Chapter 16

"What'd you mean about your women then. You got more than one?

"Yeh, but if I was a Mormon I'd a called 'em my wives. I ain't officially married to any of them, but I've collected a few here and there and I treat them like wives even if we can't really marry.

"That don't mean you have to put up with any foolishness just because you come along with us. I know I left you in a tight spot even if I didn't have no choice. I got plenty of mules to pull your wagon along and we'll take you as close as we can to where you was heading," I said, trying like hell to salve my conscience.

"I wasn't headed a damned place 'cept to a crib in some saloon. Bullshit don't carry you far in the world and that's about all Slim was good for. If you'll hitch up to my wagon and can spare a little food along I'd be proud to go wherever you're headed.

"The seal's off my bottle too and if you need a little pussy to make you feel better about helping me out I don't mind that neither. Hell, you'll be saving me from selling it to any asshole with two bits and I shore ain't gonna tell you no if you come sniffing around while you're doing it," she said, and didn't even look like the prospect would bother her.

"Why don't you get Clarice bundled up and come on over to my wagons with me. I got a lot of people for you to meet and I know all the women will want to get their hands on Clarice, a little at least. There ain't a baby in our bunch and they'll be glad to get hold of one."

"I'm all yours now Frank, whatever comes of it. I don't want to be looking out for myself and Clarice without no man around to at least give a little help," she said, and then picked the baby up out of her wagon and said she was ready.

We passed near Slim's body and there was a darky loading him onto a sort of wheelbarrow. I asked Anita if she wanted to take a last look, but she said if he was already dead the kick she wanted to give him wouldn't be worth the effort. I gave the man the two dollars he asked for as the price or planting Slim and Anita asked if he'd mark the grave with a buffalo chip, but he never said whether he would or wouldn't and we didn't press him.

When we got back to the wagons most of the bunch had just finished eating. I introduced Anita around and gave a short admission of my morning sins. That tore it for the women, except Nadine and Blossum who'd heard a sad song before. The rest of them swarmed Anita and Clarice, petting and cooing to the both of them.

"Hey, I ain't that late for lunch and besides, Anita ain't been getting enough to eat lately either," I said, knowing I wouldn't get much warmed up without invoking Anita's plight too.

I could tell the fire under the stew pot was stirred up mostly for Anita's benefit and I didn't mind a bit if that was so. There was a hell of a lot more in the pot than she could eat, no matter how many meals she'd missed. In the first place I didn't like to see people going hungry anyway, and in the second I knew her slim body would look even better with a few more pounds on it. It was just a happy coincidence I was going to get a meal out of the deal too.

It made me hurt again to see Anita eating, because she was going about it slowly; the same way most people do when they hadn't had enough to eat lately. It made me want to shoot Slim again, but there was no point in holding a grudge after he was dead. I'd just have to make sure I kept all my women in food from now on.

I made myself even more useful later when Clarice started a little crying. Helen was holding her and asked Anita if she had any clean diapers. She did, but said they were back in her wagon. I sent Charlie and Jim to catch up some mules and told them where to find it.

For the immediate problem I found one of my clean flannel shirts, cleaned up Clarice with a clean spot on her soiled diaper, and then wrapped her up in the shirt. She gave me a grin and a giggle when I was done so I sat on the bench to tickle and bounce her on my knee. I even showed them all I could make plenty of little noises babies liked to hear.

Anita gave me a big smile while Helga, Mary, and Helen looked at me like I had two heads. I didn't pay them any attention. I'd played with plenty of babies in my time in Texas and to tell the truth it had been to long since I got to.

"I don't guess you'll ever stop surprising me," Helen said, after a minute.

"What, you didn't think I knew how to play with a baby? I'm glad Clarice and Anita are with us now so's I can get back in practice. I'm pretty sure a lot of you are going to be knocked up before long."

That got me a few giggles and one hell of a lot of red faces. The thing that bothered me though was the way Rebecca, Elizabeth, Honey, and Helga just looked hopeful.

About half an hour later Charlie and Jim came back with Anita's wagon. She put one of the diapers on Clarice then and Helen asked her to let Clarice sleep in our wagon while the men took care of any repairs hers might need.

I figured it was to keep from being roped into helping the women explore the available junk, but Charlie, Jr, and Jim set to work caulking and tarring on Anita's wagon right away. Jimmy wanted to help them badly too, but Cara wasn't that dumb and she called him out to help her find a few things they might need and would never get any cheaper.

Helen decided since I was so good with Clarice I could sit around the wagons and listen for her if she woke up needing another change. Mary sweetened the deal by making a fresh pot of coffee and after it was done the women, including Anita, went out gleaning again.

When Jack Jenkins came around later to see what I was up to I picked Clarice out of the wagon and showed him.

"I'll be damned. I'd heard you got into it with one of the townies and damned if you didn't come out ahead. Hey, did you get that wagon in the deal too?"

"Not exactly, but the widow owns the wagon now and she told me I owned her, so I guess I got the use of it. You know damned well I ain't gonna make her sleep by herself," I said, knowing I was bragging but not able to stop myself.

"Hell, you ain't gonna take the cutoff and head for Brigham Young's folks are you?"

"Naw, like I explained to Anita - I ain't married to any of these women and far as I know there ain't no limit to the number of 'em you can have living with you. They just hold you to one wife."

"Damned if that ain't the truth. I 'spect the women'll extract their own revenge on you later."

"They might, but if they keep abusing me like they have been so far I can die a happy man. It's a good thing Slim acted such a fool too. I was headed into town to see if I could find a wagon to buy. He showed his ass just in time."

It was all Jack could stand. He walked off laughing and shaking his head.

The women kept at it until time to start supper, but they hadn't all stayed out there the whole while. Several trips had been made to bring things back. The most notable was a big chest of clothes from the same wagon or at least same people who'd put out the china cabinet and the big crated up mirror. There were no men's clothes in it but plenty of nice dresses and some young children's clothes. There were things for a baby, including some clean flannel diapers and they went up to things that might fit a three year old.

Anita had found them and in fact knew exactly where they'd been to start with. She said it was where she'd found diapers for Clarice before. I wondered why she didn't take at least all the diapers when she first found them but didn't ask. The dresses fit her too, mostly, but as thin as she was now they'd just hang off her. I was going to see if we couldn't get her to grow to them and I was pretty sure Helen and Mary at least had that on their minds too.

Clarice got her supper before the rest of us and I wasn't a bit shy about watching. Anita wasn't shy about me doing it either. In fact she seemed to be showing off a little since she uncovered both titties at the same time and gave them a little wiggle every time she noticed I was watching close.

That night was for me and the youngsters. They seemed more excited than usual and did more than a little hinting about getting a baby out of me soon. I didn't have the heart to bring up the facts they already knew. The fact I was already doing all I could to get them pregnant and the rest was beyond my control. It would have been stupid for me to mention it anyway, since the girls were trying harder, even if what they were trying probably wouldn't help their cause.