 Martin rebuilds his CCTBS - cathode-ray centrifugal time breakascope - convinced that if he transports himself to just before the time he crashed, he can fix the problem and fly back to Mars. Det. Brennan inadvertently flips the switch for the delay function, sending Tim and Martin back in time. Instead of 1215 Merry Old England where they were sent last time, they are sent to 1849 St. Louis. Unfortunately the CCTBS didn t make the trip with them. Instead it should still be in the exact same spot in what is the site of Los Angeles in 1849. Unfortunately, they run into Det. Brennan s great-grandfather, also a lawman, who arrest them for passing off "fake" money that Tim brought with him from 1965. With some Martian trickery, they break out of jail just in time to catch a riverboat up the Missouri. This marks the start of their trek to Los Angeles. On the riverboat, they run into a woman who happens to be Mrs. Brown s great-grandmother, Loralei Glutz. The unfortunate circumstance of their meeting is that Tim, hearing her cries of a thief who has stolen her pocketbook, punches out the person who was chasing the crooks instead of the crooks themselves. Tim has altered the course of history as the pocketbook contained her dowry, without which she cannot get married which in turn means that Mrs. Brown would never have been born. So they have to catch the crooks and get Loralei Gltuz  dowry back to her. But the crooks turn the tables - they recognize Tim and Martin as the one s who were locked up in St. Louis and plan on turning them in. Before the ship s captain can do so, Tim and Martin abandon ship into the Missouri. They are able to make their way to St. Joseph, to where the crooks, Loralei Glutz (working now as a dance hall girl to earn money to replace her dowry) and Marshal Brennan have also made their way. Still eluding Brennan, their other major task is to get Loralei on the next wagon train heading west. However they forget about the crooks, who ambush them. They tie up Tim and Martin, unfortunately in a way that Martin can t use his magic finger to untie them. But he suggests trying something he saw on television, specifically using his nose instead (à la Samantha Stephens of Bewitched). It works! They help Loralei win back her dowry money in a crooked poker game and she can now go on her way west. But Martin and Tim can t join her just yet as Marshal Brennan has caught up with them. They are once again in handcuffs.