The Railwalkers

Chapter 3-1

Chapter 3“…should be all right now…”

“…not so sure.”

“We’re fine, Linus. Trust me.”

Voices slowly woke Violet from her nap. She was confused at first: her back ached, and her bed had become oddly mossy. It took her only a few seconds to realize that she was not at home, waking up from a horrible dream. It was sunset, she was deep within a forest, and two people were speaking very, very close to where she sat. Out of instinct, Violet crouched down behind her fallen log. Peering over it, she first noticed that Maple had wandered off to graze, and thus remained out of sight. The speaking strangers stood just a few feet to the left of where Violet hid. For the moment, they didn’t notice Violet’s presence.

Facing her way was a black man with thin glasses and a tight-fitting derby cap. He wore suspenders over an old shirt, and at his hips sat two smooth revolver handles. From his breast gleamed a golden chain, attached to a pocket watch. A thin neck tie hung loosely from under his collar. The person he was talking to was facing away from Violet, their long, black hair familiar and striking. When they spoke, Violet had no doubt that she had found her mystery woman.

“They were all too distracted to notice me,” said the woman. Her hat was hanging by its strings around her neck behind her. Beside them both stood two fierce-looking horses, packed tightly with supplies. “I made sure to wait it out nearby at least a day before moving on, just in case they went searching outside of town. Never did though. That girl was scared half to death, so she might say somethin’, but I doubt much’ll come of it.”

“I certainly hope so.” With that, the two slipped onto their horses’ saddles. Violet knew it was best to duck back down, but she found herself enamored. Staring at them terrified and thrilled Violet in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. Perhaps even in years. A memory came to her in a flash. She knew exactly the last time she felt this way. She was ten years old, sitting in a hot train car, as she watched a dangerous gang drag away a fellow passenger into the dusty plains. She had seen who she now knew as the Railwalker Gang in action. The more Violet stared at the two strangers, the more she recognized everything about them.

They were Railwalkers.

The woman had turned her horse, ready to leave the area, when she paused. A curious expression came to her face. Her head began to shift towards Violet. Heart beating, Violet fell to the ground and laid flat. Sweat beaded along her face and under her arms. She bit down on the inside of her lips, trying to keep her breath silent through her nose. After a moment of silence, the man’s voice—Linus, if Violet heard right—spoke up.

“Mei? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…I just thought…” Violet heard the step of horse hooves. “Let’s go. They’re waiting for us.”

Their horses thundered away, and Violet chanced a look up from where she hid. She barely saw them take a path through a clearing just ahead. Acting quickly, Violet whistled for Maple, hopped on, and followed. With Maple sprinting nearly fifty yards behind, Violet kept a keen, watchful eye on her targets, making sure to stay far enough not to be heard nor seen. Once or twice, she nearly lost them, but slowed to listen for hooves before starting up again.

When the trees finally cleared, Violet and Maple found themselves at the top of a grassy hill. Far beyond, the two Railwalkers were riding down towards a small camp set up within a field. It was getting dark now, and Violet could see the glimmer of a campfire in the distance. Straining her eyes, she made out at least one other man and two horses. Linus and Mei slowed to a halt and dismounted. Violet did the same. She sat on the dark hill, watching the fire intensely.

“It’s gonna be a cold one,” she told Maple, “but we can’t risk a fire. Gotta make sure they don’t see me.” Maple nicked slightly, nudging her head against Violet, almost in protest. “If I can get her in front of Sheriff Anderson, my name is free and clear. I only hope my luck will keep up.” Violet rummaged through her sack of food and pulled out a chunk of cornbread, slightly squished and wrapped in checkered cloth. Getting comfortable in the grass, Violet ate and watched, steadily fighting sleepiness throughout the night.

Violet wasn’t sure when she fell asleep, but somehow managed to wake up just as the Railwalkers were packing camp. Shivering in the cold, she wrapped herself in her coat and got into Maple’s saddle. Violet followed their trail for three days. Somehow, she remained undetected throughout the trip. She couldn’t imagine what a group of outlaws would do to a girl like her if she was found out. She kept close and steady, though she nearly lost them on the second morning. Following them was a miserable experience in and of itself. The nights were cold and lonely, and Violet was often tempted to gather twigs and kindling to make a fire of her own. The mornings were dreary until the humidity set in. Amid the wet air, the sun beat down on the earth come noon time. Violet resorted, eventually, to using her cornbread cloth as a wrap along her forehead just to keep the light out of her eyes. What she couldn’t cook, she ate cold, which turned her stomach and made her yearn for Charlie’s cooking.

But finally, on the third day, Violet saw what appeared to be the Railwalkers’ destination. Coming up over a hill, Violet watched them enter a large town. It was as big as four or five Redrocks put together. A small ranch lay outside the town’s perimeter, full of cattle and horses of all kinds. From far away, she could barely see the edge of the town, which stretched two or three miles, maybe more. More nervous than ever, she urged Maple forward, and slowly got closer to the front gate.

Violet began to hear sounds; loud and unruly voices, the clatter of horses, shouts and wagon wheels and garish laughter. It was daunting, and stalled Violet a few yards away from entering. Now level with the entrance, she was able to look inside. The streets had wagon wheel tracks carved into the dirt. Glass bottles and tin cans collected alongside some of the buildings. It was barely four in the afternoon, but Violet spotted at least a few drunks already. As a child, she remembered embracing the largeness of Atlanta, but this was different. This was unnerving, unsightly, and perhaps, even dangerous.

“Somethin’ on your mind, miss?” An old prospector whistled through his teeth as he spoke, and made Violet jump a foot off her saddle. She looked down to the crusty old man, who squinted his wrinkly face under a hole-ridden, worn leather hat.

“What town is this?” she asked.

“Why, this town?” the prospector mused. “This here’s Little Rock, miss! Figgerin’ on movin’ here with some husband of yours?”

“What? Oh, ah…No, I don’t have no husband.”

“Really?” The old geezer’s smile widened and he tipped his hat with his thumb. “Well, if you’re ever in the business of lookin’…”

“I should go.” With a swift kick, Maple trotted into the big city of Little Rock. Violet looked around her in awe of the tall buildings and gas street lamps. Mothers beat rugs and sheets outside windows at least four or five stories above ground. Violet had to swerve Maple a once or twice to avoid a cart or another horse. No one seemed to notice nearly colliding with her. Having lived a good ten years in a town where autonomy was nonexistent, feeling this invisible was jarring. No pair of eyes looked at her twice. The only ones that lingered were those of unsavory men, and Violet did her best to ignore them.

Stopping before an inn, Violet tied Maple to the hitching post and looked around. As she lingered in a sea of unfamiliar faces, it dawned on Violet that she had no concrete plan in bringing Mei the Railwalker into custody. She certainly couldn’t demand her criminal follow her back to Redrock nice and quietly. Best case scenario: Mei refused. Worst case scenario…Violet shivered, remembering the ghastly image of Mr. Munts on the floor, bathed in blood.

That’s when Violet spotted a sheriff’s office just down the road from her. Surely if she had the law on her side, she could corner the Railwalkers and justice would be done. Now ignited with new passion, Violet hitched up her riding pants and walked swiftly towards the front door. As she approached, she noticed a deputy lingering on the front porch. Dirt caked his snakeskin boots, his eyes yellow from years of drink. He was currently chewing tobacco, his thumbs hooked into the loops of his suspenders. Violet approached him confidently.

“Pardon me, sir,” she said politely. “Is the sheriff in?”

The scrawny deputy looked up to her, almost in surprise that she had addressed him. He spat out a wad of tobacco, hitting the spittoon at his feet with a perfect “ping!” “Sheriff’s busy, lil’ lady,” he gruffed.

“It’s important,” Violet insisted.

The deputy smiled slightly. What few teeth he had left were rotting to the core. “Is it now?”

A sharp warning shot through Violet. She glanced at the street around her. Surely no man would be so bold as to attack a young woman in broad daylight? But then…Little Rock seemed to be a place where neighbors kept to themselves. Still, she pushed through her uncertainty.

“I…There’s a violent criminal in your town, sir.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I saw her come in through the front gate.”

“‘Her’?”

“Yes sir.”

“Mm hm. And who is this violent criminal, exactly? Friend of yours?”

“What? No, she—”

“Clyde? You makin’ sweet with the school girls again?” A rounder, much older gentleman stepped outside, a shining sheriff’s badge pinned to his cowskin vest. He had a mustache that covered his entire mouth, and two eyes sunk under baggy lids. He spotted Violet with curiosity. “Who’s this now?”

Clyde the deputy straightened a bit, but kept his smile. “This young lady was tellin’ me about some violent woman criminal who just walked herself into town.”

“Really?” There was a twinkle of amusement in his eye. Violet felt herself floundering. “Well then, if we got some dangerous criminal amongst us, it’s best we know of it. What’s your name, sweet pea?”

“…Don’t tell no one where you’re off to, don’t use your real name…” Charlie’s voice came to mind, and Violet acted quickly.

“C-Clementine.”

“Clementine,” the sheriff repeated pleasantly. “Well, Miss Clementine, where are you from? Clearly you ain’t from around here.”

“Georgia.”

“That right? Coulda had me fooled. You barely sound it.”

“I…travel. Quite a bit.”

“All alone? My my…” The sheriff tipped his hat. “You’re a brave young woman, I’ll give you that much. Tell me now, Miss Clementine. Who’s this woman criminal we ought to be so worried about?”

“Sh…she…She’s a murderess. She killed a man, right in front of me.”

“How’d you survive?” asked Clyde.

“I s’pose I weren’t worth killing. But she done away with him like it was nothing.”

“What’s she look like?” asked the sheriff.

“She’s Chinese, I think. Long, long hair. She’s got this mean hunting knife. Could probably skin a cow with it. About my size…Bit older though, I think. I couldn’t tell.”

“Well.” The sheriff straightened his vest. “Not too many Chinese here since the railroad’s been done. Should be easy to find.”

“There’s more.”

“Yes?”

“This woman, she…” Violet swallowed. “She’s a Railwalker.”

The smiles on the sheriff and deputy both fell. The men looked at one another. “Come again?” Clyde clarified. “You sayin’ this woman—”

“She’s one of the Railwalker Gang. And I think she’s with ‘em here.”

There was a heavy pause in the conversation. Both men exchanged a second look before bursting out in laughter. Hot with embarrassment, Violet stood, her mouth gaping like a fish. Wiping a tear from his eye, the sheriff cleared his throat.