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

“You might wanna leave now, son,” she said.


Violet could see the color in the cowboy’s face flare in anger. But when presented with two women with guns, it was clear who would win if such an issue arose. Turning back to Violet, he spat furiously at the ground, turned tail, and rode off. Violet kept the gun upright until he was far enough away. Only then did she realize she’d been holding her breath. “We should go,” she said. “He might come back.”


“He might,” Mei agreed. With a wide smile, she slapped Violet’s shoulder proudly. “Let’s hop to it.” As they left to rejoin the others, Violet could not shake the bright smile on her face. Never before had she felt so powerful. Staring at the gun, feeling its weight, she knew she had found a turning point to her life.


Chapter 65