I grabbed my medical kit and hurried after the girl as she led me toward town. Elizabeth was close behind me as we ran. I saw a crowd in the front of one of the stores. Pushing my way through, I found Claire on the street with Louise holding her head in her lap and her hand on Claire's arm above a bleeding wound. Kneeling next to her I pushed people away and asked her, "Claire! What happened? Any other injuries?" I was rambling to try and settle my nerves,because I had never treated any of my wives before for an injury. As I talked I took out my boiled cloth and began to apply it as a bandage to the wound. A thin man came up and began to assist me. "Raise her arm and if it begins bleeding badly press this directly on the wound." I told him.
Looking at Louise for the first time, I noticed she had a bruise on her head and a scrape on her face, "Louise, are you all right?" She burst into tears and grabbed on to my hand.
"It's all my fault"
"What happened?"
"We went into the store and were shopping when the storekeeper told me I had to leave, as blacks weren't welcome in his store. Claire told him I had as much right as anyone else to be in the store. They began to shout at each other and I told Claire I was going to go outside and wait. Claire insisted on coming with me telling him that slavery was a moral evil. When we got outside she stepped in the street and turned around to say something else to him.. She wasn't paying attention and a wagon came around the corner. It tried to avoid her but an edge of the wagon caught her on her wrist and she started bleeding. When I pulled her out of the street I fell and hurt her and myself."
"Where are you hurt?"
"Just my head and face."
"What about Claire?"
"She got the cut on her wrist and hit her head when she fell with me."
I gave Louise a quick checkup to make sure the baby hadn't suffered any harm then helped her up. Returning my attention to Claire I saw her beginning to regain consciousness. Kneeling in front of her, I checked her eyes to make sure she didn't have a concussion and asked her to follow my finger. She seemed alright, so I thanked the man who had helped me and asked his name. "I'm Dr. Samuel Hood, always glad to meet a fellow practitioner."
"I'm Alex xxxxxx, but I'm not a doctor, I've just had some training."
"That's not what the people in your wagon train told me. If you're not a doctor, then you have had a lot of training. I don't think I could have applied that bandage better myself. The examinations were quick and covered all the necessary areas to check for an injury.
I thanked him again and picked up Claire to take her back to the wagon. As I turned with her in my arms the shopkeeper came out and began to shout, "You keep your black and your woman out of my store! I don't need your abolitionist bullshit!" He continued like this and I got really pissed at him for yelling at my wives when they were hurt.
I turned around and asked the doctor to hold Claire for a moment. I turned to face the storekeeper and hit him, letting out all the anger from the last few days, knocking him on his fat ass back into his store. I turned and thanked the doctor again for his help. Telling Elizabeth to help Louise, I took Claire in my arms again and walked back to the wagon train. Gently placing Claire in the wagon, I got a cloth dipped in water and put it on her forehead. Checking her wound again, I looked at the depth and the condition of the cut. I didn't see any sign of white tissue so I decided that stitches weren't needed. I cleaned it out with boiled water and re-bandaged it again.
Getting out of the wagon I greeted Corrie, who had come around to check on things. I told her, and my other wives that Claire would be all right. Going over to Louise, I asked if she was in any pain.
"Some." she admitted.
Checking my bottle of willow bark tea I found that I was almost out. I gave her what I had and began to prepare some more. I pulled out some willow bark and picked up a small pot to fill with water. Putting the pot on the fire I placed the chopped willow bark in the water and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Letting it cool, I gave Louise a cup of the bitter fluid and poured the rest into my bottle for the next headache. After I filled the bottle, I turned to find the sheriff standing there watching me. I finished putting away the bottle and faced him again.
He continued looking at me and finally spoke, "I don't know what to make of you. According to the people on the wagon train you either are the best doctor they've ever seen or the fastest gun fighter and a merciless killer. Then at Fort Vancouver you get a reputation as a man who was held up by three men and managed to kill them with your bare hands when they were armed. According to Doctor Hood, you treated these women as well as or better than he would have. Then you hit the shopkeeper so hard he was out for half an hour and I don't see any damage to your hand afterward. All I do know is that I want you out of Oregon City in seven days."
I looked at him, "Sheriff, the man threw out my wives from his store into the street where they got hurt and then came out to yell at them after I just finished fixing them up. He's lucky I didn't really want to hurt the dumb bastard."
"That's what I told him. Still you're trouble and I want you far away from me."
"I still have six days before I have to leave, don't I?"
"I wouldn't force any man out before he had enough food to last until he gets his crops in. As soon as you get everything though, I want you gone."
This was the down side of my reputation. No one wanted someone identified as a killer in his town. Even if nothing happened, I would be unwelcome in most places. I nodded my thanks but said nothing. He remained standing as if waiting for a protest, then left. Turning around I spotted Corrie looking at me with a sympathetic eye. My wives just looked stricken as if they suddenly realized the downside of the reputation I had inadvertently received. I smiled a small grin and asked, "When is supper going to be ready?" Louise and Elizabeth started rushing about trying to see what they could save from tonight's abandoned cooking.
That night Claire and Louise cuddled together kissing each other while Elizabeth rode me. It was becoming difficult for Louise to have normal sex as the baby was beginning to really grow. Soon Claire would be the same way and Elizabeth would soon follow. We felt Louise's baby kick as we tried to guess whether it was a boy or girl. Louise wanted a boy, while Claire and Elizabeth wanted a girl. I didn't care, though I had a hard time getting them to believe it. The men in this period didn't have a high regard for their daughters in many cases, preferring boys that could help them work the land.
After my wives were asleep, I lay awake wondering what I needed to do in the next six days. I listed them in my mind, first; I needed to hire someone to help around the land claim until the house was built and the first crop in; second; I needed to draw out my design for some plow parts and get a blacksmith to make them; third; I needed to ... and I drifted off to sleep.
September 21- 27, 1847
I met with Dr. Hood to ask him about hiring a dependable man for the land claim and he couldn't help me. Apparently most of the men here were former city dwellers and not interested in leaving Oregon City. He was able to recommend a blacksmith and told me I could find medical supplies at the Hudson Bay Company store in Oregon City.
I went to the Hudson Bay Company store in town and asked about medical supplies and was surprised at how much many different drugs were available; opium, hashish, heroin, codeine and marijuana were available for purchase by anyone. No wonder so many people got hooked! Chemicals such as mercury and other things such as castor oil, peppermint essence, sulfur, calomel, quinine, laudanum, carbolic acid, carbolic salve, powdered alum, liniment, cholagogue, witch hazel, talcum powder, vinegar, dry mustard, copperas, bluestone, and baking soda were were also offered as medicine. I was finally able to buy forceps and surgical blades that were properly made. I asked about equipment for difficult childbirths and the only thing they had were curved forceps. I asked Dr Hood about this and he showed me how they were used but warned me that a breech birth usually meant death to both the mother and child. When I asked about c-sections, he told me that although he had heard they were possible he didn't know anyone who had performed one where the mother had lived.
I went to the blacksmith and asked if he could make me several concave steel discs with serrated edges and a hole in the middle. These are the secrets of the disc plow. By making them concave and turning them in slightly they are forced into the soil by the weight of the soil pressing against the concave sides. From attending county fairs around my home I had seen antique farming equipment since I was 5 years old and had a good idea of how they were made. I asked him about making the parts for a horse drawn scythe and he promised me to have it ready to ship to me on the Mogul with the other items I ordered from the HBC. I left him 30 dollars for his labor and materials. He promised to have the discs ready in three days so that I could take them with me.
The remaining days went similar to the first as we ran around buying supplies sufficient to last five people until next spring. By the time we were ready to leave for our land claim we had filled the farm wagon completely and most of the covered wagon. We ended up buying 750 lbs. of flour, 100 lbs. of corn meal, 300 lbs. of bacon, 200 lbs. of sugar, 50 lbs. of coffee, 75 lbs. of dried fruit, 25 lbs. of salt, 3 pounds of baking soda, 10 lbs. of tea, 30 lbs. of rice, and 100 lbs. of beans and various spices and sundries. We also bought 50 hens and 2 roosters for eggs and 4 piglets for meat. We still had 15 of our beef and dairy cattle and the young heifer for a milk cow, but I was unable to find a bull for the herd that I wanted. Corrie offered to let us use her bull to breed the cattle and we will use it until I can find a better one.
We also bought harness for the horses, 150 pounds of assorted size nails and 200 pounds of strap iron as well as several other items needed on a working farm. I was still unable to find a hired hand by the day we were to leave. The other people in the wagon train were equally busy getting ready. Finally everyone had done all they could to prepare and we were ready to go. I just wish I hadn't bought the pups as they were now regular visitors at night in the wagon. I told my wives, that they could stay in the wagon at night but when we got the house built, the dogs stayed outside. They all smiled and said, "Yes, Dear."
September 28, 1847
We left today in a light rain with many of the townspeople watching us leave. We made a brave sight, with our newly repaired wagons and our oxen hitched up to them, followed by our herd of cattle and horses. The sheriff was there and made a point of watching me as I left. I wondered how much more trouble my unwanted reputation would cause in the future.
We had a clearly marked road going up the Willamette River and made good progress at first. Our only delay was when we watched the falls in the Willamette. We quickly learned why so many of the settlements were on the river as we went further upriver. The roads were nothing but mud and quickly covered man and beast with a thick layer of the stuff. After about 6 miles, the wagon captain decided to drive next to the road to see if the ground was any better. For the first few wagons it was, but soon the track became a mass of deepening ruts and slick hills.
By the time we stopped around 4 o'clock we had gone only 16 miles and everyone was ready to drop. We stopped at Deer Creek and set up camp. We had been warned that there was little game in the valley and had made sure to purchase enough meat to last for two days. While the women set up the camp, the men made sure the animals were taken care of and made needed repairs on the wagons. We had brought dry wood from Oregon City and used that to start the fire. I checked the water of the creek, and while it was cool, it was still warm enough to wash in. Calling my wives, we headed toward a shallow pool in the creek.
Claire had brought a tarp that she used to fashion a shelter to get undressed in, but I simply dropped my clothes and jumped in. Soon the others had joined me and we spent the next half hour playing in the creek and the rain getting clean. Elizabeth had managed, somehow, to find some bars of French milled soap and we used it to give each other shampoos. It was strangely sensuous as I washed my wives's hair and felt it soften as it became clean. I loved the long tresses of Claire and Elizabeth and the wavy curls of Louise. Wrinkled and finally clean, we got out of the water. Donning clean clothes, we returned to our wagon. Soon I saw other people headed toward the creek with the same idea of getting rid of at least some of the mud.
None of us wanted to stay out in the rain, so we quickly got a plate and went back to the wagon to eat. The women insisted we couldn't have the pups out in the rain, so we shared the dry wagon and our meal with them. We finished our meal, washed up and went to bed. Louise was entering her last trimester and wanted nothing more than a good cuddle. We obliged and spent an hour just cuddling her and feeling the baby kick. Louise dropped off to sleep and Claire wanted my attention next. She managed to raise her leg almost ninety degrees allowing me access to the treasure between her legs. I savored the fragence and noticed that it had become more musky as her pregnancy had progressed. Spreading her outer lips I took long slow licks up to her clit and tapped it with my tongue. She lowered her leg and trapped me against her mons and began to squeeze as she became aroused. I had learned and made sure now to have my nose open to the air. She began to make keening noises and Elizabeth kissed her to hold down the noise while playing with her breasts. Soon she began to climax and I sucked her clit into my mouth and licked it. With a strangled scream she came and went limp.
Elizabeth claimed me next and promptly rubbed my erect cock in the juices from her tunnel. She positioned me and quickly lowered herself on top until she bumped into me. Claire raised up on her knees and gave Elizabeth a passionate kiss, so hot I'm surprised the wagon didn't start burning. Elizabeth was highly aroused from watching and soon began to wail and with a sudden scream, climaxed as I began to spurt into her. By this time we were all limp, and after moving the dogs from the middle of the bed we laid down to sleep. At least the the pups have stopped chewing up my moccasins and leaving messes in the wagon.
September 29, 1847
Crossed Deer Creek and continued our journey. The rain stopped last night and the road has quickly dried to a much better surface. While it is still soft, we are not getting covered by mud with every step. We have been seeing scattered houses and fields as we go further and have noticed that many of the people are working in the fields getting ready for the winter. We are about a day's travel out of Salem and should get there by tomorrow around noon. We will stay the night and get to our claims the next day after we cross the Willamette. We are are in a hurry to finish our journey so that we can begin preparing for the winter. We need to build our houses and gather forage for the animals before the rains really start. We have been told to expect wet weather from October until May. We hope to have enough time to plow our fields before it gets too wet. We managed to travel 20 miles today.
Willy has managed to find an elk today. I don't know how he manages to find game when no one else can but everyone is glad he's around. He has suggested that we help each other build our cabins and we have agreed. We will help him and Ola build their log cabin and then start on ours. I have learned there is a sawmill in Salem and we should have a lot easier time building ours as we will not have to cut the logs for it. We will be building the barn frame out of logs because we do not have enough cut lumber to build both.
Willy and Ola will be married in Salem at the Methodist church before we cross the Willamette to our land claims. All the women are making plans to make a meal for the wedding and to have a celebration afterwards. Some of the men were talking about having a chivarree (A group of men bothering the married couple by making noise around the house the newlyweds are staying in until they come out and invite them in for drinks and food.) until Willy said in a thoughtful voice that he sometimes began shooting if he was awakened suddenly out of a sound sleep. Johan and his wife have ridden ahead to ask the parson to perform the ceremony and also if there was any possibility of getting a parson for the new town. I asked him to also see if the parson knows of anyone who would be willing to work for me until December for thirty dollars a month and board.
We stopped for the night and the women immediately began to cook things for the wedding tomorrow. Willy has been banished to our wagon so he can't see Ola until the wedding in the morning. We are going into the woods to look for mushrooms for Willy's contribution to the feast. I never knew there were so many mushrooms that were edible. Willy's shown me a half dozen types so far and he says he knows of at least that many more that he has seen but not picked. I recognize the chanterelles, but he has a black one with a white stem he calls a black trumpet and a hollow one he says is a morel and another that looks like it has teeth on the bottom called a hedgehog. He gave me about a pint of each and told me to fry them in butter. Delicious!
When we got back to the camp, we found some men there. One man told the captain that he owned the property and we owed him some money for camping on it. Willy came over and asked how long he had owned it. When he said five years, Willy called him a liar, "This property has been used for camping for the last five years by a lot of folks including me! You're a liar and a thief!"
The man started to draw his gun from his belt but I drew mine first. "Don't try it", I warned him. He paused and by the time he started to move again, several of the men from the wagon train had their rifles pointed at the party. He cursed and, hauling the reins around, they rode out of camp. I turned to Willy and said, "Are you crazy? That man could have killed you."
He just turned his head and smiled, then he showed me the pepper pot he had in his right hand. I was glad that he didn't fire that, because I remember reading that sometimes all six barrels went off at once. We continued our trip over to the main fire where he presented the mushrooms to Corrie and Johan's wife, Anna. Anna accepted the gift with a cry of joy, but Corrie wasn't so sure. After tasting one of the chanterelles that Anna fried in butter, she changed her mind.
We had supper and I gave some of the mushrooms to my wives and told them to ask Anna how to prepare them. We (and the dogs) had elk steak with mushrooms and it was good! We went to bed and I fell asleep while the women were still talking about the wedding the next day and what to wear.
September 30, 1847
We arrived at Salem today and stopped at the Methodist church where Willy and Ola became man and wife. I gave Willy a ring from the slaver's wagon which he used for a wedding band. Afterward we went to a field nearby where we camped and celebrated until late in the night toasting the bride and groom. The Simeroth boys had been banished to other wagons for the night to leave Willy and Ola some privacy for their wedding night. That night was Elizabeth's turn and she asked that I walk with her. We walked around for a while at the church and ended up in front of the alter. Looking at me Elizabeth asked, "What are we going to do if we can't get help on the farm? Are you going to be helping me?"
"Yes. I know that I'm not the most knowledgeable person around about farm work. Does that bother you?"
"I hope we never find anyone! I know it's selfish, but I want more of you. I chose you first and I sometimes wish I'd never offered to share you with anyone."
I held her to me and kissed her, "You know I loved you first and I have to admit that I still love you the most. I love Claire and Louise but you're something special to me." I kissed her again with a bittersweet sadness, "You agreed to have Claire and Louise in the marriage and we said our vows. If you feel that you'd feel better with one man, than like Louise, you're able to do that."
"Only if you're the man I'm with. I love you, Alex. I love Louise and Claire too, but they seem to like each other more every day. Sometimes I think they'd rather be with each other than with us."
"I think they're bi but are more attracted to women than men."
"Bi?"
"That's short for bisexual. That means they are sexually attracted to both men and women."
"Oh!" Elizabeth thought about that for a while and nodded. We walked back to the wagon train talking about everyday things. We joined the other wives and I saw that Elizabeth was right. Louise and Claire did seem more involved with each other rather than with us. Maybe I should have been upset, but my upbringing led me to accept sexual preference as rather meaningless. I remember there used to be a lot of anti-gay sentiment but that was before I was around. Back in the seventies or eighties, I think.
Elizabeth and I entered the wagon and began to make love to each other. Stroking her hair and kissing her forehead, I moved my hands down her side taking off her dress slowly. Kissing her white shoulders, I moved the dress down over her breasts and began to lick each nipple as it came into view. Elizabeth pulled her hands out of the sleeves and reaching out, began to unbutton my shirt. Sticking her hands inside my shirt they wandered over my shoulders and down my chest as I continued to treasure her breasts. Rising to her feet she pulled me with her. Stepping back she kicked her dress to the side and took my shirt off. Unbuttoning my pants she pulled them down to my feet and pulled me forward to meet her.
Kissing her lips, I let her lead me to the bed where we fell down on our sides. Rolling on top of her I raised myself on my hands and positioned myself so I wasn't laying on her belly. With one shove I pushed myself into her completely. Making slow long movements we began to move together. Soon Elizabeth began to turn rosy and move up to meet me and I began to move faster. As I hit her hips I felt her belly touch mine. I was aroused at feeling her pregnancy and began to move even faster. Elizabeth began her wail and suddenly I came before I was aware of it. As I stiffened and began to spurt into her, Elizabeth gave a wail and squeezed me between her legs trying to pull me inside of her. I managed to fall to the side and miss Elizabeth. When we became aware of our surroundings again, we saw Claire and Louise kissing each other with pussy juice running down their legs. With a look at each other, Elizabeth and I nodded and smiled, moving the dogs out of the way to allow my other wives to join us in bed. All was right with the world.
September 31, 1847
We got up and enjoyed a breakfast of eggs with mushrooms. We were about to leave for the ferry when the parson came up with a young man of about 23, "Are you the man who needs help until December?"
"Yes."
"This is Michael Brattan. He's willing to help you until December for the wages you've offered. He's a good man as long as he doesn't get into strong drink. I understand you don't drink, smoke or have other unnatural vices."
I looked at him. "You're aware of my marriage?"
"That you follow the Mormon style of marriage? Yes."
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"No."
"A man of few words I see. In that case you'll fit right in. With three wives I never get a chance to talk either." With that all three of my wives's let out an indignant squeal and started to hit me on my shoulders. With a laugh I pulled away out of range. "You'll be responsible for plowing while I help my neighbor build his house. After that we'll be busy building my house and the barns. Then we will be gathering forage for the animals. If everything works out I'll be willing to offer more permanent employment."
"Sounds good."
"Throw your stuff in the back of the wagon and join us."
Tomorrow we arrive at the land claims. Our journey is finally over and we start a new life as of right now!
I'm always glad to hear from my readers, and want to know what you like as well as what you don't like. Without constructive citicism no writer can improve.