It was in this state of things that the sons of Ishmael, in obedience
to an order from their father, conducted the several subjects of his
contemplated decisions, from their places of confinement into the open
air. No one was exempted from this arrangement. Middleton and Inez,
Paul and Ellen, Obed and the trapper, were all brought forth and
placed in situations that were deemed suitable to receive the sentence
of their arbitrary judge. The younger children gathered around the
spot, in momentary but engrossing curiosity, and even Esther quitted
her culinary labours, and drew nigh to listen.
Hard-Heart alone, of all his band, was present to witness the novel
and far from unimposing spectacle. He stood leaning, gravely, on his
lance, while the smoking steed, that grazed nigh, showed that he had
ridden far and hard to be a spectator, on the occasion.
Ishmael had received his new ally with a coldness that showed his
entire insensibility to that delicacy, which had induced the young
chief to come alone, in order that the presence of his warriors might
not create uneasiness, or distrust.
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