This is the story of Busted Gulch from its beginning to current times. An opportunity for readers who were unable to follow all the comments and the time line. Here is your chance to know the whole story and follow the future events of this famous t...
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While 3Gun sat in the saloon thinking about his future, Little Ron, from the newspaper came yelling down the street that the Rickety stage had arrived. This was a rare event because they had to pass through Destiny, and that was always a hair-raising ride. 3Gun went to the doors and leaned on the top, looking out as the stage arrived in a cloud of filthy dust and lathered horses. Little Ron was still jumping up and down and announcing the arrival.
The driver, old Chris 'Whip' Cracker, climbed down and was heard to tell little Ron that it was not the Rickety stage but the stage from Rickety, a huge difference in his opinion. 3Gun moved out onto the saloon porch and watched the passengers climb down. There was a little, round man in a bowler hat, fussing to get a parasol opened for the women who followed. The stage driver came directly to the saloon and greeted the sheriff, explaining how the run through Destiny had nearly been a disaster. He told of a huge war going on with hundreds of riders filling the plains and the hills.
3Gun asked about the passengers and learned that the lady was Evelyn Treelane, a famous stage entertainer from back east. She was on her way to the coast and through a lot of confused circumstances, managed a ride here to catch the train. Apparently the stagecoach wasn't her favourite mode of transportation. The little man with her was her manager, Roland Lapdoge.
He named another passenger, Will Barter, a drummer with a suitcase full of just about anything you might want ,from weapons to tools to books and even lady's frilly things. There was also a boot full of supplies for the general store and some mail for the folks in town. The plan was to stay overnight in the Gulch, change horses then leave at first light for Oh Aces. After that it was across the foothills to Dry Wells then all the way back to Rickety. Since this visit was only two or three times a year, 3Gun treated the driver to a drink and pumped him for all the news he could get.
Evelyn Treelane and Roland checked into the Busted Gulch Hotel. The clerk was so taken with her celebrity, he designated himself to collecting all her luggage and delivering it personally to her room. Roland struggled to close the parasol and was annoyed at being sidestepped. Will Barter went directly to the saloon and began giving his sales pitch to the customers, a few uninterested farmers, a trio of cowboys taking a break from a cattle drive, the blacksmith, Hugh Bellows, and the driver and 3Gun.
When the farmers got up and left, and the cowboys started getting fidgety, 3Gun advised the drummer to pack it in before he drove away all the customers. To make it less painful for the beleaguered salesman, he bought a small shot glass just in case he ever saw a vodka again.
