n, as the sun began to shed his light on
the place, they became gradually apprised of the extent of their loss.

Ishmael looked round upon the motionless and heavily loaded vehicles
with his teeth firmly compressed, cast a glance at the amazed and
helpless group of children, which clustered around their sullen but
desponding mother, and walked out upon the open land, as if he found the
air of the encampment too confined. He was followed by several of the
men, who were attentive observers, watching the dark expression of his
eye as the index of their own future movements. The whole proceeded in
profound and moody silence to the summit of the nearest swell, whence
they could command an almost boundless view of the naked plains. Here
nothing was visible but a solitary buffaloe, that gleaned a meagre
subsistence from the decaying herbage, at no great distance, and the
ass of the physician, who profited by his freedom to enjoy a meal richer
than common.

"Yonder is one of the creatures left by the villains to mock us," said
Ishmael, glancing his eye towards the latter, "and that the meanest of
the stock. This is a hard country to make a crop in, boys; and yet food
must be found to fill many hungry mouths!"

"The rifle is better than the hoe, in such a place as this," returned
the eldest of his sons, kicking the hard and thirsty soil on which he
stood, with an air of contempt. "It is good for such as they who make
their dinner better on beggars' beans than on homminy. A crow would shed
tears if obliged by its errand to fly across the district."

"What say you, trapper?" returned the father, showing the slight
impression his powerful heel had made on the compact earth, and laughing
with frightful ferocity. "Is this the quality of land a man would choose
who never troubles the county clerk with title deeds?"

"There is richer soil in the bottoms," returned the old man calmly, "and
you have passed millions of acres to get to this dreary spot, where he
who loves to till the 'arth might have received bushels in return for
pints, and that too at the cost of no very grievous labour. If you have
come in search of land, you have journeyed hundreds of miles too far, or
as many leagues too little."

"There is then a better choice towards the other Ocean?" demanded the
squatter, pointing in the direction of the Pacific.

"There is, and I have seen it all," was the answer of the other, who
dropped his rifle to the earth, and stood