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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CrazyGoose published another addition of the paper telling all about the capture of Steel Diamond and her gang. They had confessed to the theft of the saloon supplies and admitted taking part in the train robbery, which ended in the brutal murder of Mr. Parker Times, editor and the burning of the newspaper office.
There was also an ad asking for information on the whereabouts of the old cat lady, with a description and a suggested reward. As well, a correction on the identification of Lean Clover's father, Alister.
Right after the story broke about the prisoners being held in the jail, the Territory Marshal came by and transferred the gang out of Busted Gulch. Things stalled a bit in town. stannbear and Lean had picked up their gifts and there was a lot of laughing and teasing of Lean when her new hat came right down over her eyes.
No sooner had 3Gun vetoed the idea of an ice cream store, a lobby for a wading pool came up. A wading pool! And right after that the idea of a diner arose. A diner! Busted Gulch was becoming a dude ranch. He hitched up his pants and brandished his star and said a loud, "No!"
stannbear wanted to look into the possibility of the money Cadmus Croc stole being somewhere in town, and he zeroed in on the old church. He wanted Kae to do the investigating because she was already tracking the cat lady to find out what she knew about Galina. 3Gun retreated to his favourite chair under the stairs in the back of the saloon and relaxed, sipping a beer. The piano roll was playing and he hummed along, gradually drifting off to sleep.
The yelling and noise woke him suddenly and he jumped up out of his chair, guns out and stopped, as Raven burst into the saloon carrying a bunch of stuff, shouting that Lean was dead! 3Gun could not move. The words froze him to the spot. stannbear barged in behind Raven the CrazyGoose, both wide-eyed and looking stricken.
Raven told them what happened, how Lean had gone home and then next thing he knew Hunter was taking Six Star and riding off, shouting that Lean was dead. He came out of the old church and that is where Raven found her . . . in the basement, with a bullet in her heart. He said she had a note tucked in her shirt and he read aloud what turned out to be Lean's brief will, bequeathing the items Raven had brought to the bar, to her friends.
When the shock settled, they all ran to the church and took Lean's body to the undertakers and 3Gun gave him orders to make up a casket worthy of their friend. Back in the saloon, they all just sat round, blowing noses and rubbing eyes. Talk began about 3Gun going after Hunter but he said he was not going anywhere until Lean had been given a proper burial and service.
As if they had not been shocked enough for one day, another one hit. Through the saloon doors came Ruechari accompanied by a confident looking cowboy. She looked around the room, surprised that her appearance did not spark more of a reaction, then with a creased brow she asked, "Where's Lean?"
Unger made a beautiful casket in record time. It was constructed of apple wood from some trees on lean's property. CrazyGoose made up a special edition of the newspaper with a beautifully displayed eulogy and the town kicked in the expenses for the whole affair. A choice spot in the meadow behind the stable was selected and prepared and the blacksmith showed the town another talent by fashioning a stone cross with an inscription carved in it's rough surface.
While all that was going on, the rest sat in the saloon plotting and planning about how they were going to approach tracking Hunter, and what did all the fragments of information they had add up to. Rue was all for taking her silent friend, who was introduced as Billy, and chasing Hunter down right away. Kae wanted a thorough investigation, which included piecing all the fragments together and rounding up the one witness who admitted having information on Galina, Croc's old girlfriend/cohort, the cat lady.
3Gun said he wasn't doing anything about Hunter until Lean had been seen off properly, and in the end, the others agreed. The west would not be big enough for Hunter to hide when that was over.
