The Gunslinger - The Debt Is Paid

By John J. Law

The gunslinger nodded and continued to smile at the men in front of him. "I admire your persistence, gentlemen. I really do. Y'all are quite tenacious I'll grant you that. As persistent and tenacious as stray dogs looking for scraps to eat."
One of the men slammed his fist on the bar, shaking it violently. The bartender scurried away at this.
"Are you trying to make fun of us, Gunslinger? You're outnumbered and outgunned. Other men wouldn't be so cocky. 
The gunslinger's smile was still etched on his face. He seemed completely unmoved. "You'll see that I ain't other men, Sir." he said.
"We know that perfectly well, Gunslinger. The bounty on your head's high enough for an even split between me an' the boys. A man with such a high bounty on his head must definitely be... exceptional. Now that we're here though, the real question is, are you going to come along quietly or do we have to get violent?"
The gunslinger smiled at the men who stood menacingly in front of him.
"I think you already know the answer to that question." he said.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. Hulsey Books
• Release date: Dec 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223754893

Book preview

Chapter One: The Young Girl

It was in 1866, in the area of Pulaski, Tennessee where the incident occurred. A young black woman was washing her clothes on a stream of moderate current. The day was bright and the woods were quiet and serene. The young lady was minding her own business, and it seemed to be a moment of relative peace and quiet.

Eden Marburry was barely over the age of twenty-one. She was a young and attractive woman of color who had her entire life ahead of her. She was healthy and suffered no debilitating disease or injury to her person. She was also mild-mannered and of a good nature. Eden was not one who was quick to anger or aggression. If anything because of the circumstances in her young life, she was quite timid and fearful. And for good reason.

Eden was born in turbulent times and born in a turbulent place. The quiet serenity of the woods all around her masked a land that was marred by violence and much bloodshed. The land had just been scarred by a war that divided the young nation. One side claimed to have fought for the rights of people like herself. That side had won the war, but in many ways, Eden and people like herself still felt very oppressed and marginalized. In many ways, they still felt like their struggles were far from over. Like Eden, they all had a right to be very afraid.

Even if the Union had won the Civil War, there were still many who viewed the colored man with much disdain. There were still those who felt that Eden and others like her did not deserve fair and equal treatment. This harsh view would still not change for a long time, and it would definitely not change right after the end of the war. It would take a lot of time before the colored man would gain a good measure of freedom and equality and sadly, these had not been established firmly. Not yet.

Excuse me, Miss? Miss?

Eden heard the gruff voice behind her, and her mind instantly recognized it as a male voice. She was still logical. But once she turned around and saw the large, white man standing over her on his horse, all logic abandoned her mind, and she panicked. Trauma and fear overwhelmed her mind, and Eden could not think clearly anymore. She had seen white men like this before.

Such men had enslaved her and her family. Such men had also abused them and treated them like they were something lesser than human. Eden Marburry had a plethora of terrible memories and traumas she carried with her. When she saw the large white man in front of her, she could not assume he was anything but a threat.

Chapter Two: The Gunslinger

Eden's eyes widened with fear, and she began screaming hysterically.

"Stay away from me! Stay away from me! You're from the Klan! You