Wolf Creek Read Online Free PDF

one had ever seen truly angry, had had
enough. She gathered the women feeding the construction crew around
her.
    “I can’t take any more of this
caterwauling,” she declared. “I’m sure most of you feel the
same.”
    “I certainly do,” Anna Kloepfer said.
    “Good,” Ma answered “Ladies, follow me.”
    “Ma, don’t do anything foolish,” Seamus
cautioned.
    “I have no thought of doing any such thing,”
Ma answered. “I’m just going to give those cackling old biddies a
good old-time baptism. Ladies, if you please. And sing along.”
    Ma led her group toward Phoebe and her
choir. Katy lent her clear, lilting Irish voice as they sang their
own version of the hymn:
     
    “ Shall we throw them into Wolf
Creek,
    The beautiful, beautiful Wolf Creek?
    Yes, we’ll throw them into Wolf Creek,
    And wash their sins away!
     
    The men on both sides of the confrontation
looked on, dumbfounded, as Ma Adams led her companions straight
into the midst of Carole Collier and her cohorts, grabbed them by
their collars, dragged them to the creek, kicking and screaming,
and tossed them in the waist-deep water. By the time they managed
to drag themselves out of the water, looking like nothing so much
as bedraggled wet hens, all the fight was out of them. All the
others, both for and against the building of St. James of the
Prairie, burst into laughter. Even Reverend Hyder joined in.
    “Come, Bessie May, it’s time to go home,”
Howard said, as he helped his wife up the bank.
    “Don’t say a word. Not one word,” she said
in reply.
    To Carole Collier’s horror, her blouse had
come undone when she was tossed into the river. She hastily pulled
it closed.
    “You haven’t heard the last of this!” she
shouted. “We will return to fight another day.”
    “Yes, we will,” Reverend Hyder agreed. “The
battle has just been joined.”
    “You’d better think twice about that before
attempting to start trouble again, Hyder,” Seamus warned.
    “That’s Reverend Hyder, deputy.”
    “Even a man of the cloth has to earn my
respect,” Seamus replied. “You sure haven’t.” He looked around as
Sam Gardner and Quint Croy came galloping up.
    “Everything under control here, Seamus?” the
marshal asked. “We could hear a lot of yellin’ and squealin’ all
the way down to Fifth Street.”
    “Everything’s just fine, Marshal,” Seamus
answered, still chuckling. “Some of the women just decided to go
for a swim, that’s all.”
    “Yes, with a little help from Ma Adams,”
Father Sean added.
    “Ma?” Croy echoed, clearly surprised.
    “Yes, from me, Quint,” Ma confirmed. “They
wanted to gather with the saints and angels at the river. We just
obliged ʼem.”
    “Well, I’ll be,” was all Gardner could say.
Of all people, Ma Adams was the one who gave Carole Collier a good,
and much needed, dunking. Ma Adams, who had the patience of a
saint. Ma, who loved just about everyone in town, and who was loved
by just about everyone in return. Was there never an end to the
surprises in Wolf Creek?
    “C’mon, Quint, let’s go for a beer,” he
said. He and Croy rode away, still chuckling.
     
    3
     
    Danny decided to spend the night at his
friend Frank’s, so after the party at the Emerald Isle broke up,
Ben rode to the Millers’ house with him.
    “Don’t forget to be home in time to help
clean the stalls, Danny,” Ben said. “And you behave yourself. Make
sure you listen to Mrs. Miller.”
    “Danny’s always a good boy,” Josephine
Miller said. “I don’t mind him visiting at all.”
    “Well, I appreciate your putting up with
him,” Ben answered. “And don’t forget, Frank’s welcome to stay with
me and Danny anytime.”
    “I’ll remember that, Ben.”
    “Fine. Josephine, Frank, good night. Danny,
good night.” Ben leaned over in his saddle and tousled his son’s
hair.
    “G’night, Pa. I’ll see you in the mornin’,”
Danny said. He handed the reins of Lemon Drop, his pet palomino,