Ruth Hanson

America, 1887. In a country healing from the horrors of the Civil War, the American West has never been more treacherous. Evil men do as they please, and the often faulty and corrupt justice system does little to nothing to help their victims. Enter the Railwalkers. Bandits whose only goal is to punish those whom the law has allowed to walk free. Some think they're an 28 legend, meant to scare would-be criminals into submission. Some see them as no different than the murderers they kill, while to others, they are angels of mercy. To Violet Donovan, they are family. Growing up as the sole heiress to the sizable Donovan estate, Violet's place of privilege allowed her wild spirit to flourish. Despite the pressures of her sex -- find a husband, stay pretty, have children, be subservient, don't speak out of line -- Violet is passionate, loud, stubborn, and untamed. However, at the ripe, marriageable age of twenty, Violet faces the fact that she may have to give in to her mother's wishes and marry mean, ugly Eustace Carpenter, the only other family name in their little town with comparable worth. But Violet's life changes forever when she is saved from an attacker by a strange woman. A woman who, like Violet, doesn't exactly fit the mold. Unfortunately Violet gets mixed up in a murder charge and has to leave everything she knows for a life on the run from the law. Through divine intervention, she and the woman cross paths again, and Violet comes to know her and her comrades. They are Mei Wong, Linus Cooper, Sitting Bear, and Rory McNab. The infamous Railwalker gang.

The Railwalkers

“What do you think happened to them slaves that were declared ‘free,’ girl?” There was a pause, but Violet didn’t speak. Linus continued. “Some were run down and hung. Nothin’ changed there. Others left with nothin’ but the clothes on their back, and would most assuredly die in their travels. And the rest? The rest that stayed tried to make a life for themselves and their family. And so, the masters hired them. Paid them mere scraps of what their labor was truly worth. If they complained? Fired. If they fainted? Fired. Slaves’ quarters converted to rented properties, where tenants now paid to sleep within the walls of their former prisons. And if what little they made could not produce rent? They were thrown out into the cold to starve and suffer. Now…You tell me, Miss Violet, if you would truly call that freedom.” Violet remained where she was, at a loss for words. Linus’s sad expression only grew. He edged his mare forward, and the troop began again.


Chapter 31