Raymond Beahan a young chap from the city pays a visit to his uncle John Purcell the sheriff The day after he arrives he dresses up in his uncles hat cartridge belt chaps etc and is about to take an old gun from the wall to put in his belt when his uncle asks him not to take the gun as he prizes it very highly He then tells the boy the story of how the gun came into his possession The story is so vivid to the boy that when his uncle leaves him to round up some bandits and he is left alone in the cabin he falls asleep and dreams the same story his uncle has just related to him only HE is the hero