Oscar and I shared a glance.
When they were finished and walking toward us, I asked, “What are we gonna do with them?” I pointed at the three dead wolves in the blood red snow. “I reckon we should get the pelts, at least.”
Clarence wrinkled his nose. “We’ve eaten wolf at times. I don’t recommend it. Irene’s a decent cook, but she can’t even make it taste good.”
“I’ve eaten it when I had to,” I said. “Not partial to it. There’s enough other game around here that I don’t feel desperate.”
“You think those wolves that ran off will come back?” Oscar said.
Clarence, Irene and I exchanged glances.
“I doubt it,” I said. “The rest of that big pack had already gone somewhere else, and I reckon the ones that got away from Irene will be long gone.”
Oscar grinned at Irene. “You were incredible. I reckon those wolves are gonna tell everyone they meet about the wild man with long hair and wearin’ skirts that killed their brothers in about five seconds with fire from a stick. You’ll be a legend!”
Irene rolled her eyes. “I’m glad we decided to come by. I got to thinking and said to Clarence, we’d better go check on Oscar and Jimmy. T’would be the neighborly thing to do, knowing there are wolves around.”
I stepped forward and held out my hand to Irene.
“We thank you, kindly. You’re as brave as a lion, Irene—and Clarence, too. You took a risk for us, and we’re mighty thankful.” I looked down at the snow, then back up at them. “If that huge pack had surrounded you, the sleigh wouldn’t have been much protection.”
Irene grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug. “It all turned out fine, so what’s the point of fretting?”
I held her close, truly grateful and impressed. I pulled back and gave her a look. “I don’t ever wanna be on the bad side of you, Irene Trelawney. Jesus.”
She gave me a sober look that was tempered with a bright glint in one eye. “No, you don’t.”
“Me neither,” Oscar added. “We’re mighty thankful. We should feed and water the horses and Poke now, Jimmy. They must be hungry, poor things.”
“We’ll put up your team as well,” I said.
But Clarence shook his head. “You let Irene and me take care of the horses. You and Oscar best get to skinnin’ and disposin’ of those wolves. You don’t wanna leave them out here bleeding all o’er the place, or you’ll have every other predator around. I’m surprised the buzzards aren’t already circling.”
T’was a good plan. We got our coats and, after we’d each taken a turn in the outhouse, we gloved up and I showed Oscar how to skin a wolf and clean the hide. Then we made a bonfire in the snow and burned all the other bits so they wouldn’t attract attention. The scraped pelts would hang outside and, with no blood on them, they wouldn’t be a draw to other animals.
By then, Clarence and Irene had finished in the barn and gone inside. Oscar and I washed off at the pump and went in, glad to be where t’was warm and bright and there were no wolves circling.
“What’s all that?” I said, seeing food laid out on the counter.
“We brought sandwiches,” Irene said with a smile. “Help yourselves. I had some of that bear meat left, and there’s cheese and some of the fine English mustard I bought.”
“That’ll hit the spot,” I said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Jimmy,” Irene said. She gazed around her at the little house. “My, this place is so clean!”
I smiled. “Well, we didn’t have much to occupy us this morning, since we couldn’t go outside.” I glanced at Oscar, and he had the decency to look a mite ashamed about his earlier behavior. “Oscar was a big help. It didn’t take long once we set to’t.”
He sent me a grateful glance and sat in the chair.
“Your place is always so tidy and fine,” Oscar said. “I reckon we got used to that.”
“Nonsense. I amnotthe best housekeeper. Clarence does his share.”
Clarence smiled benignly as he chewed his bear sandwich. “I don’t see why Irene should have to do it all. If she can shoot bears and wolves, I suppose I can pick up a cleaning rag once in a while.”
T’was a nice afternoon then, with no wolves bothering us and good neighbors to chat with. Clarence and Irene left in their sleigh before too long, so they could get home before darkness fell. And Oscar and I went to bed early, since our sleep hadn’t been ideal the night before.
* * * *
