The History of Busted Gulch

Part 8

                                     CrazyGoose, stannbear and Lean

Tiddley Wink turned out to be of little use. His stories were all exaggerated and nothing that the group did not already know. 3Gun made a deal for renting Lean's hammock and he set it up in the back of the saloon. Pretty soon it was apparent that Tiddley was just milking the crowd for drinks and 3Gun took him aside and questioned him again. He really knew nothing of value and so he was thanked and sent on his way.

Lean came up with a theory that since Ronald the bartender worked for Doc Vale, perhaps there might have been some of the drugs hidden in the saloon somewhere. Everyone got all excited about where it might be and a lively argument about rooms and possibilities led them to actually think about ripping up the saloon floor. 3Gun vetoed that right off and stated that it was town property and his responsibility. The next suggestion voiced was that maybe there were some hidden in Doc's old office. 3Gun got the keys to the office from under the bar where Ronald kept his and he suggested Lean accompany him to do a search.

In the meantime, Crazymoose, CG's horse, arrived with a message from an informant stating that the stockroom supplies were stolen just outside of town and the gang was led by Steel Diamond. CrazyGoose reprimanded 3Gun for not finding Parker's killers and suggested that he had better investigate the supply robbery. 3Gun got hold of a picture of her horse and posted it for all to see. CrazyGoose waited until he was asleep in the rented hammock and emptied a bottle of vodka on his head. Turned out to be the bottle of vodka, the one she purchased as a gift.

3Gun accepted the action and apologized by posting a new picture of Crazymoose. There was still no sense of thrill when she saw it, however, the incident seemed to be done with, at least for the time being.

Feeling obligated to his new comrades, stannbear revealed that there was an old abandoned mine that the others were not aware of. The Bitchin' Ditch. It was an active gold mine back in the day but very, very hard to work and when it finally ran dry, the miners closed it up and gave it the name. It was decided that stannbear and CrazyGoose would visit the mine as a possible hideout for Steel and her gang, and Lean and 3Gun would search Doc's office then meet them at the mine.

                                                          Lean and 3Gun

The office search was not very revealing. Lean did manage to find her knife as well as a map showing Destiny marked with a heavy red cross. 3Gun found a small package of cocopops, which was really nothing, considering the boxes of the drug they burned. They left and rode in silence. Lean thought Gun was mad at her but he was really thinking about what he had to do about the investigations. He told Lean she should go on to the mine alone; he was going to track Steel from the site of the robbery.

When they reached the mine, a long way out into the foothills, they discovered that it had recently been occupied and chose a safe place nearby to camp until Lean and 3Gun arrived. In the meantime, CrazyGoose and stannbear were arguing about her horse and its eating habits. He said he was hungry enough to eat a horse, an old saying, and she got all panicky and offered him beans and candy apples from her emergency, supply room sack. Without a pot to cook in, he ate the beans cold and the apple as well.

The tracking failed, 3Gun lost the trail and gave up, heading back to Busted Gulch. Taking over as sheriff was not a task he really enjoyed. Too many times he felt he let people down and it only made him sadder and a little bitter. He reached town and went to the jail to check on Alister. he was sleeping on his cot and a tray of dirty dishes was on the floor outside the cell. 3Gun figured it must have been Hunter that fed him but there was no sign of the mysterious man. There was no sign of anyone. He figured they were still at the mine or on their way back.

3Gun went alone to the saloon and drank.