Carson City or Virginia City? I can’t think which is the closer of the two to the Ponderosa.” “No, come to think of it, I haven’t” O’Brien allowed himself a smile, “ Stagecoach it is then. “You are joking I take it? Have you ever seen any of the Mortons’ on horseback?” “I’ll have to book seats for us on the stage coach.” O’Brien eased himself out of his chair, “Unless you would prefer to go by horseback?” It’s a while since I’ve been in civilian clothes and there’s places I’d like to see while I am here.” “The more you think about it the more ridiculous it will seem to be,” Jotham replied and once again he rose to his feet, “Come on, let’s go and have a look around the place. He pursed his lips and the creases in his brow deepened. Adam Cartwright had settled back to his old life on the Ponderosa, working along with his brothers and father. What else had he heard? He leaned his chin upon the steeple of his fingers and stared out at the flames of the fire, thinking back to the snippets of information that had come his way. George Custer! O’Brien shook his head, if there was one man he personally would avoid like the plague it was George Custer. He had heard various rumours of what had happened to his friend, things about the Captain having resigned his commission to go looking for one of his brothers who had got lost and entangled with some Indians and, of all things, got himself mixed up with George Custer of all people. It had been two years since he had parted company with Adam Cartwright. He sighed heavily and ran a finger around his collar. Here they both were in a very pleasant hotel in San Francisco, their ship berthed in the somewhat over crowded harbour, on an errand that had taken him from the side of his dear sweet new bride when a few cables would have done just as well. They know that Cartwright liked and respected you, that’s why you’ve been sent on this errand.” he smiled impishly, his eyes twinkled, “ And I’ve been sent along with you to make sure you get there, because they know how fond of me you are -.” and he broke off into a chuckle and folded his hands behind his head at the same time tipping back his chair onto its back legs and gazing up at the ceiling. “Oh those men in the Government didn’t get there just by rattling their brains, cousin, they do sometimes know what they’re doing. You’d have thought there were others that could have gone to see him.” I somehow resent the fact that I’ve been the one ordered to confront him with it all. “I don’t think he’ll agree to this, Jotham, I think he’ll point blank refuse and I can’t say I’ll blame him if he does. If he doesn’t agree then we have to go back to the drawing board, so to speak.” he shrugged, and observed his cousin thoughtfully. “Look, O’Brien, what’s there to worry about? Your orders were to look up Cartwright, put the matter before him and if he agrees then – well, we can get started. His voice sounded glum, and he shook his head, pursed his lips and stroked his chin. We have actually managed to arrive here.” “Ah well, at least we are part way to achieving something I suppose. “Mmm, I’ve never been here before either.” O’Brien sighed and shook his head, slowly he placed the papers back in the thick buff envelope with the Government seal on it and slipped it into his portmanteau. Come on, this is my first time in San Francisco and I want to explore.” Why not just put it down, leave it alone for a while and give your brain a rest. “Your orders aren’t going to change just by continually reading them, you know.” Jotham Morton smiled now and returned to the vacant chair which he pulled closer to the desk, “If it was possible to wear out a piece of paper you would have done by now. “Sorry, Jotham, since my illness I seem always to feel the cold.” the young man seated at the desk replied although his eyes were still scanning the letter he held in one hand while with the other he tapped out a tuneless rhythm on the desk top. “Do you have to have that perishing fire alight, O’Brien?” he asked, although his voice had a lightness in it that saved the question from being too severe a rebuke. One of the men stood up, pushing aside his chair as he did so, and walked to a window to push open the casement,
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The room was stiflingly warm as the sun streamed through the windows and the flames from the fire threw out their heat.
The final page contains reviews/comments from the Old BonanzaBrand Library Summary: Joseph Cartwright suffers what he considers a fate worse than death when an accident during a stampede causes him to face time in a wheelchair and Adam’s hopes of marriage are dashed when he is sent on an assignment to Alaska.