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Above the little brake,
the flocks of birds still held their flight, circling with heavy wings
about the spot, struggling at times against the torrent of wind, and
then favoured by their position and height, making bold swoops upon
the thicket, away from which, however, they never failed to sail,
screaming in terror, as if apprised, either by sight or instinct, that
the hour of their voracious dominion had not yet fully arrived.
Ishmael stood for many minutes, with his wife and children clustered
together, in an amazement, with which awe was singularly mingled,
gazing in death-like stillness on the sight. The voice of Esther at
length broke the charm, and reminded the spectators of the necessity
of resolving their doubts in some manner more worthy of their manhood,
than by dull and inactive observation.
"Call in the dogs!" she said; "call in the hounds, and put them into
the thicket; there ar' men enough of ye, if ye have not lost the
spirit with which I know ye were born, to tame the tempers of all the
bears west of the big river.


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