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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Billy and Rue 3Gun
The funeral was real nice. The plot chosen was perfect and both Unger and the blacksmith did lean and themselves proud. The casket shone on the sunlight with the glow of a ripe apple like the wood it was constructed from and the stone cross stood sturdily at the end of the grave, the inscription bold and legible in partial shadow.
The parson spoke his words and each of the old friends skipped through their many memories of their lost comrade. 3Gun tossed a flower on the lid as it lowered into the ground and when the grave was filled, stannbear stayed behind, sitting alone and sad.
The church service was equally nice but by now the friends were itching to get on with their search for Hunter and Six Star. Rue and Billy made up their minds, Raven had mentioned another horse race, this time in Oh Aces, and suspected that is where Hunter went. They got their stuff together and gave them all a brief wave and the pair galloped off to Oh Aces.
High Ride had left town and her horse, Butterfinger, was boarded at the stable.Rue knew this horse was as fast if not faster than Six Star and on a strong hunch, she took High Ride's horse for the trip to Oh Aces.
3Gun, having to wave off protests from the others, deputized stannbear to keep order in the town and asked CrazyGoose, with a twinkle in his eye, to meet the train from Dry Wells and see if Miss Treelane might consider staying over and giving another performance. She could offer a nice advertisement in the paper.
He explained that in spite of all the donations, the town wanted to be paid for the plot in the meadow, and Unger needed more because he had to send away for the apple wood, the trees on Lean's property had all burned. The blacksmith also wanted compensation for the stone cutting tools he had to order. The money left from the saloon's coffers had almost run out. . . they needed a way get more.
At some point after the church service, Kae seemed to disappear and nobody knew where she went. It was annoying because they needed her information so CrazyGoose put out some lines to her informers.
With things organized as best they could, 3Gun loaded up his saddlebags, checked his guns and ammunition and slipped his carbine into its scabbard then sang out a few bars of Over the Rainbow and sure enough, there was his horse, saddled and ready to ride.
How that worked was a mystery to all . . . including 3Gun, but it had been going on so long it was just accepted. He swung up into the saddle, tipped his hat to his friends, and let his horse leave at an easy trot. He was in his tracking mode and Hunter was his prey.
