A cowpoke decides to end his long hot day on the range by stopping at the town tavern and getting a drink. He rides his horse to the saloon, ties her to the hitching post, strolls through the doors, wearily climbs up a barstool, orders a beer and leans on the bar to relax and enjoy his drink.
Suddenly, a grizzly old farmhand bursts through the tavern doors. "Buck! Buck! Come quick! Lightnin' struck a tree and your fields are a'burnin'!"
The cowpoke jumps off the barstool, rushes out the doors, unties his horse and jumps on, and begins to head out of town. But half way down the main street he pulls his horse to a halt.
"Wait a minute! I don't own any farm! I don't have any fields!" The cowpoke turns back to the tavern. He slides off his horse, again ties it to the hitching post, strolls back through the doors, climbs back onto the stool and returns to sipping his beer.
Suddenly, a wild young man burst through the doors. "Buck! Buck! Your daddy's been shot! He's bleedin' real bad! He's callin' for you!"
The cowpoke jumps off the barstool, rushes out the doors, unties his horse and jumps on, and steers west. When he reaches the town limits, he again stops his horse dead in its tracks.
"Wait a minute! My daddy died years ago! He drowned in the river!" The cowpoke again turns back to the tavern. He again slides off his horse, reties it to the hitching post, strolls back through the doors, climbs back onto the stool and takes another gulp of his beer.
Suddenly, an old crone of a midwife shouts into the bar, "Buck! Buck! Git yur worthless hide ta home! Yur wife is a'goin' into labor! She's about ta give birth!"
The cowpoke recklessly jumps off the barstool, barrels through the doors, yanks his horse's ties off the post and jumps up onto the saddle, and careens the mare towards home. When he finally reaches his cabin, he comes to a dead stop.
"Wait a minute. My name's not Buck!"
