All Comments on 'An Unfair Fight with a Known Quantity'

Whitworths were all with specially selected Rebs. See one in 45th Infantry Division museum in Oklahoma City - belonged to Missouri Confederate sharpshooter with Cockrell’s Brigade.

"I assumed you swallowed," LMAO! Wonderful little zapper!

Always great to see something new from you, thanks for contributing to Randi's latest extravaganza.... ;-)

Did he take the carpet bag that I assume had loot in it?

BTW, I still have “Confessions” in the queue .... so much to read, so little time.

I recently read “Lonesome Dove” for the first time (I know, I know!) - frontier justice - a good reminder that natural law really does usually supersede higher concepts of right and wrong all too often in the broader world. I’m constantly resisting the urge to embrace a dark cynical version of enlightened self interest as an explanation of individual and group behavior. A nice Jeckyll and Hyde fraternal dynamic. But I ramble...just a few random and quick, if not quite cohesive observations.

Anyway, thank you for the diversion. I enjoyed it. Great characters. *****

No Doubt.

Nothing Left Chance.

Questions Erased.

Definitively Decisive.

Always nice to read something from Malraux!

Many thanks to Randi for putting this one together...love the genre and the stellar cast of writers makes it even more enjoyable!

C

When I see your byline, I expect excellence. That's what you delivered. Well crafted, well delivered and I enjoyed every word. Randi

I liked your story. It was very gritty.

Boyd Percy

He hit every target designated with minimal frills and maximum efficiency. To achieve this level of competence at exterminating vermin , some part of the bounty hunter's soul was lost . I admired how there was no romantic conclusion and was reminded of one of my fav movies " To Live & Die in L.A. " where the FBI agent had discarded much of his humanity to catch his ultra-elusive quarry .

Bottom Line : Riffing off of Captain Ahab and Moby Dick relationship where good and evil often mirror each other in multiple disquieting ways as showdown approaches ? I wish I was smart enough to know.

Full marks *****

Just beautifully done. Gritty, dark, surprisingly convincing. Thanks so much for a wonderful piece of work.

Best, ohio

Very realistic from what I've read of the historical west, especially after the Civil War. I think this might be the first story I've read from the bounty hunter's POV; an interesting perspective to say the least. They were normally universally disliked for precisely the way he took out his quarry in this story; ambush, sniping from a distance, etc. To the bounty hunter though, it was only business. Nothing "fair" entered into the equation. They did it the safest way possible, collected their money, then moved on to the next target. Leaving the girl on her own was true justice.

Great writing as usual. Enjoyed it, thanks for sharing.

Fantastic story.

Definitely 5 stars and going to be looking for more of your stories.

Thank you for writing.

great read. really true to what real life was like not the stories hollywood dreams up.

Gave you a 3

James Coburn's opening scene in 'Waterhole #3' is my idea of a fair fight, and much more real than the Gunsmoke showdowns of 'Matt Dillon'

5 stars only because that's all there are

and you have to take me like I am, TK U MLJ LV NV

Please write more often

I am impressed to find a finely written Western tale in this site. You took your time in detailing the people, areas and events in that time in history and location. I throughly enjoyed it. Thank you.

I’ve enjoyed all your stories. You’re one of my favorites, and I hope you continue posting!

For Johntcooksey, who recently read “Lonesome Dove”, it’s interesting to consider that it was originally written as a screen play to be a western movie with John Wayne as Call, and Jimmy Stewart as Gus. But John Wayne wanted to be Gus, not Call, so the movie was never made. The author, McMurtry, bought the screen play back, and expanded it into a Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

I can’t remember where I heard this quote, maybe in a movie, maybe on TV, but a character said, “I’ll kill a man in a fair fight, or if I think he might start a fair fight.” Sounds like a pretty pragmatic approach to survival for me!

You don't go into a life and death confrontation with a sense of fair play if you want to come out on top and that ending was probably more like the real thing than any movie showdown on main street at high noon.

Hillcountrycowboy; thanks for the Lonesome Dove trivia. That 80's mini-series was some of the best television ever made and cemented Robert Duvall in my mind as one of the best actors of his generation. I could see why John Wayne would have loved the chance to play Gus.

... did not include scopes. Otherwise, a fine contribution.

I notice in your writing, when you make a woman a slut, you take her all the way to complete depravity. I suppose there are women like that, somewhere, somehow. I have been spared that experience, and hang on to the faith that no woman embraces that depth of evil willingly, intentionally, sanely. I pity you if your experience has been the opposite.

A gripping and compelling tale. You're good at that.

Thank you for your time and talent.

I came back to Malroux after reading "Then Surely We," didn't remember this, well worth the reread.

but I was unsatisfied with the ending (wanting romance) but! this ending made sense.

5 ⭐️ from me.

Thank you for your story.

but I was unsatisfied with the ending (wanting romance) but! this ending made sense.

5 ⭐️ from me.

Thank you for your story

BTW, anon (08-06-18), telescopic rifle sights were in common use during the Civil War, some up to 20X magnification; and a good rifle like the Sharps could step right out there.

Sorry, meant to press 5 stars, but finger hit the 1! Great story, thanks so much!!

Very good story . It could be adapted as a western very easily. I could totally see this as a movie.

That this is about a idiot girl falling a bad boy was signalled early in the story. But why run away at a wedding? The girl could have simply ran away and left a note to her father -- "I love him and do not follow me." Instead girl prepares a faux wedding which takes some effort; she has to travel in wedding garb and cannot take other clothing or personal items at her home; there was a chance that a posse would follow; and there is always the risk of something going wrong (what if Divinity had his one moment of glory?). The whole story is cheap and the missing parts left me disgusted that I took the time to read it.

Not what I expected when I started. Dark but good. 5*

I really like this story.

Decent story.Would liked to know if Abigail went home.

Decent story.Would have liked to know if Abigail went home and did he tell her father it was done.

Really good story. One of the best I read in a while.

Enjoyed this immensely. Particularly, for a non American ,the bits about the old west. This author is so original and good with detail. Please keep contributing.

If you find yourself in a fair fight your tactics were bad, a good philosophy. The be out of town by sundown in the very few Main Street fights gave the bad guy a chance to get drunk, then step out of the dark saloon and look west into the bright blinding sun where the Marshall stood with a double 10 ( or 8 ) gauge greener. Being town Marshall didn’t pay enough to take much risk.

Oh, I like it.

"The bloody battlefields of the American Civil War revolutionized many aspects of warfare, from the use of railroads and the telegraph, to the deployment of submarines. One new technology which underwent its baptism of fire during this conflict, and has become a feature of every battlefield since, was the telescopic sight, commonly referred to as a scope."

https://gunnewsdaily.com/rifle-scope-history/

If people comment, they should do so intelligently.

Oh, yeah, about the story. Well done. Worthy of 5+.

The Hoary Cleric

good story and result. thanks, I learned about the Whitworth rifle. Although I was never aware 1860's to 1870's people used modern day swear words.

It seemed to me that the author was speaking the same lingo as the characters! Lol

Loved the story and sense of authenticity and knowledge I got from reading this. Thank you @Malraux.

excellent

Good riddance to taking out the trash!! Abigail deserved her shit, what a selfish dirty bitch

I was captivated by this story, but I didn’t like the ending. I’d like to read how she fared after the murders. Did she become a different kind of prostate? Go home to her father? If so, what kind of reception did she get with her new vocabulary?

What a waste of beauty. That was the most sickening of the tale.

Bill S.

BE GLAD. YOUR WRITING I IMPROVED. This deserves a 1, but out of respect for the write you became, I will award 5 STARS.