I grabbed hold of my rage and held it down. I had to think about where Michael might be. He was recommended by the Methodist parson so I'm going to to his home first to see if he has any idea of where the bastard might be hiding. The word is beginning to spread about the assault and I must look ferocious, because people are getting out of my way as I walk. The sheriff came up and looked like he wanted to say something but I ignored him. Right now I don't care about laws, I just want to kill the bastard and make him suffer like Elizabeth has.
I went to the parson's house and was told by his wife that he had been called away by a congregant. I must have had a vicious look on my face because she barely opened the door and shut it quickly. I checked the Methodist church since I thought that's where he would take someone. When I got there I saw the parson talking to someone by the pulpit. I went forward to demand that he tell me where to find Michael. As I got closer, I found that sorry son-of-a-bitch was the one talking to the parson. He was sobbing as the parson spoke to him. I saw that he had a broken arm and scratches on his face and arms and hoped that he had more serious injuries caused by Elizabeth. I was filled with a rage that I could only call demonic and pulled my gun out intending to make him suffer before I finally killed him. I was going to shoot him first in both knees, then his elbows and finally shoot his balls off before I gave him a bullet in his brain. Stealthily, I came forward to shoot him as he was sitting there. The parson saw me and quickly moved to get between Michael and I. I didn't want to shoot the parson, even though I was mad at him recommending Michael in the first place. He had nothing to do with the bastard raping Elizabeth.
"You sorry son-of-a-bitch, you raped my wife!", I screamed and tried to get around the parson. The parson was brave, I have to admit. If he had moved enough for me to shoot, that piece of shit would have been dead meat. He kept moving in front of me so I didn't have a clear shot. Finally I shoved him out of the way and he fell but still managed to cover Michael with his body as he did. �Why are you protecting that goddamn rapist!", I cried.
�I'm not protecting him, I'm protecting you!" he shouted back. �He's unarmed!"
I was still ready to kill him, but the parson's words and actions had delayed me until it penetrated through my rage enough so that I began to think again. �Has he told you what he did to my wife? He beat her so hard that she may lose her baby and then raped her as she lay there unconscious. Do you still want to protect that son-of-a- bitch?"
�He told me what he did and I will testify to that in court," the parson said. "I have told him that he needs to turn himself in to the sheriff and confess his crime." He looked sad, �It's the demon whiskey again. He was drunk and took out his frustrations about his life on your wife."
�I don't care what his excuse is! He's dead! Either I'll kill him now or I'll kill him later, but he's still dead!"
�Let the sheriff and the law handle him. Don't imperil your immortal soul by taking revenge yourself!"
By this time I was beginning to think clearly again. If I killed him here in the church, what would the reaction of the people here be? I didn't want him to live but if the law would kill him , then I would let it. If not, then I would.
�If you'll promise on your soul that you'll testify, I'll let him live. But I'm taking him in to the sheriff!", I reached over and grabbed Michael by the shoulder pinching a nerve, �Get up, you sorry bastard!", I grabbed some prayer books and tore out the page marker cord from them. Throwing him on his face I pulled the broken arm to the back with the other arm. I tied his hands together and then tied them to his neck, ignoring his howls of pain. Pulling him up by his hair, I made him get to his feet. Sticking my face into his, I told him, �I'm going to let you walk to the sheriff's office on your own. You run, I'll shoot you like I would any other rabid dog. Please try to run."
The parson said, �I'll go with you. He needs the spiritual support."
I grinned a mirthless smile, �Besides you want to be sure he gets there alive."
We soon gathered a following as we went through the town. Michael in the lead with the parson to the side and me behind with my gun drawn and pointing at his back. The story had already started circulating around town about what had happened to Elizabeth and the mob began to become unruly. Comments came from the crowd, �Why bother with a trial? Everybody here can see he's guilty." �Hang him now!" �Hang him!"
Without turning my head I spoke to the parson, �Parson, it's your town. As far as I'm concerned they can have him."
�Just walk with us to the sheriff, I won't ask you to defend him," he said .
We walked a couple of blocks further and arrived at the sheriff's office where the three of us walked in. He looked at Michael and nodded, as if he had expected it to be something else. Looking at me he asked, �You do the damage?"
�No, my wife did when he raped her!"
�Heard about you from the sheriff in Oregon City. Said you were a killer. Thought I'd see Michael's body brought in and you running, not him walking in alive."
�You almost did. If the parson hadn't said he was unarmed and he'd go to trial, he would have been dead."
�Almosts don't count. He's here alive. I guess you might be more than just a killer then."
�I never was. I just defended myself, that's all."
He got up and walked over to Michael. He looked at his wrists and picked up a knife to cut the tightly tied cords off, �I see you weren't too gentle about tying his hands up though."
�I was trying not to shoot the damned rapist. I would have rather hung him instead of tying him up. If that mob outside had wanted him all they had to do was reach out and grab him."
�I don't know if I would have brought him here myself", the sheriff admitted
The parson talked to Michael in a soft voice and backed away. Michael started crying and in a thick voice said, �I did it! I raped her!" The parson moved back toward him and spoke to him again putting his hands on his shoulders. When the sheriff got the cords cut he began to put the hand irons on him then stopped when he found his broken arm.
Looking at me, he said, �I heard you're a pretty good doctor, too. Want to repair some of the damage?"
I gave him back a look, �Get someone else! The only time I want to see this son-of-a-bitch again is to piss on his grave!" I turned and walked out of the office. I don't know what my face showed but it caused the first few people to recoil when they saw me. I was soon walking in a small area of space that opened before me as I stalked through the crowd.
I headed toward the doctor's office where I had left Elizabeth, afraid of what I'd find there. When I got there, I found the doctor examining her belly. I moved to her side and began my own examination. She was badly bruised around her face and might lose a tooth. Her eyes were blackened and her arms bruised where he had held her down. Her legs showed where he had lain on her and it looked like he had kicked her a couple of times on her back. Her hands were holding her belly as if to protect the baby inside.
I looked at the doctor, �Have you written down what she looks like? For the trial?"
He acted like he had expected to hear something else, �He's not dead?"
�Not unless someone else did it. He's at the sheriff"s office. The sheriff will probably want you to set his broken arm. I wouldn't do it."
I gently stroked Elizabeth's hair, stiff with the dried blood from her injuries. I looked at him, �What's your diagnosis of the patient?"
�As you can see she has suffered numerous bruises around the head and arms and genital bruising consistent with rape. I see at least two bruises on her back and she is holding her belly which may indicate bruising in the abdominal cavity."
�Did I tell you she's three months pregnant?"
�No."
�I forgot. Did I tell you to write this down?"
He gave me a sympathetic look, �Yes."
I looked back at him, �I love her, you know." I sat down and began to cry.
I don't know how long I was crying when I felt a gentle touch on my arm and heard a soft voice say, �Don't cry, Sweetheart." I looked up to see Elisabeth looking back at me through her blackened eyes.
I fell to my knees sobbing, �I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I should have gone with you!"
She gave me a small smile, �I'll be all right. I just need to sleep for a while. Hold my hand?" With that she closed her eyes and relaxed either unconscious or asleep. I sat there holding her hand until the next morning.
October 21, 1847
The next morning the sheriff came over and talked to me, �The trial's today. Can your wife attend?"
I looked at him as if he were insane, �Look at her! She's barely alive! You want her to testify?"
�No, just wanted to know if she wanted to see the execution. Jury's already found him guilty. Don't have a jail so trials tend to be fast around here. I expect he'll be hung by noon."
(Author's note: The speedy dispensation of justice was due to the fact that Salem had no county jail at the time so there was no secure facility in which to hold a condemned man. Not until 1852 did the County Board of Commissioners contract for the building of a jailhouse.)
�We'll look at his body if she lives."
Along about noon, I heard Claire's voice, �Alex?" I looked up to see Claire coming in the door with Willy. Both of them looked grim and worried.
I looked up, �Do you know what happened to her?"
She nodded, �We saw the body and the placard when we came in and we talked to the doctor."
"
�I should have been there!" I shouted.
Claire came over and placed her arms over my neck, �Alex, how could you have known what would happen? You're just blaming yourself for no reason." She looked at me, �When was the last time you ate something or slept?" I looked at her without comprehension. She nodded, �That's what I thought." She pushed me out of the chair and told me to lay down on the floor, "I'll hold her hand for you until you wake up."
October 22, 1847
I laid down and the next thing I knew was waking up on the bed next to Elizabeth, looking into her open eyes. �Are you all right?", she asked in a soft voice. I reached out to touch her and pulled back afraid I'd hurt her if I did. �I'll survive. You can't get rid of me that easily," she said. I reached out and grabbed her hand and kissed it.
�I'm sorry, I should have gone with you."
�Why? If I hadn't slipped on the ground I could have handled him easily. It's not your fault." She gave me a soft push, �Now get off my bed and get moving. There are too many things that need doing back at the farm for you to hang around here with me for no reason."
Claire was in the chair fast asleep while the doctor was sitting behind his desk reading. Going over to the doctor, I motioned to him that I wanted to talk outside. We went outside, �How long does she have to stay here?"
�I'd like to keep her here for one more day and then she can go home. She's made remarkable progress in coming back from her injuries."
�Is there anything I should be looking for?"
�She may have lost the baby, all you can do is hope."
�What about Elizabeth? Is she going to be alright?"
�She should be all right, but no one can say how this may affect her in the long term. I've simply never seen a woman so badly beaten, who wasn't killed in the attack."
I looked back in and saw Claire had awakened while we were out of the office. I gestured to her and after making sure that Elizabeth was resting peacefully, she came over. �Is there anything I need to take care of back at the house?"
"I'm worried about Louise. She wanted to come but I wouldn't let her because of the baby; one of us needs to reassure her everything's all right before she frets herself into a decline (depression). We also need to get the hay in before it rains and then cut some more. Willy has been trying but he can't keep up with all the chores by himself."
I wished there was a phone that she could use to call me, but they wouldn't be invented for another thirty years. I had to wait at home until they came back or someone rode back to the house with word. Reluctantly, I headed back to the farm.
I arrived back at the house and Louise immediately came out. I could see she had not been sleeping and I became worried when I saw how stressed out she looked. �She'll be all right!" I immediately told her. I saw the effects of my words, as Louise relaxed. Getting down from my horse, I pulled Louise into a hug and we held each other, seeking comfort in the close contact. Holding on to her, I took the horse into the barn where I rubbed him down and gave him some grain after putting him in the stall. Louise stayed with me asking about what had happened and wanting the details of the events. When I told her the rapist had been hung she simply said, �Good!"
Heading into the house I found that Willy and Ola had been staying there with Louise while Claire and I were in town with Elizabeth. I spoke to Willy and found that he was satisfied that we had planted enough wheat to get by next year but nothing else. His biggest worry he told me was the lack of hay for winter forage. That's when I remembered the horse drawn scythe I had assembled the day Elizabeth got attacked.
I showed Willy the scythe and he wasn't too impressed. (I think he didn't believe it would work) I told him to get two of the harness broke horses out and we attached the scythe to them. Leading Willy to the field I had chosen, I put the blade down and started the horses forward. With a clack, clack, clack the blade started moving and with the sound the horses started forward. I held them back to a slow walk and at the end of the patch of tall grass stopped and looked back. While some of the grass remained standing,, the majority was laying on the ground. What was mown was cut about three inches from the ground. I rested the horses for 10 minutes and began another patch. By the time I stopped an hour later, I had cut more than 6 acres of hay. I had managed to do the labor of 6 men working for 5 hours in one.
Willy wanted to try it and I warned him that he had to check the field to make sure any rocks or tree stumps were removed or marked before he started. I watched him long enough to make sure he knew what to do and returned to the house. I found Louise and Ola talking about what they could do to welcome Elizabeth home. I decided that I would start on the interior walls. I brought in 2 by 6's and measured the length of the area we wanted for a bedroom. Cutting the pieces to the length of the wall we wanted, I measured the height of the outside walls and cut the studs the same length. Nailing the studs to the other pieces I had one wall of the bedroom ready to rise. Getting Ola to help me lift the frame, I had her and Louise hold the frame upright while I nailed the piece to the outside wall and the floor. Using the ladder we had used earlier to to put on the roof. I nailed a board from the outside wall to the top of the frame. I continued this until I had framed the bedroom, a study/children's bedroom, the parlor and kitchen. By the time supper was ready and Willy came in, I had finished framing the interior walls.
When Willy came in he was excited. He had done in one day what would have taken a crew of 20 men to do. He wanted to know if I knew of any other machines we could use. I told him of the disc plow I was working on and the harrow plow, but warned him that these wouldn't be ready until spring. He wanted to show off the scythe to the neighbors and I was all for it. I warned him to make sure that if they used it to make sure about stones and stumps since if it broke I'd have to have it repaired by the smith in Oregon City. Knowing that it worked, I was eager to have the smith in Oregon City make more of them. I knew that this would have to wait until spring.
Willy told me that if I could take care of the hay, he would get back to plowing and planting. He estimated that we could plant about 45 more acres before the first hard freeze put an end to plowing. That would let us plant all the wheat and six to nine acres of oats. This would allow us to have enough wheat for our own needs and still have some to sell for cash.
That night I held Louise while she cried after I told her that Elizabeth might have lost the baby.
She talked about her rape and the baby that she would be having soon. We spooned in the bed as we comforted each other with our touch.
October 23, 1847
We went to town to pick up Elizabeth. I was surprised at the number of people who came up to the road to ask about her as we drove. It seemed that almost everyone had something they wanted her to know, mostly wishes for her recovery. When we got to the ferry, we had to wait and Louise soon spotted the hanging figure across the river. �That the man?"
�Yes." I replied after a glance.
�Good."
By the time we got to the doctor's office it was around 10 o'clock and Claire and Elizabeth were dressed and waiting for us. I tried to be solicitous toward Elizabeth but she refused to let me. I did make her and Louise lay down and rest while we drove back to the ferry. Elizabeth kept her eyes dry until we got over the river and began to go back home. She started crying then and soon she was sobbing in Louise's arms. I looked at Claire in pain when I heard her crying.
Claire took the reins from my hands, �Get back there and hold her." I crawled into the back of the wagon and Louise and I held her until we got back home. When we arrived home I carried Elizabeth to the bed where we held her until she went to sleep.
I looked at Claire with the question about the baby in my eyes. �She hasn't miscarried yet, but she's been complaining about discomfort. We need to be there for her until she gets over feeling violated".
I told both of them , �She needs to stay in bed until she feels completely well. I'm depending on you both to make sure she does stay there. That's her best chance of keeping the baby."
October 24, 1847
Willy and Ola showed up this morning dressed in their best clothes. They reminded me that the Methodist parson would be in town today to preach. I had totally forgotten about it. Claire had forgotten too but quickly made herself ready. She reminded me that we were going and we had our first fight in the new home. I refused saying that I was staying here to take of Elizabeth and Louise. That started the row.
Claire told me that if I was going to be a leader in the community I needed to become active in the community and the church was an important part of it. I told Claire that this family was more important to me than any service and I was a free thinker anyway. There were several back and forth exchanges that became more heated as they continued until I refused to argue any more. Claire stormed out the door and joined Willy and Ola in their wagon.
As they drove off I turned around and noticed Louise and Elizabeth trying to hold their faces still until they saw my face and both broke out giggling. Elizabeth saw the confusion on my face and finally had pity on me and explained, �Claire is just like our mother, every time she got pregnant she became very temperamental and started going to church religiously. After she gave birth she became calmer and religion became less important."
Louise chimed in, �Haven't you noticed how she's changed since she became pregnant? She used to be the calm one."
October 25- November 3, 1847
Claire came back from the service and Elizabeth calmed her down. We both apologized and I promised that as soon as Elizabeth was back on her feet that I would go to the next service with her. Afterwards we began the repetitive circle of farm life, doing the chores and getting ready for winter. I picked up the cut lumber from the mill and began to close in the interior walls with wood and plastering them. As I got the walls plastered Louise and Claire would paint them with suggestions/comments from Elizabeth in the bed. I took over the farm chores and began to enjoy my time out of the house. Between trying to keep Elizabeth in bed, putting up with Claire's moods and Louise's overly submissive streak, I really needed the time alone.
Our neighbors had borrowed the horse drawn scythe and it worked extremely well. Except for sharpening the blade and tightening the bolts every day, the only thing I had to remind people of was to use grease or lard on the moving parts. By the time we had enough hay gathered for everyone I had most of the men asking if there was some way they could get a scythe like mine. I explained that I had the smith in Oregon City make it for me from drawings and carved models. If there was a local smith capable of copying it they were welcome to do so.
November 4, 1847
We got our first snow today. Willy told me he has never known the snow to fall so early and warned that we might be looking at a long winter. I made a last trip to town and bought all the provisions I could fit in the wagon. We have dug a root cellar and will store most of the vegetables in it over the winter. When we have a hard freeze that looks like it might last for a while we will butcher the hogs. Elizabeth seems obsessed with continuing her training in self defense. I believe this is a result of the trauma of the rape.
November 5-9, 1847
Snow again. It has been snowing for the last four days and it is beginning to pile up in drifts. I have had to bring the animals in closer to the barn and have made a pen for them next to it. We have decided to keep one sow and the boar for the winter, the rest we are going to butcher and preserve. The chickens have been brought into the barn and are in their own cage. The beagles are getting quite big now and are still sleeping with us in the house. At least I have managed to get them off the bed and into the kitchen at night. I'm really glad that Louise bought two of the Canada stoves and the cooking stove. We have needed all of them for the last four nights. I must have cut five cords of wood for this winter and we may need to get more.
November 16, 1847
Louise started feeling labor pains this morning. I thought they were false labor pains again until her water broke. Everyone started running around like chickens with their heads cut off, including me. Finally we all settled down and I had Claire get the sterilized cloths we had ready and Elizabeth get the boiled water and we waited. Slowly the pains grew closer together and stronger. Every so often Elizabeth and Claire would help her walk around until around dusk, Louise began straining to push the baby out. We encouraged her by holding her hands and I began stroking her belly in time with her pushes until I saw the crown of a head begin to show.
I began to pant in rhythm with the contractions, trying to recall what little I remembered of the Lamaze method I learned when my sister became pregnant. Finally with a held breath and a strong push Louise pushed the baby's head out followed shortly afterwards with the rest of the body. Quickly I picked up the baby and stripping the blood from the umbilical cord tied it in two places and cut between them. Cleaning out the mouth and nostrils with a small piece of cloth I handed the baby to Claire to finish cleaning up. I turned back to Louise and waited for the afterbirth to be expelled. Behind me I heard a loud cry and coos of delight from my other wives. Finally the afterbirth came out and I cleaned Louise up and got her comfortable in bed. Claire brought the baby forward and placed it on Louise's breast.
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.