2014 Short Fiction Spur Finalist V.J. Rose picks up the trail with Dudford Washburn, his Uncle Ponder, and a cast of rough and tumble characters in this continuation of a classic adventure tale of the Old American West. After making a small fortune selling longhorns in West Texas and New Mexico, Dudford Washburn, along with his Uncle Ponder and a motley crew of drovers, is chased all the way back to San Antonio by resentful West Texas ranchers, greedy bandits, marauding Comanche, and angry Apache who want to steal his gold, horses, and guns. Dud is driven to survive by two things-to see that his men make it home alive and, perhaps more importantly, to kill the man who stole his wife. A beautiful rescued Indian captive and three orphans unwittingly help Dud find his way amidst a backdrop of feuding relatives, raw young cowboys, and a landscape so harsh, death stalks at every turn.