He had but time, however, to feel that he could not move under their weight, when they set up a hideous screaming, and scattered like a cloud.

Lina was among them, snapping and striking with her paws, while her tail knocked them over and over.
But they flew up, gathered, and descended on her in a swarm, perching upon every part of her body, so that he could see only a huge misshapen mass, which seemed to go rolling away into the darkness.

He got up and tried to follow, but could see nothing, and after wandering about hither and thither for some time, found himself again beside the hawthorn.

He feared greatly that the birds had been too much for Lina, and had torn her to pieces.

In a little while, however, she came limping back, and lay down in her old place.