This article was printed from KeepAndBearArms.com.
For more gun- and freedom-related information, visit
http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com.
----------------------------------------------------------------
|
About Guns,
Personal Defense, and Criminals Quotes from novels by Louis
L'Amour Compiled by Gary S. Marbut, President Sackett, from Bantam New
Edition, 29th printing, April 1985 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.'" North to the Rails, from
Bantam, 6th printing, February 1971 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." The Cherokee Trail, from
Bantam, August 1982 first printing 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." The Broken Gun, from New
Bantam, August 1974, 7th printing 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." The Daybreakers, from Bantam,
April 1985, 25th printing 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." Reilly's Luck, from Bantam,
October 1970, 2nd printing 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." Galloway, from Bantam, New
Edition, December 1971, 2nd printing 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." Mojave Crossing, from Bantam,
New Edition, April 1971, 20th printing 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." Borden Chantry, from Bantam,
October 1977 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." The First Fast Draw, from
Bantam, New Edition, September 1971, 6th printing 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." |
||||||||