Chapter 3

December 25, 1849

"Louise! What are you doing here?" From the other room I could hear the sound of a voice that sounded like Frieda.

Louise looked at me and started to laugh, "Alex, don't you think that you might want to put up your gun?"

I realized that I was holding my pistol in my hand. With some effort I put it back into the holster and kept looking at Louise. She got up and gave me a hug, "The story of what happened reached us last week. Frieda and I knew we had to get here for you. I missed you all so much!"

I gave Louise a hug and a kiss. Going to the door I saw Josh standing in the hallway with a look of confusion on his face. I didn't hear any sounds like anyone was being killed in the next room so I waved at Josh, "Get your mothers and tell them your Mom Louise and Frieda are here."

As he went by he asked, "Dad, what makes women act the way they do?"

"Like what, son?"

"Like they can't bear to let go of you one minute and suddenly can't stand to have you near them the next."

I put one and one together and came up with three, "Did you tell Sun Lee about Frieda?"

"Kinda."

"Kinda?"

"I told her I asked permission to spark Frieda from her father."

"And no one told Frieda about Sun Lee", I stated to myself.

"Dad, how could I? We just got here yesterday!"

"What happened when Frieda saw Sun Lee?"

"That's what I don't understand. She was in my arms kissing me, then she slapped me and burst out crying. That's when Sun Lee told me to go away and closed the door in my face."

I just shook my head, "Ask your mothers. Maybe they can answer but I think that even if they do you won't understand. Women are good at that."

Josh set off to fetch his mothers and as he went I heard him mutter, "So are fathers!"

When my other wives arrived they found Louise being held in my arms listening about what had happened after she went home with Corrie. They jumped in and began telling things from their viewpoints and I just sat back and let the sounds of their voices flow over me. The tension that I had felt coming back began to evaporate again. I began yawning and the next thing I knew I was waking up in bed between two warm bodies with a third nestled in front of Claire. I raised my head and spotted Josh. He was sleeping on the floor in our room so I assumed that he had not been given permission to enter his room yet.

I didn't want him to have to stay on the floor for the remainder our stay here so I got up, and followed by the sleepy Elizabeth, got dressed and ready to face the day. Elizabeth and I got finished about the same time that Claire and Louise began to stir followed shortly afterward by Josh and the girls. After everyone had a chance to wash up we went downstairs where the sheriff wandered by.

"Damn it Alex! Don't you ever leave anyone alive who threatens your wives! We just got finished picking up the bodies from the ambush site. We picked up 8 bodies there. One of the deputies who was there told me that he found 12 horses so you still have 4 men around out to kill you. I know I told you to wait until the 27th to see me but I changed my mind. Go back to your town. The Muir is leaving today and you and your wives will be on it." I protested that Josh couldn't leave town yet.

"I understand that Josh has some paperwork to pick up on the 27th and I'll make sure he gets the paperwork and gets out of here safely. Alex you're just plain trouble", the sheriff replied.

We began to protest that we wanted to stay with Josh until he got his paperwork and go back as one party. The sheriff just sat there until our protests started to die down again, "Look Alex, I promise I'll keep young Josh at my home at night. I will either be with Josh or have a deputy go around with him until I get him on a boat headed back to you. There's just too much danger here for you and your wives. You don't know the people and you don't know the area. The trick to living a long time at this job is to get the opponent to come to you in an area where you know everyone and the surroundings. I've already booked passage for your party on the Muir and everything is set up for you. Go home Alex."

Sun Lee and Frieda looked stubborn when they were told they had to leave. Josh looked at them and seemed to come to a decision with himself. Standing up he reached out and grabbed a hand of each He pulled and both girls had to stand up, "Frieda, Sun Lee, come with me." Frieda looked like she was going to refuse when Josh gave her a glance that made her shut her mouth and she quietly followed Josh.

I looked at him as they walked away. Josh was going to be a formidable man soon. I glanced at my wives and they were looking at them too. We exchanged a look of pride between ourselves. The sheriff looked at Josh as well, "I wish I could get my wife to listen to me like that." He never understood why we suddenly began to laugh.

Before we left Oregon City my wives had to indulge in one feminine rite. Shopping! It was kind of funny and kind of scary at the same time. The sheriff had his best shots on top of the highest building down town looking for anyone who seemed overly interested in any of my wives or me. Other deputies accompanied us while they shopped. The quantity and quality of goods had begun to improve rapidly with the gold coming into Oregon from the California gold fields and they must have hit every shop in Oregon City before they were finished. Well, every store but one. The shop where Claire and Louise got hurt saw them coming and shut their doors before they arrived. They must have spent over a hundred dollars each in the stores before we boarded the Muir. We had the livery wagon full of clothes and other assorted goods before they got through.

The captain of the Muir acted like he wanted to charge me more when he saw the amount of goods my wives were bringing aboard, but a glance from the sheriff made him keep quiet. Sun Lee and Frieda had gone shopping as well with some money Josh gave them and I was amazed at how much such little girls could carry. Josh gave both of them a big kiss before they boarded and for a second I thought they were going to follow him off the ship. I glanced at my wives and saw the look that they exchanged between them. I wouldn't be surprised if there was another multiple family before too long. I called Josh over and talked to him about listening to the sheriff and being careful. He nodded and I had to hope he was listening. I gave Josh $50 in gold eagles for his expenses and gave him the shotgun to carry with him for backup. As the Muir pulled away from the dock we waved at Josh as he stood by the sheriff. Frieda and Sun Lee kept watching Josh until he was completely out of sight and then started bawling on each other's shoulders.

My wives descended on them like a flock of gulls on a school of fish. I just stood there thinking about what was going on. What did a Russian have to do with all this? I tried to remember what was going on in the world this year. The United States was still considered a minor power in the world while the big powers of the day were in Europe. We would not be trying to buy Alaska for several years, sometime in the late 1860's I thought. Russia was involved in the Crimean war but I didn't have any idea why they would be interested in Oregon.

I continued chewing the facts while we traveled up the river. I enjoyed the leisurely journey more than I would have thought. I guess I had been under a lot of pressure lately as I felt myself begin to sleep soundly, without waking up several times a night. It helped that one of my wives made sure that we spent at least 30 minutes or longer making love every night. I found myself relaxing and enjoying the company of my wives without the pressure of the job or the children around. It was like the honeymoon we never had, and we acted like it. Every time we came to a landing, the Muir would pull ashore and unload or load cargo and passengers.