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

“Violet,” he said, “we’re here. We’re at my favorite place.”


Violet looked up to see that they had stopped in a small glen, crowned by thick ferns. A tiny sproutling of a tree grew ambitious, colorful leaves. Violet could almost see tiny buds of fruit beginning on the thin branches. Next to it, dead center in the clearing, was a small ring of mushrooms of varying girth and size. Violet stared at it curiously, having never seen mushrooms grown in such a way. Rory, his mood dramatically improved, hopped out of Violet’s lap and held out his hands, presenting the glen proudly.


“What d’you suppose makes them mushrooms grow like that?” Violet stood and walked towards the circle, but before she could step inside the ring, Rory flung his arms out in front of her.


“Stop!” he cried. “Don’t walk into it!”


“Why? Is there somethin’ bad in it?”


Chapter 59