After proceeding a few yards to the very verge of the brake, he made a sudden pause, and stood trembling in all his aged limbs, apparently as unable to recede as to advance.

The encouraging calls of the young men were disregarded, or only answered by a low and plaintive whining.

For a minute the pup also was similarly affected; but less sage, or more easily excited, he was induced at length to leap forward, and finally to dash into the cover.

An alarmed and startling howl was heard, and, at the next minute, he broke out of the thicket, and commenced circling the spot, in the same wild and unsteady manner as before.
"Have I a man among my children ?" demanded Esther.

"Give me a truer piece than a childish shotgun, and I will show ye what the courage of a frontier-woman can do!" "Stay, mother," exclaimed Abner and Enoch; "if you will see the creatur', let us drive it into view." This was quite as much as the youths were accustomed to utter, even on more important occasions, but having given a pledge of their intentions, they were far from being backward in redeeming it.