Oregon Disaster

by Rachel Wesson

  “That’s better. You’re a sensible girl. You know when you’re beaten.” He leaned in closer, almost whispering to her now. “Don’t become too placid, I like a bit of fight in a woman.”

  “Good!” Sarah screamed as she slapped his face as hard as she could. She couldn’t kick him between the legs as her skirts restricted her aim, but once he put his hands up to his face, she lifted her skirts and ran. She almost got away but he was too quick.

  “You little bi—”

  Sarah hit him again and again, fighting with every bit of strength she possessed, but it was pointless. He was bigger, stronger and better fed. He let her fight and then when she was almost winded, he backhanded her. Falling to the ground, she seized a stone, intent on using it.

  “Sarah, Sarah, why persist? You can’t fight me.”

  “No, but I can. Keep away.”

  Sarah recognized the voice. She watched Faulkner closely as he turned, his face pale until he saw who had spoken. Then he laughed. “You? You can’t touch me. You know the penalty for hurting a white man. I’d have you strung up from the nearest tree, you savage.”

  “You’re the one beating a woman.” Bear looked Faulkner up and down with obvious loathing. “Sarah, come. We leave. Now.”

  Faulkner stood between Bear and Sarah. “She’s mine. She stays.”

  “She is a free woman. Nobody owns her. She can come if she wants to.”

  Sarah struggled to stand up, the pain in her side worse than ever. She had used almost all her energy fighting Faulkner, but this was her chance to escape. She crawled a little until she could pick herself up. Bear took a step toward her but Faulkner pulled his gun.

  “I told you, she ain’t going nowhere. You leave now, or I’ll put a bullet in you.”

  Bear didn’t move a muscle but his eyes focused on the gun. “Sarah, go now. Wait for me. Where we met before.”

  “But he’ll shoot—”

  “Go. Now.”

  Sarah turned to go but in that instant, she saw Faulkner raise his gun and she remembered the stone in her hand. With all the force she could gather, she hit Faulkner on the side of his head. He looked stunned for a moment before he fell over. His head hit a rock as he met the ground. Bear bent down quickly to check.

  “He’s dead isn’t he? I just killed a man. Oh my God what am I going to do? I didn’t mean to, I just wanted to escape.”

  “Shush Miss Sassy, you will attract attention. We have to get out of here now.”

  “We can’t just leave him here. Like that.”

  “We have to, come now.”

  “But—”

  “Miss Sassy, Sarah, we must go. If we don’t, I am a dead man.”

  In her horror, it took Sarah a few seconds to realize Bear was right. The townsfolk wouldn’t believe a girl her size would be able to kill Faulkner. They would blame the Indian; he wouldn’t even get a trial. They would just lynch him. She looked at him, seeing double. She swayed and was about to fall when he caught her and ran.

  She kept her eyes shut as they moved through the forest, hoping that would stop her from being sick. Bear didn’t make much noise as he moved. She heard a couple of squirrels, their claws scrabbling against the tree bark. The air was scented with wild mint, as it had been the last time he had saved her. So she knew they were nearly at the cave again. Was it only two nights ago that she had her first visit? It seemed so much longer. Her life as she knew it was over. It hadn’t been comfortable or good but at least she’d known what to expect. Now she had to start over. Alone.

  But was she? She had a baby to consider. She squeezed her eyes shut. Now wasn’t the time to feel sorry for herself. They finally reached the cave without incident. Sarah stood while Bear went inside to make sure no wild animals had taken over the space.

  Sarah couldn’t help but empty her stomach. She heaved until there was nothing left and then heaved some more. Bear brought her water and then made her go inside to lie down and rest. She walked slowly, not wanting to hit her head again. The cave smelled damp and she could hear water dropping onto the floor. Was that from the recent rain? Bear had lain the furs down on a dry area of the cave. In that section, Sarah found she could stand up without fear of hitting the sides of the cave. She relaxed slightly. For the moment they were safe. Nobody seemed to have chased them. The cave was well hidden from the forest and, given Bear’s care in taking her here, she assumed he had covered his tracks well enough.

  She lay down but still she didn’t think she would ever sleep again. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Faulkner’s face, his eyes staring but seeing nothing. Shuddering, she dragged the blankets around her. Her body felt funny and she began feeling very sleepy. Bear must have put something in the water. She should be scared of losing control, but it was such a relief. And she trusted Bear. She didn’t know why, she just did.

  * * *

  Only once she was in a deep sleep did Bear leave her. He left Tala to watch over her. He had no option but to check on whether they were being followed. He went as close to the town as he dared but there was no sign of any unusual activity. Maybe the townsfolk hadn’t yet discovered the body. Or perhaps they had and just assumed someone who had been a victim of Faulkner’s killed him. Rich and powerful men like him tended not to be too popular as invariably they made their money off the backs of the miners. Bear was torn between taking a closer look around the town and getting back to check on Sarah. He knew if she woke up alone she would be scared so he decided to go to her. Despite not seeing any upset in the town, he didn’t want to tempt fate. It was best for everyone if they put as much distance between themselves and this town.

  Chapter 14

  April 1861 Portland, Oregon

  Sunday came around very quickly. Thankfully, it was quite a sunny day so the Hughes family could eat outside. Mrs. Newland had been right, everyone brought a dish with them so the tables creaked under the weight of all the food. The only thing missing as far as Tilly was concerned were their Indian friends. But Walking Tall didn’t think it was safe to come down from the mountains.

  Family events weren’t the same without Rick. Tilly took a deep breath and told herself that today was not the day for tears. She was the hostess and it was her job to make everyone comfortable, not upset them.

  Later that afternoon, when their bellies were fit to burst and the party members lounged around talking, and enjoying each other’s company, Tilly heard hoof beats on the road to their house.

  When the rider came into view, she saw it was a soldier. He looked so excited, she knew immediately that something was wrong. Please God don’t tell me they are going to attack Indians again.

  “It’s happened,” he said. “We are at war.”

  The men crowded around the stranger to find out more details while the women gathered together hoping their men folk wouldn’t be leaving them. Tilly was determined to carry on as if nothing were happening. If she didn’t acknowledge the war, then she didn’t have to worry about Almanzo joining up.

  “Almanzo, what are you going to do?” David asked.

  “I don’t know. Part of me wants to fight for my country but the other part wants to stay here and protect my family. One thing is for sure, I won’t fight against the Indians.”

  “Why would you go into battle against Indians?” Tilly asked.

  “The newspapers are reporting that the regiments formed in Oregon and California will be stationed here to keep the Indian 'situation” under control. Tensions are rising and it’s only a matter of time before something happens. The Indians aren’t going to go willingly to reservations. And who could blame them?”

  “So if you join up in Oregon, you could end up fighting against Walking Tall and his friends.” Tilly put her thoughts into words even though she couldn’t quite believe them.

  “My friends too, Tilly.” Almanzo smiled, though his eyes were sad. “I can’t do that. I won’t raise a gun against innocent people or fight for something against my beliefs. What do you think, David?”<
br />
  Tilly looked at Jo’s brother in law. He was a very knowledgeable reporter working for the Oregon Echo. Most of the family looked to him for advice now that Rick was gone. Scott, Jo’s other brother-in-law, was very knowledgeable on the area and all things Indian related. Between the two of them, there was little they didn’t know.

  “I agree with you, Almanzo,” David said. “If you join up, you become a soldier and must obey orders. If you are ordered to fight Indians and refuse, you could end up shot as a deserter or go to prison. Neither of which is a good option.”

  “So do I stay out of it altogether?” Almanzo asked.

  “I can’t make that decision for you.”

  “And why not? You seem to make decisions for other people without having a problem with it,” David’s wife, Eva, said.

  Uncomfortable at the atmosphere between the couple, Tilly gave Almanzo a look, but before they could leave David and Eva alone, David answered his wife.

  “Eva, I know you disagree with me but I have to go. It’s my duty.”

  “Your duty is to your wife and family. You promised to protect me. What about our boys?” Eva said, her eyes glistening with un-spilt tears.

  David moved to her side, taking her in his arms. Tilly wanted to close her eyes or have the ground open up and swallow her rather than witness this private moment between the couple.

  “Eva, I love you and our children. You’re part of the reason I have to go. Newspaper men have a duty to report the truth. I can’t stand here and watch other people fight for what I believe in. I need to join up and fight for freedom for the slaves. But my editor says an honest newspaper man is of more value to the cause than another dead soldier.”

  At his words, Eva shuddered. Tilly didn’t blame her. She dreaded the thought of anything happening to Almanzo. She grabbed his hand, holding it between the two of hers. Losing her father-in-law was horrible, but the grief would be nothing compared to losing the love of her life. Eva was probably thinking the same thing, having loved David ever since they were both children.

  “Maybe I’m being selfish, but also I want to see what Lincoln achieves. He was almost the Governor of Oregon only his wife, Mary, didn’t want to live this far west. Our own Edward Baker introduced him at his inaugural.”

  “Why can’t you write the stories for our newspaper here? Surely you don’t need to leave to report on the war?” Eva asked.

  Tilly had never seen this side of Eva before. Jo’s elder sister was usually so composed and in control. She edged Almanzo, trying to hint they should walk away but her husband seemed to be listening to David intently. A little too intently. Surely Almanzo wouldn’t go too? She pulled at his arm.

  “Excuse us, my wife is giving me a hint to leave you both alone,” Almanzo said.

  “Please excuse us, Tilly. We should have kept our discussion private. It’s just we never seem to get time to talk these days, do we David?” Eva apologized, blushing.

  “It’s quite alright,” Tilly said. “Please don’t worry. We’re family, after all. Why don’t you two go on home and we can keep the boys for the night. That will give you some time alone.”

  Eva gave her a quick hug. “Thank you, Tilly. You are an angel. Thank heavens Almanzo married you and not Sarah.”

  Tilly didn’t have time to react to that remark as Eva and David almost ran from the party. They obviously relished the chance to spend some time alone. Was that what it would be like for her and Almanzo if they ever had children?

  “Almanzo are you going to join up?” she asked him, hoping he wouldn’t hear the fear in her voice.

  “Darling, I don’t know yet. Nobody knows what’s going to happen. We have to wait and see.”

  “But you could be killed…” she said, hating the tears that made her voice shake.

  “I promise if I have to go, I will do everything I can to come back safely. Even if I don’t go to war, there are no guarantees I would be safer here. We only have to look at what happened to Rick to see that.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want you to go, and I couldn’t bear it if you died. But I know I’m being selfish.”

  “No, you aren’t. David and Eva’s talk upset you that’s all.”

  “Although if you did go, I wouldn’t miss your socks.” Tilly smiled, linking her arm through his and trying to recapture the good mood of earlier.

  “What are you saying? My socks don’t smell. If you keep complaining, I will send you up to the mountains and ask Walking Tall to cover you in bear grease,” Almanzo said, laughing at the expression on her face.

  “No thank you, but I do think it would be a good idea to go check on Mia. It’s been months since she left. I wonder how she’s doing? It’s a lot for a young girl to lose her ma and granddad and all those friends.”

  Tilly knew children were often more resilient than adults, but Mia had lost her ma and granddad during an Indian massacre.

  Almanzo kissed her forehead. “I love you more every day, Tilly. I will go and see Mia.”

  “Your ma was wonderful to me and Fiona when the Indians found us. It was her that made us see not all Indians were bad and that the tribe was trying to protect us.”

  “Some of them wanted to do more that protect you. You could have become a squaw too.”

  Tilly gave him a playful swat on the arm. “I wanted to talk to you about something. You know I said before that I wanted to give Fiona some money so she could start her orphanage?”

  “Yes, but I thought she turned you down.”

  “She did. But I was wondering if we could approach it in a different way. What about building a combined school and orphanage on our land? Then we can suggest Jo comes in as a teacher and Fiona looks after the orphans. It would help get Jo out of the house.”

  “But Jo’s about to have a baby,” Almanzo said staring at his wife.

  “I know that,” she swatted his arm. “But when the baby is a little bigger she can bring him or her to the school with her. Fiona could look after the baby while Jo is working. Jo needs something to occupy her mind and a baby isn't enough. She has to focus on something. She was telling me it was Rick’s dream to provide an education to all children. So I thought we could call it the Hughes Orphanage or Rick’s place or something to remember him by.”

  Almanzo grabbed Tilly and swung her around until she was dizzy. “That’s a wonderful idea. I know just the spot, too. Down near the trees in the south pasture. It’s a nice area but the land is too rocky to be good for farming.” His eyes blazed with excitement, filling Tilly with pride. She was so happy he approved of her idea. “But let’s not tell anyone until we find out we can do it. I’m sure some of the townsfolk will help. Blacky is a popular man and they seem to have accepted you and Fiona a bit more as well.” Almanzo kissed her again. Then he spotted Stephen just a little ways up the road. Almanzo gave her a quick peck on the cheek before he left to speak to Stephen.

  Once he’d left, the smile drained from her face. Not everyone accepted her. Some of the townsfolk still believed she and Fiona Murphy should have committed suicide after living with the Indians even though they hadn’t been defiled in any way. Only last week, Mrs. Morgan had called her a horrible name but she hadn't told Almanzo. It was pointless upsetting him when he was already worried about Jo and the baby, never mind Sarah. Nobody had heard from her in months. Jo had been devastated when Sarah didn’t respond to her letter telling her about Rick’s death. Almanzo hadn't said much about it, but Tilly knew he had been hurt too. Carrie had written to Sarah telling her not to bother ever coming back to Portland. Tilly knew Carrie was angry, but she also suspected the younger girl missed her sister desperately.

  Chapter 15

  “Stop frowning, you’ll get lines on your forehead.” Becky, Jo’s twin sister, teased Tilly as she walked toward her, carrying her son.

  “Sorry Becky, I was miles away. How are you? How is young William? He is getting really big already isn’t he?”

  Becky shifted he
r baby onto her other hip. “You can say that again. He’s huge. I can’t keep him in food. Scott reckons he will soon be able to eat a whole steer.”

  Tilly reached out her arms to take baby Willie and give him a big cuddle as she laughed at Scott’s joke.

  “So what were you frowning about? There isn't trouble in paradise is there? I thought you and Almanzo looked happy.”

  Tilly shook her head, wondering what to say. She was happy with Almanzo, but she was worried about Mrs. Morgan and whether the town would ever forget about her and Fiona’s arrival in the town. It was hard keeping secrets from Becky. They had bonded the first night Tilly had arrived in Portland. She liked Eva and Jo too, but, out of the three sisters, Becky was her closest friend. “If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell Almanzo.”

  “Sounds serious,” Becky said, her eyes full of concern. “Alright, I promise.”

  Tilly told Becky what Mrs. Morgan had called her, the last time they met in town.

  “She still believes myself and Fiona were wrong to return to white civilization. If we had an ounce of self-respect, we should have killed ourselves.”

  “What? That is just stupid. The Indians rescued you. They didn’t take you hostage and they didn’t harm you.”

  “I know but Mrs. Morgan and her kind will never believe that.”

  “Of all the nerve. Wait until I get my hands on that woman. She will wish she was never born.”

  “No, Becky, you can’t say anything. Please. You know if Almanzo hears of it, there’ll be trouble. I just have to live with it.”