CHRISTMAS HOPE (Luke Christmas)

Luke Christmas returns from a successful bounty trip to his home outside Vinita Oklahoma in the Indian Territory.
He finds his closest friend who is also his mentor and adopted father laying dead in the field behind their ranch house.
Smokey Silverheels, age 77, stayed behind to get some chores done on the ranch. Both he and Luke knew that here in 1880, bounty hunting was a dying profession. They were going to switch to ranching. Luke found him lying in a dried pool of his blood. He had been beaten to death, so mercilessly, that he was almost unrecognizable.
Luke had the skills to exact revenge. Never in his bounty hunting had he had the feeling of rage and hatred, that was now permeating his thoughts. The persons responsible were in for an unpleasant end if he found them.
The sharp ears of a fellow bounty hunter gave Luke his first clue as to the people responsible and he embarked on a journey of revenge.
His journey is fused with a confusing mixture of pure evil and warm pathos. Even Luke is confused by who he is during the hunt.
During this journey of revenge, Luke learned some truths and lessons that would reshape his future.