Chapter 2

September 17, 1847

"Stand and deliver!" I heard again. This didn't mean anything to me but Claire and Elizabeth reacted to it with squeals of fright. There standing in front of the wagon was a man in a mask holding a pistol, and from behind I heard someone or ones approaching. By now, of course, I had figured out we were being robbed. This time having a quick draw wasn't going to help me. Especially when the first thing they did was take my pistol from my holster.

The man behind didn't say a word just started looking for any other weapons on me and when he was finished searching me the next thing I felt was something striking my head. As I lay dazed on the ground I wasn't certain if what I thought happened really did. Two men came up and began to search Claire and Elizabeth while Louise was dragged off by another man out of my sight. Suddenly I heard from the direction Louise went, the sound of a body hitting the ground and a shout followed by a crunching sound. At the same time Claire struck the man searching her with an open hand under his chin, while Elizabeth used her favorite blow of a knee to the genitals. While both men were on the ground the women used their feet to kick the men in their throats and upper bodies. Elizabeth removed their weapons while Claire came over and with Louise, who had appeared from behind me, leaned me against the wagon. Elizabeth took one of the horse and rode toward Fort Vancouver seeking help. As I faded into black I remember trying to say something to my wives but I don't remember what it was.

When I awoke I was back at Fort Vancouver in the dispensary with my wives around me and a doctor wrapping my head with a somewhat dirty bandage cloth. I grabbed his arm and removed the bandage. Looking at Claire, I told her to bring my saddlebag. Turning to the doctor I asked, "Do you have any whiskey?"

When he started to tell me that I didn't need to drink Louise spoke up, "Alex doesn't want it to drink. He uses it to bathe wounds before he covers them." The doctor turned to Louise and told her he was the doctor and he would do the treatments needed. By this time I was getting scared. This unlettered butcher wanted to "treat me"? No thanks!

I turned to the doctor and told him, "I no longer require your services. My wives will treat me." With an upset look he left, protesting all the way as he was leaving. I had Elizabeth get a bottle of whiskey and had Louise clean the wound made by the gun and wrap my head.

As I lay there with my head throbbing and my vision blurred, I tried to ask what had happened during the robbery and where the robbers were. Elizabeth looked me in the eye and told me, "Don't you remember? Before they managed to get you down, you killed all three with your hands!" After hearing this amazing statement I blacked out.

September 18, 1847

When I next awoke it was early morning and the chief clerk, Mr. Grahame, was there. He was apologetic telling me that the men who had attempted to rob me were known to one of his clerks who may have told them about my spending spree. He gave me a strange look and told me, "We had heard that you were a dangerous man in a gun battle, but no one expected you to be able to kill three men with your bare hands while they had guns." I knew that this had never happened. I had been on the ground trying to stay conscious while they were robbing me. I wondered why my wives had said nothing about what they did. Mr. Grahame apologized again and assured me the clerk in question would be discharged and sent back to England for speaking about Company matters. He then turned and left.

I saw Louise come in with a cup of willow bark tea. Making a grimace I swallowed the bitter tasting brew and eventually felt it begin to take effect. Managing to sit up in the bed, I looked around to see my wives clustered around. Giving them all a glare I asked, "What is going on here? Why did you say I killed them?"

Elizabeth, as ever the spokesman, said, "You told us not to tell anyone about learning how to fight! We were just doing what you told us." I groaned to myself. At this rate I'll be tagged as a killer. I now have no chance to enter politics except from behind the scenes as a deal maker. I would almost rather have given them the money.

I turned to Elizabeth, "How long do I have to stay here?" thinking that we needed to let the wagon train know about the delay.

Claire spoke up, "Mr. Simeroth was here today looking for you, something about trouble with the land claims."

"Did he say anything else?"

In a sarcastic voice she said, "Only that we women needn't worry about it and the men would handle it." She looked at me, "Alex, you forget that to all other men, women are only to be heeded when it comes to morals and manners. Everything else is the man's job, even though the women may do the work." She turned to Elizabeth and Louise, "Did you learn anything else?"

Louise spoke up, "I heard them talking about having to look at the claims before the clerk would approve the land grants."

Elizabeth contributed, "I heard that they needed to hire a lawyer to clear the matter up." I started to get out of bed then fell back with a groan. I suddenly had a splitting headache and felt nauseous.

"Are any of them here right now?" I asked.

"Just Johan. He is trying to get credit to buy seed for his farm."

"Could one of you ask him to join me so we can talk?" Louise left and I looked at my other two wives, "You know a reputation as a dangerous man can hurt as well as help. I don't want to scare people from seeing me or avoiding us. Couldn't you have just thrown their bodies in the river or something?"

Elizabeth looked down to avoid looking me in the eye, "We were worried about you and didn't think about it. Next time we'll be sure no one knows what happened to them."

"I hope there's never a next time that you need to remember that."

Johan came in then and that put an end to the conversation. He told me that the clerk in the courthouse had refused to register the claims saying that he needed proof that they did not infringe on the six square miles claimed by the missions based in Salem. As I listened to him it seemed to me that the clerk was hinting that he wanted a bribe. I was thinking that in this case we needed either a good lawyer or a small bribe. I talked to Johan and offered to buy his seed for his farm if he would have one of his boys drive the farm wagon back to the wagon train and then on to the settlement. He accepted and I lay back down on the bed and reluctantly drank another cup of willow bark tea. I was determined that I would be ready to leave tomorrow. I wanted to see that clerk!

I managed to eat some soup and raised bread and then went to sleep. Hopefully when I woke up this would be over with and we could go to our claims.

September 19, 1847

I woke up this morning feeling much better wrapped up in the arms of Louise and Claire with Elizabeth on top of us. Squirming around I managed to leave Elizabeth in my place and got out to use the jakes. As I walked back to the dispensary, I saw a Beagle bitch with a litter of pups walking by one of the Company officers. I approached him and introducing myself, asked if he had any of the pups for sale. He laughed at me and gave a price of one pound for all of them. I pulled a pound coin out of my pocket and handed it to him. He informed me the pups were weaned and I could take them whenever I desired. Seeing a small wooden box near by I picked it up and put the pups in the box. There were five pups and I had in mind letting each of my wives pick their favorite and giving the other two away.

I returned to the room with the pups and found my wives beginning to stir. Seeing me carrying a box Elizabeth came over and looked in. With a squeal of delight, she grabbed a puppy and hugged him to her breast, "Claire, look at what Alex brought in!" Claire and Louise came over and were as enchanted by the puppies as Elizabeth. Pulling them from the box they sat on the floor and soon were a swirl of playing puppies and laughing women. After collecting the puppies again we prepared to go back to Oregon City.

After almost being robbed I thought I needed another weapon. In the Company store I found an 1847 Colt Walker .44 revolver that had been picked up by one of the sailors when he was in Mexico and traded to the store. I managed to buy it for 3 pounds and felt glad to have it. I purchased shot, caps and powder to go with it at the same time.

We saddled our horses and began our return to the wagon train. The ladies insisted on taking the puppies on the horses with them. Elizabeth and Claire each had two and Louise had the remaining puppy. Between the puppies and my wives' laughter, the trip to the ferry went quickly. When we arrived at the ferry I noticed that we had an area around us that no one came into and I noticed that I was getting looks from the corners of eyes. Men seemed reluctant to look at me directly and women would look and then whisper to each other. I noticed this bubble of space remained open during the entire trip. I resigned myself to having gained an even more outlandish reputation.