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 Chapter 14

   August 16, 1847

   We rested that night in a pleasant valley next to the Umatilla River,
with plentiful grass and good water.  When we woke up we felt that all of
our problems were behind us.  We were soon disabused of the idea that the
rest of the journey would be easy.  We were warned by the wagon master to
fill all water containers and gather grass for the oxen before we left so
we spent today preparing for the upcoming journey.  Wagon wheels were
checked and all minor repairs done as best as possible.  The wagon master
spent the day checking the wagon that had broken loose and by the afternoon
was asking if anyone could handle more weight and take some of the cargo
from that wagon.  Almost everyone was loaded down but between the entire
wagon train we managed to take about a third of the cargo from the wagon.
We spent the day cutting grass and hunting.  Elizabeth and I went hunting
and she shot a fine deer and managed to shoot several plump grouse with my
shotgun.  I managed to hit several grouse myself but told Elizabeth I was
having mine fresh.

   I have continued to teach my wives Krav Magen techniques and we
continued the Tai Chi exercises.  They feel better after the Tai Chi
movements and have begun to notice the relationship between it and some of
the Tae Kwan Do movements.  Some of the men have seen us at Tai Chi and to
a man they think I'm crazy.  Sometimes I agree with them, especially after
a long day.  The biggest change I have seen is in Louise.  She no longer
walks about with a frightened air around the other men and has started
joking and laughing when she joins the women's groups around the fire.

   Claire has started teaching Louise her letters and numbers after we
found she had only the vaguest notion of either.  She has begun to be able
to read much better and I always find her reading books when she is not
involved in cooking or some other domestic task.  I'm glad that at least
one of my wives is familiar with how to maintain a house as Elizabeth and
Claire are mediocre at best.  Even I am better at keeping things neat than
my other two wives!

   Claire has continued her schooling of the younger children and is full
of pride at how well they have progressed.  Her biggest problem is the lack
of books for the children so she has been having some of the better writers
copy the books by hand to share with the other students.  I am beginning to
think that I should start a practice as a doctor when we finally settle
down.  I am starting to get more patients every day complaining about the
aches and pains from travel as well as emergencies that require first aid
such as broken limbs and sprains.  I am hesitant about doing this as I have
no knowledge of surgery and dread the day if I must use what little
knowledge I do have.  Elizabeth has changed the least so far.  She still
outshines most of the men in the daily tasks we need to do to continue our
journey.  Sometimes I think she would be more comfortable at the men's
meeting than around the women.  I don't know how much longer this will
continue to be true as she becomes more involved with her pregnancy.

   I have found similar differences in how being pregnant effects their
sexual interest.  Claire has become much more aggressive, while Louise has
become more clinging and desires hugs and kisses more than sex.  Elizabeth
remains the most adventurous but is slowing down as her pregnancy
progresses.  We are spending most nights making love by cuddling and
talking rather than with the wild sexuality of our earlier relationship.

   August 16, 1847

   We spent last night making gentle love to each other.  We were all
rested and felt no need to hurry to finish to get our sleep in before
today. We switched partners several times and I ended up making love to all
three of my wives but only cuming once.  We talked and cuddled more than
anything else and I finally went to sleep while my wives were talking.

   We began our journey at a good clip until we reached the plain.  I have
rarely seen such a desolate looking area.  The plain is covered with dry
bunch grass and shrubs, just big enough to hinder our travel and almost no
trees to provide shade.  Most of the grass on the trail itself has been
eaten so we have to have our cattle move some distance away in order to
find enough to graze.  This requires a larger number of men to control the
animals and keep them going in the right direction.  We have seen no sign
of water since we began this morning.  When we expressed our concern about
this to the guide and wagon master, they told us their plan of travel.  We
are to head toward Sugar Loaf Mountain and after that we climb Spring
Mountain where we will find water.  Altogether we have made only 10 and a
half miles today.

   We have seen no game today with the exception of several very large
white tailed rabbits.  We have enough meat to last for today and the start
of tomorrow, Then we need to find more game.  One of the men shot a rabbit
today and tried to roast it.  He told me it was tasty, but it chewed back
when he chewed it!  It will need long stewing to be eaten, so we will have
to let it stew overnight as we have no time during the day to do this.

   I have had no further visits from the measles wagons and I think the
outbreak is over I remain concerned about the man who was gored.  He is
showing little improvement and I have not been able to get him to let me
examine the wound.  He assures me that he is keeping the wound clean, but I
have noticed him favoring the leg.  I hope he is getting better, because if
he has gangrene the only thing I can do is amputate the leg.

   After struggling through the brush today all anyone wants to do tonight
is sleep.

   I was called out by the companions of the gored man tonight.  He lapsed
into unconsciousness while around the fire and can't be wakened.  I checked
him out and found him to be running a high fever.  I checked out his leg
and found it puffy and pus running out of the wound.  There are red skin
breaks running up and down from the wound and a smell of rotten flesh.  His
companions drew in their breath in recognition, "That's gangrene!" I agreed
and knew I faced a task probably beyond my capabilities.  The leg had to be
removed below the knee.

   I tied off the leg above the wound and began to prepare for the
amputation.  I woke up the wagon captain and asked him to pray for the
patient.  I got five men to hold the man still as I knew that he would move
wildly when I began cutting.  I resterilized my scalpels and borrowed a
bone saw from my wife and sterilized it.  Taking a big breath I began
cutting.

   He awoke with a scream of pain and began struggling.  I told the men to
hold him fast and used a sleeper hold to return him to unconsciousness.  I
returned to the leg and continued cutting.  I finally got down to the bones
and picking up the bone saw began to cut.  The sound of the saw cutting
through the bone made several of the men holding him turn green and one
looked like he was about to vomit.  I told Louise to push him away and take
his place.  Soon I had cut through the bone and continued to cut off the
remaining flesh.  A modern doctor would have put a flap of skin over the
raw stump but I didn't know how.  I had to use a flat pan I heated in the
fire until it was red hot to cauterize the wound.  With a hissing sound it
burned the wound.  I released the tourniquet and watched to see if there
was any blood leakage.  There was some but not enough to require me to
cauterize the wound again.  I had one of the men who held him take the foot
and bury it.  I was mentally and physically exhausted and Louise wasn't
much better.

   I turned to this companions.  "There's nothing else I can do right now.
You need to keep an eye on him and get me if he changes for the worse.  The
rest is up to him."

   Exhausted, we returned to bed for the remainder of the night.

   August 17, 1847

   I awoke this morning to find that my patient had died during the night.
I never knew his name until then.  He was Daniel Morrison and was a single
man who was going to start a farm when he got to Oregon.  He was buried
before we got going and we ran the wagons over his grave to try to keep the
wolves and other predators out of it.  There was nothing to mark his grave.
From what his companions told me he never regained consciousness.

   I was depressed from losing a patient, even though many of the men came
up to me to thank me for doing as much as I had.  One man told me it was an
easier death than dying from the gangrene.  What I would give for some
penicillin!

   We couldn't stop for any longer if we didn't want to start losing
cattle. Last night the cattle didn't get any water with the exception of
the oxen pulling the wagons.  They are already starting to suffer and we
are beginning to see piles of bones along the trail.  One of the desert
post offices (skulls) told us of a poison pond ahead so we had to make a
detour around it so the thirsty animals couldn't get to it.  Due to the
burial and the detour, we only made about 9 miles today.  The water is
getting low at several of the wagons again and we have had several of the
women ask to get water from one of our extra barrels.  We must find water
tomorrow or the cattle will begin dying.

   There has been no further signs of the measles in either of the two
wagons for the last seven days.  I have given the people permission to join
the rest of the wagon train.  I have remained alone as much as possible
today because of my depression.  I didn't feel like continuing the unarmed
combat training today, but my wives insisted that I join them in Tai Chi. I
did feel better afterwards, but was still feeling down.  My wives spent the
night before we fell asleep just holding me while I talked about how I
felt.

   August 18, 1847

   We reached Spring Mountain and the guide took the cattle herd and the
drovers ahead to the spring.  We will have to climb up the slope and down
the other side a little ways to get to it.  Everyone was relieved that we
were close to water again as many of the wagons were down to the bottom of
the barrels.  We have been told to refill the barrels and anything else
that would hold water as this was the last reliable water source we would
see until we reached the Umatilla River.  We reached the watering place and
had to hold back the oxen to keep them from drinking too fast.  It took us
an hour to water all the stock and then we had to refill the barrels.  I
had to tell several of the boys not to use the main watering hole where the
cattle had drunk and to go upstream to get the drinking water.  The wagon
captain came down on them as well and reminded those who grew up on a farm
what happened when cattle got too close to a well.

   As there was no service conducted over the grave of Daniel we were asked
to come to one tonight to offer prayers for him.  The wagon captain gave
the eulogy as we have no chaplain on the train.  After wards the wagon
captain asked if we wished to go to the Whitman Mission or continue toward
The Dalles.  After much discussion, it was decided the time spent in going
to the Whitman Mission would be better used in getting to The Dalles.

   My wives and I practiced Tai Chi again and I showed them another move
from Krav Magen.  This one was to take out a man with a knife.  We went to
bed soon after dinner where Claire claimed me for the night.  She was
beginning to become uncomfortable with the missionary position due to her
increasing pregnancy and wanted to try the reverse cowboy.  I began to
massage her back and kiss her ears while she watched Elizabeth and Louise
make love to each other.  By the time they were beginning to show signs of
arousal, so was Claire.  Reaching down between her legs I took some of the
moisture I felt there and began to play with her clit.  She gasped and gave
me a kiss with her tongue that felt like she was determined to suck out my
tonsils.  Turning away she grasped my cock and aimed it at her opening. 
Lowering herself she bottomed out and started to rock back and forth. 
Louise and Elizabeth separated and each took a side of Claire to work on.
They began trading off kisses with Claire and sucking on her breasts.  Both
took some of their own juices and began to play with her clitoris and my
balls.  This began to effect both of us and with a roar I started shooting
glop after glop of semen into her womb.  This set her off and with a
keening cry she came too.  Slumping bonelessly forward Claire was caught by
my other wives and her head placed on my shoulder.  Cuddling up together we
fell asleep.

   August 19, 1847

   Louise was attacked this morning by an Indian as she was getting water
for breakfast.  The first I knew of it was when I was wakened by a scream
from Louise.  Several of the men who were up ran over to the spot and found
Louise standing over the brave who had a knife at his feet.  They examined
him and found that he had a broken neck as well as several other injuries.
I got there and Louise flew into my arms crying.  The men wanted to ask her
questions, but I told them I was taking her back to the wagon and they
could ask any questions later.

   After getting back to the wagon, I handed over Louise to the other wives
and headed back to the dead Indian.  The guide came over and examining him
said that he was a Nez Pierce.  I examined the body and recognized the
bruising as that caused by using some of the Krav Magen blows I had been
teaching my wives.  I didn't say anything and none of the men would believe
that a woman could kill an Indian with her bare hands.  Everyone agreed
that it was a mystery what had happened to him but everyone agreed that
Louise couldn't have had anything to do with it.

   I returned to the wagon where I found Louise being comforted by my other
wives and Corrie.  I asked if she had used Krav Magen, and she said, "Yes.
It happened so fast.  I felt someone grab my neck and reacted.  When I saw
the knife after I pulled away, I continued by reflex and hit him again and
again." She began crying again.

   I held her in my arms.  "Louise, this is what you've been training for.
It's supposed to be reflexive.  You don't have the time to think in
situations like that so I've trained you to react to what you see.  You did
exactly what I trained you to do.  Blame me not yourself."

   Corrie spoke up, "Grow up girl!  You'd be dead if he hadn't trained you.
What did think that man was going to do?  Ask you to dance?"

   I think her scolding did more to stop Louise's crying than my words. 
With a glare in her eye, Louise looked at Corrie and told her, "Wait until
you have to do it."

   Corrie looked right back in her eyes, "I'm looking forward to the
training,"

   With that Louise got up and started to leave the wagon.  "Where are you
going?" I asked.

   "I threw our cooking pot somewhere when he grabbed me.  I'm going to
look for it." With that she left.

   Elizabeth looked at me and after a nod called out to her, "Wait up!  I'm
going to help you find it".  Grabbing a pistol she hurried after Louise.  I
looked at Corrie.

   "Now do you see what I was worried about?  Do you think many women could
do this without breaking down?"

   She gave me a glance, "Is it better to break down afterward or be dead?"
With that parting comment she left.

   Claire reached out and took my hand "Honey, you know that you would
rather have a hundred dead men if it would keep Louise alive." I had to
admit in my head that she was right, but I'd be damned if I would admit it
to her.

   We resumed our journey toward the Columbia River.  From the crest of
Spring Mountain we could see the plains below in the direction of our
travel.  It looked like the top of a table, flat and empty with very few
trees and nothing but dry brush and grass for as far as we could see.  In
the distance at the edge of what we could see some people claimed that they
could see the gleam of the Umatilla River.  Now all we had to do was reach
it.

   We began our trip like any other day leaving soon after daybreak and
continued until around 10:30 when we broke for an hour and a half to eat
lunch and to let the oxen rest.  Several of the men wanted to take the
loose cattle ahead to reach the river sooner but the wagon captain refused
to give them permission.  "You'd be too far ahead if you or us needed
help." After some grumbling, mostly from the single men, they stayed with
the wagon train.

   Along about the time to stop for the night one of the scouts reported
finding a small pond that he thought might be safe.  The wagon captain told
me to go out and try to see if it was.  We rode over to the pond, about two
miles ahead of the wagon train and got down.  I looked for any bones in the
area and didn't find anything.  Next I looked at the water itself and
around the edge for deposits.  Finally I tasted the water.  It was alkaline
and tasted strongly of iron, but it seemed to be safe.  Something still
bothered me about it though, although I couldn't say exactly why.  I told
the scout to bring a single steer who really needed water and let him
drink. After about an hour he returned with a really scrubby looking animal
and allowed it to drink all it wanted.  We waited another hour and nothing
appeared to be wrong with it so I told the scout to bring the animal back
with us to the wagon train.  We began to return to the wagon train and were
almost there when the steer started to tremble and then fell.  I got down
and checked it out.  Looking at the scout I said, "It's dead.  Tell the
captain to make a detour around the waterhole."

   Looking at the carcass I was glad I hadn't just told the scout to bring
the herd to drink.  As I waited for him to return I wondered what had made
me so cautious about the water.  Suddenly I realized that I hadn't seen any
other tracks around it.  There hadn't been any wind so if the wild animals
had used it we would have seen tracks.  After he came back I picked up one
of the many steer skulls along the trail and told him to put it by the
pond. When he wanted to know why, I just looked at him.  "What would you
have done if you had seen something like this there?" He blushed when he
realized what I was talking about and left to do it.

   I returned to the wagon and we continued our journey.  The area appeared
drier around here and we made better progress as there was not so much
brush in the way.  We didn't see any game on the trail and I asked Louise
to drive the wagon while Elizabeth and I hunted.  The women were curious
when I grabbed a red bandanna before we headed out.  We had seen antelope
in the distance while we were traveling but every time someone almost got
into rifle range they took off.  I knew that Claire could probably hit one
with the Hawken .54 but I didn't know how much meat would be left after
that big round went through.

   I remembered one of the trappers talking about hunting antelope using a
red cloth and thought I would try it.  We approached as closely as we could
until we saw the antelope beginning to stir.  Getting down from the horses,
I tied the bandanna to a large bush and we hid nearby where we had a clear
shot at the animals.  We again dismounted and waited.  After about 20
minutes we began to see antelope approaching the bandanna.  I touched
Elizabeth and pointed out an antelope for her.  I aimed at another and as
if we had rehearsed it, we fired as one.  Two antelope went down and with a
leap and a bound the others disappeared.

   We went forward to pick up the antelope and the bandanna to use again.
As I bent over the antelope to field dress it, I heard a pistol shot and I
swear, felt the bullet go over my head.  I dropped to the ground and saw
Elizabeth standing there with her smoking pistol pointed at me!