Linciaggio!

Zagor, Chico, and their friend Fosbury happen to be passing through Derford, a small town in Vermont, where they are suddenly forced into a confrontation with the townspeople to stop the lynching of Margit Veszi, a woman accused of witchcraft. They end up barricaded inside the alleged witch’s house. Margit, a widowed Hungarian immigrant, is shunned by the community, who label her a sorceress and blame her for the disappearance of five children.

Drawing on the town’s last shred of reason, Zagor manages to convince them to delay the execution but only for thirty-six hours. A short window in which to save the innocent Margit and solve the mystery of the missing children.

The only lead the Spirit with the Hatchet has is that the first missing child, Sean Ross, might have been taken by the Tuscarora. Zagor heads for the Native village to investigate. But just as he leaves, a child’s skull is discovered in Margit’s home, enraging the townspeople even more. They capture Chico, Fosbury, and Margit, intending to burn her alive.

Meanwhile, Zagor learns the heartbreaking truth from the Tuscarora: it was Evelyn Ross, Sean’s own mother and also a widow, who abducted the children after her son’s death.

Fortunately, the children are unharmed, and Zagor returns just in time to stop the execution, rescuing Margit from the flames and preventing the people of Derford from committing a terrible injustice.