Gabby Hayes Western #3

When a grizzled drifter named Gabby Hayes asks permission to drive cattle across the Kitapoo reservation, the tribe mistakes him for a legendary chief foretold in their ancient prophecy—complete with his hairy face and Corker, a horse that can kneel and sidestep. Trapped into staying until he makes the Kitapoos rich, Gabby discovers that two con men have been secretly digging for something far more valuable than mud, and he's caught between the tribe, the schemers, and a desperate scramble for survival. Can he talk his way out of this mess, or will the tribe's claim on his scalp prove stronger than his gift of gab?

Gabby Hayes cleans up his rough edges to escort Hester to a fancy tea dance at the home of the railroad president's wife, Mrs. Stiffneck—but his attempts at high society manners quickly spiral into comedic chaos as he ruins a priceless Ming vase, tears the hostess's dress during an enthusiastic dance, and ends up thrown out on his ear. When Gabby discovers an unexpected connection to Mrs. Stiffneck's past, he finds himself with leverage to turn the tables and secure Hester's long-desired membership in the Prairie Hens Social Club.

Rubbernose Randolph finds himself lost and disoriented in an unfamiliar town, and when he stops a local to ask for directions to a specific address, the man's smug answer leaves our bewildered hero with a perfectly timed comeback. It's a quick, clever bit of Western humor that plays on the gap between asking for help and getting it.

Gabby Hayes pursues the mysterious Black Raven Bandit across the scorching desert, a cunning outlaw who makes his daring escapes in a hot air balloon loaded with water. When Sheriff Slim Daggle uncovers the bandit's identity, Gabby hatches a risky scheme to catch him—but the desert heat and mirages prove as treacherous as the criminal himself.

Gabby Hayes has his sights set on winning a silver saddle in a whittling contest, and he's determined to carve the finest piece anyone's ever seen—even if his practice sessions leave the ranch looking like it's been through a termite invasion. After destroying his first attempt and nearly getting himself killed trying to fell a tree for his masterpiece, Gabby finally arrives at the competition with his creation, convinced his comic carving will outshine all the serious entries. The only thing standing between him and victory is the judge's surprising appreciation for his work—and Gabby's complicated feelings about how that victory came to be.

When Bronc Dawson and his gang rob the town gold assayer and frame the Musketeers of the West for the theft, Mark, Buck, and Lariat find themselves locked up for a crime they didn't commit. A sleepless night in their cell leads to a crucial discovery that puts them back on Dawson's trail—and the real hunt for justice begins.

Foreman Gabby Hayes discovers that someone's been poisoning the Bar O ranch's water supply, and his investigation leads him straight into "Slick" Tracer's operation—a criminal workshop where Tracer manufactures counterfeit identification papers and badges to help crooks impersonate lawmen and officials across the West. When Gabby and his partner Fred Larson are captured and put to work, Gabby stumbles onto a dangerous opportunity: by appearing to be an extraordinarily strong man, he might just turn the tables on Tracer's entire scheme.

Old Slick beats Blabbermouth to the punch with a tall tale about rescuing a cowpoke from drowning—except his logic about the rescue might not quite hold water. It's a quick, clever bit of frontier humor that turns the joke on the would-be storyteller himself.