war, Elliot Belt is obsessed with the reward he could receive. He brings together several other bounty hunters to attack the Cheyenne village and find Wet Blanket. This incident is close to causing an Indian war. However, Wet Blanket agrees to be a prisoner, while proclaiming his innocence, so that the worst is avoided.

On the way back to the small town of Cheyenne Pass, Luke and Wet Blanket discover the horse of Bronco Fortworth. They bring him back to town when the Wet Blanket trial has just started. A dramatic change takes place: Thelma, Fortworth's estranged wife, comes to testify at the trial and admits that it was she who released the horse, jealous of the affection that Fortworth had for the animal. The Fortworth couple, who had separated, reconciles. Wet Blanket is exonerated. Fortworth gives the reward to the Cheyennes.

Leaving court, Belt attempts to kill Lucky Luke for revenge, but his plan fails. Luke learns that Belt is wanted for reward for "trying to cause an Indian war". Belt's head being put at a price, Luke lets Belt escape: in his turn, he is going to be hunted down by bounty hunters.

Notes
 Elliot Belt's appearance is an obvious nod on Lee Van Cleef, particularly his acting roles as merciless bounty hunter.
The scene where Elliot as a child denounces himself to his father (for a reward) for having chopped down a cherry tree is inspired by the myth concerning George Washington.

External links
 Lucky Luke official site album index 
 Goscinny website on Lucky Luke

Category:Comics by Morris
Category:Lucky Luke albums
Category:1972 graphic novels
Category:Works by René Goscinny