title: Ponder
author: Jones, Phonograph
description: In the harsh desert of Texas after the Civil War, Ponder, a Confederate veteran, is just trying to scrape by. He meets a young woman with a background very different, but just as troubled as his. After a tense introduction, they come to an agreement to partner together. Over time, they find they have more in common than they first believed. They encounter many perils in the wild and grow closer together as their journey continues. They'll try to carve out a life in this new world and, maybe, find their heart's desires and destinies together on the way.
  
  About the Author
  
  Phonograph Jones was born during World War II and, like most children of that generation, grew up on heroes of the Silver Screen. Jones, especially, admired cowboy stars like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and Hopalong Cassidy - heroes who were good-natured and as strong as they were fair-minded. Admiration of these men instilled in Jones a lifelong love of studying and exploring stories of the Old West that continues to this day.
  
  This story is dedicated to his wife of fifty years that saw the goodness in him and helped inspire the tale of Ponder.