This book is about Clem’s adventures to find his father. Clem begins this story with the death of his mother and baby sister. Both of his beloved family dies because of fever. At first the baby was sick, red in the face and croup coughing, shivering in her blanket. His mother was tending her baby all the night until both of them do down with fever. His father left Clem and his mother to California and never come back, even send a letter. After that he lives alone. Warren’s family is willing to take Clem to live with them. He also takes his cow named Belinda. There are 5 members in Warren’s family. Mr. Warren, Mrs. Warren, Billy, Jonas, and Molly. In this family, Clem becomes labor. He should take care of Warren’s horse named Albert. Mr. Warren subjected him as a labor. Clem should do what does his command without any protest. Sometimes Clem and Molly come out together, and give Albert some food together. That is the beginning of their story. They become closer, like close friend. Clem is good in drawing. Until someday Molly know about that and she amazed. Billy and Jonas don’t like Clem. Until one day they accused Clem kill Albert with their bad plan, and it works. Clem comes out from Warren’s house, but he promise Molly that he would come back for her. And then the adventure begins. He decides that he want to find his father at California.
He walks along the day, and drink as much as he can if he hungry. Then, he arrives at kind of tavern. He comes in, all people there laugh. They give whiskey for Clem, until someone claps his back hard. The owner of the tavern, Drogan, asks him for work. Clem accepts that job. Clem can’t earn some money because unless he breaks something, which is usual. Drogan offers another job, another criminal job, become a cheater. Until one day Clem is caught cheating and is tossed out of the tavern.
The next adventure is starting from legendary Pony Express. He meets with Chester Leader. First Chester abandoned him because he said that he wants California route. And then secondly, he comes again to Chester Leader. Clem takes the job, but he becomes assistant stock tender at Pumpkinseed station. And few days later he begins his journey in Missouri river with other labor toward Nebraska, where the freight company had its office. Clem and his group bring some oxen, and some other things. After Clem and his group arrive, they continue to walk toward Pumpkinseed station. And then they took one more wagons and oxen, dogs and drivers, one of which is a Negro man named Gabriel. Clem is curious of the black man. He never see, even talk with Negro. Then he knows that Gabriel want to find his wife, and they become friend.
Next, they arrive at buffalo country Fort Kearny. They start hunting buffalo there. It is the first time Clem brings and use rifle. Blue give him the rifle. He feels scared, when the opportunity comes to him. And then one of his team, Hank screamed to shoot. Clem does it, the buffalo collapse. Blue, as the owner of the rifle admit that it is his. That night is awesome, they little have party. They arrive at Pumpkinseed station, and Clem will no longer with his team again. Clem stays there and starts to work. But before that, Gabriel tells everything about him self and his wife. Then they separated. Clem meets with his boss Bud Westerly. His main work there is to provide relief horse for the Pony Express riders. One day, Clem’s boss sends him to meet Elizabeth. Unexpected, she knows about Pierre Fontayne, Clem’s father. She said that she has been meet Pierre. But, she doesn’t know where Pierre now.
One day, suddenly there are several loud thumps at the door of Clem office where he work. A rider comes with blood in his body. Highway robber had shot the rider. The rider tells Clem and Bud that the mail should arrive at next station soon. Clem decides that he will take the mail. So Clem is ridding Pony Express now. He feels how difficult being rides Pony Express. He tries still alive, even by eating insects. His horse gone, he is in trouble but he keeps walking west. A Mormon train rescues Clem. With the Mormon’s help, Clem arrive at California. Clem starts to find the gold field and ask everyone he meets about his father, Pierre Fontayne. Until he find an old timer. From the old man, Clem gets information that his father go to San Francisco. He rides a rancher delivering apples to go there.
After Clem arrives at San Francisco, he tries to ask everyone again. Until he doesn’t have any hope. Then he finds a French Hospital named Irish-American Benevolent Society. From one of the nurse, he gets information that his father is newspaperman. Finally Clem finds his father after take long adventure. With all the chances that he had get. Clem finds his father as a newspaperman. Clem talks to his father, about how he could go there and why his father doesn’t come back or even write a letter. He finds the fact that his father doesn’t like father that he know long time ago. Then Clem decides that he will come back for Molly as his promise to her. Then he would come back again to California with her and would never leave her. As what his father done to his mother.
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