 Martin is still trying to fix his CCTBS - his time travel machine - but it s stuck on the year 1870, the place the state of Missouri. There is a short circuit in the CCTBS, and instead of Martin and Tim being transported back, it transports two figures from 1870 Missouri into Tim s apartment, namely Frank and Jesse James. The trouble is that the James  hold Martin and Tim and ultimately Mrs. Brown hostage, and want to use the CCTBS to pillage history of all its riches. In the present day in the meantime, the James brothers go back to as familiar territory as possible, looking to hold up a train, the closest one being in a deserted "western" town. Using some old hats and some recorded gunshots, Martin is able to trick the James  back to their proper time and place. And a simple mind clearing device solves the problem of Mrs. Brown s remembrance of being held at gunpoint by the infamous James brothers.