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

Mei and Violet set themselves at the supper table, and Sitting Bear greeted them with a nod. He gave them each a bowl of fresh porridge, as well as left over scraps from last night’s banquet. They all ate together in contented silence. “So.” Mei threaded her fingers and rested them at her chin. “Since we’re to wait for the rains to move on, about how long are we here, Bear?”


Sitting Bear looked thoughtfully out the window. He took his usual time to think before answering. “It is hard to say. A month. Maybe more.”


Mei stretched back in her chair, her happy mood gone for now. She twirled her spoon between her fingers. “And if we were to risk it?”


Sitting Bear shook his head. “It would be too easy to die. Either by beasts or by heat.”


“Or by marshals,” Violet added drearily.


Chapter 103