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The Gold-Stealers - A Story of Waddy by Edward Dyson
page 106 of 284 (37%)
standing erect in her vehicle roundly abused the township from end to
end. Crying her cause in a big strident voice, she insulted the
inhabitants individually and in the mass, and wherever several people
were assembled she pulled up and poured out upon them the vials of her
wrath in a fine flow of vituperation; and after every few sentences she
interpolated an almost pathetic plea to somebody, she did not care whom,
to step forward and resent her criticism that she might have an
opportunity of hammering decency and religion into the benighted
inhabitants of an unregenerate place.

'Who stole the goats?' she screamed, and, receiving no answer, screamed
the question from house to house.

'Waddy's a township of thieves an' hussies!' she cried, 'thieves an'
hussies! Gimme me goats or I'll have the law on you all--you low, mean
stealers an' robbers, ye! Who stole the goats? Who came by night an'
robbed a decent widdy woman of her beautiful goats? Who? Who? Who? Say
you didn't, someone! Gi' me the lie, you lot o' gaol-birds an'
assassinators!'

All Waddy turned out to hear, and many followed the woman up the road.
The school children heard the noisy procession go by with amazement and
regret, and the visitor grew shriller and fiercer as her search
progressed. At length she discovered what she declared to be one of her
goats in the possession of Mrs. Hogan, and she left her waggon and
charged the latter, who fled in terror, bolting all her doors and
throwing up a barricade in the passage. But the stranger was not to be
foiled: she sat down on the doorstep and proclaimed the house under
siege, announcing her intention to remain until she had wreaked her
vengeance on Mrs. Hogan, and offering meanwhile to fight any four women
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