The Story of Busted Gulch

A desolate nothing in a nowhere place in the old west that became a campsite for desperate miners and trappers, ekeing scant livings out of its wilderness. As time passed the campsite grew into several shacks, forming a small community and gradually expanding as the appeal of sheltered lodgings attracted more prospectors.

The first big leap the community took was when gold was discovered in the stream that flowed through the site. Word spread and all the enterprising minds and bodies that attach themselves to such news began arriving in droves. Larger structures were raised, all representative of the needs and desires of the growing population.

When doubts of the longevity of the gold supply appeared disappointment consumed those who had sunk their lives into a false future and newer arrivals were met with resistance and anger. Gunfights and killings, theft and an uncontrolled rage ran rampant through those who didn't leave with the original émigrés. Soon there were but a few hangers on who more or less ruled the town, now christened, Busted Gulch by the disillusioned, departed populace. This remaining group became the new legend of Busted Gulch... and it began with a deadly card game.

First to arrive in town on their tired horses, was Ruechari and O'Boyle. They came to answer a challenge put up by 3GunWildBillDakotaKid...Jr. and were met outside the saloon by BillyBobPete. He warned them about hanging around but they had business inside and nothing was stopping them. The next on the scene was Lean, on her wonder horse, Six Star. She swaggered into the saloon, busting with confidence and ordering drinks for everybody. O'Boyle knew Lean. She had helped him break out of jail just before he was going to be hanged. She had not expected him to show up in Busted Gulch.

While they were all sizing one another up and drinking, Lean's horse ran off and it became a distraction for a bit but then, being the gambler that she was, Lean brought out her own deck of cards and dared them all to play. Four of them pulled up chairs. 3Gun, Ruechari, Lean and BillyBobPete. 3Gun wanted to know if Lean would bet her horse but she declined and then revealed that the horse was carrying medicine needed by her sick brother. The others looked aghast, asking why she would sit here playing cards instead of getting her horse and saving her brother. She called a game and just dealt the cards. Lean was a gambler.

The stakes were high, loser had to write a Haiku poem about moonlight in the desert and the game she called was, Old Maid. Ruechari was not having any of it. She insisted they hold the game and find Lean's horse, get the doctor and see to her brother. Meanwhile, another stranger arrived unnoticed and took up a corner of the saloon, just watching the others and making notes. Crazygoose was her name. O'Boyle who was busy watching the street for the posse that was after him, wanted to sit in but the game was on hold and so they all just kept drinking.

A long time passed and during that time, BillyBobPete was appointed sheriff of Busted Gulch and he suddenly decided that gambling would be banned. When Rue and Lean returned, without finding Six Star, they decided they might as well get on with the game, so, ignoring the sheriff's order, the game began. Grim faced players collected their pairs and in the end, Lean was the loser and had to write a haiku poem. While she was doing that, yet another stranger arrived. Highride Ali, and she came to play cards. She also mentioned the horse wandering around outside the saloon.

More strangers arrived, an ugly crew, thay didn't play cards, but watched 3Gun and Rue go head to head in a game of Fish, the stakes, a Limmerick about Six Star. Lean checked on her horse and while outside, the sheriff returned to the saloon. Crazygoose was scribbling like mad in her notebook but when she saw was was coming, she slipped out unnoticed.

The new crew of strangers saw the sheriff arrive and they started drawing their guns. 3Gun jumped up, tipping the table over and began blasting away. The sheriff's guns were blazing and after a few wild seconds it was over. All dead but one that the sheriff trotted off to jail and Ruechari was shot in the thigh. 3Gun carried her to the Doc's and while there, she wrote out a Six Star Limmerick. 3Gun knew he was the loser but he took it and thanked her then said he was leaving for a while.

When the Doc was finished with Ruechari, he went with Lean to see her brother but something was going on between them, Lean seemed a little afraid of the Doc. She left him with her brother and headed back to the saloon. Meanwhile sheriff BillyBobPete sat musing about all the events taking place. He had his own secrets to keep and the wounded gunman in his jail was one of them, someone he would need to take care of. After returning from the gunfight, Crazygoose returned to the saloon and carried on with her journal, pondering all the ramifications of the different parties.

3Gun had headed up into the hills and stayed with his friend Chief Damaged Goods, in the KitKat nation. he had learned a lot about how BillyBobPete was running whiskey to the KitKats in exchange for their secret recipe of Chocohol, which he was peddling to wagon trains. He also was using the name, Carob Bob and had a stone killer partner named, Spent Shell. He knew what he had to do, had to go back to Busted Gulch. It turned out that while he was gone, Doc had gone to the saloon and spread the rumour about Spent Shell, putting fear into the air.

3Gun arrived and asked about Ruechari, expecting her to be there. O'Boyle told him that they did not want any trouble, they had enough as it was. 3Gun said that was there to pay for his loss at Fish and he read aloud the Limmerick he wrote, paying his debt in full. He heard about Highride Ali and the fact that she was horse racer as well as a gambler and that someone named Crazygoose was keeping watch on all of them and writing down everything that was happening.

On her way back to town from checking on her brother, Lean came across some cowboys talking about Spent Shell and Chief DamagedGoods. Before she knew it they had grabbed her and startled Six Star into running away again. Ruechari had watched the Doc and felt there was something really strange about his behaviour. She found out about the sheriff, his alias, Spent Shell and the chocohol business and hurried back to Busted Gulch to warn him. On the way she came across Six Star and followed his trail back to where Lean was being held. Lean was shocked to learn that her kidnapper was Ruechari's brother and that Rue was hoping to get DamagedGoods to help save Lean's brother. She was even more shocked to learn that the Chief was Ruechari's father!

O'Boyle, meanwhile, was returning to his criminal ways and had a secret meeting with Spent Shell, who had sneaked into town at night. Another surprise was a chart, published in the Gulch Tattler, showing all the information Crazygoose had collected on the residents. It was a shocker. 3Gun took it on himself to search through Crazygooses belongings and learned that Ronald, the bartender was dealing cocopops and the Doc was his boss. He also found a wanted poster for Carob Bob. With a gun at her chin, he warned her to keep him informed and to say nothing to anyone else.

Sheriff BillyBobPete heard about Spent Shell and decided he needed to act. The prisoner in his jail had to go. Doc came in and verified the death and arranged for a Boot Hill burial. One down, the sheriff thought.

Lean was whisked across the desert and when they finally stopped, Ruechari's brother told her she could have medicine for her brother in exchange for her horse. He planned on racing Highride Ali in a revenge race. He also told her that to make sure, her father was pressed into delivering the whiskey to the KitKats. The confusion grew... for everyone.

Crazygoose turned the tables on 3Gun and set him straight about pointing a gun at her and rifling her belongings and when he finally got free he was so mixed up his head was about to burst. Lean got back home and found the Doc with her brother and confronted him with her suspicion that he was really Spent Shell. He just laughed and denied it then showed her what was happening with her brother. CrazyEyeCharlie had apparently tried mixing his version of the chocohol cure and left himself in bad shape and if all that wasn't enough, he had left his sick bed and was heading for town.

Ruechari had made it back to the jail and was surprised when the sheriff pulled a gun on her... or so she thought. It was really on CrazyEyeCharlie who stood wavering in the doorway. Charlie was after the sheriff (Carob Bob) for poisoning him but the sheriff blamed Ruechari, saying that Chief DamagedGoods was her father.

Charlie, weak from his illness, dropped his gun and collapsed. In a rage Ruechari turned and knocked the sheriff to the floor, before he could react, Lean burst in and clubbed him on the head. The two women picked Charlie up and dragged him outside to the horses. They split up then, Ruechari borrowing Highride Ali's horse, without her knowledge, and taking Charlie to her father to be cured. Lean elected to stay and try to help 3Gun who was suffering a bit of a breakdown.

Turned out, Crazygoose wasn't all that well either and the two of them, while on the way to the Docs', saw and heard all the business at the jail. They saw Ruechari go back inside and confront the sheriff again, learning, with a mighty jolt, that Chief DamagedGoods was not her real father. She rode hard, her head spinning with the news, and her cargo, draped over the saddle behind her was starting to halucinate. Charlie was raving about deeds and some stranger called Tri Gun Jones. She knew he was fading fast.

She reached the mound in the desert but something was wrong. Inside she found her father dying from gunshot wounds. He whispered something to her then died. She cried for him and also for Lean's brother who also died because there was no cure.

Back in town another, scarier stranger rode in and made his way to the saloon. 3Gun, feeling a little stronger, faced the stranger and asked his business. The stranger laughed and said he'd come to see the destruction of the town and in case 3Gun wanted to know, he was called... The Reaper. Looking down on the street from his office window, Doc and a mysterious stranger planned their next moves in taking over the Town of Busted Gulch.

After burying her father and Charlie, Ruechari returned to Busted Gulch but on the way was stopped by the stranger called the Reaper who threatened her and forced her to ride with him, saying they were going to find her real father.

Lean missed 3Gun and finally rode home sad and dejected. He had been sitting in the bar out of sight; he never saw her either. When Doc put his plan in motion, three gunmen went to the saloon to take care of 3Gun. At noon, in the street, the fight took place. Word reached Lean and she rode hard back to Busted Gulch to find three new coffins standing outside the undertakers and 3Gun sitting in the saloon with a shoulder wound. They traded information then sat silently, wondering what to do next.

Doc Vale, his plans in ruins, high-tailed it out of town and was not seen again.

The second part of the story will begin with the announcement of the Busted Gulch Horse Race, the rules/regulations and results for the winner. We will also be exploring Lean's crusade against the new, unknown chocohol manufacturer/dealer/distributor. So join in the fun and bring your imaginations to the Gulch.