John Layne's classic Western trilogy introduces two more memorable gunslinging characters to the genre. United States Deputy Marshal Luxton Danner is a surprisingly well-educated lawman from Fort Smith, while Texas Ranger Wes Payne is "saddle smart" and quick on the draw.

In Gunslingers, A Story of the Old West, Danner and Payne are brought together in a chance meeting then join forces on a quest to assist a young woman in pursuing the outlaw gang that ambushed her father and stole the family's cattle and horses. The dangerous mission follows the men through rugged Texas countryside where ruthless bandits and renegade Indians look to foil their pursuit of Western justice.