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

“Think I can borrow that knife?” she asked.


Mei hesitated suspiciously before handing Violet her tiny switchblade. Violet, without a word, found a small bowl and sat on a rock next to the fire. Humming to herself, she began to cut up the strawberries one by one. “I figger we can add a little flavor to breakfast,” she explained. The idea went over well, and by the time they were back on their horses, their stomachs were full with sweet, warm berries for the rest of their morning.


The ride was far more pleasant than it had been previously. The air, it seemed, was clearer than before. The rolling hills flattened out the further they went, until they had a wide, open prairie to themselves. Taking advantage of the space, Violet let Maple stretch her legs a bit, riding circles around the others. When Maple grew tired of galloping, Violet settled her near the middle of the troop, just a few feet shy of where Mei was riding. Mei, Violet noticed, had been watching the pair carefully.


Chapter 33