Compiled by Gary S. Marbut, President
Montana Shooting Sports Association
P.O. Box 4924, Missoula, Montana 59806
mssa@mtssa.org

Note: The protagonist of this book is William Tell "Tell" Sackett, of the Sackett family, which family is the subject of 17 L'Amour books.

Pages 1 & 2: "Pa used to say that a gun was a responsibility, not a toy, and if he ever caught any of us playing fancy with a gun he'd have our hide off with a bullwhip. None of us ever lost any hide.

Page 7: "Boys," Pa used to say, "avoid conflict and trouble, for enough of it fetches to a man without his asking, but if you are attacked, smite them hip and thigh."

"Pa was a great man for Bible speaking, but I never could see a mite of sense in striking them hip and thigh. When I had to smite them I did it on the chin or in the belly."

Page 55: "Neither one of us had much trust in the peaceful qualities of our fellowmen. Seems to me most of the folks doing all the talk about peace and giving the other fellow the benefit of the doubt were folks setting back home in cushy chairs with plenty of grub around and the police nearby to protect them."

Page 83: "Folks who live sheltered or quiet lives, away from violent men, have no idea how they have to be dealt with. And I never was one to stand around and talk mean . . . if there's fighting to be done the best thing is have at it and get it over with."

Page 94: "There's folks around believe they can do anything they're big enough to do, no matter how it tromples on other folks' rights. That I don't favor.

"Some people you can arbitrate with ... you can reason a thing out and settle it fair and square. There's others will understand nothing but force."

Pages 121 & 122: "Yes, ma'am. It (violence) is brutal. Only I never could see the sense in having folks look at your tombstone and say, 'He was a man who didn't believe in violence. He's a good man ... and dead.' "

"I paused, peering at the trees opposite. 'No, Ange, if the folks who believe in law, justice, and a decent life for folks are to be shot down by those who believe in violence, nothing makes much sense. I believe in justice, I believe in being tolerating of other folks, but I pack a big pistol, ma'am, and will use it when needed.'"

Note: The protagonist of this book is Tom Chantry, of the Chantry family, a family that is the subject of several L'Amour books. Overview: Tom Chantry begins a western experience believing that reasonable people can exist without the need for firearms use or violence. He is preyed upon by various criminals and comes to a different conclusion.

Page 17: A small rancher named Luke Andress tells Tom Chantry, "The thieves and killers are goin' to have guns, so if the honest men don't have 'em they just make it easier for the vicious."

Page 58: "For the first time he found himself wanting a gun. He was a fool, he told himself. With such men as the Talrims one did not reason. One did not sit down and discuss their mutual problems, because there were none. These men were killers."

Page 59: "He was realizing how cheap are the principles for which we do not have to fight, how easy it is to establish codes when all the while our freedom to talk had been fought for and bled for by others."

Page 64: "If a man would not put restrictions upon himself, if he would not conform to the necessary limits that allow people to live together in peace, then he must not be allowed to infringe on the liberties of those who wanted to live in peace. And that might lead to violence, even to killing."

"The principle thing he had learned was that simply because he himself did not believe in violence was no reason that others would feel the same. In the future he must become more wary."

Page 90: A paternalistic livestock trader named Mr. Sparrow tells Tom Chantry, "Understand one more thing Mr. Chantry. You can make laws against weapons but they will be observed only by those who don't intend to use them anyway. The lawless can always smuggle or steal, or even make a gun. By refusing to wear a gun you allow the criminal to operate with impunity." "We have the law." "But even the law cannot be in your bedroom at night."

Note: The protagonist of "The Cherokee Trail" is M.O. "Mary" Breydon, the recent widow of a Civil War Major. The battle of Bull Run had destroyed the family plantation, and Mary and her young daughter Peg travel west to fill a job as a stage line station agent, a job promised her recent husband before his death. The fictional stage station is located between present day Denver and Laramie. The book is about the trials Mary suffers proving that a woman can do what has been a man's job.

Page 12 & 13: Mary and her station assistant Matty are discussing physical defense of the station interior against attackers, using whatever weapons might be at hand, such as a chunk of firewood. Mary responds, "You might kill one of them."

(Matty responds) "Yes, mum, but when a body comes in your home of a night, breakin' in or sneakin' in without permission, he's takin' his own chances."

"You're right, Matty. Just for luck, we'll keep some water boiling, too."

"Yes, mum. Many's the man was killed before ever a gun was invented, an' not havin' a gun never stopped anybody from killin' who was a mind to. Nor a woman, either."

Page 63: (Mary remembers her history on a Virginia plantation.) Long ago, her father had taught her to shoot, and she remembered what he had said. "A gun is a responsibility. Never shoot blind. Always know what you are shooting at and never shoot unless there is no other alternative. And consider every gun as loaded. Most of them are."

Page 75: (Mary thinks about her ability to deal with assailants) "She was not one of those fools who believe they are invulnerable, that nothing could ever happen to her. Death had no respect for individuals. It came to the good, the bad, and the indifferent with equal indifference."

"She must consider all aspects, for the man who was her enemy was utterly ruthless, would kill her without a qualm ... or have her killed."(sic)

Pages 88 & 89: (Mary discusses the need for personal defense with a character named Temple Boone.) Boone smiled. "Man is a predator. He's a hunter by instinct. I suspect he's taken his living from the wild animals and plants as long as he's been around. But he was a hunter first, bred to be a hunter."

(Mary) "I don't believe that."

"I didn't suspect you did. But think on it. All the predators have their eyes lookin' forward to keep their eyes on the hunted. The game that's hunted has eyes on the side of their head so they can watch better. You take notice, ma'am, of the wolf, the lion, the bear, all animals that hunt others have eyes lookin' straight forward. So does man."

"I don't like to think of that. I hope we've gone beyond such attitudes. Isn't that what civilization does, Mr. Boone? Teach us to live together in peace?"

"I reckon that's the ideal, ma'am, but all folks don't become civilized at once. There's some of us lag behind, some of us who have to protect the rest of you civilized folks from those who haven't gotten beyond the huntin' stage. When a man comes at you with a gun or a knife or a spear, you don't have much time to convince him that he's actin' uncivilized, and he isn't likely to listen. That's when you yourself become uncivilized in a hurry or you die."

"I wouldn't want to kill a man."

"No decent minded person does, but if there's somebody up on that ridge with a rifle who is about to kill Peg's mother (Mary ed.), you'd better kill him first.

"You see, ma'am, when a man sets out to rob and kill, he's strikin' a blow not only at you, at Peg, at Wat (a boy ed.), and Matty here but at all civilization. He's striking a blow at all man has done to rise from savagery. "I'm not a scholar, but the way I see it is that men have learned to become what we call civilized men by stages, and every child growing up retraces that pattern during his lifetime."

"There's a time when youngsters like to play capture games, a time when they like to build play houses and huts, if it is only to put a blanket over a couple of chairs and crawl under it."

"There's a time when they like to make bows and arrows, dodging around hunting each other. Hide an seek is one way of doing it. After a while, he grows beyond that stage, or most of them do."

"Some folks just lag behind. They never grow beyond that hunting and hiding stage. They become thieves and robbers."

"Only a few years ago, a young man could go to war, and if he did enough looting or captured enough horses or arms, he could come home a rich man. Most of those who originally had titles over there in Europe had them because they were especially good at killing and robbing and were given titles for doing it in support of their king."

"Well, we've outgrown that. Or some of us have. The others are still lingering back there in a hunting, gathering, and raiding stage, and if you meet one of them alone in the dark, you'd better remember he's not a human being but a savage, a wild animal, and will act like one."

"So I must descend to his level?"

"If you want to be civilized, ma'am, you're going to have to fight to protect it, or all of the civilized will be dead, and we will be back in the darkness of savagery."

Page 90: (Boone) "... you don't try to reason with a man who is trying to kill you, or else you will be dead, and violence will have won another victory over peace."

Page 95: (Mary considers her discussion with Boone.) "She had been thinking a good deal about Temple Boone's comments and had decided he was probably right. If civilization was to endure, those who believed in it must be prepared to strike back at the dark forces that would destroy it."

Note: "The Broken Gun" is a contemporary novel about Dan Sheridan, a writer and historical researcher. Through a tidbit of historical research, Dan uncovers an old clue to the theft of a vast Arizona ranch from the rightful owners. Further research involves Dan in a fight to survive and restore the rightful owner.

Page 95. Dan Sheridan contemplates the affair in which he's become involved:

"In my dealings with criminals in the past one thing had become obvious, that all were incurable optimists, as well as egotists. They were confident their plans would succeed, and had nothing but contempt for the law and for the law abiding citizen."

Note: "The Daybreakers" is about the near epic relocation of the Sackett brothers, Tyrel and Orrin, from Tennessee to New Mexico. This is one of several L'Amour books about various members of the Sackett family.

Page 106. Tyrel has a run in with three non surviving assailants. Orrin is counseled by a friend, Ollie Shaddock that such incidents may jeopardize Orrin's political ambitions (first as sheriff). Orrin responds that Tyrel was only protecting himself. Ollie counters,

"I know that, and you know it. The fact remains that these folks want the law enforced against killers but without killing. The Mexicans ... (sic) they understand the situation better than the Americans. They know that when a man takes a weapon in hand he isn't going to put it down if you hand him a bunch of roses. Men of violence only understand violence, most times."

Page 134. Tyrel takes a side trip to the mining country of Idaho, where miners had been murdered regularly for their gold. He is asked to be sheriff, wishes to decline, but is told it is his "public duty" to serve. He thinks about this:

"Now I was beginning to see where reading can make a man trouble. Reading Locke, Hume, Jefferson, and Madison, had made me begin to think mighty high of a man's public duty."

"Violence is an evil thing, but when the guns are all in the hands of the men without respect for human rights, then men are really in trouble."

Note: Callaghen is about an Irish American career soldier serving with the U.S. Army in the desert of the Southwest.

Page 170. Callaghen is talking with desert traveller Malinda about his career as a soldier (in several armies of the world). She asks about the danger of his career, if he ever wonders how such a career will turn out. He responds:

"I have been fighting all of my life, yet I believe in peace. That doesn't do me one bit of good, though, against those men down there (renegade raiders ed), because they have no idea of peace at all. The only thing they understand is violence. They would like for us to go down there and talk peace, but they would kill us all, and that would be an end to it. They would have peace over our dead bodies.

"I have sometimes noticed," Callaghen added grimly, "that people who preach peace so fervently are doing it from a comfortable place often after a good meal. It's quite another thing when you face armed men in the night in a lonely place, men who have no standards beyond their own selfish interests."

"I think they are coming," Malinda said. "Something moved down there."

"It's lucky," Callaghen said ironically, "or I'd be needing a pulpit."

"He slapped his rifle. 'This is one of the best arguments for peace there is. Nobody wants to shoot if somebody is going to shoot back.'"

Note: The Ferguson Rifle is about past college history teacher Ronan Chantry who leaves the East to cross and explore the great plains in the early half of the 1800's. Chantry comes to be called "Scholar" by those with whom he travels because of his academic background and his contemplative nature.

Page 40. Chantry considers the dangers of the unexplored West and potential conflict with warlike Indians:

"Being a civilized, cultured human being was all very well, but I must hedge my bets a little or I would be a dead civilized, cultured human being.

It needs two to make peace, but only one to make an attack.

Humanity, I decided, must be tempered with reason, and reason with reality."

Note: "Reilly's Luck" concerns orphan Val Durrant, who is adopted and raised by gentleman gambler Will Reilly.

Page 24. Reilly furthers the practical education of Val by offering this comment:

"I do not like violence, but ours is a violent time, and there are some men who understand nothing else."

Page 151: Grown up Val links up with an honest, hardworking and protective pioneer family for a joint ranching operation. He thinks about this family.

"They knew that not all men are men of good will; they knew there was evil in the world, and stood strong against it. They knew that there were some who would take by force what they would not work to acquire. They knew, as Val did, that outside their windows waited hunger, thirst, and cold; that beyond their doors were savage men, held in restraint only by a realization of another force ready to oppose them, to preserve the world they had built from savagery into order and peace, where each man might work and build and create without threat of destruction."

Note: "Galloway" is about two brothers of L'Amour's Sackett family, Galloway and Flagan. Galloway escapes, naked, from hostile Indians, and must elude pursuit, cross mountains, and link up with Flagan to begin a ranching operation in Arizona.

Page 52. After much trial, Galloway works his way back to a rancher's outpost of civilization and is treated and loaned used clothing and a well used Dance & Park .44 percussion pistol. He thinks:

"A good gun is a thing to have, and a body never knows when he'll need it.

There's a saying that when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."

Page 70. After locating brother Flagan, Galloway and Flagan have a series of run ins with a roughshod, lawless family of would be ranchers (using the livestock of others) named Dunn. Galloway considers the implications of this conflict as follows:

"Now I hold by the Good Book, but in some ways I am closer to the Old Testament than the New. I believe in forgiving one's enemies, but keep your hand on your gun while you do it, mentally, at least. Because while you are forgiving him he may be studying ways to get at you.

I like my fellow man, but I also realize he carried a good measure of Old Nick in him and he can find a good excuse for almost any kind of wrongdoing or mischief. I wanted no trouble with the Dunns, and would avoid giving them cause, but at the same time I had common sense enough to realize they might not feel the same way. A man who starts imagining that others think good because he does is simply out of his mind. I've helped bury a few who did think that way ... nice, peaceful men who wanted no trouble and made none.

When feeding time comes around there's nothing a hawk likes better than a nice, fat, peaceful dove."

Note: "Mojave Crossing" features Tell Sackett, a member of L'Amour's historically fictional Sackett family. Tell is obligated to cross the Mojave Desert to deliver gold belonging to himself and others to the markets in southern California. He meets a woman named Dorinda who is desperate for escort to Los Angeles, and agrees to take her along.

Page 34. In an armed confrontation, Tell kills an outlaw who intended to forcibly separate Tell from his gold and traveling companion. Dorinda questions the need for the killing. He responds:

"I never had it in mind to shoot at any man, ma'am, but when somebody takes up a gun and comes for you in anger, he borrows grief. He was fetching trouble, so I gave him what he asked for."

She was half asleep already, and I passed her over a piece of jerked beef to chew on. "Go ahead," I told her, "it doesn't look like much, but there's a lot of staying quality in it."

After chewing awhile myself, I said, "Carryin' a gun is a chancy thing. Sooner or later a man is put in a position to use it. And a body has to figure that if somebody packs iron he plans to use it when the time comes; and if he draws it out, he plans to shoot."

Note: "Borden Chantry" is the name of the protagonist, who is a part time rancher and the Marshall of a western town.

Page 111. Borden Chantry is attempting to solve a series of uncommon murders, during which he thinks about how the people of the West are armed.

" ... nearly every ranch house within miles had two or more rifles and probably a shotgun, to say nothing of the houses here in town. It was the custom of the country, developed from the need to hunt for food and protect the hearth and home, but also from the feeling that freedom won with the gun might have to be kept with the gun. Here, as in Switzerland, the militia was the people."

Note: "The First Fast Draw" is about Cullen Baker, who is attempting to avoid trouble with outlaws and reconstruction carpetbaggers in East Texas as he attempts to reestablish himself following the Civil War.

Page 35: "What Bob Lee had said was true. If they came upon me in the fields it would be well to have a gun, for it was always better to talk peace with a solid argument at hand. The Spencer carbine was not too long, easy to swing in line, but I must have another Colt. It was a hard hitting pistol with good range."