Wistful Thinking 

 Busted Gulch was changing. Population was growing along with new businesses. Daily life seemed to be more complicated than before for 3Gun. 

He sat in front of the saloon watching the bustle of commerce taking place, wagons, and carriages, dozens of folks milling about . . . he missed the lazy, easy-going pace, realizing those days were gone. 

It also occurred to him that he was getting older, no longer the one-man band with volunteer deputies that kept the town safe and clear of crime and villains. Now he had three full-time deputies plus his volunteers. He smiled wistfully, thinking of the adventures they had been on together.Villains had panache back then; they seemed bigger than life. Doc Vale, Spent Shell, the Reaper. 3Gun shook his head and smiled, even Ronan was a borderline bad guy back then. Cadmus Croc and his gang, Hunter Kanga and the Diamond family - those were exciting times he thought, remembering also the sad parts. 

The Cat Lady and Tex Mex. Now that was an adventure. Poisoned muffins and a raid on Tent City to rescue the Red House girls. He sighed and watched a wagon load of lumber rattle down the rutted street. Rescuing CG from those kidnappers and the showdown in Carson City. He felt the old itch for action; sitting around was not his style. He remembered the time when AJ was grabbed by the railroad gang and forced to fight and how they broke up the fight club gang and rescued him. 

His thoughts ran to Daisy Cannon and her twin gunsels that tried to blackmail the mayor. Even Mayor Johnny Walker was crooked.'Aah, those were the days.' Time to make his rounds. He stood and began a slow walk about the town.